little ant design

harry potter party - potions

2011-07-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

The kitchen and eating area were transformed into the potions classroom. Here guests got to make their own "potions" which were drinks mixed with soda, juices, grenadine, other flavorings, etc.

this chalkboard sign was a big ol' bummer for me - can y ou see why? yep, I forgot the C in welcomes

the house elves that worked their fingers to the bone serving guests

potion cards listing ingredients for various potions

we interrupt these harry potter post

2011-07-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

My family is off to the beach in a bit for a bonfire. More HP posts to come.

harry potter party - divination

2011-07-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

Our family room was transformed into the divination classroom complete with crystal balls, fortune telling cards, runes, tea leaves and more.

hot chocolate station

harry potter party - more great hall and sorting

2011-07-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

I'm including a lot of pics in my Harry Potter party posts for a few reasons...

1. As previously mentioned I'm currently feeling very lazy. I do not want to spend time sorting through photos to find the best ones. I apologize to you as it means you have to look at a bunch of pictures that may be blurry, not good color, etc. On the bright side at least you're getting pictures to look at (and that's saying a lot for this blog that has been ignored for the last little while)

2. Im including lots of photos of guests as wells as party decor pics. If any Potter fans make their way here to this little blog I think they'll be interested in seeing costumes too. I'm someone that scours the internet for both party ideas and costume ideas and I know I always love coming across pictures of both.

3. My husband wants to show co workers photos of the party and our photo sharing sites are blocked at work. He can access this blog though so if you're angry about too many pictures send your complaints to him :)

Here are more shots from the great room & sorting

The floating candles were a hit...just look at Snape smiling

more of the candles...they came out perfectly - i'll be back with a how to (it's simple) you just need fishing line, hot glue, tacks and battery operated candles

i love a student with attitude

lots of love between Ravenclaw & Gryffindor

a few muggles even got in

harry potter party - it's done!

2011-07-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

Our Harry Potter party is now done and gone. I am relived but still a bit sad that it's over.

My kids (and their friends) have grown up with Harry so this party was kind of a big deal for them. The books, the movies, the events and activities we've done over the years have all made for some amazing memories. We'll miss all the hoopla surrounding our favorite wizarding world.

I am however confident that Harry Potter will live on in the imaginations of many and people will be able to conjure up a Potter party for years to come. So although I'm packing up all my party jive soon, I know it will be used again and again to celebrate birthdays and Halloweens.

Anyway, let's start with the pictures (because I'm still beat up from the party all pictures will be unedited - yes, I am that lazy) Big thanks to the friends that actually took pictures (it's the only reason I have pictures from any of my parties)

I'll also come back and try to post how-tos for some of our decor over the next day or two.

When guests arrived they walked into the Great Hall and Sorting Area

Dobby grew a few inches

The Great Hall

butterbeer

waiting to put on the sorting hat to get sorted

guests reached into a bag to pull out a pin with their chosen house on it

my sons last minute costume (one of my favorites of the night) the golden snitch

these students are excited to be at Hogwarts

harry potter party - pre party concert

2011-06-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

My family is just as excited as I am with all out Potter Party planning. Our whole house is geeking out a bit about all things Harry Potter these days so you can only imagine the thrill my teenage daughters got when they found out Harry and the Potters, a well-known (if you're a HP nerd) wizard rock group was doing a concert in our area as part of their Ride the Lightning Tour.

Off they went with their friends to go get their wizard rock on and they enjoyed every minute of it. They even took a party invitation to give to the band secretly hoping they might want to come and party at Hogwarts with us.

Here are my cute, nerdy girls (the two in white shirts and ties) flanking half of Harry and the Potters - just not sure which half.

We are for sure getting our fill of Harry Potter around here and we couldn't be happier. We are especially thrilled about the new Pottermore. Have you heard about it? Oh, JK Rowling...we love you!

harry potter party - the invitations

2011-06-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

Here is the invitation that was (still is) being delivered to guests for our upcoming Harry Potter party. Invite is printed on parchment paper and inserted in parchment envelopes - both of which were purchased at Staples. The envelopes were then tied up with twine and a wax seal was added to the back of the envelope by simply burning a candle. I will try to get a picture to post later today.

These invites are long (3 pages) so I realize they may not appeal to everyone, especially those wanting a simple invite. We wanted an invite that helped create a story for our party, that made our guests feel like they were part of something big from the beginning.

The font for those that are interested is Popsies.

To All Wizards of South Orange County,

By now you must be aware that Voldemort is back and rallying his followers in an attempt to destroy all that is right and good in the world. We cannot let this happen! We are calling on all magical beings throughout the world to unite in fighting against the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. We will need every wizard we can get to defeat him and so we ask you to join us.

Thousands of wizards have fought bravely for the cause, and too many have lost their lives in the process. Times are desperate and we must all be willing to sacrifice our very lives to save the world as we know it. We have chosen to rally all of our forces to one spot in an attempt to finish off Voldemort and his evil cohorts.

Severus Snape, the evil usurper of Professor Dumbledore’s position as Headmaster of Hogwarts will be leaving the school to meet with the Dark Lord to finalize their plans of destruction. We will use Snape’s absence to our advantage by establishing a portkey in your area to transport you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where the greatest wizard of all, Albus Dumbledore, taught so many of us why and how to fight against dark magic.

We recognize that many of you are more familiar with the modern traditions of your own American wizardry, and may not completely understand the wizarding heritage of this part of the world. This gathering will allow you to join us at Hogwarts for some fun and frivolity as you become familiar with the rich

traditions of the school but will also allow you to see first-hand what has been happening here as we prepare for war.

If, after spending some time at Hogwarts, you do not feel inclined to unite with us in this great battle, we understand. There will be a portkey prepared to take you home. However, be warned that you will only be safe for a time if we are not successful in our efforts to defeat the Dark Lord.

Please join us Saturday, July 9th at Number xxxx xxxxxxxxxx in the muggle city of xxxxxxxxxxxxx. A portkey will be in effect from 7pm in the evening on and you will be transported to Hogwarts when you touch the front door handle.

In order for us to ensure that the portkey is prepared to handle the number of wizards that will be joining us, kindly log on to a muggle computer at www.facebook.com/xxxxxxxxxxx and indicate your intentions on the wall by posting one of the following code words…

planning to attend - code word: fidelis

unable to attend - code word: irritus

It is of the utmost importance that you use the code word only. No other correspondence should be used on the wall. If you do not have access to facebook please text your name and code word to xxx-xxx-xxx.

You should only use the above number if you do not have facebook.

Once informed of your acceptance to join us we will send you more info via facebook (or other means if necessary) We apologize for having to share information with you in this way but we have been forced to use this crude muggle form of communication because Death Eaters are monitoring the floo network and owls are being intercepted regularly.

We look forward to meeting each of you and are confident that after spending some time at our beloved school you will be inspired to help us stamp out the darkness that threatens to take over our world.

Minerva McGonagall,

harry potter party - i heart nice people (and etsy)

2011-06-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

One aspect of our Harry Potter party will be the sorting ceremony. With 100+ guests all arriving close to the same time I need this part of the party to go quickly and smoothly.

My idea...as guests arrive they will put on the sorting hat and be sorted into one of four houses... Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin or Hufflepuff. In order to find out what house they belong to each guest will draw one of these fantastic pins out of a bag. I. LOVE. THEM!!

Not only will guests get sorted - they will have a little party favor to keep after the party.

I ran across these pins on Etsy from a great seller skycoture. You can check out the whole shop here. Jera has been amazing to work with...working with me on quantity, pricing and shipping. I really can't say enough about how positive an experience it has been. Now granted, I have not yet received my 130 house pins or my 50 azkaban pins (check them out) More on how this are being incorporated into the party later.

but if the process so far is any indication how the rest of my transaction will go I'm not at all worried.

