Imagine a Party

2014-11-12T13:13:00.001-06:00

Imagine a Lego Party

How do you celebrate a Lego fan? With a Lego party, of course!

The invitation was fun and interactive -- the guests loved it!

Decorations included large Lego brick cut-outs, made with a Lego template and poster board, and lots of Lego creations. Balloon holders were mason jars filled with Lego bricks.

The main activity was decorating T-shirts. T-shirts were prepared with a mini-figure stencil beforehand. Guests were able to customize their mini-figures with fabric paint.

The cake is a four-layered chocolate cake iced with chocolate frosting and fondant Lego bricks. Construction workers and equipment were added to give the appearance of constructing the cake from Lego bricks.

Goody bags were hand drawn to resemble mini-figure faces.

Girls-Just-Wanna-Have-Fun Party

2013-03-02T12:10:00.000-06:00

Sweet eight year old Kayla celebrated her big day girly style!

The girls made their own lip gloss, decorated cookies, danced, and got pedicures -- from Dad!

DIY Lip Gloss

Supplies: Vaseline, unsweetened Kool-Aid, Sugar, containers

Steps:

Melt 2 Tbsp Vaseline in a small bowl, microwave for up to 1 1/2 minutes.
Add 1/2 tsp Kool Aid and 1/2 tsp Sugar, stir like crazy.
Pour the mixture into container and let cool.

Kayla's dad treated the girls to pedicures

What's a dance party without feather boas! Let's see those toes!

Cupcakes and Pajamas...a Winning Combination

2013-01-31T15:37:00.000-06:00

Cupcake Fun!

Decorating cupcakes was just one activity at this "Japanese Cupcake Pajama Party." Girls did a scavenger hunt, played slumber party games, and snacked on yummy Japanese treats and sweets, but the cupcakes may have been the biggest hit!

Girls used decorator bags and tips with great results.

This was one very happy Birthday Girl!

At-Home Parties for Kids

2013-01-25T13:42:00.000-06:00

Remember homemade birthday parties?

They're not just a thing of the past. Some parents are choosing to skip the bowling alley and make fun, inexpensive, original parties at home. Not sure if you're up for it? Here are a few tips to having a successful party at home:

The key to having a manageable party at home is party size. Try keeping the guest list at 8-10 children. One rule of thumb, that I don't always follow, is your child's age plus one. If your child is turning five, that means six guests.
Consider your child's interests and include them in the party planning process. Chances are if they like playing dress up, their friends do too.
Keep your guests occupied. Have lots of planned activities for the children, starting as soon as they arrive. Alternate very lively activities with quiet ones.
Start your party off with a great invitation. Print a pirate invitation on a treasure map, then mail it in a plastic bottle. Or send a spa invitation in a compact.
Set the scene with decorations. Don't be afraid to go a little over the top. After all, that's what parties are for.

Need help with ideas? There are lots of websites and blogs dedicated to planning themed parties, or you can hire a party planner. Either way, it's very possible to treat your child to an original, one-of-a-kind party without breaking the bank, or stressing yourself out. With good planning and a little input from the guest of honor, your next party can be a blast.

Backyard fun: Krabby Patty relay races

Hello Kitty Party

2012-10-31T11:29:00.000-05:00

We celebrated a 21st birthday Hello Kitty style!

We used paper lanterns and tissue pom-poms for decorations above the sweets table.

Hello Kitty party supplies were purchased at Party City. They had a great selection.

The guest of honor loved the cups used for the candy!

Candy and mochi were purchased at Mitsuwa Marketplace, a great Japanese market in Arlington Heights, IL.

The cake was provided by Imagine a Party.

Make It a Fiesta

2012-10-10T14:20:00.000-05:00

What makes a party a Fiesta?

Some would say food. With a spread like this, it's hard to disagree.

Dining room set for fiesta.

Food is definitely important, but before your guests have an opportunity to eat they enter a scene that you have set with decorations.

Sombrero, flowers and serape at the entrance.

For our latest event, we highlighted tissue flowers. Flowers made with vibrant colors are perfect for a fiesta! We made flowers in two different sizes and lots of different textures. Some featured round petals, others looked more like mums.

For the dining table, we lined them up in canning jars.

The fiesta aisle at your local party store is filled with paper goods featuring chili peppers and margaritas. The next time you throw a fiesta, try featuring tissue flowers and sombreros instead and save the margaritas for drinking.

Canning jars filled with dried beans and topped off with a large tissue flower.

Track and Field Cake

2012-10-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

The track reunion cake was a big hit!

This is a two-layer yellow cake with chocolate buttercream filling and buttercream icing. The running figures are plastic, purchased from www.babykakes.com.