Dollar Day Creation #4

These candy cane ornaments were found at $ Tree. What (you say) am I going to do with these??? I took 3 of them and hot glued together!

You are wondering - okay- I still don't know what your creation is??

The Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat party is this Saturday. I am going to use these on my dessert buffet table as stands for food labels. These would be great to use on your holiday buffet table or to use as name cards. I made a quick tag to show you how I plan on using it on Saturday. You could use real candy canes as well.

Christmas party ideas

If you are planning on having a party or get together during the Christmas holiday- you should already have the invites out!! So if you haven't yet and still need a theme I have made a list of 25 themes. (Get it?? Okay, that was kind of corny) I have had a couple of emails requesting ideas for themes. If you see one you want more details on just let me know. I would be happy to go into greater detail!

1. Victorian Dessert Party

2. Trim the Tree

3. Cookie/Ornament Exchange Party

4. Open House

5. Deck the Halls (guest decorate wreaths and take home)

6. Gingerbread House/Man decorating party

7. Caroling

8. The Gift of Giving

9. Holiday Shopping party

10. Christmas in July (a Yuletide Luau)

11. Winter Wonderland

12. Frosty the Snowman

13. Christmas Cupcake party

14. Charlie Brown Christmas

15. Christmas Customs around the World

16. Gift wrapping party

17. Vintage Christmas

18. Christmas card making or Christmas scrapbook party

19. Holiday Volunteer party

20. Cajun Christmas

21. Candy Cane Christmas

22. Feliz Navidad

23. Handmade Christmas

24. White Elephant party

25. Modern Cocktail or Mocktail party

Hope this has given you some party "muse". I have many ideas for each party so let me know which one you want ideas for. Happy planning!

Creative Christmas Tree Themes

Being that I own a Children's Theme party business...of course I love these theme Christmas trees from Better Homes and Gardens. Last year I put up 5 trees. It is hard to believe that my trees aren't theme trees! I was thinking to add an Americana tree...then I spotted the Star Spangled Banner tree below and I think it is a sign that I need to add another tree! However, I need to rethink my tree decorating! My trees are color coordinated- one is bronze, copper and brown...to match my living room. One is gold and red. Maddy has her own tree which is pink and we buy Hallmark ornaments every year. (Winnie the Pooh and Barbie series) Her tree goes in her room. When she was born, I thought it would be a nice tradition for us to go pick out her ornaments together every year. By the time she goes to college she will have a nice collection. On the selfish side, I thought when she starts making all of those gorgeous handmade ornaments in school....they can go on her tree as well! LOL

I think I should add this type of tree to my collection. I have tons of leftover stuff from the 4th that I can throw on it. Well see.... I love the simplistic look of this one! Just gorgeous!

This tree reminds me of my childhood. I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and my mother would go to the Monroeville Mall most Saturdays. In the middle of the mall they had a HUGE ice skating rink. So she would drop me off and I would skate while she shopped! I loved it so much. I had my own skates and thought I was Dorothy Hamill! I wanted her haircut so bad- please tell me you all know who I'm talking about and I'm not showing my age! I was very sad to go back as an adult only to see that they have changed that area to a food court!

A heritage tree is a great idea!

You all know I've lived in Arizona now for about 2 1/2 years. However, I lived on the East Coast all of my life except for my time overseas. So I am used to snow!! This cracked me up tonight so I had to share with my blog friends! We went to Glendale Glitters tonight which is located in a really cute historic district. This is a huge festival that they have every weekend after Thanksgiving to Christmas. Look at this sign! People were lined up to pay for their children to play in the snow. They had 2 huge areas of piled "snow" for the kids to play in!

By the looks of things you would think it is freezing here but tonight was around 61 degrees!

Too funny!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It was just my hubby, Maddy and me this year but this is MY family so I wanted to make it special. I still cooked like I would if many were coming over. It didn't seem right to set a table just for 2- Maddy is still in high chair/booster seat- so I just went ahead and set it for four! I didn't buy anything new just used what I had. I made this topiary a couple of years ago. I actually used my favorite scarf as the fabric underneath! I had to remove the picture frames that I made so you could see the table!

Got the leaf plates last year after Thanksgiving sale at 75% off. I think I paid about $2.50 a plate.

Here is my picture frame project.

