Personally You Parties

changing to.....

2011-08-25T21:04:00.003-05:00

So I showed you dill in the previous post.
Today it's poppies.
I said we have a new business, and all that.
So without further ado....
da da da..........
Presenting:

Dill & Poppy
{celebrate life}

If you've been a follower here on Personally You Parties....
THANK YOU.
If you are interested in staying in tune with this new adventure you are welcome to follow me over at www.dillandpoppy.blogspot.com
I would LOVE to have you visit. :)
We are still designing the blog so it's possible there could be a change quite often till we get it just how we want it.
It will take a bit of time to get dill and poppy blog going like this one, but in time I hope it will be better than what I've been able to do here.
So, no more posting here....off to poppyland. :)

Changing....

2011-08-23T22:19:00.003-05:00

Well it's happening!
A new adventure.
A new business.
A new name.
A new blog.
Soon.
Here's a sneak peak....
You know what this is??
Yep. Dill.
It's part of the new business....
wait for it!

dot & streamers

2011-08-18T22:49:00.003-05:00

Oh wow....check this amazing garland out!
how....cool.... is....this? and it is simple crepe paper streamers and scrapbook paper dots sewn together.
{i actually just finished sewing my first ever dot garland and it is super easy}

the story behind the end result is very cool also...to see more go here

vintage paper garland

2011-08-05T19:39:00.002-05:00

i came upon this amazing garland today!
wowza!
so pretty, fun and what a perfect addition to a party. there are many more colors and even other designs such as sheet music and maps at

Kristina Marie at Etsy

Jae's 15th Birthday Party ~ India Theme

2011-07-26T20:08:00.011-05:00

Back in May my daughter and I created an Indian themed party for my niece.
It was her "golden" 15th birthday so we wanted to use as much gold color as we could.
We chose the theme of India because of it's rich colors and wanted my niece and her friends to experience a different kind of food.
We transformed my daughters apartment into a lovely Indian style place.
Lots of rich color, vases, fabrics and decor.
The food was so yummy.
well....some of it wasn't well liked but all the girls at least gave it a try.
Their favorite was the Chocolate dipped tangerines and next the Naan.

The menu card on each plate ~

Here's the menu~

Appetizers
Roasted Indian Chickpeas
oven roasted chickpeas with Indian spices

Bombay Cheese
cream cheese covered with mango chutney and cranberries Chocolate Dipped Tangerines
fresh tangerines dipped in dark chocolate, sprinkled with coconut and pistachios Entrees
Dal Makhani
lentils cooked with tomatoes and cream
Simple Spiced Rice
basmati rice flavored with cinnamon
Jeera Aloo
potatoes sauteed in cumin seeds and spices
Asparagus With Ginger
fresh asparagus seasoned with ginger
Vegetable Raita
fresh cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers with a dill infused yogurt. Naan
Indian flat bread
Dessert
Thengai Barfi
cardamom flavored sweet coconut squares
Birthday Cake
a sweet chocolate cake with buttercream icing decorated with a henna design
{this cake was alot of work, but I think my daughter did an awesome job with it. It was our first time working with fondant and we have decided we are not fond of fondant. :) The general design for the cake was found online, but drawn out by my daughter.}The Birthday GirlDrink
Mango Lassi
a creamy mango and yogurt drink

And the decor ~The glasses were so perfect!
We found them at Target and they were quite expensive at $5. a glass but that is the only dinnerware we purchased as we used Amy's good china and silverware.
Also used cloth napkins that I had from a different party.
So 7 glasses at $5. each wasn't so bad, right. :)

this is one of my favorite pictures of the decor

yes, they sat on the floor
And of course "henna tattoos"

Vintage Birthday

2011-06-21T21:27:00.006-05:00

The birthday girl! :)

Just sharing a few pictures from my daughter's 29th birthday this weekend.
I used my grandmothers hand crocheted tablecloth as a starting point for the table decor.
I added a small runner that I made quickly with old vintage style fabric.
Clear glass bowls and dinner plates.
My niece and I picked a few fresh flowers from the yard and put them in a canning jar.
White chocolate dipped strawberries where a hit!

tablescape

raspberry tea served in grandma's tea cups

the birthday cake...yummy. recipe and idea from the birthday girl blog

my daughter and i

Happy 40th Birthday Billie Jo!!

2011-05-26T20:58:00.006-05:00

You know I've been really slacking on my posting.
But what you don't know is that I've been really busy with parties. :) 3 in a row and this weekend I have a graduation and a small family wedding reception I'm decorating for.

I put together a Surprise 40th Birthday party for my Sister-In-Law in just a few short weeks.
I have to say that I kinda enjoyed not having to fret over it for a long time was nice.
And the party turned out great!! :)
I wasn't sure what I would do with this sort of theme,
but it all worked out.
I have one problem though...forgot my camera!!!
Who forgets their camera for a party???
Well I did take a few pics with my phone,
so these are not good and I'm very disappointed in myself, but it is what it is. :)

I had done a search for Harley cakes on Google and this is one that I found.
I printed the pic off and my brother took it to the baker and wal-la this is what we got! :)
And it was SO yummy!!

I had ordered these Harley Davidson picks. I knew we wouldn't be doing cupcakes, but who needs cupcakes to put picks in....buns work just fine. :)

The centerpieces where just tall glass vases that I used a 12x12 piece of specialty paper {this one glossy silver} wrapped it around and added another strip with the design on it. Flames are bandanas from Hobby Lobby.

