Batty Brunch and Dinner 

Almost Halloween !  We had fun entertaining friends at brunch and dinner earlier this month...and have more friends coming for lunch this week!  I saw a photo of these napkins somewhere and decided to try and get "batty".

I did not have black napkins...and I just found the black sparkle chargers at Dollar Tree, so I tried Amazon and found these - 

Surmente 17-Inch Polyester Cloth Napkins Linen Dinner Napkins - Set of 12 for Weddings, Banquets, or Restaurants (1-Dozen) (Black)

I chose the 17 inch - they also had 20 inch.  I was not sure I wanted polyester napkins, but figured I would not use them very much, and they were a deal at $ 9.99

Once I got the hang of folding the bats it was fun !

I ironed the napkins and think that helps with keeping the bats in place...

Fold the napkin into a triangle..

Turn the triangle upside down with the point facing you...

Then flip the point up...

And flip each side up to make the bat wings.

At this point I pressed the entire napkin to make sure it did not flop out of place on the plate...

And I also gave a shot of steam to the top of the "head"  - that makes it easy to press in with your finger to make the "ears"!

And that is it !  Easy...and they were a big hit with our guests!

We were four for dinner, so I did not used a table cloth - just these fall color placemats that I bought at the Cash and Carry Sale our community has ever few months.  These four mats - with the tags on them - were just some of the many things I crammed into a bag that you buy for $2 dollars ! The chargers are from Dollar Tree, as are the skeleton salad tongs.  I used my A&J water glasses that were a wedding gift and are showing that cloudy look glasses get after a while...well...47 years.  I can't seem to get rid of the haze, but I also don't have the heart to get rid of them.  Once water, ice, and lemon are in the glasses they look fine.

Simple centerpiece...candy corn for filler, a mini pumpkin, and a ceramic ghost... also vintage - made by me 47 years ago!

Salad dressing went in this little glass pitcher with a Temptations Spooky saucer to catch the drips.  

Lasagna in the crockpot was our dinner - we had attended a church service beforehand, so it was ready and waiting for us.

You can find the recipe for the lasagna here - 

Crock Pot Lasagna

A week later we hosted a brunch for some neighbors.  I used my everyday white dinner plates again...with the chargers underneath they really show off the bat napkins!

This time I used smaller water glasses that are so pretty...I was able to get these stuffed in that bag at Cash and Carry where I found the placemats.   I am using these more often...and probably will retire the A&J glasses...:-(

Used seasonal dish cloths with the mimosas and champagne.

Along with my favorite chalk board saying for brunch...

"Brunch, without booze, is just a sad, late breakfast!"

We had a great time with our friends...I love having people in our home and enjoying food and fun.

I always say I am not going to decorate as much for Halloween, but I end up putting out all of the items I accumulated over the years.

I made this wreath several years ago and since we are now in an apartment it does not get any weather and is holding up well.

Our entryway with some Dollar Tree spiders and a print I downloaded from the internet...

I painted some old books black and added some seasonal wine to the wine rack...

More bats...

My cherished ghost made by my Aunt Mamie...

Simple coffee table arrangement...

Spooky corner of the kitchen...

and our Jack O' Lantern that I made the first year we were married...every year when I pull it out I remember how excited I was to make it and decorate our first home for Halloween.  Feeling very blessed to enjoy all our days together.

Do you decorate for Halloween ?  Do you like to entertain?  And do you set a seasonal table ?  I would love to hear from you - please leave a comment below !  Reading the comments makes my day!

Enjoy the rest of October and wishing you all a safe and

Happy Halloween!!!