I am a black Friday fanatic...I'm starting early at the Michael's sale today at 5 pm. So I must get a move on. Also will be hitting Toys R Us at midnight then Target and if I haven't bought all my gifts then Kohl's. Wish me luck!

Dollar Day Creation #3

Don't you just love the pink fish bone frame I found at $ Tree????---NOT!! You know I'm not going to leave this in it's current state! I thought it would be really cool to use picture frames on my Thanksgiving table- as place cards and to show who I am thankful for.
For me this project was only $1 because I had all of the materials on hand.
You need scrapbook paper, exacto knife, glue, hot glue gun, ribbon and flower.
I just used the frame as my template for cutting. I turned the frame upside down to cut out the inside with a exacto knife.

I glued the scrapbook paper on frame (I used Mod Podge), then glued ribbon on (I used scrapbook glue) then hot glued flower on. I just hot glued on the brads for extra bling. (I had them on hand and just cut off backs) Isn't this better than the pink fish bone frame? It was super simple and took me about 15 minutes.

Sneak peek of my Thanksgiving table that I'm still getting ready~ after seeing picture frame with tablescape I am going to change the picture to sephia. I think that will work better. Sorry for the bad picture- it is late here so no natural lighting. I will get better pictures tomorrow and post my whole Thanksgiving tablescape.

Thanksgiving Tablescapes

Today I got all of my groceries for Thanksgiving. I had planned on starting to bake but didn't get around to it. I also had planned on setting my table, even though it is only my hubby and Maddy for Thanksgiving- I still like to make things special. So if your like me and haven't set your table yet maybe some of these tablescapes will trigger some inspiration.

Mad for Plaid! Another beautiful plaid Thanksgiving tablescape. This one can be achieved pretty easily. Love the simplistic centerpiece on top of runner of leaves. Glasses filled with cranberries topped with flowers. Photo courtesy of celebrations.com.
I love this layered look from Better Homes and Gardens. What a neat use of dried corn-never thought of that.

In love with the brown, bronze and white in the HGTV tablescape.

This one -the added pinecone in cup-too cute.

This last tablescape from HGTV is just so simple and stunning! Amber, gold and brown works so beautiful together. Nice detail with pear.

I love these tablescapes but I don't want to spend any additional money so I will play around with what I have and we will see what I come up with???

Ten Steps to a Less Than Perfect Thanksgiving

I always try to make every holiday and event perfect. Often I get so worked up in every detail that I forget to relax and enjoy the time. So when I saw this article by Donna Pilato, it made me chuckle.
At this time of year we're inundated with idyllic visions of loving families gazing at a perfectly browned, moist turkey. Heaping bowls of side dishes are artfully arranged around the bird. The table has been set with the finest crystal and china that has been passed down from one generation to the next. Not a soul looks frazzled, not a hair out of place, not a spot of grease mars the picture-perfect clothing on each cherub of the youngest generation.
If that's the image you're looking to create at your Thanksgiving table this year, you need to reconsider the wisdom of this objective. Why should we set ourselves up for the inevitable failure? can perfection really exist given our human frailties and shortcomings? It's much easier, in my opinion, to strive for a less than perfect Thanksgiving. You're guaranteed to come out a winner at the end of the day.
So here are my tips for planning a less than perfect Thanksgiving this year.

1. Be sure to leave that little package of turkey innards tucked deep inside the turkey cavity, behind the stuffing. That way, when the stuffing is scooped out at the Thanksgiving table, everyone can watch the mystery package appear in the last spoonful.

2. Insist that you will cook everything yourself for this meal, even though you receive many offers of assistance. There's nothing more satisfying than feeling like an exhausted martyr on a holiday.

3. Plan a menu that includes mostly new recipes that you've never tried before. That way you and your guests can discover together how the dishes turn out when they're done. Plus, you have the added element of surprise of not knowing the exact timing for these dishes.

4. Include lots of recipes from new cuisines that are different from your family's heritage. Think of the look of surprise on your Aunt-Myrtle-from-Ohio's face when she bites into one of those little Thai chile peppers in your dressing.

5. Begin to defrost your turkey on Thanksgiving morning. You know how magazines tend to exaggerate how long it takes to defrost and roast those little gobblers. And who cares if dinner's not ready until 9:00 p.m.? You can save those leftover sandwiches for lunch the next day instead of the evening snack.

