ConGRADulations!  Graduation is just around the corner and I’ve got some simple ideas to pull together a quick celebration for the graduates in your life!  Start with anything black & white.  Then add a pop of color in your food, your floral arrangements & your signage.  I chose this year’s “Color of the Year”, Emerald Green.  I hope you enjoy our inspiration and you can read all the DIY tips below to get your own celebration ready.   Congratulations to all of the 2013 graduates!  The tassle was indeed worth the hassle!

I was inspired by these super cute napkins I picked up at Swoozies!  I just love the sentiment, “The Tassle was Worth the Hassle”.  It may take this year’s graduates a few years to appreciate it but indeed it is definitely worth the hassle.  I wanted to host a Southern garden brunch and kept my menu full of bite sized foods that were very easy to prepare.  Pancake balls, pastry quiches, pigs in a blanket (a favorite with the kids!), cucumber slices with goat cheese on crackers, and a sweet treat completed our menu.  And in true Southern fashion, I served water with fresh lime slices in Mason Jar glasses that I wrapped with black & white tassles.  I made little diplomas for my mini peanut butter cups by cutting a small square of white fondant, rolling it up and tying it with green ribbon.  Aren’t they cute?

I created a mortar board backdrop in less than 10 minutes.  All you need is black 12″ x 12″ cardstock, glue gun, black buttons, & tassle fringe.  I got all of my supplies from Hobby Lobby and the tassles were even on clearance so I got two tassles on one cord for $.71/each.  Just cut the black cardstock to 9″ x 9″.  Cut the fringe tassle and wrap end around button.  Hot glue to the center of the cardstock and you have your mortar board.  (Quick Tip:  tape the cording on the tassle before you cut and cut in the taped area to keep it from unraveling.)  Then I had a few party straws left over so I taped one to the back and stuck it into a small glass of sugar to hold it up.

I added some great gifts & treat bags that I picked up at Swoozies to the table for each of the graduates to take with them.  These can huggers are great for keeping drinks cold on these hot summer days here in the South.   They actually are great at keeping hot beverages warm too!  I added a tassle to these black and white striped favor bags to carry our theme through.  A fresh arrangement of flowers in our colors and we are ready to celebrate!

I hope you and your graduates have a wonderful celebration to commemorate all of their hard work and their big accomplishment!  ConGRADulations!

STYLING & PARTY DESIGN: AMY OF AMY’S PARTY IDEAS  |  MASON JAR GLASSES:  SWOOZIES  |  PARTY NAPKINS:  SWOOZIES  |  TASSLES & TABLECLOTH FABRIC:  HOBBY LOBBY  |  PARTY STRAWS:  SWOOZIES  |  BLACK & WHITE FAVOR BAGS:  SWOOZIES  |  GRADUATION GIFTS:  SWOOZIES

We decided to use online registration this year so we sent out this invite with a link to register online.  That also cut down on the time it used to take to just come in the door.

For the tableware, I kept it simple this year with blue plates & yellow napkins.  For an additional touch, I used the Cub Scout Rank signs with den numbers for the table centerpieces. Last year we used them for the den leaders appreciated this as it gave them each a place to display their awards and present them during the ceremony.  This year I printed them out and glued them to wooden dowels that I put inside striped paper party straws which I then put inside tree slices.  I got my tree slices from the neighborhood.  A neighbor had a tree that had fallen and they had all of the limbs cut and on the side of the road, so I picked up a few of them and cut the slices myself.  I drilled a hole in the center of each one for the dowel to sit in.  The den numbers were added to each one so we could have each den sit together.

Every year the food service line eats up most of the time we have for the ceremony and can create a very long night.  So we simplified it all by having all of the food already at each place setting.  We served Chik-fil-A sandwiches, Lays potato chips, bottled water with some great water bottle labels I created, and bananas & apples on the table.  So as everyone arrived, they were able to begin eating and we got the ceremony started on time and wrapped up early.  The parents really appreciated it especially on a school night!

