May 16th, 2008
There are several points to consider when you’re planning a graduation party.
Here are several questions for you to ponder before you finalize your graduation party plans.
1. How many guests are you expecting? Is your location large enough to accommodate everyone comfortably?
2. Indoors or outdoors? If you’re planning an outdoor party, what’s your rainy day backup plan if the weather doesn’t cooperate?
3. Are you up for preparing the food yourself (and maybe the help of relatives), or do you need to hire a caterer?
4. What about decorations? How many decorations do you need?
5. Should you give your graduation party a theme? Or just celebrate the graduate.
6. Do you need entertainment for your guests?
Answer these questions and you should be on your way to a well planned graduation party.
More graduation party ideas
Image: istockphoto
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By linette -- 0 comments
May 15th, 2008
Party invitations are a big business. Even if you’re purchasing store bought invitations for a kids’ birthday party you can spend $10 to $20 after they’re all mailed out. Plus, if you’re having a small party, save five or so kids, you end up buying a whole pack of invitations, most of which you won’t use. Fortunately, there are a few ways to save money and waste.
- Use Evite or another online invitation service. Evite is free and sends a custom designed (by you) invitation to your guests’ email addresses. You can set it up to ping you every time someone RSVPs or to send out reminders to those who don’t respond. I use it for the women’s club I belong to as it makes it easy to keep track.
- Make and print your own invitations. You can find hundreds of patterns online or you can add your own decorations or clip art. If you send a lot of invites and greeting, you can even buy a program to help you design your own cards.
- Don’t use envelopes. Instead roll the invitation and tie it with ribbon or twice.
- Hand deliver invitations. My son is not allowed to give out invitations at his school because we’re only inviting a few kids and we don’t want anyone left out. Instead, we’ll be dropping the invitations off in his friends’ mailboxes, saving us the postage. Kids who are allowed to bring invitations to school can hand deliver them there as well.
- Buy from the clearance bin. Clearanced invitations and blank cards are just as good as the latest design. You can save 50% to 80% buy buying items on clearance.
What ways can you think of to save money on invitations?
Image: Buy at AllPosters.com
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By Deborah -- 1 comment
May 14th, 2008
There are several giveaways going on at the Lifestyles channel right now, and we don’t want you to miss any of them.
Simply Thrifty is giving away heirloom marigold seeds, just leave your favorite gardening tip before May 18th.
Tree Hugging Family has 5 boxes Skooperbox (enviro friendly disposal for pet doo doo) to give away, check it out before June 12th. They’re also giving away green toys, just in time for summer, enter by May 31st.
One Book Two Book is giving away a Mark My Time Digital Bookmark, enter before May 18th. She also has an autographed copy of “Letter Of Love From China” to give away, enter by May 17th.
Mad Cropper is sponsoring a random act of kindness. You can leave a comment explaining why someone you know deserves to win a Kodak Easy Share 5300 All in One Printer. Enter before May 28th.
Keeping the Castle just turned 3, and to celebrate they’re giving away Thompson’s Water Seal. Hurry for this one, it ends at midnight (EST) tonight.
Have fun, let us know if you win anything!
Image: stock.xchng
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By linette -- 2 comments
May 14th, 2008
You don’t have to stick to the old cap and gown for your graduation party theme. Give your grad a party that’s as unique as they are.
Here are 6 graduation party themes and some basic ideas to go with them. Over the next couple days we’ll expand on some of these themes, and give you more food, decorating, and cake ideas.
1. If your graduate has a favorite sports team (college or professional), decorate your party with team colors and memorabilia.
2.
If you have a music loving graduate give your party a music or rock star theme. Use music notes, or cardboard cut out musical instruments to decorate for the party. Music note cupcakes, a keyboard, or guitar shaped cake would also be fun.
3. Put on your grass skirts and have a summer luau, or surf party . With palm trees, flip flops, surf boards, and sand. Serve fresh fruits or roast pork.
4. Make your graduate the star of their own red carpet event. Lay out the red carpet, and decorate with gold and silver stars. Stencil stars onto the cake or cupcakes with gold colored sprinkles or sugar.
5. Does your graduate love a foreign language? If they’re fluent in French or Spanish use those cultures to influence your party decorations and food.
6. Plan a Mardi Gras theme graduation, use the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold to decorate. Hang brightly colored streamers and and masks for decorations. Let New Orleans influence your menu choices.
For more graduation ideas make sure you check out our special graduation party section.
If you have a unique graduation theme party idea please share!
Graduates Image: istockphoto
Rock Star party image: Celebrate Express
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By linette -- 1 comment
May 13th, 2008
May and June are graduation months, and many graduation parties are beng planned. Here are a few graduation party favor ideas for you so your guests can go home with a special memento or goody.