Another centerpiece.
I had 2 different designs.
The other one was covered with a black glittered paper and filled with black roses.
The birthday sign.
I just purchased a large roll of black paper from Hobby Lobby, cut the letters out with my Cricut and used them as a template to paint on the words.
I intentionally painted the letters on crooked because I knew I would not be able to line them up perfectly so this way it looks ok being crooked. :)
I had stopped at a nearby Harley Davidson store and told them what my project was and they gave me free balloons, bags, boxes, keychains, etc just to use for the party.
I cut the emblems off the boxes, put them on candle holders, signs, you name it.
I put that free stuff to good use.
They also did sell my some very cool Harley things to use.
WISH I would have brought my camera!!!!

Next up....I just finished up an Indian themed 15th birthday party that turned out fabulous.

Maci's Zoofabulous Party

2011-05-04T17:03:00.005-05:00

Finally some pictures from Maci's Zoofabulous Party.

The food...oh so fun to make and display.
Let's see, we had cake balls candy peanuts tucked in white bags dipped oreos animal lollipops made from candy melts {made by my daughter} all sugar candy straws and pretzel candies and an amazing cake my by Maci's Mom

The table and decor
also very fun to put together.
First of all...the fringed streamers {found idea here} LOVE these! :)

and Dora got to visit too!!
Maci had decided that she wanted a Dora party,
but I already had the zoo theme started, so I decided to bring Dora into the zoo.
What a treat it was to have her there. :)

The finger puppets {Oriental Trading} from the favor boxes were a hit!
We played "feed the animals", "ring the alligator", "hot banana", "animal footprints" and made animal visors.

Oh...

2011-04-05T20:29:00.003-05:00

I have a blog!!
I'm sorry I've been so busy taking care of this little 5 year old in my home,
I have not had a chance to blog.
I was also putting together a fun fun Zoofabulous Birthday Party for my 3 year old niece.
Here is a sneak peek....this is the cake my sister in law made.
it was SO cute and yummy! :)

what a fun time!! :)
Love'd it.

I'm waiting for pics from my daughter so as soon as I get them I'll share the rest of the party.

Project today

2011-03-14T21:58:00.004-05:00

So I know I've been a bit absent from this blog again.
Life really is crazy!!
I have a sweet 5 year old girl living with me temporarily and it's alot of fun, but also alot of work. I'm not as young as I used to be. :)
I have been working hard on a couple projects....this one from today.

It's just a table my Sister-In-Law and I put together for the Bank she works at.
This was at a local Ag Show today.
The bank was giving away coupons for tree saplings that they can pick up in the bank at a later date. Their theme was "Rooted in Tomorrow's AG Business".
I haven't heard how the day went.
I only set up and left so I don't know if anything fell down, letters came off banner...you know, those type of things. :)
I was trying real hard to find just the right container to put the coupons I had made into. Something farming, outdoor, tree theme and yesterday as I was walking through JoAnns I found the perfect planter shaped like a tree trunk!!!
I was so excited...but I was MORE excited when I got home and realized that this lovely planter could also be used at a pedestal for a platter of goodies in a woodsy themed event!
Now, I want to go back to JoAnn's and get more tree trunk shaped planters!
I love a good find. :)

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss.

2011-03-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

I guess it is, yes it is. A Birthday!
CELEBRATE with these fun ideas.

mega crafty

kitchen dough dough

About.com

So Wonderful So Marvelous

kara's cupcakes

Fringy streamers

2011-02-24T22:26:00.003-06:00

Oh my goodness!
Check this out!
Made from Crepe Paper....
I have been drooling over these for about a week already.
Can't believe it took me this long to share.

For the complete DIY head on over to Oh Happy Day and a happy day it is!! :)

bags

2011-02-22T19:54:00.002-06:00

I love these! :)Just too cute. perfect for Maci's Zoo Animal party coming up..........

all from Layer Cake Shop.
Don't even get me started on the rest of the goodies at this store!!! :)

Cake bark!

2011-02-16T21:12:00.004-06:00

This MUST be made in my home!! :)
I first have to run {drive} 100 miles to the nearest store that will have the Lindt chocolate!
But you watch out....or maybe I better watch out {trying to lose weight}...ah forget that....I'm going to dig into this for sure!! :)
There is Cake mix in here...and sprinkles. Yay!
How good does this look???

from How Sweet It Is

Garden Pom Poms

2011-02-15T21:41:00.002-06:00

Is this just beautiful or what? I just love it.
Such a peaceful setting!
These do not look like simple cheap tissue paper, do they?
Craftymoods blog has a very nice tutorial on making the pom poms.

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

Just a simple message today. =}If you haven't already made your sweetheart a Valentine you can get this one quick and it's even free! =}
Go here.

Valentine cupcake liners

2011-02-10T06:00:00.001-06:00

thought i'd just share this link to some sweet cupcake liners.
cute.
cute.
enjoy.
head over to food art party
{which i am finding to be an blog with some really really good ideas for food!}
for the free download

and have you ever wondered just exactly how to use those cupcake liners? well wonder no more, tami tells you just how to here

revamped peanut butter cup

2011-02-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

i just love to see what people do with simple things. l
indsy at mom & wife took a plain reeces peanut butter cup and a dollop of pink chocolate and look what she created! :)

her idea of altering rows of pink and white candies on a table would look delicious.

Snowman bowls

2011-02-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

found another sweet idea at One Charming Party.
this is so unique.
i love it.
how perfect for that winter party.
16 years ago i did a snowman party for my then 5 year old niece. oh how these would have been such a great addition to our party. :)
they look a bit challenging to make,
but hey,
we party people can accomplish anything, right?
for tutorial go here.

