Summer Events

This was taken in my formal living room before I delivered the party.

Hi Everyone!  

Whew!  It's been a very busy Summer for me.  June, July and Aug were filled with a lot of fun, fun parties!  A Summer event for 2,000, signage for a Chicago library event, 300 Tinkerbell party favors, a couple of Bar & Bat Mitzvah's, and many samples for future parties.  I have been so busy for the last few months. Oh, how could I forget Maggie's 2nd Birthday (my granddaughter, I'll add a blog entry for her party this week).  In addition to these Summer events, I am working on something new for the Fall....(Top Secret Stuff).  This week I am building centerpieces and favors for a bridal shower and several pieces for a twins flower themed birthday party, I know you will just love. I will post photos AFTER these parties have taken place...I don't want to spoil any surprises. 

One of the most memorable parties this Summer was a Tinkerbell birthday party for a 3 year old little girl. I was hired by my friend Desi, at Desiree Chocolates to build 300 themed favors, cupcake pics, a birthday banner and some tags and menu cards all with the Tinkerbell theme.  So I put on my thinking cap and came up with some darling favors for both girls and boys, which I displayed on a Pottery Barn severing pedestal that served as a pretty neat centerpiece while filled with the favors as well. I used this same sever as a drinking glass tower at my daughter's bridal showers.  I like it so much, I wouldn't mind a second so I can place one on each end of the dessert table.  

With my "thinking cap on" I knew I wanted to use my favorite Double Dot Papers from Bo Bunny.  The color pallet  was Hot Pink, Lime Green, Lemon Yellow...and I threw in a little blue and orange as well.  It all worked perfectly. 

After this never ending pile of scrap paper and a few trips to Archivers, I finally came up with a zillion favors...well 300 darling favors.   I decided to go with a french fry box...easy for the kids to fill up the box with the wonderful desserts from Desiree Chocolates and enjoy the party.  But I needed something with a Tinkerbell theme.  Well I have to say, I am so excited with the end result.  

Tinkerbell got some wings add on.

Crock got a tail added on the back of the box.

The snake got a squiggly tail added onto the back of the box.

The lizard, he got a tail too...he was my favorite!

And Captain Hook, got his HOOK added to the back of the box.

As I mentioned, I designed a few pieces for Desi's dessert table as well. She needed matching candy container tags.  If you look under the "Tag" blog entry, you can view how I normally design a tag, but these needed to be a little different.  Desi's candy containers are martini glasses so the normal hang tags wouldn't work.  I came up a different style and I just love the way they turned out.  Fits the stem perfectly.  What do you think?

I also made cupcake picks...both regular and mini size, all with a mixed birthday theme.  Don't forget to add a little "bling" to each one, it's nice to see a bit of shimmer in the light. 

Everything looked so nice, but I have to tell you...it took 3 helpers, myself and 7 full days to completely build this party, working 10 to 12 hours a day.  Yes VERY long, BUT...very worthwhile.  I LOVE every piece.  I have to admit, this was the cutest party I have ever  designed.  I wanted to show you a few more pictures of the process, just in case YOU get a call to design and create 300 party favors...ENJOY!

~Margie

   

Our Little Tootsie

Hi there...well it's been awhile...I took a little hiatus for the Summer, but now that the kids are back in school, I am back to my blog.  I don't have any little ones anymore and I just brought my youngest back to college. So now it's just Tootsie home with me during the day. Little Toots is keeping me very busy these days. Between puppy training and planning events I haven't had much time to blog, but it's time to get back to business. Let me start off with Little Toots.  She is getting so BIG!!  Yesterday, she was 4 months old.  She's more than doubled her weight since we brought her home. 

Many friends have asked where we got Tootsie.  We found Timber Ridge Kennels online and spoke to Sue, the kennel owner.  We were excited to hear she had an available little female Cavachon, exactly what we were looking for.  A Cavachon is part King Charles Cavalier (her daddy, and a Bichon, her momma)   Tootsie was just 9 weeks old when we brought her home.  My husband and daughter took a road trip to Greenville, Missouri to pick her up.  I was so excited to be a new "mommy" again. She will never take Sadie's place, and I still think about my Miss Sadie, but Tootsie has wiped away those tears.   

Tootsie got her first set of shots the week we brought her home.  At that time she weighed 3.6 lbs.  At her second appointment she had gained just a pound.  And she has another coming up soon...so well see...she loves to eat!! 

Potty training was, not too bad, really.  I have to say...when she snuck into my formal living room and left a little pile on my beautiful area rug...I was SHOCKED!!!  She was doing so well NOT entering that room. I was completely flabbergasted when I saw it....but then I looked at her sweet face, and could hear her saying, "it was an accident mom"!!