I kinda heart Jera and all the other Etsy artist out there. I can't even begin to tell you how Etsy has helped me with all my Potter planning.

harry potter party - the original harry potter party girl

2011-06-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

Britta from Britta.com is in my opinion the queen of Harry Potter parties. She has thrown Hogwarts celebrations for sometime and is into the little details (that's what I love about her). You can check out her HP inspired shindigs here but make sure you check out her whole site and see what else she has done.

Yesterday and today have been devoted to recreating some of the Honeydukes candy boxes for our guests. I found various chocolate frog templates yesterday and spent lots of time cutting, gluing, etc. only to come up with a perfectly shaped box with no graphics on it. I've been racking my computer illiterate brain trying to figure out how to do a graphic on the perfect box when the Harry Potter heavens opened today and I found Britta's Etsy shop (can you hear the angels singing Hallelujah?)

Not only did I find the chocolate frog box with graphics as well as cutting & assembling instructions (oh, it also had wizard cards too)

but she also had Bertie Botts packaging. I have searched for days for these boxes with no such luck so I was thrilled to find Britta had taken care of it all - I just had to purchase, print and get to cutting and assembling.

I am giddy with excitement over these finds and wanted to share them with any of you that may be celebrating HP style in the coming weeks. Our party is exactly one month from today - I gotta get busy!

harry potter party - house ties

2011-06-08T14:31:00.000-07:00

With the countdown to Harry Potter in full swing we are in total HP mode here preparing for the final bash.

I'd like to post frequently about all we are doing to celebrate but if I'm being honest I'm not sure that will happen - my health is still not 100% and the party planning + life in general is about all I can handle. I do however want to share ideas with others who may be planning a Harry Potter party so I'll do my best at posting - just don't expect beautifully written and photo laden posts.

Our current guest list is at 100 high school aged kids. To that we'll be adding some families that we know love Harry as much as we do (or at least love a good party) The invites are all done up and saved on my computer - I just need to get them printed up and put together for delivery. Once they are out I'll post an invite for you all to see.

Today I'm working on my order from Oriental Trading. First thing in my basket are these guys. The plan...guests can hit up Madam Malkins and make themselves a house tie using these inexpensive cardboard ties & colored duct tape. Once I have the supplies in hand I'll make up a sample and try to get it posted.

7 month countdown...is that too long?

2010-12-13T09:47:00.000-08:00

Because of previously mentioned health problems our Harry Potter 7 movie party did not happen. Instead I bought 48 tickets to the midnight release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows so my two teenage girls could enjoy a long night with friends. And no, I was not kind enough to pay for all those tickets myself (in case you were wondering)

I ended up not going (trust me when I say...it killed me to not be at the midnight showing) but I did drop off dinner and treats to the big crew waiting in line so I did get to enjoy a bit of the excitement that surrounds big movie releases.

I also dropped off Hedwig cupcakes to the theater employees to thank them for putting up with all the crazy Harry fans. These are not my cupcakes (I apologize for not knowing where this photo is from) but this is the picture I used for inspiration. I used white frosting and vanilla Oreos to make my cupcakes resemble Hedwig. I thought I had a few pictures but they seem to be lost on my highly unorganized slew of pictures on my computer.

So with Part 1 of Harry Potter gone and only one movie remaining before it all comes to an end I have resolved to spend the next 7 months in planning for the biggest Harry Potter shindig ever. Sure 7 months may seem like a long time but I'll need it if I want to create the party I have in my mind (plus my husband will say it will take that long to save some money to bank roll this little soiree) Plus the extra time will be helpful as I try to get things done while dealing with my health.

So as of now I'm still in the planning stages - compiling ideas in computer files and accordion folders that get bigger each day. I love all the ideas I come across but will also be working in some of the past Harry Potter ideas I've used. Here is one I used for the premiere of the 6th movie.

You can read more about it here and find a link to download the label to use for your own party.

ADDED...I just realized there is a typo - I spelled Britain wrong. I will try to fix it as soon as possible and repost.

you are all so kind

2010-11-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

In the last few weeks I have heard from many of you inquiring about my where abouts and just sending your love. I can't tell you how much your thoughtfulness has meant.

By way of an update...

I have been battling insomnia for 5 months now. Due to the lack of sleep I am experiencing other health problems as well. It is a vicious cycle of trying to decide what to tackle first - the sleep or the various other health issues. There are lots of talks with the doctor, new medications to try, and experimenting with various tricks and ideas all in an effort to get myself back to feeling normal. I plug along each day trying to get the basics done and am managing because of my beyond wonderful husband and my equally amazing kids. They have all been troopers helping me deal with everything.

Unfortunately, party ideas and actual parties have taken a back seat. I was going to say that you can't imagine how this kills me but I am sure many of you can imagine how sad it makes me feel. I just truly don't have the energy or the health to do it.

I make attempts. In my head I have been planning a Harry Potter movie release party for the past few months but here I am a couple weeks before the said party should take place with nothing done. Part of me says "Don't do it Denise, just concentrate on getting healthy." Then the guilt steps in..."Your teenage daughters and their friends love your parties and will be super disappointed." Then my party girl mentality steps in..."Denise, you know if the movie comes and goes and you do nothing to celebrate it you will be so bummed. Think about how much fun it will be to creative a potions class or to make 50 wands!" Does anyone else have these internal arguments or am I sicker than I thought :)

We'll see how it plays out. Maybe you'll see a Harry Potter post from me in a couple weeks. If you don't you'll know I'm trying to be good and get myself back to a healthy state. Who will win...practicality or party girl?

I did muster up enough strength to get 4 Halloween costumes done for my kids. It was my attempt to make up for my seriously lacking mothering efforts since the insomnia hit. Here are my kids as Robin Hood, Circus Ringmaster, The Mad Hatter and Dracula. Oh, and the incredibly attractive man that jumped into the second picture is my husband - he makes me proud! And just so there is no question...he is in a costume complete with mullet wig and Billy Bob hillbilly teeth.

My cute little Dracula and Ringmaster were the easiest with most of the costume coming from our own closets or costume boxes.

Umm, Robin Hood and Mad Hatter...not as easy. At times while sewing, attaching, dying fabric, gluing, etc. I questioned my sanity at attempting costumes this year. However, now that its all done and past I'm glad I did it - I love how the costumes turned out. I also had lots of help from my husband so I didn't do it all on my own. My 16 year old also stepped in and did the Mad Hatters amazing make-up. It's no easy feat getting an 11 yr old boy to wear so much make-up.

Anyway...again, thank you for all the thoughtful emails. I appreciate being thought of and missed. I'm hoping I can be back soon sharing ideas and throwing parties - I miss it!!

real party/really tired: sweet sixteen

2010-06-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

So this is how lazy I am...

I posted about my daughters 16th birthday on my family blog so family could see how it went but I don't have it in me to post about it here on little ant.

So if you are interested in checking out the sweet 16 shindig head over to my family blog here. Hopefully, in the next week or so I'll post more here with links to where I got some of my supplies, food, ideas, etc.

real party: oscars/old hollywood

2010-04-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

I mentioned awhile back that I was working on a Spring Formal event. I have waited to post about it in hopes of gathering pictures from others put I haven't tracked many down yet. I have a few pictures that I took (I never get many pictures at my parties) that will have to work for the moment.

I was on a fairly tight budget which isn't always fun but does make you get creative. It also makes you think about the creative talents of friends. When planning for the outside decor of the venue I called in many a favor from talented friends and family members.

I started by asking a good friend of mine, Herk Wright to help me out. Herk is the one that remodeled my kitchen in our old house - the kitchen that we redid and than a year later moved from :( He did amazing work, check it out...

Here is the before

and a few after shots

Herk did an amazing job, right? If you are in the Orange County, California area and are looking to do some upgrades to your home let me know and I'll pass along Herk's number to you.

