New Year's Eve Glitteratti

I have the perfect DIY for your NYE shindig! If you are going for sparkly and sophisticated, (of COURSE you are going for sparkly and sophisticated) then this sophisticated "adult" pinata is the most fun thing I have found yet as a New Year's party game. Fill it with game questions on slips of paper, gorgeous liqueur chocolate truffles wrapped in cello, cute matchbooks, Mardi Gras bead necklaces, tiny (unbreakable) bottles of booze, or any of these ideas from AT's list! Also throw in as much metallic confetti as you can handle for a real finale! They are available for purchase here, but are a crazy inexpensive and easy DIY (plus we are talking crazy rush charges to courier a pinata for delivery in two days!).

The sparkle goes remarkably well with the tassel garland DIY borrowed from the other blog. This photo was actually from the Shelby, but it looks like whoever's home it was bought them at the same place the pinata is from. What a small world :)

Another cute idea to bring some glitz and glamour to the evening? How about glittering swizzle sticks? Trust Martha to have a tutorial on these cute and easy tinsel drink accessories! Use the same method with those metallic pom poms you find at the craft store to make an alternate type. AND of course the same DIY can be used with toothpicks for hors d'oeurves.

Send photos of your amazing soiree! I want to SEE!

Egg O Gram

ADORABLE eggy goodness going on over at Poppytalk! A really sweet DIY that is simple enough for a quick little something to give a special someone on the last minute. I love the pictorial too, way cute :)

How to Throw A UFO Space Cowboy Alien Party... Kinda

Note to self: 5pm on a Sunday that played host to a boy's fourth birthday is not the time to discover that you are out of pain killers.

Yes. Party. Yes. Headache. But not till well after everyone was gone. It's funny how your body knows to put things like a migraine on hold when your house is overrun with four 4 year olds, two 5 years, three 7/8 year olds and their parents, your parents, their dad's mother, and aunts and uncles. In my family, you smell cake and your instincts guide you.  Zero complaints. It was a blast! No really, I am not making that up... completely randomly put together and as my eldest says "this is the BEST birthday I have ever had!". Just wait till his birthday. Thank goodness I have a few months for that yet!

Rowan (who is seven) was more excited about planning this shindig than anyone. He comes up with such brilliant ideas, and if we had a mansion, a dozen minions and a pot of gold, he could throw a brilliant soiree. He was content to be in charge of making the invitations however.

The body opens to reveal the info...

This past couple of weeks, the toughest part of getting ready for the party was getting the birthday boy on side! First the only person he wanted to invite was a twelve year old girl who is in his brother's play. She plays the evil Queen, and somehow that seems a foreboding indication of the years ahead. We went and invited children anyway. Which I think was a good idea. The next issue was that he wanted to have a Space Cowboy party, but he also wanted the whole thing to be pink, orange and purple. He is very set on that colour combo. We went through site after site on the computer looking for space decor (not much out there that isn't NASA) and while this was a PERFECT opportunity for me to get creative, we were pretty much nil on funds and time... so I was stifled. Nothing at all got his attention. Except bunting! The only thing he got the least bit excited about was orange bunting. For a Space Cowboy party. Hmmm...

Well, the one thing that I (and my inner Martha) have learned to live with (her not so much, but she is working on it) is that sometimes the only thing you can do is listen to the little anklebiter. While I work very hard at making most things far more complicated than they need to be, often I have found that the kids are just happy to have had you listen to them. So bunting was made.

You know what? I love it. Don't look closely, it is the fastest bunting ever sewn together and it's a mess...

...but I love how happy it makes the living room look :) (Also don't look at the lamp... I hate it, it came with the house and hasn't been replaced yet...)

The only other thing that Liam specified was a purple UFO Birthday Cake... with eyeballs. Of course...

Grandma Berta to the rescue...

 So we ordered one from the Unidentified Food Organization.

And Auntie Ingy :)

 Ha ha. Just kidding, the cake was made by my family (group effort) and was the hit of the party... My mother phoned to tell me that she had discovered fondant and was going to try to cover the cake in that. (Snigger) I was really impressed that she was going to all that effort, and didn't think to tell her that my attempts at fondant have been complete disasters because, well, she is my mom and she totally rocks in the kitchen. I do not. 

And Grandpa Jim made a wicked stand for it! 