And for the real treat of the night, everyone received a Campfire Cupcake on their way home! Sarah of  Gigi’s Cupcakes of Buckhead made these amazing mini S’mores cupcakes for our event.  She even toasted the marshmallows on top!  They were amazing and definitely what everyone remembers most.  I made a “Campfire Cupcakes” banner and strung it on burlap rope and tied it to a galvanized bucket that I turned upside down so I could place our campfire made of logs & tissue paper flames on top.  I added a small thank you sign and everyone helped themselves on their way out.

It was a great event!  I hope you find some inspiration to make your blue & gold ceremony a little special for the scouts in your life.

STYLING & DESIGN:  AMY’S PARTY IDEAS  |  INVITES:  LULU COLE  |  CAMPFIRE CUPCAKES: GIGI’S CUPCAKES OF BUCKHEAD  |  PRINTABLES:  LULU COLE  |  NAVY PARTY STRAWS:  GREEN PARTY GOODS  |  BLUE PLATES & YELLOW NAPKINS:  CREATIVE CONVERTING  |  WATER BOTTLE LABELS:  LULU COLE 

This year, we are hosting an egg hunt for our friends and I found the CUTEST signs to place around the yard!  I just adore this green arrow chalkboard sign I picked up at Swoozie’s!  It is perfect to lead the way and I can use it again for many more celebrations to come!  Just wipe it clean and write again.  I can see using it to point the way to a “Photo Booth” or where the “Drinks” are or even which way to the “Restrooms”.  And how cute would it be to have these at a garden wedding to lead your guests to your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception?  The ideas just keep flowing but for now, it is perfect for our “Egg Hunt”.

We always like to make sure our guests stay hydrated, so I created these cute Hoppy Easter water labels and piled them in a vintage rabbit Easter pail that I found at Swoozie’s!  I really adore anything that looks vintage.  This is actually a great Easter basket for my son.  Somehow the toys the Easter Bunny leaves get bigger each year he gets older, so it’s time to upgrade the basket.

And for clues around the yard, I found this ultra-cute Egg Hunt Kit from World Market!  The illustrations have a vintage feel and the colors are so fresh & vibrant.  I love that each sign is small enough to be discreet but colorful enough that when spotted, you know you are close!   So much cuteness!

All of the eggs have been found!  Now it’s time to hide the “Hard to Find” eggs…this should be a little more challenging for the older kids.  They look like rocks, grass, wood, and other things you find in your yard.  I definitely need to keep count so we’ll know when we find them all!

I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful Easter this year!  I’d love to hear about your “bunny tales”.  Leave me a comment below…I do read every one!  Hoppy Easter!

SOURCES:  GREEN ARROW CHALKBOARD SIGN:  SWOOZIE’S | VINTAGE EGG HUNT KIT:  WORLD MARKET  |  VINTAGE RABBIT EASTER PAIL:  SWOOZIE’S  |  PRINTABLE WATER LABELS:  LULU COLE  |  HARD 2 FIND EGGS:  WILLY WONKA 

I created Easter printables last year and loved them so much that I was able to use them again this year!  I got a paper tablecloth in a green  & white motif from Target which worked perfectly for my backdrop and table topper.  A wooden square wreath from Pier One is a great place to hang my banner!  And Lauren from LIV Creativity made these amazing carrot cupcake toppers which I used on round sugar cookies, the super cute bunny bottoms which I used on dark chocolate (dirt) push pops and she also made the small carrots for my veggie patch cupcakes.   I just love how they look in this super cute cupcake stand with a white picket fence around each layer that I picked up at Swoozie’s!

I love to serve carrot juice (really it’s mango peach juice which is so yummy!).  The kids love it too!  I dipped the rims of my glass bottles in melted candy melts and then in a bowl of sprinkles.  Let them harden in the refrigerator for 10 minutes and you have an easy way to add a little fun to your glasses.   I also included fresh baked carrot cake, key lime cake bites, bird’s nests & bunny tails to finish off our dessert table.  Courtney from Pizzazzerie has the cutest recipe for bunny tails that you can make yourself!  And top it off with three cute bunny egg holders and we are ready for our guests!