But back to the party...Herk was kind enough to say yes to me when I asked him if he could make me 4 large wood frames. His 4 frames along with 4 smaller ones I purchased at Aaron Brothers was all I needed to get started on my first project.

I made a few measurements and then drilled holes into the frames. Here is a shot of one of the Aaron Brother frames getting drilled.

Once all the holes were drilled all the frames got a few coats of some silver metallic spray paint. Once dry I inserted some white ball lights that I picked up at Target.

The part I really loved though was the 1930's inspired artwork, my nephew Sam Ricks created, that went in the frames. Sam is amazing! You can check out his work on his blog and website. In some of the pictures further down you can see the 4 designs he made - each one represented the city that the youth attending the Formal were from.

The outside of the venue (below) all put together and waiting the arrival of the kids. The event was held at Soka University - can I just say what a beautiful campus this is.

To finish off the look of the entrance I called in another favor from an artist friend, Steve Ogren. He created these massive academy styled statues for me out of cardboard, paint and sequins. I love them! I actually have them sitting in my front room at the moment while I figure out a place to store them. Nothing like walking into someone's home and being greeted by an 8ft sequined man.

This last shot isn't great but it allows you to see the check-in tables where I used the 4 small frames mentioned earlier. The frames contained the same posters as the outside they were just smaller in size. This allowed for easier check-in as the youth could check in at the table from the city they live in.

Most people don't have plans to decorate for a 400+ youth Spring Formal but you can still steal some of these ideas for a party at home.

The lit signs would be great at your front door welcoming guests to a movie night. Buy a movie poster or create one of your own on your computer. All the poster enlargements from this night were done at Costco with their online photo center. It is easy and inexpensive. If you haven't checked out all the Costco Photo Center offers you really should. I use them for parties, school projects and more.

invitations: download and print

2010-04-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this yet? I first found Download and Print over at one of my favorite blogs iDiY. I couldn't believe it - beautifully designed invites free to download? Crazy, I tell you!

I'm loving this one for my next beach soiree...

How about these two graphic beauties...

I love this one. Something about it being off centered makes me giddy...

You definitely need to bookmark this site. What a great little internet treasure. Can't wait to see new designs.

party: so easy even a caveman can do it

2010-04-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

On my daily blog rounds I was pleasantly surprised to see my caveman party up at Frosted Events. Thanks Kim for posting it. Be sure to visit the Frosted Events blog for other great party ideas - she has a ton of them.

This party was done for a friend's 40th and was originally shared with the blog world over at At Home with Kim Vallee in January 2008. To this day this is one of my favorite parties and one that costs very little. With so many watching their wallets now it's nice to be able to throw a fun party without breaking the bank.

Here is a bit of a breakdown on how to throw this party yourself...

Plate Chargers are stepping stones from Home Depot/Lowes's or whatever your local home improvement store is. They cost right around $1 each.

I took some brown craft paint lying around my house (use whatever color you have) and painted some simple "cave drawings" If you have kids get them in on this - they'll love it.

Second step is to rub some good old backyard dirt all over the stone. You can even use a rock to scratch up the stone a bit (see those white marks?) Then take a hammer and chip away at some of the edges and corners (I started this step in the top left corner but hadn't finished when this picture was taken)

In this next picture you can see the roughed up edges - you don't want many straight lines, cavemen don't roll like that. You also don't want every charger to look the same so take a hammer to the stone and break it up some. As long as you keep each separate piece fairly close together your plate will sit on top perfectly.

You can see in this next picture some of the different charger shapes.

Some other details from this picture...

Dinosaur place cards - these little prehistoric guys came from my little guy's toy chest but they can be picked up cheap at a local dollar store. I made simple labels on my computer using this font from Dafont.

Fur table cover and animal print chair backs - hit up a fabric store. This stuff is always available and you don't need much.

I used terry washcloths instead of napkins since we went total caveman and ate with our hands. The washcloths were picked up at my local Big Lots so check out your local discount stores. Wrap those washcloths up with some twine from the garage and add a leaf picked from your backyard tree to complete the look.

Serving dishes were baskets and containers that I already had plus some brown paper grocery sacks. I needed another serving dish and didn't have anything that fit the look so I ripped the top of a bag just a bit, folded it down and it made the perfect "serving bowl" for some roasted potato fries. You can get a bit of a peek at my homemade bag bowl in the picture below.

The food was the centerpiece of the table but you can see that i threw in a few other things too...rocks from my yard, candles, moss and some strange dinosaur egg looking vases filled with succulents (can't find a similar "vase" try making them out of paper mache - they'll hold up for the night)

My favorite part of the decor?

The jungle vines. I hit up my local Army Surplus store and bought cheap camo netting. If you don't have a surplus store near by you can find camo netting on the internet. All you do is take scissors to the netting and start cutting away. Vary the width and length of your strips (remember you are trying to imitate nature so don't make anything uniform in size) The vines were hung from the top of the canopy. For lighting I added green paper lanterns purchased from Cost Plus.

This party was for a 40th birthday so the prehistoric man theme was rather appropriate and was much more appreciated than the standard over the hill theme. The beauty of this theme is that it worked for my 40 yr old friend but would be a complete hit with kids as well.

harry potter party

2010-04-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

Party plans have begun swirling in my mind for a Harry Potter party to celebrate the 1st installment of the 7th movie scheduled to be released November 19th. I was thrilled to see the abundance of cute ideas over at Hostess with the Mostess. Check out Jen's great ideas here and here. I'm especially loving this idea...

For others searching for more ideas for their own movie release party, a Potter themed birthday or better yet a way to celebrate a family trip to Universal's new Wizarding World of Harry Potter (oh how I wish I was heading there with my family in June) here (scroll through all the posts) are some more ideas from some of our past wizard shindigs that I've posted about previously on Little Ant Design.

Here are some never before posted photos of our very first Harry Potter party that we threw to celebrate the release of the last book - Deathly Hallows in 2007. We held the party open house style with people coming and going through the night and ended the party with party guests heading over to a local Borders to await the midnight release of the book.

Look at my cute little guy, dressed up as Dobby the house elf, taking 1st place in the Borders costume contest.

Now some more pictures of the festivities at our home...

I turned my kitchen/dining room area into the potions class. A cheap piece of plywood was stained to cover my tiled kitchen counters for a bit more authentic Hogwarts feel. Labels were made for bottles that I had been collecting and filled with various "specimens" This are also served as the drink station so I labeled sodas, drink mixes (Kool-aid, powdered Gatorade, etc), juices and other drink add-ins with interesting names and guest were able to concoct their own potions.

In an effort to keep the kitchen from ruining the potions class atmosphere I added a "stone wall" behind the drink area. I had this left over from an Indiana Jones Halloween theme I had done prior but this is an easy DIY project. I simply bought sheets of insulation foam and using a wood burning tool that I picked up at a local craft store I carved the stones into the foam. The foam usually comes in pink or blue - use the blue. Add some paint to get the weathered look you want and you have instant stone walls.

Other areas inside the house were...

Ollivanders wand shop - a little bookcase that jewelry boxes labeled with wand labels that I made on the computer. Guests used these boxes to hold wands that they made during the evening. Wands were made using wooden dowels and varying sized balls (with holes drilled them). Guests took the balls and glued them to the end of the dowels to create wand handles. I wish I had pictures. I am notorious for not taking pictures of my parties so all the pictures you see here were taken by my brother or other party guests.

Trophy Case - here various Quidditch and other awards were displayed as well as containers that held the house points.

We also had an area full of Honeyduke's sweets. Guests could eat some Bertie Bott's every flavor beans and guess the flavors. We also had lots of yummy treats to make up for the grass and boogie flavored beans.

Outside we had...

Herbology class - guests were able to snack of food here.

