Real Parties: MJ's Perfectly Pink Bubblicious Birthday!

MJ is the daughter of a good friend of mine, and working on her party was so much FUN! It was clear from the get go that MJ knew what she wanted and I had clear direction from the Birthday Girl. It had to be PINK and there had to be BUBBLES! Working with Teresa, MJ's Mom, was fun and easy. She loved all the ideas that I came up with and we set to work creating a fun Family party. She wanted Guests to know from the start that MJ's party was going to be BURSTING WITH FUN! So I created this invitation;

The envelopes were filled with Confetti, the balloons had a tag to let Guests know that to find out the party details they would need to blow up the balloon and POP! Inside the balloon was more confetti and a slip of paper that had all the Party Details; Date, Time, and Location (@ the Bubble Palace of course!).Teresa said that Guests loved the interaction of the Invite.
The next element Teresa ask for help with were activities, we came up with 3 and were hopeful that the weather would cooporate so they could have outdoor fun, unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans and the party fun was all indoors! The little guests enjoyed the "Bubble Buffet", where there were all sorts of bubbles, and various types of Wands available both home made and store bought.

I had created a "Guess the Number of Bubbles" Game, where guests Young and Young @ Heart were encouraged to guess the number of Bubble Gum Balls.

I loved the detail on the bowl that held the Sign, it was a clear dish and had little "Bubbles" all over it! Perfect addition! To hold the sign in place I used a bag of "Silly Rings", that everyone who made a guess was encouraged to take at least 1 Ring from!
The other activity that was prepared,  was the "Bubble Art Gallery", I had suggested that the Guests enjoy creating works of art with "Bubble Paint" and then Hang all the art work for everyone to see, and so the creations would dry in time to go home. Unfortunately there was not enough room inside for this activity to take place.

The Activity signs were all made with large circle cut outs to look like "Bubbles". I also made instructions to go with each activity and for these I used the Confetti which was glued in a border above instructions. I loved the "Bubble" effect that it created, and LOVED how the colours seemed to work so well!

  Other decorative elements that I took care of for the party included a wonderful "Bubble" Backdrop for the main party room that looked fantasitc;

There was also a banner using streamers in the party colours and circle cut-outs, that Teresa chose to hang in the kitchen;

I created a "Balloon Topiary" as the centerpiece, that turned out FANTASTIC!

Teresa took care of the Menu, with the help of her Brother on the Grill! Using photo's and suggestions, Teresa made a very CUTE cake fit for the "Bubble Princess"!

At the end of the Shin-Dig, the guests were sent home with a Goodie Bag FULL of pink candy, gum balls, and a bottle of Home made Bubbles, with a specially made SPARKLY bubble Wand!

I want to Thank Teresa, it was a pleasure to work with her to create a very special Birthday, for a very Special little girl! Happy Birthday MJ!

 ~I also want to send out a special Thank You to my "Assistant", I had been in a car accident a few days before the party and had "Minor Whiplash", and so come party set up I could barely move! Thanks again Paula!

TREND Spotlight

One of the things I want to use my Blog for is to keep those that follow or come across me kept up to date on trends that are HOT right now in Shin-Digs, big or small. Does not matter wether you are throwing a Lavish Gala at a Hoity-Toity Ball Room or a small scale Hoop-La in your own backyard, family room, or at the local Bowling Alley, these are all details that you can add to bring a personal, creative touch to your event that will make it feel special and memorable. So without further ado, my first "TREND Spotlight" is...

MASON JARS!

I am seeing these everywhere and in every party! Used in all kinds of ways, here are just a few ideas!
The latest is the Halloween Cupcake in a Jar over at Glorious Treats,


Cupcakes have been popular for a while and have taken many shapes and forms, and using a mason jar is just the latest update to a classic party favorite. These can be as casual or elegant as you need! And can be offered on a Sweet Table, Place Setting or used as a Party Favour! Along the same lines; Pie in a Jar! YUM! One of my favorite desserts is pie! And my FAVORITE PIE is Peach! So you can imagine my "Happy Eyes" when I came across this delightful interpretation!

