Inspiring Ideas: Charley Harper Matching Game

Today I saw this Charley Harper Matching Game at the SF Moma Store. There are many other wonderful Charley Harper items for children including ABC and 123 board books that would make wonderful gifts or favors. It got me thinking that it would be mighty fun and certainly hip to have a Charley Harper-themed party for kids.

The tricky part would be the invitations because the Charley Harper Art Studio doesn't appear to make licensed invitations. They do offer blank notecards in sets of four or individually for only $2 each and I think it would be easy to deconstruct them into an invite.

© 1983 Estate of Charley Harper

I particularly like his Lucky Ladybug for this purpose. I would use a paper trimmer and make the card into a postcard and either rubber stamp invitation information on the back or adhere it to a larger piece of cardstock and print the invitation information around the image somehow.

In any case, although I am new to Charley Harper and his gorgeous art in this past year (thanks to Ward), I am fast becoming a huge fan. His style and whimsy are a perfect fit for a Wee Festivity party.

Party Favors: Custom Candy Bar Wrappers

Pardon the screeching halt over here, I bailed on NaBloPoMo to participate in a holiday boutique last weekend and lost all momentum. Yikes.

But Jessica over at How About Orange inspired me to hit the keyboard again so I can share her awesome find with you guys.

© Rachael Ray

Cute, custom candy bar wrappers that you can print at home?
It's a wee-tail all the way!

Party Food: Rachael Ray's Mega Milkshake

© Jonny Valiant

Ran across this Rachael Ray recipe today and I will definitely be trying it out at one of our family's next festivities. The Noodle would have to make a hard choice between a chocolate or strawberry Mega Milkshake. And Mister Blue Eyes and I would share a chocolate & peanut butter one, no thought required there.

A Wee PSA

Oooh Wee Festivity is kind of giddy over our new little featurette over there to your right...Goody Goody Gumdrops. Whenever I have a free minute to eat eye candy, I head straight to Etsy. Now I can share some of my finds here with you!

Yum, Yum.

Gift Idea: Birthday Royalty

© Cakies

© Dream Child Studio

{the photos are direct links to the Etsy listings for these items}

Wee Festivity recommends investing in a crown or two for the entire family to wear on their birthday. Although I am featuring children's crowns, knowing most Etsy sellers, it would probably be possible to custom order one with enough elastic to fit an adult also. After all, you're never too old to feel like royalty on your birthday.

In fact, I'm guessing adults need to be reminded even more than children how special THEIR birthday is too!

Inspiring Ideas: Kid Dingbats

Granted, I am way biased in my love affair for all things typographic. However, I bet these cuties will inspire everyone, not just font-happy folks like me.

© Efon by Nan Sakurai

For more kid-flavored dingbats from dafont, click click here.

Flickr Fun: Le Cupcake

I don't know about you but I needed a little eye candy today. Flickr to the rescue! Check out Kylie Lambert's (Le Cupcake) Explore set with me.

© Le Cupcake

You can also just click on the cow.
Moo! Are you inspired now?

Party Planning: A Crafty Idea

Wondertime Magazine featured the most darling item that I had to post about: the Leaf Press by Selecta. Although their linked store doesn't appear to carry the item anymore, Wee Festivity found it at Blueberry Forest Toys.

© Selecta/Blueberry Forest Toys

At a fall party, take the kids on a nature walk (even just up and down the street) to collect fall leaves. Once back at the party, each child can take a turn pressing their leaves and then gluing them to a blank card that you provide. Or glue them all on a posterboard and have each guest sign their name and it can be a birthday poster for the guest of honor.

I'm sure you can come up with a million other creative ways to use this product, please leave a comment and share!

Gift Idea: Betty Bunny Amigurumi

© trinlayk

Wee Festivity has not really gotten into talking much about gift ideas yet but Betty Bunny Amigurumi here reminded us that while our kids will naturally gravitate to the mass market stuff out there, they can be influenced in other ways. What little girl or boy wouldn't love to carry Betty Bunny everywhere they go? We think this is a perfect gift for any age and not a budget buster at $14. Etsy seller trinlayk tells us that Betty Bunny likes to bake cookies and cakes and have tea parties.

