Category Archives: Party!

Supermarket Signage Wrapping Paper

05 Tuesday Jun 2012

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I love the graphic garish signs that supermarkets use to advertise sales.  The food colors are always slightly off, but so beautiful – (Would you really eat meat that color?)  I have plans to work them into a painting when I get the chance.  So I asked my local store if they would let me take home the big rolls of paper after the sales passed.  They were happy to share and the bright heavy paper makes perfect gift wrap.  I love how the large scale is distorted into abstraction on little packages.  I know some little boys that would be thrilled to open presents wrapped in gross-out pig feet paper.  And the produce section is always perfectly seasonal.  Delicious.

Wovenplay

29 Tuesday May 2012

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Oh Wovenplay how I love you.  Their clothes are the stuff of a childhood dream: fairies and faded ballerina costumes and vintage water dancers and a magic circus…Every piece is detailed and smart and considered.  They are the clothes in my memory of being a girl, even though I was wearing a polyester bathrobe and dancing to Lawrence Welk at the time.  Designer Katherine Edmonds is trained in traditional French dressmaking and her work is inspiring.  I splurged on the Lola suit for Ada’s birthday last year and then planned a party around it.  Wovenplay had a sample sale last week in Manhattan.  (Oh New York how I love you).  I think I am going to hide this dress away until Ada’s birthday for this year.

Animals! (or Why I Love Shleich)

22 Tuesday May 2012

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I had forgotten how much Ada loved these Schleich animals when she was Josie’s age.  I am convinced the (very) anatomically correct creatures helped her learn animal names as some of her first words.  I like to rotate the girls’ toys and found our bag of animals at the bottom of the toy bin yesterday.  Josie spotted them immediately upon waking and was so excited.  She spent the day asking which was which and carefully putting each back on the table.  I could see connections being made between the animal photos in her books and the three-dimensional plastic versions.  (Oh the poor second child…I am sure I did this much earlier for Ada).  We usually get our animals from our friend Henry and they are one of our favorite gifts for kids.  We even made a giant ice cube full of animals for Ada’s birthday last year.  The animal iceberg floated around the pool and slowly melted to reveal new members of the menagerie.To make your own Animal Iceberg you will need:

*Plastic Animals

*Large Freezer-safe Bowl

1. Fill bowl about 1/4 full with water.

2. Place a few of the animals in water and put bowl in freezer.

3. Wait about an hour and repeat.  Freezing in layers will allow for animals to be uncovered at different times as the ice melts.

4. Float iceberg in a pool, kiddie pool, or just place outside in the sun and let your child watch the treasure emerge.

*Food coloring could be added in small amounts if you want to make some stripes.  Just be sure not to use too much with light colored animals.

Kid Art Supplies by Todd Oldham at Target

21 Monday May 2012

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The new Todd Oldham for Target line of kids’ art supplies is in stores!  I had it on my calendar for yesterday and I think I may have been the first one to discover the pile in our local Target.  All of the Kid Made Modern pieces are under $20 and the packaging and bright colors make them perfect gifts.  I love the craft kits that designer Todd Oldham came up with: diy painted wooden blocks, board book, felt flowers…His fun aesthetic translates perfectly to kids’ products.  My mom always had a secret closet stash of gifts and I love being prepared.  Art supplies are the best!

DIY Tissue Paper Tassels

15 Tuesday May 2012

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We made these tissue paper tassels to decorate an engagement party for our friends Kristin and Linsey.  The lovely weather and people made the day so much fun.  I spotted tassels in an adorable booth at Playtime in March and it reminded me I’d been wanting to make some myself.  The Playtime tassels were from Confetti System – an amazing and inspiring site if you don’t already know.  To make our own version we followed these directions posted by Chelsea on The Sweetest Occasion.  Thank you ladies!  The only changes we made to the concise directions were to use two sheets of tissue instead of one and to tie the twine around our tassel ends.  The process of cutting and twisting is so simple and completely satisfying.  I love a project that transforms the simple into the magical!

