Wine, Anyone? Chardonnay Perhaps?

Any excuse for wine is a great excuse for wine. That is why we sat down a couple weeks ago (over wine), and decided to give everyone one more reason to drink (several) glasses of wine.

Our "Wine Tasting Party" has just a little bit for everyone:

• 5"x7" Invitation
• Wine bottle numbers (customize these with some glitter)
• Wine glass tags
• Wine glass tag bag topper (give the gift that keeps on giving)
• Wine tasting scorecard
• Party starter question game (54 ice breaking questions)
• 6 party recipes (like "Figs with Gorgonzola & Balsamic Vinegar")

So send out your invites and stop by the wine outlet because this party will be off the hook! and, well, wine is not included.

As always, this collection is $5 in the Paper & Cake Etsy shop.

Cowboy Birthday Party

I can sum this one up in two simple words, "YEEEE HAW!"

When my son Jack turned 2, I put together a little birthday get-together, covered in cowboy hats and sheriff badges. It was adorable (if I do say so myself).


Invitation
I knew, from past experience, that a small cellophane party favor bag makes an excellent (and super cheap) party invitation envelope. For this invite, I purchased 12"x12" sheets of red "bandanna" patterned scrapbooking paper for the background, and 8.5 x 11 sheets of vellum to print the wording on. Then I used some household twine from the junk drawer to make a tiny lasso that was hot glued to the top center of the finished piece.

tip: The finished invite is about 3 1/8" x 6 1/4", if you plan on mailing in a party favor bag, use a little cardstock to back it up, print your addresses on white mailing labels, and take it to the post office to check postage rates.

If you can't read the writing on the invite jpg, here is my attempt at cowboy humor:

YA-HOO! Jack is turning two!

Saddle up and ride out West to
the Barnes Ranch
for a showdown & cake

Sunday, April 29, at 3 o’clock
1234 Main Street, Long Beach

neighs 562.555.1212

Decorations If you've ever read my blog before, you know that I love covering my windows with themed decorations. Regular old scotch tape works perfectly on windows, and you never have to worry about accidentally peeling the drywall paper along with the paint.



I purchased some plastic wagon wheels and steer skulls from Oriental Trading Co. and hung them everywhere. In addition, I made dozens of "Wanted" posters, in two styles, using photos of all the guests invited to the party. They were a hit! (and they were practically free). To round out the look, we used red and blue bandannas and red and white gingham tablecloths.




Activity

Usually, for my kids parties, we have some sort of a craft project involving stickers, glitter and glue. This party was a little different in that we did not have a sit down project, rather, stations set up for; using homemade playdough, playing with the water table, donning cowboy dress up items, and painting with water.

homemade playdough always looks better with neon food coloring!

good thing he had his cowboy hat handy for that hot May sunshine

cheapest paint in the world! plain water, with old paintbrushes

Cake

This cake was fairly easy to make, and has the design potential to be over the top.

I started with two 9" x 12" cakes. Just use a box of cake, it tastes good and it makes everything go faster and easier.

Using the template below, I carefully cut each layer separately, frosted the top of the bottom layer, and placed the top layer gently on top. I did do a thin "crumb coat" (thinly frosting the entire cake so that all the crumbs are trapped beneath the frosting where they can't escape - especially useful if the cake is chocolate and the frosting is anything lighter than chocolate).

Next, I used a toothpick to outline where and how I wanted the design of the boot. I frosted the dark chocolate frosting in the middle area first, spread the lighter brown frosting second, and piped on the final details last. As soon as the cake frosting was finished, I piped on the "Happy Birthday" message on the cake board, and sprinkled shredded wheat cereal around the boot edges.

Top with a sheriff badge and there you have it!

Since we had a ton of guests, I also made a batch of cupcakes. To fit the western theme, I piped a "brand" on the top with contrasting frosting.

boot cake template



happy birthday to you



I had a blast planning this party, and the kids all got into dressing the part. A cowboy theme is simple to accessorize and easy to plan. Use some creative thinking to make it your own, spend as little as possible and make it look homemade - even if it isn't!

Easter!

Easter 2006

We always have a great big Easter celebration with my family. Brunch after church and then, of course, the Easter egg hunt! I do look forward to it each year, although, like Santa Clause, it is getting harder and harder to pass myself off as the Easter Bunny.



This year will be the most difficult by far, mostly because of this Easter Collection of downloadable paper party supplies from Paper & Cake. My daughter knows that I designed these, so, I guess it's either break the news gently? or tell everyone I know to use these so I don't feel so bad that I can't. sniff sniff.

As always, those clever girls at Paper & Cake only charge $5 in their Etsy store... check it out!

Why I Walk

my team, "Momemtum" in 2008 ~ four of us High School friends!

In 2003, I signed up for the 3 Day MS Challenge Walk because one of my oldest friends told me she was just diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

My friend Rita and I met in Jr. High, and have done everything from skiing to attending traffic school, together. She is the reason I met my husband and the reason my first car had so many dents in the fenders.

As I was signing up for the MS Walk online this year, my daughter came in to ask me what I was doing. It was really hard to explain, you try telling 7 year old why money is needed to find a cure - and what a cure is. I think I talked too long about it because she yawned and then smiled and said, “okay mommy”.

