Party Recap- Baby Jack's Shower

Lately I've been designing a lot of custom parties! Parties for kids, babies, adult birthdays, the list goes on. A pal of mine that I've know since my teenage years contacted me to design a party for her sister in law's baby shower. A BOY shower. Which you know, I love because, well...I am a boy mom!

My client sent me swatches of the baby's bedding and that's where the inspiration for the details came from. I designed an invitation with a custom chevron print and we even included a cute polka dot envelope liner. (Totally worth the splurge!)

Once the invites were out the door, we worked on the other party details, which included styrofoam cups, water bottle labels, food signs, beverage napkins, cupcake toppers, a pennant banner, "wish" cards, and favor tags for the cookies. You've probably seen our "wish" cards- they were featured in Everyday Party Magazine and on our blog.


Think Outside the Envelope!

Almost a year ago...we designed a MOST fabulous baby shower for my cousin. I wanted to share a few pictures with you to show that invites don't just have to go into an envelope, and the baby can get other gifts besides diapers and onesies (think melamine plate and bowl set, found here). Interested in creating a party that is "outside the box?" Contact us and we'll hook you up!

Ice Bucket?

So, if you haven't heard of the ice bucket challenge benefiting ALS, you may consider coming out from under that rock you've been living under. It's going on everywhere- kids, teens, even granny's are taking part in this wonderful grass roots initiative.

For those of you who have dumped the bucket o'ice on your head- good on you! (Did you donate, too?)

To honor those who have lost the battle or are fighting ALS, we've decided to add a little sumthin' extra.

For each ice bucket sold between now and November 1, 2014 we will donate to ALS so researchers and doctors can find a cure. 1 bucket = $10; 20 buckets = $200. You get the idea.

You can order your bucket here. These buckets make great gifts so do a little Christmas shopping and know that you are doing something to make a difference.

Dino Serving Plate Tutorial

OMG, ya'll. This is seriously the easiest thing to make...All you need is 15 minutes, a hot glue gun, melamine plate, and a figurine you can cut.

Step 1: Buy a melamine plate, one that is light enough to be held by a plastic toy. Buy the toy and mark where you are going to cut.

Step 2: Cut with a really sharp saw or knife (I used a knife for a cleaner cut.)

Step 3: Heat up the glue gun (preferably the high heat temp kind) and glue the "base" aka feet end of the toy to the bottom of your plate.

Step 4: Make sure the leg/base is glued really well before turning it over. When it's good and dry, glue the head or topper onto the top of the plate.

Voila! You now have a fabulous serving tray, custom to your party guests!


Party Recap- Boy Book Club: Dinosaurs Before Dark

We've gone and done it again. Another book club "discussion" in the books. This time, we tried to do less snacks and more talking, which worked really well! I asked a mama to lead the group in talking about the book and she did an excellent job!

The book we read this time was one of time travel and dinos. What's not to love? Since I kept this party a little more about the book, the food was pretty easy.

I purchased fruit punch for the "hot lava" and used my nifty round ice balls (found here) to freeze mini dino's in and drop into the dispenser. I used a green bucket for the dino toenails aka Bugles. The "something sweet" were super easy slice and bake sugar cookies, stamped with footprints from a plastic dinosaur toy. The cookie plate...I made! I'll share a tutorial on the next blog on how to make this super cute serving piece! And for the party favor (yes, of course I did one!), I spray painted mini dino's and baby jar tops and filled the glass jars with Sixlets...or dino eggs.

On the table, I scattered a few mini dino's and some temporary tattoos, another hit with these boys! The backdrop I used were felt circles sewn together with clear thread- thanks to my mom for this!

The boys had a blast reliving the tale from Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Treehouse series. I cannot wait to find out what the next book is!


An 85th Birthday Dinner...Sissy's Style

Milestones. Riding your bike without training wheels. Reading your first Judy Blume book without help. Finishing the 1000 piece puzzle. Turning 85.

This weekend, we celebrated my sweet grandmothers 85th birthday. Thinking about all she's seen in her life, from riding horses to school, to driving a car. The Pony Express to a full service USPS, FedEx and UPS. Presidents elected into office, then impeached. The right to vote. Cell phones and computers. She's been through 10 decades full of changes and we absolutely had to celebrate her.

I designed sweet invitations and sent them off to the family. (I added an envelope liner for a small pop of detail.) I asked my "cookie girl" to make 8's and 5's so each guest would have a party favor. I decided upon a simple, yet fun and very Southern venue for dinner- Sissy's Southern Kitchen. Delicious!!!

The intimate party went off without a hitch and this spry woman was on top of the world. (After she had her key lime pie, of course!) Happy Day, Gran!