6. Don't let anyone in your house eat until guests arrive. You don't want everyone filling up before the big meal. So what if the kids spend all morning whining that they're hungry? It builds character.

7. Decide that this will be the day to end those old family grievances for once and for all. Turkey always makes grudges go down easier. Plan your seating so that any known warring family members will sit next to one another. That will force them to work things out. Even it they don't, this will create memories and anecdotes for future holidays.

8. Leave setting the table and pulling out serving pieces until your guests arrive. You have too much to worry about with all the cooking you'll be doing. Use your everyday glasses and dishes - we wouldn't want a clumsy relation to break your good stuff. And don't forget to plan an extra couple of minutes right before they're scheduled to arrive to iron your table cloths. These things hardly take any time, right?

9. Plan on cooking everything Thanksgiving Day. So what if you don't have enough burners on your stove to accommodate everything at one time. You need an opportunity to prove to your spouse that your kitchen is due for a renovation.

10. Spend the whole day yelling at your children and spouse about how they're not helping and you've got so much to do. It will give them something truly to be thankful for - that Thanksgiving comes only once a year!

Purple Tartan Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEK! This week MM will be featuring everything Thanksgiving in preparations for the upcoming feast! Can you believe it is this week!???!! I have been so busy on so many other projects that I have not even begun my own Thanksgiving preparations! I will start as soon as I get home tomorrow (Sunday) from my weekend mini-vacation!

Here is a really unique color combination for Thanksgiving! Only the amazing , most talented Eddie Ross would find a purple plaid Tartan wool blanket at Goodwill and immediately think Thanksgiving! (I think I have this blanket somewhere in my blanket collection. My family can attest-I'm always cold so until I moved to Arizona I would keep blankets in baskets everywhere throughout my home for a quick snuggle)
Aren't these centerpieces cute and easy to make. White pumpkins, walnuts and cranberries in white dishes. Love the purple candles that bring out the stripe in blanket.

Loving the purple glasses- I have always thought of the use of amber glasses during Thanksgiving but now I'm rethinking my possibilities! There is so much color and pattern in the tablecloth that keeping the dishes, napkins and flatware simple and neutral makes this work.

I love the use of footed dishes with candles and cranberries wrapped around. Simple yet beautiful. Details make your creations unique and memorable.

Can't wait to see the creations you create! Send them my way!!

Happy Birthday Marines!

Tonights post has nothing to do about parties- well sort of. As many of you know from my bio, I am a retired Marine Corps officer. I know I look too young to have completed 21 years!! LOL Well, tonight I went to my previous unit's Marine Corps Ball. My first time attending a Ball that (1.) I didn't organize and (2.) that I didn't wear a uniform. So it was really unusual! However, the guest speaker was R. Lee Ermey. He has been in many numerous films such as Full Metal Jacket, Saving Silverman, etc....also does voice over roles which span from Toy Story to the Simpsons. Of course, I had to get a picture with him...he was actually a Marine for 11 years and was medically retired due to injuries.
God Bless our troops overseas! Happy Birthday Marines!

Invitation to Dr. Suess Thing 1 & 2 Party

Maddycakes is doing a one year birthday party for these adorable little boys! Of course after seeing Amy at Stem and Jill at Bird and the Berry Dr. Seuss theme baby showers I knew that one day I would find the perfect set for this theme. Then came Reid and Daxen! Maddycakes is very excited to do this theme finally- of course with my twist on things! I emailed Jill at Bird and the Berry for a copy of her games and she sent them right over!! How sweet is that!!! I love the friends you can make in blogland. Please visit her and Amy's sites and show some blog love!
Here is the invitation to the shindig. Close up of wording....you know 2 of my New Year's Resolutions are to take a photography class and learn PHOTOSHOP!!

You may have noticed that I have added Hostess of the Mostess to my blogging peeps! I'm very excited that Jenn has added Maddycakes Muse to her blogging friends. For those of you who follow her...that's huge for me!! I am very honored to be among such awesome blogs on her list!!

