The cobwebs have been taken down, the skeletons packed away, and now I have time to reflect on our Halloween Party fundraiser for the Oregon Food Bank. What a whirlwind day it was!

Mamas and papas started arriving at 2 pm with their precious ladybugs, lions and fairies, and by the end of the day, we’d had the pleasure of capturing over 80 children in their creative get-ups. Leah and Kelly took over the studio upstairs to create many of the wonderful images families received to remember Halloween ‘08. To see some of these oh-so-cute images check out this gallery I set up. At 3 pm Rachel, our friend from Spielwerk, came by to help our little guests decorate sugar skulls in celebration of the Day of the Dead.

Although we didn’t get all dotted until close to the end of the event, we all had the best intentions for our group costume…dominoes. (pictured Leah, Allie, Kelly & Kim)

Our costume winner was a wee little olive. His name is Oliver and his grandma made this adorable costume for him. His mom would have made an awfully cute martini, with her little Oliver tucked in her arms.

Beautiful baskets filled with gift certificates and prizes were won by Troy Johnson, Kristin McAuley and Dave Harding. A special thanks to all the businesses who donated to support this event, including SpielWerk, Looking Glass Bookstore, Grand Central Bakery, Pizazz Salon, HandMaids, Vino, Haggis McBaggis, Mocha Momma’s, Please Be Seated, What’s For Dinner, Piece of Cake Bakery, Blue Kangaroo, Tilde, Adobe Rose Cafe, Branches, By the Bunch, Elixia Wellness, Caprial’s Bistro, Staccato Gelato, Noah’s Bagels, QFC, Hollywood Video, Lili Patisserie Café, Fuschia, GR Scrub, Garden State Food Cart, and Jules of Morocco. Our tasty treats were courtesy of Caprial’s Bistro, QFC - Westmoreland, and Noah’s Bagels – Lake Oswego. A big thank you to my personal friends Michelle, Stephanie and Monica for pitching in to help make this event such a big success.

All sales from the photos and raffle tickets went directly the Oregon Food Bank, and I am happy to report that we were able to raise enough funds to supply over 100 families with enough food for 3 – 5 days. In these stressful economic times, it feels so wonderful to be helping Oregon families in need! If you are inspired to help the Oregon Food Bank even more please visit their site to make a donation.