Wee-Tails: Ice Cream Cone Candles

© CraftedCandles.com

What kid would not go beserk over these ice cream cone candles on their birthday? I think I am even going beserk and my birthday is 10 months away. These candles are simply adorable and a wee-tail if we've ever seen one.

Party Planning: Decorate with Wilton

While surfing the web for birthday candles today, I landed up in the decorating section of the Wilton website.

Wilton "has been the industry leader in cake decorating, quality bakeware and food crafting" for 80 years now. You can browse the site for inspiration.

© Wilton

Giant cupcake, anyone?

Back to candle shopping!

A Wee PSA

We are excited to tell you that we are going to begin ramping up our Flickr group!

We plan to collect a visual feast of party goodness to inspire you whenever you want or need it.

Spotlight on Snap Parties

Wee Festivity is excited to shine our spotlight on Ivanna of Snap Parties.

Ivanna found my blog recently and began leaving lovely comments on many posts and an email exchange was quickly born. It turns out that Snap Parties and Wee Festivity have a very synergistic philosophy about how to throw a party.

I wanted to learn more about Ivanna and luckily she agreed to answer my interview questions.

Guess which one is Ivanna? :)

I am so happy you found my blog because we seem to have a lot in common. How did you find my blog?

I wanted to find some other party planning mamas to share ideas with and get inspiration from. So I did a Google blog search and found you!

On your About Us page, you mention you have four little boys. How do you balance all that male energy?

LOL! Very carefully! My boys can get rough wrestling each other and running around the house, but they also have a very compassionate sensitive side where I can spend time cuddling them. Also, giving them some crayons, scissors, and paper makes them real happy and quiet. We do hope to have another child and hopefully put a daughter into our family.

You mentioned in a comment on my blog that you are Sicilian too. Do you speak Italian and are your boys learning any?

I did speak Italian but I'm losing a lot of it as I use less and less of it, unfortunately. I could understand it fairly well still. My boys know a few words here and there, especially words that we just all use as a family instead of the English version. A popular phrase in our home is "non en boca" (not in your mouth).

You plan a lot of parties for your children. What does a perfect celebration for your birthday look like?

We love celebrating people especially the friends and family that help make us who we are. Our perfect birthdays include lots of people, great food, happy children, and of course a birthday boy who is absolutely excited that everyone is there for him. We especially love to make everyone who comes to our home feel our love for them. Perfect parties are when everyone has a great time and feels special to be a part of the day.

What is your go-to dinner on a weeknight?

Taco salad. We probably make it once a week. I must say, though, that I hardly do any cooking. I'm not that bad of a cook but my husband just loves cooking and is really good at it. That being said, our taco salads always have fresh home made salsas (one spicy for the adults and one not for the kids). Very yummy!

What website do you wish you created?

Diaper Swappers. It's a social message board for cloth diaper users and really any mom. I love everything cloth diapers. Plus the website now has over 50,000 members so the owner is making really good money selling ads on that site. Darn, why didn't I think of that.

What is your favorite kind of cake?

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

What is your favorite song right now?

I seriously do not have a favorite song right now. I usually only put the radio on in the car and often am too distracted to even listen.

What toy in your house drives you crazy?

Anything with lots of pieces. Pieces everywhere to pick up. Ugh! The noise making toys are kind of annoying but they are always short lived as we never put new batteries in them.

Before you were a mom and the owner of Snap Parties, what did you do?

I was a teacher. I taught 5th and 6th grades in the inner city public schools. Very rewarding and difficult at the same time. One of my former students actually just found me on facebook last week. It was fun finding out how he was doing.

Wee Festivity highly recommends clicking over to the Party Planner section of Snap Parties where Ivanna answers party planning questions in blog format and even gave us a little link love there!

Thank you Ivanna for taking the time to share a little more about yourself with my readers today.

