4th of july bbq

i need to hurry and post these photo's from our 4th of july bbq we had the other day before the 4th has come and gone! the 4th snuck up on me this year :).

this bbq was really fun to put together and plan. i purchased the 4th of july pack at paper & cake last month & have been really excited to use it {although i didn't use everything i wanted to}. good old uncle sam greeted all our guests by the bbq... here's the cupcakes i made with paper and cake's printables {you buy the pack, download it, print it, and cut and assemble..for those of you that don't know}. i put drink parasols and round toppers on the cupcakes...along with some 4th of july pinwheels i found at the craft store...i attached red and blue ribbons to some white lanterns and hung them everywhere... a close up of the 4th of july banner...

here's the plates and snack boxes etc. i actually didn't use the boxes for snacks though, i came up with the idea to use them as hamburger sleeves! they worked perfectly!...here's the napkins etc... marshmallow stars {the kids LOVED them. they were gone within minutes}...i bought 4th of july taffy & put it in a star bowl...the table centerpieces & festive coasters {it had gotten dark by the time i snapped this pic}...the watermelon beverage dispenser!! i carved out the watermelon and added the spigot and strawberry watermelon juice. easy, and so cute! {i know, the s is upside down..hehe}...

the hamburger sleeves i was talking about... my friend lyndsey {kitchen doughdough} made some awesome cupcake/brownie shish kabobs! click on her site to see the how to...all the kiddios watching fireworks...

it was a fun bbq! happy 4th of july!!

circus party: sneaker

here's a little sneak peak at the circus birthday party i had for my boys on saturday! the weather was GREAT and everything turned out PERFECTLY! i'm waiting to get my photo's from my awesome photographer...so be sure and check back real soon for a great BIG post!!!

sugar, sweet, & spice party

here's my long awaited sugar, sweet, & spice party!

i'm part of a bunko group...and this month was my month to host. i chose the theme, 'sugar, sweet, and spice' because i've been dying to do a candy buffet!

and that's just what i did..a candy buffet, along with a dessert and ice cream bar {i also had chips and salsa..to go along with the spicy theme}.

the party took place under a tent on my backyard patio...

the first thing i did when planning this party was pick a color scheme...the colors i chose were turquoise and hot pink!

i designed a sign and matching labels in photo shop to adorn the candy buffet {and attached the labels to the jars etc. with turquoise ribbon}... i finally had an excuse to make some martha pom pom flowers! i hung them from the tent ceiling...here's a looksy at the candy buffet and dessert table from afar. you can see the mini eclairs {yum} and marshmallow pops i made in the bottom right corner...of course i had to make cupcakes for the event! this time i made cotton candy cuppy's! i added yogurt and cotton candy flavoring to the cake recipe, and made cotton candy cream cheese frosting. they tasted delish!...

candy, candy, candy galore!

as far as the glass containers go...i had some of them already, found some apothecary jars on ebay, bought a few at ross, and found others here and there over the past month or so.

i found the plastic candy scooper's online. i tied both a turquoise and pink ribbon to each one...

here's the candy rimmed glasses. i dipped them in karo syrup and then rolled them in candy sprinkles! so fun!...

here's the ice cream, dessert, & drink table.

i made the window awning replica out of cardboard {i painted it with matching blue paint}, and hung it with fishing line...

the drink was lime aid mixed with sprite...here's a closer look at the ice cream and different toppings i had out {the glass containers are mini trifle bowls that i found at wal-mart for $1.50!}...

dum dum topiaries {i had two of them..one on each end of the candy buffet}.

i made the topiaries out of large styrofoam balls, dum dum suckers, cheap plastic planters {i spray painted them turquoise!}, quick set cement, hot pink feather boa's, and wooden dowels {also spray painted}...

and last but not least, the party favors...

i put cinnamon & sugar in salt and pepper shakers for 'sugar & spice' {i got the idea from modern eve, she used bear shaped glass containers for a baby shower}, and made matching tags that i attached to each one with a hot pink or turquoise ribbon...what a night! we all had enough sugar to last a lifetime!!

this party was so fun to plan and carry out. thanks for looking!

leave a comment, i'd love to hear from you!

elmo cupcakes - elmo party

my son turned two today! and although we're having a big circus birthday party for him & his brother {they're both june babies} in a few weeks, we still celebrated today as well. he loves elmo...so i decided to make him some elmo cupcakes! they turned out pretty cute.
i piped red frosting on using a grass tip to make the red elmo fur, used oreo cookies for the mouths, orange gumballs for the noses, and white candy melts for the eyes.
gavin LOVED them! these would be perfect for any elmo/sesame street themed party!