A Garden Grows...

My garden themed cocktail party was a success! My guests loved all the little details. I know I make myself crazy with the details but when the guest notice them,  it is all worth it.   I thought I would share...

I made a garland for over the food table (the table isn't set in this picture, but you get the idea).  I bought vintage looking seed packets from the dollar store and strung them on green ribbon. 

Here is a close-up the garland.

These are the favors I made.  They were seed packets in organza bags inside little pots.  The tags read "Sow Seeds of Kindness Every Day!"

The food table set-up.  I had polenta triangles with goat cheese and oven roasted tomatoes, tortellini skewers with a pesto dipping sauce, homemade white bean dip, hummus and veggies and assorted crackers, a baked feta with olives and roasted red peppers and stuffed mushrooms. 

So I had left over wood grain contact paper from my sons Birthday party-so I wrapped up shoe boxes and used them to add height to the table.

I used a long planter filled with ice to hold the dips!

I also used a planter to hold the white wine!

Some of the yummy desserts.  I found these adorable cups and mini spoons and knew I had to use them.  They made a cute presentation and were super easy.  This is a little yogurt parfait.

I also made homemade cannoli parfaits.  I layered them with crumbled hazelnut cookies.  YUM!

I had fruit, but decided to jazz it up with flower toothpicks (I used them on the polenta as well).  I just hot glued little rosettes to toothpicks.

It was such a fun night and everyone had a great time!

Seeds of kindness...

Among the many hats I wear these days, I am president of my sons cooperative day school. My first term of presidency is over and I agreed to stay on for a second term. However, the board has a tradition of holding a transitional meeting at the outgoing presidents house. It is attended by both the outgoing and incoming board members and our director. It is a nice night to thank everyone for their year of service and to welcome the new and returning members. I of course have to make it have a little theme... So I decided on spring flowers.

I planning on having appetizers and desserts and serving some wine and sangria.   I am also planning on giving the outgoing board members a bottle of wine as a little thank you gift. However, I wanted to work on a little something to thank everyone for coming and this is what I came up with...

Favor tags that read "Sow seeds of kindness each day" 

I got three different varieties of flowers and put them in little organza bags and tied them with the favor tag.

Then I put each little packet inside a plastic flower pot with green or yellow tissue paper.

A better detail of the finished product.  I think they are cute and simple and just a nice way to say thank you.

Easter dinner...

The days seem to flying by.  April is always a busy month, but with the addition of T-ball and warmer days playing outside I have neglected to update.  But I made it through my first Easter meal!!!


I made my own napkin rings from burlap and added a little button for a cute touch.  I also put a small chocolate bunny on each persons plate.   I also carried the burlap theme on my table runner...

 The kids table!

I found these cute bunny chair covers at the Dollar Tree.  I only had four kids so I just set the kitchen table for them.  At each place setting I made carrots for the kids.  I used my Wilton piping bag and filled them with Annie's Cheddar Bunnies.  Then I tied them off with lots of green curly ribbon.  The kids loved them!

The Food!

I roasted my very first leg of lamb.  I made up a recipe... It was basically a marinade of rosemary and mint with lots of fresh garlic and olive oil.  I rubbed it all over the meat and let it marinate together overnight- stuck it in the oven and it was delicious.

 I also had great Swedish roasted potatoes, a ham and lots of veggies!  But a big hit was the bunny crescent rolls.  Even the adults thought they were cute.

 

Dessert! 

Since I was busy making the meal, being the bunny and the hostess for the day, I asked everyone to bring dessert.  But for fun the kids and I did make cupcakes.  They were cute and simple and I dressed up the cake plate with a little paper Easter grass and ribbon. 

Hope you have enjoyed!!!

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!