Everyday Celebrating

Frisbee invitations

School's out... summer is here... invite your guests over for summer fun by attaching your invitation to a frisbee!

And yes, they are mailable.  These mini frisbees from Oriental Trading costs 64 cents to mail.

photo credit:  Graceful Creative  

Serving cold treats on hot summer days

Another cute idea from Better Homes and Gardens that's perfect for this weekend!  Use an ice bucket to display popsicles!  Fill it up with ice, turn the popsicles upside down and done!  They even sprinkled blueberries in the ice for more color.

I'm not sure how quickly the pops would melt (especially outdoors), but this sure is a cute serving presentation.  Especially if they would be eaten right away.

Blues Clues!

Boy, can I tell you how obsessed my son was with Blues Clues for a LONG time.  If he still was fascinated by Steve and Blue, we would DEFINITELY look to this party for inspiration!  Julie submitted her son's 3rd birthday party and it's so cute!

I'm going to let the photos speak for themselves, but for a complete listing of all the details that Mommy Julie created herself, visit her blog.  She really outdid herself! (click on the photos to see them in full size)  

I love to feature reader's parties!  Send'em in! 

 

  
 

Get'em while you can!

Some Dollar Tree stores are featuring small aluminum bottles for $1.  Trendy and colorful, these make great giveaways or favors.  Having an outdoor gathering?  These are a perfect gift for guests. Having a Memorial Day BBQ?  Serve your beverages in these! 

Have a Cricut machine?  These are prime items to personalize! Think ahead for gifts you may need in the future.

Special pick me up

One of my good friends recently got a divorce.  And while the divorce was amicable and the process moved fairly quickly, and while my friend was relieved to close that chapter, she was still, understandably, going through the stages of grief.

She moved into her own place and tried to keep her mind off things by decorating and filling up her social life, etc.  

One day, several of her friends (me included) received an email from her requesting we send inspirational cards and messages for a bulletin board that would go in her bedroom.  This would serve as a visual pick me up that she could read in the times when the divorce seemed to be crushing down on her.

So we did.  Below is what I sent.  Just putting it here as an idea for someone that may be looking for an easy and fun idea to cheer up someone you care for.

I pulled out a spool of white satin ribbon, a set of Martha Stewart stamp pads and a set of mini alphabet stamps.

With each letter in a different color, I stamped this quote, letter by letter, onto the ribbon:

"Love is the time and space where I give myself the right to be extraordinary." 

After the ink dried, I rolled it back up onto the spool so that she could read the message as it unrolled.

I glued on a little note so she'd know this was my contribution for her board.
 

 
Wrapped it up in a box... and shipped it off using the printable  "please take me to" envelope wrap.


  
To my dear friend, you are extraordinary.  Every day.  In every way.   Your bravery in being true to yourself and creating the life you want is an inspiration to us all.

Dump truck cake!

Photo credit:  kids stuff world

I love this idea!  I love it when people get creative with serving pieces.  This features mini dump trucks from Target ($1.99 each).  Purchase one per child.  Bake a couple of sheet cakes and cut into cubes, then top with whipped cream or ice cream and sprinkles.  

Another fun addition would be using small plastic shovels as spoons!   

In the end, the trucks double as favors.  Rinse them off and let them take them home!

No wrapping paper - no problem!

Bargain Hoot shows you how to create a beautiful gift box from spray paint and leaves from your yard.

Very creative!  And a beautiful result! 

 

DIY: Creative candy logos

This is a tale of how creative, fun celebrating can come out of the blue - every day!

A few weeks ago, I was meeting with Nicole, the owner of this amazing cupcake boutique in downtown Franklin, Tennessee - Naticakes.  We were bursting with ideas of parties and cupcakes and themes and charities when in walked a lady named Claudia.

Claudia was looking for a creative way to make a University of Tennessee logo on top of a cheesecake.  This cheesecake was to be a gift for a teacher friend and while she wanted it to be special, she had no idea how to re-create the logo.

Here's the logo - a simple letter T.

The conversation turned to candy and I told her that she could easily create a UT logo out of orange slice candy.  And I'd even draw it out for her to show her how.  Remember that candy?

Orange slice candy was perfect because it has one side that is almost straight and one side with a curve. These two elements are the same ones that primarily make up the UT logo.  AND, it was orange - UT's primary school color. I went back to my computer and drew out how to lay out the candies to create the logo and sent it off to Claudia.

A few days later, I received an email from Claudia along with this picture of her finished cheesecake!

See how she used the sides of the candies?



Claudia was thrilled to have a creative finished cheesecake to give to her friend and I was happy to have been there to meet her and come up with something fun!

Sidenote:  If you're ever in downtown Franklin, Tennessee - right outside of Nashville - pop into Naticakes and tell them Everyday Celebrating sent you.  The cupcakes are amazing!  See?

It's that time of year...

Looking for a unique vase for your graduation centerpiece?  A Class of 2010 birch bark vase!  

Matchbook mints now on etsy

I've had several people ask where they can get the design of the matchbook mints that I used in the damask and green apple shower.  

The printable file is now available in my etsy shop.  Just print, staple and fold!