DIVA Birthday Party on a Budget

My daughter turned 8 last month, and she wanted a "Diva" themed party. You can go different ways with that theme, like "Rock-Star Diva", "Barbie" or "Fashionista". We called ours a "Diva Dance Party".
I found lots of ideas on Pinterest, of course; then added a few of my own...

Diva Invitations
I made the invitations myself with inspiration from one I saw on Pinterest. 
I have a wonderful, easy, and inexpensive program called Scrapbook Boutique that I use to make invitations and scrapbook pages. I love to google free and inexpensive digi kits online, to use for my projects. I found this zebra one while doing the Diva invitations.

Diva Cake
My good friend, Joanne H. did the cake. (I can do simple cakes, but Joanne does the beautiful, fancy, professional kind.) It's a chocolate cake, iced with white buttercream, and black fondant for the zebra stripes. Mmmm... It was diva-lishous!!

Diva Decor and Party Supps
I got the table covering, plates, napkins, cups, and pink serving bowls at Wal-mart. The rest came from Hobby Lobby. I made the chair-back cover years ago, and the "Birthday Diva" sash is from Hobby Lobby. I made the "Happy Birthday" banner myself with 12x12" scrapbook paper, black ribbon, and letters printed off the computer.

  

Diva Party Food

Easy store-bought kettle corn, homemade pink Rice Krispie treats, homemade chocolate-dipped strawberries, and strawberry lemonade Crystal Light to drink.

 

Diva Party Favors

I found these darling little paper "purses" at Hobby Lobby, so I dressed them up, each with a personalized "thank you" tag and a handmade flower clip attached. (I made the tags with Scrapbook Boutique; and the clips from dollar store flowers, double-pronged alligator clips from Sally's, and black feathers & jewels from Hobby Lobby.) Inside each "purse" I put a candy bracelet & a few other small candies (all from the bulk section of Winco). *Girls will add more to their purses during one of the games... 

Diva Games!!

Upon arrival the party guests got to choose a "purse", and I wrote their name on it with a black sharpie. (We then left them on the counter for later.) With my tween daughter & niece and 2 teenage nieces helping, we split the girls up to do their nails, a little makeup, and glitter spray in their hair. 

Then we did some Taylor Swift karaoke singing.

*I had arranged for a couple of my teenage neighbor girls on the high school dance team, to come teach the little girls some dance moves. But they had forgotten they had an backpacking overnighter for "girls camp" and had to back out. Karaoke took the place of the dancing, and was just as fun.

I had found a few games through Pinterest that I thought we might play, but the timing was perfect for just one of them. "Pass the Purse"... A BIG HIT with these little girls! 

In this game, all girls sit in a circle on the floor with their little "purse" favors in front of them. They pass the purse while music is playing, (like "hot potato"). When the music stops, the one holding the purse gets to choose one thing out of it to put in her own "purse". I had enough for one each of 4 small favors: a nail polish, a lip gloss, a colored fake-hair attachment, and a little note pad.

 

Where to Find Stuff for a Diva Party?

I shopped around for the best prices on stuff including our only party store in my town, and ended up finding most of what I needed from Hobby Lobby, Walmart, and Ross.

Hobby Lobby- purses, hair attachments, note pads.  Ross- nail polish & lipgloss. *I should've gone to Burlington Coat Factory instead for the nail polish & lipgloss. Was just there and saw more for less $! Oh well. These ones were cuter anyway! 

 

This party was super fun to do, and very memorable! Good luck if you decide to do a DIVA PARTY!

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ThanksGiving Day 2012

I love how our ThanksGiving Day tablescape turned out. 

I took a few different angles.

I used: 2x12x8 wood board(stained), 11 different kinds of squash(Winco Food Store), candles in mason jars, corn, leaves & grass picks(dollar store), more leaves and pinecones(Walmart clearance).

Our Thankful Chalkboard(post coming tomorrow).

Our middle daughters' birthday fell on Thanksgiving this year so we celebrated that as well.

 Auri turns 12. 

I made posterboard numbers for our family members to write birthday wishes.

Birthday Banner using paper plates(Walmart clearance) with vinyl letters.

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Birthday Snack Tote

 For our kids' Birthdays, they get to pick treats & drinks for their special day. Its nice to keep it all in one spot- our handy Birthday Snack Tote!
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Angel Food Cake Dessert

I made this yummy dessert for my friend's birthday.

