A SpongeBob Squarepants Luau

This particular luau had lots of handmade items to make it one-of-a-kind.  Below is an example of each place setting.

I glued coloring pages onto colored construction paper, and then onto brown shipping paper (which you can find in rolls at Dollar General) to make the placemats.  The kids were able to color while waiting for their food, and they could take their artwork home after the party.

These cups started out plain yellow, and I just used a black permanent marker to draw SpongeBob's face.  Since the cups were short, I also cut the straws to fit without falling out.  These are sturdy plastic and washable, so the guests were able to take them home.

These "chum buckets" are made from clear plastic cups with pipe cleaners glued onto the sides to resemble a handle.  Gummi fish and worms, plus oyster crackers and Goldfish crackers make a pre-lunch snack for all of the guests.  I got the little "shovels" from a local ice cream shoppe.  They are the little spoons used to give out ice cream samples.

Raffia with a seashell hot-glued on holds the silverware bundles into place.

The treat bags were a huge hit.  Everything inside came from either the dollar store or Oriental Trading Company.  The bag itself started out as a plain brown lunch sack.  A few snips with scissors, a marker, and a sticker, and there you go!!

It's simple to personalize the favors.  A return address label fits perfectly around these tiny bubble bottles.

A tropical playlist specially selected for the birthday boy and girl was a special keepsake of their party.  I used a permanent marker and some stickers to decorated the cd.

Sometimes simple is all you need.

This month I am running specials on Reunions.  This is one that I had with some wonderful people I had the pleasure of working with:

Recently some old work colleagues and I decided to gather and talk about the "good ol' days" together at Tres Hombres Mexican restaurant.  Plans started on Facebook with one coworker posting an event.  A few different ideas were discussed among those interested, like a float trip, a party bus, and dinner at our old restaurant.  (Now Italian instead of Mexican, but the same building.)

I started researching decoration and favor ideas.  Also looked into pricing a party bus to drive us to a nearby Tres Hombres that is still in business.  A date was picked and agreed upon.  The only problem was that no one would really commit to a definite yes or no.  While I love making party preparations, they take plenty of time, which is very scarce in the life of a single mother starting a new business.  Up until the week of the reunion, there was a chance that it wasn't going to come together at all, so I only made the most basic arrangements, just in case. 

 We were to meet in the bar area of the old restaurant where we all worked.  This way we didn't need a reservation, and it could accommodate both a small or large group.  After the group assembled, we could all make the decision to have cocktails and move on, or stay there for dinner.  It turned out to be just enough preparation for a very enjoyable evening!!  An event as "up in the air" as this really just needs a when and a where.

Of course, I couldn't leave it without just a bit of flair.  I brought a sombrero along to add just a little of the old Mexican restaurant feel.  It made a simple, yet perfect centerpiece, and this was exactly what we needed to get the picture-taking started!  We remembered old stories and looked around a bit to see what was still the same.  A nearby Mexican restaurant is where we stopped for dinner.

Margaritas, cervezas, and chips and salsa.  Just like old times!!

The moral of this story is that some celebrations only need a time and a place, and the people are what make it special.  The super-involved planning and money can go into the set events that you know will have a definite crowd.  Who knows?  We did have a great night, so maybe next time we can go for a themed reunion with all the bells and whistles.  You know I'm always up for one of those!!

       

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless  Wednesday !!

Flowers for the Fourth of July

The last party I coordinated gave me a fairly generous flower budget for a birthday party, and it sparked my interest in the many different varieties of flowers available.  I plan on heading out this week and making a festive 4th bouquet for myself, so I turned to the trusty internet for some ideas.  

Red flowers seem pretty easy to come by.  The most popular and easiest to find is the red rose.  Florists always seem to keep these on hand.  I can almost always find Gerber Daisies at my florist, too.  The others probably have to be in season.

Starting top left and going clockwise:
Rose, Tulip, Gerber Daisy, Orchid, & Carnation

Blue flowers, on the other hand, seem very hard to find.  Your are most likely to find some that have been died, because true blue flowers are rare.  Most that are considered blue are more violet or purple.

Hydrangea, Delphinium, & Veronica

Now white flowers should be just as easy to find as the red ones.  Baby's breath (which I forgot to include in my collage, but I'm sure you've all seen it) is a great white filler to use, too.

