Finally One Blue Birthday Invitation
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Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Canvas Print
Canvas Print
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Monday, April 9, 2012
Baby Egg Hunt and Easter Lunch
Yesterday was Freddy's first Easter. I have always wanted to celebrate Easter. Growing up Orthodox, we went to midnight mass and had a big meal at 1am. But now that we have a little one, I wanted lots of family and friends around for lovely time of laughs, sunlight, and sweets.
The Baby Easter Hunt was hilarious. At one point Freddy was rolling on the couch in absolute rapture, banging eggs together, rolling on them, and chewing on his plastic eggs. Darling Isla wearing a gorgeous cherry dress had both baskets and walking around the garden getting all of the eggs. It was wonderful just to be out there with family and friends, laughing and watching the children play. I used plastic eggs and filled them with non-edibles, bubbles, chalk, and barrettes (for Isla). I also color coded the eggs. Pink smaller ones for Isla. Blue larger ones for Freddy. Seeing they are so young there wasn't much I could fill the eggs with, but my friend Leslie said her sister-in-law's mother filled them with puffs. Which I thought was brilliant.
My good friend Blythe made a Pizza Rustica, classic Italian Easter tradition. Which was wonderful! I will get the recipe and post it. My good friend Meg made a great salad of mixed baby greens, apple, cheese, and walnuts with a balsamic dressing. Leslie and I made an excellent orzo, peas, and asparagus pasta salad, that I will have to make again. And as per our tradition, ham and biscuits. Oh how I love ham and biscuits on Easter.
For dessert, Bella (my sister) and I made carrot cupcakes and white chocolate sugar cookies. Which my mom decorated, and went a little overboard on the sprinkles, too cute. I also assembled candies from Trader Joes and mini desserts from Whole Foods.
For drinks we put together a citrus bar. Orange and Grapefruit Juice, Prosecco Frizzante Secola, Vodka, and Pellegrino. I really liked doing the bar this way, because there was a lot of variety with very few ingredients. A greyhound which is vodka and grapefruit juice is my choice drink these days, but there was plenty to choose from. A little grapefruit juice and sparkling water is refreshing and tasty. I think next time, I would put a pitcher of water and I would put out garnishes as well. Carl added a blackberry to his greyhound and it looked great.
Next year will be at Blythe's house, and I can't wait already. Palm Sunday used to be my favorite holiday, but I think Easter is my new favorite.
As always, much love, many blessings, and happy celebrating.
What a perfect day.
Easter Card!
Wreath Of Wishes Easter Card
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Meg's Baby Shower: Birds and the Bees Theme
Here is my inspirational idea board...
After that I designed the invitation and some other stationary to go along with the event.
For the entrance we created a welcome sign with the same stationary design and added wooden bird houses on the railing. The wreath was wooden rossettes which matched the color scheme from Target. I added potted tulips and daffodils from Trader Joes.
I thought the BABY wooden letters were just darling. I bought the wooden letters from Micheals and wrapped them in color coordinated yarn. I loved the clothes line with color coordinated onesies. Jillian and her mom put that together, and one day the girls will wear them.
I found the cutest felt bee clothespins and baskets at World Market. We used the clothespins on everything from the signs to the napkins. We used the basket to hold the completed cards of encouragement and advice for Meg.
I love any excuse to use a cake mold, and this bee hive cake was super cute. We had a large cheese platter, a fruit tray, and various deserts including a honey bee cake recipe which was just so cute.
Jillian came up with two darling games. One was guess the circumfrence of the Meg's bump. Which she had pink ribbon and everyone in the room got to guess. The other game was a list of personal characteristics from Meg and Brad and guess which one Meg wanted the children to inherit. It was so much fun and the personal stories about tire changes and getting lost in front of their house was hilarious.
For favors, I made little white chocolate bee hives. I melted white chocolate chips and let them cool in the fridge using a bee hive candy mold. Let them completely cool before you take them out. I wrapped them in cling wrap, and took simple mesh bags from walmart and imprinted them with regular ink with Welcome Baby and Merci stamps. We hung up a peice of wrapping paper from PaperSource and using brown satin ribbon and clothes pins hung the favors on the door.
