Tammy Mitchell Photography » Kids Party Ideas

Hostess with the Mostess: Baby Shower Idea Bb is for Boy

Tammy — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:10:58 +0000

One of my cute friends is having a baby NEXT week!!! We had to get together to celebrate the arrival of this sweet little boy into house full of all things girly!

You know me, when somebody says party my brain goes into overdrive!! When planning a party I always think about a theme first. Whether that theme is a color palette or a style doesn’t matter….just something that makes bringing everything else together easier. I immediately thought of a vintage baby boy theme since I have some cool vintage glass plates and cups that I have been DYING to have an excuse to use, so this was perfect! You can find them pretty easily at most antique stores.

I found this cute little shop online, Pretty Little Studio, that makes the most adorable vintage baby flashcards and all kinds of fun stuff. I had her custom make some invitations for me and I think they turned out SO cute!!

We served simple breakfast foods that were yummy…a parfait bar with yogurt, fresh berries and granola, bite sized cinnamon rolls and other pastries, and a yummy drink. To go along with the theme I made a little label for each food item

I just made them in photoshop and printed them out on cute scrapbook paper. I also made one for the gift table:

Now my favorite part…the favors!! John thinks I’m crazy because I spend hours making things like this, but this is honestly the most fun part for me. These are very easy and inexpensive to make, but they are time consuming. If you have the time and love to be crafty then these are perfect for you!

to make the giant cookies find the recipe here

for the bags you will need:

a roll of parchment paper

thread

a sewing machine

ribbon

a hole punch

pinking shears

any deocrations you want for the bags

Cut parchment paper into 6.5×14″ strips. fold in half and stitch the sides up using a colorful thread and a zig-zag stitch. trim off the excess on the sides with the pinking shears. slip a cookie into the pouch. fold the top of the bag over and punch two holes at the top about an inch apart. feed the ribbon through the holes and tie into a bow on the front sideof your bag. decorate as you like.

like I said, pretty easy, just time consuming but I think the result is WELL worth it!

It’s easy to do this for any shower boy or girl, or even if you don’t know what it is just make a mix of boy and girl vintage tags! It would also be cute for a little girl’s birthday party if you played some vintage games and added a few more decorations and changed the food a bit!

Hopefully that gets your creative juices flowing for your next party!

Have a great day!
-t

Make This: Cute Crafty Ideas for Easter

Tammy — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 09:57:46 +0000

Andy has Friday off for his birthday (at least that’s what he thinks…actually it’s for Good Friday, but when you’re 7 it’s more fun to think it’s for your birthday! ) so I’ve been trying to come up with some fun Easter ideas todo that day. Here are a few of my favorites so far:

from Ladies Home Journal the bunny pop…if you don’t want to go through the hassle/mess of making rice krispie treats omit the first four ingredients. Pre-made rice krispie treats make these a breeze!!

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray
10 cups Rice Krispies® or any crisped-rice cereal
2 packages (10 oz each) marshmallows
6 tablespoons butter
1 lb semisweet chocolate, melted
1- 1/4 lbs white chocolate, melted
Red food coloring
30 popsicle sticks

Directions

1. Lightly coat a 15-by-10-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Place cereal in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; set aside. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add marshmallows. Stir until smooth. Pour over cereal and stir to combine. Spread out in prepared pan and press firmly to flatten. Let stand until cool, about 1 hour. Trim edges and cut into 30 3-by-1-1/4-inch bars. Push a popsicle stick through one narrow end of each bar.

3. Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of white chocolate over tops of 15 bars. Repeat, using semisweet chocolate for remaining 15 bars. Transfer to a baking sheet and refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes. Place a wire rack over another baking sheet. Dip the white bars in white chocolate and the semisweet bars in semisweet chocolate; place on rack, allowing excess chocolate to drip off bars. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. Makes 30 pops.

4. To paint faces on bars: Add 1 or 2 drops of food coloring into remaining white chocolate and stir to combine. Using the tip of a wooden skewer or a paintbrush, dip in pink chocolate, then paint ears and nose on bars. Use semisweet chocolate and white chocolate to make eyes. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. (Can be made ahead. Store in an airtight container, in a single layer, in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Serve cold or at room temperature.)

