Shop Sweet Lulu

My little G has a birthday coming up in about a month! I love all of the party supplies at Shop Sweet Lulu.

You can't find cute things like this at Partyland.

If I can convince Hubba, I'd like to get some of the striped straws. I'm such a sucker for striped paper straws, I don't know why. AND maybe a banner-although I can always make one.

Holy Party, Batman!!

My little guy turned four a couple weeks ago, and since he's obsessed with superheroes, we thought nothing less than a big superhero birthday party would do. He invited some of his friends over and asked them each to dress up in superhero costumes and have a pseudonym ready. The moms did a great job at cooperating in this request. All of the boys came ready in great costumes and had their super names picked out.

Here's my little 4 year old. He was 'The Magician'.

front door. (Superhero Headquarters)

We couldn't let just anybody enter. We had to check their identity.



After each superhero was checked, they were given a name tag with their super name on it, and a mask that i made out of some of Hubba's old shirts. I made some black and some red. (The Magician is wearing his mask in the second pic from the top.) Very simple. Just cut out the shape you want (about three inches wide for over the eyes, and then taper to the ends where you'll be tying it behind the head). Check on your child's head to make sure it fits and mark a good spot to cut slits for the eyes. Use that as a template for the rest. It's easier if you cut on the fold.

When every superhero was cleared, they were free to enter the training facility. I used some action figures for decorations, balloons in good comic book colors, posters, and signs that I made with masking tape and spray paint. There's also a basket with some extra costume pieces and props, if any of the boys wanted to add to their costume.

I re-cycled one of the fabric banners I made for baby g's second birthday in February,

and I also re-used the mini paper banner I made for the 40s party. (sorry the picture is SO dark) I used white yarn on a red tablecloth to make a spiderweb. I also used some tempura paint for the web (last minute change- I had intended to use yarn all around but it seemed easier to just paint the inside).

More action figures decorated the table. I set them up in a circle with a small boquet of balloons in the middle. For our 'power lunch' we had Doc Oct Dogs (cut one end of a hot dog into eight sections, boil, and the tenticles will curl), Two-Face Dip (Ranch and Hummus with pita crackers and veggies), Catwoman's Claws (Bugles), Superman's Power Punch (Red Hawaiian Punch, pineapple sherbert, and Sprite), and Green Goblin Juice (Green Hawaiian Punch, lime sherbert, and Sprite).



After lunch it was time for training. We tested the superheroes on strength, endurance, agility, and marksmanship: all qualities of the best superheroes.

marksmanship: throw water balloons at a chalk 'X' on the ground

agility: dodge and karate chop pillows (we hung them over the basketball hoop outside)

strength: lift 2 tons. I couldn't do it, but these superheroes were SO strong (broomstick and 1 ton bricks made with cardboard boxes and paint)

endurance: obstacle course set up in the living room

After passing each test, they got a badge (sticker) then it was time to tackle the task at hand. We blew up a balloon for each superhero (everyone had a different color signifying a different superhero: red/the flash, green/green lantern, gold/iron man, etc.). The boys let their balloons go and whoever's landed the closest to me got to lead the group.

They set off to find Dr. Doom, guarded with silly string, poppers, and snaps. They knew he always wore black and ate green goo, so that's what they looked for. On the way they found green spots on the ground (the ever popular cornstarch and water trick, with green food coloring), and a swatch of black fabric. They knew they were going in the right direction. They found him hiding under a stairwell and attacked.

After defeating Dr. Doom they took the stolen treasure (which he was guarding) and looked inside.

There was a favor bag for each of them with their own initial on it. They were filled with candy, a Spiderman pencil, box of crayons (we got for .20 at Wal-Mart, thanks to Petunia's eye for a good deal), stickers (C already had a big book of Spiderman stickers so I used the utility knife to cut a few out for each bag), and a box of snaps to remind them of their defeat over Dr. Doom. We also printed out coloring pages from Marvel.com but they didn't make it into the bags. Long story.

I used brown lunch sacks, and Hubba made a stencil for each of the initials using contact paper, black spray paint, and a utility knife. We actually have this kind of stuff lying around the house (we always have big Halloween parties and have collected a lot of random craft items over the years). Then I sealed each bag with a Spiderman sticker on the back.

We celebrated Dr. Doom's defeat with Mr. Freeze Dance. We played the Batman theme song and they froze in place every time the music stopped.

Everything seemed fine until we noticed Dr. Doom had planted a bomb in the Training Facility!! No need to be scared, though. The Magician had everything under control. He extinguished the fire with his magic breath.

I used a scallop punch, circle punch, spiderman stickers, red, white, and blue cardstock, mod podge, and toothpicks to make some cute little decorations for the cupcakes. I made a couple word bubbles with newspaper and paint too.

It was a fun little party. I just loved seeing the excitement on the little superheroes' faces as they recieved badges, defeated the villian and celebrated with dancing and treats! Oh, so cute!!

Plate Stands

I said I'd show pictures of the cake stands I used at the party and here they are. The first one is my favorite. I used a clear candlestick for the base. For the small one, I used a cup and saucer. Just thought it was a cute way to present a single cupcake to the birthday boy or girl.

