She Likes Purple

A (Couple) Pins of the Month

I had a goal (on my to-do list this year) to choose one pin a month that's been gathering dust on my Pinterest boards and attempt to tackle it. It could be anything, really, from a DIY project to a local restaurant I've been wanting to try. Annnnd then I failed right out of the gate because January was pin-less. I know! But, hey. My list, my rules. I still get to cross that bad boy off if I finish 12 pins by December and since I did TWO in February, I'm back on track. 

Phew.

(I also might attempt Janssen's Pinterest challenge, so there's an extra six. I will basically own Pinterest by 2014.)

Pin of the Month #1: Dinosaur Egg Party Favors 

(original pin)

I won't quit my day job to create dinosaur egg party favors for a living, but I still think this was a solid attempt. Even Mike was impressed, and that's saying something.

I bought clear party favor bags (at Michael's), candy rocks (I bought 2 bags, which was a good amount for about a dozen favors), and tasked Mike with printing the notes (front and back) on regular ole printer paper. Then I folded evenly and stapled. I would have preferred a sturdier stock, but this was a night-before-the-party project, so. 

Pin of the Month #2: Kyle's Party Shirt

Turns out, I really like buying Kyle shirts to wear to his birthday parties. Here's a snapshot over the years. (Minus his third birthday, when I didn't buy him anything special except a few hundred balloons.) 

I pinned a few possible shirts for his party, and purchased the winning one about two weeks before his party. The seller was awesome and put it in the mail the day after I bought it, since I left a note about when the party was.

In fact, all the Etsy sellers I've bought his party shirts from over the years have been great. Here are links to each: first birthday, second birthday (we had a small family party, with a transportation theme, so this airplane shirt was perfect), and fourth birthday. 

I know, hitting purchase and calling that a Pinterest project might feel like a stretch, but I often (LIKE, WEEKLY) pin things I'd like to buy one day only to forget all about those things and wind up just dropping $50 at Target on similar (but less awesome) things instead. 

So, there you have it! One post with a lot of references to pins. 

Kyle's Fourth Birthday Party

I love birthdays, as you likely know, and I really love the birthdays of my boys. (And, yes, of Molly. We bought her a big piece of delicious cake last year and I know it was delicious because I ate it all. That was a good day.) (I totally thought I blogged about Molly's last birthday and intended to link to it but, nope, around her birthday I was blogging about Taylor Kitsch and Whole Foods smoothies. NO WONDER SHE SIDE-EYES ME SO OFTEN.) Anyway, what's tough about Kyle's birthday is that February is Texas' usually coldest but also most unpredictable weather month. One year, we reached insane freezing temperatures for like a solid week. (I really thought I blogged about that horrible icy week of terrible cold but nope. I'm apparently a poor excuse for a blogger.) This year, it was 68 degrees the day before his party. The day of his party, of course, it was cold and overcast and windy, and I was super grumpy about it. 

Like really fucking grumpy. 

I went to Target that morning to buy all the things I still needed to buy (and many things I didn't still need to buy) and just stomped around the store and tweeted about how grumpy I was and stomped some more and then comfort bought a pair of earrings. (This was after I had already comfort ate a donut from Kyle's donut cake.)

The party turned out a-okay--as these things just turn out, of course--especially in Kyle's adorable four-year-old eyes. He was happy the entire time and he ran around outside in the cold, with his friends (and even without a coat!), and laughed and laughed and laughed. And laughed.

(That bottom right picture is candy grabbing post-pinata breaking, in case you thought we encouraged a kid brawl or something.)

We chose a dinosaur theme--and by we, I completely mean me because I pushed the theme on Kyle like the overbearing, birthday-obsessed mom I unapologetically am--but it was still my favorite theme ever. (And, don't worry, Kyle really liked it too.)

We set up pools of sand on the porch for faux-fossil digs. I buried a bunch of tiny plastic dinosaurs in the sand and let the kids take home whatever they unearthed.

Mike drew dinosaur feet on the front walk with chalk. (I just have to quickly give a shout-out to Elizabeth, who I stole the party idea from last year, and when I asked her where she found her dinosaur feet, she said, "Oh, I drew them with chalk" and I immediately thought THIS IS WHY ELIZABETH NEEDS TO LIVE IN TEXAS. I could stress eat donuts and she could just calmly fix my party problems.)

One thing Kyle chose all on his very own was his donut cake. We went back and forth on his cake for a while and he finally said, "I want donuts with candles." At first I thought we'd just buy two donuts, stick four candles in them, and call it a day, but then I decided donuts sounded good for everyone. And they were good for everyone. I could use one of those donuts right now, truth be told.