We also had a pensieve that contained floating orbs filled with deep thinking quotes from some of the Harry Potter characters. Guests could pull these out of the fountain to read them. I didn't think this would be too big a deal but guests enjoyed this - the kids especially.

I wanted a place for people to congregate and chat so we set up a Yule Ball area. We were supposed to have snow falling down on our guests but we could not get the snow machine to work. I'm still irratated about it all these years later :)

Out near our fireplace we set up the Divination Class. Here guests could make their predications about what would happen in the last book as well as read their fortunes with tea leaves.

There you have it - a few pictures from one of my favorite themes for a party. To see a few more photos from that night you can go here. I can't wait to throw the next one.

I'm always looking for ideas so if you have thrown your own Harry Potter party or know of some other great HP ideas (like those from Jen at Hostess with the Mostess) please let me know.

a reprint from my family blog

2010-03-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

We like to celebrate Aprils Fools Day at my house. Here is a peek at the "chicken pot pie" I made a few years ago (2008)...

For our April Fool's dinner we had chicken pot pie and for dessert we had cupcakes.

Where is the fooling in that you ask? The pot pie was made with vanilla pudding for gravy, dried pineapple slices for chicken, and candy for corn, peas and carrots.

I was especially fond of the corn. Who knew that nuking some Starbursts in the microwave could create such a good "clay" to mold little corn kernels?!?!? The carrots were also Starbursts and the peas were nuked Airheads rolled into little balls.
The cupcakes were made from meatloaf and covered in purple mashed potato frosting. We have had the cupcakes for previous April Fool's dinners so the kids weren't as surprised by them (Luke was - he was obviously to young to remember the last time) but the chicken pot pie was a hit.

pride and prejudice wedding

2010-03-31T09:19:00.000-07:00

I have no time to post but had to share this wedding by Amorology - love it!

to my favorite peeps

2010-03-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

Cute, huh? I'm so making these for friends. Get the free download here @ eighteen 25.

thank you spammer man

2010-03-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

What is it with spammers? I have had so many spam comments left on this blog as of late it's driving me crazy.

I have always felt like blogs should be open for anyone to comment (kinda the point of blogging) and I have never used word verification on this blog because I think it's nice for people to not have to worry about it (besides sometimes it's impossible to read those dang words) Well that is about to change. I have now added word verification to comments thanks to some spammer in Japan. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Things like this make me mad (not to mention I'm a little irritable as I'm living on no sleep because of the flu in our house and the last few crunch days before the big Spring Formal I'm decorating for - will Saturday ever get here?!)

So I apologize to those of you that will no longer be able to just leave a comment but instead have to retype some crazy word that you can't always read. I also apologize for my bad attitude and promise that once I've had some decent sleep I will be a much more pleasant blogger.

queen bee market - let the shopping begin

2010-03-09T11:41:00.000-08:00

I have a great friend that I have yet to meet in person but we are in her words "blog bffs" Mique is the genius behind 30 Handmade Days - a great resource for ideas, ideas and more ideas on anything from crafts, parties, sewing, etc. If you haven't visited her site, you really should and tell her Denise said hi. I'm sure you'll love her as much as I do.

As if Mique wasn't busy enough she is now taking on more and I couldn't be more excited. I wanted to share with you Mique's newest venture... Queen Bee Market - a hip, modern, and fresh art and gift show in the San Diego area.

Held on Saturday, May 1st, perfectly timed for the week before Mother's Day and beautiful San Diego weather (but really, when isn't it beautiful weather in San Diego?).

Unlike any other craft fair or boutique, Queen Bee will feature vendors from all over the handmade scene. With purses, jewelry, home decor, children's items, accessories, baby products and more- you won't want to miss out. There's sure to be something for everyone.

In addition to unique products, we'll also be focusing our attention on giving back to the San Diego area. For more information, read what we're up to on our charity page.

You can also visit the the Queen Bee Market blog or check it out on Twitter and Facebook.

For those of you that are interested in selling at the market go and check out the vendor information. What a great way to get the word out about the products you make.

I'm making plans now to get myself down to San Diego to enjoy some sun and shopping and I'd encourage you to do the same. It would make a great girls trip! So pass along the info. Perhaps I'll even finally get to meet my "blog bff" See you there Mique!

my soon to be bald boys

2010-03-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

I'm interrupting this party blog for an important message from my boys, Nathan (10) and Luke (8). I'm so proud of them for wanting to help and finding a way to do it.

Hi, this is Nathan and Luke and we are going bald. Our mom is a little sad to see our hair go :) but it's for a good cause.

Our cousin Talitha has cancer. You can read about Tali here.

We wanted to help so we decided to join with St Baldricks and have our head shaved to show support to those that have cancer and to raise money to help fight cancer. We are each trying to raise $500. If you can help us that would be great. If you don't have the money right now, that's ok too. Please just say a prayer for Tali and her family - that would be a big help too.

You can check out our websites. For Nathan go here and for Luke go here. You can read more about Tali and other kids fighting cancer on our site and there is also a place to make a donation.

You can forward this on to anyone you think would be interested in helping. We hope that we can get lots of us together to help fight cancer and help lots of kids feel better.

Thank you a lot

Nathan and Luke

st patricks day: lucky you!

2010-03-05T08:33:00.000-08:00

It's your lucky day...TomKat Studios has great St Patty's Day printables for the low cost of...FREE.

Such a great inexpensive way to make the day just a little bit brighter. I'm thinking I'll use mine in cupcakes for my kids OR maybe I'll cover our corned beef with cute little toppers - I'll start a new trend, meat toppers. I am totally kidding.

Click here to download.

hollywood party: the oscar goes to...

2010-03-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

I know these amazing cookies from Bakerella are making the rounds on the internet but I love them so much I just had to post them here. I have Hollywood on the brain as I try to finish up the decor for the Old Hollywood Spring Formal that I'm decorating for. Do you think I could whip up 400 or so of these cookies for all the high schoolers attending the dance? Um, NO!

alice in wonderland party idea

2010-03-03T18:14:00.000-08:00

I just got this in my inbox. Thank you Disney Family.com!

Perfect little edible teacups for an Alice in Wonderland party. Here's the how-to.

I CAN NOT WAIT for this movie. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are movie magic in my book. Friday can't come soon enough.

For my Alice in Wonderland craft ideas go here.

road trip parties

2010-03-03T08:25:00.000-08:00

I love taking the party on the road. Remember when we took our Harry Potter party to the movie line instead of having at our home? My favorite on the road party was a few years back when my husband and I took off to Tahoe with some friends to see Jason Mraz in concert and have some fun in the snow.

The party started in the car on the way up with specialized car kits for all the vehicles making the trip. This kits included traveling tunes, food and more. As soon as I can find pictures from this trip (I really need to organize the photos on my computer better) I'll post them.

I'm so wishing I had seen this idea before that trip. Honestly, how cute is this?

I love this homemade car freshener found over at Design*Sponge. What a brilliant idea! The tutorial can be found here.

valentine treat - rice krispies

2010-03-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's March.

Yes, I should have posted this before Valentines so people could make them if they wanted.

Yes, I'm lame.

But we move on. I'm feeling so bad for neglecting this blog that I thought I'd do this quick post to let you see what I made for Valentines Day. I can't remember where I saw these but kudos to whoever it was that created them. They were easy to make and oh so cute. We delivered some to friends and I also used them at our place settings for our Valentines meal.

All you need is...cones, rice krispies (dyed pink or other color of choice), melted chocolate, and a gumball. I think you can get the steps involved by looking at the picture but if you have questions about the how-to leave me a comment and I'll get back to you.

do you feel ignored?

2010-02-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

Oh party blog how I miss you.

I am here but can't seem to find a minute to post. I'm in the thick of planning the before mentioned formal as well as a few other shindigs...