I hope you found some inspiration for your own Spring or Easter celebration!  Now time to get ready for the Easter Egg Hunt…stay tuned for the cutest egg hunt signs I have ever seen!  Coming soon in my next post!

SOURCES: PARTY STYLING & PHOTOGRAPHY: AMY OF AMY’S PARTY IDEAS | PRINTABLES: LULUCOLE |HOP LOLLIPOPS: VINTAGE CONFECTIONS | BUNNY BOTTOM, CARROT COOKIE TOPPERS, & VEGGIE PATCH FONDANT CARROTS: LIV CREATIVITY | GALVANIZED BUCKETS: TARGET DOLLAR SECTION | GREEN & WHITE LEAF MOTIF TABLECLOTH: MARA MI FOR TARGET | GREEN GINGHAM MINI BUNDT BAKING CUP: COST PLUS WORLD MARKET | EGG CUPS & EASTER CUPCAKE STAND: SWOOZIES | ORANGE BURLAP RIBBON: HOBBY LOBBY | POLKA DOT PAPER STRAWS:  TARGET

Hop to It!  Easter is only two weeks away!  I have some super easy & fun ideas for you to host the perfect Easter dinner for your loved ones.  This is the first of several posts I will be doing this week to get you ready just in time for Easter!  This year we decided to host an early Easter dinner.  While I love the idea of brunch (not to mention every brunch food out there!), I don’t know about you, but I have found it difficult to just enjoy Easter morning with the discovery of what the Easter bunny has left, going to our Easter church service and then to rush home to be ready to host brunch.  So I have simplified things this time and moved our celebration to dinner and an egg hunt of course!

So here is the table I have created for our Easter celebration!  I hope you can find some inspiration to create a special memory for your friends and family too!

I found these super cute invites on Shutterfly!  They were running a promotion and I got 10 invites for FREE.  All I had to do was pay for shipping.  I loved this design as it fit perfectly with my theme and I also loved the chance to add a personal touch on the back with pics of my son!

For our table, I started with a burlap tablecloth and then added white-washed wood chargers.  I layered blue striped paper plates and added cloth napkins with burlap bunny ears napkin rings.  How cute are they?  For my centerpiece, I took small galvanized buckets with green gingham ribbon handles & added fresh grass to each bucket.  I then placed one letter lollipop in each bucket to spell ‘HOP’.  Love those lollipops!   Then for each of the kids, I added small party favors using these felt bunny baskets and orange chevron stripe paper bags.  Each guest can fill up their bags from the candy bar (stay tuned…a post is coming next for that!).  I put one sugar egg with a small Easter animal inside of it and a package of Bunny Tails to start.

I then wrapped each chair with orange burlap ribbon and added a bunch of carrots to the center.  I think they turned out really cute!  A couple of vintage details from my own collection and a bucket of jellybeans finish off the table.  Easy, quick ways to get your table ready for Easter.  Later this week, I will be sharing our menu, our dessert table & fun Easter Egg Hunt ideas to complete your celebration.

SOURCES:  PARTY STYLING & PHOTOGRAPHY:  AMY OF AMY’S PARTY IDEAS  |  INVITES:  SHUTTERFLY |  HOP LOLLIPOPS:  VINTAGE CONFECTIONS  |  BLUE STRIPE PLATES & ORANGE CHEVRON PAPER SACKS:  SWOOZIE’S  |  GALVANIZED BUCKETS:  TARGET DOLLAR SECTION  |  FELT BUNNY FAVOR BASKETS & BUCKET OF JELLYBEANS:  SWOOZIE’S  |  SUGAR EGGS & BUNNY TAILS:  COST PLUS WORLD MARKET  |  CLOTH NAPKINS, BURLAP BUNNY EARS NAPKIN RINGS, WOODEN CHARGERS:  PIER ONE  |  ORANGE BURLAP RIBBON:  HOBBY LOBBY  |  CARROT BUNCHES:  PIER ONE

 
Spring is on it’s way and so is the annual hunt to find the pot of gold at the end of your rainbow!  Treat your kids to their own gold this St. Patrick’s Day!  I created some free printables for you to use in these easy ideas! 