Candy Necklace

2011-02-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

oh my...you've maybe already seen these sweet necklaces around the blog world,
but i couldn't help but post about it too!
how cute.
i know my little nieces would just love these!!
One Charming Party
shares all the details on how you can make these for
your very little sweetheart. :)

One more heart garland

2011-02-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

and of course it's from the very creative girls at
two girls being crafty.
felt is so in right now. this is so cute.
warm and fuzzy.
sweet.

for the tutorial go here.

Packers/Steelers Giveaway!

2011-02-03T22:19:00.004-06:00

So a great blogging friend
Simply Creative Insanity
is giving away some really really cool
Packers/Steelers party collection printables
from her new Etsy store...
and now she's ADDING to the prize with some
Valentine printables!
Go here to enter.....but I do hope it's me that wins! :)

More heart garland.

2011-02-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

Well here is another Heart garland that I just love!!
And it's by two girls being crafty again.
They are SO creative!

To get the tutorial go here.

Cupcake Fondue

2011-02-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't love cupcakes?
Fondue?
Sprinkles?
Put them together and you get irresistible!!

Here is where you want to get what you need for it. :)

Time for heart garland.

2011-02-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

So my very creative daughter has now taken up crocheting.
And of course she is doing fabulous with it. :)
When I found this sweet heart garland I immediately thought of her and how much fun she might have with this.
This amazing garland was by the two very creative girls at Two girls...being crafty. For the DIY go here.

Photo Valentine Tree

2011-01-31T06:00:00.001-06:00

I found this cute little tree filled with Love and thought I'd share it.
I'm pretty sure any proud grandparent would love a tree filled with pictures to display in their home.
Great idea for a February Wedding or Shower too. :)

You can find the DIY http://choosetothrive.blogspot.com/

Kisses in the kitchen

2011-01-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

oh my....how could i resist posting about these amazing chocolate cookies?
how sweet they must be. i can only dream of them. :)
if you'd like to do more than just dream of them...here's the recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
36 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates or HERSHEY'S HUGS Brand Candies
1 can (16 oz.) vanilla ready-to-spread frosting

Directions

1 Beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt alternately with milk, beating until well blended. Cover; refrigerate dough about 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
2 Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolate pieces.
3 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Spread frosting onto cookies, leaving about 1/2 inch around outer edge unfrosted; place chocolate piece in center of each cookie. About 3 dozen cookies.

found this here.

Be served

2011-01-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

Need a good idea to spruce up a plain serving tray?
I must admit I have a few of these laying around that could use some personal touches.
See what you think............

punches
bottles caps
and a recycled cupboard door!
for all of the ideas and DIY head here.

Ribbon chandelier

2011-01-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'm loving this chandelier. Supplies~

I think I have a box or two of dark pink petals left over from the wedding....hmmm,
do I hear a chandelier in the works?
Maybe. :)

tutorial here

Cotton Candy Garland

2011-01-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

Oh is this ever sweet! :)

Cotton candy
Garland
You just can't go wrong with either! :)
So here's the tutorial for ya!

Sad times...enough already!!

2011-01-19T21:21:00.000-06:00

Dec 29th my sweet Grandma passed away. It's hard to say goodbye, but knowing that she lived a good long life is a blessing.
Jan 13th my mother-in -law passed away while we surrounded her bed with prayer and song. She was diagnosed in November with cancer that had spread and was given about 4-6 months to live. What a blessing to know that all of her children were with her as she went to sleep in the Lord.
Life is hard, but we know that God is with us in the people he sends our way.

I'll be posting again in a couple days.

Blog button and changes

2011-01-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

So I'm trying to do some different things to my blog...but I must admitt I have to be the worst person at all this hyperlink/java script/gadget computer stuff.
I uploaded a picture for a button at photobucket and have actually managed to wipe out all pictures in my account and blogs that I visit that should have a picture from photobucket...gone.
Who knows what I did!!!
I'll keep working on it though.
I want some changes here and I guess that's the only way I will get them....unless I wipe out this whole darn blog!!
A couple blogs I've gone to that are helpful are:
Jenieshells
and
Craftaholic

It's still winter....

2011-01-14T06:00:00.001-06:00

so have a wedding!
Here in ND it's always a big risk to have a winter wedding.
You just never know when that next big storm is going to hit and in the recent years it seems like they hit most every weekend...how nice.

What a perfect theme with all the white for winter goes right along with weddings.

these wedding ideas are found here

I have to say these favors are just sweet!

Winter party

2011-01-13T06:00:00.002-06:00

Oh this is adorable....Really, a winter themed pink party that is just sweet!
This party
Emma's Winter Onderland Party
found here {many more pics and details}

tutorial for these here

see winter's not so bad...I think I'm starting to like it! =)

It's winter wonderland.....

2011-01-12T06:00:00.001-06:00

...........more like freeze your butt of weather here in ND!!
Forecast is for below zero temps this weekend.
Brrrrr. {we secretly love it}

In celebration {using that word lightly} of Winter I will be sharing some winter themed parties that I have found at other amazing blogs. =)

Today, this party
Landon's Winter Onederland Party
featured here
is just the {coolest} party for a one year old
don't you just love the "baby it's cold outside" sign!
These little buggers make me cold just looking at them. =)

and you really need to check out this party from here....... A green winter party!!!

Chandelier....of the felted kind.