BreAna , over at Sugar & Spice & All Things Iced used her "bakery magic" and produced incredible results! Pie in a Jar can be used exactly like the cupcakes, for parties - or if you're looking for a good excuse to EAT SOME PIE!
Another key item they are being used for in Party design are Drinking Glasses! Dressed up in all sorts of ways, Ribbon, Raffia, flowers and more! Lids on with straws poking out, or lids off, they are an adorable way to bring in that Simple Elegant detail! I saw this recently on The Hostess With The Mostess' Entry to Sparkling Events & Designs, Decorator's Challenge.

And one of my latest finds is the Mason Jar Chandelier! You can find an incredibly detailed Tutorial at Kara Paslay Designs. I love her Disclaimer about not being electritions! Kara's work is right up my style alley! And I love her descriptions!

I can see this above Patio table's at many an Outdoor Shindig, but it gives me some great ideas about using Jars for Centerpiece's , Lining Pathways or Driveways anywhere you need a little shimmer of candle light- grouped together or on their own!
As always they make a great Container for holding your cutlery, straws, or other items for your buffet table!
So go ahead, dig out your Mason jars and Let's Have a Shin-Dig!

Inspiration for a Halloween Horror Movie Night!

Anyone who knows me, knows my LOVE for Cheese! I'm not talking Cheddar or Havarti here, but Movie Cheese! Pure unappologetic corny special effects, acting and what most people pan movies for - think Batman Forever with George, Arnold, and Boy Wonder!
So when I was racking my brain for some sort of Halloween fun to have with family and friends, I came across this incredibly unique and creative idea from the talented folk at Spaceships and Laser Beams

Don't get me wrong there is NO cheese anywhere near the details of this amazing party. But throwing a Classic Horror movie bash sounds perfect. This one was right up my alley! And I am so excited to share it with you! I'm thinking a night of Nosfaratu, Fankenstein, maybe the BLOB! Or if I am very brave, The Mummy! So here it is and I can't think of a better way to celebrate with some fellow Gouda Lovers!

I think the eye ball and worm details on the cupcakes along with the wrappers and toppers. I absolutely love the simplicity of the Sweets!

Asain pears, apples would work too, and is that a bowl of blueberries in the background?

What would movie night be without popcorn?

Even the waterbottles get Spookified!

From the non-traditional Halloween colour scheme of yellow and blue, to the font and retro styled illustrations, it creates a sophisticated and playful scene that would work for any age group! The Classics Monster Collection is available from Spaceships and Laserbeams for only $15. So that makes it easy for you to invite some friends over for your own Monster Bash!

Chill Back In The Air!

Well it is definetly fall! Rain and cold here for days and the trees on our street are definitely looking more and more Naked! I have been so busy working these last few days on two projects that I will be able to share next week, but I wanted to give a little sneak peak on items that I look forward to featuring!
First up is an item for a Fundraiser that a friend, who is also a wonderful photographer has organized. I am super excited to be part of such a GREAT event. And I can't wait to share more details next week, but for now here is your sneak peek!

 Here is the second sneak peak; A Small Party Box designed for a friend whose son is turning 5! Looking forward to sharing with you how the Party Box works!

I'll be able to share more on both of these projects later next week! Coming up the rest of the week, Brunch ideas and a Spooktacular feature (oh yeah I went there!).

Knock-Knock...BOO!

Have you heard of this? My boys and I found this tradition last year and dove right into it. It's called Boo-ing! It is kind of like a neighbourhood secret Santa thing. You pass on a cute little poem about the tradition, a little treat (homemade or purchased), and a little sign for the door or window-all without being seen (think knicky knicky nine doors), then you sit back and watch the fun...Or at least watch as the Boo signs begin to appear up and down your street! Here it is that time of year again and I am seeing instructions ALL over on how to start "Boo-ing". You can get free printables or create your own, but here is one of my favorites;
 
Pam D. from Keeping Life Creative has created these adorable printables that she is offering.
If you haven't tried this tradition then grab your spooky sheet with the eye holes cut out, some treats and get BOO-ING!

