Everyday Celebrating

Head to Target - now!

The big 15 packs of Peeps are 75% off at Target! $0.37 a pack!
Even the red ones!  Know what that means?  Stock up and plan on making a Peeps Christmas wreath!
Who cares if they are stale by then?  You actually NEED them to be harder for the wreath anyway, right?

And all Easter is 75% off as well.
Stock up on egg dying kits for next year.  Or use egg dying kits ALL year.  You can dye eggs anytime, add your child's name to the eggs to celebrate an "egg-ceptional" accomplishment!  Good grades, home run, etc.

Along with Easter, some stores have some of the Dollar Spot at 75% off too.
All the items with Blue dots are 75% off!
Here's what I got for $6.
60 sheets of tissue paper (martha stewart poms anyone?)
Several cards, some cute luggage tags which would also work for scrapbooking.
Not pictured, I got a plastic rolling pin for my son to use with play doh. 

Go!  Stock up!

Graduation Gift: The t-shirt quilt

Graduations are coming up quickly!
Both high school and college students seem to amass several t-shirts over their careers and several are dear to their hearts.

Take those symbols of good times and make them into a t-shirt quilt or blanket!
There are several sellers on etsy like Katherine who made the one above. (I'm partial to it as it features my sorority, Sigma Kappa! Any SigKaps out there?)

These make a great gift that they'll keep and maybe pass down.  Imagine a parent passing down their greek shirt quilt to a child when they join.  And they don't have to be made from sorority/fraternity shirts.  They can be general college shirts or one from all the organizations they were in like band or drama, etc.

Some etsy sellers make less expensive versions that are blankets, seen below. Both are cute and equally sentimental. And they're great for both males and females.

These would even make a great whimsical tablecloth for a graduation party that they could keep afterwards!  Or can be hung on a wall for decoration.

And they aren't just for graduates.  What about making one of your favorite sports team and maybe displaying it at your tailgate site? 

Need shirts?  Goodwill or Ebay are great for local or pro sports teams.

Wish I would've kept all my shirts!!  I would love to have one of these now!

The Divorce Party with ceremonial ring coffin!

We're surrounded by tons of blogs featuring wedded bliss and the promise of happily ever after.

But what if your happily ever after means being single ... again.

Nobody likes to talk divorce, but let's face it.  By the time people get the final papers, quite a few are thrilled with the freedom that follows. 

And here at Everyday Celebrating, we believe that every day deserves a celebration... even divorce day!

What better way to celebrate your new happiness by having a divorce party?

You might have a ceremonial cake....

which you serve on these fabulous plates

with a few of these napkins thrown in.. they make me smile

and at the end of the night, you could send your friends home with goodies inside a frog prince gift bag.

But let me show you the latest trend in divorce parties.  The wedding ring coffin!

Genius, right?  And totally perfect for a celebration of divorce proportions!
The coffin is mahogany and has a beautiful brass plate that you can have customized or they have several phrases to choose from and these are my two favorite:

"Six feet isn't deep enough!"

and

"I Do.... NOT!"

$39.95 for an engraved coffin.
How fun would it be to give as a divorce present to one of your friends who are thrilled to start a new life?

The same company offers these invitations.

Remember, every day deserves a celebration!  Even D day!

Bag the Bag! Squeezable decorating kit!

While I'm WAY behind the 8 ball in finding out how fun cake/cookie decorating can be, I think I'm right there with all the peeps that find the traditional icing bag annoying.  Are you with me?

LOVE the concept of these squeezable icing bottles!
These small bottles give you more control than a bag and it seems it would be easier to work on smaller, fine designs.

Kit includes two tall decorating bottles, three short decorating bottles, five steel decorating tips (round, ribbon, leaf, star and basketweave) and a frosting spatula.

And get this... it's only $20! 
Thank you, Sur La Table!

Perfect gift.  Mother's Day is coming up! 
And what about getting a couple sets and having all these bottles and tips on hand for a cookie or cake decorating party!

I'm adding this to my Wishpot list right.this.very.second.

Org tip: The mini photo album

You may not gather it from my posts, but those that know me personally know that I'm big on cards and written correspondence in general.  Remember that scene in the movie Cocktail where the guy says he can bet that Tom Cruise has at least one get-rich-quick book under the bar?  Well, that's me with cards and stationary.  LOL  You can bet that if I have a bag nearby or a drawer, I have SOMETHING with me. Whether it be stationary, cards, return labels, stickers, etc.  And usually all of the above.

Recently, someone complimented me on how I always remember and acknowledge important days in other's lives.  And they phrased it within the context of "how do you be a mom, work full time, run two blogs.. and still manage to do it all on time?"  Well, I don't.  At least not all of the time.

But..you ready?  I'm sharing one of my "behind the curtain" secrets.

Enter the mini photo album.

This is mine.  (I apologize in advance for the notsogreat photo of it.) 
This is your typical photo album that you can buy anywhere.  Fits your standard 4X6 photo.
(That's my hubby and son, btw. :) ) 

This album lives in my purse.  And here's a bit of what I keep in it:

Stickers, which I use mainly as envelope seals.  The ones on the right are ones that are especially for my online community friends who mostly know me by my screen name.

Address labels.  Lots of address labels.  I heart address labels.  I love them so much that my son, Keaton (2 years old) has his OWN labels for his correspondence.  See?

