Slice - My favorite thing from the CHA show

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It's pretty bad in my house right now. I've got one kid on a nap strike. I've got another kid packing up his snacks for his sleepover at Grandma Marilyn's tomorrow night. How helpful, you may say, and yes, he is an exceptional helper. But what you don't know is that he is "helping" by folding everything up to fit in the compartments. I tried to explain to him that granola bars don't fare well when folded but he just pushed on, folding away. And the worst part, it has been so long since I've been to the grocery store that I am eating leftover edamame for a snack. I'd really like a cookie but this is all that is left. I wonder how they would taste when chocolate covered...Ever since I got back from the Craft and Hobby Association winter craft show last weekend, I have been glued to the internet. I knew that I would find a lot of really great crafty items that would be amazing when planning a party but I didn't realize I would also learn more about great products that I had seen before. My favorite thing I ran across was the Slice. A- already owns a Cricut which she got for her birthday a few years ago (don't think I didn't push for that for her, I would never put one on my list. I'd rather have boots, but I digress). She does some amazing things with it and it really does add a little something special to our parties. I have been afraid of it, however. It's big and scary looking and daunting. I have never fully embraced it. But at the show, I walked up to the Making Memories booth and went directly the display wall. There were photos and samples of party products that were soooooooo cute that I just had to figure out how they were made. Not only did I see a bevy of cartridges to choose from but also one specifically for an Elmo party and in my head I immediately saw a delightful themed party done in a palatable way. Can you totally picture the very recognizable shape of Elmo's head but done in a variety of patterned papers? They also used some of their adorable coordinated paper collections to put together some favor bags and decor. So I stopped to watch a demonstration of the machine that created all this party goodness. A sweet little old lady, bless her heart, was putting together a make and take card. It was the perfect speed to take in all the the machine does. The machine is so small and easy to use and had no cords running off of it so you could easy take it wherever you go. I love that! I have a party kit I take with me to parties for last minute touch ups. I wouldn't hesitate to bring this with me in case I needed a last minute tag or quick sign. Once the lady finished her card I was able to ask the demonstrator a few questions. I did not catch her name, but I do remember her being very tall and blond. Right now the machine cuts out shapes in whatever size you choose. But coming in April and the months beyond, the machine will have more tips to choose from. For example, instead of just cutting out paper, you will be able to draw the shapes on with the pen tip. They are also coming out with a glue tip which you can then douse with glitter and sparkle away. I want one really bad. If I would have bought one at the show, I would have been entered to win an adorable pink or mint green Vespa (which my husband promptly informed me that we could have painted black for him). I may have to rethink my selfish gift list criteria. No wait, A's birthday is February 13...

In researching the Slice further I realized what a great resource the Making Memories website is, especially the Ideas and How To sections as well as their blog. And there is also a separate website set up for the Slice machine with an even better idea gallery. Both places have party items to inspire you and they all contain shopping lists and tutorials. I'm feeling all kinds of crafty all of the sudden!

You can buy a Slice Starter kit for $150 as well as papers and the cartridges right on line and also at your local craft retailer.

So in conclusion, I really wish I had this machine for a little shindig I am throwing with friends tomorrow and it is now dinner time and I have no groceries and meal planned. If only the Slice website also had pizza delivery...

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*first four photos from WhySlice.com and last picture from the Making Memories blog.

Tiny containers are huge right now

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Happy Monday readers!!! I hope you all had a great weekend. My husband and I got our first date night in soooooo long!!! We had a great dinner at Mastro's and saw an awesome band, Dinosaur Jr., play. But I am much to old to stay out so late and wouldn't you know, I'll be trying to make up that lost sleep the rest of this week. Which is crazy because that was supposed to be our night to make up sleep that the baby is stealing from us...We didn't plan that too well. I also want to apologize for our sporadic posts. A's computer is broke as a joke (and I am pretty sure that her son, N, had nothing to do with it this time). So this leaves me to post. Which is fine, I love to do it. But of course this comes at a time when my sons are really in need of my attention. So as much as I love to post, that has to take a back seat. So bear with us and we hope to be back in the swing of things again soon.