It was a good day, and when I put Kyle to bed that night, he told me that he loved his party, that he had the best day, and while I still have memories of grumpily stomping around Target because of the stupid effing clouds, the bigger memories are the ones of Kyle grinning.

Kyle grinning trumps a whole lot. 

He's four! I still can't believe it.

Kristie's engagement party + the perfect party menu!

Whenever you ask Kyle to name his family, he'll name Kristie before he gets to his tenth finger. She's one of my very favorite people and best friends, and my kid wholeheartedly approves. Blood is thicker than water but sometimes water is turned to blood, or something less icky sounding than that. Kristie is our family, pure and simple, and as she grows her own family -- she's getting married this August to a wonderful man -- we wanted to celebrate with her.

So, A'Dell and I hosted a pretty kick-ass party this past weekend (if you don't mind me bragging a bit) in Kristie and Duvain's honor and it was such fun.

Kristie looked just beautiful -- I'm sure you'll agree -- and it was wonderful how many friends and family turned out to help the happy couple celebrate. It was one of those nights I didn't want to end, and that's how many of my nights with this group of good people is like.

The menu was also a hit.

We did straight appetizers and one kind of champagne and beer. Kept it pretty easy, thank goodness.

We served: baked brie bites (with and without pecans), pizza puffs (with and without pepperoni) caprese pops, jalapeno popper dip (OMG SO GOOD), southwestern eggrolls, mini fruit tarts (so easy!), smores bites, salsa, guacamole, and cupcakes.

I recommend co-hosting your next party, if you get the chance. A'Dell offered up her awesome home and tackled the decorations and booze, and I handled the invites (weren't they fabulous?) and most of the food. It wasn't nearly as stressful as when you handle a whole party yourself, and we also divided those tasks super simply. I did what I enjoy best and vice-versa. No arguments!

I also got to clean up nicely with Mike. That's kind of a rare thing.

It was a night full of laughter....

....and champagne and friends and food and love, and everything I wish most for Kristie and Duvain's life. Cheers you adventure-seeking, life-loving, beautiful couple, you.

***

All of the good photos in this post are courtesy of Jess, who awesomely made the five-hour drive from Houston to celebrate with Kristie and Duvain. Thanks for coming, Jess and Willy, and for letting me use your beautiful pictures!

Kyle's Third Birthday Party!

Without meaning to, we put off planning Kyle's birthday party this year until the last possible moment because January was insane. Days flew by at warp speed and before I knew it, his birthday was two weeks away. Last year for his small, family-only birthday dinner I designed invitations and matching thank you cards. This year: EVITE.

2012, calm down!

Anyway, we debated having one big crazy shindig with all the family and all the friends and all the school friends, but when we started tallying those numbers, we laughed out loud at ourselves. Our house is small and those numbers were OMG BIG so we split the two.

As you may remember, Kyle picked out a Toy Story cake for his class party and I wish I could have bottled his reaction when I showed up to his class with it.

Best 15 bucks ever.

Even though his home party was last-minute and (in my mind) low-key and without a theme, I was still stressed over all I had to do for it. Mainly, clean. Man, having to clean for company is annoying. Especially because you have to DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN AFTER THE COMPANY LEAVES. Evolution has got to get on that.

So, Mike surprised me with a housecleaner for the day. It was such a wonderful gift, and it's something we've never treated oureselves to but HOO BOY was it worth it. The house was so spotless, I nearly cancelled the party. Sorry guests! Our house is too clean for you! Come back in a few weeks when it's back to a normal level of filth! It really made all the rest of the party prep seem downright easy, and while it may seem weird (it's not even something I can wear or eat or EVEN HOLD), it's one of the best presents Mike has ever given me.

So, moving on, I like to suggest to anyone planning a party, to make a list (or Pinterest board?) with all your favorite ideas and then pick just 2-3 of them. You will have nice details and special touches but you won't be too overwhelmed to enjoy the event. This year, our things were:

1. The balloon room

This was actually Mike's idea, and it cost us less than $10 and was the biggest hit of the day. We did use an air compressor to blow all 200 balloons up, but I wouldn't suggest that because it would mean your husband has an air compressor and most likely ridiculous garage-related hobbies to go along with it. Anyway, we tossed all the balloons in our loft, which also helped get some of our party guests upstairs, to break up the crowd downstairs.

