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Party Like a Vampire
October 28, 2011 By 15 Comments
This post is a re-vamp (pun intended) of one I did two years ago when I hosted a Twilight Dinner Party. Since the latest Twilight movie is about to come out and it’s Halloween, I just had to share this with you (and since most of you weren’t following me way-back-when!). You will LOVE this if you are a Twilight books/movie fan, but there are also lots of ideas for anyone hosting a Halloween or vampire-themed party.
Native American Indian Birthday Party
August 31, 2009 By 7 Comments
My youngest daughter was an American Indian last Halloween. So we already had the beginnings of a great birthday party theme.
| Her costume came from a large authentic-looking Native American shirt I bought at an estate sale for $3. The shirt hung down to the ground on her like a dress, and I simply had to cut the sleeves down. I bought mocassins on ebay for $8. The headdress came from a yard sale for $1 that I found 2 weeks before the party. I love those racoon tails hanging down around her ears! |  |
Serving Hor D’oeuvres Elegantly
August 26, 2009 By 5 Comments
I love staging a party. And I love staging an hor d’oeuvres table. Rather than serving lunch or dinner, schedule your party for a time that assumes lunch or dinner has already been eaten. Then you are free to choose an assortment of prepackaged frozen appetizers from Costco or Sam’s Club, easy grocery goodies like chips and dips or cheese and crackers, and simple favorite recipes like shortbread cookies and cheese krispies (see recipes below).
Vintage Baby Shower
August 11, 2009 By 2 Comments
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Baby showers are joyous occasions and don’t have to be generic or boring. I always like to think about the honoree’s taste and style, as well as the baby’s room decor. The honoree of this shower had an older son who was just moving out of the vintage western-themed nursery to make way for baby sister. So I went with a vintage shower theme that heaped on some old-fashioned girliness. |
| Of course, I love all things vintage. So hosting a vintage baby shower is the most natural thing in the world for me to do. I already have so many of the props, it’s simply about styling it imaginatively and adding some flowers and food. |  |
Rainbow Birthday Party (Joan Walsh Anglund)
July 28, 2009 By 17 Comments
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My inspiration for this birthday party was the amazing artwork of Joan Walsh Anglund. Her artwork is immediately identifiable – she always draws children without noses and mouths. You can find biographical information about this wonderful artist at http://members.shaw.ca/jwamail/. |
I found these never-opened paper plates and napkins in an attic of a friend of my mother’s. I kept them for 8 years until I was inspired to use them for my younger daughter’s third birthday. I also had a few small books of JWA art and poetry that I had picked up over the years. Her illustrations of little children have always touched me and aroused that nostalgia within me for anything from my own childhood.
Glass Bud Vases
July 21, 2009 By 2 Comments
| Do you guys shop at Dollar Tree? What a great place for finding mini-gifts, party favors, paper party products, stocking stuffers, holiday trinkets, and sometimes even good decor! So I’m at my local Dollar Tree to stock up on Old London’s Melba Toast – but they don’t have it anymore! Sad, but I did find these beautiful blue-tinted, delicately etched bud vases. I scooped up 5 for a mere $5 and brought them home to do some styling.
Have you ever put a large centerpiece on your dining room table only to have to remove it to be able to see your guests? Well, here’s a simple but elegant idea for a table “centerpiece” that doesn’t interfere with conversation. I simply grabbed my new bargain bud vases, clipped some hydrangeas from my yard, and lined them down the middle of my table. If you do this, it’s important to use items in odd numbers – 3, 5, or 7. |
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Birds of a Feather Dinner Party
July 12, 2009 By 3 Comments
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I am fortunate to be in a fantastic Cooking Club with 10 other ladies, and one of my favorite things to do is come up with a unique “theme” when it’s my turn to host. So in this case, I tried to come up with any and every way I could think of to incorporate one of my favorite decorating themes – all things avian. I called it “Birds of a Feather Flock Together.” |
I went through my seasonal ornaments and pulled out doves, owls, bird’s nests, bird’s eggs. I chose a blue and white color palette, found recipes with bird-related names and ingredients, and had each guest draw a paper fortune with surprising results (everyone truly felt that the quotation they chose suited them perfectly!). The pink paper balls hanging from the ceiling are Martha Stewart from Michaels. I really love those and her tissue paper ones – more interesting than balloons and infinitely reusable! I have also included the menu, recipes, and bird quotations/fortunes at the end of the post.
Birds of a Feather recipes – Use these delicious recipes for your own bird-themed dinner party.
Bird Quotations - Print out these bird-related fortunes, cut them into strips, curl with scissor-blade, and place in small bowl for your guests to choose.
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