2011-01-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

This adorable chandelier was made by teri at giddy giddy.
I am pretty sure any little girl would love this chandelier hanging in their room after it has made it's debut at her birthday party. :)

Clay project

2011-01-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

Last fall I had my daughter make 130 clay tags to add to snack bags that I would be handing out at our annual Christian Women's Retreat.
I wanted something that would refer to the snack inside the bag,
but also something spiritual....hence,
be filled.
Here are the steps she took {I helped some!}

The clay {bought at JoAnn's} ~

Softening the clay~

Rolling it out and cutting the shapes ~

"Stamping" each letter of be filled on 130 circles! ~

Baking ~

After the baking we dry brushed them with a bit of white acrylic paint. ~

Sprayed with a clear finishing spray, added twine and have a finished product. ~My daughter enjoyed working with the clay alot!
You can stamp just about anything onto the clay and it bakes perfectly.

You could easily stamp names of your guests for the party.
Great table seating markers, favor bag tags or key chains as a gift too.

Intentions......

2011-01-08T22:11:00.001-06:00

I am intending on making a comeback with this party blog.
Just had to get away from it for awhile.
I'm trying to talk my daughter into helping me with this....no luck yet. :)
Sorry for the lapse in posts.

fall.smores.love

2010-10-24T19:34:00.003-05:00

When love is in the air....celebrate with a fall engagement party and serve hot apple cider, cocoa and smores! Mmmm.
Check out this engagement party where all this happened at eat drink pretty . :)

Garland...duck tape style

2010-10-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

We all should have known we'd see something like this in our future!
Come on..duck tape is SO popular right now!! I'm just disapointed that I didn't come up with this cool idea first!! :)
found this great idea at live love laugh grow

Garland...ball style

2010-10-19T06:00:00.001-05:00

Now isnt' this creative!!
I've made little pumpkins using this idea, in fact my niece LOVES to make pumpkins like this, but I would have never thought to make a garland of them.
This is from a party done at Shim and Sons.

Blogversary!!

2010-10-18T06:00:00.001-05:00

It' my 2 year Blogversary!! Now what??
Well.
Let's see.
I'm a bit curious at to WHO reads this blog....who follows this blog...who thinks this blog is boring....wait don't respond to that! :)
If you want to comment on
WHO you are.
WHAT you like about this blog.
and/or HOW LONG you've been following....
that would be cool.
I do on occasion check out some of the followers and always read comments and try to respond...but that doesn't always go as planned either. :)
But
THANK YOU
to those of you who do follow and take the time to read and or comment.

A little Trivia:
The very FIRST person to comment on my new blog 2 years ago was
Natalie from Little Shindigs!
Thanks Natalie...you rock! She has just started a new site called Children's Party Network.....(note to self ~ get signed up)

The last person to comment on my blog is Heather from Whipperberry.
Thanks Heather....your blog is inspiring. :)

The first Party I posted about was for a baby shower for a friends daughter. The theme was Noah's Ark and I did a few decor things.

The post that recieved the most comments what my 1st blogversary giveaway with 40 comments! Bryssy was the winner.

The close 2nd post that received the most comments was my Rockstar party for my then 13 year old niece. What a great party we had. :)

The majority of my post appear to be about kids parties.

I LOVE Garlands. Chandeliers. Favors. Candy and Buffets.
so look to see more of those in the future.

It makes me smile to hear from you.
I only hope to improve my blogging through this next year.

Donuts...the new rage!

2010-10-16T21:40:00.003-05:00

My daughter says she could have called it.
ha ha.
I guess she is going to have to get into the swing of it and start making donuts.
I know she will and they will be delightful!
I guess cupcakes are so yesterday.
Oops!
I love cupcakes, even tho.
So have your donuts, or keep your cupcakes....Just BAKE. :)

The amazing donuts pictured here are from Doughadeer.
Her Etsy store has some amazing flavors of donuts for sale. YUM!

Orange Cookies

2010-10-14T20:51:00.004-05:00

I got this recipe from my Aunt who used to own the local cafe.
They are a soft sweet orange cookies that are just delightful in the fall.
They are very easy to make.
Here's the recipe. :)

1 1/3 cup solid shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
Cream together and add:
1 cup Orange Juice
4 TBSP Orange Peel
Mix and add dry ingredients:
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
4 cups Flour 1 tsp salt

Bake on ungreased sheet 10 - 12 minutes for 400*

Frosting:
2 cups Powdered Sugar
2 tsp soft butter
1 TBSP Orange Peel
2 TBSP Orange Juice

REPOST: Sharing some Inspiration

2010-10-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd share a few of my first posts I did way back in the fall of 2008.
I had no idea how many amazing ideas would come from searching around to find ideas to share on my blog.
It's been so cool!!
Since this post I have done 2 candy buffets of my own.
Here and here.
I only hope to improve my creativity as I continue to find more incredible inspiration.

I am loving the idea and look of Candy Buffets. Just thought I'd share some on my blog. Hopefully I am not stealing anyone's pictures.

from ourweddingplus.com
from Hostess Blog

Fabric. Hoops.

2010-10-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

What can YOU make with fabric.....

and hoops???

Well, Heather from WhipperBerry made this AWESOMENESS.... :)

For all the inbetween pictures and tutorial head over to her sweet site.

Whoa!!!

2010-10-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's my Blogversary in 6 days!!!
2 years I've been at this crazy blogging thing.
Somedays I love it.
Somedays I don't have a clue what to blog about.
Somedays I just go stalking around all the blogs I follow. :)
And then I'm re-inspired again!
I have to think about what to do for the big 2 year blogversary.
Hummm..
Hang on.
I'll think of something.
:)

Vintage Baby Shower

2010-10-11T21:35:00.002-05:00

Vintage is so in right now and I think this shower is absolutely perfect using the Vintage theme. Soft, pretty, old and elegant.....all for a baby. {sweet} More pictures here.