Also (at the upper right) - stamps!

I keep other things in there too like sometimes coupons or appt cards from doctor's offices, etc.

As far as addresses, I'm old fashioned in that I don't keep a PDA or cell phone book. I have a super mini address book I keep that matches the album here.  (Anal, much?)  LOL   For some reason, I love writing in new addresses and seeing the old ones marked out when someone moves.

I also wanted to point out this great blog I recently found that features not only how to write thank notes, but also photos of the actual notes.  Great wording inspiration!  And I love her handwriting!

Soon I'll put up another post about the online site I use for organizing the thoughts in my head and all the to do lists that fill my life!

DIY/Tutorial/Free Download - Popcorn cones

Remember these?  I posted them last week with my Pea Pod triplet shower?

 

I've had a few people write in about the cones.  Where to get them... how to roll them.

These cones are available in my etsy shop here!  So easy to make!

Easy Easter Cupcakes

Took some inspiration from Munchkins and Mayhem's blog and waded into some easter grass cupcakes.

These are carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese icing.  Topped with green EDIBLE grass that surprisingly, I found at Walmart (less than $2 per package).  Topped it off with mini Robin's Egg Whoppers.

Next up, the more artistic, abstract nest.  LOL

This nest used the same edible grass.  Then I cut the top off a PEEP to make a smaller bird and two mini whoppers. "Glued" it all down with a dab of icing.

Easy!  And it looks like it came from a fancy schmancy bakery!
sidenote: These would be cute for a baby shower too!

Using fruit in your floral arrangements

One easy way to add texture, dimension and additional colors and scent to an arrangement is to add fresh fruit!

This is a pretty timely arrangement as it's one I made a couple years ago for one of my administrative assistants for the ever popular Administrative Professional's Day (which this year is on April 22.)  Make sure it's on your calendar!  Go ahead - doublecheck now... I'll wait. :)  It's important.

This arrangement featured a colorful fresh bouquet arranged in a tall galvinized planter which has endless possibilities for re-use. 

I spray painted craft dowel rods green to match the stems, snapped them into various lengths and stuck the lemons on the jagged dowel ends.  Instant unique filler!

Another fruit that would have added a different shape and interest - the star fruit!

Tie a pretty bow around the front and it rivals any floral shop delivery!
And flowers are always a great gift for many occasions!

Host a Twilight theme party/movie night!

There are STILL people that haven't seen (or read) Twilight!
I know, shocking, right?

With the DVD out in stores, it's the perfect time to plan a viewing party!
Hostess with the Mostess sets the stage for a vampirific evening of fun. 

All the details are on her site and she's done most of the work!  She provides downloadable quotes and drink labels as seen in this photo. 

Sidenote:  I REALLY wish the DVD would have been out for Valentine's Day.  Wouldn't this decor be perfect for a fun girl's night surrounding that holiday?   Filmakers, listen up!  New Moon... Valentine's Day 2010!

Everyday Events: Pajama Birthday BREAKFAST!

My friend, Sarah, threw this adorable birthday party for her daughter Leah with an interesting twist on the time... BREAKFAST!

In Sarah's words on why she chose breakfast:
"I came up with the idea because it's my favorite meal to cook and eat. Also, we held the party from 9am to 11am on a Saturday which is a great time for the toddler set."

And look at the fun invitations!  You have to click on the picture to see them up close!  Cute!



Sarah describes making them:
"The invites for the party were eggs that I cut out of white & yellow card stock and strips of bacon also out of cardstock. I stuck them together with some foam tape & a glue gun so they had some dimension to them. The bacon strips, menu card & smilie face (two eggs & bacon) favor tags were designed by my sister."

For food?
"For food, we did mini fruit kabobs, sticky buns, blueberry muffins, cherry sausages & maple bacon from Swiss Meats, an omelet roll in plain and spinach, buttermilk pancakes and crepes with various toppings. The rolled up crepes were the biggest hit with the kids since they could eat them with their hands. We also provided a bloody mary and mimosa bar for the parents because really, every one needs a cocktail at a birthday party with 7 three year olds!  Almost everything I made or mixed the night before. I was lucky enough to have my dad on hand as the "pancake guy" and he flipped fresh pancakes."

Sarah also did mini donuts on a stick. These were donut holes pressed onto lollipop sticks and stuck into floral foam to stand.  I love how she pulled in some color with the ribbon on each stick.





Birthday cake?  Nope.  A hot stack of pancakes!


Other details:
"I purchased inexpensive red & white check plastic table clothes that were bigger than normal size and worked to cover my entire kitchen island, the dining table and the two mini tables for the kids. I got real plastic divided plates for the kids and heavy plastic for the adults because who wants to cut a pancake on a paper plate! I did make some balloon flowers in red & yellow to decorate."

Sarah also made these adorable and theme fitting eggshell tea lights.  Very easy to make!
Just break the shells gently.. just enough for the tea light to fit.  Then make stands out of strips of cardstock taped together on the underside so the tape is hidden.


Favors:
"I wanted to stick with the breakfast theme for the favors so we did plastic cereal bowls filled with a slime egg toy (got these at the dollor store) mini boxes of cereal and easter eggs filled with egg shaped candy!"



Thanks again, Sarah, for sharing this great 3rd birthday party for sweet Leah!

If you have a party, you'd like to share, I'd love to see it!  Email me!