Zebra and Neon Themed Birthday Party

Growing up, we didn’t usually have big birthday parties. Sure, we celebrated with cake and ice cream, and usually a few family members would come over, but as far as the kind of parties you see on TV – large bunches of balloons, petting zoo, clowns and magicians – no, we never had those.

However, when I turned 10, my sisters planned the coolest party I remember to date. We played games, there were cheesy prizes and I’m pretty sure I got a kiss from my boyfriend (on the cheek; does that still count?). I remember being so excited for weeks building up to the big day.

Recently, my youngest step daughter, Emilee, turned 11. She is still at the age that grown up’s are fun to hang out with and also young enough to appreciate parties. So, I decided this would probably be my last chance to throw an awesome birthday party full of all the girly frills that she will soon outgrow. Zebra and neon are in like crazy right now, so I went with that for the theme of the party.

INVITATIONS

I started with invitations. I made these with my Cricut by cutting out the balloon shape at the 5” setting. I cut one black, one colored and one white. Then, I used a Xacto knife to cut wavy stripes out of the black shape. I brushed the colored shape with glue and sprinkled with glitter to give them an extra fun sparkle and, once they dried, sewed all three together with a zig zag stitch (I used black thread because I wanted the contrast on the white side with the party details, but you could also use white if you wanted contrast on the front or of course any color you want for an even bigger “pop”). I couldn't find any envelopes to fit the balloons, so I just took a white scrapbook paper, cut it in half, folded that in half, clipped the corners, put the balloon inside and sewed (with black thread) around the edges to seal it. I also added a tuft of zebra fabric and a neon button to the bottom to keep the invitation from moving around inside the envelope.

SWAG

I also wanted to create some lasting party favors, so I made each of the girls a matching purse and apron using zebra and neon fabric. I made the handle out of braided black yarn and attached them to the purse by simply sewing them to each side over the knot. I also added a contrasting yo yo and button to the front. You know, details. Emilee’s purse was special. I made it bigger and added a black and white ribbon flower as well as some thin elastic at the top.

The aprons were originally meant to be used for the cake decorating portion of the party which I later ended up scrapping. But, by that time, I’d already made all of the aprons so I gave them away anyway. I love how they turned out. The neon against the zebra print had a big impact and they were simple enough that they didn’t take too much time to put together.  The top of the apron is double sided but the apron is just single sided. The pocket is also doubled since the fabric was so thin. I added a couple of neon buttons and a zebra yo yo. This also helped me finally learn how to sew buttons using my sewing machine. Something so basic, yet I never understood it until this project. If you don’t know how to utilize this feature on your machine, LEARN. It is SO worth it.

The other items in the grab bags were fitting with the theme. I bought them from Party City online and, because I was only supplying for 6 girls, ended up being fairly inexpensive. I gave them a pack of neon headbands, some neon hair extensions, zebra and neon notepads and some neon gel pens.

CAKE

Emilee likes cake, but hates frosting. This makes cake planning difficult, but I also knew I was up against Cake Boss and Cupcake Wars as she watches The Food Network as if it were Saturday morning cartoons.

I decided since she was turning 11, I would build two towers to look like two 1’s. Conceptually, I thought this would be easy as pie.  Let’s just say I have a bigger appreciation for cake artists now.

I went to the home improvement store and purchased a wooden round base for about 3 dollars and a 1” square dowel for around 2 dollars. First, I cut the dowel in half then drilled two holes in the base without going all the way through. I hammered the dowels into the holes and secured with some wood glue. After wrapping the dowels and base with aluminum foil, it was ready for cake. It took 6 boxes of cake to have enough for this tower! I used a square cake pan (the kind with straight edges, not the beveled kind you get at Wal-Mart – I special ordered mine online) and cut each cake into 4 squares. I did a thin layer of frosting between each layer and let the towers set in the fridge for a couple of hours before frosting the outside. I’ve heard this helps make the cake easier to frost with less crumb mess. I admit, it helped, but it was far from perfect. I had also heard running a butter knife dipped in hot water over the frosting after it had a chance to “dry” or “cool” could smooth out the wrinkles. Again, this helped, but it was not a smooth, fondant look. I also purchased some edible zebra paper and cut some round circles to add for decoration. I’m glad I did; it helped cover some of the blemishes I couldn’t fix with the frosting. I also didn’t get enough frosting for both of the stacks which is why one of them is the Tiffany blue and the other ended up being party chip white. When they were complete, I realized they slightly resembled the twin towers from New York which made me a little nervous – especially because I was adding candles and lighting them on fire. But, I figured the girls were too young to notice and I knew that wasn’t what they were.

