Spring Bridal Shower with flower "undertones"

I didnt know what to do for the invitations, but I remember a conversation I had with the Bride about how she was including orchids in her arrangements...so, I google "drawing of an orchid" and found this beautiful drawing. Perfect!

Since it is flower planting season (something I know nothing about), I picked up these adorable pots at target to double as favors and decorations. The day before the shower, we planted little flower in them and topped the soil with green moss.

The bride loves cheese, so I had cheese and crackers on the table for guests to munch on. I also had a barefoot contessa cookbook for guests to write advice in (I used some recipes out of the cookbook for the shower)

I love pastry-wrapped brie, more than many things...it is so easy too! Buy puff pastry sheet, let it thaw, cut off the top rine of the brie, spread raspberry jam all over it (or sliced pears, brown sugar, nuts...pretty much anything yummy) place brie in the middle of the pastry sheet and fold corner over the brie. Brush with milk if you want a shiny glaze...bake at 400 for 25 minutes!

The other cheese is a goat cheese rolled in cinnamon and cranberries. I will never be the same after discovering this at costco...it is amazing!

So here is the spread...since it was 2-4 in the afternoon, we kept it light and simple.

My signature salad that I make for everything (see recipes at the side) and rolls that I am just learning to perfect...I have made them successfully twice now!

raspberry lemonade and water with lime

Annilee made these cupcakes...chocolate cupcakes with, get this:

white chocolate raspberry cream cheese frosting! AMAZING! Ill get the recipe and try it and share!

She also made the chocolate dipped strawberries. She said she just used the Godiva milk chocolate chips, they were divine!

So, my sister gave me this idea as a shower activity. We made drink glass charms! I found a selection of different pewter charms that reminded me of the bride and groom (golf clubs, church, dog bone, flip flops, etc) When people were through eating they came and picked out colors of beads to string on the wire and the charm they wanted to add. So the bride had a little set of 10 drink charms to take home with her!

There are tutorials online as to how to make them. I bought "memory wire" in the ring size and cut loops that were 1 and a half loop in length. Then made a little loop on one end and after the guests strung the beads, made a little hook on the other end.

The of course we had to play the traditional "how well do you know eachother game" I had asked the groom all the questions before hand and wrote them on tags with the answers on the back. I tied them to little bags of candy so the guests could take turns asking the questions.

I had an empty vase that I used for a "meter" with different levels marked by ribbons.

(level one "did you even ask his name before you said yes?" etc.) If she got the question right the guest poured the candy in the vase, if she got it wrong they kept their bag!

Then for the shower favor I sent each guest home with a potted flower. The tag read "bloom in the shelter of eachother"

Easter Adult Table

My friend Kathy always decorated the table with a big bowl of strawberries...I had to continue the tradition this year.

I fretted and fretted over "favors" or something cute for each place setting...and in the end decided to really keep it simple.

My new trick to make a quick bowl stand is to turn one bowl upside down and set the other bowl on top of it. I have been doing that more and more lately and it worked perfectly for the sour cream in the strawberry bowl.

and, this year I lined up my strawberries and bananas in the trifle! It is so much cooler looking this way! (and probably takes 2 minutes longer!)

Easter Kids table

When you make the kids table fun, they stay there longer so YOU can relax at the adult table.

Nest Cupcakes!

I have been dreaming of these for weeks! We finally made them for Jane's blessing...and I think Ill make a couple batches more this week.

These ones are
-lemon cake mix
-sprinkles recipe cream cheese frosting
-toasted coconut
-cadbury mini eggs

the cream cheese frosting is:
1/2 cup butter
8 oz cream cheese
3 3/4 cup powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla

I always double the recipe...but then I have leftovers for weeks!

Decorating Onesies Shower

My Mom and Sisters did a cute shower on for my sister Mir. I have heard of decorating onesies at showers...but I loved how they did them.

They cut out patterns using silouettes of animals, fish, airplanes...they found them in animal encyclopedias! Patterns may have consisted of multiple pieces and were together in plastic bags labeled by what they were.

They had a stack of adorable fabrics that Mir had chosen. They had all different sizes of onesies, some dyed different colors with RIT dye. The guests picked their patterns and away they worked cutting, ironing and placing.
Miranda will have to do the final stitching at home.