It was a wonderful time, and a incredibly joyous occasion. I think the only thing I would do differently was I would have had a citrus punch and perhaps balloons, but hind site is 20/20. All in all it was a perfect day.
As always, much love, many blessings, and happy celebrating.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Michigan vs. Notre Dame
Occasion: Of Course... a Michigan Game, which in my house is somewhat a kin to a large mideveal religious festival. I am sure one day my kids will get in trouble at school when asked what their favorite holiday is and they reply, "Big Ten Opener."
Number of people: 12 or so, we had some stragglers and some early leavers
Menu:
Roast beef and turkey mini sandwiches with garden lettuce and heirloom tomatoes
Pretzel Rods with homemade dijon honey mustard dipping sauce
Tortilla chips and salsa
Chocolate chip cookies some with ice-cream some without
Signature drink: Maize-ito Blue Shooters
Total budget: about $100 bucks not including beer, the guests mostly brought their own
What worked: It was super casual, which was nice. I kept all the food down stairs which helped with the flow of the party as well as clean-up. Usually it would take all sunday to recover from one of our parties and here I am up at 4am and the house is clean. Mostly cleaned by Dave but I did the kitchen bit this morning in about two hours with only one load of dishes in the dishwasher and one simple cleaning of serving trays. The plastic plates, finger food, and no silver ware was also a plus and certainly alleviated clean-up requirements.
Of everything that I was most surprised with was the amazing cost savings provided by Costco. I got everything I needed for the party for less than $60. Which in Sandy's world of partying is like getting a new car for a dollar.
What I can learn from this party and what I can improve on for the next one:
I learned a couple of things: one is that people really do prefer homemade small batch food. The cold cuts were not really a smash hit. I mean they were fine and in a pinch I would do them again. But I think the next game we host we will have to do... maybe a chili bar set up downstairs or a mexican fiesta taco bar. It took me less than 20 minutes to set up everything for downstairs, but I think I would have been better served to set up a make your own sandwhich station and let people make their own.
I think a food table downstairs besides the coffee table would also help, so people can serve themselves without getting in the way of the people watching the game.
I hate throwing vast amounts of stale tortilla chips. Especially when you buy in bulk I have in a plastic bag by the door enough tortilla chips to keep a mexican restaurant in the black for weeks. I think putting the chips in a air tight container and only serving out small bowls might be a better alternative.
The pretzels and the mustard sauce were good, but next time, I think a grainy mustard would have been better.
I made the cookies during the party, which, in retrospect, I totally could have done the night before and that way they could have been down stairs.
The maize-ito jello shots were a big hit, but for some reason I always forget to spray the cups, but they were delicious, and the little condiment cups with the covers worked like a dream.
All in all it was great party, mostly because Michigan won. (Thank you Lord, it is not pretty in my house when Michigan loses. Think invasion of France grown men crying in the streets.)
MVP (Most Valuable Party-helper): Costco, for ease of shopping, amounts, and getting everything done in 30 minutes for $60.
Paper plates and finger foods: for significant reduction in cleanup
Condiment cups with covers: for keeping the party going in a oh so cute mini way
Recipe of the Party: Mustard Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of honey
1/2 cup of grainy mustard
1/2 cup of condensed milk
Method:
1. Mix all ingredients into a bowl
2. Enjoy with pretzels
Drink of the Party Recipe Maize-ito Blue Jello Shooters (makes 40)
2 cups of sugar
2 sprigs of mint
2 limes
1 cup of boiling water
1 cup of light rum
2 cups of cold water
4 packets of flavor-less gelatin
Non-stick spray
Method:
1. Set up the little mini cups on a large sheet pan with a rim, spray with flavorless non-stick spray
2. In a large pitcher pour the rum, cold water, and the juice of two limes.
2. Empty the packets of gelatin over the cold liquid and allow to sit for 5 minutes, stir
3. In a small sauce pan add the sugar, boiling water, mint, and the rinds of the limes you just squeezed over medium high heat until it boils and the sugar dissolves.
