Love my cricut machine

Ok, the photo may not be that great, but the words on there aren't important. If you don't have a Cricut machine, you might want to consider getting one, especially if you are involved in throwing parties.  My boys play football and I always like to be a part of their team party committee. This year I made some save the date cards for one of their teams, and couldn't have made it this cute without the help of my cricut.  I used the sports mania cartridge to cut out this helmet, attached a litttle eyelet piece with my crop a dile to add a little element to it, then just taped on the important info.   

I also used my Cricut to cut out some letters to spell out our team name and put them in different sized frames .

Halloween and Glow Sticks

My kids of course like many others love those glow sticks, which are great to use on Halloween. I have the boys wear them for safety while walking around at night, but I do use them for some decorations as well. I can't take credit for this , I did see it on Martha Stewart last year, but get yourself those styrofoam balls and some long glow sticks and you've got yourself an instant spider to hang from a tree or sit in the driveway. Alot of neighborhoods aren't very well lit, so to help our little trick or treaters I will line my walkway path with some arrows formed from those lovely glow sticks so everyone knows the way to the yummy candy! The best part is you can find these at the Dollar Tree store!

Yummy Desserts

If you're looking for something unique for dessert treats and drinks to serve at your party,stop over at Bright Ideas. It's done by the M&M,Mars family so the treats always include their yummy products.


Recipes are sorted by category and skill level and include nutritional value as well.

Photos courtesy Bright Ideas

Candy Buffet

Candy Buffet
Originally uploaded by Party Perfect Orlando

These days it seems Candy Buffet's are at all the events, from birthdays to weddings. But where to start and how much will this cost? I can't give a straight answer but I give you my opinion on how tto go about getting started on this project.
Obviously your event is going to have some sort of theme whether it be by color or something like 50's theme. Once you have that established you can decide on the types of candy you want to serve. There are a few sites that do nostalgic candy for those year themes, as well as finding candy by color. http://www.candywarehouse.com/ is one of those.
Depending on # of guests they say a good rule is to allow 3oz per guest but that amount wont usually fill up the jars/
Start shopping around for candy prices early, candy does have an expiration date but you can usually a few months out of them. Places like Target, Wal-Mart and drugstores are going to have the better prices on brands like Hershey and M&M and they are usually on sale.
For your jars , you don't have to have them all match. I always start out at the dollar stores and goodwill because you never know what you will find. Cost Plus also has been tall glass jars with lids that have a chalkboard label on the front for about $5. Not too bad, but remember, what are you going to do with all this glassware when the party is over. Look for things you know you could use again , or even better think disposable. There are alot of great looking boxes, like the chinese take out boxes that would work great and be very cost effective.
Don't forget if you plan on putting on of these together during a warmer month, probably not a good idea to have any chocolate!

Savvy Auntie Day

Gotta say I love the idea of there finally being a day to celebrate Aunts. Yes, I am an Aunt but I also have amazing Aunts that certainly deserve to have a special day. Savvy Auntie's day will be celebrated every 4th Sunday in July starting this year. This year that will be July 26th.
Melanie Notkin is the aunt behind this and has a website tailored just for all those Savvy Aunts in the world, Savvyauntie.com
Go check it out and gather your aunts for a get together to celebrate just how Savvy they are!

Share the News!

One of the things that I sell on my site are these cute Scratch off cards. Think of them as a lottery ticket with the same silvery stuff you scratch to reveal a message.
Instead of making your announcement over the phone why not mail out cards like the ones featured here.



They can also be designed for use for "you win" cards at showers, and for weddings when you need to decide who gets to take home the centerpieces.


htpp://www.simplywrapd.com/

Trick to Custom Candles

Being in the Party Favor Industry I'm always looking for a better way to do things , and still give my customers what they need. Personalized candles have been around forever and there are different ways to go about making them custom. You could order them from an imprint company, but these can get expensive. Adding labels is another option but then they can't be burned due to the label. The most common way I have found that people do to make their own candles is to print their graphic on tissue paper than dissolve it on to the candle with a heat element. Yes, this does work but getting tissue paper through your printer isn't always the best for your printer, nor is it easy to do without ripping.
Here is what I have found that works for me, and I think it's pretty simple. Whatever program you use for graphics,text, etc., you are going to need to be sure you can mirror the image so that it is backwards.