Inspiring Ideas: Wooden Spinning Tops

© Sleeping Forest

We think these hand-colored, wooden spinning tops from Etsy seller Sleeping Forest would make an excellent party activity for toddlers or party favors for any age. You get a set of three tops for $18 and as the seller notes, "Put these in a bowl on the table, and we guarantee hours of fun."

Beautiful!

NaBloPoMo

Today is the first day of National Blog Posting Month and Wee Festivity has accepted the challenge. To be perfectly honest, I don't know exactly what I'll be posting about each day here but I do know this: it will be fun, it will be cute and it will inspire your holiday party season!

A-Z Guide: Western Party Games

We'll wrap up our first A-Z Guide with a few fun party games that fit in perfectly at a Western party.

© Land of Nod

1. Classic Pin the Tail on the Donkey

Land of Nod has this vintage game. Their version has reusable sticker tails so the birthday child can play after the party guests have all gone home.

2. Lasso Practice

Family Fun's guide to a Western party has this fun game idea in which you take a hula hoop, a wooden rocking horse and a kid and have some good old fashioned lasso practice. Wee Festivity might even decorate the hula hoop with red handkerchiefs cut into strips and hot glued around and around to make it more festive. Last time we checked, hula hoops came in bright, fluorescent colors that don't really match and it's all about the wee-tails you know.

If you have the energy for a third game, we suggest this additional idea from the same Family Fun guide: Sidewinder Jump in which...

"...guests have to avoid the "bite" of a deadly rattler. Make your snake out of an 8-foot length of rope. At one end, glue a piece of thick cardboard cut and painted to resemble a rattlesnake's diamond-patterned head. On the other end, create a rattle by filling a few film canisters with a teaspoon of dried beans or rice. Punch a hole in the top of each canister and poke a pipe cleaner through, balling up the end beneath the cap to keep it from slipping out. Glue or tape the canister shut. To play, have adults or kids hold each end of the rattlesnake rope and whisk it back and forth along the ground. Children try to jump over the wriggling snake without touching it. For older kids, try raising the rope a few inches off the ground."

We've enjoyed planning a Western party with you this week.

Y'all come back now, ya hear?

A-Z Guide: Western Party Favors

At the Noodle's party, a western hats & badge was given to each guest as they arrived and the items doubled as their party favors. One of many advantages of a small guest list is the affordability of higher quality favors, like a hat for each guest.

Hats from Birthday in a Box's Cowboy theme.

A bag of badges was found at Diddams.

A-Z Guide: Western Party Food

For the food at a western party, the possibilities are endless. What comes to mind most obviously if you need to serve a meal would be chili, or hot dogs & beans.

We timed our party such that we only needed snacks for folks. As such, we went with the Noodle's favorites which was strawberries and more strawberries. He is a bit fond of the strawberry. Okay we also threw out a bowl of chips or two.

A sign above the snack-laden table in our kitchen.
Found at Diddams

Baking is not how I like to spend my creative energy. So I opted for a local bakery's chocolate sheetcake that they wrote on for me. However, I giddily embellished the generic cake with more strawberries and a toy cowboy. You can find the details on this idea in a prior Wee Festivity post.

The most fun part was serving the cake and ice cream. I picked up some Handi-Foil pie plates at the grocery store and used those instead of standard party plates. They were one of the biggest hits at the party and the kids were adorable eating from them.

A-Z Guide: Western Party Decorations

Decorating for the Noodle's western party was so much fun!

A giant paper star from Diddams marked the house for guests.

A steer (also from Diddams) greeted folks at the front door.

Cow & horse balloons carried the theme outdoors.
(from Birthday in a Box's Cowboy theme)

Appropriate table linens were rented,
along with the child-sized round table and chairs.

Dad and the grandparents built a Western Town from refrigerator boxes acquired by mom at a random appliance store. My only regret was I didn't discover Mr. McGroovy until the night before our party. Drat!

The crowning authentic touch was a RENTED bale of hay from a local feed supply store. Because who wants to buy hay just for a party? Learn from us though: don't forget to bring gloves and two people to pick up and return the hay.

Tomorrow we will share food ideas for a western party.