4. Through a strainer, pour the hot liquid into the cold gelatin mixture.
5. Decant into the mini little cups and cover. Now you know why I told you to put it in the pitcher...
6. Let cool for about 2 hours until firm... cheers!
Number of people: 12 or so, we had some stragglers and some early leavers
Menu:
Roast beef and turkey mini sandwiches with garden lettuce and heirloom tomatoes
Pretzel Rods with homemade dijon honey mustard dipping sauce
Tortilla chips and salsa
Chocolate chip cookies some with ice-cream some without
Signature drink: Maize-ito Blue Shooters
Total budget: about $100 bucks not including beer, the guests mostly brought their own
What worked: It was super casual, which was nice. I kept all the food down stairs which helped with the flow of the party as well as clean-up. Usually it would take all sunday to recover from one of our parties and here I am up at 4am and the house is clean. Mostly cleaned by Dave but I did the kitchen bit this morning in about two hours with only one load of dishes in the dishwasher and one simple cleaning of serving trays. The plastic plates, finger food, and no silver ware was also a plus and certainly alleviated clean-up requirements.
Of everything that I was most surprised with was the amazing cost savings provided by Costco. I got everything I needed for the party for less than $60. Which in Sandy's world of partying is like getting a new car for a dollar.
What I can learn from this party and what I can improve on for the next one:
I learned a couple of things: one is that people really do prefer homemade small batch food. The cold cuts were not really a smash hit. I mean they were fine and in a pinch I would do them again. But I think the next game we host we will have to do... maybe a chili bar set up downstairs or a mexican fiesta taco bar. It took me less than 20 minutes to set up everything for downstairs, but I think I would have been better served to set up a make your own sandwhich station and let people make their own.
I think a food table downstairs besides the coffee table would also help, so people can serve themselves without getting in the way of the people watching the game.
I hate throwing vast amounts of stale tortilla chips. Especially when you buy in bulk I have in a plastic bag by the door enough tortilla chips to keep a mexican restaurant in the black for weeks. I think putting the chips in a air tight container and only serving out small bowls might be a better alternative.
The pretzels and the mustard sauce were good, but next time, I think a grainy mustard would have been better.
I made the cookies during the party, which, in retrospect, I totally could have done the night before and that way they could have been down stairs.
The maize-ito jello shots were a big hit, but for some reason I always forget to spray the cups, but they were delicious, and the little condiment cups with the covers worked like a dream.
All in all it was great party, mostly because Michigan won. (Thank you Lord, it is not pretty in my house when Michigan loses. Think invasion of France grown men crying in the streets.)
MVP (Most Valuable Party-helper): Costco, for ease of shopping, amounts, and getting everything done in 30 minutes for $60.
Paper plates and finger foods: for significant reduction in cleanup
Condiment cups with covers: for keeping the party going in a oh so cute mini way
Recipe of the Party: Mustard Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of honey
1/2 cup of grainy mustard
1/2 cup of condensed milk
Method:
1. Mix all ingredients into a bowl
2. Enjoy with pretzels
Drink of the Party Recipe Maize-ito Blue Jello Shooters (makes 40)
2 cups of sugar
2 sprigs of mint
2 limes
1 cup of boiling water
1 cup of light rum
2 cups of cold water
4 packets of flavor-less gelatin
Non-stick spray
Method:
1. Set up the little mini cups on a large sheet pan with a rim, spray with flavorless non-stick spray
2. In a large pitcher pour the rum, cold water, and the juice of two limes.
2. Empty the packets of gelatin over the cold liquid and allow to sit for 5 minutes, stir
3. In a small sauce pan add the sugar, boiling water, mint, and the rinds of the limes you just squeezed over medium high heat until it boils and the sugar dissolves.
4. Through a strainer, pour the hot liquid into the cold gelatin mixture.
5. Decant into the mini little cups and cover. Now you know why I told you to put it in the pitcher...
6. Let cool for about 2 hours until firm... cheers!
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