The cute glassware saying "Happy Birthday" was at the Dollar Store(DollarTree). Its the perfect container for the Angel Food Cake Dessert.
I got the recipe for the Angel Food Cake here.[sorry I can't get "Heavenly Angel Food Cake" to come up only the reviews] It is so good I will never make another angel Food Cake Recipe!

ANGEL FOOD CAKE RECIPE:

Beat together:

12 eggs whites

1 1/2 tsp. cream of tarter

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

then slowly add:

1 cup sugar until soft peaks are formed

Fold in:

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

Gently spoon into a tube pan. I did mine in a 9 x13 pan.

Bake at 350 for 33-35 mins.

[The Pudding mixture was a combination of my mom's recipe & my own.]

PUDDING TOPPING RECIPE:

mix together:

2 (3.4 oz.) cheesecake pudding

3 cups 1/2 & 1/2

then add:

the zest of 1 orange

1 small tub of cool whip

Directions: Layer the dessert with cake and then pudding. Top it off with fresh strawberries and coconut or white chocolate shavings.

ENJOY!


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Turning {13}

Our oldest daughter turned 13 last month. An age full of Emotions.
So to celebrate this special year she was a given a Teenage Advice Book and she got to Decorate Her Room. To say she was excited is an understatement.


Her Teenage Advice Book:


I wrote to all of our friends and family to write something for her.

I asked for things like:

the most important things they've learned

favorite quotes, stories, poems

top 5 qualities a young woman should have

advice on BOYS

a wish they wanted for her

pictures
I sent them out about 3 weeks before her birthday and then sent a quick reminder when it got closer. When I gave it to her she cried. I knew it was going to be SPECIAL for her.

Her Room:


the Before

It's coming along. . .

the After Shots

Magnet board from ceiling to floor.

LOVE with fabric overlay

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Swimming Pool Birthday Cake

For my son's 10th birthday 2 weeks ago, he had chosen to do a pool party. So I looked online for cake ideas, and was inspired by Google Images and Berry Blue Jell-o!!

I found a how-to video HERE...

This cake was so much fun and easy to make! Here is what I used for mine:

-2 White Cake Mixes (each made by adding 1/4 c inst. vanilla pudding, 1 1/4 c milk, 1/2 c veg. oil, 4 eggs, and a tsp of vanilla) and baked in 9x13 pans

-2 Boxes (4 serving size) Berry Blue Jell-O + 2 c boiling water

-Buttercream Frosting

-Food Coloring (opt.)

-Candy, Polly Pocket dolls, Paper umbrellas, wafer cookies, etc.

I did some things differently than the lady on the video...

I baked my cakes ahead of time and froze them overnight. I layered 2 cakes on top of one another. I tried and failed the first time with the "quick set" ice method for the jello. My advice is to let the jello cool to room temp, then poor into cake pool and refrigerate. I tinted the frosting a light gray color for around the pool. Polly Pockets are a perfect fit for this cake!

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Birthday {Countdown}

Our little boys' birthday is coming up soon & he can't wait. He keeps asking how many days are left til the big day so I came up with this Birthday Countdown.


1-I got a puzzle from a second hand store. Put it together and lightly sand the top(so the paint will adhere).


2-Spray paint the puzzle pieces(mine are 3"x4", whole puzzle measure 10"x13") with the color of your choice.

Cut a board(mine is 14"x16") for the puzzle & title.


3-Trace & paint your design. I love circles but you could do stripes, swirls, block, etc. . .


4- Done with the (acrylic) painting. Remember to spray a protective clear coat. I outlined the painted circles with the same color by adding a touch of white.


5-Lay the puzzle on the finished painted wood. Cut small pieces of velcro to adhere to the back of each puzzle piece. Lay each one onto the board.


6-To decorate the top, use curly ribbon & tuelle.


7- Under each puzzle piece use stickers or write(with a sharpie) words that describe Birthdays.


Let's get counting . . . Pin It

Party Invite Idea

My daughter found this Party Invite(I made for my BIL who is a twin) in my stash of stuff. I made it many years ago but it turned out so well I just had to keep a copy for myself. This is an invite that would look cute for any party or celebration.


I used the mint containers & spray painted them.


It pulls out into an accordion style paper fold with information on each side.


On the yellow: date, time, instructions on what to bring. On the red: who the party is for, address, contact info, instructions on what to bring.

We are so LUCKY to celebrate special days with friends & family!
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