You are going to print this out on T-shirt Transfer Paper for Light Colored Clothes.Then you will cut out your image as close to the image as possible to eliminate as much of white part of the paper as you can.



Next place your image face down on the candle ,and using a popsicle stick or other similar tool, to rub on the image onto the candle. This will take a little longer than using your standard rub on graphic.



Once that is completed you will then using a hair dryer or heating element if you have one, to melt the image into the candle. Keep the heat moving in all directions so you don't end up with any dents due to the candle melting in that spot. The heat from the dryer will blend any of the white parts of your image into the candle




Once you see that all your white parts are well blended you are done. Be sure to let the candle cool so you don't smear your design. Practice makes perfect!

I've recently stumbled upon this site called Howtobeapartygoddess.com and wanted to share it with you. It's a great little site for those of you, who like myself would like to break into the event planning industry. Marley Majcher is the well known Party Goddess of this site, providing lots of tips, photos, and great food ideas too. If you are really interested in getting into the business be sure to sign up for the zine to get exclusive downloads to help you with your planning biz, as well as weekly emails with helpful advice . I've included a sample of one the emails below.




6 Must Have Tips For Producing A Fabulous Baby Shower For Your Client

By Marley Majcher

1. It's about the theme. The theme guides every other decision you'll make regarding the shower, so make sure it's meaningful to the mom-to-be. Sit down with her and find out all of the details from whether it's a boy or girl to her nursery décor/colors to what her personality type is. Is she an "Earthy Girl" or an urban sophisticate? All of this information will be key in helping you design a theme that is personal and an event that is unforgettable. One of my favorite, all around fun themes is a Pickle & Ice Cream Shower. It works whether it's a boy or girl and lends itself to cute invitations and fun food-oriented party games.

2. The first impression. The invitation is your chance to make a great first impression. It introduces the theme and builds excitement and anticipation for the party, so have fun with it! But, don't have so much fun that you make the common mistake of forgetting to include all of the key information everyone needs to get to the party! Every invitation should include: Who the shower is for, what event is being celebrated, date, time and location of the event - including address, and who to RSVP to and their contact information (email and/or phone). If it's ok with the mother-to-be provide the sex and name of the baby and any gift registry information. It's also helpful to include the theme, whether a meal will be included and a map to the shower location. You should, as the event planner, propose invitations that are creative and thematic.

3. Break the ice. Parties can be awkward in the beginning because often the guests don't know each other. You can help overcome this by inviting the expectant mother's closest friends to come early for a small, intimate get-together before the festivities begin. Not only will they feel special for being included but then they will be on hand to greet and mingle with the rest of the guests as they arrive. Be sure to provide cute name tags and an activity that will help break the ice. One way is to pin the name of a famous mother on each guests back without letting them know who it is. Some examples would be Carol Brady, Angelina Jolie or Mother Goose. While they're mingling guests can ask one another "yes" or "no" questions to get clues to who they are. Another fun way to include people of all ages is to have everyone bring their baby picture and have people guess who is who.

4. Let the games begin! Games can make the difference between a so-so shower and a truly memorable one. But not everyone is competitive so be conscious of this and provide a good mix of games that are fun but won't alienate anyone. Some games I like that are fun and good natured are "Baby What In The World?" - pull odd pregnancy/baby related items out of a bag and have each guest write down what they think that item is used for. You wouldn't believe the guesses I've heard for a baby nasal aspirator! Another game that is as fun to watch as it is to play is the "Baby Bottle Drinking Contest." Fill four 4 oz. baby bottles with juice (or something with a little kick!) and ask for four volunteers. Give each player a bottle and see who can drink it the fastest...hilarious! Games are great but don't go overboard. You really only need 1 or 2 games to make the shower a success. After the games, I love to include a bit of pampering and include a manicure station with manicurist to give touch ups and have a masseuse on hand who can give quick 15 minute massages. If you want to be a bit fancier, have a facialist on hand and watch the smiles spread like wild fire.