Take store bought cupcakes & add green icing using a grass icing tip.  Add the small rainbows included in the printables and put a few chocolate gold coins at the end of the rainbow on their plate.  Add a couple of patches of grass around the coins, and you have a easy treat for a fun holiday!

And if you need a fun favor idea, fill a 1″ x 8″ candy tube with gumballs of each color of the rainbow and add a chocolate ROLO candy (they are wrapped in gold foil) at the bottom for the pot of gold.  Tie one of the free printable favor tags I have included to the tube and you have the perfect favor.

And if that weren’t enough, Koyal Wholesale is getting in on the fun too!  You can enter to WIN two of their miniature wooden cupcake stands in two shades of green!  And two sets of their glitter cupcake wrappers in silver and gold!  The prize is detailed below but hurry, you only have 5 days to enter to win! There will be one winner but you have a whole bunch of chances to enter! So what are you waiting for? Start planning and scroll down to enter!

Don’t miss out on this exclusive St. Patrick’s Day Giveaway! Share it with your friends & tweet it, Facebook it, Pin It and more. Enter between March 8-12. The winner will be announced on March 13th and your prize will be mailed out in plenty of time to use for your celebration! Let’s get this party started!

Here are the FREE PRINTABLES I created for you! { Please only use these for your personal use }  Just click on the image below and you will be taken to the PDF to save it and print.

KOYAL WHOLESALE

Koyal Wholesale is the premier destination for do-it-yourself brides, event planners, and corporate clients. They are one of the largest online wholesale wedding and event suppliers in the nation and offer unique bulk wedding and event supplies at cheap discount prices. This St. Patty’s Day mini kit is being offered to my readers as an exclusive gift!  You will receive a set of 24 Gold Glitter Cupcake Wrappers, a set of 24 Silver Glitter Cupcake Wrappers, 1 Miniature Wooden Cupcake Stand in Kelly Green & 1 Miniature Wooden Cupcake Stand in Forest Green.

No Purchase Necessary. Due to shipping restrictions, winners must have a US address. To enter the giveaway, click on each option in the Rafflecopter widget below to earn multiple chances. Your entries will be verified prior to the winner selections. If you’re a fan of any of our sponsors on Facebook, you’ll also be eligible for an entry as well. Giveaway ends Wednesday, 03/13/2013 at 12:00am. One winner will be chosen on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 and prizes will be shipped the following day. So… what are you waiting for?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jodi shares all the details of her brilliant ideas with you to get inspired for your own SpongeBob Squarepants birthday party!

“My son wanted to have a SpongeBob party for his 5th birthday (ugh-commercial theme). Being a party designer and stylist I told him that we could do it, but it was on mommy’s terms and we were not going to the store to buy SpongeBob plates, napkins, etc. Low and behold, this is what I came up with. Oh and did I mention the countless hours of SpongeBob I watched with the kids too

First, I designed all of the printables (which you have see the whole collection in my etsy shop). Then I got to work on the table styling and desserts, as well as, the games and party favors. You can say I’m a jack of all trades… I did the entire party myself (probably why I’m so exhausted after these events)…

For the table I wanted something fun and unique, so naturally I scoured the Internet (and Pinterest – which was pretty new at the time) for ideas and to see what else has been done. I knew I wanted it to be staged “under the sea”, after all that is where SpongeBob lives. The backdrop is actually a queen size flat sheet I picked up at Walmart for like $5.00. I cut it into 1-2″ strips and then tied the strips to a 4 foot dowel rod. I then used the clips from my curtain rings and hung it from the rod behind the table.  As for the preserver… I just used a white wreath circle I found at Michael’s and glued ribbon and cutout letters. I glued a little ribbon hook on the back and hung it from the dowel rod with some fishing line. I used some poster board for the center and glued my message to that.

