Everyday Celebrating

DIY: Cookie Cone

How fun is this cookie cone?????

A cone filled with handmade, beautifully decorated sugar cookies!

Fabulous!

Yes, it's a bit time consuming, but has a real "wow" factor!
Check out the full tutorial on Prudent Baby. 

 

Creating occasions at Goodwill!

If you read this blog much, you know that I shop Goodwill quite a bit.  For me, and I know how corny this sounds, it's a place to clear my head and flip the creative switch.  I've told this to people before and many just don't understand.  Or, I've had several people write in saying they just never "see" things at Goodwill or can't find anything good.  With these comments as well as a few people asking what my thought process is while shopping Goodwill, I thought I'd start a series where I show things I find and the logic of how I'd use it.  There are many times that a theme is seen and decor pieces are put together AT Goodwill.

Let's get started.  These photos I'm showing today came from one store.  During one trip.  

First, I always find many many items that jump out as inspiration pieces.  Here are a few:

Polka dot box.  The famous disco dot pattern.  Michael Miller revived the disco dot pattern and I'm so glad he did.  It's everywhere!  When I saw this, I thought it was perfect to design several occasions around.  Baby shower, young girl's birthday, bachelorette party, summer girl's get together, to name a few.  Uses for the box?   It would be beautiful to sit a large carnation ball in as a centerpiece or line with tissue paper and use to hold favors, etc.  Of course, just the box along is adorable and would make a great gift box.  Throw in some Bath and Body Works products and a note for a friend who needs a pick me up?

Children's art.  This was a poster size piece of children's art on canvas.  Absolutely adorable!  You know how I talk about backdrops a lot.  This would be a great backdrop or focal point of a table for a baby shower.  Especially if the theme of the shower or the baby's nursery is something included in this art.  This is an amazing piece for party decor because it has so many common themes included:  airplane, animals, firetrucks, robot, rocket, etc.  A great piece to tie into!

  

Tea cup.  Looking at it now, I should have put it against something to really get the scale of this thing.  It was HUGE.  First thing I thought when I saw it was spray paint it!  Secondly, I thought 2 things:  either using it for an Alice in Wonderland party or a fun tea party either for little girls or older.  Uses for it may be holding a floral centerpiece or using as a punchbowl (seriously, it was THAT large). Of course, you'd have to line it with another bowl if you spray painted it to make it safe for food/beverage.  Or, place a large round piece of wood on top and use it as a themed cupcake stand or serving piece.  Lots of uses for this but it definitely needed to be painted first.

 
Then there are items that I see that already have a theme.  Like these three things:

Firetruck boots.  No transformation needed!  Add them to a firetruck theme child's birthday.  And do what with them?  Create a floral arrangement or fill them with floral foam and stick in long all day suckers. Another idea is to stick something in the bottom of both of them to elevate a cup and fill the cup with fun striped straws like these from Garnish.

Chairs.  Snow White and Cinderella.  Very common children's themes.  When I look at these, I see cupcake stands or a great place to hold a platter.  In using them to serve food, you won't be covering up the characters and can use them to really add a larger decor piece to your party inexpensively.  Plus, you can give them to the guest of honor afterwards!  These needed just a bit of touch up paint on the edges and they would be perfect!

 

Dragons.  I instantly think something like Harry Potter.  This could easily be in the center of your table on a stand or an easel.

Now there are many times that the Goodwill stars align and you find several items that fit one theme.  
Like during this trip, I saw this.  A massive margarita glass.  I'm thinking margarita party featuring various flavors, or a gathering of friends before a Jimmy Buffett concert to create a margaritaville concept.  Luau, pool party... tons of themes.  

How would you use it?  Floral arrangement?  Or place 3 regular size margarita glasses inside this one to create a graduated stand to display margarita cupcakes?   Or, if you're serving margaritas on the rocks, it's a great serving piece.

So, in the next aisle over, there was this sign.  Perfect to use in the margarita theme.  You can't tell it from the photo, but the actual margarita is 3D in that it is raised and has depth. Really cute! Place it on an easel  to add additional theme and color.