Winner winner!

2010-09-28T20:02:00.002-05:00

Here's the Winner
of the Twine!!
True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 11 Powered by RANDOM.ORG
It's LJMH
You will need to email me at lisalyn66@hotmail.com to let me know your address.
If I don't hear from you...I'll have to pick a new winner, so be sure to email me!! :)

Wednesday's Parties {Sierra and Shaun's Candy Party}

2010-09-22T20:56:00.001-05:00

Here's the candy party I did for Sierra and Shaun back in Oct. 09. I'm sharing it on the CSI project so I wanted to repost it! :) To see a ton of fabulous parties head over to CSI

Well here it is...one of the most anticipated parties I've done.
I say anticipated because I'VE been wanting to do a candy themed party for a long time and now I finally got to! :)
I planned it to be for just my niece and last minute we included another relative and that was fun too.
So here are the pictures.
{lots of them}

The candy buffet table ~

Favor bags ~
The centerpieces ~ {One for Sierra turning 3 and one for Shaun turning 2}
{Notice the lollipops? Those are from this post. They were easy to make, but I did not let the kids have them because the centers were jawbreakers instead of gumballs and I was afraid of them choking. I THOUGHT they were gumballs when I was putting my quarters in the little machines, but I was wrong! :) }

The table ~{I just purchased some fabric at Joanns and ran a crepe paper runner down the center. Sprinkled it with a bit of confetti and set some paper lanterns made into candies in the center.}

With her Birthday cake...a M & M with the letter S for Sierra ~

This picture shows the flag banner~
{not the best picture, I know. These were just made from coordinating paper and stapled to ribbon.}

Making candy necklaces ~

Playing lollipop grove {Sierra LOVED this game}~Possibly a little cheating going on here. :)The Birthday kids

Filling up the candy bags ~Possibly the happiest Birthday Girl ever
considering all she wanted for her Birthday was candy! :)

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! :)

Wedding Arbor

2010-09-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

This arbor featured on Joyful Weddings and Events is just beautiful!!
Love the elegant look of it. You can see the entire Pink and Grey wedding at Joyful Weddings and Events.

Reminder....don't forget to enter my giveaway!! :)

Birds and bees baby

2010-09-19T06:00:00.002-05:00

You want to know all about the birds and the bees??
Oh ya, I'll tell you right where to go ~
Fete Fanatic
shares an incredible baby shower that will fill you in!

Check this out.....cotton candy in sippy cups. How cute is that?? :)More pictures in this post!

Free to the winner!

2010-09-16T20:53:00.004-05:00

I'm in a giving mood! :)
So...just for you my reader(s) you can win this adorable set of twine from The Twinery.
Here's what you get:
120 yards total of eco-luxe, plush 100% cotton twine in 8 colors (15 yards of each color shown): Maraschino,
Mandarin,
Lemondrop,
Peapod,
Caribbean,
Lilac,
Pink Sorbet
& Cappuccino
Now if you are not interested in the twine, you might be hungry just from reading the descriptions of the twine colors. :)

To win ~
1 just comment on THIS post..say "hi" or something. :)
2 tell me what you would do with these if you were to win.
3 follow this blog ~ or let me know you already do.
4 if you share this giveaway on your blog....comment again. :)

I'm going to hold this giveaway open till September 28....cause that's my birthday and I think it's a good day to pick a winner! :)
So...good luck all.

Eat your stamps!

2010-09-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Simply Creative Insanity featured this beautiful idea,
so I have to share it too!
She's off to Hobby Lobby to buy stamps and I think she will be followed by many others too.
What a great idea.
Easy, fun and so creative!
DIY is found here.

Touching Story

2010-09-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

This cool story is about a young {30 year old :) } girl who wanted to share blessings and happiness with 30 other lucky people in this crazy world.
It all started when she was a child and she found a balloon with a note attached of someone wishing for a pen pal.
In celebration of her 30th birthday she attached hand written notes to 30 helium balloons and let them go...waiting for responses from the people who will find them.
What a great story about sharing and giving of one's time get to know others.

Your name on a Marshmallow

2010-09-07T06:00:00.001-05:00

Check out this sweet idea from Head of the Table

It's all about camping..in style.
But seriously you could use this table placecard idea for other types of parties too, not just for camping.

Personalized Wedding Goodies

2010-09-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

I wish I was the one who designed these!
They are fabulous and free!
I guess all you do is fill in your info and they email you the file so you can print away.

What a nice gift to offer it's readers.
Head over to The Wedding Chicks and get your free download....if you have someone in your life getting married, of course. :)

It doesn't have to be 4th of July for these

2010-09-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

just make them into a different shape. :)
This is a simple sweet idea from Amanda at Bake it Pretty.
It just takes some Pop Rocks {who doesn't love some pop rocks},
candy melts,
a mold,
sticks,
and a bit of cayenne pepper{opt}.

Cake Pops on You Tube

2010-09-03T06:00:00.004-05:00

We all know how much we love cake pops and how "fun" they can be to make! :)
I found this really good tutorial on Cakebot
and knew I had to share it.
It is really easy to follow, very informative and kinda makes me want to get out that cake mix and try these buggers. :)
So here you go, see what you think:

and if for some crazy reason this doesn't work ....go here.

Garland...cherry blossom style.