Daughter's sweet 16 party with an 80's theme (how am I old enough - I still feel like a 16 yr old sometimes)
Lost finale party - I'll have to post photos of a small gift I delivered to a few friends for the premiere of the last season. Can't wait to have a finale party.
40th birthday parties for the husband and me - would like to make this party a weekend trip to NY but not sure if that is going to happen
A travel party - when we go on vacations with friends or family we like to make it a party - matching jammies, t-shirts, party favors, etc. We are heading out the end of May for a trip so the planning has begun. I'll have to share photos of some past travel parties.

Don't count me out - I'll be back as soon as I can.

need ideas

2010-01-06T11:47:00.001-08:00

Anyone have some great Old Hollywood, Hollywood Regency, Vintage Hollywood party ideas?

I'm in the planning stages for a Spring Formal that I have to pull together for high school aged kids. Not many tables to decorate - mostly decorating the entrance and dance area.

Here are some photos for inspiration...

edited...I just realized my pictures were all set to small - sorry about that.

countdown to the new year

2009-12-28T22:05:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd repost a birthday party I did in 2008 since the theme screams New Years. You can read more about the party here.

I'm planning to head out to Ikea on Wednesday to grab some more clocks so I can rework this idea with a different color scheme for our New Years celebration.

I also plan to do this if I can gather all the clocks I need

and give this as a take home favor

Having lived in South Carolina for a time as a missionary for my church I have come to love the Southern ways. Black Eyed Peas on New Years is a memory I have from my time there and I love the idea of sharing that tradition with my friends here in California.

creative party place - i was featured

2009-12-28T08:52:00.000-08:00

I got a little after holiday gift today when I opened my emails...

The kickball party I put together for my daughter Megan was featured over at Creative Party Place. You can check out my party along with an adorable polka dot party here.

A big thanks to Shannon over at Creative Party Place for sharing my kickball shindig.

On a more personal note - hope everyone enjoyed a lovely holiday. I have enjoyed time spent with family and friends this Christmas and am looking forward to this week with my husband on vacation from work. Our schedule includes a few trips to Disneyland (thanks for the passes Santa), a trip to the snow with extended family, some house cleaning (not fun but oh so necessary after the whirlwind of Christmas) and I'm hoping some days spent at home relaxing in jammies.

After our little stay-cation it's back to school for the kids and work for the husband while I get back to my normal routine. As for party planning I have a Spring Formal to decorate for in April so I'll be scouring books, magazines, blogs and more searching for ideas. The theme they gave me was...Old Hollywood. I welcome any and all ideas or links to ideas so please do not be shy about commenting.

excuses, excuses

2009-12-14T09:46:00.000-08:00

I have been missing in action in a big way. I can't even promise that I am back fully yet but I'm working on making a comeback. We have had illness upon illness that I believe I have mentioned before...mono x 3 kids, flus, nasty colds that linger forever that make your head split and light your lungs on fire when you cough (can I please just get rid of this?), etc., etc. My home feels like the sick ward of a hospital.

Throw into the mix a 15 1/2 year old daughter with permit in hand that begs to be taken out driving. Every spare minute she wants to be out on the road and my nerves are only capable of handling so much. If I survive her learning to drive I plan to throw the biggest "I survived" shindig known to man. Teenage driving is not for the faint of heart.

Plus Christmas festivities abound. We have hit a few parties, holiday concerts and dinners as time and health have allowed while trying to decorate our own house with all it's Christmas trimmings.

For those interested in checking out the fireplace decor read on...

I have weird theme issues when it comes to holiday and party decorating. I have to have a story in my head or a reason why the decor looks the way it does. My thoughts for this years decor was our family gathering around the fire on a cold winters night, cuddled up to read our favorite books. I can hear all the "aaah, how sweet" comments now. It makes you gag I know but I have to have a story.

Here is the fireplace mantle decorating breakdown...

Garland. I tend to take my abundance of cheap crapola and layer it with some nicer stuff just like I did for Halloween. Here I used the super cheap, doesn't really look like living greenery, green garland. I found mine at Michaels. I layered it with a more expensive garland that was priced at $30. Yikes, too big for my budget. But, yes Virginia there is a Santa and he made the good people at Michaels mark down the garland of my dreams by 50%. I can handle $15.

I also added snow because nothing says "stay in and read by the fire" like a bunch of the cold white stuff. We've got no real stuff here in sunny Southern California so my snow was imported in from Michaels (I'd like to add that I am in no way affiliated with Michaels I just spend all of my husbands paycheck there) Need snow too? It comes in a bag ready to be thrown around your home making a big gigantic mess that doesn't just stay on the mantle. It's fun really. Your kids will love you. Go get some.

It's Christmas - we need stockings. I pulled our snowflake ones out of the box and hung those puppies up grinning that they matched my cold theme and were green (I decided to stick with an all green, white, silver color palette) To add the reading part of my theme to the stockings I painted cheap brown kraft cardstock stencils white to add each of my children's initials to their stocking.

I wanted the letters to be a glossy white but spray painting them wasn't working for me - too much curling of the stencil. To solve the problem I ran a quick coat of white craft paint over each stencil and then once dried I spray painted my high gloss white paint over them.

To add more of a reading vibe I ripped out pages of an old dictionary (hit your thrift stores people) and cut out a square to back each stencil. I'm a sucker for details so I searched for words that fit with my theme. Check me out...

"arctic"...brrr, cold. I think I want to read by the fire

"family circle"...it would be so much nicer to read by the fire with my family

"chimney sweep"...hopefully the chimney sweep cleaned out our fireplace so we can read by it. Ok, so that one is a stretch but the words chimney sweep made me happy and they seemed to fit the theme in a Mary Poppins celebrating Christmas type of way.

"jingle"...it's Christmas, we people jingle all the way this time of year.

You were impressed with my attention to detail weren't you. In your mind you have crowned me the queen of detail haven't you?!?! I'm guessing my crown is going to be yanked from my head rather quickly when you take a look at my dictionary page "flowers" My idea was to add some more reading theme goodness to my mantle by throwing in some paper "flowers" but take a look at this little beauty. Something about that word doesn't scream the holiday to me. (Click on the picture to supersize if you can't read the word)

Add some more stencils to spell out joy

and add a 6 because there are 6 of us in family and we all like to read by the fire on a cold winters night - see how I stick to my theme?

There you have it. Hopefully I can get my sick, teen age driving stressed self back to blogging more regularly to bring you more of our Christmas decor and other party related jive.

cookie exchange

2009-11-18T12:43:00.000-08:00

The illness continues but I miss you all and just had to share these adorable cookie exchange invites that I found over at Brooklyn Limestone.

just one of those days

2009-11-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

Tired.

Pain.

Lab work.

Waiting for results.

Busy on top of it all.

Trying to stay positive, happy and productive.

Really just want to curl up in bed and sleep for a couple of weeks.

Posting again soon.

jane how-to

2009-10-29T11:32:00.001-07:00

There have been some questions about my daughter's Jane (Volturi) costume. Here's how to get the Volturi vampire look that we got here.

I used this Simplicity pattern, view A. I shortened the length of the cloak, made the arm width much skinnier and did not use the frog closure that was suggested - I used a length of fabric so that the cloak could be tied up with a bow.

The contacts are from Wild Eyes and the color/style is Red Hot. We ordered them through our optometrist and got them in my daughters prescription.

We also stopped by Hot Topic and picked up the Volturi Crest necklace.

We finished off the costume with white tights, some Mary Janes picked up inexpensively at Ross and make-up -pale skin, dark eyes.

the volturi have arrived - new moon jane costume

2009-10-28T20:25:00.001-07:00

Any New Moon fans out there? If so, you may recognize this pint sized vampire who is here visiting from Italy.

