Party Details + New Recipe

As promised, here are the answers to your questions...

1. Cupcake toppers from gifts define
2. What did we eat? For the adults: baked ziti (this recipe) made by my mum, a field green salad with candied walnuts + dried cranberries (with this vinaigrette), and to drink we had Strawberry Lemonade and Pomegranate Limeade from Trader Joe's
3. Felt animal masks from etsy
4. Berry crates + wood utensils + container + kraft sticker + sandwich paper + twine all from Garnish
5. What was in the picnics? cheese & butter sandwich + lemon orzo with roasted veggies & basil + pretzel sticks
6. And apples
7. Tent tutorial link here
8. Play veggies from ikea
9. Felt bunting made by me - I was clearly diggin the felt for this party.
10. Chairs around the table - I bought a set of 4 mismatched vintage windsor chairs at an auction last year.  The price for all 4 was less than the price for 1 from PB.  Yes, really.  The others are from ikea.
11. Party hats? I made them.  Loosely following this tutorial.
12. My boots are from DSW, the brand is Audrey Brooke.  Sorry, I couldn't find them online. and my dress was from a small local store, the brand name is Theme.

Did I forget anything??

There are a lot of woodland themed ideas available. One can easily be tempted to go over board.
I will say I stared at this set from the ACME Part Box Company for awhile, contemplating.  It is pretty darn cute.

Switching gears...

I must, MUST, must share this heavenly recipe with all of you.  I came across it on pinterest and will be forever grateful.  It combines two of my favorite fall comfort foods: butternut squash and pasta.
Ok, not really true, pasta is a YEAR ROUND favorite comfort food. But I've never made it quite like this ah-mazing creation.  Can you see the bits of crunchy fried pasta mixed with buttery squash and toasted nuts, with just enough Parmesan to give it a little tang.  Seriously, this recipe is so good it will become one of my go to chilly weather dishes...

Pasta Pan-Fried with Butternut Squash, Fried Sage, and Pine Nuts
feeds 4 

1 medium butternut squash (i used a large)
1 small sweet onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
1 pound farfalle pasta (I only used 1/2 pound)
3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (I would cut this in half next time)
4 ounces high quality Parmesan, shredded or shaved (about a cup total)

Heat the oven to 375°. Peel butternut squash and cut into 1-inch cubes. Toss with the onion, garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Mince about half of the fresh sage leaves and also toss with the squash.

Spread the squash mixture in a thin layer on a large baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Heat salted pasta water to boiling and cook the farfalle until al dente. Drain drizzle with a little olive oil and set aside. As the squash finishes roasting, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a large high-sided sauté pan. The oil is ready when it pops and sputters. (Don't let it start smoking.) Drop in the rest of the sage leaves and fry for about a minute, or until they begin to just shrivel up.

Remove with a slotted spoon and salt lightly. Crush with the back of a spoon.

Add the pasta to the pan, along with the roasted squash mixture. Crumble in the sage. Cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes or until the pasta is heated through and getting crispy on some of the edges. Add the pine nuts and cook for another minute. Stir in half the cheese and serve. 

(recipe adapted from the kitchn)