1940s Birthday Soiree -POPPY

Hubba's Birthday Soiree was Saturday and it couldn't have turned out better. Everything went just as planned, we weren't too stressed the day of, and our guests really pulled through with their outfits. It made the party that much more special.

blackjack anyone?

the invitations:

We served dinner: 7 bone roast, potatoes, and Caroline's delicious salad and dressing*.

Hors d'ouvres: olives. sushi. pita bread, veggies, and hummus. cheese, fruit, and crackers.

Dessert consisted of chocolate chip pound cake (the best cake EVER) with lemon curd and caramel sauce* on the side, 'Magnolia's' cupcakes with 'Sprinkles' frosting, and red, white, and blue tootsie rolls.

I made toothpicks for the cupcakes using red, white, and blue cardstock, 3 inch scallop punches, and 2 inch circle punches. I used mod podge to glue two scalloped pieces together (with a toothpick in between) and glued a circle in the center. Hubba made a '29' stencil out of contact paper and used one of his gum erasers to sponge in the number. He's crafty like that.

I made the cake stand. Yes, MADE it, using instructions I found here*. I actually used a candlestick instead of a sundae cup and I had to be patient and keep returning to the thrift store until I found the perfect plate. I'll have to take a close-up of the finished product so you can actually see what it looks like. LOVE how it turned out. (I made three but my favorite is the one the cake is on).

We found some 'Happy Birthday' music online in Big Band style. This was one of my favorite little details about the party. It added the perfect touch to the usual a capella singing. Fun, fun.

Hubba and I both found our outfits for under $20.

earrings- $5 Wal-Mart

flower- a PETUNIA+POPPY original.

I already owned the shirt.

skirt-$4 DI

shoes- (Steve Madden) $4 DI

Hubba used a shirt and tie he already owned.

hat- $7 Taylormaid in Provo

pants- $5 DI

suspenders- $3 DI

shoes- $4 DI

That brings the grand total for two outfits to a whopping $32.

Thrift stores are priceless for these types of events. I found a lot of the decorations there, as well.

I watched some YouTube videos for tips on my hair and tried the styles out a few times before the party. Hubba used some grease in his, to slick it back like they did in the 40's.

decorations:

I made a mini paper banner in red, white, blue, and yellow for the arch in the kitchen.

Costco had these amazing glass drink jars for $30 a piece. Something that will definitely come in handy for our annual Halloween bash.

We also got our drink bin from Costco. We served bottled rootbeer and Coke, and Martinelli's. We were hammered by the end of the night. : )

We hung a white sheet from the ceiling and used it as a backdrop for pictures of our guests. We had tons of balloons- red, maroon, white, and creme.

We got cigars and cigarettes from Taylormaid and Hubba made some '29' sleeves for the cigars. Each of the guys had a cigar in their champagne glass and the girls had a cigarette and a pack of retro gum: Blackjack, Beemans, or Clove.

It was SO much fun and I'm really sad it's over.

Luckily I have a four year old birthday party to plan within the next couple of weeks. Whew! I get worn out just thinking about it.

*if you haven't checked out the Armelle Jewelry blog yet, you must. By far one of my favorites. I've tried tons of her recipes (all DELISH) and tutorials and have loved them all. Caroline is so creative and crafty and has some great ideas.

Party Planning

Plans for Hubba's 1940's Soiree are well on their way and I couldn't be more excited. I love planning every little detail. I decided to try the table setting the other day, to make sure everything fit (and I'm glad I did, because it didn't fit) and this is what I ended up with. Each of the guy's plates have a cigar on them and each of the girl's have a pack of retro gum. Love, love, love!

Pinned Up -POPPY

I'm planning a 1940s birthday soiree for Hubba because he loves to dress up and he always says he was born in the wrong decade. It's also maybe a little bit for the girls. I mean, honestly, who wouldn't want an excuse to dress like a pin-up? I'm obsessed with 1940s style. So classic and feminine. So, as of late, I've been researching like crazy to get ideas for my clothes, makeup, and especially my hair and I must say, I think I'm doing pretty good. I'm almost done with my outfit which, I might add, I've spent less than ten dollars on so far- skirt, shirt and Steve Madden shoes. Don't you love thrift stores? I've also tried fixing my hair a couple times. The hairstyles are very versatile and surprisingly easy (once you get the hang of it). And 40s style is quite the attention getter, let me tell you. Everywhere you go, people look a little longer. My boys keep telling me, "Mama, you look pretty. I like your red lips." And Hubba thinks I look 'hot', so I guess that's a bonus. : )


If you want to try the look too, here are some helpful hints:

• Watch videos online before doing it. They're very helpful. I like ilovegerardo and superkawaiimama. Super Kawaii Mama even has a blog dedicated to helping people find style inspiration at superkawaiimama.com.
• Terms to look for- Victory rolls, reverse rolls, pin-curls
• Do the pin-curls the night before on damp hair. Wrap with a silk scarf and sleep on it. In the morning, all that's left is to take out the pins, comb through a bit, and make some victory rolls
• If you're wanting the look for a certain event, run through the styling a few different times. It takes some practice, so you don't want to wait until the day of the event to realize you don't know how to do the set.