I decided to have my own Halloween soirée with friends and coworkers at Martha Stewart Living at my home in New York City. There was such an amazing turnout and the night was filled with delicious food (thanks to Chef Pierre Schaedelin), fabulous company and amazing conversations.
Even though this was not a costume party -- the night had a lot of Halloween spirit.
Earlier in the day I went shopping at Economy Candy in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It was such an exhilarating experience being able to pick from a massive selection of candy for my party. I made sure to include the classic favorites along with some of my own personal must-haves -- like Chuckles, candy corn and Necco Wafers.
I spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for the party. The dining room table was used to display a gorgeous glittering pumpkin that was made in the Martha Stewart Living craft department as well as all of the candy that I bought earlier in the day was placed on silver platters and bowls for the candy buffet.
1 Walking in to Economy Candy.
2 This is what I first saw when I walked inside of the store.
3 And I started selecting candy right away.
4 I remember Pez dispensers being very small... not any more.
5 On of my favorites -- and a signature Halloween candy too.
6 The scale at the front of the store.
7 Shelves and shelves of candy.
8 Some sweets came in Halloween containers/pots.
9 There were both the bubble gum and candy cigarettes.
10 There were so many options to pick from!
11 Turkish Delight came in many different flavors.
12 Candy that looks like fruit... is it healthy?
13 Jumbo lollypops!
14 I loved how colorful the store was.
15 Unicorn lollypops were right next to the massive lollypop display.
16 There was also a great selection of nuts.
17 Approaching the back of the store.
18 Rock Candy!
19 Notice the chocolate band-aids.
20 Two baskets...
21 I circled the store multiple times.
22 I will have to return for some Candy Canes later this season.
23 Of course I bought several bags of Tootsie Rolls.
24 I also purchased several bags of these candies for my guests.
25 Three baskets...
26 The Butterfingers made their way to my party.
27 Looking around, making sure I didn't forget any important candies.
28 Even though I didn't get these Satellite Wafers for the party, they are a great candy!
29 The back of Economy Candy's store.
30 There were lots of different types of gummy worms and gummy bears.
31 What's more classic than the wax vampire teeth?
32 Four baskets...
33 Another photo of several shelves in the store.
34 Here I am selecting candy with the owner of Economy Candy, Jerry Cohen.
35 Now there are the original Pez dispensers.
36 A classic taffy that you must try some time.
37 Charleston Chews made it to my party ... A great way to eat them in the summer time is to put them in the freezer for a couple of hours.
38 Four full baskets...
39 The classic wax lips.
40 Selecting more candy...
41 Bubble gum machines that you don't need to drop in coins every time you want a piece of gum.
42 There was a huge selection of different types of gum in the front of the store.
43 There was also a large selection of chocolate too.
44 Four over-flowing baskets...
45 Lots of different types of gum balls.
46 Six very full baskets of candy ... I think that's enough for the party.
47 I kind of went a little crazy at the store... just maybe.
48 Here is the selection of candy in front of the cash registers... There's plenty of sweets to pick from last minute before paying.
49 Glee Gum was located in front of the cash register.
50 More items of gum.
51 Talking with Jerry while waiting for the bill...
52 I loved all of the vintage signs that were hung around the store.
53 Owner Jerry Cohen and his wife Ilene in front of the store.
54 Jerry and Ilene outside of the store.
55 Some chocolate turkeys will be great for Thanksgiving treats.
56 Economy Candy is located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
57 Chuckles... one of my favorite candies that I had to buy for the party.
58 Outside of the store.
59 I was already looking at what candy to get when walking in from the display of labels in the front window.
60 All of the bags of candy in the back of the car.
61 My dining room table before the candy and glittering pumpkin arrived.
62 I placed all of the candy in silver bowls or on plates.
63 The Sugar Daddys were beautiful in the silver bowl.
64 One of my favorite candies -- Necco Wafers.
65 And my other favorite... Chuckles.
66 If you do not have enough candy to make the bowl look filled, you can place some bubble wrap in the bottom to take up some space.
67 There were a lot of Tootsie Rolls.
68 The preparation for the candy buffet was pretty easy.
69 Here is the dining room as the bowls of candy began to fill up.
70 Lots of candy!
71 I noticed quickly that I may have bought too much candy for the party.
72 Arranging the candy so the display looked gorgeous.
73 There were dozens of boxes of Junior Mints.
74 I later mixed different candies in the big bowls.
75 Everything is coming together.
76 The candy buffet is just about finished.
77 I placed candy corn in small silver bowls around the living room for guests to enjoy.
78 I love how the candy reflects in mirror.
79 In my living room there were lots of treats spread across the room on different tables.
80 There were several pumpkins around my apartment.
81 Here is the start to a centerpiece in my living room. More details were added right before the party started.
82 I love the white pumpkins!
By the time people arrived the champagne bottles were popped and drinks were poured -- Chef Pierre also had the aroma of his magnificent appetizers filling the kitchen and dining room.
Be sure to take a look at the preparation and party photos! I'm sure you will recognize several names and faces of my guests at the party.
1 The glittered pumpkin turned out amazing!
2 Having candy available for guests on a silver platter and in bowls adds a stunning touch.
3 The table is ready for guests to pick out treats.
4 You have to have a variety of the classic candies.
5 Here is the finished product of my bowl of white pumpkins. Look at the all of the glittered spiders!
6 This was placed in my living room.
7 There is a pretty way to display different types of nuts -- on a platter all lined up.
8 Here is the entire dining room -- set up and ready to go.
9 Michelle O'Connor, Robert Diamond and Martha Stewart
10 Chef Pierre Schaedelin preparing appetizers.
11 Paul is preparing the mac and cheese -- which was a big hit!
12 A close-up view of the Mac and Cheese that was served at the party.
13 Fritz Karch, Tod Morehead, Denise Clappe and David Mann
14 Kate Berry with her friend.
15 Laura Solimene, Rebecca Robertson, Yvette Gonzales and Cayla Rasi
16 Scott Horne and Elizabeth Graves
17 Chavo Killingsworth and Anthony Santelli enjoying cocktails in my living room.
18 One more photo of the candy buffet.
19 Marcie McGoldride, Hosanna Houser and Meghen Lee
20 Laura Solimene, Rebecca Robertson and Yvette Gonzales
21
22 There was such a great turn-out of people at the party.
23 Daniel Biasatti, Christy Sheppard and Eric Pike
24 A view of the pumpkins and spiders and some snacks.
25 Sarah Carey and Lisa Wagner
26 Everyone really enjoyed themselves at the party.
27
28 Tom Borgese, Rebecca Robertson, Fritz Karch and Yvette Gonzales
29 Emily Chard enjoys the surprisingly warm October night on my balcony.
Kevin Sharkey 
From: Vanessa Nunley | 11/1/10 at 9:23 am
Kevin... You're party sounds like it was a blast! I'm with you....I love candy! Your spread reminded me of my Outdoor Movie Nights on our deck, which always includes a concession counter. You might enjoy taking a glimpse at:
http://moreismoremom.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/lights-camera-action-outdoor-movie-night/
I'm looking foward to reading more soon!!
From: Mona C | 11/1/10 at 8:46 pm
What a wonderful way to celebrate Halloween. Love, Love, Love the candy bar. I think I gained 5 pounds just looking at the pictures....well worth it though.
From: Pat Rasi | 11/2/10 at 2:49 pm
How can I get invited...say next year?
What a real TREAT to have been there enjoying the festivities!!!