2. Favors!

I saw this idea on Pinterest and they seemed so easy and so cute and they were, in theory. In actuality, shovels were a bitch to find. I went everywhere and I finally settled on some seasonal ones in Target. (I really wanted shovels more like this, but I put off buying them until there was no time for shipping. ROOKIE MISTAKE!)

Still, they ended up really cute and the kids seemed to like them.

3. Happy kid.

Mainly, I just wanted Kyle to have fun and he did. OH DID HE. He asked me the very next morning when his next birthday party was going to be. He loved hanging with his buddies, opening his gifts (they were all fantastic, great job friends and family), and running around outside and around the house.

It was a good day.

I try not to hope much for Kyle because it's his life. I hope that he's happy, sure, and that he chooses good friends, but I want to be an advocate for his hopes and I think that means backing off my hopes a little bit. Still, I can't help but selfishly hope that this kid of mine continues to love his birthday as much as I love his birthday. Throwing parties, making a big deal over it, going overboard once a year in order to show my kid just how much I love him is something I've always wanted from parenthood and this year was a beautiful dreams-meet-reality moment.

Although, someone still needs to get upstairs and pop 200 balloons.

***

Thanks to Natalie for taking the last photo and for all the other photos she took at the party. I will soon beg her for a CD of those photos and update this set!

Spring Party

The roads are STILL icy, the weather is STILL below freezing and has been for days, our fireplace is STILL working overtime to keep our toes warm. It's bizarre and the entire area is collectively over it, I think.

So, I've been thinking a lot this week about a spring party I'm planning to throw this April to warm my thoughts if not my everything else while it's 17 degrees out. A party to celebrate meeting goals and running races and welcoming warm weather before that warm weather turns to unbearable heat.

A few things up my sleeve for my spring fling:

Invitations! (But which ones?)

Pom pom invitations

Marigolds invitations

(Leaning towards) Mums invitations

A party dress (but which one?)

Yellow tea rose tiered dress

Unexpected twist dress

Romantically rustic dress

I'd also like to serve things like: double chocolate and pear cakes, strawberry scones, and salad with poached eggs. Also, some Kir Royales, possibly served in blush champagne flutes.

This is what I do when the weather or work or what have you gets me down: I plan something to look forward to. That's the definition of happiness, right?, having something to look forward to.

Sunshine and spring and bubbly.

What are you looking forward to?

Birthday Dilemma

We threw Kyle a big, huge first birthday party last year and even though our small(ish) house was bursting at the seams and all the kids in attendance went stir-crazy five minutes after arriving, I'm glad we did. I have some incredible memories and photos and I got to live out my dream of purchasing an expensive, can-only-be-worn-once shirt on Etsy for the occasion.

We have a great house for parties as long as those parties fall in warm-weather months, and February is most definitely not a warm-weather month (even in Texas). And, with Kyle being in a class full of cute kids and more cousins being added to the mix since last year, our invite list has actually expanded. Our house just can't accommodate all those people.

There are so many other places we could have it, true, but it might stun you to hear some of the prices for our local rec center, the Little Gym, the Children's Museum. To be honest, I'd rather spend money on invitations and food and games than the building all those things are going to happen in.

So, we decided to have a family pizza party on his birthday and throw a big, outdoor park party in May or June.

I know all too well how this goes -- I have a cold-weather birthday myself -- and while I hate that we have to do this -- at least for now, in our current house -- I do think it's a nice compromise, made nicer by the fact that: HE WILL NOT REMEMBER A MOMENT OF IT.

Have any of you dealt with something similar?

It's the time of year for celebrating

I don't know how things worked out this way, but our friends and family have spread their birthdays out quite evenly through the year so we're always going to a birthday party or hosting a birthday party or scouring Amazon for The Best Gift Ever to give someone for their birthday.

September is no exception.

We celebrated two birthdays this past weekend and then we celebrated wine in between those two birthdays because this is just how we roll.

You shouldn't be surprised if you've ever met me.

So, early Saturday morning we got up and headed to the park to celebrate our nephew's fourth birthday and while four year olds do plenty of things I wouldn't list under Interests on Facebook -- get chased by "dinosaurs", get dirty in the sandbox, jump in a bounce house -- they do two other things I can certainly get behind: eat pizza and eat cake.

Kyle's also nearing the age where he can actually play with other kids. While he's "played" with kids before that usually means playing near them or fighting over a toy with them or running into walls beside them. Now he's using his imagination and mimicking his buddies and this is just adorable to see. He spent a good half hour spitting ice cubes into a cooler after he saw his cousin do it, and then they'd both uproariously laugh together about it.

I did point out to the rest of the party guests that they shouldn't drink the cooler water, if they were into that sort of thing because there are few things toddler spit enhances, am I right?

