Abby Cadabby & Elmo Present a Tutu (2nd) Birthday Party!

Bella's 2nd Birthday Party was a success! I managed to incorporate her favorite characters Abby Cadabby and Elmo along with a Tutu theme. Vibrant splashes of Pink, Purple, Teal, Yellow and Red set the stage. Here are a few pictures of the details.

Crochet - The Lost Art (or so I thought...)

I was scouring Etsy.com today and stumbled across these adorable finds. My grandmother was amazing and crocheted the best gifts. Some of my most cherished snuggly soft blankets were made by her over the years. Its pictures like this that make me wish I had taken her “How to Crochet” demonstrations a little more seriously. She tried really hard to pass on her craft to at least one grand-daughter. I know the basic stitch and have made small simple things like pot holders, scarves, and the first 10 inches of an afghan blanket. Maybe someday I will have the time to fine tune my abilities and make her proud!

Get Lit Thursday: Pictures Say A Thousand Words

Stumbled across this picture on the Internet today. Here is something new that I haven't seen incorporated too much into current special event lighting. I absolutely love this effect. What a great way to dress ordinary walls and transform the room into anything you want. Love this Baseball themed event. The pictures create an atmosphere out of what appears to be an otherwise very basic room. This effect is great for either color photographs as well as black and white.

Moonlit Twist: I would love to transform a room with the brightly colored lights (pictures) of old (vintage) Christmas postcard water color images. Can you imagine the rich color palette spilling across? Stagger the images to be off center and voila!

This technique is accomplished with LCD projectors. This very same technique could also be used to show a short moving clip. Perhaps dine amongst the canopy of jungle trees and vines; while be watched by chirping frogs and swinging monkeys? Fabulous!

DIY- Chocolate Cups

Spoiler Alert! I will be making these little gems for Bella's 2nd Birthday Party in a few weeks. These chocolate cups are super easy and can be made in a variety of colors. Simply purchase your favorite meltable dipping chips from the grocery store, Michael's or Hobby Lobby.

1. You'll need to blow up a number of small balloons to about the size of a coffee cup.

2. Melt your favorite dipping chocolates or chips in a large bowl whose depth of the melted chocolate is approx 3-4 inches deep to ensure the balloons can be dipped to their half mark.

3. Holding where the balloon closes, dip balloon's bottom into the chocolate to coat it. You can also marbleize the chocolate before dipping. Be fun an creative and mix some colors together!

4. Place the balloon on a lined cookie sheet holding it at the top so the excess chocolate starts to settle to create a bottom. The balloon will eventually stand on its own. Repeat the process for as many cups as you'd like to make. Then place the pan into the refrigerator for 5 to 8 minutes. When you remove the pan from the refrigerator, the chocolate surrounding the balloons should be hard.

5. Prick the balloon with a pin to deflate it. Carefully remove from the chocolate cup. If the room is warm, store in the refrigerator before filling.

6. When you're done, you can fill the cups with fruit (berries work well) and whipped cream, chocolate ganache mousse, cold pudding or ice cream.

Enjoy! Super fun to make as well!

Vintage Raggedy Ann & Andy: The Tradition

Several decades ago a tradition was born. Little did my mom know it at the time, but she was setting the party stage for generations to come. My middle sister had a Raggedy Ann & Andy 1st birthday theme in the 70’s. When she had her first daughter she had the perfect theme already in mind for that 1st birthday. Raggedy Ann & Andy! Well here we are the year 2010; and once again my sister held onto her tradition of the Raggedy Ann & Andy 1st Birthday theme for her youngest daughter.

My mom and sister did an amazing job pulling together a vintage themed birthday party. Some of the décor pieces are vintage from my sister’s room growing up as a child. It is not easy to find Raggedy Ann & Andy party supplies these days. With a little imagination and a lot of creativity from my mom, they were able to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Everything was made by hand and customized for the special occasion. My mom is my muse and inspiration. There is nothing she can’t do or make by hand. So much love goes into her work.

Here are the 1st birthday girls from far right to left: My sister, her oldest daughter, and her youngest daughter. They are all complete with their own hand-sewn Raggedy Ann & Andy dresses. Tradition is a beautiful thing!