Safari Party

Let's Go Exploring!
Turning five is an adventure all its own. We celebrated my daughter's fifth birthday with an exciting safari. Here's a peek at the fun we had.

Decorations included khaki tablecloths used as curtains which turned our carport into a cozy tent on the savannah. Red, orange, black, white and (so cute!) animal print balloons hung from the ceiling in big bunches like grapes. This eliminated the need for helium.

 

I set the tables with leopard print plates, zebra print water bottles, and an unexpected snake or two. 

The buffet food was so colorful, it didn't need much embellishment.
-Just some artful arranging by my talented Aunt Beth backed by some tall, reedy, orange grasses.

Chocolate cupcakes topped with white icing and plastic safari animals were easy, yummy, fun, and pretty!

Fruits, veggies, and a candy necklace.
It's all about balance.





As thank you gifts, I covered bubble solution in zebra labels and made take home cd's of the party music. These were a big hit, and are still played on every car trip we ever take.

A huge spray of long grass in a tall vase anchors the display.

Fun and games for our safari came in the form of wild animal tattoos, bubbles, a bounce house, and a slip-n-slide. 

It was a wonderfully colorful day packed with silly fun.






Thanks for stopping by.

Under the Sea with SpongeBob- 2013

It's that time of year again! My kids' annual summer celebration was the best one yet. SpongeBob Squarepants was the theme. The biggest challenge (I thought) was going to be how to make SpongeBob pretty. Who knew ol' Bob could be the catalyst for such gorgeousness?
I hope you enjoy it.

The view from the driveway: Painty the Pirate was an absolute must-have, and boy was he hard to track down! The nautical flags spelling out "SpongeBob Squarepants" are made from cardstock & twine. I couldn't find a  Jolly (and not too scary) Roger flag, so I painted my own.

Jellyfish hanging from the ceiling are styrofoam bowls and curling ribbon. The seaweed is made from bath scrubbies. Stuffed fish came from the dollar store. The coral is a spray painted dogwood branch. The anchor is a painted cardboard cutout.

I borrowed this awesome trunk from Johnson City Community Theater. It was the perfect size to hold two plastic bins which I lined with black garbage bags and filled with ice. The water bottles were wrapped with gold duct tape. SpongeBob is a plastic placemat from WalMart. The sign is painted cardboard.

Pretty pinwheels are made from plastic placemats.

Tissue paper flames and cardboard signs on tiki torches. Gift bags are brown paper bags with scrapbook paper overlays. Ship mast made of painted PVC, a sheer curtain panel and a scrap of red fabric.

Most of the kids at this party were 2 - 5 years old. The store bought Jolly Rogers were too scary. I painted this one on black fabric and really like the way it turned out.

 

Menu
Sand Dollars = bagel chips. Shark teeth = mozzerella cheese. Caviar = grapes. Jellyfish sandwiches = jelly on Pepperidge Farm fish shaped bread. Krabby Patties = vanilla wafers, grasshoppers and cookie icing in red, yellow & green. Plankton = Mike & Ike's candy. Bait = gummy worms. Octopi & Squid = hotdogs and hotdogs pierced with dry spaghetti noodles and boiled. Krabwiches = pimento cheese on mini croissants w/ olive eyes and a radish mouth. Chum buckets = baby carrots & ranch in tiny cups. Sea Sponges = Rice Krispy treats w/ yellow food coloring. Oysters and Pearls = Pepperidge Farm Lemon cookies with blueberry cream cheese and a yogurt covered raisin. Barnacles = pretzel sicks. Guppies = Goldfish crackers. And finally, chocolate gold coins.

 

 

Jellyfishing

 

A homemade slip-n-slide & PVC sprinkler actually worked better than a store-bought one.

A little spray paint and a circle template creates a Twister board in your yard.
Instead of a spinner, I printed cards with "Left Hand", "Right Hand", "Left Foot", "Right Foot" and "Head" in each color,  then put them in a plastic jar to draw out at random.

Bubble Buddy
Dowel rods, string, and heavy gauge wire make giant bubble wands.

AND THEY WORKED!!

Bubbles, Sidewalk Chalk, and Party Blowers
So simple, but always fun.

 

 

 

The photo booth backdrop flags are made from colored cardstock and strung with twine.

Crepe paper and hoops make beautiful breezy chandeliers.

Goofy photo booth glasses, hats & leis are all dollar store finds.
Images of the SpongeBob characters were downloaded and transferred onto cardboard.
Silly Lips and mustaches (and several of these photos) were made by my very talented friend Suzy.
More of her brilliance can be found at See Suzy Spin.

It was a great day.

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share it with you.

A kitchen with a secret...

There is no room in a house where function is more imperative than in the kitchen. Given its lack of function, this space could hardly even be called a kitchen. There was very little storage- even less counter space. The stove was sticking out like a sore thumb with no adjacent prep area. And only a contortionist could remove clothes from the washing machine wedged behind the fridge.

It took some serious space planning, but the new kitchen is super-functional with tons of storage and prep space.

It's secret?.....All of the cabinets and appliances were recycled from another kitchen! 

 

Here's a fun picture of the construction phase, and a sneak peek at my next post. The exterior wall was removed and a porch was enclosed to make a sunny new laundry room...