Carnation, Hydrangea, Gerber Daisy, Daffodil,
Hibiscus, Jasmine, Orchid, & Calla Lily

A perfect way to top off a patriotic bouquet would be to insert mini American flags, and maybe some metallic streamers shooting out like fireworks!!  I will try to get a picture of whatever I end up creating, and I would love to see some of your red, white, and blue bouquets, too.  

Do any of you have a good flower suggestion for this holiday?

A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words...

Wordless Wednesday !!

Dollar Junction Inspiration - 4th of July

I LOVE walking through Dollar Junction for inexpensive things to spark my creativity!!  If I spend a couple of dollars and an idea doesn't work, I'm not out too much money.  If the idea does work, I either have a very inexpensive new idea, or a base for a project that works, and I can confidently spend a little more to make it just right.

This time through, the red, white, & blue was catching my eye.

Okay, I admit it, I am usually drawn to the candy aisle.  The wrappers have done most of the decorating for me already!!  Just plopping these in a bowl on a table looks plenty festive, but I did think of a couple of different possibilities.

Tying the curling ribbons around the Tootsie Pops, I was trying to make the streamers look like bursting fireworks.  It seemed to look better when I didn't curl them, but cut them plenty long.  I used red hots in the bowl to hold the sticks up.  You could even hold the stick between your palms and twist back and forth to make the ribbons "fly."

This red pot with the star border fits right in with a "star-spangled" theme.  It was too deep for the sucker sticks, so I placed a shorter bowl on top of old ribbon spools to make it sit higher. 

These tootsie rolls look great in this star dish (also found at Dollar Junction!!)  If you place them under the upside down dish, you can put a candle or other decoration on top.  Looks good, but the guests can't really get to the candy.  Hey, perfect for saving a few for yourself after the celebration!!

Above is just another option combining both kinds of candies.  Below, I was attempting to make a tootsie roll star, but it could also easily be decorated as a "4th of July guy."  You know, a couple of googly eyes in just the right spot.  

•                    

Some of you may have noticed that I didn't use the fudge-filled candy stars in any of the photos.  Well, I re-learned an old lesson with those.  If you are shopping on a warm day, DO NOT leave any type of chocolate in your hot car.  I ended up with a red, white, & blue lump!!  Still tasty, but not very pretty.  The bright side is that it was only $1 lost, and I've got enough time to get back to the store before July.  The stars would be great sprinkled on cupcakes or used to decorate sugar cookies.

I really hope some of these ideas sparked a little of your own creativity.  What holiday things have you found lately to inspire you?

I'll plan, so you can party!!

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Animal Print Baby Shower

A fashionable baby girl deserves a very chic animal print shower!!  This particular baby shower was a co-ed celebration.  We picked a sports bar/restaurant with an upstairs party room so that the ladies could do the "girly" stuff, and the guys could play pool, video games, and poker, all while watching the ball game.  Everybody's happy!!

The gift table was covered with a zebra-print rug.  Glittery pink letters spelled out baby's name.  There was a huge mug for "Big Dad Cory" and a pretty tiara for Mommy Connie.

The guys' tables were set up with baby girl playing cards from Oriental Trading Company and pink cash and coins from Dollar Junction for poker playing.  Bubble gum or chocolate cigars make great favors for the fellas.

Upstairs the tables had floating safari duckies.  One table had a fountain in the center, which was a perfect place for these little guys to swim!!  The children at the party got to pick a "duckie" to take home with them.

I made these adorable baby bracelet wine glass charms for the ladies.  Here is a link to my tutorial blog:

http://eventsdee-signed.blogspot.com/2011/03/baby-shower-wine-glass-charms.html

The girls had their own games while the boys played downstairs.  Each received a book with a few baby games to fill out while we ate.  The pencils were personalized with baby Josie's full name and birth year. These cute animal print bags were filled with prizes for the game winners.  More "active" games were also played.  This super-cute corsage was one of the prizes.

After about an hour, we joined the boys downstairs to play onesie basketball, guys vs. gals.  

It got very loud and competitive, and sooooooo much fun!!  

                         

Cake was served while Mom and Dad opened gifts.  Personalized candy bars and little bags of animal crackers were passed out as favors.