2010-09-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Creative Jewish Mom has a fabulous Cherry Blossom garland made from......disposable tablecloths.
I love it when people find other uses for things.
It shows alot of creativity.
And of course, I love this because it IS garland. :)
For the DIY head on over to her site.

Mexican Shower

2010-08-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

I was so busy working on my niece's wedding that I forgot to share these pictures of the wonderful shower my church family and a dear friend put on for my niece!
They choose the theme of Mexico since that was the Honeymoon destination.
They really outdid themselves with the decor and all the amazing food!

Destiny in her new apron that says ~ "girls just wanna have funds" So perfect for her. :)

A BIG "Thank You" to the girls who worked so hard putting this together!

Printable Party Invites

2010-08-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Oh these are sweet!! :)
And free!!

Get your own download here.

Wreath...tissue paper style

2010-08-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

I found this cute wreath at A blissful nest.
What a great party accessory and looks pretty easy to make using these items:
A form
glue gun
tissue paper
a letter opener

And this wreath was made for a special party that is total cuteness!! Check it out here.

Beautiful garland...stained glass

2010-08-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Just found this and wow....it's beautiful!
How lovely would this be?
It is a bit costly, but I am sure worth every penny!

You can buy it here.

Beautiful Birthday Party!

2010-08-26T06:00:00.001-05:00

When I saw this party at My PINK Life I knew I had to share it!
It's just one of those parties that makes you go "ahhh" and wish you could have been at.
The colors are peaceful and relaxing.
The decor is just outstanding and get this....this is my favorite creative part ~
the napkin rings are made out of those cheap clear shower curtain rings!
Ha...your off to buy some for yourself now aren't you??
They certainly DO NOT look cheap here. :)
Great idea!
For more of the party pictures and details head on over here.

Stamped Napkins

2010-08-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

Don't you just love this idea??
I love the personalization that this brings to the table. :) This great idea is from Veronica at My Hands Made It blog
Again.......the possibilities seem endless here.

Ice Cream Balloons and a Party

2010-08-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

My daughter sent me this link {so happy she's on the lookout for inspiration for me}.
These would be easy to do, fun to see, and make your party g0-oers happy too.
Plus.......they won't melt! :)
Supplies needed:
Helium Balloons
Craft Paper

Craftzine

AND here's a party to go with those balloons!
I just have to say.....total sweetness! And check out this pinata! :)
from PaperDoll Designs
and more pics here.

A cheesy garland!

2010-08-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

Isn't this just the coolest deal? :)
Cathe from Just Something I Made shares this unique garland.
You start with this:
Do a little of this:
And get this:
She offers the download and the tutorial.
So if you need a cheesy garland....there you go. : )

Back to school...with a favor

2010-08-22T06:00:00.003-05:00

I saw this adorable idea on Not Just a Mommy and followed the link to Executive Homemaker for the easy instructions and download.
I think every kid off to school deserves this in there backpack on the first day of school!! :)

And something for the teacher ~also from Executive Homemaker

if you want to change it up a bit you could design your own topper to use for any other person in your life.....mothers, kids, volunteers, babysitters, etc.....

Um....I'm fairly excited about this find!

2010-08-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

I was on 30days and she has some incredible giveaways going on right now...
check them out here.
What I found though while browsing around on 30 days has me quite happy!

Ok...you ready??

Look at all this GARLAND! For sale, even!! :)
I love this....all of it! It's all from here and here's a link to the Hank + Hunt blog also.
Good stuff....really good. :)

DIY Pinatas.

2010-08-19T06:00:00.001-05:00

A DIY Pinata from Inchmark ........
a really cute party to go along with this pinata can be found there too. :)

Wish I knew where I found this one!!

these from Daily Danny Here's one from Esty

and this one from my Strawberry shortcake party here.

No limit garland!

2010-08-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Ok..I'm having a hard time controlling myself here! :)
This garland is so SWEET!!!
Lights, lanterns, pom poms and fabric????
Seriously!
How incredibly cool is this?
Really, there is NO limit!
You can see more of this amazing wedding decor at Poppytalk

sheer power

2010-08-16T19:45:00.002-05:00

Just want to share this incredible shower from
erin.ever.after.

It's just romantic and lovely. :)
From the sheers to the burlap and the vintage feel,
this shower is one I think deserves a lot of praise.

A real "Fairytale" Wedding

2010-08-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

I found this unique Wedding at FancyPants Weddings
Who says you have to be a kid to enjoy fairytales??

When my kids were little we went to Fairytale town.
I have pictures of them sliding down this big shoe!
Oh that was so long ago and they were so little.

Treat the teacher....

2010-08-10T21:02:00.005-05:00

If you want to start your year off good by treating your child's teacher,
here is a great idea found on How does she? blog from the sisters at Eighteen25. Other Great ideas for back to school and many other events can be found at Eighteen25

And thanks for the thoughts for my daughter...she's doing alot better! :)

Update...

2010-08-05T17:08:00.001-05:00

Thanks for your kind words and prayers for Amy. She got through surgery well so we are happy for that. She did have some problems coming out of the anesthetic so was admitted into the hospital overnight. We just got home this afternoon and she is doing better. She will be staying with me for a week or so. I'm pushing the fluids and continuing to pray for her.
I'll try to get back on here and do more posting as soon as possible.

LOVE...ly

2010-08-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

What a lovely bridal shower. :)
Check out the table runners AND that garland!! :)
Sweet!
Every time I look at a party of any kind I am constantly reminded that the possibilities are endless.
Details here.

Surgery Day.