5. Per semisweet chocolate bar: 280 calories, 12.5 g total fat, 7.5 g sat fat, 123 mg sodium, 44 g carbs, 17 mg calcium, 7 mg chol, 2 g protein, 2 g fiber

6. Per white chocolate bar: 310 calories, 13.5 g total fat, 9 g sat fat, 152 mg sodium, 42 g carbs, 51 mg calcium, 12 mg chol, 3 g protein, 1 g fiber

OK, how adorable is this??? This comes from the brilliant minds over at eighteen25. If you can believe it it’s a tray from the $1 bin at my favorite place, Target, spray painted robin’s egg blue and the bunny silhouette was added. You know how I feel about silhouettes!!!

And finally, Andy came home with one of these today and I was in love. John has a REAL weakness for these things. I don’t particularly care for them, but when I saw this idea I HAD to share it because it’s pretty stinkin cute best of all there’s a free download so you can make your own! Download them here

I’ve got a few more things up my sleeve…stay tuned!

Have a great day!

-t

Hostess with the Mostess: Kids Party Ideas

Tammy — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:52:36 +0000

This little shindig is LONG overdue for some blog love. I can’t believe I never shared it! No fear though…it’s perfect timing since it’s pallette is great for spring. You all know I’ve got a weakness for lime green and pink so this was definitely a favorite.

I think these last several years of attending and shooting elaborate parties have taught me that kids are really very happy with the simple pleasures. Sure, they love bounce houses and ponies and magicians, (and I love to plan paties like that!!!) but put a table full of goodies in front of them and let them decorate a homemade cupcake and they are JUST as happy. Just something to keep in mind for those of you planning birthday’s in the near future…that would be me.

Enjoy this gorgeous party!

Mom attended to every gorgeous detail…LOVE the white hydrangeas in a lime green ribbon wrapped box!

the butterflies on the straws…Stunning!

cute little bowls to hold the goodies courtesey of Anthropologie

the darling birthday princess

a finished masterpiece

i LOVE the lighting in these shots…YUM!!! after decorating cupcakes the kids gathered to make bead necklaces on PIPE CLEANERS. Genius!! For little kids they stay stiff enough for them to feed the beads onto…great tip to remember!! You can then twist multiple strands together to make a necklace that’s long enough.

Hope you’re feeling inspired to plan your next event!

Have a great day!
-t

make this: homemade valentines

Tammy — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:56:39 +0000

I’ll admit it…I LOVE valentine’s day. Not so much for the mushy romantic stuff, mor for the fun, cute stuff. It gives me a great excuse to make all kinds of cute, kinda cheesy stuff that you can get away with on a day like this.

This year my valentines have taken on a beach theme. I didn’t really plan it, I was just working around things that I had around the house. I’m fortunate in that both of my kids are at small schools with teeny classes…so I can make slightly more elaborate things without breaking the bank. I definitely wouldn’t be doing these things for a class of 35, but they are fun for the special valentines your kids may have. The other thing I love about these is that they are both great for boys. Girls are easy, because they can give things that are in primary colors and nobody thnks anything of it, but boys are hard. So much of the valentine’s stuff out there is pink and purple and mushy. I’m happy to say these are BOTH great for the little guys (and gals) in your life.

i dig u

i hit the dollar bins at michaels and found some cute shovels to make these with. Here’s what you’ll need:

-inexpensive shovels

-small clear bags of some sort (clearbags.com is a GREAT source for celophane bags of all sorts. you have to buy them in bulk, but they are relatively inexpensive and i use them for EVERYTHING!!)

-candy(i bought cady that had wrappers that were in primary colors so they would match my shovels…something to think about. it’s a sickness…I know. )

-ribbon

-cut out heart shapes (an extra large heart punch or die cut machine of some sort works great for these!)

-alphabet stamps (or you can print on the paper with your computer before you punch out the hearts)

-a hole punch

-scissors

-tape

1. put you candy in the bags and seal. punch two holes at the top of the bag about an inch or so apart.

2. string ribbon through hole on the right

3. place candy bag in your shovel and wrap the ribbon around the back of the shovel handle.

4. pull ribbon from behind shovel handle through the hole on the left hand side ofthe candy bag to bring the ribbon together in the front so you can tie a bow.

