Crepe Paper Rosettes

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, it's time to get busy with some cute craft projects with my kiddos. And now that my girls are getting a little older, the crafts are taking on a bit more sophisicated flair. I came across these fabulous ideas using crepe paper rolls to make gorgeous flowers and thought these would be a perfect fit. You can't get much cheaper that crepe paper -- 2 rolls for a $1.00 at the Dollar Tree! And lots of colors, too. I just love these little flowers..... it sends my brain into overdrive thinking of all the cute possibilities from embellishing picture frames for the girls' rooms to covering their initials on their bedroom walls and, of course, all the fantastic ways you could use these to decorate party tables..... You know me.... always thinking of parties!

Look at this pretty wreath made of the rosettes in different colors of crepe paper

from Tales from an OC Cottage. She used only a paper plate and the crepe paper

for supplies - cheap and pretty.... just my style!

Aren't these so pretty?

And these pomanders from Momma and Da Boyz would look so pretty hanging in my oldest daughter's room. She would be so proud to make these and display them in her room.

Momma and Da Boyz shows you step-by-step how easy making the roses are using styrofoam balls and a few colors of crepe paper.

After scrunching the rolls up to add a little texture and then laying the paper flat again, she folds one side of the paper roll down about 1/3 of the way. The she starts the rolling and twisting process.




And eventually..... with much more detailed instructions on her blog.... ends up with these little pretties. Wouldn't these be beautiful to use in decorating a Valentine's dinner table? I can see them as napkin rings or tied to the base of a wine glass to add a special "lovey" touch, or even a beautiful bouquet of them as a centerpiece. So sweet!

Enjoy your day today! And don't forget to drop by the Dollar Tree and grab some crepe paper!

Amanda's Parties TO GO Online Magazine Feature

I am thrilled to announce that Amanda's Parties To Go Football Party printables have been featured on an MSN online lifestyle magazine today! Microsoft Network's Glo.com asked to feature the printables for an article they were running on Kids' Superbowl Parties and today is the day.... Hooray! If you've not seen Glo.com yet, you should give it a try. There are fabulous articles on fashion, beauty, family and relationships, too.

What a thrill for my new business!

Need a Fabulous Cake Stand?

I love a DIY kind of girl, and I've found some super-talented ones over at Bee in our Bonnett.

Have you ever seen a gorgeous cake plate stand in the store that You.Just.HAD.To.Have? And then you took a look at the price tag and gingerly set it back down and continued on your merry way. Well, thanks to the creative talents of the two sisters at Bee in our Bonnett, we can have our cute cake stands and save a little money, too.

Aren't these amazing?

The girls made these fabulous pedestal cake stands for their little

brother's wedding party and then styled this beautiful dessert table, too.

Using some smooth plywood.....

Some furniture legs from Home Depot......

And some trim from the Dollhouse section of the craft store (Michaels) ..... oh, yeah, and a really nice & handy husband..... they crafted these beautiful stands in no time at all.

After assembly, sanding and a little paint, the sisters added some simple white plates (Walmart) to the tops of each stand.

And created these.... beautiful, versatile.... and they even show you how to store the stands easily.

What a GREAT idea! Thanks Bee in our Bonnett!

Please visit their blog for more detailed instructions and other fun ideas.

Valentines's Heart Pops

Everyone loves Valentines Day, I mean, really, how could you not? A full day set aside to celebrate LOVE! Hearts and flowers, chocolate and other goodies, and super sweet notes to those we care about..... what a terrific reminder to focus on the positive things in life.

I'm almost overwhelmed by all of the great Valentines ideas circulating on the internet. I hope to share lots of them with you all over the coming weeks.... recipes and crafts and parties, too. I happened across this adorable idea for a Valentine's treat from Pleasant Home, Valentine's Heart Pops made from candy canes and white chocolate candy melts. This is brilliant! Easy and quick and a great favor for neighbors and friends.

Adorable for a classroom treat, too!

With the directions from Pleasant Home, they are simple to make with a few ingredients..... small candy canes, white chocolate candy melts and some Valentines sprinkles.