5. Baby food! When planning your menu for the shower, look to the theme for inspiration. Your food should fit the mood of the party. Baby showers are typically light-hearted affairs with fun finger foods but if your theme is elegant then your food should be too. Consider the time of day the shower will be held - a mid-afternoon shower will have a lighter spread than a lunch or dinner. For a more personal touch, I like to ask the mom-to-be what foods she has craved over her pregnancy and mix a few of those crave-worthy foods into my menus. This always gets the stories going as other moms share their crazy cravings.

6. Double duty décor. It's just crazy how much STUFF new parents need to buy to be able to take care of a baby, so I like to incorporate useful baby items into my décor. For example, use a bundle of baby bottles tied together with colorful ribbon as a "vase" for your centerpiece or include small toys, rattles and pacifiers into table décor or as cupcake toppers. A gift basket of baby items wrapped in cello makes a fabulous centerpiece and the best part is that the mother-to-be can take it all home and use it!

Does this help? I hope so! Look for more useful info in next week's ezine and remember, if you're happy, please tell 3 or 4 friends to sign up for this free ezine at: www.HowToBeAPartyGoddess.com.

Have Fun and Be Profitable!

Marley

WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEBSITE?
Please do, as long as you include the following complete information with it: Leading Entertainment Expert, Entrepreneur, TV Personality, Coach, Author and Sought After Speaker, Marley Majcher is CEO of The Party Goddess! and publisher of the ezine, "How To Be A Party Goddess". If you are ready to take your career or business to the next level, make more money and just be happier with your work life, then get your free tips on how to be a rockin' event planner at www.howtobeapartygoddess.com

A new reason to party!

I don't know how long this particular "day" has been around, but you ever needed a great reason to do nothing and celebrate it, here it is... April 7th is No Housework Day! That to me sounds like the perfect theme for a party gather the girls , or guys gather your dudes, and have some fun. Why not dress for the occasion in your best aprons and rubber gloves, use buckets,(clean ones of course), for your drinks, your cleaning caddy for napkins, condiments etc. Send out invitations on a To Do List and enjoy the day off.

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Cheap decor idea!

I wanted to share this cute little decorating idea that is really great on the budget.

These are just juice sized cups, these happen to be plastic, in red and clear colors. I put in some black rocks and then added one of those flamess candles on top. These look really great if you have a ledge up high that you can line them across and just see the light flickering on your wall. The cups can be found at places like kmart, target, etc. I found mine at kmart for a set of 4 on clearance for about $2.00. The rocks came in good sized bag at the Dollar Tree, and the candles come in a 2 pack at the Dollar Tree as well. The kids sure would be able to help put these together for you.

SUPERBOWL

For those of you that are sports fans the Super Bowl will soon be here, Feb.1st to be exact. I thought I would share a picture of a invitation I did for my sons football team party, that would work great for your Super Bowl Invites. It's made to look like an event ticket with all your information on it. This idea can work with any sport or even a music themed party as a concert ticket.

Local Woman Creates Unique, Sweet Gifts

Profile video of my business Simply Wrapd

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work photos

Heres a slideshow of some of the designs you can find on my busines site Simply Wrapd.

I just hosted a basketball party for my sons team, and wanted to share this really neat idea for a centerpiece. I used a hurricane style base, layered it with different colored pinto beans,(but you could use sand, rocks,etc), and put mini hackysack basketballs on top with tall twigs coming out of the top. I’ve included a picture so you can see it. I thought it turned out pretty cute. I also used a bunk bed ladder in the corner to put basketballs on.

Martha Stewart I'm not...

Now this idea might not work for everyone, but those of you who have the on demand feature on your cable box, here’s a tip. Martha Stewart has craft and organizing ideas from her show that you can access at any time. They are all categorized by theme like, kids, weddings, crafts. etc. It’s a great little way to get new inspiration with step by step instuctions.