Beautiful Thing

03 Thursday May 2012

Posted by in Likes, Party!, Projects, Vintage

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Early Mother’s Day Gift for me from Ada. She has been talking about Mother’s Day for two weeks now and I was sure she was only excited about the prospect of eating cake to celebrate.  She used some of the contents of the surprise ball I gave her for Easter to make this sculpture.  This is the exact thing I would have wished for when I was three.  And she gave it to me.  Totally made me cry.

May Flowers Card (A Two-Part Mailing, Part Two)

26 Thursday Apr 2012

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Here is the second half of our April Showers/May Flowers tutorial:  (If you missed the first part, you can see it here).  You still have time to get the April card in the mail before May shows up!  To make the May Flowers card you will need:

*Felt in various colors

*Scissors

*Card Stock or blank card

*Glue

*Crayon or Colored Pencil

*Vellum Envelope to fit card

1. Cut out petal shapes from felt.

2. Glue petals in circle to form flower and let dry.

3. Draw in stem and center of flower.

4. Print this message inside card: “…May Flowers!”

5. Place card inside envelope and drop in the mail.

*These two cards would make great invitations for a May party.

Happy Spring!

Planted Can

16 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by in Organizing, Party!, Projects

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I like buying groceries with beautiful packages.  It makes me happy see bright little compositions behind the cabinet doors.  In honor of Earth Day this weekend, we reused these colorful tomato cans as geranium pots.  The graphic labels are printed on and will withstand drips from a watering can.  You will need:

*Recycled Can

*Can Opener

*Geranium, or other small plant

*Potting Soil

*Small Stones or Broken Clay Pot Shards

1. Wash and dry can.

2. Turn can over and punch a series of slits on the bottom to allow for drainage.  Our holes are about half an inch long.

3. Put one inch of stones inside can.

4. Put in plant and fill in any space with potting soil.  Soil line should be half an inch from the top of can so that it will not spill out when watered.

5. Place a tray or dish underneath when watering.

*These would make sweet Earth Day or Mother’s Day gifts.

April Showers Card (A Two-Part Mailing)

09 Monday Apr 2012

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We designed this card for my sister’s April baby shower, but it is also a fun spring card for kids to make and send.  Ada liked discovering what colors could be made by overlapping the raindrops.  You will need:

*Tissue Paper in various blues and greens

*Scissors

*Card Stock or blank card

*Gluestick

*Vellum Envelope to fit card

1. Fold tissue paper into width of eight layers.  (You can do more or less depending on the sharpness of your scissors).

2. Cut out raindrop shape through all layers.

3. Repeat until all raindrops are cut and then separate individual drops.

4. Cover front of card with glue.

5. Stick down raindrops one at a time and then let glue dry.

6. Print this message inside card:  “April Showers Bring…”

7. Place card inside envelope and drop it in the mail.

8. Keep checking the blog.  The next step in the two-part mailing will be posted soon!

Easter Egg Surprise Ball

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by in Likes, Party!, Projects, Shop, Vintage

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I have been wanting to make a surprise ball since I spotted one at Kiosk a few years ago.  And then this week our friends brought us an amazing swan version from Tail of the Yak in Berkeley.  (More on that beautiful surprise ball in a later post).   Ada had so much fun unwrapping the swan that I decided to make her an Easter version for her basket.  This is an easy project that can be customized for any recipient.  You will need:

*Crepe Paper Streamers (at least 3 colors)

*Tiny Goodies (We wrapped: a vintage bracelet, stickers, vintage buttons, temporary tattoos, a dollar coin, a tiny rubber stamp, a bag of glitter, tin bird pins)

*Felt (or stickers or rubber stamps to decorate)

*Glue stick

*Scotch Tape

*Pinking Shears or Scissors

1. Wrap crepe paper around the first treasure and form a rough egg shape.  Remember this will be the last to be unwrapped so make it a good one!

2. Continue wrapping until first object is completely covered.

3. Cut crepe paper with pinking shears and use masking tape to attach a new color.

4. Insert the next goody and continue to wrap.  Be sure to gently pull the crepe paper taught as you go.

5. Repeat, changing the streamer color with every new object.  Position objects to create a rounded egg shape.

6. Once all objects are inside, use the glue stick to stick down streamer end and apply felt circles or stickers for decoration.

7. Let the fun begin!