2010-08-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Please say a prayer today for my daughter as she has her tonsils and adenoids removed.
She gets so sick with these tonsils and the Dr said they have to go!
The one tonsil literally swells up so much it covers half of her airway....not to mention how she feels when being sick.
It seems that each time she gets this it is getting worse.
She's 28 and they say the older you are the harder on you the surgery is...so just asking for prayers for her that it goes well and that she heals quickly.
Thanks so much!

Ribbons in the air!

2010-08-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

This is so unique, creative and beautiful...I just love it. Most weddings are the typical 2 or 3 colors used in the decor, but this one brings em' all! :)
And I love how this wedding shows the fact that you can do whatever you want....
It's YOUR wedding!
So many times we get caught up in the "traditional" way of weddings.
Not so here, in my opinion. Le Petite Coquin (this is what the world call Romance) Blog shares this creative wedding. I've only showed you a couple pictures of the Ribbon ceiling...cause I love that the most. :)
Many more pictures on their blog.

Ruffles from paper streamers!

2010-08-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

This is idea makes me want to get out that darn sewing machine and conquer it so I can make these amazing ruffled streamers!!
I don't think they'd be hard to do even......I could do it, right?
I found this great tutorial on How Does She?
You really should see the SWEET party that was done using these ruffled streamers!

Streamers ceiling

2010-08-01T06:00:00.001-05:00

Oh my....are you as excited about this picture as I am???
I SO want to do this ceiling look.
And it's just with paper streamers!
My goodness.
Check out Kelley Moores site where she shares the details on
how to get this look and what this amazing party was all about.

Time for a chandelier!!

2010-07-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

It's been awhile since I posted anything about chandeliers and since I love them SO much I thought I better get back on track and post at least one...or two. :)
This first one (no I can't just share one) is made from Magnifying glasses.
Wouldn't this be perfect for your Scientist, bugs or even a detective Party??

And this beautiful one is made from glass circles hanging from a bicycle tire!
Ya...that's what you were going to do, right!!
Seriously...who thinks of all these amazing ideas?

Sweet 16 Inspiration Board

2010-07-28T21:05:00.002-05:00

I've begun the planning of another party!
Yay!
This time it's a Sweet 16 for my cousin's daughter.
She sent me a few ideas and I happened to come across this inspiration board that included the exact centerpiece she loves....so with this we plan. :)

Wedding cupcakes and display.

2010-07-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

We had several ideas (this post) for the cupcake display at the wedding and this is what we settled on. The tiers are acrylic and were rented from a Cake store.
The very first layer and what the tiers are setting on are little votives I bought at Walmart and they are filled with a battery operated tea lights.
I loved the look of the candles under the cupcakes.
It made the display go even better with all the candlelight at the reception.
The cupcakes were made by the brides' high school friend and my daughter helped with the decorating.
This poor friend made at least a dozen different recipes for the cakes/frosting I think!
She did good though.....they were so yummy!

Tablescape sweetness

2010-07-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

I could not help but notice the great idea used here with the printed fabrics flowing over the simple white tablecloth.
It just really finishes this table. The entire party where this table was used is just as cute as can be.
You can see it all over at Amy Atlas Sweet Designs.

A very "tweet" party!

2010-07-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

What a "Sweet" Party this is!! Goodness...don't you just love the bright colors? the details?
the fun look of every food item?
I wish I would have been at this party! :)

Chocolate Cups!

2010-07-22T06:00:00.001-05:00

Oh my, oh my!
CHOCOLATE cups from balloons??
I'm so making these!
I think they are going to be used at the Sweet 16 party I've started thinking about (it's not till October).
Here's where I found them ~ Maddycakes Muse...she found the idea from Bakerella and you can get all the yummy details so you can make some too! :)

Bugs, bugs

2010-07-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have always loved a bug party.
Not really sure why, because I am NOT a fan of real bugs. :)
When I saw this BUG party I knew I had to save it and share it here!
I am so in love with her candy buffet!Beetle bugs and ants on a log!
And check out this BUG juice!
Sweet!
Party was done by JoAnne at Oh Goodie Designs and
printable created by
Pen & Paper Flowers Etsy Shop.

And how about this table?

2010-07-20T13:19:00.001-05:00

I love how this little bistro table is covered and then tied at the base.
It looks so much fancier that way. :)
From the Breakfast at Tiffany's Bridal Shower where the Carnation Balls I posted about yesterday were from.

How about those Carnations?

2010-07-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Carnations seem to not be the choice of most girls for decor, but here's a twist on them that I think really updates them and makes them very pretty.
Found this great idea on Eat.Drink.Pretty.
She shares a tutorial on her site.

Lemonade cookies..Yummm!

2010-07-18T12:36:00.003-05:00

It's summer (I just realized that..been TOO busy to notice before) so get out that Lemonade and start baking!
I found this recipe at Save the Date for Cupcakes I'm going to have my daughter make them because I know she will LOVE to do so and they will turn out perfectly.
I can almost taste them already!
This recipe actually came from Jess at Paper and Pen and if you visit her site she shares some really sweet ideas for her Lemonade and Sunshine Party.

Wedding Pictures

2010-07-13T16:49:00.007-05:00

The reception Hall. Photo by my daughter in law.

We used gold satin for many of the tables.
Fuchsia satin for others.
The gold table skirts were sewn by a seamstress....as were many of the tableclothes.
I also had a friend from church sewing.
The fabric tablecloths proved to be a much bigger task that we expected, but certianly worth it.
We hung 100 yards of organza from the ceiling.
This was our inspiration picture:

Not sure how much of our actual ceiling you can see,
but I do think we did pretty good with getting the same effect.

