Potions & Parties

Awoke this morning to some cooler temps here in Florida...it's actually starting to feel a bit like Autumn...just a bit. We had Pumpkin Doughnuts from Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast, and my special Chocolate, Cinnamon Vanilla Nut, Pumpkin Spice blend Coffee with Pumpkin Spice Creamer. It might sound crazy, decadent or just plain disgusting....but I'm telling you, it is one tasty Autumn cup of yumminess! I should note here that the Pumpkin Donuts really didn't taste very pumpkiny. I've heard that their Pumpkin Muffins are better, so we'll try those next time.

So I'm feeling a bit melancholy today because technically I would be in New England right now. But we decided to pass on our annual trip this year and concentrate on Halloween and our Annual Pumpkin Carving Party. It's actually a little better to take the trip semi-annually anyway because absence makes the heart grow fonder, and by the following year we are all primed and ready to go again. But working on my seasonal displays and party planning chores helps to keep my spirits lifted. I just sent out the invitations last week and I am totally stoked with how they turned out.

Because the centerpiece of my home during the Halloween season is a large Apothecary called Ravenwood Apothecary, I wanted to play on that theme for the invites. The invites for our 2008 Pumpkin Carving Party (seen here), also played on this theme. My Apothecary is our party guests' favorite thing when they come to our house. They will mill around and check out all the potions and ingredients. They get a big kick out of my devotion to a theme. I'll be posting some photos of it soon.

So I found this free Potion Bottle Design on Free Printables website, downloaded it and then modified it for Ravenwood Apothecary. This is the Potion Bottle as it came originally from the download. And this is the Potion Bottle after I cast my lil' spell on it! I thought they would be so much cooler if they were actually cut out so you could see the form and shape of the bottle. Then I wrapped the necks of the bottles with real string and jute. I intended to mail them out in vellum envelopes so you could see the bottle through the paper, but then I realized that would allow everyone that handled them at the post office to see where the party was at. Thus I decided the information area needed to be covered up. So I proceeded to make little jackets for the bottles with a Poison Label Warning stuck on it. The label is adapted from a vintage poison label. It says..."Magic Potion / Antidote: None / Open with extreme caution." And of course the bottom has my official Apothecary logo, "W.W. Ravenwood & Co. Alchemist & Purveyor of Advanced Magic."
I printed out address labels for the front that had the address and a black raven silhouette. And I used my Edgar Allan Poe Stamps for the postage. I am a stickler for details. I notice the details in EVERYTHING, they are never lost on me. And I think a wickedly clever invite really sets the scene for a fun party. It gets the guests excited and that's always my mission in October...to get other people as excited about Halloween as I am! :o)