Aunty Ingy (her name is Lindsay, she adopted Ingy because she was the first person Rowan learned to say the name of and it has stuck,) says that the story is that the aliens had to leave their planet together because they fought constantly (they are brother and sister) and by the time they get to earth they have been forced to be in each company for so long, they get along famously. You know, sorta like human siblings :)

I did some wrestling with decorations beyond the bunting and the colour scheme as I usually have balloons on hand that have been re-used over and over (most have been rescued from elsewhere) but I refuse to buy new ones. Balloons are one of those things that are really nasty environmentally and don't actually serve much of a purpose. I knew I could do festive beyond what the "normal" party decor list generally calls for, so I got out some leftover tissue paper and made some of those balls that are everywhere right now. Martha has a tutorial on her site... they seem really frustrating when you are pulling them apart, but then they look great when done. The bunting is everywhere too but super straightforward. I recommend actually making some effort at it, and not trying to put it together at T minus zero, as it would be nice if I didn't cringe every time I looked at it. Pretty from afar, but I will be hanging mine as high as possible :) Those things and some stuff we had lying about the house that were sparkley made the place quite fabulous. I will be making up some butterfly garlands and a couple more strings of bunting for my own birthday party in spring!

The last word on kids birthdays? Have your tickle trunk out. We just let them go at it and ended up with a Space Cowboy / Batman / Wicked Witch / Oscar Diva Party. We didn't have to interrupt them at all, we just put in our built in earplugs (those ones that develop throughout parenthood) and gathered in the kitchen to chat. I recommend having dress-up stuff for both boys and girls, even if you only have only sons or only daughters. Although really, they are pretty good at improvising!

Most of all, HAVE FUN!

(Oh, and for the record, do NOT handcuff one of your nicest guests right before her cab comes... just sayin'!)

Linked to:  http://todayscreativeblog.net

Love and Affection: DIY Valentine's Day Ideas

Tom Banwell mask

OK! It's Valentine's month, and although for years and years I went around all self-righteously and pledged non-allegiance to the fact that North Americans had set aside only one day to spread the love, I am now a convert. Well, I still believe that we should spend much more time telling people how much we like each other, how much we appreciate the things others do for us, and do things for others as well... but MOST OF ALL... I am a huge fan of leaving little tokens of affection randomly for the people in our lives to find, if only so that it brightens their day.

the French Mouse

I also love a good excuse to pull out all the crafting supplies in the house and set to work. Having kids gave me call to raise the bar for valentines givers everywhere. I spend days waiting for inspiration to hit right about the beginning of February and usually by the time the big day rolls around we have an army of crazy creations to hand out to all our friends. This year's batch includes individualized patches off the embroidery machine...


One year I bought a bunch of black heavy paper and a silver pen, expropriated a baggie of little rubber lizards from a previous birthday party, and glue-gunned a lizard to the top of each card with my son who put lizard tracks across the front and spelled IGUANA Be Your Valentine inside with a piece of candy taped to it. I don't know how many kids at his school even got it, but we had so much fun making them that I kept going and made one for all my friends as well. The very first black valentines I have come across :)

Does this not say LOVE to you?

Last year, the valentines we gave out were red felt hearts that Rowan sewed pockets into on the sewing machine (supervised) with a simple zig zag stitch, and we put a lollipop or chocolate in each. We used sparkle glue to write the person's name across the front. Not my favourite aesthetically, but he absolutely LOVED making them, and they were adorable when he was done. I have let go of a lot of my Martha tendencies for perfection having two young boys in my life :) It has been very good for my stress level. Sort of balances out the stress that comes from, say, stepping on LEGO pieces, or cleaning toothpaste off every bathroom surface possible.

This is very similar to the idea we used last year... the tutorial for this bag can be found on Momtastic here.

I have found a few really nifty ideas from around webville with Valentine's in mind and thought I'd share...

Of course my first visit for a project is always to How About Orange...

This is an awesome idea from Bloesem Kids, which I admittedly have not tried yet, but if perfected could become a household staple for invites etc. I LOVE this!

Design*Sponge has some pretty darn sweet ideas!




And of course there was a visit to Martha, but I was quite surprised that it was hard to find a new idea. I think Martha's crew must be the best recyclers (of ideas) in the craft world... and there is a place there for you to upload your own cards so they are probably fishing... :)
HOWEVER, I adore quilling, and this reminds me that it has been awhile... and the seed packets are always one of my favourites, as it is a nice reminder that spring is just around the corner AND the more flowers growing in this world, the better. Look for locally grown organic seeds for best results. And switch up the packaging, I don't know why seed packets have become so darn ugly, but it is worth making up some pretty little envelopes and transferring the seeds. Also, if you visit a nursery, you can get a sweet discount on buying the seeds in a bulk size package and dividing them up yourself!


Whichever you choose, be sure you love sending the love!