Other ideas include cookies shaped like diplomas or graduation hats and molded chocolate of the same. Wedding favor supply places also chocolate bars with custom printed labels. You can also have shirts made up or baseball hats or sun visors. If your party has a theme other than graduation, use favors in that theme if you can’t find anything you like in the “graduation” category.
One of the moms around where i live had mug decorating kits and all the 8th grade graduates decorated mugs and took them home as favors - but she filled them with candy first.
What other ideas for graduation favors can you think of?
Image: Buy at AllPosters.com
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By Deborah -- 0 comments
May 12th, 2008
In case you’ve been living under a rock, President Bush’s daughter Jenna got married last weekend. The Presidential family did a great job of keeping most of the celebration details quiet until the last minute.
At any party I’m all about the cake, and I think Jenna’s cake was beautiful. It was simply elegant, decorated with wonderful fresh flowers. I love the whites, blues, and green accents mixed together.
I love how they tilted the top layer with the flowers peeking out from underneath. I also love the mini bouquets stuck into each layer, it just adds that perfect splash of color.
What did you think of Jenna’s wedding cake?
Image from Newscom
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By linette -- 2 comments
May 12th, 2008
Do-It-Yourselfers will enjoy making their own graduation cakes without visiting a baker. Now, I’m not a great cake decorator like my blogging partner Linette, but with some of today’s cake pans and accessories no one really has to know. Check these out:
This adorable smiley face graduation cake pan looks like it would be a breeze to decorate too since the impression of the decoration will come out on the cake. It’ll run you $10.99 at Confectionary House.
Also at Confectionary House is a more traditional graduation cake pan - your basic mortarboard. Just use food coloring to make the icing the same color as your graduates hat.
If cupcakes are more your thing, try these graduation cupcake toppers from ShopBakersNook.com. $2.99 for 6.
Finally, I found some wonderful graduation cake ideas at SugarCraft.com. Do give them a look. I don’t know if I’m quite so ambitious, but talented cake decorators might be interested in these designs.
Image: Buy at AllPosters.com
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By Deborah -- 1 comment
May 11th, 2008
Here’s a bouquet of Mother’s Day flowers from She Knows Parties. Have a wonderful day!
Flower Bouquet Image (c) Linette
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By linette -- 1 comment
May 11th, 2008
I found this great tutorial on painting cookies. When I paint cookies I use the decorator bag method shown here in the third video. You can also use this method to create a design on parchment paper. Then transfer the design to your cake after you let it dry and harden for a day or two.
The video recommends royal icing:
3 level tablespoons of Meringue Powder
1 lb confectioners’ sugar
5-6 tablespoons of lukewarm water
Mix at low speed for 7-8 minutes for a stiff consistency icing. Add more water slowly until you have a thin consistency icing to use on your cookie painting projects. You can also us corn syrup instead of water to thin your icing. This icing can be stored for up to two weeks.
Painted cookies would make a great party favor, gift, or special treat.
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By linette -- 0 comments
May 9th, 2008
This month at the Lifestyles Channel we’re getting to know our neighbors. This week we’re going to get to know our neighbor Stamping Mad 3 doors down. I’m a regular reader and a fan of Stamping Mad, so I’m excited to explore this blog.
I enjoy scrap booking, and rubber stamping. I just don’t get much time to do work on my paper crafting projects.
I asked Katelyn a couple questions about her stamping history.
She Knows Parties: How long have you been stamping?
Katelyn: I got started when I was 12 and my mom gave me a cheap stamping set. It just grew (and grew) from there.
She Knows Parties: How did you get started in stamping, card making, etc.?
Katelyn: When I spent way too much on supplies, I started
making cards for resale. I lost my best places to sell when I moved out of
state and began leaning toward mixed media art. I do a lot of pieces on
canvas that use scrap booking techniques as gifts. People love them.
She Knows Parties: What’s your favorite project?
Katelyn: My favorite project is the nest phrase I made with wooden letters I
decorated, but I also like the Thanks, Soldier piece I did as a sample for a
class the other day.
Katelyn has several projects for birthday cards, thank you cards, gift tags, garland, and more. Many of the pieces would also make great gifts, or party favors.
Here are a couple party related project links:
Card Player’s Birthday Card Layout
Birthday Card Bookmark Combo
Spring Greeting
Bird Garland
Gift Tags From Scraps
If these projects sound interesting check out the rest of the ideas Katelyn has at Stamping Mad.
Image used with permission from Katelyn at Stamping Mad
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By linette -- 0 comments
There are several points to consider when you’re planning a graduation party. 
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