Today's Takeaway: Letter Balloons

When I first saw this, I immediately thought "Where can I get those balloons??!" I was happy to find out from a quick Google search that they are easily available.  A couple of resources are here and here. These balloons are great to add some dimension to any backdrop.  I've been dreaming about having a NYC-themed party for my husband's next big milestone birthday and I think having large NYC balloons as part of the backdrop like this would be perfect! So many fun ways to use these. Find the original post at Green Wedding Shoes here. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Bright Colorful Monster Party!

This party was no doubt a monster of a good time! I am so thrilled that Infiniti Foto in California shared it with us. Seems like they had us party mamas in mind, because they captured all the details perfectly!
Their client Jessica put this wildly colorful and fun party together for her little monster, Ollie (Oliver). She made sure the kids had fun with activities like "Color a Monster", "Pin the Eyes on the Monster" and my favorite, the "Monster Factory."  There was a great photo booth and props that kids and adults enjoyed, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watermelon Cookies

I've seen so many fun treats made with watermelon for the Summer, but how about cookies that look like watermelon?? These cute creations from That's What Che Said would be a great dessert to bring to a picnic or barbecue.  Find the full recipe here.

Milk Jug Fairy House

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to be a guest camper in Design Dazzle's Summer Camp series.  I was so flattered that they asked me to join in on the fun!  There have been some really great and fun ideas, so I hope you've been following along.  But just in case you missed my post over there, I'm repeating it here for you.

If you have little girls you know that fairy gardens have been quite popular these last few years.  But, because they're primarily created in container pots or in the yard, they tend to get ruined when it rains.  This little fairy house, made with a milk jug, helps protect your fairies and it's easy to grab and bring inside if it looks like rain is coming.

Here is what you'll need to make one:
- Milk jug, rinsed out and labels removed (Goo Gone works very well to remove labels)
- Faux leaves, moss, flowers
- Exacto knife
- Sharpie (your choice of color)
- Fairy dolls, furniture

First thing you do is outline a door and windows with your Sharpie.  Then, use the exacto knife to carefully cut them out.  Once they're cut out, you can easily dry the inside of the jug with a paper towel.   Then, I used a purple Sharpie to embellish the door a little bit with a leaf garland.

To decorate my fairy house, I used some items I had leftover from a party. These were purchased from The Dollar Tree: faux moss, leaves and roses:

Now's the time you want to cover your milk jug cap with a flower or other decoration.  I clipped one of the roses off its stem. I used a tiny screwdriver to puncture a hole in the milk cap, inserted and twisted the stem to hold it in place, like this:

Screw it back on  the milk jug.  Clip a bunch of leaves off of your leaf garland.  Using a glue gun, adhere the leaves in layers around the top of the milk jug.  I chose to stop after a couple of rows, but you can cover the jug as much as you'd like.  I thought the hot glue might be too hot for the milk jug plastic, but it was fine. Once the leaves are all in place and dry, line the bottom with the moss.

Finally, let your little girl "furnish" the home and put it in a special place in the garden.  Since my original post on Design Dazzle, our fairy garden has grown quite a bit!  The girls are really enjoying it!

I would love to know if you try making one of these.  You can share your photos by posting them on my Facebook page.

**This post was originally published at Design Dazzle on Monday, June 10, 2013.**

Elegant Baby Girl Shower

This baby shower certainly sets a grand stage for this couple's little baby girl entering the world! Beautiful centerpieces adorned the tables. There is a sweet bird theme running through the decor and a sweet lover's dream table! I so appreciate Kristen Renee Photography in Troy, NY taking and sharing the photos with us.  Enjoy all the pink loveliness!

 

 

 

 

Our Lalaloopsy Party: The Activities

The decor is the fun part for me, but now here is the fun part for the kids! In case you missed it, here is the decor from our Lalaloopsy party.  Today, I'm sharing the fun activities.  The party was 3 hours and we had plenty of time to get through everything with 13 girls. Let the fun begin!

MITTENS FLUFF N' STUFF STATION:
If you're not familiar with Lalaloopsy dolls, each doll comes with her own pet.  Each girl sewed her own polar bear Lalaloopsy pet (which is the pet that comes with the doll, Mittens.)  I pre-cut templates for the body, pre-sewed the black button eyes and cut out the noses and ears.  I also hole punched (with a Fiskars 1/8" circle hand punch) the body.  Using an embroidery needle, they made their own little pet. We stuffed them with batting. You'll see Siena sewing her's, and Renee below with her finished pet! :) It was a great take-home for the kids!

 

SPOT SPLATTER SPLASH BUTTON ART STATION:
Spot Splatter Splash is the artsy Lalaloopsy so we named the station after her. Here, each girl made her own button masterpiece on a small 6 x 6" canvas.  I found these great adhesive buttons from Oriental Trading which made sticking them on super easy. And they actually stayed on!

THE YARN MAZE:
This was the hit of the party! The kids kept wanting to go through it.  Once they worked their way through the maze and back, they got to "punch for a prize."  This punch board is something I featured on the blog and was always hoping I'd have the opportunity to do.  You can find the post here.

PATCH TREASURECHEST SCAVENGER HUNT:
Patch Treasurechest might be the only boy Lalaloopsy.  He's a pirate and had the right name for a scavenger hunt. I made clues that took the kids into the kitchen, out front, in the garage and in the backyard....

Here's a re-enactment of Renee finding and reading a clue! :0

The clues eventually directed the girls to our deck storage box filled with goody bags!

And here is what was inside.  Again--keeping with the theme!

We also played button Twister.  I shared the DIY for that here.

The girls created their own balloon volley with all the balloons floating around the house! Love spontaneity!

And free time on the trampoline! (I always like free time)

A fun time had by all, and my girls were so appreciative... which makes it all worth it! :)

Sources:
Orange scavenger hunt bags: The Dollar Tree (3 for $1)
Adhesive buttons: Oriental Trading
6x 6" canvases: Hobby Lobby and Michaels
Yarn and batting: Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts