For my 34th birthday, I decided to have a few friends over for pumpkin carving. I was so excited to be done with wedding planning and to throw a normal party again! The hardest part was slowly buying 20+ pumpkins over a couple weeks and hauling them from the store to my car to the house.

For snacks, I kept it simple for the afternoon soiree. Store-bought items included chips and salsa, three cheeses and bread, and crudites with hummus. I made apples bites, bacon-wrapped sweet potato, and mini pumpkin pies. The sweet potato didn’t taste milky but the apple bites did well.

The decor was also minimal with a pumpkins banner and a corn husk wreath.

The pumpkin carving went well – some free-handed their designs, others got fancy with Star Wars stencils, and a few used paint. Here are the fun results: