Popcorn Birthday Cake
Our family tradition continues. The birthday person gets to choose the shape of their birthday cake. My son chose a popcorn bucket in honor of the movie birthday party. Fruit leather was the stripes and we made sticky popcorn for the top!!
Baseball Themed 1st Birthday Party
My son turned 1 this year. Its amazing how everyone said it would fly by and I believed them and really really tried to live in the moment and cherish every second. It still flew by!
However, the fun part is that we got to throw a big Baseball themed 1st Birthday Party.
Some fun elements were a flag banner that featured photos from every month of life from birth to 12 months. It was a fun way to show guests how much he’s grown and changed. And a “Happy Birthday” banner hung above the high chair.
A sandwich board chalkboard on the curb guided guests the gate leading to the backyard. Above the gate hung another flag banner that said “Admissions” and a little “Gate B” sign on the gate for fun. (B is for Bennett) As guests entered the backyard, a table was set up with some fun ballpark goodies.
• Cotton Candy hanging on a tree branch
• Apothecary jars and mason jars filled with peanuts and sunflower seeds
• Vintage cracker jacks wrapped up with a tag that said “Thank You for Helping to Make Bennett’s Birthday a Grand Slam.”
• Some classic treats like Red Vines, Big League Chew, Twix and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
• An old wooden bat for guests to sign for the birthday boy
• And some pictures from a recent photoshoot
Of course, what’s a baseball party without baseball cupcakes…. I made some Padres pennant flag toppers since the San Diego Padres are my husbands favorite team. The tables were covered with a light gray cloth and baseball jersey pinstripe overlays. The centerpieces were a 2′x2′ astroturf square with apothecary jars filled with baseballs and mason jars in the four corners with a single white rose (from Eufloria) to represent a baseball diamond. And finally, a snack bar filled with some yummy classics: hot dogs, fritto boats, nachos, pretzels, churros and some fresh fruit.
We played wiffle ball in the yard and I made a “Schmitz Stadium” flag banner to hang above the “ball field.” We purchased foam fingers for the teams and to top it off… I made family shirts for our little nuclear family. It has our names and ages on the back.
It was a blessed day for my little man. So much fun hanging out with family and friends.
Dessert Buffet
Here is the beautiful dessert buffet that Summer created for a baby shower. More on the shower to come but I had to get this picture up there!
Rustic Wedding
Last spring we were the event coordinators for a wedding here on the central coast in Templeton California! Summer and I helped the bride and groom design, create flower arrangements and coordinate the big day. Here are some pictures we hope you enjoy.
The bride loved succulents and had a picture of a bridal bouquet that she loved. We got our inspiration from there and expanded. An urn with a large bouquet was on each side of the door at the front of the aisle.
The boutonnieres and corsages were designed with succulents grown by the bride several months before the wedding, and the matron of honor carried a bouquet similar to the bride’s.
The bride walked down an aisle covered with rose petals. The ceremony was in front of the hacienda under the trees. The guests sat in a semicircle around the bride and groom.
The reception was in the back of the Hacienda overlooking the hills. Cocktail tables with simple centerpieces were scattered around the patio. We took three wine bottles, wrapped them with lace and green jute and filled them with roses and some fill.
Appetizers and desserts were served after the wedding. Brownies, cookies and wedding cake decorated the table under a pergola. A chandelier hung over the table. Tara Stumph did a fabulous job with appetizers. It was nothing short of spectacular! Hostess du Jour designed the dessert buffet.
The cake was a work of art done by Amanda Craner. The lace from the flower arrangements and succulents from the garden were used to decorate and the cake was displayed on the dessert table. Flowers were arranged by Hostess du Jour. Photos were taken by Summer Schmitz. And the special moments were capture by Ryan Lee Films.
Thank you Jason and Lina for allowing us to be a part of your wedding. It was so beautiful. You both did a great job planning and designing your day. It was a beautiful reflection of you both. We wish you a lifetime of happiness and beauty.
Bar Mitzvah
We were so privileged to be a part of designing the decor for a bar mitzvah. The family was so wonderful to work with and we had a great time. We wanted to create a fun feel and add some elements that were more masculine as well as make the decor personal.
What better way to say fun than three foot balloons! We were so thankful for the help from Ryan and his mom Nancy for all their help!
The stage was full of the orange balloons. AMS Entertainment provided music and lighting – sadly we didn’t get a picture!!
For center pieces we made fabric squares to add some color (thanks Candy!!). We filled 12 inch fish bowls with teal water beads. We wrapped the vase with ribbon that secured the balloon. Orange carnations and a few orange craspedia filled the top of the vase. We inserted a red wire to hold different pictures of the guest of honor from his childhood. We finally finished it off with a light in the vase to illuminate the beads.
The front table had mandarin oranges with a small teal pin attaching a thank you note for each guest. Pictures as well as some artwork helped decorate the table.
The bathrooms had a few small touches.
A big thanks to Piper for giving us this opportunity! We had a wonderful time and wish you and your family the best.
Alice in Wonderland Wedding
Another fabulous opportunity to plan an event on the central coast! What fun it was.
The wedding was held in a friend’s yard. We built a pergola to frame the ceremony site, placed chairs and staked old windows into the ground to frame the back side. The front side of the windows was white and the back side was painted purple. Flowers were hung by ribbons in mason jars at different places on the windows. The pergola was adorned with handfuls of fresh cut flowers and large twigs as well as a pink chandelier.
Hostess du Jour was in charge of designing and coordinating the event as well as designing and arranging the flowers. Multi colored flowers were arranged in each centerpiece while the brides each had one single colored flower that matched their shoes. The groomsmen’s boutonnieres and ties matched their partner.
The bride’s bouquet was a combination of all her bridesmaid’s flowers with a little Alice in Wonderland flair. The centerpieces were a combination of multicolored bouquets in giant tea cups as well as tall vases wrapped in black and white wrapping paper.
The tables had white napkins creating the striped effect as well as multi colored lanterns hung over the whole reception. PVC poles spray painted with black and white spirals held the wire over the whole reception. Programs, favors and invites all had the Alice in Wonderland theme incorporated.
Food was provided by Auten Boy’s BBQ and Catering in Arroyo Grande. Appetizers were served in the font lawn while the bride and groom took pictures. Food was in the back with drinks and dancing. Cakes were provided by KKs Bunt cakes in Arroyo Grande. Video of the ceremony and reception was done by Ryan Lee Video and photos were taken by J. Andrew Photography.
Thanks to everyone who helped, the day was a big success. The bride and groom were beautiful. Congratulations to the happy couple and thank you for letting us be a part of planning your big day!
Baby Shower
The latest event planned by Hostess Du Jour was an evening baby shower in gray and yellow.
Flowers were done by Connie Sparks and Hostess Du Jour. Thanks Connie for all your help!
Old windows were bolted together and staked into the ground. Pictures of the parents to be as babies were nailed to the windows. Comfy chairs for the parents to sit in while opening presents added to the family room feel.
Dinner for the event was served after 45 minutes of hourdorves. The food was catered by Auten Boys BBQ and Catering. Dave’s food, as always, was fabulous. We had grilled chicken breast, asparagus spears and shrimp topped with hollandaise sauce. The entrée was served with salad and rice pilaf. If you have an event to cater, Dave is a great choice! Favors were chocolate truffles in tiny gift boxes placed at each person’s plate. Toasts were made by the grandparents to be, and there might have been a few tears in the touching moments.
The cakes were BEAUTIFUL, not to mention delicious. The cakes were courtesy of Amanda Craner. Chocolate (she does the best chocolate around), carrot cake and a lavender cake with lemon curd. Absolutely divine! Amanda is amazing.
Amy Wellenkamp photographers took pictures of the new parents to be and created a “belly book” for everyone at the shower to sign. Everything Amy touches turns to gold. The book was a work of art. She is one of the most talented photographers in the area. Thanks, Amy!
This was such a fun event to plan. Thanks to all who helped. We could not do these parties without all of you!
Bridal Shower
Summer and I just finished planning another event on the central coast. The event was a shower for a bride to be. We set up in Summer’s back yard. The theme was rustic, outdoors. It was so much fun to do. Since I am writing the post I think I will start with the food. (I have a little problem)…
The event was after dinner, so we served hors d’oeuvres. Prosciutto wrapped caprice sandwiches, beets with goat cheese, pine nuts and balsamic served on arugula, brie and fig tartlets, shrimp cocktail and marinated asparagus and bell pepper (not pictured). For dessert we served homemade brownies and lemon bars. Drinks were served in mason jars – lemon-lime aid and triple citrus mojitos.
The food table was in front of a fabric draped frame. A large branch that Summer found in a fire pit served as a base to wire small white flowers to and hang candles in mason jars. The drinks were in mason jars in buckets of ice to the left of the table.
The dessert table had tea, coffee and hot chocolate as well as a basket with blankets for people who were cold. The same white flowers decorated the dessert stands.
An old mirror invites the guests to use a blanket.
The tables were set with white linens and burlap. Homemade mixed berry jam were the favors. The white flowers served as a centerpiece. Lights were strung and we were ready for the event!!
Lots of fun kitchen gifts to start of the new couple’s home!
Thanks to all that helped! It was a great night.
Garden Wedding at Dana Powers House
My favorite pic from the whole day!
Our friends Loren and Courtney just got married on September 11, 2010. Although we did not have anything to do with the planning or vision, except to recommend a vendor here and there, we must show off this wedding. Courtney did an absolutely fabulous job coordinating her perfect wedding. Her colors were brown and orange. The day was elegant, tasteful, and beautiful. Kudos to Courtney, a fellow lover of party planning.
Her vendors are as follows:
Venue: Dana Powers House, Nipomo CA
Flowers: Lori Boe Floral Design, Arroyo Grande CA
Dress: David’s Bridal
Hair & Make-up: Debra Angell, Los Osos CA
Tuxedo Rentals: A Heart’s Desire, San Luis Obispo CA
Caterer: Phoenix Fine Catering, San Luis Obispo CA
Cake: Windy City Cakery, Orcutt CA
Photographer: ME!! Summer Schmitz, Nipomo CA
I am a second shooter for Amy Wellenkamp Photographers on the weekends. I don’t usually shoot weddings on my own, but these two are my friends and I just couldn’t say no. A big THANK YOU goes out to Amy though, she came out and helped me shoot the ceremony, two photographers is always better than one. Here are some photos I’d like to share with you.
Thank you Loren and Courtney Radis for allowing me to be a part of your beautiful day. You are such a sweet and loving couple, so happy for you two!!
Ode to Summer’s Flowers
Just a short entry here about Summer’s new found talent. She has been sitting in on a floral design class on and off through the last year, and this last party she designed some pretty spectacular floral arrangements that I think deserve their own blog. So here they are!
The boutonniere and corsage were for the honored guests. The low arrangement sat on top of the cake display and the other two were on tables in the house. I’d say she gets an A+!!
Engagement Party
Event planning has kept us busy! Some friends of ours are newly engaged, and we planned an engagement party for them. We invited friends and family to toast the new couple while we served dessert and wine. The dessert was three different cakes: Lemon cake with lemon curd filling, chocolate cake with vanilla cream filling and vanilla cake with triple berry filling.
We strung lights through the back yard lighting the way through the garden area and had several areas for seating.
Lanterns were strung around as well as several flower arrangements designed by Summer.
A simple banner was strung with ribbon in the party colors.
Congratulations to the happy couple! May all your dreams come true!!
Lemon Tassies
We planned an event for some missionary friends of ours here on the central coast. They wanted to do an informational talk about what they do in Africa, and invited us to plan the event as well as a dessert. A friend of ours made chocolate dipped mini cupcakes (yum!). The second dessert was mini strawberry shortcake triffles in votive candle holders. The last dessert we made were mini lemon tassies. They were outstanding! These would all be great for a tea party as well. The recipe is courtesy of Martha Stewart
Crust:
- 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus more for pans
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- Pinch of salt
Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with rack in upper third. Lightly butter a 24-cup mini-muffin pan; set aside. Combine the flour and butter using a food processor or a fork. Pulse or mash until mixture is the consistency of fine crumbs. Add the sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Process until evenly incorporated and smooth; do not overprocess.