I used clear balloons on the sides of the table for bubbles and I even let some float at the ceiling (we are under the sea, right)! I designed the banner by re-creating nautical flags and it spells out “HAPPY BIRTHDAY”.  A tan (sand) color table cloth was used to emulate the bottom of the sea and I found some netting that I draped for added effect.  I found some wooden signs at JoAnn’s, but they weren’t exactly what I wanted so I started messing around with popsicle sticks and came up with the food markers.  They are simply popsicle sticks that I hot glued together and painted. The secret to those was that I put a cake pop in the bottom so that they looked like they were in rocks and would be free standing on the table.  Oh and don’t forget the coveted “Secret Ingredient” bottle

My son really wanted a Krusty Crab cake, and since I make cakes too that’s what he got. I made Plankton pretzels and stuck them in some sand (aka cane sugar) that was in a bucket that I wrote “CHUM BUCKET” on using a red sharpie. Of course I had to have “Krabby Patty” cupcakes (I do have a tutorial on my blog on how to make these!). I used block rock candy (on top of sand) as sea glass. I found some gold “chocolate” coins and used an old wooden pirate chest from my kids toys to put them in. I made the cookies with each of the characters and my final desire was to make jellyfish cake pops… they turned out “okay”, but it was a first attempt and I have not seen anything like them before so it was all from my imagination. For the jelly fish fields I sprinkled some sand, and used the halves of these plastic greenery balls I have. I just shoved a half piece of a styrofoam ball inside to stick the pops into.

The table was set for each child with the following:
-Plate
-Napkin
-Red felt tie (I made these by cutting felt to look like SpongeBob’s tie)
-Party hat (I made these too… I was trying to copy SpongeBob’s fry cook hat)
-Kelp Shakes (for these I just used the printable I designed and some mini water bottles. I wrapped the label, emptied the water and replaced it with a lime green cool aid drink.)

The Games we played (yes I made these too, with a little help from my parents)…
-Build-A-Patty (My parents painted 2 moving boxes to look like ovens and I made Krabby Patty parts from felt, rice, and hot glue. I bought some spatulas from the dollar store. The kids 2 at a time were tasked with making 2 Krabby Patties… they had to stack them on a plate and carry them to the customer and they were timed… It was fun!)

-Jelly Fishing (I had some nets on hand from a butterfly party that never happened so I decided to use them… I filled my living room with pink balloons w/pink streamers to look like jellyfish and then I made some small ones out of felt, rice, ribbon and hot glue. The kids got nets and we took turns throwing the felt jellyfish up in the air as they tried to catch them.

For the party favors I did a couple if things:

(1) I bought some little buckets from Oriental Trading and using a red sharpie wrote “chum bucket” on them. I then filled them with a Krabby Patty candy and vial of bubbles… I tied everything up and attached a “Thank You” tag from my collection.

(2) For the second I used the left over felt from the games and cut out the pieces to make SpongeBob’s (mouth, pants/tie) and then added a yellow sponge (which I found at the dollar store) and some google eyes. I then packaged it in a clear bag and added the table tent from my collection to the top with “Build a SpongeBob” on it.”

Doesn’t that all sound like so much fun?!?  What a great way to take a beloved character and make it cute & unique for any celebration.  Thank you for sharing your amazing talent with us Jodie! You can get everything you need to recreate this party for your own celebration in Jodie’s shop!

STYLING, PRINTABLES & PHOTOGRPAHY BY JODIE VALENTI OF  PARTY NV

For more party products to coordinate with Jodie’s collection, here are my picks!

Do I have treat for all of you today!?!  I have an EXCLUSIVE giveaway that only my readers will know about!  Minted is generously offering a Valentine’s Dream Party Package to one of you!  And it’s so easy to enter.  Just click here and leave your name and email address.  That’s it!