Autumn Leaves, Sunshine and Soup!

Well that was truly an incredible weekend! We could not have ordered better weather! Blue skies and warm sunshine from beginning to end, it was an absolutely perfect long weekend! Getting together with family was, as always, great and something that I am always thankful for.

As promised I thought I better bring you a quick post, that I ran out of time to do before the weekend and before I get too busy again! I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes for Fall. It is for a delish Roast Squash soup, and it is always a hit, PLUS it is so easy!
Ingredients:

7 Cups       Chopped Butternut Squash
2                Medium pears, peeled, cored and quartered
2 tsp.         Cooking oil
1/4 tsp.      Salt

1 Tbsp.       Cooking oil
1 1/2 Cups  Chopped Onion
2                 Garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp.    Ground Ginger
3/4 tsp.       Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp.       Chili powder
1/4 tsp.       Pepper

4 Cups         Prepare Vegetable Broth
1/4-1/2 tsp.  Salt

1/2 Cup      Whipping Cream (or whole milk)

1 1/2 oz       Crumbled Feta cheese (about 1/3 cup)
1-2 Tbsp.    Chopped fresh chive, cut into 1/2 inch lengths

Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Arrange in single layer on greased baking sheet with sides. Bake in 400 F (205 C) oven for about 1 hour, stirring twice, until squash is thender and lightly browned.

Heat second amount of cooking oil in large pot or Dutch oven on medium-low. Add onion and garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally, until onion is soft.

Add next 4 ingredients. Heat and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.

Add squash mixture, broth and second amount of salt. Bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes to blend flavours. Cool slightly. Process in blender, in 2 or 3 batches (I use my braun handblender), until smooth. Return to same pot.

Add whipping cream. Heat and stir on medium-high for about 5 minutes until hot.

Sprinkle feta cheese and chives over individual servings, or serve seperately.
Makes about 8 cups. Serves 6.

Hope that you will try this out soon and let me know what you think of it!

Thanksgiving, Uncle Butch, Lentils and Other Items

With Thanksgiving just days away here in Canada, and the weather brightening for the weekend, I was inspired to create a tablescape for the upcoming family meal, hosted this year by my Mom and Dad. These are often details that are put together quickly and with whatever is on hand, and so off I went gathering items that said FALL to me! This is what I found;

From Lentils and spices in my Pantry, vases and empty canning jars in my kitchen cupboards, to a Fall Tablecloth, paper plates, and napkins from my Linen cupboard. A few holiday themed picks that I have found at various department stores and dollar stores. And don't forget a few select items from my candle cupboard! I was unsure at first as to how things would get put together, so I took a seat to think. I sat in one of my dull  chairs and thought I should really do something to dress them up if I was going to expose them to the world! Voila!

I used two scarf's/pashmina that I passed by in my front hall that actually went well with the tablecloth that I had found, I fasttened them at the seat with pieces of a leaf garland. I really like how they turned out!

Next I got to work on the centre of the table. I started with the tall vase, added some dry navy beans and 2 of the fall picks. I used another empty vase with a little leftover dry yellow lentil and a tall pillar candle. I had a large mason jar that had a mix of dried beans and lentils (leftover from a gift making session) that I used to hold my friendly scarecrow (yes he has a name!).

To finish it off I wrapped the leaf garland throughout the whole thing, added spice filled crystal "salt dishes" topped with candles and some pumpkins. I then remembered that I had some fall leaf candle holders and added them to the mix. I loved how it all turned out!

So much so that I went ahead and set a table!

Wether you are setting a table for a family holiday meal, or grabbing a bite with friends you can add a little to the table without it being a HUGE deal. Often the times that I have thought "WOW, BEAUTIFUL!" were the times that items that were found in a 15 minute hunt and put together until everything was just right! So keep that in mind if you are setting your own Holiday table this weekend, and get hunting!