Garden Grow: Chandelier

The dollar store had some solar lights for.... a dollar...duh... I painted them, popped the heads off the stands and then used poster putty to stick them inside the "candle sticks" of this chandelier I got from the thrift store for $8. Has a cool effect :) Tricky to get a photo of though.

Garden Grow: Firepit

My husband the ham helped me do this one :) 

What a buff and helpful fella! Basically i got this big ole hunk of rusty pipe for free after making friends with a junk collector. We dug a hole in the ground and buried it partially in that, filled it with the dirt we had removed, stuck a bunch of rocks in the bottom and called it good. We'd like to eventually decorate it a little more than that but for now, it's functional :) Which is great because we have a LOT of debris to burn off in this yard. 

"Tea by the Sea" Fabulous Food

Well...I had every intention of typing up the recipes but with all the crazy redecorating and organizing going on in the house, and then my computer crashing I lost the recipes. They weren't mine, so I don't really know what else to tell you. I am tired and don't care that much ;) So just look at the pretty food LOL

Dinner and a Movie: The Goonies

“I will never betray my goon dock friends,
We will stick together until the whole world ends,
Through heaven and hell, and nuclear war,
Good pals like us, will stick like tar,
In the city, or the country, or the forest, or the boonies,
I am proudly declared a fellow Goonie!”

— The Goonie Pledge

My cousin has set up a theatre in her basement and it's pretty fun I have to say. Put that together with our mutual geekiness and I think you can expect a few more Dinner Movie things to come along. 

Sorry the photo is not the best, it was dark down there! :) 

We didn't get very elaborate with our dinner and a movie this time. Since pizza played the main food role in the movie, that was an easy decision (and we helped celebrate the anniversary of a local pizza place, its a win-win). The "Brown Water" the boys get served in the movie was incorporated via some iced tea. I tried out a new popcorn recipe (it's a movie, there has to be popcorn!) and then of course Baby Ruth had to be worked in. My cousin made some very tasty Gooey Baby Ruth Brownies (which were dubbed Goonie Baby Ruth Brownies instead!). 

One Eyed Willie Pirate Popcorn

Coconut Oil
Popcorn Seeds


1 tsp Bragg's Sea Kelp Delight Seasoning 
*(grind it down more if you can) 
1/2 tsp Turmeric (to make it golden like treasure!)
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Garlic Salt
1 tsp Sea Salt


Butter


Cook the popcorn over the stove using a heavy metal pot. First, place the oil in the pot and let it melt down, then pour in as many seeds as you need depending on your party size (About 1/2 a cup for two people, if this new for you entirely). Because the flavors are pretty powerful, I'd say start off minimal and work up, trying some and seeing how it strick you. Because this was new, I set aside half the popcorn, flavored it (ended up over flavoring because I had to keep tweaking it) and then combined it with the other half and it came out perfect!

This (I believe) is the recipe for the brownies...they sure look the same! They were super good!:

Gooey Baby Ruth Brownies

Estimated Times

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 35 mins
Cooling Time: 20 mins cooling

Servings: 24 brownies

Ingredients

1 package (18.25 ounces) chocolate brownie mix 

3 (2.1 ounces each) NESTLÉ BABY RUTH Candy Bars, chopped 

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature 

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

1 large egg 

2 teaspoons milk 

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

PREPARE brownie batter according to package directions; stir in chopped Baby Ruth. Pour into prepared pan.

BEAT cream cheese and sugar in small mixer bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and milk. Using knife or spatula, swirl cream cheese mixture into brownie batter to create a marbling effect.

BAKE for 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars using wet knife

"Tea by the Sea" Photo Booth

This was so whimsical and cute :) Again, using things we had. In the past, a theme had been princesses and so there was a large wooden castle prop. My aunt painted over this to make it resemble a sand castle. It was quite fun!