My daughter decided to be Jane, the Volturi guards silent secret weapon, for Halloween this year. The costume is not quite done but she was off to a Halloween party tonight so she had to wear it as is.

The sleeves aren't hemmed yet - they're just folded up underneath the sleeve, hence the discrepancy in lengths (that will be fixed before Halloween) I also need to clean up some raw edges around the neckline before the big candy coma induced night.

Most of it's done though and both she and I are pleased with the almost finished product. The eye color makes this costume - I was thrilled we got our hands on some contacts in a short amount of time. I called the optometrist on Monday and we had the contacts on Tuesday so she would have them to wear tonight.
She has plans to get multiple uses out of this costume - she wants to wear it to the theater for the midnight release of New Moon and just stare people down while quietly telling them "this may hurt just a little" Check out the trailer here to see Jane, played by Dakota Fanning, say that line - she's an evil little blood sucker.

Hope every one's Halloween party plans are on track and that you are getting your costumes taken care of as well. I always love to see Halloween parties and costumes so send pictures my way of any of your holiday happenings.

no swine flu here

2009-10-28T15:07:00.000-07:00

just mono.

Sorry for the lack of posts but we have been hit with mono and those that aren't sick are so busy with Halloween prep we can't think.

Be back soon!

need a reason to party?

2009-10-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

It's mole day! Ya, I hadn't heard of it either but it's an excuse for a party. The only reason I know about this glorious holiday, that is sure to sweep the nation (I hear it has the potential to pass Christmas as the favorite holiday), is because my daughter had to sew a stuffed mole for her chemistry class. Sewing/chemistry?!?!? Don't ask.

The kids had to design the mole after something or someone that would allow them to add mole to the name, for example...

Eskimo/eskimole

Edward Cullen/Edward Molen - this one would have been awesome!

You get the idea. Anyway, here is what my daughter came up with..

Any ideas on who this mole might be? Eternal glory awaits those with the right answer so put your thinking caps on because don't we all want some eternal glory?

I thought her mole came out pretty darn cute, so cute in fact that we may make some more of these magnificent moles for gifts. Anyone have good ideas for things or people with mole names? Perhaps we'll pick the one we like best and send you your own mole. I know it's been your life long dream to own a stuffed mole made by some high school kid - admit it!

oh la la

2009-10-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

How cute are these? Download them for free over at eat.drink.chic - I love that site!

this wedding makes my heart smile

2009-10-21T09:48:00.001-07:00

I saw this wedding on Snippet and Ink today and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy. I love children's literature so a children's author/illustrator combined with a friend reading a favorite children's book and a perfectly personal wedding made me happy. Go check it out!

I know one special elementary school teacher that would love this!

beauty is in the eye of the beholder

2009-10-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

Look at this winning piece of brass. You can say it's ugly - it won't hurt my feelings.

I picked it up at my favorite store...Goodwill. Who needs a fancy party decor store when you have Goodwill a few miles away, not to mention 3 other thrift stores in the same area.

Yes, the price says $49.99. Not sure who priced this beauty at that but they were smoking something. I could see the swan that this ugly duckling would become but I wouldn't even have paid $50. Lucky for me it was "half off green tag" day and I picked this up for $25. I realize some would say that is still steep but remember I saw what it could become and $25 was a steal.
It was a leap of faith though - this thing is really beat up. The previous owner did some repair work?!?! I'm not sure what product they used to get this piece to stick on but I have to say it looks like a wad of chewed up gum. I have steered clear of touching this part of the candelabra - it grosses me out.
I bought a few supplies and set to working miracles on my brassy beauty. Once can of 99 cent spray paint from Lowes. I did a jig when I found 99 cent spray paint - the perfect price for Halloween decor since I don't need anything fancy.
$4 battery operated taper candles that flicker. Let me tell you why I love these particular ones from Big Lots (is Big Lots a national chain?) Most battery candles like this are a whole unit - candle and candle holder - these are separate so the candle can sit in any taper candle holder you have - like a big, ugly, shiny brass candelabra.
A couple more things about the candles...yes, I needed 14 of them that came to a total of $56. Perhaps a bit pricey but they are safe. I could have never pulled off this Halloween prop with real candles. They'll last forever. Taper candles would have been less but they'd burn down and need to be replaced far more often (and like I already mentioned...unsafe, the fire department would be here shutting down my decorating) Finally, the cost is less than a real or artificial Christmas tree which people buy every year. It's no secret that I love Halloween so having a Halloween "tree" makes sense. ALL my reasons make sense and hopefully my husband thinks so too when he reads this post and sees how much I spent on candles.

Back to the project. I hit the candelabra with some black spray paint but didn't do full coverage - I just wanted to tone down the gold goodness. After looking at these pictures I see that I need to hit it with some more paint towards the bottom - I'll get on that today.

I also added the candles, minus one - I need to fix the holder as soon as I can find some chewing gum :)
Then I grabbed one bag of Creepy Cloth, again from Big Lots. This is the same cloth that I used on my mantle and staircase.
Drape the candelabra with the cloth - ripping , tearing and cutting where necessary.
Add some moss. This dried moss is the perfect Halloween accessory - it makes any scene look creepy.
The finished candelabra during the day (with a pumpkin thrown in to keep the empty candle spot warm while waiting for the candle)

It's not much to look at - it's better than it was before but the daytime is not when this lady shines...

nighttime baby, that's her glory moment!

I love her! Her Halloween glow makes me happy. She reminds me of the candelabras that meet you in the line at Disneyland's Haunted Mansion right before you enter your Doom Buggie.

I have one more thing to add but for the most part this trash to treasure is done. I am concerned about the empty space at the bottom of the candelabra - it needs something to ground it and make it into more of a scene but I haven't come up with any great ideas - anyone? Anyone?

where's the beef (netting)

2009-10-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

Is anyone even old enough to remember that commercial?

I have moved my decorating efforts outside because lets face it - curb appeal counts (even on Halloween) I've been working on spider webs. If you love Halloween than the product I'm about to share is for you - it is one of my favorite Halloween products of all time.

Check out these webs...

Some close ups too...

I still have lots to do to cover the house but I couldn't wait any longer to share these webs. The product used is beef netting. I believe it is used to wrap big 'ol cuts of meet - like the hanging kind that you would find in Sam the butcher's shop (man, I love the Brady Bunch) Now I might be wrong on the beef netting's uses so don't use my answer on Jeopardy but I think I'm right - 80% sure I'm right.

Beef netting is used for lots of commercial haunts like Knott's Halloween Haunt (Knott's Scary Farm, for the locals) I think it's great for commercial haunts as well as home haunts because it has a more graphic bunch then the stringy webbing that comes in a bag that we all buy for a couple bucks. Now don't think I'm bad mouthing the stringy stuff - it has it's uses - sometimes you need the effect of the thinner webs (but I do have a better option for that too coming in a later post)

But getting back to the beef netting...

You can find the beef netting at Trenton Mills. It may be available elsewhere but Trenton Mills is where I have purchased mine - they are easy to work with and I have been beyond happy with them. When I first purchased mine years ago it only came in a 20 lb roll and cost just under $100 with shipping. That may seem like a crazy amount of money for spider webs but I am still using that same roll 6 years later and probably have a couple more years before I'm out. When I first bought it I don't think they understood how many people use it for Halloween now they make smaller rolls that cater to the home haunter/Halloween party thrower.

It comes in a big roll. As you unroll it you see that the beef netting comes as a tube. You need to cut down the side of the tube to get one flat piece of netting. Then you tack it up - I use a staple gun when tacking to my house. Once you have stretched it where you want it (you stretch it a ton because it works better that way) you take a pair of scissors, exacto knife or other sharp object and slice away. I sometimes stretch it even more after I have cut holes and slits.

The amount of cutting is up to the individual. I happen to think it looks better with more cuts of varying sizes but some prefer fewer cuts. Check out this photo gallery on Trenton Mills site to see how others have used the netting.