That being said, I am in full party plan mode. Which led me to a source that I MUST share with you. I had found it before but in our move (you know, like 8 months ago) things got moved around (ok, you got me, are still in boxes...). Have you seen Smarty had a Party? I love to do individual desserts. And the look of votive holders is not very new or modern. Smarty had a Party has a ton of options to choose from and the price is great!! Like 50 2 oz. disposable mini tasting glasses for $6.95 (they also sell them in larger quantities if you need them). I think this is what I am going to use for individual root beer floats. I am going to pre scoop (with a mini scooper) vanilla ice cream and refreeze it so it is super easy to plate up during the party. Then when the time is right, I will drop two scoops in to these little glasses and put them on a tray. Then I will walk the party and encourage the guests to make their own floats using the small root beer keg that will be set out. I love having guests make their own treats as it really gets them involved and keeps things from getting boring. Smarty had a Party carries all kinds of unique serving (most, if not all, is disposable) pieces, tasting spoons, cutlery, napkins, displays (kind of expensive, think of them as an investment piece). I will update this with a review of their customer service as soon as I buy from them. Check them out!!

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Victorian Dinner

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So we have been in our new town for a few months now and I still don't know anyone but one neighbor. And due to the pregnancy and resulting baby, I haven't been able to make the hour drive home in the last few months either. Needless to say, I am craving adult interaction. So when I saw this Victorian Dinner Party Kit (I think on Rare Bird Finds) I began menu planning in my head immediately. I love that this kit has the old school vintagey feel of the Victorian era without the overly fem doily aesthetic you sometimes find. The kit comes with 6 invitations and matching envelopes, menu cards and place cards for $23.50. The seller is also willing to customize the sets or add other items like signs, if you need them. I think this kit would work so well for a Valentine's party, birthday parties, co-ed showers, anniversaries, etc. So now I just need to meet 5 more people to invite to my party or con friends from the OC to drive down for the party...Wish me luck. The website also has a ton of really cool greeting cards and banners for different holidays and events, invitations and fun pencil packs. Take a look

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Borders - free entertaining downloads. Who would have thought?

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As always, this is gonna be quick.  We have a hospital tour to take in an hour, I am trying to get Oliver to take a quick nap before Grandma GG gets here and I still need to make my grocery list.  And let's do a quick prego tally.  I am 35 weeks and I had O at 36.5 weeks, so... this baby could be here any time.  AHHHHHH!!!!

Okay, so my post for today was going to be on something that I recently bought from Borders Books that I am in love with.  I bought it for T's baby sprinkle (which is this Saturday so photos should be up next week) which if she reads this without seeing the item, will thoroughly freak her out and I love that.  So, I bought a white tinsel Christmas tree.  From Borders Books.  I know, odd.  I had been thinking of doing an art and craft project with birch branches spray painted white and then some special decor (which I am not at liberty to discuss because it really needs to go along with a whole big picture to sound like it could be cool at all...).  But I am not all that art and crafty and was spending more and more money on this decoration that was really  just not turning out.  And then I stumbled upon this tree at Borders for $10.  Done.  And I am really excited to use it at home after the party too.  You may be thinking it must be something similar to Charlie Brown's poor pathetic tree, but it isn't.  At least to me.  I think it is wonderful and modern and gorgeous and has so many decorating possibilities!  But when I went on their site, I could not find it so forget everything I just said.  This post is not about the tree (I'll show you the picture from the shower next wee).  So now, what this post is about is the free downloads and entertaining resources available on Borders.com.  Not the first place I would think to look but they had some fun, helpful and quirky stuff nonetheless.  First I came across a section of free downloads.  Not only did it include coloring pages for the kiddies, it also has gift tags and placecards.  The designs are whimsical and pretty nontraditional so they might not be for everyone.  They are also done in black and white so you could have the kids color them to get them involved in the holiday planning.  What a neat little section.  But then my eyes were drawn to another section called "Plan a Festive Get Together."  Here they have several holiday recipes plus (of course) links to new cookbooks, they have a section to browse holiday music, an area to purchase wine (from a bookstore?  I know!) and you can even personalize the label!, there is even a link to buy the dvd that plays roaring fireplace scene over and over on your tv.    Wow.  So aside from the fact that they really do want you to buy their books, there are quite a few little tid bits for you to benefit from immediately.  Check it out.  Okay, back to the grocery list.  

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What a surprise!

