Create My Event - Event & Party Ideas Blog

Spring Has Sprung

Spring is my all time favorite. I choose this season for many reasons. My Birthday is in the Spring. The flowers are beautiful as they begin to blossom. Everyone seems happier and vacation plans are in the works.
This Spring, spruce up your interior with some good ol' fashioned Spring inspired Photography. Get your camera out and start snapping. Choose a Spring theme such as flowers, butterflies, spring colors... and start capturing your meaning of Spring.
Once you have your photos, download, print and hang them.
I found a great little idea for hanging photos in a "not so permanent" way. Go to the local craft store or office supply store in search of those industrial report covers. You can also find them online at Tie Office Mates. They usually come in red, yellow or bright blue which is a perfect accent to your spring theme photos. Just slip the photos in the vinyl pocket and hang them vertically, horizontally or whatever fits your fancy.
Before you know it, you have your own little Spring gallery for all your friends to admire.
Once Summer begins to hit your bones, you can take down your Spring photos and replace them with Summer theme images.

Balloon Favors

Kids love helium balloons, so make these easy party favors for your child's next party.  Buy some cookie cutters, some pre-made dry cookie mix, and some helium balloons.  Divide cookie mix and place in plastic baggies wrapped in tissue paper.  Make up some cookie instruction sheets and hole punch the corner.  Attach cookie mix, cookie instruction sheet, and a cookie cutter to the string of the helium balloon.  For an extra special touch, have your child write on each balloon, "Thank you for coming to my party".

Wallter

Put some spunk into your little ones space with wall applications from Wallter - in 3 fabulous new patterns - Fish, Butterfly & Saucers. For easy, no fuss installation these lightweight pieces have a peel-away 3M adhesive backing. The applications can be applied to almost any interior wall or door.

Painting Partners

Recently, I spent a whole weekend painting one room. I was miserable. I don't mind the work so much but I was truly bored. Bored because I was upstairs and there was no one to talk to, bored because it was an endless project, and bored because by the time I was done, I was already sick of my new color.
So, I got to thinking... Next time I paint a room, I am going to enlist the help of a friend.
Here are some helpful hints as you begin your search for your next "Painting Partner":

1. Choose someone who has a few painting projects of their own. This way, you can reciprocate the help and everyone is happy with no hard feelings of being taken advantage of.

2. Choose someone who has the same level of expectations as you. I am a nut about straight lines and evenly applied paint. My painting partner should have the same "mental issues" as me.

3. Choose someone who has the same taste in music. I can't bear the thought of 1 country music song to get me through the day. My painting partner must love Indie music too.

4. Choose someone who has the same "painting hours" as you... My painting partner must love to sleep in and paint late...a little red wine never hurt too, BUT... all lines must already be cut in....

5. Choose someone who has good taste in color... you know your painting partner will have an opinion about your "color du jour". Their input must have merit and they cannot be judgmental if you choose "poopy brown".

6. Choose someone who leads an exciting life. Who wants to listen to boring stories about laundry or what they ate for breakfast all day. You need enlightenment! enchantment! excitement!, to get you through the long hours.

7. Choose someone who doesn't need much direction. This is an important one. Have you ever tried to manage someone who asks so many questions that you can't manage to get your own job done? Hopeless I tell you.

You catch my drift right? Painting doesn't have to be done alone. Painting doesn't have to be boring. Painting can be filled with laughter, exhilaration, and a bit of karaoke when a good song comes on... If you can find someone with the same painting habits as you, I think you may have found a DIY buddy for life.

Slipper Party Favors

Your daughter will love this party craft and party favor.  Have her and her guests make their own no-skid sock slippers.  Buy a bunch of ankle socks and a variety of squeezable puffy paints (for fabric).  Each guest can decorate the bottom of their own sock with fun designs.   You can also buy a regular fabric pen for them to sign their name on their socks.  The socks need to dry overnight, so this is a great idea for a slumber party- the girls will love them!

Cinema Under The Stars

With the time change, I can't help but get all giddy inside... Summer is almost here and I can't wait!
As the weather warms and you are searching for ideas to host your next party, how about hosting movie night under the stars?
This is an easy way to throw a great bash and keep the mess outside...
All you really need is a projector, a large sheet or piece of fabric, some munchies, refreshments and friends.
As you begin to send out the invitations, be sure to include that your guest should each bring a comfy lawn chair and blanket.

