DIY Drink Holder

How many of you have found yourselves at an outdoor party sitting and eating on blankets or cushions on the ground?  Totally fine--but where do you put your drink???  Here's a great solution from The Homes I Have Made featured on Positively Splendid!  So smart. Make and stick a few of these around the yard to accommodate guests. Find the full directions here.

Cupcake in a Glass

I wasn't sure how to title this great idea that's getting pinned around Pinterest-but what a great presentation!  A fun way to serve cupcakes, give as a favor or just for your dessert table!  I love it!

If you're putting these together yourself, make sure your cupcakes fit the champagne flute.  Original source here.

DIY Napkin Flower Poms

Here's an affordable way to not only embellish your party decor, but to use on presents! These poms are made from napkins.  I love this tip, because sometimes you want to add to your decor but you can't find the right scrapbook paper to go with your theme or colors.  So, once you find your party ware, you can use the napkins for much more than just wiping your mouth!  Find the full tutorial at Party Patisserie.

Merry Monday: Dr. Seuss Baby Shower

Dr. Seuss Thing 1 and Thing 2 is such a cute theme for a twins baby shower!  And here is one that was done in a park--something not that easy to do when you have to transport everything.  Designed by Merissa Lynne Events, the party welcomed guests with bold blue and red draping.  Scrolling iron lanterns with DIY "truffula trees" sprouted from inside the table centerpieces. Babies Thing 1 and Thing 2 custom invitations set the tone ahead of time.  Enjoy the party as captured by Nina Price Photography.  All vendor resources are below.

Event Planner: Merissa Lynne Events, LLC 

Invitation Designer: Little Woman Design

Cake: Cake*Stix Confections

Photography: Nina Price Photography

Today's Takeaway: Hanging Mason Jar Chandelier

Quaint and rustic--there's a lot of charm in using mason jars in your party decor.  And since I've been seeing a lot of mason jars in a lot of 4th of July parties, I thought this would be a useful idea for many of you.  You could fill them up with crushed red and blue tissue paper to give it a more patriotic look.  Or use red and blue yarn to hang them.

This chandelier reminds me a lot of the pinecone chandelier I made a while ago for Thanksgiving. You can see it here.

This one was part of a wedding featured on Green Wedding Shoes.

Photographed by Ryan Ray.

Patriotic Paper Flowers

Here is a great DIY centerpiece for your 4th of July bash.  Using scrapbook paper gives you the option to give your flowers either a traiditonal, vintage or modern look.  Find the full DIY at live. laugh. rowe.

Last Minute Father's Day Ideas

If you're still at a loss on what to get Dad from the kids, or are looking for something a little "extra" here are a few cute ideas for you.

Hand and footprints are always a great keepsake for parents.  These are each such sweet ideas.

Left to right: Handprints craft from Parenting.com; Footprints craft from Pre-K and K Sharing

Here is the one we're doing this year.  Renee and Siena will have fun filling this out! (Yes--we're last minute too!)

From eighteen25 


And these two ideas certainly make good "extras" to any gift.

Nuts About You from Lizzie Jane baby; Keep Calm printable from The Hands-On Housewife.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Father's Day.  It's a rare occasion for me this year that I will actually get to spend Father's Day with my Dad.  Going to NY on Saturday--so we're making it just in time!  I'll be gone for a bit so my posts might be sporadic.  I'll probably be posting more on Facebook than writing regular blog posts--so visit me there!  Thanks!

Our Baking Party: Activities

We've got the post-party blues... but going through the party pictures definitely helps to cheer us up!  In addition to the nice comments I've gotten from readers, I've received some nice emails from moms whose kids attended the party which really means a lot.  When I hear "My daughter had a blast" that makes it all worth it!

If anyone missed it, here is part 1 from our Baking Party.  Now, I'll run down the activities we did.

CHEF HAT AND APRON DECORATING:
When the girls arrived, they were given a hat and apron to decorate.  These girls were so crafty and really serious about making their aprons look colorful!

COOKIE MAKING:
Once the girls were dressed up in their hats and aprons--we were ready to bake! I had two stations in the kitchen.  At the kitchen table we rolled out and decorated sugar cookies. They could choose M&Ms, small round hard candies or sprinkles to decorate their cookies.  A couple of tips: Pre-make the cookie dough. Have paper plates with each child's name on them ready so the kids can put their finished cookies on their plate.  This way the cookies will be easy to track before you put them in the oven.  Have help! I had two other ladies help me out.

Here is some of the finished product!

Party tip:  Use small baking pans to better track everyone's cookies.  You can see my post-its.  Each post-it represented one pan with whose cookies were on it.  Once I transferred the cookies to the cooling rack, the post-it got moved over as well.