If you decide to go this route with your webs I'd love to see your results so send pictures my way.

carry out your theme

2009-10-19T16:17:00.000-07:00

I love entertaining at Halloween! You can go all out with some great spooky themes. Why not carry out your haunted theme with a Halloween inspired answering machine message?

Every year at this time we switch out our regular boring message with this message delivered in a witch voice...

double double boil and bubble

I'm not home so what's the trouble

eye of newt and toe of frog

wool of bat and tongue of dog

I'm not home, leave me alone

and leave a message at the tone

(cackling witch laugh and scream in place of the beep)

You can find the message we use, as well as others here.

If you are throwing a Halloween bash imagine how fun it would be for guests to hear this message when they rsvp. Small, simple details like this make the whole party experience more fun as it builds anticipation for your event

spooky stairs

2009-10-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Although the house is still not completely decorated for Halloween there are a few more areas of the house that are taking on the holiday spirit.

Here is our banister...

I used essentially the same elements that I used on my mantle but with a couple additions. I added a garland of black silk leaves. I believe I found it at Michael's or Big Lots - where I purchase most of my decorating supplies (as well as Thrift stores and garage sales) Decorating does not have to be expensive.

I also added extremely cheap black garland that already had orange lights running through it. I want to say I paid like 3 or 4 dollars for the stuff and it is the super cheesy garland - black, shiny and puffy but it works because I layer it with so many other elements. It adds bulk to the garland that in turn makes the garland look substantial AND expensive. I have gotten lots of compliments on the garland and questions like where I bought it - if I bought it as is it would be expensive but layering all the inexpensive elements gives me the look of spending money on decor at a fraction of the cost.

It is hard to photograph all the black so lots of the garland is lost but hopefully you get some idea.
Excuse the knight that is hiding in the picture - he has not been prepped yet for the holiday. He just got taken from his Halloween box with no where to go yet.

The urns are plastic and were discounted a few years back after the holiday. I added some black flocked twigs and leaves and threw some pumpkins on top.
The effect at night with the glow of the lights and jack-a-lanterns is awesome. I love to have my house all aglow with Halloween spirit.

the king of all candied apples

2009-10-16T12:34:00.001-07:00

Um, hello...these are gorgeous, haunting an I'm sure tasty. I love these candied apples from Matt Bites.

I love candied/carmel apples for parties and now with these beauties candied apples can feel right at home at the most sophisticated Halloween soiree.

One of the best new food ideas I've seen!

i'm on lolliblog

2009-10-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

Lolliblog has had some great posts as of late for a Haute Hallowedding. Today's post and inspiration board featured photos from our 2007 Halloween bash that was a haunted victorian mansion theme.

Do you see my Gourley Manor place settings, antique silverware (do you love the shape of that fork?) and cookie take home favors for the party guests? You can see more pictures from our party here.

Be sure to head on over to Lolliblog to see where the rest of the above inspiration comes from.

candy corn that bill cosby can sink his teeth into

2009-10-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

I am so making this for the baby shower I'm hosting in a couple weeks - cute and simple, gotta love it. Directions for this tasty pudding treat can be found at Life is a Banquet.

boo brownies

2009-10-15T13:57:00.001-07:00

Too cute and would be perfect for my sons Monster Mash birthday party tomorrow. Directions here.

invite: lil' pumpkin

2009-10-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

This stack of papers...

became this...

A friend and I are hosting a Halloween themed baby shower for another friend of ours (yes, she loves Halloween as much as I do). The color scheme is traditional black and orange with a bit of blue thrown into the mix since the new arrival will be a boy.

Speaking of boy, this little detail is my favorite on the invite.

After designing the invites I realized that the little strip of blue paper might not be enough info for guests to know that Kendall is having a boy so I added this little tag. I love it!

Although these are for a baby shower they would work equally as well for any Halloween bash you may be throwing. Want to recreate this invite? Here's what I used...

striped black and cream paper: My Mind's Eye, The Spider Web "Toil and Trouble"

blue paper: Bazzill

orange paper: Bazzill

"oh boy" tag: my design, black box with lettering in white, printed on cardstock

main font: century gothic

"baby shower" and "boy" font: Ithornet

I put it all together with my trusty Xyron - the crafting tool that I can't live without. Sure you can use double sided tape but why would you when you can use the Xyron. If you don't have one Christmas is coming up - you may want to ask Santa.

Be sure to click on all of the above links for more info and stayed tuned for pictures of the shower in a couple weeks.

i heart iDIY

2009-10-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

I believe I have said it before on this blog but I am saying it again I love the 'I Do'-it-Yourself Wedding blog! I always find the greatest things there.

Lookie at what I just found there...

The last bag is my favorite. I am heading out as soon as I finish this post to grab some small muslin bags so I can do this great diy project. You can visit iDIY to get more info and links or go to Love. Obsess. Inspire where you can get this free printable goodie created by Oscar+Emma Designs

the goblins were hung by the chimney with care

2009-10-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought about the serious lack of Halloween carols? I have, because that's how my brain works - spending inappropriate amounts of time thinking about nonsense things.

But anyway...

I have had to decorate here a little there a little because of my busy October schedule. Here are a few pictures of my fireplace mantle (I'll follow up in the next day or two with other Halloween hot spots in my home as I get them all done)

The pictures don't provide a ton of detail but you can get the idea. The decor is rather simple. Here's what I used...

black cheesecloth - dye your own or buy it. It is often referred to as spooky cloth when you buy it packaged at the store. I have found mine at Michael's and Big Lots. I am sure any craft store will have it. Take some scissors to it and shred that baby up. I used tape to keep mine situated on the mantle.

black twig-like garland - I tried to find a picture of the stuff online but no such luck. This is garland that I found at Michael's that looks like thin black twigs with a little touch of purple glitter.

black Christmas garland - yes, I said Christmas. This garland is from Michael's as well and it looks exactly like the super inexpensive green Christmas garland they sell it's just black instead of green.

a strand of flicker lights - I have a abnormal fascination with flicker lights in case you wanted to know some of my issues :)

Once that is all set up go to town with your creativity and with all the junk lying around your house. What? You don't have junk? I can't be the only pack rack. Look around your house and see what you've got.
I used this glass pedestal bowl that normally holds our initials in it. I threw some skulls in it and it works for Halloween
I added some candlesticks and lots of bottles. The bottles are the easy part. Spice bottles, salsa bottles, oil bottles, etc - do NOT throw them away. I hold on to mine, add random things to them and slap a label on them to give them a creepy Halloween vibe. you can always pick up great bottles at Goodwill and garage sales.

The labels aren't too hard to make on a computer especially if you keep them simple. The ones I have made are a simple box outline with the ingredient written in a cool font. To find a font that is right for you try Dafont or Font Space (both are font sites that I love and use frequently)

If you aren't feeling especially crafty and don't want to take the time to make your own labels then you must go here right now. Seriously, go right now! Johnny over at love Manor has created the most amazing labels - perfect for your Halloween decor AND they are free for you to download and use.

Amazing, right? There are a ton more so if you still haven't gone here go there now.

Do you decorate your mantle for Halloween or are you a Christmas only kind of person? I'd love to see your Halloween decor - leave a comment with a link to your Halloween hauntings.

calling all so cal readers

2009-10-12T16:45:00.000-07:00

You have to get in on this great promotion...

Ashlee is a photographer my family met during a photo shoot. She took some great shots of our kiddos and we loved her fun personality. Well, Ashlee is heading to Southern California (LA, San Diego, OC) this month and is offering a great deal on a photo session...no travel fees (she is coming from Utah), 30% off her regular session price and you get the images on a disc.

If you are interested in seeing Ashlee's work head on over to her site and see how talented she is. If you book a photo session with her please let her know Denise sent you.