Sneak peek! Victorian Tea

Today, there is a fundraiser I am helping out with but last night I worked on this centerpiece and just love it so much I had to share NOW :) More to come! Wish me luck!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.9

The Uber Teacup Cake Stand

I am donating this to our library, which does a tea party every year as a community thing :) Isn't it fun?? It was a pain in the you-know-what to make, i can tell you that! So many pieces....and then the glue wouldn't harden! ack! Anyway, it went from this:

Pretty fun! And with appliances spray paint you don't have to worry so much about how washable it is or food safety. win. I saw something like it on pinterest, they said it was an anthro thing (here's the link) and I am sure anthro is way better but this was fun to attempt at any rate :)

Linked to www.thethriftyhome.com

No Bake S'More Cups

Um....I don't have a picture. so you get this:

:) made it for a party a few weeks back, really last minute "hey be here in an hour and bring a dessert" kind of thing. it went over great, amazingly enough. Enjoy <3

Valentine's Day Cards: A lesson in composition

/ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/ Show Spelledcom·po·si·tion [kom-puh-zish-uhn] –noun

Fine Arts . the organization or grouping of the different parts of a work of art so as to achieve a unified whole.

It's about a month away from the holiday so I figure it's time to talk about the big V day.  I wish I had a better tutorial for this, however, when I made these last year I wasn't doing a blog or tracking how iImade things. I'm just glad I was proud enough of my little cards to take some pictures! I still wanted to write about it though, so I hope this at least inspires you to get creative with your cards. 

If you've never done collage work, it can be very mentally cleansing.  At least I think it is. I get in a zone of meandering through magazines with new eyes, clipping out the random snippets of wonder I come across in pages full of generally negative projections. This is the main part of my love for collage, transformation from something ugly (like ads that promote a poor perception of beauty) to something positive and uplifting. 

**IDEA ALERT! Collage can be really fun with friends! Have a get together, invite everyone to bring a stack of magazines and some scissors, provide some snacks, throw on some background music and make a social night of it. Super fun times. ALSO you can use this same idea for some really cute and unique invitations, though I'd keep it to a small party since collaging a lot of cards could get overwhelming... END ALERT**

Things You'll Need:

1. Cardstock
2. Something for the "backdrop"
3. Some magazines to cut into
4. Mod Podge (or your favorite adhesive for collage/scrapbooking)
5. Accents

1* Last year, I came across a pack pre-cut heart shaped cards at Michael's and made them my canvas. I had so much fun with it because it was a mix of the traditional "building" of a valentine but used less doilies. Not that I don't love a good doily project but sometimes you just have to bust out of the norm, you know? 

2* I had origami paper left over from one of those 365 day calenders. You were supposed to do a project everyday, but I didn't like every project so I had a lot of cool paper to use for whatever else I wanted. You, of course, can use scrapbooking paper, wrapping paper, fabric, felt, big photo, etc. for a good backdrop to the scraps you add. 

A larger magazine photo can make for a good backdrop.

3* Grab the magazines and look for whatever inspires you, cut it out to use. Just because it's V-day doesn't mean you have to get mushy. You can give a card to family, your kids, your neighbor, your friends....and with collage you can make it personal ( the recipients favorite color, theme, etc.).

A friend of mine bought this one for her son, a big John Lennon fan.

4* Before going nuts with the glue, arrange your selected cut outs into the desired affect. You don't have to cover the entire heart in words or images, though that could look really awesome too. Composition can play a significant role.  The easiest way to think of composition, for me, is in terms of music. Think of an orchestra, several completely different instruments (elements) playing one song (the piece). Or maybe a dance with several dancers doing different things at once to one song and yet it all flows together in one poetic, united, display of movement. 

Apply that concept to collage. You can have sequins, glitter, fabric, ribbon, bits and bobs of whatever come together to make a whole card and send one message. Alternate sizes (large fonts with small dots of glitter), use different shades or patterns of the same color, incorporate different shapes...but make sure you orient it all to the message you want to project. You want the balance of all of these elements to accent the main image or word you want to have as the focus.

The words "Open Your Heart" lead into the key to opening it.

