EGG-cellent fun!

We finally got around to dying our eggs today... The kids had a blast mixing the colors and dropping them in the cups.

We used the good old fashioned paas set... Why mess with a tried and true classic?

The finished eggs drying in a muffin tin.

 

When we were all done, I had a TON of dye left over... I was going to throw it away, but thought there must be something we can do with it.  So I went to an old favorite.  Glue, salt and colored water pictures.    The kids thought they were so cool.  

First you put down glue in a random pattern.  Add salt and then take a dropper (we used straws) and drop colored water on top.  The egg dye worked well because the colors were so vibrant. 

The finished glue and salt projects drying.  I love how they turned out...

A close up- I can't wait for them to dry completely.  I think we might turn them into Easter cards for the family.

A Quick Treat

I have been going to a lot of things lately that I need to being a dessert and just haven't had the time to bake something... So I came up with this super easy and quick dessert and everyone loves it... The best part is that it is customizable to almost any holiday and event!


I have been bringing popcorn and chocolate pizza!   It seems odd at first, but once you try it, it's addicting and so simple. Plus all wrapped up it makes a nice presentation to bring as a little hostess gift.

I buy the aluminum pizza pans (they come 3 for a dollar at Dollar Tree).  Then I either air pop some of my own or as I did here... I just opened a bag of buttered popcorn (could it get any easier??).  Layer the popcorn on the tray and drizzle melted chocolate over the top.    The chocolate binds the "pizza" together.  I mixed chocolate and white chocolate for this one...but you could use colored chocolates.  I think a green and red chocolate would be so cute for Christmas for example.  Then I added some sprinkles to give it a little more color.  I thought it was cute for spring!  You could also use holiday sprinkles to make it even more customizable.

Here it is all wrapped up and ready to go.

Hippity Hop, Easter's On Its Way...

So my daughter was sent home from school early today with a tummy ache so my plans went all awry. I was supposed to have a Daisy Scout meeting this afternoon, which I was busy preparing for, but decided to cancel.  So that left me a little time to start working on some Easter decorations.

I found these miniature colored eggs at the dollar store...I loved that they were cute and tiny, but of course wanted to add more...so a little spray adhesive and glitter...

When they were all finished I put them inside a hurricane.  I need to get a bigger candle for the inside... but I thought it was cute for a side table in the living room.

Next I decided to make a garland of plastic eggs I also picked up at the dollar store.  I opened the ends and strung fishing line through the bottom, then the top and snapped shut...

I hung them around the railing in the living room.  It was so easy and cute!

Follow Me Down the Rabbit Hole...

So while I have a few free minutes I thought I would try and catch up on some of the other parties I have had in the past.  In January I did an Alice in Wonderland themed party for my daughter's 6th Birthday.   Other than the cake falling (damn you gravity for making the Topsy turvy cake fall down!), the party was great.     I set the upstairs of the house as the Mad Hatter's Tea Party and the downstairs as the Queen of Hearts.   Here are some of the highlights from the party (sorry for the overload)...

The entrance... I made this Cheshire Cat "6" for the front door... and of course I had to have some "painting the roses red" in the front bush...

The table setting... I got the cutest tea cups from a local thrift shop that I glued together and added flowers in to make the centerpieces.  I also got these cute tea cup sippy cups for each of the guests and finally I had paper straws with labels that read "Drink Me."

I also made a special chair for the birthday girl!

I made a photo booth area complete with props.   The kids loved this.  I took some really great and funny pictures of the kids (the adults got in on the fun too).  I made copies of the pictures of the kids and sent them in their thank you's. 

 

The favor... I used different color Chinese takeout boxes I got from Micheal's Craft Store.    I glued squares of card stock on the bottom, added a ribbon and put a little 10/16 hat size tag on them.  Inside were bubbles, playing cards and tea pot shaped lollipops.

The room looked cute all together.   It is hard to see in this picture, but along the window I strung black skeleton keys and cutouts of pocket watches, along with white lanterns.  I also made this sign (I re-purposed an Easter Egg hunt sign) and of course had to have the doorknob!

The dessert table... I made the table look like Alice's skirt, complete with pocket and a skeleton key! 

 Some of the treats...

I just loved these... Cheshire Cat cake push-pops!

 Then the kids headed down stairs for crafts and games. 

I just loved this little tea cup topiary... I had a vision of making a lot of them at first, but I just ran out of time and made just the one...

 I made this garland from playing cards I strung together.  I also hot glued together this house of cards as decorations and I had a big one in the guest bathroom downstairs!

The kids decorated their own Mad Hatter Hats!

Then they played "Pin the Grin" on the Cheshire Cat.

A very happy Birthday girl!

 And just for fun... the birthday girl and friends having fun in the photo booth!

 I hope you have enjoyed!

Bug Bash

So the party was a success!  The boy was very happy and several of the kids exclaimed "best party ever" as they left, which to me, is the best compliment.  I apologize in advance that there are a lot of pictures... but I didn't want to leave out any details... 

The cake!   I am really happy how it turned out.  The kids especially loved the centipede in the back!

The Happy Birthday Banner.  I should have gotten a close up, but I used wood grain contact paper I found at the dollar store and then added bug stickers.    And I made a paper tree for the corner of the room! 

The table setting.  Several of the kids actually asked me if bugs took a bite out of the plate!

 The welcome sign, complete with bugs and a spider web!

I loved this for the front door- it was just the right amount of creepy!

The favors we made... bars of soap with bugs in them and butterfly nets.  I also set out bug pencils and spider rings and the kids threw them in the nets on the way out. 

Some of the treats...Ants on a log, bumble bee cake pops, lady bug cake pops, ant watermelon salad,  and spider crudites, bug juice (lemonade I turned green!), dirt cups (chocolate Oreo pudding) and of course, gummy worms and sour worms....

And the Birthday boy in his bug shirt and the full dessert table!

 

We did two crafts at the party, a make your own bug jar and bug masks and crowns.  I also had a bug tattoo station.  It was just perfect and despite driving me a little buggy, well worth it!