Transformation

One of my all time favorite event designers is Preston Bailey. He has such magnificent, grandiose, over the top designs. (Sigh) I can dream can't I??? Here he is in his New York Space.(After seeing so many of his designs, I would never have guessed that his work space would be so......simple) Here is how he transformed his space last Thanksgiving! AMAZING!! I love the falling leaves. It really fills the space and adds so much dimension. I really think the falling leaves could be done easily by attaching to fishing wire. I did this effect for a winter wedding by using glittery snowflakes.

I found this picture on his site as well. It is a chandelier done completely by using gummy bears. Talk about thinking outside the box!! Now, I want to step up my game and really challenge myself to have a beautiful and unexpected Thanksgiving table. Stay tuned.

38 Days until Christmas!

I know I say this every year but really- I can't believe how fast this year has flown by. I can't believe the holiday season has begun. I found this really neat website (here) great for the kiddos but also has TONS of holiday recipes in Mrs. Claus' cookbook. Every year I have a cookie and ornament exchange party (which I will post in great detail) and I can't wait to try some of the awesome recipes I found on this site!
Madison wrote Santa a letter and got one back from him (took only 2 days). For the kids, there are games to play, word searches, crossword puzzles and even a dancing Santa that you can change the background and music. A Santa tracker is available on Christmas Eve which I am personally looking forward to trying out with Maddy. Your children can even personalize their own story which they can print so they can have their very own storybook to read. If you have kids definitely check it out- even if you don't, the recipes alone are worth the visit!
(Make sure you scroll down on each page- there is a lot more information down below the advertising)

Dollar Day Creation #2 & We've reached 100 Winner!

First things first Maddycakes Muse has reached 100 followers! Yippee!! So you know what that means- $100 gift card giveaway!!! As you know if you added a comment on the We did it post - your name got entered twice into the drawing. I am so happy to announce that Casara Miller from Majestic Pink won the $100 giveaway!! I was pleasantly surprised when Casara's name was drawn because she submitted her black/white/yellow candy buffet back in September as shown here. Congratulations Casara!!! Please email me your address and I will get your $100 gift card to Hobby Lobby as you requested in your comment.

Now on to our Dollar Day Creation. This is a Rubik cube that I had left over from my 80's party and I thought what am I going to do with this thing? Then I was in Michael's and I saw they have "Magic" cubes for $1! So today's $ craft is a dual purpose. It is a place card as well as a favor.

You will need a $1 cube
Mod Podge/brush
Exacto knife or toothpick
Scissors
6 pictures
Start with a cube....
You could get all fancy and measure the squares and draw a grid on your picture but I like easy so I peeled off the stickers and placed them where I wanted on the picture. It is best if your faces fit in a square.

Then cut your picture- keeping the pieces in order. Put Mod Podge on the side of cube then place the picture on top.

Put another layer of Mod Podge on top of picture and let completely dry. Then take an exacto knife or toothpick and go in between to remove excess glue. (When it dries you will see the brush strokes so make sure you try to make them as even as possible) Viola picture place card and a gift your guests can take home. Of course, I put pictures of my daughter and hubby! Wouldn't this be cute for a game night or put pictures of previous Thanksgivings or Christmases for the holidays!

What are your thoughts??

Here are some more pictures from the Christmas bazaar that Maddycakes participated in on Saturday. As stated in yesterday's post- we did 4 mini tablescapes so prospective customers could get a feel of what Maddycakes signature party themes look like.
Here is a sample of our Fashionista tablescape. I love the color combination of black, white, and fuchsia. (Remember my office!!)

Every girl needs to wear a tiara sometimes. It's hard to see in the picture but under the fuchsia boa is a black square charger. The place card is just black cardstock with silver letter stickers and a flower sticker.

Cones are all the rage. If you don't know how to make one- check out the tutorial I posted in the past here. I just filled with M&M premiums- have you had these yet??? Oh, you got to try them--yum!!!

Sample Tropical Spa Escape. I love the vibrant colors of this party. The centerpieces are what I used for my 80's party. The cylinders and flowers came from $ Tree. I colored the water with a few drops of acrylic paint.

You can find these little buckets at the $ bin at Target. Just add stickers and ribbon. The bottom is sand on adhesive.

Last but not least my ever so popular Princess party. Every little girl wants to be a princess. Maddycakes has the most exquisite princess gowns to help carry out the fantasy!

Maddycakes has so many events coming up that my head is spinning- not in an Exorcist way but a good creative way! I can't wait to share all of the details with you.