DECORATIONS

I made some cheap balloon topiaries out of PVC pipe, streamers and balloons for the front yard. PVC pipe cheap! I bought 4 10’ poles for 8 dollars, cut them in half and wrapped them with black streamers. I attached the balloons by tying two balloons together, then sets of two into 4, then sets of 4 into 8. I found it easiest to attach them to the PVC by running a ribbon through the pipe, taping off the bottom end then tying the other end around the balloon bunch.  But this is important: Make sure to secure them in the ground BEFORE you try and tie the balloons to the top. Otherwise you’ll be trying to hammer through a bunch of balloons which is virtually impossible. Because I only had them in the ground a couple of inches, I decided to secure them with some black ribbon to help them stay up in case the wind decided to pick up.

I had some boxes laying around at work that I used for the game prizes. None of the prizes were as big as the boxes of course, but they had a big impact and doubled as decorations during the party. I didn’t find any zebra wrap, so I opted for black with white polka dots and some good solids.

I was picking up all the girls for the party using my van, so I used a washable paint to decorate the windows and also hung some balloons out of the back to add some excitement.

For the outdoor tent (this is where the girls ate dinner and dessert), I used a netted gazebo we already own and purchased some black and white plastic tablecloths to drape from the ceiling. I also added a balloon bunch to the center and got to work setting the table. Most of these supplies also came from Party City and were pretty inexpensive.

I hung some paper lanterns from the ceiling in the basement where the girls slept, played games and sang karaoke. I also hung lines of balloons on the wall which doubled as a photo backdrop as well as location for the truth or dare game (prior to blowing up the balloons, I stuck one truth and one dare in each balloon so they could be popped during the game).

FOOD

For the drink, I prepared some clear Kool-Aid and added some food coloring, then froze it in star shaped ice cube trays ahead of time. I made sure the Sprite was very cold before adding the ice cubes so they wouldn’t melt right away and make the drink yucky colored.

We had a taco bar for dinner as tacos are Emilee’s favorite. I was able to wash the bowls in between games so I could re-use them later for the fruit pizza bar. I had most of these items prepared ahead of time to make it easier to just grab and go. I made the sugar cookies ahead of time as well as the cream cheese frosting which I stored in a zip lock bag with the tip cut for easy application.

The morning after, I prepared French toast, turkey bacon and orange juice.

GAMES

For the games, we played Sidewalk Pictionary, Photo Scavenger Hunt and Streamer Fashion Show. The girls seemed to have a good time and I certainly had fun planning!

Cake Pops Recipe

Last weekend, I was finally able to announce the genders of my soon-to-be-born twins. I have heard about gender reveal parties before but I’ve never been to one. I’ve heard of many people having the ultrasound tech write down genders for the parents in a sealed envelope, then taking the envelope to a local bakery and having them prepare a cake with the usual associated color inside topped with white frosting. The parent(s)-to-be will then cut the cake at the reveal party to announce the gender of their baby: Pink for girl, blue for boy – and a surprise for everyone.

Originally, I wanted to use this idea and have a two-tier cake prepared, one tier for each of the twins. But, my husband couldn’t stand the thought of having to wait another two weeks before we could find out, so we ended up finding out right at our appointment. I did, however, still want to incorporate the cake idea when we announced to our families what we were having.

Instead of having a cake prepared, I decided to make my first try at cake pops. If you’re not familiar with them, you can find where I discovered them here or just read on for the recipe I used. I had grand ideas of what I wanted to do. I could make them look like children’s blocks and cut out letters from fondant for the decoration. I could find little candies and make them look like baby cheeks sucking on binkies. I could make them look like little baby bottoms complete with crack and belly button and cover them with carefully cut Airhead candies shaped like little white diapers. So many clever ideas…but alas, so little time.