- Divide the dough into quarters. Divide each quarter into 6 pieces. Shape into balls. Place each ball in a muffin cup; press down in the centers so that the dough fits the cups snugly. Make sure the bottom of each cup is pressed thinly. A thick crust on the bottom does not taste as good.
- Bake until lightly browned all over and slightly darker at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Do not over bake as these will bake again when the filling is put in. Transfer muffin pan to a wire rack to cool.
- Make the filling: In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla until completely smooth. Using a 1/4-ounce ice cream scoop, fill the cooled crusts. Bake until filling is set and just beginning to color at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer muffin pan to a wire rack. Let cool completely before serving. The tassies may be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days or frozen and defrosted at room temperature before serving.
If you are doing any event planning, this is sure to please!!
Beach Rehearsal Dinner
One of our latest events planned on the central coast was a rehearsal dinner. The hostess hired us to plan the event, purchase the necessary elements and set the party up. She came to us with the parameters that it was to be held at Avila Beach and she wanted all the food to be grilled on a stick or finger food. The idea was simple but elegant.
Our inspiration were teal colored preserved orchids. Summer found these online at save-on-crafts.com. This site was a great find. They have tons of great decor and crafts, but be prepared that what you save on the items themselves will be made up for in shipping. We tied the napkins and silverware with a raffia bow and hot glued the orchids onto the raffia.
The plates were made of bamboo, purchased from smartyhadaparty.com. This site has many creative options for disposable plates and serving dishes. We used their plates for two events we planned. The plates were such great quality we ended up washing them to use again for another party.
Burlap table runners ran down white table cloths. The center pieces were large vases with river rocks and shells in them. We finished the center pieces off with the sticks people were to use to roast their food.
Finally, we marked off the area using the painted PVC poles from a previous event we planned. We strung wire across the poles and hung small jam jars with wire handles by teal ribbon. We made the jars from wire we had in stock. We set the event up quite a bit earlier than people were going to show up so instead of using tea lights (two hour burn time) we put votive holders into the jam jars and used a full sized votive. The hostess of the event had some lanterns and shepherd’s hooks from her wedding and we used those to mark a path from the stairs people would come down to the area for the party.
The food table was prepared with bamboo trays of food. We used Summer’s big drink jars to serve smores. We tied two graham cracker halves and a piece of chocolate with kitchen twine and put those in one jar and marshmallows in the other jar.
On the other end of the table was an apothecary jar with sand and shells in it. We provided small scrolls of paper tied with teal ribbon for people to write a wish to the bride and groom. The bride and groom took home the jar to read at their leisure and decorate their new home.
We had so much fun planning this event. It was fun to create it and see it come into being. Thanks Brittney for letting us be a part of your family’s special time. We loved it!
Blessing book
My husband and I are photographers as well, and one thing we love to do for our friends that are having babies, is make a Blessing Book for them. We have noticed a trend in belly photography that includes more of the daddy-to-be. We have a photoshoot with the parents-to-be during the 7th month of pregnancy. That way, mommy is nice and round but not so big that she’ll feel icky about her photos. We go on location locally to a place of the parents choosing. We usually shoot around 200-300 images, then we narrow them down to somewhere between 50 and 75 photos. We upload them to a password protected, online album, and send the link and password to the the parents. They look them over, send the link to all their family and friends, and then narrow them down again to their favorite 20-30 images. We take those 20-30 images and design a photo book, using cute backgrounds, and their nursery colors. We send a proof to the parents to approve before we go to print. Once we get approval we order a photo book. There is a great deal of space around the photos for friends and family to write messages to the coming baby, or the family as a whole. People write blessings, or prayers, or advice. Its a really wonderful keepsake, and all of our friends have loved them so far.