5* This was pretty much covered in #4 use whatever will stick to the card :) Also, don't feel like you have to use magazines to say every word, if you have a stamp or a label maker that you can use to printout the word a different way then it can be a nice addition to the composition.

This card incorporates stamping and rhinestones as well.

What are you planning to do for Valentine's Day?

How to Throw a Party: Part Three-Lighting

So, you've chosen your theme, you've gotten your invitations going....really everything else is all in preparation for the big moment when everyone arrives at the house/place of partying. The remaining elements (Lighting, Music, Decorations, Treats/Food, Entertainment, Clothing, Beverages) are not exactly in any given order of priority, although the food typically isn't made too far ahead. SO, while you might want to decide what you're going to eat and drink that day, you really are going to focus and more so on decoration type things as the day approaches. Lighting can be a big part of the ambiance, though how big really depends on the party.

In general, a good place to start is to think about how to make a space more intimate for your guests. Think about your local Starbucks, they don't have bright florescence lighting going on, they big windows letting in daylight and soft, warm light from multiple lamps. It feels like a comfortable space one wants to sit back and relax in, chat with friends etc. Recreating that is pretty easy, just think smaller light sources rather than your bright over head lighting, light bulbs with warmer light and/or candles. You probably don't want to go ALL candles, unless you want THAT kind of intimate space... just sayin'...

Lighting can also help you enhance a major theme, like Halloween, Christmas, Oscar Awards, etc. if that's what you want to do. There are some incredibly unique ideas out there, often inexpensive and gorgeous too. For example, a great Christmas idea (if you live in an area that is friggin' cold) is shown here by Creative Juices For Decor. This concept warmly welcomes your guests, putting them in that Christmas spirit before they've even walked through the door! Other ways to light up your entry way include strings of lights, outdoor candle holders, lanterns, glow-in-the-dark objects, tiki torches, electronic tealights (a great option if you don't feel comfortable with putting candles inside paper or fabric luminaries, or if you have kids about, etc.) ... and these can all be used for a myriad of parties. Think outside the box on how to make them unique to your needs:

• Dress up a more classic or standard candle holder with ribbon
• Use vellum paper to make covers for the string of LED bulbs for a look specific to your needs, or cupcake liners like Camilla at Family Chic.
• Create a shape on a wall or ceiling using strings of lights
• Hang paper lanterns in a "clump" for an inexpensive chandelier look  
• Wrap candleholders with tissue paper or fabric in your party colors for a whole new look
• Use wire to hang jars or other candleholders 
• Colorful paperbags make great luminaries, and using a crafty punch can make the edges have a special something more
• Use colorful sand, rocks, beads, or combination thereof inside a clear candleholder and then nestle the candle within that.

How to Throw a Party: Part Two-Invitations

Do you really need an invitation for your party? Of course you do! Its the mood-setter, so to speak. It tells the guests what to expect, what to bring... its the teaser. Feel the pressure? Well, lucky for you, you're probably inviting friends and family that don't mind too much if your teaser isn't engraved on card stock. There, feel better now?

If that's the case, and I really hope it is because no one needs that kind of anxiety ever, then your next step is basically deciding paper or digital. Neither is "better," but one might suite you or your party better. That just depends and I'm going to let you make that choice.

Digital
Some definite pros about going digital is that, for starters, its "green" because you don't use any paper products. Its all pixels, baby. Another plus is that its usually everyone's favorite word: Free. Also, if you're comfortable with it, it can be as easy as fill in the blank. If you're not the kind to want to spend a lot of time on invitations, or if you're just plain pressed for time in general, digitally inviting people to a function can be really helpful. There are a myriad of choices to go with and it comes back to preference, however, I really think you should consider the whole ambiance thing we talked about. It might be faster/easier to just write an email and send it out, but don't forget you're setting the tone for your party too. Even a basic email (or facebook event) can have a color scheme or a picture. But to be honest, if you're really that computer shy that you would avoid using something like Evite.com or someecards.com then you might want to think about doing a paper invitation instead.