The Best Ever Bacon and Spinach Quiche

Bacon. When did it become so popular? I mean, it's being used to make ice cream, candy, beer, even vegetables wrapped in it. My mom Patty, has been making quiche for years and guess what? It's ALWAYS had bacon in it. She is so ahead of her time. These mini bits are not only delicious, but pretty easy to make. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1-2C fresh chopped spinach
2T dried minced onion
1 tube (8oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
2C shredded Swiss cheese
1/3C grated Parmesan cheese
2T minced chived
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1C 4% cottage cheese
paprika

Directions: In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Crumble and set aside. On a lightly floured surface, unroll crescent dough into one long rectangle; seal seams and perforations. Cut into pieces small enought to fit your mini muffin pan. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased mini muffin cups. Fill each cup with about 2 teaspoons of the bacon and spinach. In a large bowl, combine the eggs and cheese. Spoon over the bacon and chive mixture. Sprinkle with paprika.
Bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve warm. Yield: about 30-40 mini quiche.

Party Recap- Boy Book Club: Mercy Watson Fights Crime

Ya'll. I hosted a seriously fun book club at my house last week with a bunch of Kindergarten and First grade boys...The goal: to make reading fun!

If you know me at all, you know that I can turn any event into a party. And that's exactly what I did! I put out a little snack spread, had a few fun decorations and voila- it was a party! Check out the pics below!

The boys came over at 7:00 in the evening, and I figured they had all eaten, so I had a few snacks set out. I made pigs in a blanket using Pillsbury Crescent Rolls and their easy recipe, cut up a few bunches of green grapes, offered up potato chips, and of course something sweet- red jelly beans! I sprinkled red coins (they were chocolate!) on the table and used my red and white pottery to serve the food in.

I had these adorable custom pig cookies made by a local gal and wow- they were delish! The boys really enjoyed them!

For decoration, I propped the book on a plate stand, used my son's stuffed piggy and brought in my red toaster. Did you know that Mercy's favorite food is toast?

Here's the group posing for a picture after the discussion. Their belly's were full and smiles were plastered on each kiddos face. It was so much fun!

A Book Club for Boys

A few months back, I was watching an vlog (blog but in video form) about the differences in behavior of boys and girls in elementary school. The article hit home for me, as my house is full of boys. (Like, I'm the only chick...Bless my heart, I know.) I'd love to hear your thoughts on the video- feel free to leave me a comment below or email me.

Anyway, while watching, there were a few staggering statistics that resonated with me and actually made me take action to make sure my boys got both the education they deserved, but also the treatment they should receive by teachers and other parents. I started a neighborhood boys only book club.

This week, I hosted the first book club "party" for interested boys going into Kindergarten and First Grade at the local elementary school. I say "party" and not "meeting," because, well...It was a party. There was not an agenda, assigned seats, homework, or even a mandate to answer any questions or get involved in the discussion. It was simply to get our kids reading.

The book we chose as our first read was, Mercy Watson Fights Crime. This book is a super cute book about a pig named Mercy and you guessed it- she fights some crime. There are other books in this series, but we wanted to start out with something that would get the boys excited about reading.

The last kiddo just left my house and I am so thrilled with the turnout. Here's a sneak peak at the mini party table I set for our first book club "party." Be on the lookout next week for the party pics!


Party Recap- An Elegant Baby Shower

Hostessing a baby shower is no small feat. And when it's your British sister-in-laws shower...well, let's just say that no detail should be left unturned. You see, my brother, native Texan, married a British gal. In Britain, baby showers are not really a "thing." So when they told us they were coming to visit this summer, I knew a fabulous party was in order to celebrate Caroline.

The parents-to-be don't know the sex of the little one, so instead of flooding my home with blue and pink, I chose to go the classy, elegant route by using metallic golds, with accents of white and black. And wow...it was gorgeous!

Between the Sheets Co. custom designed all the paper goods, which included the invitations, party banner, food signs, baby wish cards, beverage napkins, and favor tags. We had a large wreath custom designed using metallic white and gold netting. Tied to the wreath were small items such as baby lotion, teething toys, and baby spoons.

The food we served was a mixture of sweet and savory, the hit being the mini quiche made by one of our hostesses. We wanted to bring a little bit of British tea time food to the shower and did so by making finger sandwiches and scones, two of Caroline's favorite bits. Also served were caprese skewers, fruit salad, and vegetable crudites, served in short glasses with a spoonful of dressing.

The food was displayed on gorgeous gold, glass and white serving pieces, all of which sat on a crisp white tablecloth and gold sequin table runner. Each food sign was enclosed in an elegant white frame.


Inside a custom made baby cradle, painted white and sprinkled with gold glitter sat the centerpiece of the table...an extravagant floral arrangement of hydrangeas, lilies, roses and daisies.

We really wanted to 'wow' the guests with the dessert, and I think we did just that! The cake was a two tier, vanilla flavored cake, iced to perfection with delicious white and gold butter cream icing. Adorning the top of the cake was a baby rattle made from gold fondant and a sweet banner reading, Congratulations Caroline & Scott.

As the gifts were opened, each guest received a 5 x 7" card to fill in their wishes for Baby. Caroline loved this idea and had a blast reading through the special notes each guest penned.

As the celebration came to a close, each guest left with a small golden box which held two square bath fizzies from Fresh. Each box was tied with white stain ribbon and custom designed favor tag.

Caroline had an amazing time and we loved spoiling her with a traditional baby shower.

(© 2014 Between the Sheets Co.)