Unique and Modern Wedding Ideas

I have a long tradition of being on the fringe of the wedding industry. One of my first jobs as an apprentice costumer for TV and movies eventually led to designing wedding gowns for a pretty fabulous boutique. I was in my early twenties and while I had no plans to get hitched to my adoring and very committed partner, I absolutely dove into my love of the actual "stuff" that goes with weddings. It became a passion of mine to study them and catalog the best, most unique and beautiful ideas I happened across. Then my little sister got a job at a boutique across the water (think west coast) in the very uppity town that I grew up in, and she would give me a weekly update on who was marrying whom and which dress they had bought and how much it cost and whether or not they should have chosen another. I ended up being involved in the planning process of many high end affairs. What I realized was that although many people would spend a fortune on their event, they very seldom took the time to think about whether or not the details actually meant anything to them. The point was definitely to trump whatever it was that the last girl in the group had done with a higher price tag and a flashier brand name. I became very frustrated with the entire industry.



Eventually, many tiara wearing parties later, I moved on and eventually found my way to my current quiet home where it seems that people do not get married. If they do, it is a bbq at the beach. This take on the whole thing actually fits my values and ideals far better than the extravagant affairs that Martha likes to sift through. But the reality is that still, I covet the idea of having an excuse to pull together all the pretty ideas that I have never stopped filing away. This is why I get excited whenever I run across something I have never seen. I mean, people have been doing this for ages, LOTS of people. It is really hard to find something unique. And there are probably seven thousand bridal monthlies out there... at least! And as a handmade anything devotee who shuns anything conventional, I especially get happy shiny thoughts over special, one of a kind, sentimental and individual touches. These products and ideas are some of my favourites, old and new.


My favourite thing to give the couple as part of their gift is something that I have never seen copied and it has brought every bride to tears. I use it at baby showers too. The only thing is that you have to give it to them after the fact. I usually ask the brides mother to steal a blossom or two from the bouquet and then take a few choice samples from the rest of the flowers... a boutonniere, from the cake, table centerpieces, etc. Press them and then arrange them on parchment or some stunning paper that you have copied either the vows or a beautiful piece of poetry. Sign it with something sentimental and the dates and then have it professionally matted and framed.


Another thought is to have one special blossom pressed and placed into a glass frame pendant for a stunning necklace.


As far as decor is concerned there are FAR too many ideas to list them here. A sampling of things that have caught my eye...

nifty table numbers

Love moss on a table

a cloud of butterflies

love the hanging vases with the ribbons

A new super brilliant idea?

...it is now possible to engrave a band with an ENTIRE poem! Or your vows if they are not crazy long.

I have a certain kind of attachment to neato place card settings. I don't know why, but when I come across a new idea, I get all excited, thinking that someday I will throw the perfect party to use it at. I love these...

These are cups of chocolate pudding with cookie crumbs for dirt :) YUM!

Guest books have become sort of the new tradition to mess around with. The ideas that some people have come up with are pretty fabulous.

A pretty plate collection integrating signed plates


I don't actually know what this is for but it looks
to me like it could be a great polaroid camera setup...
IF that were a polaroid camera.


BellaPuzzles custom jigsaws lets guests sign
a piece, engagement photo on reverse... way cool!


I adore tiny envelopes.

Years ago, a good friend got married, and when she sent out the invites to her friends and family, she included a square of silk and pretty instructions to turn it into something beautiful that represented their relationship and that of the bride and groom. Coming from a background of artists, this woman ended up with a hand painted, beaded, embroidered and batiked collection of squares that her mother stitched together into a STUNNING quilt. It was hung at the reception and each guest had a great time picking out their square and telling everyone about it. The couple took it home and those happy thoughts and memories still keep them warm today.

I turned this idea into my current business of embroidering Celebration Quilts. These quilts are meant to either take the place of a traditional guest book, or be used as an extension thereof. Each guest purchases a square and sends a wish for the couple that is embroidered onto luxurious natural fabrics and when everyone has responded, the quilt is sewn up and shipped in time for it to be hung at the wedding. So far this has been a very rewarding endeavor and more than once it has brought a tear to my eye when I hear the background to a particular sentiment, or see the emotion it brings out in those who receive it. It means that people who are unable to attend the wedding can still get in on wishing the couple well and knowing that it won't just sit on a coffee table gathering dust is a bonus!

If you would like more information on the quilts, please follow these links...

http://www.etsy.com/shop/tapestri
http://fleurishstudio.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much to Scoutie Girl for making me get my butt in gear and setting up the listings for Etsy so i could do a proper post! Check out her blog for more great ideas.