Paper
Paper invitations can be as easy as buying the Winnie the Pooh cards at Vons for your kids Pooh Bear themed party. But you can also have some fun and make a memory by going DIY. Your budget doesn't have to suffer, but unless you plan to hand out every single invite you should at least expect to pay for postage. If you don't want to buy your invites at Vons OR like to support small business endeavors, then another option is to hop on your maps.google.com or yellowpages.com and look up a stationary store. If you want that crafty look but don't feel crafty enough to do it yourself (or, again, like supporting small business), there are plenty of shops on Etsy.com that will help you design a beautiful, fun, unique invitation all your own.

If you're in the mood for some crafty adventures, then prepare to DIY! When it comes to doing it yourself, you have a wide range on the budget. You can even keep them costless if you have enough materials around!

The main key is: Think outside the box.  Have a bunch of old magazines you don't look at anymore? Try cutting out colors, pictures and words that fit your theme and create unique, individual invites. You can combine this with other media (like fabric, buttons, ribbon, sketches, crayon, pen, photos, etc.) to get different looks. All you need is some paper, card stock or even card board to paste everything to and some Mod Podge. The possibilities are endless.  If you're doing a kids birthday party or other celebration, try including them in the process by drawing or painting pictures with them to be used on the invitation. They will love it and the recipients will get that warm feeling inside just looking at that totally cute art piece by your little artist. (If you have a lot of invitations to make then you might want to take one big piece of paper, have the kiddos go hog wild on it and then cut it up into smaller mini art works to glue onto the invitations. Remember, its not about child labor, its about having fun!)

Thinking outside the box is key to finding and integrating less expensive supplies too. If you do have to buy something, try looking around your local dollar store first. They carry some craft supplies and what they carry changes, so you never know what you may come across that could fit the bill. But don't just look in the craft section, look around and think of how you can use other items to make it work. Doing a Valentines Day theme? Try using that pack of doilies and offset them on colored paper. Want a light and airy spring time look? Try using coffee filters to make flowers or butterflies (use water colors to paint them). Feeling stuck? Browse some websites for inspiration and then make up your own thing. You can do it :) And you should totally share your idea with others.

How to Throw a Party: Part One-Ambiance

am·bi·ance also am·bi·ence  (mb-ns, ä-byäs)

n.

The special atmosphere or mood created by a particular environment: "The noir ambience is dominated by low-key lighting . . . and deep shadows, creating feelings of disorientation, loneliness and entrapment" (UCLA Film/TV Archive).

---

[French, from ambiant, surrounding, from Latin ambins, ambient-; see ambient.]

There are several aspects to putting on a fun party. Mainly you're going for "ambiance," but ambiance can get expensive when, for example,  you don't live in a mansion but you want your house to have that haunted mansion feel, not that Haunted Upstairs Apartment feel. Even when you're not going full hog on some themed out party you can end up spending a wad on ambiance. Then again, ambiance can SAVE you a ton!

Ambiance keeps your party planning focused. Its the first and most important step in your planning because everything hinges on that decision. You don't want to go out and buy a mess of modern cartoony Santa Claus paper plates only to change your color scheme to vintage, right? Sure the show could go on, but wouldn't it be nice to just have it right the first time? You'll feel better, rather than getting stuck thinking about how you coulda-woulda-shoulda. It can also save you some dough because you can choose to come up with a theme that compliments the setting you've already got, thus less work for yourself and your wallet.  That's all up to you and your creative juices.

So how do you create the ambiance, once you've decided what you wanna go for? These are the aspects that I find go into it:
Invitations
Lighting
Music
Decorations
Treats/Food
Entertainment
Clothing
Beverages

Some of you, this is all you need to know. Heck, maybe you didn't even need to know this! But plain and simple, these are the basics. They can be subtle, but they are all part of the whole and if you can manage to cover all of these bases in some way then you're party will be that much better! (In future posts I am going to cover each with some basic brainstorming, etc. Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging!)

Coming up! Part Two: Invitations