Need dishes to continue the colorful occasion?  Again, one aisle over....
The great thing about Goodwill is that, more times than not, you can find whole sets of dishes.

Then you're well on your way to a party!

So there you have it!  A small glimpse of how my mind works while shopping Goodwill.  For those of you that wrote in, I hope it's useful. :)  Email or leave a comment below!   I'm happy to make this a regular feature! 
 
  

Watermelon CAKE

Summer is coming to a close... well... at least people are saying that.  Those of us in the south are still living in the oven.  LOL

Celebrate the end of summer with one more nod to watermelon by serving this cute cake!

Full tutorial over at The Family Scientista.

DIY: Mini ice cream sandwich sticks

Amy at Living Locurto made these easy and cute ice cream sandwiches on a stick.  

Couldn't get much easier that this.

Take full size ice cream sandwiches straight out of the box.

Cut them in half, add a stick and dip them into sprinkles!

Use red, white and blue for July 4th or Labor Day.. or use whatever color combination matches your event! These would be especially cute at a tailgate.  Cover them in sprinkles of your school's colors, keep them in a cooler until time to serve!

 

Whiffle ball bouquet

What do you do with this?

add some spray paint.... and get.....

  

Whiffle ball bouquet!  I love it because it's a bit thicker and more ruffle edged than a pom.  Whiffle balls and coffee filters found at the dollar store! 
  
Find the full tutorial on the whiffle ball bouquet at Me Making Do

Hot dog cookies!

Super cute hot dog COOKIES! 

Perfect for your next BBQ, a great back to school treat or fun at the tailgate!  Children would really get a kick out of these!

Visit The Garden of Yum for the full photo tutorial how to. 

Shell garland

Are you coming over from Hob Nob Murfreesboro?  Welcome to Everyday Celebrating!  This blog will show you amazing parties and wonderful ideas to celebrate every day!  I plan parties in the Murfreesboro/Nashville area and I invite you to contact me for your own parties and special events.  I'd love to be involved!

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I ran across this seashell garland at In My Own Style and thought it would be great for a luau or beach party.  Head over to see a great tutorial on how to make this easy garland from raffia and these:

These garlands would be great draping on the front of your food table or behind your table with fish netting.   Or they would be nice wrapped around the base of a cake.  So many options!

 

Still time to: Welcome your guests with streamers

Even though July 4th is Sunday, there is plenty of time to create an easy way to welcome your guests.

These streamers create gentle movement in the breeze and are made from items found at the Dollar Tree.

The poles are actually bamboo stakes normally used in gardening.  These are  green 5 ft stakes and are $1 for a package of 6 or so.   Spray paint those the color of your choice.  I used white.

Right now, most Dollar Tree stores have rolls of satin ribbon in stock.  I chose red, white and blue.  $1 per roll.  Cut long pieces of each color and hot glue one end to the top of the stake.

These can be placed anywhere... line your driveway, place them at the corners of your patio, stand them up in sand filled pots on your porch, etc.  Use any colors you want for any occasion.  These would be great for a bridal shower, graduation in school colors or child's birthday in primary colors!

Still time to: create cute bbq invitations

Having a few people over for a BBQ? 

Create these easy invitations from All You magazine.   Here's how:

Use checked scrapbook paper to cover heavy cardstock.

Cut back pockets from old pairs of jeans or shorts. (Tip:  No old jeans?  Pick some up from Goodwill or yard sales!  Depending on the size of your invitation, you may be able to use children's jeans (which are less expensive.)

Glue the pocket onto the cardstock.

Slide in your invitation!

Sidenote:  a cute addition would be to print your invitation on bandanas! Fold the bandanas and stick them in the pocket.

Easy July 4th strawberries

Alison of Oopsey Daisey shares this easy way to liven up your July 4th menu.

Very easy!  Dip strawberries in white chocolate... then sprinkle on the blue!