5. cut out your hearts and stamp with “i dig u”

6. tape hearts to front of candy bag

7. hand out and enjoy!

have a ball, valentine

supplies:

-beach balls

-tags

-ribbon

-string (i used embroidery thread)

-tape

-hole punch

these are super easy! i found my beach balls at walmart for 77 cents each. my ribbon is from a giant spool at costco and the tags I made in about 5 minutes in photoshop…good news…here’s a free download of the tags for your own use!

Have a Ball

1. take beach balls out of their package and roll up. tape into place.

2. tie ribbon around balls

3. cut out your tags and punch a hole in the top

3. use the string to tie your tags around the knot in the bow to secure them to the balls.

done!

Hope you have a happy valentine’s day!!

-t

make this: valentine treat cones

Tammy — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:24:51 +0000

I’ve been seeing different versions of these popping up all over the place for halloween, wedding favors, etc. so I thought I would make up a quick valentines version and tutorial for you. They are super fun looking and easy to make. Your kids would LOVE to help, and who wouldn’t love finding one of these cute cones filled to the brim with goodies hanging on their door when they wake up valentine’s morning??

Materials:

1. Paper punch I used a heart for valentines, but with the number of punches on the market, the possibilites are endless!!
2. You can use any papers ou have on hand for this craft. Vintage sheet music looks really cool for a more elegant versin. You can find it at flea markets, thrift stores, yard sales or etsy.com.
3. Ribbon
4. Glitter
5. Scissors (if you have pinking shears those would add a fun look too)
6. Clothespin or binder clip
7. White Glue (I use aleene’s tacky glue, elmer’s would work fine too I’m sure)
8. Hole Punch
9. any fun embellishments to hang from the ribbon

Directions:

1. Roll one sheet of paper into a cone shape, gradually working with it to get it to taper off to a point. Glue with a thin layer of tacky glue, using a clothespin, binder clip or paperclip to hold in place until dry.
2. Punch or cut heart shapes from coordinating paper and glue around rim or down the front seam of the paper cone. To create three dimensional look, I folded my hearts slightly in the middle so that they stuck out from the cone, Apply a thin line of glue along edge and hold in place for a few seconds until the glue begins to dry.
3. When completely dry, apply white glue to desired areas and dust with glitter. 4. Punch a hole on each side of the cone and thread ribbon through holes to hang. 5. Fill with goodies and enjoy!

Obviously you can make many different variations of this. Just think of the posibilities. How cute would these be made in the theme of your choice, hanging from the backs of chairs as place card holders. So fun!!

enjoy!!

-t

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night

Tammy — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 08:01:19 +0000

I can’t believe it’s here! Where has the time gone??? I have a few presents to announce….

and extra Merry Christmas to:

Winner of Pink Peppermint Design Giveaway: Melissa

Winner of the Red Possum Capelet Giveaway: Sandi

Winner of the Flora Bond Giveaway: Cindy Barriga

and….

the winner of the big kahuna $200 worth of free tuition to {Picture Perfect}……………………………

The Monkey’s Mama!!!!!

Congrats to all!!! Contact me with your info so I can get these things out to you!

With the illness that hit me hard for the first two weeks of the year, I ended up throwing cards out the window this year. So, if you didn’t get one from me, don’t feel bad…no one did!

I wanted to share what I had designed here…sort of an e-card for all of you, my online family. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for your love and support. Your comments and emails truly bring a smile to my face. Thank you for spending a little piece of your day with me each day. I’m signing off for a little bit to spend some time with my family, but I’ll pop in every now and then just cause I’ll miss you all! I’ll be back soon with lots of great things in store for the new year.

until then….

Merry Christmas

-t

Let’s Party: Fun Thanksgiving Craft and Food Ideas and a winner

Tammy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:38:53 +0000

It’s getting closer! I found these fun ideas for the kids. I don’t know about yours, but mine have a WEEK off at Thanksgiving, so I need some activities to keep them busy!

I LOVE the tee pees. How cute would that be at each place setting on the kids table?? Ice Cream cones turned upside down and frosted with royal icing and other decor –SO cute!!

A simple styrofoam ball cut in half, painted brown and stuck with colorful pens turns into a super cute and crafty turkey.

Let your kids imaginations run wild with a new spin on a “turkey sandwich”. Adding more veggies is NEVER a bad idea, right?

LOVE LOVE LOVE the Indian Corn napkin rings. Cut a piece of felt to wrap around a napkin, line popsicle sticks up and stick them to the felt and line them with the buttons.