So what exactly is in this AMAZING Dream Party Package?  It includes personalized bunting banners, circle garlands, wishing tree centerpiece, personalized table signs, flag stickers, scalloped stickers, personalized party signs, glassine favor bags, closure stickers, table confetti, table tents, mini notecard favor, paper plates, paper napkins, and paper straws.   Seriously, is there anything missing?  How much fun!  And you get to choose between these amazing designs:

Conversation Heart Valentine Party Decor

XOXO Party Decor

Or if you prefer to choose one of their other party themes, you can do that too!!!  I am loving each and every one!  Just take a look at some of these:

Don’t miss out on this exclusive Valentine Party Giveaway! Share it with you friends & tweet it, Facebook it, Pin It and more. Enter between now & January 31. The winner will be chosen on Feb 1, 2013. Let’s get this party started!

No Purchase Necessary.  Please see Official Rules for more details on entry form page.  Good luck and Happy Valentine’s Day!  And while you are there, check out their super cute Valentines.  They have so many that would be perfect for your kids to give out.    So… what are you waiting for? 

I created one based on Pantone’s color of the year for 2013…Emerald Green.

And here are a couple of my favorites created by others in the community.  I just love the color combination that was inspired by this simple invitation.   And just look at the bouquet!  The succulents are such a unique touch and the color they bring is just lovely.

And who doesn’t love anything that glitters!  Look at those custom envelope liners.  This board is a perfect interpretation of the floral invite with a muted color palate.  Just beautiful!

Check out all of the inspiration boards over at Minted and pick you favorite!

TWO WEEKLY PRIZES:

$200 each. Awarded each Monday through 1/7/13.

• — Most favorites
• — Random drawing

GRAND PRIZE:

$1,000 to spend on Minted. Editors’ Pick for most beautiful Board to be announced January 11, 2013.

Awards will be announced on Minted’s Facebook Page

{ DAY 21 }

Here are a few more of my favorite Elf on the Shelf ideas from around the web.  You can view them all on my Pinterest board. Love this little relaxed elf with his fancy drink that even has an umbrella!  So cute!!!

{ DAY 22}

How cute is this!  An elf kissing booth!   Brilliant!  And Living Locurto has even provided a FREE printable for you to make your own!

 

Source: livinglocurto.com via Amy’s on Pinterest

{ DAY 23 }

A mini photo booth for your Elf and his friends!  I love how the “photographer” is in the photo too!  You can download the FREE mini photo booth props at Living Locurto too!  So cute

Source: livinglocurto.com via Amy’s on Pinterest

{ DAY 24}

Check out this elf on a  Sunday drive! Love that his arm is around Barbie’s neck…what a cool cat!

WANT TO SEE MORE?

Follow our 25 days of Elf on the Shelf Antics and share your bright ideas too!

Just click on the image to the left or subscribe to get these fun ideas delivered to your inbox.

{ DAY 16 }

I have gathered a few of my favorite Elf on the Shelf ideas from around the web and collected them onto a Pinterest board.  Here are a few of my all time favs!  Love this elf caught in the pantry sipping the syrup….my son just got a t-shirt that shows an elf’s four main food groups.  The food pyramid is divided into four sections labeled: Syrup, Candy, Candy Canes, Candy Corn.

{ DAY 17}

This is so funny!!!!  Would be perfect for a bathroom that isn’t used that often since you can’t move your elf or your risk losing his magic!

Source: asmallsnippet.blogspot.com via Amy’s on Pinterest

{ DAY 18 }

LOVE this!! She painted the kids’ noses red while they were sleeping… and set up the elf like this. awesome!! That sneaky little elf!

{ DAY 19 }

An elf zip line! String it up and let him fly!

{ DAY 20 }

This elf has gone to a rave and came back glowing! Such a fun idea and so easy to create!!!

More to come over the next couple of days as we wrap up our month long Elf on the Shelf Ideas series! Hope you enjoy these last few days with your Elf as Chirstmas quickly approaches!

WANT TO SEE MORE?