Here are some images found in the book:
Evening Baby Shower Menu
When planning a party or shower for friends, the host wants to spend time with people instead of spending all evening in the kitchen! So here is a menu that can be prepped almost entirely before hand!
Menu:
Stuffed Chicken breasts
Dinner Rolls
Green Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Prep in advance: Cut a pocket in the chicken breast with a sharp knife. Make sure that the knife does not go all the way through the breast. Stuff the chicken breast with whatever ingredients appeal to you. We did three different stuffings and upon tasting them, evaluating and changing the recipes, here are three that I would recommend.
1. Pesto and sun-dried tomato mix. 1 C. Pesto, 1 C. cream cheese, 1 C. sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil. This will stuff about four chicken breasts.
2. Caprice mix. 4 Roma tomatoes chopped, 1 C. fresh mozzarella, 1/2 C. basil chopped. This will stuff about four chicken breasts.
3. Cordon bleu mix. 7 thicker slices of black forest ham chopped, 7 slices of swiss cheese chopped. This will stuff about 4 chicken breasts.
For the event we stuffed the chicken and then covered and refrigerated it until the day of the shower. On the day, one hour before cook chicken in oven to 350. I used convection since we had three trays of chicken. Bake about 45 minutes until a thermometer registers 160 degrees. After baking, slice the breasts into small slices so that guests can try several different kinds. This also eliminates waste for people who don’t want to eat a whole breast.
For the salad we served three large organic salad mixes (the big plastic boxes) with six baskets of strawberries sliced into it, about 4 cups of feta cheese, 3 cups of dried cranberries and 4 cups of candied walnuts. All the slicing and candying walnuts were done in advance. The strawberries were sliced the morning of the shower.
Two bags of dinner rolls were bought at costco.
All of this plus 27 chicken breasts fed about 42 people.
If you would like to serve appetizers at your event as we did, here are some easy ones to make:
Blue cheese and walnut spread
2 C. cream cheese
1 C. chopped walnuts
2 C. blue cheese
Mix the cream cheese and walnuts until smooth. Gently fold in blue cheese. This can be served on crackers or bread, but is really phenomenal on granny smith apples. You can cut the apples the afternoon before the shower and put them in a bag with several tablespoons of lemon juice. Shake the apples well to coat. This will keep them from browning. The spread can be made up to four days in advance and stored in the refrigerator
Apricot stack
Simply stack a dried apricot, a small slice of Asiago cheese and a pecan. This is so simple, and so, so good. No toothpick necessary. Just pick up the stack and pop it in your mouth!
Baked Brie
Buy one whole brie round. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min or until soft and runny. Meanwhile, saute
14 slices prosciutto
2/3 C. sundried tomatoes packed in oil
1/3 C. capers
After the brie is baked, put sautéed mixture over the top of brie wheel. Serve with crackers
Its Raining Its Pouring….
…..It’s a New Lewis We’re Adoring!
Here is more on our shower for Jaime Lewis. The shower was at a friend of Pam’s, Brigitte Falkenhagen’s house. Brigitte’s house was simply amazing and gorgeous, there were really no decorations needed. She has a spanish style hacienda, with a beautiful courtyard, that’s where we had the shower. We made these 7 foot tall parasols out of pvc pipe, spray paint, ribbon, rocks and terra cotta pots. I think this was one of my greatest ideas ever. The funny thing is, I don’t think I worked on any of it….oh wait, I did anchor the pvc pipe in cement. The rest was all worked on by my husband, Matt, Laurene and Valerie.
From Left to Right: Laurene, Matt, Summer, Valerie
HOW TO MAKE THE PARASOL STANDS:
Note: Make sure to take the parasol to the hardware store with you so that the width of the pipe is big enough to slide the parasol handle into it. The folks at the hardware store can cut the pipe down to any length for you.
1. Anchor the pvc pipe in some fence post concrete mix. We found it at the hardware store in 50lb bags for under $3. To Anchor: Line a bucket with a plastic grocery bag (make sure there are no holes), pour in some of the concrete mix, pour in water (just enough to moisten all the concrete), place the unpainted pvc pipe into the center, use a long level to make sure its straight. Let dry overnight. Remove the pole and concrete from the plastic bag, set outside to dry all the way through (this could take another day or two depending on how deep the concrete is).
