Heat Don’t Defeat Me

I handcrafted a photo garland with 16 pictures of my daughter. Although she isn’t wild about this photo garland, she didn’t seem too upset. Super easy to make with different colors of ribbon. I spent hours looking in stores and online for a decorative garland to swag on the mirror. They were expensive and senseless to me. I came home and decided to make my own using ribbon. I like the simplicity but yet the additional color this adds to my dessert buffet. Not to mention that I love all 16 of the pictures that I gathered from around the house!

This light panel on the wall won’t be here for the birthday party. We needed a place to hang them on so they could hang out. They are going outside in the yard for some dining ambience.

Ok so this may be over kill… I so wanted to use this punch bowl of my Mom’s. I floated candles, silk flowers and some water centerpiece beads that I purchased from a craft store. This may be pretty as a centerpiece for the gift table. I haven’t decided if I like the look of this yet…

Sunday we spent hours in the yard raking, organizing and cleaning up the yard. It was 105 degrees and so very hot! My 7 year old, Amelia would spray us with water from the hose every 15 minutes or so we could continue working! The following day we were all pretty wiped out. The heat wears you down. We had been working out in the heat for about 5 hours…

Fortunately the evening of the party is projected to be cool and nice! Tolerable! I ordered a few current Karaoke CD’s for the kids to hopefully have fun with at the party. I love hearing the kids sing and have a good time!!! Music is such a big part of life. It’s so much fun being able to hear and share in that with teenagers! Last year we had the karaoke system out there and my mics, amp and P.A. They had a blast! Even the boys! So we hope this year it will still be fun for them.

Amelia hung in there and cooled us off! Summer is here in Phoenix!

Today is Tuesday, at least for another 1/2 hour – Two 4 Tuesday- click on the link

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Two 4 Tuesday

Crafting A Sweet 16 Party

I have always put together parties for my youngest. I never have had much money to play with. I have always handcrafted centerpieces and party decor. This year is no exception. My oldest daughter Brittany, convinced me that we should glitz it up this year because Zoe is turning 16. So we came up with a gold and pink party concept. I decided Rose Gold and Gold together are pretty! So I bought gold glitter spray paint, and what I think looks like a metallic rose gold paint. I spray painted the underneath side of an old cake stand that I have had for years. I hand painted the backside with gold glitter and glue. I diluted the glue with a bit of water and then added my gold glitter into the glue. I used a small artist brush the apply the glitter and glue mixture. Here is my dessert buffet so far… I fashioned a runner for the buffet with an old gold curtain panel I had. Straight pinned the sides of the panel together in the middle to make a runner.

The 12 inch round Berries n’ Cream cake that I ordered will look beautiful on this makeshift cake stand! I plan on getting some colored taper candles for the candlestick holders that I glitter sprayed.

I curled the ribbon and added my Mom’s gold plated plates…always nice to include something that was hers into my parties…

This will have fresh strawberries and fancy cookies on the tiers.

Last years party votive/ tea light holders..

I spray painted 7 of them. One of them I adorned with the glitter glue for my dessert buffet.

The other 6 will go on my outside dining tables…

I really love how these turned out!

My Mom’s beautiful heavy lead crystal punch bowl set will be used for a floating candle and flowers centerpiece.

Confetti balloons will be tied to the candle holders on each side of the buffet. A pretty ribbon garland or birthday banner will be swaged on the mirror…

My daughter is making a banner and a plaque using her new Cricut designing machine…

One week out till the party… I’ll update with photos of the actual end result party decor. I am making all of the food for 20+.

Spaghetti, garlic toast and salad for dinner. Dessert buffet to follow. Iced tea and infused water to drink… simple menu-

Handcrafting and repurposing my party supplies is so much fun! Look around and see what you have that you can create and refashion before you buy something new. I love to put on pretty parties on a shoestring budget! It’s the attention to little details that make a party pop!