And while you're visiting Jodi over at Pleasant Home,

take a look at these yummy jello pop corn balls.

And these super easy favors using tic-tacs and a little scrapbook paper.

Thanks, Jodi, for all of your inspiring ideas!

Winter-time Pool Party!

Following up on a sweet comment from one of my readers a few days ago led me to this adorable pool party from Paula of JC's Loft. Paula is a mom who LOVES to throw a party.... the more detailed, the better! And a winter-time pool party is about as creative as it gets. She decided to take a break from the winter-time blues, and host a pool party at an indoor waterpark for her baby's first birthday. Just take a look at all of the fun details.

Paula was so creative with her food table..... "Pool Noodles" from the Dollar Tree (sour sticks), "Life Savers" and Starburst "Kick Boards" -- how cute! She even made the cake herself.... a little "self-portrait" of her family at the pool. She used a wooden number 1 covered in scrapbook paper as a cake topper..... easy and inexpensive, too.

How amazingly cute is he? Cole's a lucky boy to have such a creative mom!

For more details on this and Paula's other fabulous parties and ideas,

go check her out on her blog.

Happy 1st Birthday, Cole!

Thanks for sharing your fantastic winter time pool party with us!

Kids' Valentines Favor Idea

I'm always looking for a fun project to do with my kids.... they LIVE for art projects, and it's one of those things that brings all 3 of them together, despite their 6 year age spread. Yesterday, I came across an adorable project from Positively Splendid that we are going to use for Valentine's treats for friends. It's a sweet Valentine to hand out to classmates and friends, but here's the kicker...... you make your own paper and include some wildflower seeds. Then the kids get to "plant" their paper this spring to create their very own little flower garden.

ADORABLE!

Amy, the creator of this crafty idea, says, "I absolutely adore a craft project that utilizes things that would otherwise be discarded. See the speckled paper hearts at the center of each of these blooms? My kiddos and I took an afternoon to make that paper together using paper scraps and other ingredients we had on hand, and we had tons of fun in the process. The kids were fascinated by the fact that it is possible to take something used and make it new again, which makes this a truly stellar lesson in recycling. Once the paper was completely finished, we used it the next day to craft the flower Valentines you see here. Why flowers? you might ask. That, friends, is the very best part of this project: Our homemade paper contains a magic ingredient, and the heart centers made out of it can be planted in the spring so that wildflowers can grow as a result of our hard work! "

Please go visit Amy at Positively Splendid and check out her very detailed step-by-step tutorial and get your own jump-start on those Valentines favors today.

I can't wait to make some homemade paper and create these with my own kids. Happy Friday!

Valentine's Door Ideas

It's almost the season for "LOVE" and if you're anything like me, you're still tackling getting Christmas up and in the attic. (Yes, that what happens we've you've got three kids and a fun new business). So I figured the best way to get me motivated to get all my Christmas decorations organized and packed away is to start thinking about decorating for Valentines. As I researched the internet for DIY Valentines ideas, I came across some really great tutorials for door decorations that I thought I'd share with you today.

Door wreaths and other door hangers are fabulous holiday decorations because once made, they can last for years to come. And I have to say, most of what you find for Valentines in the stores is a little too cheesy for my taste -- thank goodness for all these amazingly talented ladies posting their ideas on the internet! Now with a few simple supplies and a few hours time, we can all make gorgeous Valentines decor.

I loved the simplicity of this ribbon covered wreath fro Domesticated Lady,

using a green styrofoam wreath and a felt flower tutorial from Keeping Life Creative.

Life in the Thrifty Lane makes a gorgeous felt rose door hanger using a cardboard box cut into the shape of a heart. Adding a few rhinestones to the flowers really makes this beauty stand out.

Danielle is Nesting made a beautiful rose bouquet door hanger.

Just a few supplies is all you need for this sweet Valentines project..... a wire cone shaped hanger, felt roses from the dollar store, a piece of florist foam and some moss.

Sweet Bee Buzzings made a fabric wreath using pieces of coordinating red and pink fabrics cut into small strips and tied onto a 10" wire circle frame from the craft store.

