Jane's Shoe Party

Little Jane is obsessed with shoes.  She wears mine around, loves any dress up shoes, and changes hers a couple times a day.  So, for her 3rd birthday, I decided a Shoe Party would be fitting.

I based the party on the book Birdie's Big Girl Shoes.  The artist is absolutely amazing, and Birdie happens to look like Jane!

Invitation:



Decoration:
Chinese lanterns are the best investment...I use them a lot!

When I told the cute girl at Nordstrom shoes what I was doing, she just gave me gift boxes.  She was so darling about the party, and it probably helped that I was in buying each of my kids winter boots, and cozy slippers!

The CAKE:

I stayed awake at night figuring out the cake in my head...and this is what I came up with:

I started with a shoe sole shaped piece of cardboard. 

I painted the bottom hot pink (I was going to do Red, but pink went with the party)

 I bent it in the 2 places necessary

I glued a dowell for the strength of the heel

I used multiple cake pans including:

a square (the corner for the point of the shoe, i cut out a wedge so it would be more of an acute angle)

a small round for the heel part

a loaf pan partially filled for the arc

Once I had it all set up, I frosted then put fondant over the whole thing.  Then I wrapped the heel with fondant.  Then the most fun part...I SPRAY PAINTED it with metallic cake spray paint from Michaels.  I am in love with that stuff!  IT kind of makes me want to not mix fondant colors anymore!

added a little bauble to the to and VOILA!  the shoe cake!

I blew up my favorite illustration in the book for a back drop for pictures.  

The girls started by making their own shoe designs.

Then they got to decorate their own set of dress up shoes.  (I found packs of 6 at Toys R Us, and ripped all of their cheesy decorations off them)  The girls loved jewels, fluff, sparkles, I also had flowers and feathers but they weren't the real hit

while their shoes were drying they played pin the bow on the shoe.

And for lunch, little strawberry Jellow parfaits, strawberries and Jane's favorite...quesadillas!

And then we had to cut the cake.  It was yummy too!  

Each little girl took their little shoes home in a beautiful little box with tag and bow

This was such a fun party!!! I wish I could do it again!

If you give a Mouse a Cookie Party

When Luke was a tiny baby, he used to make the funniest little squeeks like a Mouse, so I thought it would be fun to have an "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" party.

Invitation:
Im going super simple now days!

Cake:

I knew we were having cookies...so I pretty much forgot about the cake!  That afternoon I threw something together!

I was SO lucky when my mom offered to pain the backdrop!  I think it really made the party, and now its hanging in his room!

Favors:

I gave the kids little felt cookies, and cute sugar cookies that looked like glasses of milk!

For dinner we had a big panini bar!  That was perfect for the kids and the adults!  We also served really yummy salad, and chips.

sweater wrapped wreaths

Inspired by the anthropologie letters, I wrapped a wreath form in a goodwill sweater!

Then, I tried it with a gap scarf!

Elf Workshop Party

We just had a great party for Elle's fifth birthday.
This year, I decided to use a Christmas theme, because her birthday is so close to the Holiday.

Invitation:
(they are supposed to be Elf hats...I know they kind of look like Christmas trees)

Banner: 

I made a felt banner, welcoming the kids to the "Elf Workshop"

Activities:

When the kids got here, we divided them into groups by color of elf hat.  We also gave them a name tag, so as not to confuse the 22 little elfs!

There were 4 little workshops:

Elf ornament workshop

Wrapping Present Workshop

(I gave them the bottom of a box at the beginning to collect all their crafts, and then when they got to this station, they wrapped the lid of the box, and put a tag on it.

Jingle Toy Station

(I played and played with ideas of how to make a simple jingle stick, and the best idea for their age, was just having them wrap twine (pre strung with bells) around a stick.  It worked great and they turned out darling!

Cookies for Santa Workshop:

they decorated cookies, and then I had prelabeled the bags to say "Santa's Cookies"

Snacks and Cake:

(the Elf EATERY)

Cake:

We went with a simple Elf Hat, to go with the theme...It started out looking funny, but by the end, Rob and I were proud of our little cake!

crowd favorite...oh, and SO easy to make and look cute...3 good reasons to make chocolate and sprinkle dipped marshmallows on a stick.

Pirate booty...instead of cupcakes, as if they need more sugar!

Elle, in her elf outfit...proud to be the birthday girl!

I had a lot of great helpers...My Mom, sisters and friend Muranda all helped MAN the party!

Oh wait...then SANTA came!  He was darling and they had a lot of fun sitting on his lap.

Elle was hesitant at first, because he reminded her of her poppa...hmmm

Santa gave them each a penguin shaped ring pop.

Then, after the festivities were over, they took their wrapped present with all their goodies home with them.

the tags say:
Thank you for helping at the elf workshop today.
My birthday party was wonderful because of friends like you.
Love, Elle, the Birthday Elf

Kate Middleton Costume

This Costume was harder than it looks!

I researched hats for weeks...and finally settled on my great grandmothers hat and added peacock feathers
The dress was from SAVERS, but my mom took it in and added little black buttons.
The ring, that you cant see was ordered on etsy.

But the hair extensions...those were the hard parts.

I was trying to go cheap...so I bought these ghetto REAL hair 16 inch dark brown/platinum blonde CRIMPY extensions.
First, I dyed them brown.
Then I spent 2 hours straightening them
Then curled them
Next I had to cut them and hand sew clips to them!
Not to mention trying to put them on!

Anyway, my hair looked longer, but I did have one person ask me if Kate was known for frizzy hair!

I have to wait for pictures from the photog...so you can see William!

Ina's Apple Tart

This was surprisingly easy...and delicious!
As long as you are up to peeling and slicing your apples (or using the apple corer-peeler) then get going, it really is great!
You can find the recipe here.

Autumn Leaf Baked Brie

I tried to dress up my bries a little for a wedding reception.

I literally just cut off the top rind, making a little bit of a well.

Then a couple of them I layered pecans, pears and brown sugar before folding the pastry over. I also use various types of jam (my favorite is cranberry blood-orange cherry, but sometimes I just use raspberry.

(these are before they were cooked...I didnt get to see the final product!)