She now sits and can lay down on demand, and even shakes hands occasionally.  Walking on the leash is still a challenge; she would rather run home than go on a walk.  The bad news is that it's been so hot here I haven't been able to go outside and deal with the heat, so only short walks in the evening for us. But Fall is just around the corner so we will walk daily in the morning...then she can talk a walk with Dad, in the evening. 

Tootsie does NOT like a bath...she HATES it as a matter of fact!!  I can hardly wait till I can get her groomed ....as cute as she is...I am over this fluffy hair.  One of our neighbors also has a Cavachon, Bentley, Mr. B. for short.  He is about 6 months and I LOVE his kinky curly coat.  I know the feeling, I had kinky curly hair as a kid myself. 

Well, she is now sleeping at the end of couch...her favorite spot.  More puppy updates in the future, stay tuned.

As far as Polka Dots and Parties...I am working at a fast and furious pace filling orders.  Hopefully, I can post a few things this week.  I have something big going on for the fall so I can't wait to share.  Top Secret Stuff!! 

Thanks for stopping by...hope you enjoyed Tootsie's photos.  Lots of parties to share with you from the last few months...stop back soon!

~Margie

  

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Tootsie Roll

Hi everyone, just wanted to introduce you to our newest family member... Tootsie Roll.  She's an adorable Cavachon, 10 weeks old and so far only 3.5 pounds.  We are so lucky to have found her.  I searched for a rescue and just couldn't find a pup we liked.  So my daughter found  Timber Ridge Kennel on line in Missouri, about 6 hours away from Chicago. We were thrilled that there was a female pup available, and my husband and daughter surprised me with this little bundle of joy!  

Sue, the breeder, didn't mention that Tootsie was housebroken, but knock on wood, she has not had any accidents in the house!  Even in the middle of the night.  She slept in my bed and woke me up by pulling my hair last night.  I took her right outside and she did BOTH...then went right back to sleep...but this time in her kennel.  She is just a BOUNCING, ball of fur!  I keep saying to her..."you are such a lucky girl"...but honestly, I am the LUCKY GIRL!!  As much as I still miss my Little Sadie, Tootsie Roll has taken away the tears.  She is just so cute and I couldn't ask for a better behaved puppy.  She is truly heaven sent. Thanks Sadie for sending her my way.     

Tags, Tags and More Tags!

Last week, I was asked to create some dessert tags for an event.  After creating something pretty cool; I decided maybe it was really a little too detailed. Simple is just a better way to go sometimes.  So I set out to design something a little cleaner...a little less detailed, but still classy.  I came up with a bunch of different shapes and styles to use as a background.

These are SVG shapes, but you can find many shapes on your Cricut Cartridges as well. I have every shape from simple circles to top-notes, fancy squares to hand-drawn designs. I chose this cute scalloped square for this circus themed project.
I tried several different ribbon holes, but these rectangle shapes and the punched location worked well for this project. 

I have so much digital art and really never get a chance to use it, so yesterday I created a bunch of different pieces.  I have a commercial license with Nit Wit Collections and I have to say...I LOVE this company!!  BTW, I have a TON of her collections...it's an addiction...I think!! If you need something specific go to her website find something you like...email me, I probably have it.  YIKES, that's hard to admit, and I am stopping in this week to see what's new!!

These candy tags were made for a dessert table.  I have another set I am working on for a Circus Theme but they have MUCH BIGGER digital art...really cute though, I tend to lean on the detail side when I do digital pieces, but the next set has less details and more layers.

Have you seen the I-magicut Ribbon Cutter.  I really like this little tool. It seals and cuts ribbon perfectly every time.  

Lastly, I needed to create a cupcake poke to match. I think I am going to redo these in a circle shape instead, but thought I would show you these squares.  As far as punching holes for a cupcake poke, I would punch one hole at the top and one on the bottom.  These flat sticks are nice because they just slide right through the hole without too much "bowing" on the solid background piece.  On the other hand, these tan sticks are not very attractive, so just slide a half of a 7.5" straw to give a festive fun look.  

I don't have a picture to show, but to add a "belly band" around a large candy bowl, just punch one hole on each side (right and left) in the solid background shape and thread ribbon in one side and out the other, then tie a bow in the back. Not a KNOT, a bow, so you can use the ribbon again... pluse it looks really cute that way. Then just stick the printed tag right on the solid tag with dimensional double stick tape ...very cute; I know you will love it!

How about a Straw Hugger?  Just make the tag a little smaller, double sided and slide the straw up the middle.  Easy Peasy!!

~Margie