2. Spray paint the pvc with your first color, let dry and put on a second coat. We recommend light coats so you don’t get drip mark. You can do as many coats as it takes to achieve the look you want.
3. Using painters tape, tape off the stripe pattern and then spray on your second color. We used a 2 inch wide tape.
4. Place the finished pole into any container and cover with dirt or rocks.
5. Tie bows at the ends of the parasol, use different colors and lengths to create a more interesting effect. Slide the parasol into the top of the pipe. You can use anything as your topper.
6. Bonus: We also added some crystals on one to make it look like rain drops.
We made two different sizes, four 7 foot tall stands, and two 4 foot stands. We placed the 7 foot tall stands in the courtyard, and one 4 foot tall stand on the food table and the other on the Welcome/Gift table.
More cute details:
ABC blocks to spell out the baby's name.
Left over ribbon was used on the skirt of the food table. Brigitte's Idea!! So cute!!
Valerie found the swizzle stick idea on MarthaStewart.com. Pam was the one who actually put them together.
Pam made Umbrella Cookies as the party favor.
Artistic and Reliable
We have been fortunate enough to work with the lovely Amanda Clardy, to help her with her wedding on the day of. She’s is a super creative, ecclectic, and organized woman so she doen’t need us to plan her whole day. Really, she just needs some man power on her big day, so that she can just enjoy herself. We’ll be decorating, setting up the buffet and serving beverages. We met with her yesterday and she said the sweetest thing. She said that she need to have someone there who was both artistic and reliable. That way she’ll know that without her around, her vision will come to fruition.
A big thank you to Amanda, for this super fun opportunity. We’re really excited about your big day!
Baby Boy Shower Invite
My friend Valerie Wilson and I just planned a baby shower for our dear friend Jaime Lewis. She is having a boy. We came up with this play on the word “shower,” and found some similar ideas online at various sites. We loved incorporating an umbrella or parasol. We asked Jaime’s mom, Pam Johnson, to help us with the shower because she is sooooooooooooo talented and crafty. When we told her our idea, she came up with this invitation….isn’t the CUTEST!!?!?!!!!
“It’s raining, it’s pouring, it’s a little Lewis we’re adoring!”
Quick Baby Shower Decor
I had a baby shower at my “day job” for the teacher I work with. She is having a girl, and her nursery colors are black, white and yellow. I was going to simply do helium balloons, and streamers in her colors since the shower was only going to last 30 minutes during the lunch break. So, I went shopping for exactly those, when all of sudden I had this epiphany. I found some tissue paper in the gift wrapping section. It had words like: Baby, Congrats, and love, printed on white tissue paper in pink, blue, yellow and green. Then it dawned on me…..THE PAPER FLOWERS!!! I had these pink paper lanterns left over from previous parties, as well as some ribbon. I only needed to buy the yellow polka dot ribbon and some tissue. I rushed home and whipped out, 6 of these lanterns. There are 3 paper flowers per lantern, and 3 different ribbons forming the bow. Our shower was a potluck, so I hung 3 lanterns over the food table, and 3 over the gift table. It was a smashing success and I spent very little time on the decoration.
Birthday in “Paris”
As I mentioned before, we threw a Paris themed party for a friend of ours who turned 50 this year. The invitations went out, and instructed everyone to wear black and white so that the birthday girl would stand out in pink. She showed up adorning a fabulous pink outfit with head to toe feathers. If you knew her, you wouldn’t expect anything less.
(more…)
Paris Themed Invitation
We threw a Paris themed birthday party for our friend who turned 50 this Spring. She had hoped to go to Paris for her birthday, but finances did not allow for it. So, we thought a Paris themed party was a fabulous alternative. This is the invitation, our colors were bright pink, black and white. On the back of the invitation we had directions to the party site. More pictures of the party to follow.