And for the food...

stacks of panini sandwiches: caprese, turkey, brie & pear, and ham, cheddar & apple

They had the panini grill hot so guests could grill their sandwich.

They also had a berry salad and green salad.

And cute sugarcookies for dessert & favors. The "m" is for Milo (the chosen name for the baby)

I cant wait to do a shower like it!!!

Easy Pinkalicious dessert party

This year Elle's Birthday had to be simple. With a pregnant mommy at Christmas, I had to make it cute but EASY!

We did a joint party with her little friend who turns 2 a week before Elle. The invitations were really simple. I used the scallop edger by "stamp it up" and the flower punch by them too. I usually dont buy from them, but I could not find these anywhere else!

We did an openhouse with 6-7 families. We served pink punch (raspberry sherbet and sprite) cake and peppermint icecream, pink frosted doughnuts and cupcakes. Sugar high!

These tissue balls are super easy to make (though I have never made one! I borrowed these from a friend who had just had a party!) You accordian fold tissue paper together, cut the edge in either a point or a scallop, wrap wire around the middle, and then pull it all apart!

I found this table cloth on sale at William Sonoma. . It was fun to be pink, but not ALL pink!

I used the "great cupcake" pan by WS.

Ordered strawberry frosted doughnuts from Shipleys, and then made a bunch more cupcakes for the little ones.

I did 2 cakes for the 2 little girls...then they could both blow out candles!

This was an easy way to do a little birthday banner. I just used my punch and stuck the letters on old fashioned candy sticks...and stuck those in pebbles in buckets.

Then I gave away the old fashioned candy sticks as favors. I ordered them from "Lehi Valley," but I found a ton of places online. I think they had the most reasonable shipping!

And there it was...a little pink openhouse!!!

Halloween Party 2008!

Here it goes, the complete Halloween Party run-down!

Invitations were SO simple. We used the saying:

"It's a Halloween Party

You're in for a Scare

Prize for best costume

Be there if you dare!"

You'd be Ghoulish not to attend!

(please find babysitting for a haunted night out!)

PREPARATION:

Melissa and Kristin (who cohosted the party) came over a couple days before to set up the table. We used black fabric, silver webs, pewter dishes and black candlesticks, plates & napkins.

We set up the dessert table and drink bar the day of...(I couldnt close those rooms off to the kids!)

DAY OF...

I only used tea lights in paper bags to decorate the front, a couple pumkins and a wreath.

This poster was right in the entry...I wanted to let people know they were in for some fun games! (and to stick around for the costume contest!

We made sure to have great prizes for the costume winners. Everyone voted, and we had some clear winners! We decoupaged the black and white paper to the lids of the jars to match the theme.

Of course we needed candy on the table! I also put out halloween books to look at. We had halloween movies playing on the tv on mute and then had Halloween music in the background.

The finished table with food. Miranda came up with all the food labels! I emailed her a list of food and within minutes she emailed me back a list of names!

Tortilla chips: torn skin crisps
Chili dip: brains and beans
Tomato, bean, corn, cilantro salsa: pick in your eye-o
7 layer dip: 7 feet under
Normal red salsa: vampire blood
Sourcream dip: rabid dog froth
Green salsa: pile of bile
guacamole: cold mold
Baguette slices: fresh flesh
Spinach dip: creamed ghost gizzard
Hot artichoke dip: choking heart parts
Hot water: burning acid
Hot cocoa mix: ground sweet bones
Marshmallows: ghost cutlets
Bubbly root beer: hell broth
Ice water with scary ice: goblins bath
Pumpkin pie: jacko’s flesh pie
Whip cream: ghost guts

Apple slices: bat nibblets

Caramel dip: sweet joint juice
cream puffs: mummy eyeballs
Brownies: death by chocolate

I cant believe I dont have a picture of the drink station in action.

We had hot water and hot chocolate, and the coolest looking rootbeer that we kept adding dry ice to. Then water with ice that had spiders in it.

Bobbing for Apples. I got these great tins at Lowes for 15.00 each. I figure I can use them every year...and they would be great for a big bbq with sodas!

We strung a rope from 2 trees and then hung 10 stings from it to hang the doughnuts! We had at least 20 participants!

Prizes for all winners/participants that wanted them!

Things I would have done differently:

of course we had too much food...but that means lots of left overs!

No pumpkin pie next time!