Some of these pictures are from the photographer.
She did a nice job!
I love the way she described the Wedding.....check out her site at Megan Wold Photography
My daughter made the signs.
The Candy Buffet
We had about 20 different kinds of candy from peanut butter cups, to rock candy, jelly beans, sour balls, kisses, taffy and much much more...all in the wedding colors.
The candy buffet was a big hit!
So glad we did that.
I will try to show pictures of the bags I printed on...if I can find a picture. :)

Here we go!! :)

2010-07-12T20:01:00.005-05:00

The Wedding is over! I'm happy. It all went well. :) Now I can relax....for a bit. I am SO thankful for the help of MANY people that helped me personally....here's just a few:
Mom...she sewed, shopped, cleaned, decorated and lots more.
Amy who made the signs, frosted cupcakes, decorated, cleaned and was an amazing Maid of Honor!
My sister Lynette who did everything we asked her to do and more...from shopping to running around picking up stuff and decorating.
My friend Kim who so graciously lit all the candles for us so we could all walk into a beautiful setting.
Tom, Marlin and Mike for building the perfect backdrop for us!! Bride and Groom's parents were just the best. It's was really cool to see everyone working together from mowing and planting flowers, decorating, cleaning and all the behind the scenes stuff that I don't even know about. :)
I'm just the aunt of the Bride, and it was my pleasure to be so involved with all of this. And glad it's over too. :)

Here are a few pictures to share.
These are ones my daughter in law took ~
My daughter with the two Best Men (twin brothers of the groom)

The stunning Bride and her dad.
The Brides 3 little sisters.
The Happy Couple. Tomorrow I will post more pictures. Some of the decor. :)

Almost Wedding Day

2010-07-07T23:05:00.003-05:00

Well it's almost Wedding day! It's been such an adventure planning a wedding.
Can't say that I am anxious to plan one anytime too soon! :)
I'm printing programs tonight.
2 1/2 days before wedding...but they are printing good so I'm happy.
We've had SO many crazy mistakes and mishaps with this wedding that I even mentioned that maybe we should call it off.
The groom said "no". ha ha

Remember the nice beverage dispenser I ordered?
Well as I was cleaning it and getting it ready I noticed that the spicket was loose, so I tried tightening it.
Not a good idea.....you know where this is going, right???
Ya, it cracked the glass!!
So here I am 6 days before the wedding and I am thinking, "
how in the world am I going to get another dispenser???".
I called the company right away on Monday and I will have a new dispenser by Friday....at no extra cost to me!
That's service. Now.......I just have to make sure that I DO NOT tighten the spicket!

I have more stories to tell...so keep checking back. :)
Oh, and hopeful some pictures too.

There is one thing I want to share with you tho and it's this website.
I found it while a last minute decision to make a kids table gave us the idea to make little wedding coloring books.
They turned very cute and I thought the pictures here were just adorable.
I only made 20 booklets, but they were pretty easy to do so making more would not be a problem.

so love this

2010-06-20T19:55:00.001-05:00

from Prudent Baby

Thirsty??

2010-06-15T21:26:00.004-05:00

Move over pitchers........you've been replaced!! :)
Don't you just love these?

from Pottery Barn

from Uncommon Goods
from Z Gallerie

I just ordered this one:
from Gumps

Invite Pictures! :)

2010-06-08T19:26:00.004-05:00

So here's a few of the 175 or so invites that we made.
The paper was purchased from paperandmore.com Their customer service and quality is outstanding!
The invite is made using the Champagne Pearlescent Cardstock and the pink wrap (it slides off) is Pink Azalea Pearlescent Cardstock with a gold cord wrapped around it.
I purchased the digital branches design from desingerdigitals.com for I think about $3 bucks! :)
I was able to change it up to the color I wanted...gold.
It was easy to work with too.
So anyway...that's the invite.
The groom wanted a bit of the gold branches on the envelope edge so I did that too.

ps...i scribbled out the address just in case somebody might have wanted to sneak in on our party by suprize!! :) ha ha

Look what I found!

2010-06-07T21:27:00.003-05:00

I just found one of the neatest websites!
www. downloadandprint.com
has really nice invites that you can just download and print at home or send off to be printed. Wow...FREE templates, and they are really cool ones too!
I find that designing an invite can be fun, but challenging so this is a great find for me.
I will try to get a picture of the invites I made for my niece's wedding to show you.
I did not use this site, but might have had I seen it earlier.
We have almost all of the invites mailed out now, and I forgot to take a picture before, but I do have a few more to make quickly so I'll get a quick picture before those go out.
Anyway......if you want some great downloaded invites head on over to www.downloadandprint.com
And here's a little hint they talk about on their site ~
Heavy paper is key to tricking everyone to think you bought expensive stationery shop invitations.

oops

2010-06-02T21:55:00.002-05:00

Pretty sure I already did a post about the centerpieces.
I'm not stressed!! :)

Sorry about that.

Thank You!

2010-06-01T20:04:00.003-05:00

Thanks so much for all the input on the candy labels.
It seems as if most of you think labels would be nice.
I am going to try to work on some and see how they turn out and go from there.

Here is one of the 19 centerpieces.
We really need 30 but I think I've talked the bride into doing something simpler for the other 11 tables....hoping will look ok to have 2 different centerpieces!
We had seen something very similar to these centerpieces and thought they looked easy to do.....well, they haven't been ALL that easy!
And gold spray paint is expensive!!
But we are getting close to finishing them.

and a really bad close up picture of the label that will go on the centerpieces......