Making a List... Checking it Twice

I'm starting to work out all of the details of Emme's first birthday party this spring. Right now I'm just thinking of the theme (bees!) and obsessively surfing Pinterest, looking for cute DIY ideas (and let me tell you... wowsers... a lot to chose from there!) Of course in my pinning, I keep coming across great free printables for all sorts of things - checklists, party themes, household decorations, etc., and that leads me to announce two things: 1) I've requested a Partytopia pinterest log-in so that I can pin to my heart's content and you all can follow me there. 2) I'll be adding a printables section to this website to categorize some of these Pinterest gems in one place, plus I'll probably add some of my own. As a caveat, I am no graphic artist, but hopefully I'll be able to come up with some cute things that you can make your own. Free of charge, of course... 'cause I'm big-hearted and generous like that. :) If you come across great printables that you would like for me to share, send them my way!

Nautical and Nice

I'm spending the weekend at the Naval Academy, and while walking around downtown Annapolis today I mused on how fun it would be to host a nautical party served up colonial style. I'm thinking navy blue, hunter green and red with weathered brass accents. Everything with a slightly beaten and weathered look. Lots of texture. Some natural fibers and maybe some fancy knots.

For instance, while this cake is lovely, it politely suggests Martha's Vineyard  while denying me entry to its private yacht club.

From Hostess with the Mostess

This cake would serve me lemonade. The party I'm talking about has stiff tavern punches with at least a fifth of rum. In lieu of cake, there is rustic apple pie. There are oil lamps, and delicious crusty bread and whipped butter. Throw in some rowdy parlor games for good measure, and we have a recipe for a wonderful event. 

Maybe some day I'll live on some water, or at least have a pool, and we can make this one a reality!

Getting Serious in the New Year

Deep inside... deep inside... I have a blogger hiding in me deep inside....

Ok - so that's a terrible pun on a song I haven't sung since I was a kid. But you get the point. I really do want this site to be a party planning resource extraordinaire, so I'm going to make a New Year's commitment to regularly post gems on here. I mean, I'm a Pinterest addict, so finding inspiration shouldn't be remotely difficult, right?! :)

I do have some news to share. First, the coat closet to home office renovation is complete! Hubby surprised me with the custom remodel on Christmas Eve Eve. How he managed to do a construction project in my own house, under my own nose, without me knowing is still beyond me. But oh I how I love the space! I have a few more accessories to throw on the wall, and then I will take pictures to share with you all here.

Second, I am thrilled to be working with a great friend, excellent baby-sitter and best house- and dog-sitter a gal could wish for to help plan her July wedding. She has agreed to allow me to share the boards on here, so look for those next week!

Harrisonburg Women's Service League

The Harrisonburg Women's Service League annual holiday auction is this Thursday and Partytopia will be offering up a concept package to the highest bidder! HWSL, formerly the Harrisonburg Junior Woman's Club, has been an active community service organization in our community since 1951! It was a blast to work with a bunch of talented women this year to plan the auction - it promises to be a really fun event. And of course I  look forward to working with the concept package winner to plan an amazing party!

Halloween Report

Wow - an entire month got away from me. The Halloween party happened and it was lovely. I took pictures, and they are still sitting on my camera. I think there's a time warp between Halloween and Thanksgiving where time travels twice as fast. I barely put away the Halloween decorations before turning my attention to turkey and pumpkins. We're hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, and hubby has agreed to do the cooking. I'll be making one dessert, and I'll be sure to take pictures of the table settings and dish about the Turkey Day dishes in a separate post. But to get back to the task at hand...  I promised you a Halloween inspiration board, and here it is. Photo credits are listed by number in the caption box below.

Photo credits: 1. Country Living; 2. www.ontimesupplies.com; 3. Perpetual Stew; 4. Fit Sugar; 5. Amy Atlas; 6. Decor Village; 7. Cutest Food; 8. titdilapa

As you can see, vintage Halloween is more about whimsy than the gore that often predominates the Halloween genre. I particularly like the vintage route because it's so kid friendly - sure, there's a place for spiders and witches, but adorable owl cupcakes and pumpkins masquerading as monkeys are equally welcome!

Halloween

Halloween is my second favorite holiday of the year (Christmas easily beats it because presents trump candy, every time). This is my first year as a Halloween parent, and I'm excited to have an excuse to go trick or treating again. I've decided to throw a little Halloween potluck to nourish our bellies after perusing houses for free sweets and treats, and I designed an invitation for the occasion:

There's something about vintage Halloween, in particular, that I find really appealing. (Note to kids out there: smoking a corncob pipe is not cool.) I hope to bring vintage flair to the potluck as well - I'm thinking about making some cupcakes with vintage-inspired toppers, maybe going the poison label apothecary jar-candy route. I'll draw up an inspiration board and post it on here to give you a little sampling of what I may have up my sleeve. Even though it's going to be pretty low-key, even low-key benefits from forethought and coordination! Check back in early November for party pics!

On a different note - I am having huge success with the t-shirt pom poms these days. The hardest part for me is cutting up perfectly donate-able t-shirts for the cause. But I know the finished product, a pom pom garland for my stairs, will liven up my Christmas decorations and be used for many years to come.

T-shirt Pom Pom Update

So I tried making a t-shirt pom pom a few weeks ago. I won't call it a disaster. Rather, I see it as a teaching moment and a craft opportunity. Yes, the original pom pom unraveled into tons of tiny t-shirt strips that were impossible to corral. Lesson? Size does matter, and these bad boys just aren't meant to  be little. But there I was, with the shreds of a formerly well-worn shirt piled in my lap.  Solution? Make a rag rug for the sun room! I work on it a little bit every couple of days. At this rate, I should be finished by the time I'm 50. At least that gives me plenty of time to wear out or stain some new shirts!

In other party news, I've decided to host a Halloween potluck. It will be a low-key affair, but I did design a cute invitation. I'll post it on here and talk more about the party prep soon.

I've also been thinking more about things that I need to do before I launch this as a bonafide business. One thing I need is designated office space, which I plan to carve out of my hall closet. I'll post some before and after pictures so that you can be apart of the dramatic transformation. I'm sure you're like me and can't resist a good before and after!

Until then, party hearty friends.