Everyday Celebrating

Everyday Events: Grown Up Grilled Cheese party

Grilled cheese is a crowd favorite.  Most everyone likes one.  I love the idea of throwing a grilled cheese party.  It's fall, the weather is cooler and what a great idea to invite friends over for grilled cheese and soup.

Jessica of The Garden Patch shows how she upped the ante' and created an adult style grilled cheese buffet.

She included items such as thinly sliced pears, apples, sage, cilantro.. multiple types of cheeses...

along with a variety of meats to add... tomato and onion...

After everyone piled their sandwiches high, she grilled them all the perfection.

A great addition to a game watching party or tailgate!

Repost: Not just for Halloween and Thanksgiving....

This is a repost of a 11/2008 blog entry.  I've had a few people mention these pumpkins lately and thought a repost may be perfect for last minute Halloween and tailgating decorations!

While it's still t the season of  pumpkins, they are great decoration and yet, you don't have to use them in their traditional colors.

It's still football season, so why not decorate your tailgate in seasonal pumpkins that support your favorite team!  The pumpkins above provided a warm welcome to guests of a homecoming parade watching party.  Tons of compliments on them and it was one can of chrome spray paint and various rolls of grosgrain ribbon.   Easy wow factor.... minimal cost. 

DIY: Halloween filler decor

Do you have a Halloween display but need something with height or need something to fill in the end spaces?  Make this easy urn with only 4 items.

The urn:  Originally beige.  Bought at Goodwill.  As you know, I buy these whenever I see them at Goodwill. Just add spray paint!  They are perfect for floral arrangements.

The sticks:  I bought these at Goodwill as well.  They were in a large bundle.  They've been in my garage for a LONG time and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with them (until now.)  They were originally brown.  You don't even have to buy any - just use sticks you find in your area.

The Spanish Moss:  Dollar Tree!  Only used 1 package for 2 urns.

The Helper:  My son, Keaton.  

You can see where the sticks were brown.  Just drop some floral foam into the urns.  My son had a ball poking in each stick. Then I spray painted the whole thing black.  When dry, fill in the urn with spanish moss and you're done!

These would make perfect Thanksgiving pieces too.  Just paint GOLD or maybe cover the sticks or urn in gold leaf!  

Easy Pennant Centerpiece

So easy, this pennant centerpiece from Embellished Life is perfect!  

Attach triangles of scrapbook paper to sticks using twine.  Want something more fancy?  How about mixing a pretty brown/turquoise damask with the sticks?  Tie on the paper with a nice brown or tan satin?  

Or, make it a children's centerpiece.  Use character or themed scrapbook paper and attach it with curling ribbon? Even spray paint the stick for more color.  This would even make a great non-spooky Halloween centerpiece.  Use candy corn as the vase filler.

Love the use of popcorn kernels as vase filler.  Inexpensive and it adds another color and textural depth.  Perfect for a fall centerpiece.

Fun Halloween blood decor

Looking for some fun, gruesome decor for your Halloween setup this year?  Jennifer at Muse Lodge created this cool bloody mess out of wax paper and paint. 

And of course, you have to have a handprint, right?  Hope over to her blog and see the step by step!  This would make a fun activity for older children.

Everyday Events: Mastering the Art of French Cooking Dinner Party

The time of year is perfect for an outdoor dinner party!  Julie of A Reason to Get Together took advantage of the perfect weather and her love of Julia Child to put together a French dinner party in her back yard.

Julie had each of her guests bring a dish out of a particular cookbook as well as the wine that complimented the dish.   For invitations, she used Evite which kept track of what everyone was bringing and avoided duplications.  

This party was extremely budget friendly and Julie shopped her decor from previous parties as well as her local thrift stores and yard sales.  For example, the ties on the backs of the chairs were strips of sheets she found at yard sales.

She created 60 YARDS of bunting herself that draped from the fence and trees.  The same patterns of fabric were used as napkin rings.

I love the fabric flowers! 

Drop in to Julie's blog to see more photos of this fresh vintage design!  

Balloon Topiary

One of the best craft items you can have on hand are topiary forms. I have several and I can't tell you how many times I've used them.  One of those occasions was the Fruit shower I posted a couple of years ago.  (Yep, that was back when I created the fancy post graphics.)  Anyway...

I ran across this balloon topiary on Ready, Set, Create and thought it was cute and colorful and yet another use for topiary forms.

 

Of course, it's easy to make an inexpensive topiary form.  You just need a dowel rod or stick, a block of floral foam and a floral/styrofoam sphere.

To create this, just use a bag of your favorite color balloons.  Or multi like the one above. Or color combinations for occasions like Halloween, Christmas, etc.  Hot glue them on and done!

You know what also would be cute?  Paint and stripe the stick!

Adult Halloween treats

Having an "adult" Halloween gathering?  Where you'd like a Halloween themed food, but not something too kiddie? 

Taste of Home magazine shows us these cute chocolate covered strawberries.  Just add a simple face and they fit in with your next Halloween gathering. A small touch of Halloween for an adult gathering.

Adding a balloon drop

Let's face it, children LOVE balloons! And a balloon drop is easy to do and creates a large impact with children.

The drop above was part of a first birthday party over at Dukes and Duchesses.  The how to is easy!

Simply tape up yards of tulle to a wall.  This can be from a ledge or a door jam or from a ceiling fan or light fixture. (Use putty or command hooks or some types of painters tape to ensure no damage is done to the walls.  Use ornament hooks to hang the tulle from light fixtures.)

Fill it with balloons you've blown up yourself.  Remember that no helium is used in a balloon drop. Balloons can be blown up a couple days ahead of time.

Release one or both sides and let the balloons rain down on the little ones!  Smiles all around!

 
Visit Dukes and Duchesses to see the rest of this cute party include these pinwheel centerpieces!

 

 

Custom college cupcake wrappers

Perfect for your football tailgate!

Cupcake wrappers featuring college logos!  Don't forget to color the frosting to match! :)