Sharon and Matt, in preparation for selling their house and moving out of the country, decided to have one more to-do. Elaborate and engaging (see also the mask-making), everyone got to show off their masks and dress up to accentuate them. There was a drawing for door prizes, a large heated tent in the back yard for smokers, and even breakfast served at the very end for what stalwart souls could stay awake long enough for it. (Mercifully, breakfast occured around 5:30am.)

(Sorry if pictures look a little washed-out at times - my camera was taking really dark photos tonight so I attempted to balance them for clarity in Photoshop just now, but I'm very, very tired.)

Joel and Emily have drinks in the drinkin' basement.	Finery and splendor are the hallmarks of the evening.
Ben grins to alarming effect behind his mask.	A very intense bat-faced man stares me down, as his friend and companion pleasantly grins behind him.
Emily's tongue rolls out of control, Dylan looms in the background, and Dwain does a surprisingly faithful impression of a grandma from the Ozarks.	The white phantom mask stands out brilliantly while the details of the raven mask (note tag: "Nevermore") are lost in a haze of black.
An attempt to highlight the raven's features results in a blurry action-shot. *sigh...*	Despite Joe's overt flashiness, there's yet something insinuatively creepy about his comport.
Doesn't he look like he should be serving shots of Chambourd or absinthe or something?	Joe poses with me; for all our diametric opposite features, we seem to creep people out quite similarly.
The kitchen and dining room are a simmering cauldron of activity!	Mel features her maskly creation.
Beth and Ursula likewise pose and display themselves.	Good job on the mask (the horns, you will remember, are made of Mountain Dew boxes!).
Jillian lounges with Alexis on the sofa.	Lynne and Mike are about to be served some absinthe or Chambourd or something, Gorey-style.
Dusty and Aimee simply take in the atmosphere.	Jesse's kind of a bondage-Borg-phantom-thing...
Ursula and Mel sneak out to the heated tent for a quick smoke.	Joel fishes out his high-powered lighter for another coffin nail.
Quite the spread! (Couldn't be eaten through many masks.)	Dasha poses cutely between threatening hisses and neurotic fits.
Gwen strikes a superheroish pose herself, sneaking some cuteness in there.	Dapper gentleman? Vigilante anti-hero? Ladykilling anime swain? Only his hairdresser knows for sure!
All the excitement takes its toll on Joe and Beth.	Radiant purple lights trailed around the living room.
Sharon barely tolerates holding still long enough for a picture.	She responds to Joel's off-camera provocation for a fight.
Joel doesn't know what he's getting into, mixing it up with Sharon.	More ethereal decorations and photographic effects.
I really liked this darksiderish faery decoration, hanging with the wine and martini glasses.	An attractive array of candles complemented the liquor rack.