A-Z Guide: Western Party Invitations

Wee Festivity is proud to introduce our A-Z Guides, in which we'll outline an entire party from invites to decorations, food, favors and games.

Our first Guide is for hosting a Western-themed party.

Here are two invites to get started, these are actual invites created by Rosina Red Designs (RRD is the main creative outlet for the founder of this blog). One invite was for her Noodle's fifth birthday and the other was designed for her friend's daughter.*

The Noodle's invitation

Bella's invitation

As you can see, RRD used two completely different color schemes, but both clearly set the mood for an authentic Western party. No detail was overlooked, including coordinating the envelopes with coordinating liners (Bella) or artwork (the Noodle).

Tomorrow we will share photos of decorating ideas.

*Note: Since these invites were for real children, we have blurred out identifying information on the invitation.

Party Planning: Treasure Strings Game

Let's wrap up the week with another tip from the wonderful Birthday Cake book: a variation on a treasure hunt for younger children.

Treasure Strings involves a different color ball of yarn for each little one at your party. Write each child's name on a tag and tie it to one end of the ball of yarn. Now comes the fun part: winding the yarn all through your chosen area (house, yard) being careful to go over and under things and crossing the yarns. Cut the yarn and tie a small treasure to the end of it, then hide the gift under something. During the game, the children follow the trail of their assigned color and are rewarded with the little treasure. Maybe the first person to find their treasure also wins a prize!

How much fun is this? We think this would be great for the preschool & kindergarten set. It would even be a great activity for a playdate on a rainy day.

Wee-Tails: Glazed Flowers, Leaves and Fruits

It has been said that you learn something new every day, and the Birthday Cakes book is an inspiring teacher. Here is a tip from the book on how to add a precious wee-tail to any cake.

Carolyn Miller writes:

"A frosty glaze makes fresh flowers, leaves, and fruits even lovelier for decorating cakes and cake plates. To glaze, simply beat an egg white until it is frothy, then dip the cleaned item in the egg white, or brush the egg white on with a pastry brush. Lightly dredge in super-fine sugar, then sprinkle more sugar over to cover any missed places. Let dry on a wire rack. Use the same day."

Wee Festivity particularly loves how the authors instruct us to decorate the cake OR the cake plate. See? That is a wee-tail right there, they just didn't know the lingo yet. Also, we would use this on a cake for any celebration, not just a child's birthday.

Reading: Birthday Cakes

I picked up this book, Birthday Cakes: Recipes and Memories from Celebrated Bakers, last week at the library.




Kathryn Kleinman and Carolyn Miller have put together a treasure trove of birthday beauty and information. The photos are amazing and the variety of cake stands? Let's just say I might need to replace the library's copy because I drooled all over theirs.

I will share some of my favorites from the book for the rest of this week.

Inspiring Ideas: Sno-Cone Machine

© A-1 Party Rental

Did you know you can rent Sno-Cone Machines? No need to save this inspiring idea for next summer, Wee Festivity suggests planning a winter party just because you can. The kids will love it, undoubtedly. But we have a hunch the grown-ups will be lining up as well.

Another Wee PSA

Wee Festivity is very excited to participate in tiny*prints affiliate program.

Their products blew us away more than a year and a half ago (at least) so it is with pure glee that I have their banner shining in my blog.

Decorations: Polka Dot Balloons

Kids never tire of balloons just as the sun never tires of setting in the West.

© HometownCelebrations.com

Elevate your next party with these modern polka dot balloons. We'd do blue & orange, pink & orange, or pink & green. Anything but traditional pink & blue.

Wee Festivity also likes to rent kid-sized round tables and kid-sized chairs for parties and tie one balloon to each guest's chair. Then there's no fighting over balloons!

Sticker Show-Off

After posting yesterday, this blogger went to pick up her Noodle from kindergarten. With a surprise beach trip planned for after school, a lunch needed to be packed. Cinnamon letter cookies somehow jumped into a wax paper bag (which must be sealed with a sticker of course).