Take Rice Crispy treats to the next level. Make them with a mix of cereals and dried fruits instead. Shape them around a popsicle stick and cut pieces of fruit roll ups to stick around the outside like the wrapping for an ear of corn.

Fudge Stripe cookies and chocolate covered marshmellows are transformed into pilgrim hat cookies in a matter of minutes.

Hope these cute and easy ideas inspire you to have a little fun this month!!!

And now a drumroll please…Mr. Random Number Gererator has picked comment #18 Karen Kirshon as the winner of the Bobbity Boo skirt. Email me and let me know which skirt you would like and I’ll let Bobbi know! Congrats!!

Stay tuned for another great giveaway on Friday!

Have a great day!

-t

Let’s Party: Meet Paper and Cake and a FREE DOWNLOAD!!!

Tammy — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:10:59 +0000

If you are like me you are starting to think about Thanksgiving dinner and what to do. I found this little freebie that I thought might make all of your lives easier of you’re in that same boat. Paper and Cake is a fun site with loads of printable party supplies. To give you an idea of just what they do here are some samples from their site..

all of these cute paper goods were downloaded for $8..yep you read that right…$8!! You simply pick your party theme, send them $8 and they send you a file to download with all the goodies, then you can print them to your little heart’s content. Whether you have 8 or 80 people at your party it’s up to you. How cool is that?? There are SO many cute themes to choose from. If you are in the market for party supplies I highly recommend checking out Paper and Cake!

For your thanksgiving dinner they are offering this super cute freebie for all your paper goods needs. Have fun with it!!

Have a great Thursday!
-t

Let’s Party: Make your Own Soda Labels

Tammy — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:44:04 +0000

I’m in frantic “get everything done” mode to prepare for my convention this week in Vegas. I am SO excited!!! But SO stressed too!!! I just feel like there is SO much to be done. Maybe because I stress myself out by complicating things. You see I’m not very good at just “throwing things together” I get these crazy ideas and then have to make them a reality. I found out a couple of weeks ago that each of the teachers at this convention are going to have a 6 foot table to display thier work. Well…immediately the wheels started turning. Color scheme was easy….black white and blue, just like my logo, but that was about the only easy thing. lol! :) I have made more stuff for this table!! I just want it to look really cool. Orders have been coming in from across the country from places like candy warehouse, (where you can order candy by COLOR) soda distributing places, fabric stores you name it, it’s been arriving on my doorstep. All so I can create little beauties like this…

Isn’t that cute??? I ordered the moxie blueberry cream soda and then stripped the labels off by soaking them in water and then scrubbing it off with steel wool. Then I created the labels in photoshop and stuck them on. I LOVE the results!!!

I think this would be a totally fun idea for a party too! It is a little labor intensive, but sure is cool!

I’ll share more from the event hopefully before I go, but for sure after!!

AND…….I have a SUPER EXCITING announcement coming Wednesday!!!

(at least I’m super excited about it!!! )

have a great day!
-t

Party Idea: And the winner is…

Tammy — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:05:31 +0000

well, not me. But that’s ok. It’s kind of the story of my life. lol!!

I got to attend the fabulous Just Spotted Best of OC Blogger Awards last night and it was too much fun!!

A great group of people from all over the OC that love blogging as much as I do! It was fun to be in a room full of so many creative talented people. It inspired me to try and do a little more.

We were greeted outside of Wowsville ( a GREAT place for a kids party by the way!) with this super cool vintage photo booth… (sorry for the grainy not so great pics! me+dark rooms at night+no flash=not so great pictures!! lol!!)

I HIGHLY recommend one for an event! It is SO fun! Check out Capital Photo when you’re in need!

Once inside there were games to play, fabulous foods to eat, and great company along with a few super cute touches…the rooms were so colorful! It was fun to see the way they tied their “spots” into the decor. A fun idea for your next party.

I meant to grab one of those cuties to take home, but I forgot! My kids are obsessed with gum what kid isn’t??!! I thought it was a darling idea for a party favor. How about for your next party???

They even created the vintage soda bar I posted about a few months ago WITH the awesome pineapple soda I raved about. AWESOME!

Thanks for a fun evening C+K! It was a blast to be a part of it and an honor to be nominated! Looking forward to next year!

Have a great day!

-t