I ended up sticking with a basic design: saucer-shaped cake balls dipped in white chocolate and covered with multi-colored sprinkles. If you decided to do this, I recommend double dipping before using the sprinkles as the color of the cake did show through a bit (I had to go back over some of the more transparent spots later to cover up any traces of blue). Another tip: Freeze the balls before dipping. This will make them much easier to dip and they’ll hold their shape better. You can make these as cake bites instead of pops simply by omitting the stick. If you choose to use the sticks, dip them in chocolate and insert them into the cake ball, then freeze or refrigerate long enough for the chocolate to set. This will ensure the ball doesn’t come off the stick while dipping (another thing I learned the hard way).

Finally, I presented the cake pops on floral Styrofoam blocks I’d covered with colored tissue paper and ribbon (sorry, I didn’t get a pic of this part – I had hungry mouths to feed!). I kept the colors gender-neutral so no one would get any funny ideas. I then explained there were 12 pops colored for baby A and 12 colored for baby B. As they started to bite into them, they started yelling out, “blue!” until finally everyone realized…they were all blue! This saved some time in the kitchen, because I didn’t have to prepare two batches with different colors.

Another final tip: These treats are EXTREMELY sweet and rich, so I would recommend making them bite size so as not to send your guests into a sugar coma. If you’ve got other ideas for how to make the announcement or if you want to share what you did, please post in the comments. Have a great week!

Cake Pops

1 Box white cake mix (other flavors can be used but if you plan to color the cake, you’ll want to use white)

¾ Container cream cheese frosting

2 – 3 Bags chocolate candy, any color (available at most craft stores) or Bakers chocolate

2 – 3 tsp. Crisco shortening

Food coloring (optional)

24 – 30 sucker sticks, if desired

2 rectangular foam blocks

Instructions:

Prepare the cake as directed on the box. You can choose to add your food coloring now or wait until mixing with the frosting later.

Once the cake cools completely, crumble it in a large bowl and add the frosting. Mix thoroughly until you have a dough-like consistency. Refrigerate until the “dough” is hardened; usually about an hour. Tip: To reduce this time, refrigerate your cake before mixing with the frosting.

Use a spoon or cookie/ice cream scoop to get equal portions of dough for shaping. Shape the balls using your hands but be sure not to roll them for too long or the dough will become warm and soft. Place the balls on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.

Melt ½ bag of chocolate candies and ½ tsp of Crisco shortening. Dip the sucker sticks into the melted chocolate, coating generously, then insert into the middle of the prepared cake balls. This will ensure the balls stay in place during dipping.

Freeze of refrigerate the balls for 30 minutes to allow ample time for the chocolate to set. About 10 minutes before removing from the fridge/freezer, begin melting the rest of the chocolate and Crisco shortening. Remember to stir constantly and melt on low heat to avoid scorching the candy.

Dip the balls in the chocolate one at a time, stirring the chocolate after each dip. Allow the excess chocolate to run off. You can lightly twirl the pop to help distribute the chocolate evenly, but be gentle. After the chocolate starts to harden, insert the stick into one of the Styrofoam blocks to continue cooling. For a quicker set, place the block in the refrigerator or freezer.

Once the chocolate has hardened, you can choose to give them a second coat. The Crisco gives the chocolate a thinner consistency making them easier to dip, but can also leave the first layer looking thin.

Decorate as desired and enjoy!

Conservative Bachelorette Party

A few weeks ago, I hosted a bachelorette party for my very best friend, Megan. Megan is slightly conservative, but still knows how to have a good time. I searched the Internet high and low looking for ideas and activities that weren't too corny or boring.