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So I moved to a place that is about an hour from the nearest H&M store. So, it is safe to say that I miss my old neighborhood's shopping. In my old town, I could drive 5 minutes and get to any kind of store I wanted. Department, boutique, specialty...Here though, I have to drive all over heck and back. Plus, I don't know where the cool stores are yet, so I am sad. Especially this close to the holidays. So this weekend, my mom came down and we went to a center I had not been to yet. It was about 15 minutes from my house, but I can live with that. So it was a great center with some good stores (I found a dress to wear to my baby shower in the first store we went in!!!). Oh my gosh! What is that!!! I stopped dead in my tracks, and my mom just looked at me. I gasped, "It's a Paper Source store!!!" And she looked at me like I was crazy. Obviously she doesn't know just how few brick and mortar stores they have. They only 2 others that I know of in So Cal are Costa Mesa and Pasadena (but I am probably wrong...). Can you believe it!!! I have a Paper Source store!!! So of course I had to go in and look around and I found not only a few Christmas presents, but also some really cute party stuff for the holidays. I guess because I am newly staying at home with my young son, I am really in to crafts you can do with your kids. Paper Source has all kinds of kits that would be perfect for this. But some of the kits are geared towards the upcoming holidays and the parties that go along with them. Like the acorn place card kit!!! So cute! You could also use these on a buffet table to let guests know what is being served. Or the Turkey placemat kit! Perfect to construct and use on Thanksgiving day. And then the cute Tabletop Christmas Tree kit. I came very close to getting this as a decoration for T's shower. Of course, they also have amazing gift wrap and the perfect invitations for your upcoming get togethers. And it all can be found on line in case you are not lucky like me and don't have a store in your area.

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A rambling, mess of a post, but some good stuff to know about...

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Sorry for the late post today. I was going to be lazy and not post today but I don't want to let my loyal reader down...:) O, my son, decided to get up extra early today and as I was checking my email from my iphone all snuggly in bed with him, I saw exactly what I wanted to post about. I got an email from Junior Society (I've mentioned them before but you HAVE to sign up for their emails!) with a holiday gift guide. And what do I see? The perfect chalk to go with a the perfect lap chalkboard I purchased from Etsy seller Little Alouette yesterday. So I clicked over to find out more about the chalk and found some other great stuff on a website called Linda Ferrol Studio. I love unique gift items, and there are plenty to be found on the site. But you HAVE to see her Celebration section. Although somewhat small (I beg of you...please expand!) the items are unique and awesome. I can't wait for O's next birthday so I can get the wish boats!!! As for gifts, you have to check out this awesome memory game. And now quickly back to Junior Society. You must go to their website and check out the craft fairs that they will be attending for the upcoming holiday season. They also run a shop called Mahar Dry Goods and they sell amazing products, with a great selection of party products. The craft fairs are a great way to touch and feel the items before you buy. They are quality items and would make great holiday presents. Buy all your holiday presents from them! Now, if only I could get them to do a show in North San Diego County...give a pregnant girl a break!!

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Coordination is the new black

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I love the holidays!!! I love that everyone is emailing out their best entertaining products and ideas in preparation for the upcoming social fueled holiday season. Delight is no exception. They always have the greatest hostess gifts, but also so much fun stuff for throwing fabulous parties. Late last week, they sent out an email with a great product by Cecily Ink called "Places, Everyone." They are kits that come with place cards, coasters, wine glass rings and paper napkin rings all in a coordinating pattern. A set of 8 costs just $15.00 (2 color stories are available through the Delight website, 4 through Cecily Ink directly). And the designs are totally modern and fun. Cecily Ink has a bunch of other items that would surely coordinate with these sets (4 colors/patterns to choose from) to keep your party colors united throughout. Also check out their boxed card files. You can never have too many cards on hand for those last minute birthdays, thank yous, etc. And these are way more Papyrus then Hallmark. Totally awesome. And if you want to embellish your party even further, check out some more of the great finds from Delight.com like these candles or felt place mats. They will help you raise the bar for traditional holiday entertaining.

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Moo

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Sorry for the late post today. O and I decided to drive to La Jolla for a Whole Foods trip before lunch. And I usually post the day before, but well, the couch was really comfy yesterday and then O had a very short nap, so time just slipped away...I always have such good excuses don't I? So, there is this site that I head about in Dynamic Graphics magazine awhile ago that I has been on my "to post" list. And then I saw it mentioned in Martha Stewart Weddings newest issue and thought, okay, enough procrastinating, it's time. But it has such a funny name and reminds me of my mother-in-law (and loyal C&C reader) because she loves cow paraphernalia. The website is Moo.com. And pretty much has nothing to do with cows. It is an online print shop that allows you to use their ready-made designs or use your own images. The product I am most interested on the site is their sticker books. A book of 90 starts at $9.99. Upload your own photos to use as seals on party invitations, as decoration throughout the party, or use their graphics. They have some great collections. Everything from photography to these cool cartoony characters. They have an "ideas and inspirations" section that is really helpful in coming up with creative ways to use their product with sections for holidays, weddings, etc. They also do note cards, business cards, greeting cards and mini cards. The mini cards or business cards could be used as favor tags, place cards, mini menu cards, or something else entirely unique (see their mini banners!!!). The choice is yours! Primarily, it looks like the site is geared towards blogs or really small business but I think would be an awesome place to do some inexpensive party planning. Check it out.