CAKE DECORATING:
At the kitchen island, the girls decorated cute mini tiered cakes.  I made them in advance with this great pan I found here.

I love that most of the girls kept their hats on!  Party Tip: Again, give each child one cake on a plate with their name on it.  They then got their decorated cake when we sang Happy Birthday.  So, they enjoyed the cake and a piece of the cookie birthday pie.

Some of the finished masterpieces!  Aren't they great?!

BAKE-OFF! OBSTACLE COURSE:
To work up their appetites, I wanted to get the girls moving--so I set up a baking themed obstacle course in the backyard.  I have to admit, some were shy at first, but once they saw a few do it--many of them did it again and again!

They started on the course hopping in "flour sacks."

Then they had to get at least one ball in the muffin tin in the "Muffin Toss."

Next, they had to hop through the "Baker's Twine." Then balance an egg on a spoon to the final station...

I think this was the motivator to do the course for everyone: the Mixer (Trampoline)!  They got a minute on the trampoline, before running to the end.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY:
We all ran inside from the heat (It was 92 degrees that day!) and enjoyed some milk, the cake and cookie pie while we sang Happy Birthday.  Then each girl took a turn to "shop" the party favor table.

Each girl went home with a bakery box full of goodies: oven mitt, milk carton (filled with gummy bears), "pastry bag" (cotton candy), egg (filled with a lip gloss ring), their apron, hat and mini rolling pin.  We then rushed through the presents.... and it was all over.

The party was just over 2 1/2 hours.  That included a couple of moments where we let the girls just play so we could clean up and bake the cookies.  Taking everything into consideration, it all went pretty smoothly!

I'm already thinking about next year's!  It's so hard not to!

Sharing With:

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DIY Confetti Cake Stand

Glass serving ware is one of those staples to have at home because it's neutral and can be used for pretty much any occasion.  But here is a great idea to take a glass cake stand one step further, and tailor it to your party's decor.  All you need is some tissue paper circles and Mod Podge!  Use any colors you like.  And if you don't have a glass cake stand, you can always make one with a glass plate and glass candlestick holder.  I'm thinking this would also make a fun hostess gift!

Find the full directions at One Charming Party.

Our Baking Party: Decor

Renee and Siena's baking party was so much fun!  The girls were really into doing their best at making cookies and decorating cakes.  I have so many photos to share with you!  Let's start with the general decor.  I had different areas of the house set up as different stations: "Renee's Ready-to-bake Wear Shoppe" was where the girls decorated their aprons and hats.  The kitchen was where the baking and cake decorating happened.  And finally, we had "Siena's Sweet Shoppe" where their bakery boxes (goodie bags) and favors were displayed.  (I've listed the shopping resources at the very end.)
Here goes!

I used cupcake liners everywhere I could–even on the front door!

"Renee's Ready-to-Bake Wear Shoppe"

 If you don't like your chandelier--cover it!  

There goes those apron cupcakes!

 "Siena's Sweet Shoppe"

 I was greatly inspired by this adorable baking paydate from Lynlee's Petite Cakes here. When I saw that I knew I wanted the favors to be "baking ingredients."  We had milk cartons (filled with gummy bears), "pastry bags" that were cotton candy, eggs filled with a lip gloss ring and oven mitts!

 Bakery boxes served as the "goodie bags."  And of course milk bottles (a.k.a. Frappucino bottles)

 Before the mess started in the kitchen!

 The kids enjoying their cake creations and a cookie pie when we sang Happy Birthday!

 We had some camera-shy chefs, but these are most of them. Don't they look too cute in their hats and aprons?!  I love the smiling faces!

Next time I'll share the activities.  We did more than just bake!
UPDATE: Click HERE to see all the party activities!

Shopping Resources:

Aprons: Hobby Lobby

Wooden Frames, bakery boxes, oven mitts: Michaels

Kitchen Tablecloth: JoAnns

Subway art: Free at I Heart Naptime

Cupcake Liners: Pick Your Plum

Scene Setters: Party City

Sharing with:

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One-Year Birthday Party with DIY Details

Here's a 1-year birthday party that is just as cute as the birthday girl!  Small DIY details made this party charming and picture perfect.  I love the colorful, vintage-inspired fabrics throughout the decor, and the wallet picture book that was made as favors for guests. There was also a fun photo booth for adults and kids to enjoy.  See the details, as captured by Barefeet Photography.

 

 

 

Cake Designer: Haylee Cakes
Handmade Goods Designer: Dear Vera


Submitted via Two Bright Lights