You can either hang your "viewing sheet" between two trees or have someone with some muscles pound a couple of posts into the grass. You will also want to attach a rod to the bottom and top of the sheet to prevent too much wind movement while the movie plays.
For the projector, try your local library. Many will loan out their projectors for a small fee. If you plan to make this a tradition, splurge on something more permanent. You can use extension cords to provide electricity from the house to your outdoor "reel room".
Don't forget the popcorn. Large popcorn machines are also a rentable item. Try searching the internet for local party supply stores. Provide your guests with some tasty drinks and a few traditional movie snacks like Whoppers or Licorice.

Don't forget to invite the neighbors. It will be hard to hide the giant screen in the backyard and with all the laughter, why would you want to leave anybody out? This is a great social event for the neighborhood and can also be a great treat to end the season for your son or daughters team sport.
When choosing the film du jour, Pick something that relates to your crowd like a sports flick for the team or a funny comedy for the neighborhood.

Make your friends envious with your creative social graces this summer. It's never too early to start planning all of those summer outdoor activities.

Shake the Winter Blues and Think Travel

There's always a feeling in my bones as the weather starts to warm and the holiday bills have been paid. Here are a few ideas to help you shake the blues of winter and sing the songs of summer.

When I think about my next vacation, I always jump on the Lonely Planet website for some ideas. This has always been my 'go to' source for travel books, but I can't buy the book until I know where I am going. Check out this site not only for destination ideas but for the travel stories, forums and of course your books.

I am thinking of a yoga retreat personally. Nothing fancy, a quick get-away with a great friend, who I often share our birthday celebrations with. Lately, we've been a lot of talk and no action on this idea so it's about time we do it. I heard on the Sirius, Martha Stewart's channel, a discussion about great retreat ideas. They recommended quite a few such as eco-friendly retreats, hard core yoga retreats in Costa Rica or the best beach destinations.

This is definitely the time to get all your plans into action and start planning. I found the most decadent travel luxury that I will probably never use but thought I would share...Flylite.com This company will pack, pickup, send and deliver your bags anywhere in the US for a $100-$200 per trip fee. This would be a great source for those frequent travelers who trot the globe for business. No more baggage check lines in International Airports, no more late night begging at the cleaners to get something ready for your next trip...

The most important reason to start planning now? Something to look forward to and secondly, less stress on the trip so you can actually relax. A well planned trip is always a well earned trip.

Tobi Wood E-Invites

Tobi Wood has entered the e-invitation world featuring her brilliant whimsical designs on Sendomatic.com. View her electronic collection here - view designs. You can purchase her prints at 2Modern. And learn more about Tobi at her web site.

Brew Ha Ha Party

Here's an idea for your next bash...have a beer tasting party. This idea works well for a St. Patty's day theme as well.

A twist on the ol' Wine Tasting Party, this idea is easy and can be really inexpensive. Start by sending some invitations from Sendomatic. There are some great ideas on this site and it's really easy to customize your own invitation to work with your beer theme. In your invitation, include a note that each guest should bring a beer that they have never tried before. They can bring up to 2 different beers and provide enough for all the guests, (you tell them how many), to try a small sampling of. If you prefer not to ask your guest to BYOB, you can provide all of the libations yourself.

Once the invitations are out, the planning starts. All you really need to do is provide the tasting tables, writing pads, pens, small shot glasses and some good food to keep you guests happy.

Before your guests arrive, set up the tasting table(s) with mini staging areas. Each area will contain enough shot glasses for the number of guest you are having. For example your table will have say 10 or so spots for the "mystery beers". Beside the spot for this beer, you will have 5 shot glasses, (one for each guest), a pad of paper and a small basket to drop the comments of each beer.
When the tasting begins, encourage your guests to be creative with their descriptions, these will get more "flavorful" as the party moves along. Also have the tester judge the beer on a scale of 1-10. You can even have them guess at which been they are tasting. Each guest should write their name on each comment sheet, at every "mystery beer" station.
At the end of the tasting, collect all of the comments. Read them off for some humor. The person who gets the most correct guesses on which beer they are tasting gets a prize. Another prize can be awarded to the guest that brought the beer with the highest amount of "#1 on the Scale" test.

This is a great way to enjoy time with your friends and an even better opportunity to try some new beers.
If beer is not your fancy, then try this same approach with wine. This beer party would be a great party to throw for your boyfriend or Husband as a birthday idea. You can be the Bar maid while he and all of his buddy's enjoy the beer.