Follow our 25 days of Elf on the Shelf Antics and share your bright ideas too!

Just click on the image to the left or subscribe to get these fun ideas delivered to your inbox.

{ DAY 15 }

Our elves need help!  They have been trapped by Stringer…one of the many Hero Factory guys that loom in my son’s room!  Good thing our elves are small…they look kinda cute, don’t they?  We will be sure to free them quickly!

WANT TO SEE MORE?

Follow our 25 days of Elf on the Shelf Antics and share your bright ideas too!

Just click on the image to the left or subscribe to get these fun ideas delivered to your inbox.

{ DAY 14 }

Have you read the holiday classic,  “The Best Christmas Pagent Ever”?  This book is such a funny story but the heart of the story rings true.  Elvin brought us this classic just in time to read a little each night before Christmas arrives.  And he brought a sweet treat in his likeness to enjoy with a glass of milk too!

What is your favorite holiday book? Leave us a comment so we can share the fun! We read every one.

WANT TO SEE MORE?

Follow our 25 days of Elf on the Shelf Antics and share your bright ideas too!

Just click on the image to the left or subscribe to get these fun ideas delivered to your inbox.

It’s that time of year again!  This year, we had our annual Gingerbread Decorating Party with a few of our old friends.  I kept it simple by having everyone B.Y.O.H. (Bring Your Own House).  I provided plenty of candy to decorate with and even added shredded coconut for snow this year!  That was a big hit!  It was really fun and all the kids made really great creations to take home and display.  Want to know more?  All the party details are below.

I kept the food simple since it was in late afternoon.  We had plenty of fun treats for the kids and some healthier options for everyone.  We had fruit & cheese & crackers along with sausage balls (which were gone in no time!).  For the desserts, we had “Snowball Cookies” which were Key Lime cookies covered in powder sugar that I got from Walmart.  I dipped the tops in melted white chocolate candy melts and topped with shredded coconut.  I stuck a fun party stick in them for a festive touch.  We also had Santa Hat Strawberries which I originally found from I Heart Naptime.  I used melted white chocolate and piped it through a grass tip to make it look like fluffy cotton.  I also made Rudolph cake pops…so cute!  I originally saw these from Sweet Indulgence and they are perfection!  I decided to try and make some myself.  Mine turned out pretty good for a first try.  The key was having red edible glitter for Rudolph’s nose!

We also had cupcakes topped with gingerbread men.  These were so easy to make.  I purchased mini Gingerbread men cookies from Trader Joes and then used packaged cookie icing in chocolate to cover them.  I added mini red M&M’s that I covered in red edible glitter and my men were ready!  And they were the perfect compliment to the amazing fondant cupcake toppers from LIV Creativity!  Lauren always makes the most amazing toppers and her details are perfection!

And what’s a holiday party without a Hot Chocolate Bar?  I made a cute sign that I framed using a wooden frame I found at Michaels for only $1.49.  I glittered it red to compliment the party decor and propped it up so our guests knew what to do.  We had sprinkles, white chocolate candy cane bits, chocolate dipped marshmallows, North Pole peppermint sticks, whip cream and more!

Everyone got their own Gingerbread Decorating Kit.  I used 5 x 7 Red Chevron Striped paper bags and printed on them myself.  I filled the bag with peppermints, candy canes, and gingerbread men and placed them at each placemat.   We also had dishes of candy on the table including Red Hots, Green Sixlets, Gum Drops, M&M’s, and shredded coconut.  The kids really had fun and I am always amazed at what they come up with when they are left to their own creativity.

So, grab some candy and have your friends over for a fun afternoon and Happy Holidays!