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Pop Goes the Placemat

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I hate silence. I'm just not good at it. Especially at a dinner party. I sometimes find myself making the lamest small talk and asking the most ridiculous quesitons just to break the quiet lull in conversation. "So. It was hot today, huh?" (Who cares, right?) Yeah, that's me. Akward conversation girl. But today I may have found something to spark conversation right there at the dinner table. WHERE did you get those placemats? That's right, placemats. True, it might not be your average conversation piece but these are awesome. Pop-up placemats. Think your childhood pop-up book meets your dinner table. These placemats are sold in packs of 10 for $24.00 at plum party or delight.com. And true, that might be a little bit more than you would usually invest in a disposable placemat. But these are made from 100% recycled paper (so you can continue that dinner party conversation with a segue into environmental concerns). Plus, the pop up design can double as a placecard, so no need to purchase those (economics, another hot dinner party conversation note). AND, the pop-up adds a lot of visual interest to your table so less need to hunt down table decorations (because you're busy - insert conversation about work, kids, etc.) I just love these. Functional and fun - pull these out at your next dinner party and hopefully you won't hear too much conversation about the weather.

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In Stores Only

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There was that time in my life, not too long ago really, where it seemed like everyone I knew was getting married. Our lives were consumed by MS Weddings magazines and putting together the perfect color palette. Come to think of it, my wedding might be one of the first real parties I put together. (Which is frustrating because now when I look back, there are things that kill me. Okay, so I'm probably the only one who would notice, but whatever.) Anyway, I think it was planning my wedding that gave me a love for party planning. I still get some great ideas for parties by browsing through wedding magazines. And although generally weddings are a whole thing of their own that we like to kind of steer clear of, occassionally you run across something great for "weddings" that can be adapted to other parties too. That's what makes me love the new line by BRIDES magazine. Its another one of those "available in stores only" products by Michaels (note to anyone who might be a decision maker at Michaels - can you please put together an online store like everyone else????) Anyway, this is a great line. They've got several complete sets for weddings complete with everything you could need - from save the date cards and invites to labels, favors, seating cards, gift bags, confetti, you name it. The sets are all modern, stylish, elegant and completely customizable. Plus, totally affordable which is my favorite part. You can view the whole line here at Michaels.com, although I really feel like the photos don't do the line justice, which is frustrating for a blogger but trust me, its worth taking a peak at. And the next time you're planning a large soiree or even looking for a unique shower or birthday theme, think about making a trip to pick up everything you could need. And then get busy writing a strongly worded letter to Michaels for not having an online store.

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Party in a Pad

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Well, cupcakes, I'm back. I'm sure my presence here in blogger world was truly missed, right???? At any rate, I have left my pregnant friend S- who is probably much busier, not to mention more tired, to pick up the slack the past few weeks so I figured it was time to get back to work. And just in time, because I ran across the coolest thing yesterday when I was out shopping!!!! I love to shop. Actually, I'm not sure you can really call it shopping since I rarely buy much, but I love to browse. Just drop me in the nearest H&M and you can be sure you won't see me for the next hour or two. And don't even get me started on the craft stores. I don't know that I would consider myself to be a truly crafty person, but I love to just imagine all the possibilities I would have if I was. Anyway, so yesterday I was shopping, er, I mean BROWSING through Michael's and I came across the greatest little find. Its called a party in a pad by K & Company, who might be best known for their scrapbooking paper and embellishments. As far as I can tell, this product is currently only available in Michael's stores but it is so worth the trip. The Thanksgiving Party in a Pad is basically everything you could need to create the perfect Thanksgiving party all put together in one pad of paper. It includes decorations for eight place settings as well as one centerpiece, a list of conversation starters, a menu to fill in, sixteen gift boxes, 32 leaves, four children’s activity placemats and two double-sided flat papers. So really, everything plus instructions on how to put things together, all in one 12x12 pad of paper. If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you have probably guessed that I am extremely lazy so I'm all about anything I can do to make things look good with very little effort. And I'm absolutely in love with this idea. So when you visit my home this Thanksgiving and are amazed with all the adorable crafty details, don't be fooled - its not me, just my K & Company Thanksgiving Party in a Pad.

