Party Monday: Totally ’80s!!

Anyone else out there remember when the internet didn’t exist? How about leg warmers, unicorns, and the Smurfs? The Smiths, The Cure, The Clash? Or my favorite movie, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (starring Sarah Jessica Parker, thank you very much)? Actually, scratch that, Breakfast Club was my favorite. And the Facts of Life, Square Pegs and The Love Boat… Oh, I can go on forever. You see. I graduated high school in 1990. So the ’80s? My teen years. There’s a special connection there. And in honor of that bodacious, tubular, totally rad time, some party inspiration:

1. clipart. Find ’80s clipart for your invites and decor at the etsy shop, Image Junkie.

2. music. A list of the top 250 greatest New Wave songs of the ’80s at HubPages. (I’ve not fully reviewed this list, by the way, I’m sure I’d have opinions.)

3. retro candy. Find some at the Candy Warehouse. Don’t forget the Tab with your Pop Rocks. (Do they still sell Tab?)

4. decor. Love this idea to paint cassette tapes neon colors from Maddycakes Muse’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun party.

5. invites. Totally rad ’80s font custom invites from the etsy shop, Goldfinch Press.

6. favors. Or cupcake and cake toppers. Boom box pencil sharpeners from Cupcake Social.

7. Aquanet. Don’t forget to put some Aquanet in the bathroom for guests.

8. posters. Find ’80s posters at amazon.com.

9. Rubik’s Cube cake. Learn how to make a Rubik’s Cube cake at instructables.

10. Pac Man cookies. Learn how to make fondant Pac-Man and ghosts to top cookies at, well, my blog, because I love the ’80s.

11. games. Play the Feud! Check out this Family Feud ’80s party at the burch jerks, via you are my fave.

12. more favors. Jelly bracelets! Neon! At Oriental Trading.

13. more games. Play ’80s Trivial Pursuit.

14. Magnum PI cookies. Remember these? Learn to make them at 37 Confections.

15. cocktails. Name your cocktails after ’80s shows, like this (not so) virgin Donna Martin from the 90210 party at Thoughtfully Simple.

[tags]Party Monday, 1980s party[/tags]

Looking for 80’s Party decorations? Check these 80’s decorations out here.

Halloween food doesn’t have to be complicated—or require a trip to the gourmet shop. With a little creativity, you can take what’s already in your pantry or fridge and turn it into spooky, crowd-pleasing snacks. These hacks are quick, affordable, and so easy even the kids (or grandkids) can help. Think of it as Halloween magic—no cauldron required.

1. Ghost & Bat Bread Dippers

Got tortillas, pita bread, or even sandwich slices? Grab some cookie cutters and cut out ghosts, bats, or pumpkins. Toast them in the oven for a crisp bite and serve with any dip you have on hand—hummus, guacamole, or even a simple sour cream and salsa mix. Suddenly, your everyday chips and dip look party-perfect.

Pro tip: Dust them with garlic salt or paprika before baking for extra flavor.

2. Spooky Slime Punch

That punch bowl sitting in the back of your cupboard? It’s about to become a cauldron. Add a few drops of green, red, or orange food coloring to lemonade, soda, or fruit juice. Red = blood, green = slime, orange = potion. For a finishing touch, float in gummy worms, plastic eyeballs, or even frozen grapes for a creepy surprise.

3. Bat Wing Chicken

No need to reinvent dinner—wings are already spooky if you think about it. Arrange chicken wings tip-to-tip so they resemble bats resting on your platter. For extra drama, glaze them with a sticky BBQ sauce or teriyaki glaze so they glisten like midnight wings.

4. Coffin Bread Loaf

That humble loaf of bread from the bakery? Hollow it out and you’ve got yourself a coffin. Fill it with spinach dip, chili, or spaghetti “worms.” Use the bread you scooped out for dipping, or set the “lid” at an angle for a coffin reveal moment. It’s eerie and edible all at once.

5. Vampire Donuts

Store-bought donuts are instantly transformed with a splash of red icing and a cheap pair of plastic vampire teeth. Stick the teeth in the center hole, add some candy eyes, and you’ve got a tray of vampire treats that look straight out of Dracula’s kitchen.

6. Eyeball Meatballs

Cook up some meatballs (store-bought or homemade). Pop an olive slice into the top of each one and add a dab of cream cheese or mozzarella for the white of the eye. Set them in marinara sauce, and suddenly you’ve got eyeballs staring back at you. Kids love these… adults usually laugh before they eat them.

7. Bloody Bandage Cheese Sticks

This is as easy as it sounds—string cheese or mozzarella sticks drizzled with marinara sauce. Arrange them on a tray and you’ve got instant “bloody bandages.” No one will look at a cheese stick the same way again.

8. Spider Crackers

Crackers, cream cheese, and pretzels come together for the creepiest little snack. Spread cream cheese on a cracker, add pretzel sticks sticking out the sides for legs, and top with raisins or candy eyes. These edible spiders are simple enough to make on the fly and cute enough to double as table décor.

9. Witch’s Broomsticks

Slice string cheese in half, then snip the bottoms into little fringes to look like broom bristles. Poke a pretzel stick into the top as the broom handle. They’re snack-sized, adorable, and a guaranteed conversation starter.

Bonus Ideas (Because Once You Start, It’s Hard to Stop)

Monster Popcorn: Make plain popcorn, drizzle it with melted green or orange candy melts, and toss in candy eyes.
Pumpkin Clementines: Draw jack-o-lantern faces on clementines with a food-safe marker for a healthy treat.
Witch’s Cauldron Pudding Cups: Fill plastic cups with chocolate pudding, top with crushed cookies for “dirt,” and finish with a gummy worm or candy bones.

Keep It Simple & Spooky

The beauty of these hacks is that they’re all about presentation. You don’t need fancy ingredients or professional baking skills. Just a little creativity, a splash of food coloring, and maybe a few plastic Halloween props. With these ideas, you’ll have a table full of spooky snacks in minutes—and your guests will think you planned it for weeks.

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