(I'd insert adorable pictures from the party here if I hadn't forgotten both my phone and camera at home.)

Then, Saturday evening, I left my anti-crowds husband at home with my has-an-early-bedtime son and went to Grapefest, a local wine festival, with a couple great friends.

We tasted wine, beer, champagne, and even olive oil. I'm not kidding about that last part!

See, a wall of different olive oils, and lots of sourdough bread to taste them with. Favorites: all.

Aren't all good wine festivals made complete by posing in front of a Jumbo Corndog stand?

Me, Kristie, Natalie.

Bubbly.

I got Yellowglen Yellow, and it was delicious.

After dinner, I poured myself into bed.

Sunday, the whole family took my mom to brunch to celebrate her birthday. Kyle's got a really great Nana, and she's worth celebrating.

She then treated me to a movie because I wasn't kidding about that great part.

We saw The Town, which was good. Really good. Almost-makes-you-forget-about-Jersey Girl good. But Gone Baby Gone is one of my top-five favorite movies of all time and it seems Ben set his directing bar pretty high for me, so I didn't find The Town as good as that, but you won't be disappointed if you fork over $10 to see the movie in a theater.

Also, Ben, good choice embracing the gray.

(Although I did leave the theater with a couple issues over the way the movie wrapped-up. Who would like to talk about those issues with me?)

It was a great weekend and I hope yours was too.

***

What did you celebrate this weekend?

Creative Ideas for Mike's Birthday Party?

Finally, after months and months of adamantantly shaking his head no whenever I asked if I could throw a party, Mike relented. We'll be playing hosts in a few weeks for his birthday.

I'm stoked.

Since his birthday is October THIRD and it's his THIRTY-THIRD birthday and his favorite number is even THREE, I thought we'd create a theme here, with the number three.

(He's rolling his eyes from wherever he is, I can feel it.)

Some ideas I have so far:

- Three different appetizers
- Hang cut-out threes from the doorways and ceiling
- Make custom labels with threes all over them for the bottles and cups
- A music playlist with a running three theme

Yeah, that's all I've got.

Any ideas from you, the smartest people I know?

(Mike thanks you in advance, especially if one of your ideas is: buy a lot of beer.)

What To Keep in Mind When Throwing a Party

I'm no party planner, but I love a good get-together. In fact, parties are one of my absolute favorite things. Here are a small number of things I've learned from hosting a handful of parties.

1. Size doesn't really matter, at least not when it comes to a party. (Ahem.) No matter how many people actually show up, a successful party isn't about size. I've been at a party with four people and a party with fifty, both with similar invite lists. Both fun.

2. With that said, embrace the mindset that the more really is the merrier. Meaning, be welcome to new people, people you may not know well or have personally invited. Maggie wrote something that's become my new party (and, hell, life) philosophy: "if I'm going to screw up somewhere I want it to be because I don't have enough chairs, not because I left people off the invitation list."

3. How much fun you're having will translate into how much fun your guests are having. Fine, the stuffed mushrooms were burnt and that girl over there really dislikes that other one over here but as the hostess, relax, smile, enjoy yourself and everyone else will follow suit.

4. Too much food and drink is always preferable to not enough. You don't have to make everything from scratch. Hell, you don't have to heat everything up yourself. Just have lots of whatever it is you do serve. (And, hell again, it's okay to go pot-luck style. People don't mind bringing things when they're invited to a party. At least they shouldn't. If they're normal.)

5. Don't make yourself crazy. You should see our extra bath on party nights. Actually you shouldn't. It would make you talk badly about me behind my back. But, seriously, don't kill yourself scrubbing every corner and folding every piece of laundry. Throw whatever you didn't get to into a place you know your guests won't wander.

6. Details, details, details. I try to spend a little time writing down all the things I'd love to do at an upcoming party if time or budgets were of no concern. Then I try to pick one thing from that list and do that. This could mean a signature cocktail, a thoughtful favor, a really incredible dessert. It could mean anything, but just be thoughtful and genuine. For instance, after Kyle's birthday party, I mailed printed-out pictures from the party to guests who had great shots snapped of them. I also handmade the thank-you notes, which I think was a nice touch. Little things, details, thoughtfulness. Oh, it matters.

Plan a party. Enjoy yourself. Celebrate. And, invite me, if you wouldn't mind.

(Kidding about that last part.)

(Maybe.)

***

This weekend I hosted a mimosa (sunset) brunch with my best friend, Natalie. Here are some pictures from that particular shindig.