A cute little monster was found in a parenting magazine. Here is his journey:

He was craft punched and introduced to the 2.5" Xyron machine.

And then he served his duty as Official Sealer of Cookies.

As for the Noodle?

He nearly cried when he accidentally ripped it a little.
Wee Festivity takes that as a sign of success.

Supplies: Container Store Gift Wrap

Now that you know how to make a sticker, here's a thought: You can make stickers out of anything, especially gift wrap. The Container Store sells some of our favorite wrapping papers ever. Their designs are fresh, modern and colorful.

Wee Festivity really likes this reversible one:

© Florapoluzza, the Container Store

We could imagine making a double layer with the black polka dots as a large square sticker under a smaller square floral sticker. You could then top the whole thing off with text on a round sticker and put the whole shebang on top of an invite to a tea party!

Also remember that Xyron offers multiple sizes of sticker machines and you can also find craft punches in every size and shape. Here is just one Google result for "craft punch."

You are limited only by your imagination but we know that sometimes you want to see an idea to spark yourself to try one of your own so we will keep on sharing stickers we make with you.

DIY Tutorial: Make a Sticker

We mentioned last week that we'd come back with a tutorial on how to use the Xyron 150 "Create a Sticker" machine.

Here's the machine on top of our paper.

This is the back of our Martha Stewart Scalloped Circle Punch.
It is helpful because it helps you position your paper "just so."

Go ahead and insert your paper.

Squeeze the punch firmly.

Drop your punched paper in the middle of the Xyron 150's slot.

On the opposite side, you can see where to start pulling the tape.

Pull until your paper has cleared the cutting edge.
(If you pull too far, the only consequence is wasted adhesive tape).

You almost have a sticker now.

Flip it over and rub it several times.
Five-year-olds are good at this part.

Flip it back over and peel off the clear top layer.
Wee Festivity would like to thank our hand model, the Noodle.

The cookies never lie.
Wasn't that easy?

On a separate note, these stickers are perfect for sealing wax paper bags.
And wax paper bags are a great alternative to plastic zip bags!

New Poll

Over to the right, you can see the results of Wee Festivity's first poll about party budgets and our new poll about what time to have a party. The poll will be open until next Friday, October 10th.

Vote!

Dreamy Invites: A Pirate Halloween Party

Do you have a little one with an October birthday?

Hero Arts has the cutest Halloween clear stamp set that will jazz you to combine pirates and the greatest holiday for kids. It's like a triple-play of fun with a classic kid theme, a national holiday and a birthday.

© Clear Design Owl-oween

Wee Festivity would use the following card stock from Paper Source:

an A2-sized Poppy Ric Rac flat card

on top of an A6-sized Black flat card.

We would print our party details on the bottom 2/3 of the poppy card and then stamp HOOT at the top and the adorable pirate owl under "HOOT." We recommend black ink from Clear Snap's Color Box line and clear embossing powder to make the image nice & shiny.

Warning!

The entire Clear Snap site is Flash. It does not provide direct linking and will resize your browser! Wee Festivity finds that highly annoying but we don't hold it against their products. Their ink rocks. You can find their stamp pads at a multitude of stores.

FAQ: Wee Guide

After our last post, we thought you might be wondering about Wee Guides. After all, we haven't published one yet!

A Wee Guide is going to be an outline for an entire party theme covering five categories in five days: invites, decorations, food, favors & activities.

P.S.
We love to answer your questions.
Someday we'll make a proper FAQ to keep them all in one place.
Please feel free to contact us any time.

Inspiring Ideas: Princess Fairy Garden Wand

For those of you looking for princess party ideas, Wee Festivity encourages you to think outside the pink. Flowers, fairies and wands don't need to be pink to be pretty and magical.

Princess Fairy Garden Wand

© Just Tutu Cute

Thirteen bucks gets your little girl the power to be the fairest ruler of them all at her party. The colors shown here will inspire the whole palette for the party. Wee Festivity imagines crisp white plates with orange and yellow linens with orange and yellow wide satin bows on all the chairs.

This wand inspires us so much, we're going to create a Wee Guide for princess parties.