Later, while in the kitchen making peanut butter sandwiches, she came in and started dumping change out onto the island counter top. She emptied her entire purse and said, “Is this enough mommy?” It was the sum total of $8.01, which included 2 Sacagawea dollars, that she received from the tooth fairy. I guess she did understand what I was saying.

As I was leaving the room to add her donation to my walk page, she called out after me, “Can MS spread from Auntie Rita to other people?” I said no, it’s just in her own body. She said, “that's really lucky! Now she can go where ever she wants!”

I love that kid.

This will be my sixth year walking in the Southern California MS Challenge 3 Day Walk, a 50 mile walk over three days, from Carlsbad to San Diego, to raise awareness of and money for multiple sclerosis. You too can make a difference by donating – every little bit counts!

Update (on Yesterday's To-Do List)

It was a GREAT day!

Paper & Cake have done it Again!

Those girls (don't you love it when I pretend I'm not talking about myself?) over at Paper & Cake have branched into Weddings. They are making it über-affordable for everyone to have gorgeous, custom wedding stationery sets.

Here is what comes in the "Bluebird Wedding Collection":

• Invitation
• Response card
• Save the Date card
• Ceremony Program cover
  
• Map card
• 8.5 x 11 Letterhead
• Menu
• Favor Bag Topper
• Favor Box
• Place Cards
• Circle tags
• Table numbers

and for what, $10 in their etsy store? Really girls? Are you just trying to save the planet one wasted paper product at a time?

Nancy Drew Birthday Party, Part 2

Alright, let's get right down to it... How many mom's are just terrified of organizing a mystery hunt? Okay I guess it was just me.

For this, part 2, of the NDBP (Nancy Drew Birthday Party) we will uncover simple yet theme inspired party crafts, and how you too can plan a big mystery hunt.


Craft Project:
To set up, we used a 6ft table, covered in paper and little baskets full of supplies. There was glittery foam stickers, paint, dot markers, glue sticks, jewels, sticky foam sheets and crayons.

the birthday girl's personalized ID badge

For that "official" feeling, I created an "ID Badge" for each child, with their name, a space for them to draw their own face and put a fingerprint. After they were done with their badges, I put them in plastic holders and tied them with a ribbon to wear around their necks.

these kids had so much fun decorating (click to enlarge)

Next, each child had a clue journal to decorate. I found these at (where else) Oriental Trading Co. These were a spiral bound notebook with a canvas feeling cover, good for paint or even crayons.


Mystery Hunt:
I was able to hide most of the clues before the party even started, but a few were left to the very last minute, just in case someone stumbled upon it. I had the moms take the kids out front until everything was finished, and while they were out there, they were given some guidelines (okay, rules). I divided the kids into two teams - I did this myself so that no feelings would be hurt by a child not being picked - and put a strip of colored tape on their shirt (blue or orange). Each team had a mom helper also with tape on them.

Both teams would search for the same clues, just in a different order (then maybe it wouldn't feel like a race, and nobody would get trampled). Each clue was put into a ziplock bag with a strip of team tape on it, so you wouldn't accidentally grab the other team's clue. Some of the baggies also had a puzzle piece to collect (more on that at the end of the mystery hunt description).

Here were my clues, printed out on plain paper and taped to a 4x6 card of our purple and black question mark design.

Clue hunters, hard at work (click to enlarge)

1) a close up photo of my washing machine
2) inside the washing machine, "not the wet but the DRY"
3) inside the dryer, "Mirror, mirror on the wall... Who is the fairest of them all?"
4) taped to my full length closet mirror, "find a way to press PLAY" (this was printed backwards)
5) the tv/DVD player in the bedroom, when they pressed play it revealed a close up photo of the numbered storage lockers in our mudroom
6) inside the number 32 locker, "You are nearby, which TWO numbers added equal SEVEN?"
7) inside locker number 25, "A secret massage has been MAILED to you, hurry!"
8) inside the mailbox along with a magnifying glass was the clue printed very tiny, "go to the shelf with all the toys. find the toy car with your team color tape on the bottom. you will be given your next clue."
9) they handed the mom their team toy car and were given a close up photo of the microwave in our pretend kitchen
10) inside the toy microwave, "LEMON aid for sale! Get your LEMON aid here!"
11) at the lemon tree in the backyard was a baggie with play dough in it and a clue that read, "I’m lost! Can you help me find my home?"
12) in the playdough drawer (yes, i have a play dough drawer), "Don’t get WET in this place you get CLEAN, just look for your clue near the DRAIN."
13) in the bathtub was a cell phone, a mom was standing nearby and called the number to tell the team to meet at the fireplace.

blank puzzle from Oriental Trading Co. hand illustrated (click to enlarge)

If your family is at that stage where the children really don't feel comfortable with competitions, then this might work well for you. Remember the puzzle pieces they were collecting? Well, each team only had half of the pieces for the final puzzle, they had to all come together to put the pieces in to solve the mystery of the "What is missing from this party?" The puzzle led them to the pantry where the goodie bags were hiding. It was SPECTACULAR! and it took the kids a while to get through the game.

black tote bags filled with spy equipment

**********
UPDATE: This printable collection is now available in our Etsy store! Only $5 for the entire set.