Can't wait to see you Ashlee for my own families photo shoot!

seriously sick but tasty

2009-10-06T14:25:00.001-07:00

Gross, huh? But I love it and so will my son and his friends when I serve these slimy worm sandwiches at his birthday party next week.

I found these (& other tasty Halloween treats) over at Our Best Bite - a site I had never seen before but now I'm thrilled I found it. Go one over and check out some of the recipes - you'll be glad you did. Although I'm not sure much can top this appetizing worm sandwich!

finally some fall weather

2009-10-06T14:11:00.001-07:00

The weather is finally cooling here in Southern California and it is time for some simple Fall traditions. One of my favorites...being bundled up in front of a crackling fire drinking hot chocolate.

Here is a great Halloween twist on my toasty tradition (as well as a great end of party send off for your guests). How about serving up some blood red hot chocolate with marshmallow bones found at Martha.

the phantom

2009-09-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

Some folks call it phantom-ing some call it boo-ing - whatever you call it it's a fun Halloween activity that brings the party to the porch.

The picture above is my kiddos a couple years back ready to start our yearly tradition. Its all very simple...make or buy a treat, include a phantom note (google "boo poems") and get ready to ding dong ditch - and really, who doesn't love doing that? I am a huge fan of ding dong ditching.

The point of boo-ing is to make sure all the neighbors, your group of friends or whoever you decide to do this for all get a special delivery on their doorstep by the time Halloween rolls around. Once you have been boo-ed you now have to deliver treats to 2 people, those 2 people deliver to 2 people each and so on and so on.

Our family always starts this tradition on the first of October or right around there. If you want to do the same get to planning - find a poem, make a treat and share some Halloween love with your friends, family and neighbors.

crawly cakes

2009-09-30T08:27:00.001-07:00

Here it is...adorable cakes that don't involve a ton of baking. What is there not to love about these multi eyed arachnids?

You can find the how to for all these creepy crawlies over at Not Martha. Can't wait to make these for Halloween this year.

pom pom love

2009-09-30T08:04:00.000-07:00

During my morning rounds of blogs I stopped to check out the latest on iDIY - a favorite of mine. A stop there introduced me to these glorious balls of fluff on a stick....

Do they make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Me too! I decided to go and check out the creative mind behind them and was led to domestifluff to check out Kristen's creativeness.

I loved her tutorial on these pom pom flowers and can't wait to make some of my own. They would look great in a vase for your home (seen above) and equally cool as a party accent. How about making them in bright colors for a Dr. Suess themed party or other whimsical theme. Tone down the color for a great baby shower addition - the possibilities are endless with these.

And to add to all this pom pom goodness Kristen has added pom pom printables - you have to check it out. I am loving this!

kickin' it

2009-09-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Y'all ready for this? Said in my best announcer voice with loud music blaring in the background.

Friday was the big game...my daughter Megan's kickball party (that had been planned as an end of Summer party but had to be rescheduled at the very last minute)

The two teams, The Neville Kickbottoms

and The Spongebob Kickpants played a good game but in the end only one team could be the victor

Congratulations Team Kickpants!

I love the signs that one of the cute moms made for both teams - thanks Shauna! Shauna is the one that drew who knows how many dark marks on the arms of the teenagers when we were in line for Harry Potter.

There was some fine athleticism displayed ...

amazing form - Megan has never looked so athletic

speed

a sense of fashion even in the heat of competition

a fierce competitive attitude

the thrill of victory

the agony of defeat - "What? I'm totally safe."

It turned out to be a great evening and we're glad so many kids could join in on the fun. But the night didn't end with the game - there were celebrations to be had.

Any good game ends with a parent tunnel

Before leaving the field The Spongebob Kickpants picked up their winners trophy...

You weren't aware that there was a Kickball Championship Trophy were you? Amazing what a $4 lamp from Goodwill, styrofoam and paint will make, huh? Since no one person could take the trophy home because I'm holding on to that baby for next years rematch, I put together individual awards for each person on the winning team that they picked up once back at our house where the festivities continued.

They each received a mini trophy with a giant gumball kickball on top as well as a medal. The "kickballs" were a hit and it was hilarious watching the kids try to chew them.

After all the competition on the field the kids were hungry. There were lots of tacos and burritos consumed

and lots of this...

I'm not sure what it is but the teenagers have a love affair with this slightly thick, processed, yellow goodness.

Whenever we serve it (which is nearly every time we have teenagers over) They surround the stuff, each trying to get their fair share and you can bet they will be back for seconds, thirds and fourths.

Here's to making this a yearly event - cheese and all!

the spongebob kickpants are victorious!

2009-09-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

The Neville Kickbottoms played a good game but in the end lost 0-5 to those darn kickpants.

My daughters kickball party ended up being a fun get together - one I would do again. If you are looking for a fun party I'd suggest going with this as an idea.

More pictures to come.

kickin' tees

2009-09-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my daughters kickball showdown that we have been planning. It was supposed to be an end of Summer party but got bumped on the calendar because of some scheduling conflicts.

I thought I'd share some pics of the team shirts we designed...

Gotta love the underdog - Neville KICKbottoms aka Neville Longbottom of Harry Potter fame. Love this sweet unassuming guy.

On to shirt #2, again with the "kick" reference - we are after all playing KICKball
Spongebob KICKpants - he's all thumbs up and ready to play.

The shirts were easy. Iron on transfer paper, printer and iron and a shirt of course. Come up with your design, print it onto the paper, cut, iron on and get to playing.

Look for more pictures of the game this weekend.

all hallows design

2009-09-23T23:32:00.001-07:00

I just found a new blog that I love devoted to all things Halloween. Head on over to All Hallows Design and check it out.

how sweet it is

2009-09-23T16:37:00.001-07:00

How sweet is this Candyland party? I ran across it at Katherine Marie Photography and I believe Katherine is the one that threw this beautiful bash. She left nothing undone - it is amazing.

If I had to pick a favorite from the party though I would definitely pick these take home favors - gotta love that after a party full of candy the guests are going home with a toothbrush. A perfect favor.
There are many more pictures at Katherine's site so head over there and check them out

the dads in the details

2009-09-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

I just ran across this picture today - he's good looking, huh? Yea, that's right he's my husband and you can't have him (although I am sure you want him after checking out this picture)

This picture goes to prove that my husband will sacrifice his own dignity to help make a party better.

These pictures are from a few years back when the second High School Musical movie came out on Disney Channel. My then tween daughter wanted to watch it in the backyard on a big screen for her birthday so we went to work planning.

It was a fairly simple party to plan and we didn't go too big with it. Food was served cafeteria style (on cafeteria trays) hence the good looking food service worker pictured above. I made the aprons for both husband and I to wear and added the ever stylish hair nets.

There are a few other things I wanted to share from the party that would be great to use now during the college football season. Just change the colors to match your fav team and your all set for a great football party...

These chairback/placecards are a breeze to make.

Cut felt into a triangle shape. Use iron on transfer paper to cut out a collegiate style letter and iron on. The letters used were the first initial of each guests name with their full name written within the letter. Example...a big letter S with the name Sydney written in the letter (you can kind of see that in the picture above) Use a coordinating ribbon I used a paw print for Wildcats and tie them onto your chairs.

These were the invites for our HS Musical party (sorry for the poor quality of the photos)...

The pendant is felt with the invite being printed out iron on paper and ironed onto the felt. The guests initial/name was printed out onto card stock and tied to the top of the pendant (this invite went to twin hence the two initials) The pendant was glued to a wooden dowel.

The dowel was placed in a megaphone (purchased at a local party store) the megaphone had been glued to a round cardboard base and the edges were covered with shredded paper that I glues on to mimic the look of a pom-pom.

Now that I've seen these pictures again and remember how easy this was to create I may get to work on my own football fete.