A warning: I’m in Sandy the Hurricane’s line of fire, so I may be without my dear internet for a bit. Here’s one more Halloween idea to get you through. Fingers crossed we still get Halloween here in DC!

Another warning: From now until December at the end of my pregnancy (and beyond into baby days), you’ll be treated to a lot of repetition, as I’ll be getting in the kitchen less and less. Oh sure, I’ll have some new things sprinkled in this blog, such as new Christmas posts and lots of Christmas-collaboration-posts I nerdily prepared weeks ago. I’ll even have a couple of chocolate-y posts to share with you an exciting trip I’m (probably foolishly, but I couldn’t resist) taking a few weeks before the big baby day.  But there will be some archives and such in there, too. Because the time is a tickin’ when Baby Girl 2 will be here.

I’m feeling huge, by the way. Definite waddle mode. And I’m a little afraid of this kid’s strength because my entire belly shakes in awkward ways when she moves. It’s very eerie to watch.

And speaking of repetition… just in case you forgot about these and need a last minute Halloween cookie idea, remember I made these sparkly, dangling spider ornament cookies featured in the Fall Issue of Bird’s Magazine.

Read Bird’s Party Magazine online HERE. Purchase the paper copy HERE.

Find the spider ornament how-tos HERE on pps. 61-62.

And the Winter Issue is coming!! I’ll have more treats in there.

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Click the pics to go to the original how-tos.

zombie marshmallows

googly-eyed cookies

easy chocolate spider pops

Frankenstein marshmallow pops

sparkly spider cookie bites

mummy cookie pops

monster face cookies

easy skellies on a stick (or ghosts and mummies)

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Feel free to share (nicely)! While my blog's photographs and text are protected by copyright, I do allow (and encourage) you to share ONE photograph with credit to "the decorated cookie" and link to this blog post. PLEASE don't reprint any part of the blog post and PLEASE don't post a photo without credit. Thank you!

My favorite season is upon us, and while I can certainly appreciate the fireflies and beach and pool and popsicles, I’m fine bidding adieu to summer. And if you’re at all clinging to the hot days, then maybe the Fall issue of Bird’s Party Magazine will entice you to leave it behind. I think this is the best issue yet. I repeat myself HERE (literally, I just cut and paste) but this is a sampling of the goodness inside: The cutest farmyard birthday party ever, roller skate party (go ’80s!), a mad scientist birthday, a treat-filled Lorax party, and an awesome Magic party. Halloween treats, party food, and decor ideas. A voodoo spread in black, white and green. Thanksgiving for kids. Apples and airplanes and gold and sparkles and pink and even some amazing Dutch folk art.

Read Bird’s Party Magazine online HERE. Purchase the paper copy HERE.

Also, I got to contribute a couple things myself.  Find the super easy how-tos to make these caramel apple chip lollipops on pages 98 to 99.

And I turned these little sparkly spider cookies into dangling sparkly spider cookies to hang all over your Halloween party (see the how-tos on pages 61 to 62).

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Feel free to share (nicely)! While my blog's photographs and text are protected by copyright, I do allow (and encourage) you to share ONE photograph with credit to "the decorated cookie" and link to this blog post. PLEASE don't reprint any part of the blog post and PLEASE don't post a photo without credit. Thank you!

Did I mention these were easy? I mean, really, really easy. So easy I felt a little guilty. I used the same chocolate piping method from these spider pops to make chocolate bat wings and spider legs and just stuck the wings and legs into the sides of Oreo Cakesters. Add a stick, and that’s it.

I made a spider, too. Even easier.

And there are those candy eyes again. I promise, come Halloween, I’ll put them away. (Of course, Santa and Rudolph have eyes…)

you will need:*

*Find the lollipop sticks, decorating bag and candy eyes in the craft store.

step one: make your bat wings and spider legs
Line a baking tray with wax paper. Place chocolate chips (work with about 1/2 cup at a time) in a decorating bag and melt the chocolate in the microwave: Microwave at 70 percent power for 1 minute, then at 30 second intervals, massaging the chocolate chips periodically, until the chips are almost completely melted. Massage the chips in the bag until totally melted. (Yes, I copied my own instructions from the spider pops, and even used the same drawing.)

Line a baking tray with wax paper, snip 1/4 inch from the tip of the decorating bag, twist the bag above the melted chocolate, and pipe bat wings (about two inches across) and a bunch of lines for spider legs.

If it helps, draw bat wing shapes first with a black marker on a piece of paper, and slip the drawing under the wax paper to use as a template. Put the tray in the refrigerator.

step two: adhere the candy eyes
Use two tiny dabs of melted chocolate to adhere the candy eyes. You can also use light corn syrup, frosting, or anything sticky, even a dab of the Oreo Cakester frosting.

step three: assemble your bats and spiders
When the chocolate has set, at least a couple hours, stick the wings or legs in the sides of the Cakester, in the frosting, and insert a lollipop stick at the bottom.

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Feel free to share (nicely)! While my blog's photographs and text are protected by copyright, I do allow (and encourage) you to share ONE photograph with credit to "the decorated cookie" and link to this blog post. PLEASE don't reprint any part of the blog post and PLEASE don't post a photo without credit. Thank you!

And one more Halloween treat I made for Celebrations. If you haven’t yet spotted them…an easy-cookie-decorating idea for Halloween: sparkly spiders. I love decorating with sprinkles. They cover up every imperfection. And I’m terribly imperfect.

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Feel free to share (nicely)! While my blog's photographs and text are protected by copyright, I do allow (and encourage) you to share ONE photograph with credit to "the decorated cookie" and link to this blog post. PLEASE don't reprint any part of the blog post and PLEASE don't post a photo without credit. Thank you!