PARTY STYLING:  AMY OF AMY’S PARTY IDEAS  |  PRINTABLES:  WANTS & WISHES  |  INVITES & PRINTABLES:  PARTY INVITES  |  CUPCAKE TOPPERS:  LIV CREATIVITY  |  EDIBLE GLITTER:  KOYAL WHOLESALE  |  CHEVRON STRIPE BAGS:  SUGAR DIVA | STRIPED PARTY STRAWS:  KOYAL WHOLESALE

Now that all of your lights are up and your house smells of cinnamon & spices, grab a few friends and have a holiday party!  I have a great giveaway just in time for your festivities!  Koyal Wholesale has generously offered this exclusive Christmas party kit and their red Edible Glitter…perfect for your party confections! This kit is not even available on their site yet, so you will be one of the first to own one!

The prize is detailed below but hurry, you only have 3 days to enter to win!  There will be one winner but you have a whole bunch of chances to enter! So what are you waiting for?  Start planning and scroll down to enter!

Don’t miss out on this exclusive Christmas Party Giveaway! Share it with you friends & tweet it, Facebook it, Pin It and more. Enter between December 14-16. The winner will be announced on December 17th and your prize will be mailed out by December 19th in plenty of time to use for your holiday party! Let’s get this party started!

KOYAL WHOLESALE

Koyal Wholesale is the premier destination for do-it-yourself brides, event planners, and corporate clients. They are one of the largest online wholesale wedding and event suppliers in the nation and offer unique bulk wedding and event supplies at cheap discount prices. This Christmas party kit is being offered to my readers as an exclusive gift!  It’s not even on their site yet!  You will receive a set of 24 Christmas striped party straws, 24 red & green polka dot cupcake wrappers, 25 wooden spoons,  8 – 5″ red tissue paper party poms & 4 – 14″ green tissue paper party poms.  And they are even including a container of their red edible glitter for that extra sparkle to your treats!

No Purchase Necessary. Due to shipping restrictions, winners must have a US address. To enter the giveaway, click on each option in the Rafflecopter widget below to earn multiple chances. Your entries will be verified prior to the winner selections. If you’re a fan of any of our sponsors on Facebook, you’ll also be eligible for an entry as well. Giveaway ends Tuesday, 12/17/2012 at 12:00am.  One winner will be chosen on Tuesday, December 17, 2012 and prizes will be shipped the following day.  So… what are you waiting for?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{ DAY 13 }

One of our favorite games to play is UNO.  But then we discovered UNO Attack! This is so much fun!  You play like the original card game where you try to get rid of all of your cards first.  But in this version of the game, if you don’t have a card in your hand that you can play, you have to press the button.  Sometimes you get lucky and nothing happens when you press it, but sometimes you are “attacked” with cards shooting out!  Looks like Elvin was a little unlucky!

What games has your elf been caught playing?  Leave us a comment so we can share the fun!  We read every one.

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{ DAY 12 }

Mmmm…nothing says Christmas more than hot cocoa with candy cane sticks!  My mom made the best cocoa mix when we were little and now I make it for my little one.  It is rich and creamy and has oodles of powder sugar in it!  I have included the recipe below.  It makes a ton so keep some for yourself and package the rest up for a sweet homemade gift this year!

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{ DAY 11 }

With all the business of the holidays upon us, we were reminded today of the true meaning of Christmas for us.  Our elves were reading the Christmas story of Jesus’ birth in my son’s bible this morning.  What a sweet moment!

We look forward to reading this passage on Christmas Eve!

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{ DAY 10 }

We woke up to a yummy treat!  Our elves made s’mores last night with a candle lit fire! 
(WARNING:  DO NOT LEAVE THE CANDLE BURNING!  We want only the marshmallows toasted…not the whole house!)

Our little elves gave us a good idea!  We are going to have our own marshmallow roast by candlelight tonight while we watch Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!  A new tradition to add to our old one.  What has your elf been up to?  Leave us a comment and share your elf’s antics.  We read every one!

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{ DAY 9 }

A few days ago, Elvin became a Cirque du Soleil perfomer and Elvina wanted to get in on the act but she was a little more cautious so she decided to hang out on top of a bow and watch Elvin perform his death defying tricks!

Leave us a comment and let us know where your elf has been found! We read every one!

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Follow our 25 days of Elf on the Shelf Antics and share your bright ideas too!

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