And Wise Old Owl Designs has a cute idea, similar to the one above, using a wire hanger shaped into a heart for a frame.

Most of these fabulous projects have tutorials on the ladies' blogs, so hop on over to find out the details. Have a great day today everyone!

Snow day party!

I loved this sweet little party by Cari of Socially Circled. Cari is a fellow party planner, and her talent shines bright in the details of this Snow Day party for a client's 3 year old, Alex. Beginning with a red and blue color scheme chosen by Alex's parents, Cari went to work creating a fun-filled party for toddlers and their parents alike.

Cari's plan of action was to have plenty of activities for the kids, a tastefully design featuring mittens and snowmen, and of course, yummy food for everyone. She says, "The food table was complete with all things yummy and white! Rice Krispy 'snow' balls, Snowflake shaped white chocolate covered pretzels, powdered donuts, white chocolate peppermint bark, white cheddar cheese balls, snowflake and mitten shaped cookies...the list goes on!"

One of my favorite parts of Cari's design is the "Hot Chocolate Bar" and "Alex's Snow Day" letters cut from felt on the tablecloths. What a great DIY project! Print out some large letters on your computer and cut them out. Then trace them onto felt, cut each letter out and attach it to a tablecloth. Adorable!

Party activities for little ones are a must, and Cari did a wonderful job of keeping the kids busy. With an mitten ornament-making activity and a "make your own snowman treat," the kids had plenty to keep them occupied. And best of all, they left with a wonderful keepsake to remember Alex's party.

Thanks so much, Cari, for posting this wonderful party. If you'd like to read more and see more photos from Alex's birthday, visit Cari's blog.

Sources:

Photos: Holly Kittle Photography

Invitations & Centerpiece flag: The Purple Pug

Kandy Kones: Celebrate Today...the Superchick Way!

Inspiration Photos: Party Frosting

Online Party Consultation & Custom TableTop Drops: Social Circles Shoppe & Soirees

Cake: Piece-A-Cake Bakery

Envelope Wraps (not shown): Blush Printables

Mini Gable Boxes (not shown): Party Starters

Cupcake Liner Pretties

It sort of seems like everywhere I turn these days, I'm seeing photos of creative uses for cupcake liners. I love turning the ordinary (and cheap!) into something really pretty, and cupcake liners are a great way to do just that. They are readily available at stores such as Walmart, Hobby Lobby and Michaels.... even grocery stores. And if you don't see what you like there, the internet has an absolutely mind-boggling amount of choices. Two of my favorite sites to find unique cupcake liners are Bake it Pretty and Sugarcraft.

And now for some of those creative and crafty ideas.....

Urban Comfort shows how to make adorable Valentine's Cards from cupcake liners --

how fabulous it that?

Intimate Wedding has a tutorial on these sweet cupcake liner flowers. These would make beautiful and inexpensive party table centerpieces.

And this wreath from Sarah Faubus looks just like carnations -- so pretty!

Paper Crave has a wonderful topiary tree made from cupcake liners as well.

Tater Tots and Jello has another simply gorgeous Valentine wreath -- with a tutorial!

Martha Stewart uses cupcake liners to make carnation-like decorations for gift wrapping -- what a great idea.

I love the vintage look of this cupcake liner garland from 100 Layer Cake. So, so pretty!

Baker's Royale has a great idea to add a little pizzazz to your party snacks. These homemade oreo ice cream sandwiches on a stick are embellished with a pretty little red cupcake liner.

Creative Jewish Mom has two great ideas -- the first is is this terrific craft idea for kids - a field of cupcake liner flowers that they paint and decorate themselves. What a great party activity!

And the next a sweet bouquet of paper flowers. Perfect for a Valentine's teacher gift.

Ok, this one from Entertain Exchange might be a little more "pretty" than "practical" -- and a bit more "crunchy" than either of the above, but talk about creative! Can you imagine what your sweetie would say if you showed up for your Valentine's dinner in this little get up!

Hope you enjoyed the show!