After a few hours, I gave up and decided to make up my own games. I took the basics of a bachelorette party and broke them down into the following elements:


What most bachelorette's feel like
after their party

 

- Liquor

- Strippers

- Feathers

- Glitter

- Cat Fights

Because of the conservative nature of Megan, I decided to swap these elements as such:

- Liquor Mountain Dew, Sprite, Strawberry Lemonade

- Strippers Seductive dance class taught by a local dance instructor

- Feathers Flowers matching the brides wedding decor

- Glitter Wrapped prizes for the games

- Cat Fights Awesome fun



Pink paper lantern with refreshment
table in the background

We really did have such a great time! The dance class was so much fun, especially since most of the women in attendance were complete tomboys.

Preparation

I made little gift bags with the items needed for all of the games. Some of the games required some preparation before hand such as the "Strip Doll" game. I got a picture of Megan's face and Photoshopped it onto the body of a sexy lingerie model (with undies and bra - she's conservative, remember??). Next, I found pieces of clothing through Google Images that matched the pose of the model. I picked out a shirt, hat, pants, boots and a belt. I split the pants into two pieces to they could be used separately. Then, my husband helped me cut out all the pieces and carefully tape them to the card stock body on the corresponding body part.

The next game required drawing 3 large male heads (faces, not the other). I used some large artist paper so they would be big enough and traced the head shape so they'd all be the same size. Then, I gave them each unique features so they didn't look like the same fella. As part of this game, I also purchased some cheap red lipstick, one for each girl.

Finally, I got a pair of dice, a plastic bowl, a large black marker and the rest of the artist pad paper.

There were gifts for the winners of each game so I purchased some small (around $5 each) items such as a bag of Dove chocolates, a cute picture frame, the movie "Corpse Bride" and a few other things. Then I wrapped them in boxes with wrapping paper matching her wedding colors. I also added some pretty ribbon and "M" tags to make them more personalized.

For decorations, I bought some paper lanterns that matched her wedding colors (black and pink). I also bought some large lime green paper flower things from Zurchers to add some color. I had some silk flowers on hand that matched the color scheme beautifully so I used them to make a floral centerpiece for the refreshment table. I also had some little pink daisies set out on the table for "garnish". :)

The refreshments were simple as this was in the afternoon - right after lunch but before dinner. I did some cake balls, cupcakes, mini cupcakes (cupcakes are her favorite), and a strawberry banana bowl.

Let the Games Begin

We started the party with the dance instructor. We only had about 10 of us, so I made room in our basement so we could use the surround sound from our theatre. We danced to Brittney Spears, adding new moves as we practiced. I loved seeing my best friend being sexy! Hopefully she picked up a few pointers for the new husband.

After the dancing, I handed out the bags to each girl. The first game we played was the "Strip Doll". I had asked Megan questions about herself beforehand and had the answers on hand. Each time one of the girls got an answer correct, they could remove an article of clothing. Once they had her "undressed", they wont the game!

Next, we did the kissing game. I had all the girls take out their red lipstick and form into groups of 3 (for this part, I had cut out some numbers using my Cricut and had them already assigned to a team). The male faces that had been prepared earlier were taped to the wall. We played a relay-style race to be the first team to cover up the faces with kisses. This game was hands down hilarious. Everyone had red lipstick smeared all over their chin, cheeks, teeth, etc. It made for a great photo.

Stay classy, ladies.

The last game we played was top 10. During this game, there were various categories listed. The die and bowl were passed around the circle until someone rolled doubles. Once they rolled doubles, they had to take the pad of paper and write down ten things in that category before someone else rolled doubles. If someone else rolled doubles before they finished, the new double roller would start a new list with the next topic until someone else rolled doubles, and so on.

We ended, of course, with the winners of the games opening their presents and the bride opening hers. For the party favors, I had bought some plastic champagne flutes and filled them with (no surprise here) M&M's matching Megan's wedding colors. I bought some decorative plastic favor bags, cut a hole in the bottom, slipped them over the flute, then tied them off with a ribbon. I purchased some large diamond ring key chains from Oriental Trading Co. and added them to the bottom of the glasses for a final touch.

Considering I've never really been to a bachelorette party let alone hosted one, I think it went relatively well. Everyone had a great time and I loved putting it together. I didn't have to use any penis's or boobs, either! The wedding was awesome, Megan was beautiful and the Happy Ending can now begin. Enjoy your weekend!