Christmas Favors
We were asked to make the favors for a friend’s Christmas party this year. We had fun brainstorming all sorts of ideas. In the end we hand dipped oreo cookies in milk and white chocolate and then sprinkled them with sugar crystals of green and red. I found some sugar crystals that were pepermint flavor. That was fun. Summer designed a label for the clear bags and we attatched the label and finished it off with Christmas ribbon.
A tip if you try this idea at home. The back of the chocolate chip bag has directions for melting the chips to dip. They tell you to put them in the microwave and don’t stir them until the end. Being a food snob I turned up my nose at these direction and thought surely this would be better done on the stove. Nothing good ever came out of the microwave. … Twenty minutes later I had a hard glob of golden brown white chocolate in the trash can. I would recommend following the directions on the package…I will humbly check my pride at the door next time.
Our First Party
My parents hired us for our first paid party. The party was my dad’s 70th birthday in combo with a valentines party for their friends. We designed several different menu options and had my parents over to choose and sample some different foods. We then designed and sent out invitations for 10 couples for the dinner.
Appetizers started the party. We had three different stations around the house. Blue cheese and walnut spread, sundried tomato and artichoke dip and feta stuffed cherry tomatoes. We also had a wine table set up with several white and red options. The guests moved to the tables after some mingling time.
Dinner started with a salad served with salami and provolone slices, olives and tomatoes with a home made balsamic vinegret. Dinner was spaghetti, roasted veggies and home made sundried tomato bread.
Toasts were made and stories shared as we served dessert. Chocolate cups filled with vanilla pudding and raspberry puree with a raspberry on top. Everyone stayed around and visited. As they left, we had white boxes of heart shaped chocolate truffles as favors for them to take home.
Everything went really well. I was really happy with how everything turned out. We are looking forward to our next parties. We have a 50th birthday and a shower coming up. We’ll keep you posted!
Baby Shower Games/Activities
Well, we’ve got a couple different baby shower’s coming up, and I thought I’d share some of my ideas for activities. Most of my friends along with myself are not big fans of shower games, so these are a few non-threatening activities.
1. DOOR PRIZES: Set up an entry table, and as guests arrive have them self-address an envelop to a thank you card. Which means that you either need to supply the mommy-to-be with thank you cards or let her know in advance that you’ll be doing this and ask her to give you the ones she is using. Later the mommy-to-be will draw a name and that person wins a prize. Do this as many times throughout the party as you want. Also, having guests self address the envelops helps the mommy-to-be shave a little time off her busy schedule of writing all those thank you cards.
2. BABY GIFT BINGO: The basic idea is that your guests write down items that they think the mommy-to-be will be unwrapping at the party. Write one item per square, then pass out stickers to use as bingo markers. As the mommy-to-be is unwrapping presents, your guests will be very attentive, marking their items off their bingo cards in hopes of yelling “BINGO.” Now, often times your guests will want to write down their own gift that they brought. I usually handle this one of two ways. Either I have already written FREE on the center square and therefore they are not allowed to use their own gift, or, I do not include the FREE square and I let them use their own gift but only for one square.
HOW TO: Fashion a bingo card on the computer, bingo cards are basically tables that have 5 rows and 5 columns. Use a cute baby themed graphic that matches your theme at the top of the page. Then you can type out directions to the game, then insert your bingo table. You can type Free on the center square if you like, or you can allow your guest one free spot to place anywhere they want. Use colors that matches your theme to give it a little pizazz.
3. BLESSING BOOK: Since I am a photographer, this one is very special to me. I take prego pics of the parents-to-be, thats both mom and dad. And then they select 20 of their favorites. I design a coffeetable book with spaces for guests to write a special prayer or blessing over the baby, or perhaps some parenting advice. This will make a beautiful keepsake to be passed down years later. I also, design custom Thank You cards for the parents, so that when they’re sending out thank yous, their guest are also receiving a photo of them. I’ve done this after the baby was born to, and made it a birth announcement as well. But I digress… The blessing book can be set out at the entry table or passed around during the opening of gifts for guests to sign and look at: creating another experience at the shower.