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Clip it real good

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I am an organizer. Not crazy like T to the point of lining up all my cans of soda (but I don't think it is soda anymore, I think now it is Izze sodas or something healthier), facing forward in the fridge, but I like things to be easy to find and grouped. I covet all the items on the See Jane Work website. I just know if I had the money and time, that I could have the most fabulous looking organized home (or at least office area). But I have neither time nor money so I will settle on the items I can use to jazz up parties. I have been enamored with the various clips and clasps available on the site. I can totally picture using the shaped paper clips (in leaf, flower swirl or sunburst each comes in a pack of 20 for $6.00) on a kids birthday party invitation and then again during the party on a party game packet for each child. They would make a cute little nametag holder on a favor bag and would look so cute as an accessorie tied to the bottom of a balloon tied with a long tail of curling ribbon. They could also work in any garden themed party from a baby to bridal shower or little girls party. A little more pricey is the Happeez Clipper (a pack of 3 is $17). Again, these could be used on a favor bag and game card packets. How awesome to hand each guest a well designed pack of game cards with one of these clips and a personalized pencil to play with?! These would be well suited for a Sprinkle where you want to really show the mom to be how special she is and when you typically have fewer guests. But I think my favorite of all are the Studio Clips (a pack of 5 for $6.00). These aren't your grandmother's clothespins. What a way to modern up the tired old clothespin game at showers!! How darling would these be as a place card attached to a cute napkin patiently waiting on a plate at a seated luncheon. What is cool, is that when the shower is over, you can gather up the clothespins and send them home with the guest of honor, clothespins make my favorite chip clips!!! Take a look around your local office supply store and see what you can find that would be great at your next party. Sometimes you find the best ideas in the most unlikely places.

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For Your Party, and All of Mine

I've been putting off this post. It could go on for days really. I love this website. Its just that there are so many amazing products. How do I edit what to talk about? I don't know where to start so I am going to jump right in. I used For Your Party to buy custom printed napkins for my son's first birthday and my 30th birthday which we celebrated with one big Country Club themed party. But napkins are just a very small part of what they do. I love personalized items, when done right (i.e. no puffy paint). For Your Party gets it. They do it right. They have been featured in the top wedding magazines and rightly so. The easiest way for you to understand just what they have to offer is to visit their site, but here is a quick snapshot of the products available: napkins, matches, coasters, place cards, gift tags, note cards, bags and boxes, ribbons, napkin rings, candy boxes, memo pads and stir sticks! Phew! And all can be customized in some way whether it is a monogram, a logo, a saying, a date. The possibilities are endless. And the products are really nice looking. These are some of the nicest paper items I've ever seen. But they give you even more options for dressing up your party the way you want to. In the Get the Look section, designers have created special sets of products that all coordinate and all look modern, sleek and special. You could simply buy several products from one of these sets and create your whole party look from it from just this website. And you can further customize these too! Did you forget your special event is next week? In the Grab and Go section, you can choose from non-personalized supplies that are ready for immediate shipment. And for the most customization, go to the Design Your Own section and get to work. Designing is done in a step by step process so you can see how the finished product will look as you go. they provide modern and traditional fonts and the most amazing selection of colors. Check out their Idea Gallery to see some of the custom work they have done for other clients to provide you inspiration. One of my favorite things they offer is called Other People's Parties. They are napkin packs of 100 in coordinating colors, but they are custom napkins done for, say it with me, Other People's Parties!! You and your guests can enjoy some of the crazy quotes other people have used or the funny themes they have come up with for their own parties. This is the kind of eco-friendly idea I like. They don't waste the paper and its funny! But don't worry, they offer a more traditional eco-friendly napkin as well. Prices vary and if you find them a bit steep, remember when you are customizing a party, it is not the quantity, but the quality. Purchase custom napkin rings and then put them on plain napkins or extras left over from your last party. Think of what will make the biggest impact on your guests and spend the money there. Clearly there was no way around custom printed napkins for our Country Club themed party. I had to have them. Once you look at this website, you will want to personalize everything!

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