DIY Desktop Storage Organizer

I started my spring cleaning early. I am organizing and trimming down everything. This is my youngest craft table. It always looks like this (always). I try to stack the books nice and neat. Gave her little pails to keep crayons in and a metal lunch box to hide things away. Well I was tired of it looking like this. I had bought me a couple of the file organizer for the kitchen (keeping all the recipes organized), but they are about $10 a piece at Target and don't really have any kid prints. http://www.target.com/p/nate-berkus-desktop-storage-unit/-/A-14455816#prodSlot=medium_1_51

Well why can't I make one from one of the cereal boxes I am throwing away. I had just got the black ones from a garage sale (2 for $3), so I used it has my guide. Then I went through my scrap book paper till I found something cute. Perfect paint splatter!!!! It took 2 sheets. I basically laid the first sheet on one side and glued it down. Then I cut it to match the shape. Repeated on the flip side.

TADAAA!!! So much better. Hailey keeps her books in it and the table has stayed nice and clean.

Hope this gives you some ideas and have fun.

Dr. Seuss' Birthday

Abigail's first grade class did a little party for Dr. Seuss' birthday last year. My inspiration: The Lorax, Green Eggs and Ham, and Horton Hears a Who. The truffla trees are made of the foam insulation tubing you can get at Lowe's. I am sure Home Depot has it too, but Lowe's is closer. I cut the tubes to different sizes. The orange is duct tape. I cut the tissue pom-poms with points versus the round edges I usually do. Fluffed them out and hot glued the pom-pom to the top of the foam tube. Cute.

The green eggs and ham. Simple really. Two pretzel sticks with a white candy melt in the center. Then a green M&M. The hardest part was getting them to stay together on the cookie sheet while I was moving them to the oven. The pretzels like to roll. I baked them for about 5 - 10 minutes. Just enough to mold it together.

Horton Hears a Who. It's a clover with a spec. This was by far the simplest cake pop I have made. My basic cake pop recipe. I used bright pink candy melts and dipped the cake pop. Then I added a candy pearl to represent the spec. 

The truffla tress hung in the classroom. Welcome to Whoville. The kids really enjoyed the decorations and the snacks. This was such a hit that the first grade teachers asked me to do it again this year. FUN!!!!

Minnie Mouse Party - Updated

Here is Hailey's 3rd Birthday Party. 6 Months later she is still talking about this party. This child loves Minnie Mouse and talked about doing a Minnie Mouse Party for months and invited everyone she ran into.

I ordered custom invitations from ekwebdesigns. This was truly the easiest way to do it. Then the birthday girl informs you No, not red I want purple. Okay fine how about both? You will see I added little splashes of purple here and there.

For outside I made these cute little Minnie/Mickey signs. I bought three skinny dowel rods from Lowes. Hobby Lobby had these wooden circle ornaments on sale. The small ones were 3 for $1 and the big ones were 2 for $1. I also got the wooden number 3. I spray painted the dowel rolds red and the circles black. I then hot glued the small circles to the big circle to make it look like ears. Then I hot glued the big circle to the dowel rod. The bow is an extra one I made after making the Minnie Mouse ears. I then spray painted the number 3 and put birthday hat sticker on the top. The day of the party I put a flower pot stuffed with tissue paper and balloons in the front yard. No picture, but it was cute. The one problem I had is that here in Texas July gets very hot and towards the end of the afternoon the heat had melted the hot glue and the pieces started falling off. It did last most of the day.

I found this great tutorial for DIY Minnie Ears. http://www.ahappymum.com/2011/11/kids-favourite-how-to-make-mickeyminnie.html

I actually used hot glue. I made two different kinds of bows. Purple and a red and white polka dot bow. The ears were really cute. 

For the party favor bags I couldn't find inexpensive polka dot ones, so I made them myself. A red paper bag from Hobby Lobby. I all ready had white paint. I took a wine cork and dipped it in the white paint and then went polka dot crazy on the bags. I filled the bags with bubbles, stickers, and lollipops.

I enlisted my husbands help with one of the games. He made a bean bag toss board. I made the ring toss with a big block of Styrofoam wrapped in red and white polka dot paper. For the rings I used plastic bracelets.

The birthday girl using the beanbag toss.

I filled a big tub with water and added sponge balls, water guns, and other squirt toys for the kids. It is July in Texas so it is hot just a little fun to cool off with.

Now time for the FOOD. I had a lot of fun with this party. Except for the bow cookies.UGH

I used a butterfly cookie cutter to cut the cookies out.  These suckers were harder than they looked. Just some shots of the not so successful. My drawing was easy enough, so didn't think it would be that difficult, but me and the piping bag didn't get a long.

Somewhat Success

The drink is Sobe Pina colda on the bottom and Ocean spray cranberry in the middle and the top is Gatorade red. I purchased the plastic milk containers from Kara's Party supply. I filled a bowl with red suckers, large red bubble gum balls, and small white bubble gum balls.

I should have gotten a close up of the Mickey and Minnie cake pops. I made my normal cake pops. For the ears I bought some of the mini oreo's and took them apart. I placed a wafer on each side to resemble ears. Then I dipped them in chocolate. For the Minnie cake pops I found these mini red hearts when you put the points together it looks like a bow, so I attached it to one of the ears. For the Mickey I left it blank. I also have bow-tie pasta and cheese puffs. I also made a fruit salad not shown, it was gone in a flash. I chopped up strawberries and added miniature marshmallows to it. I then added a little bit of sprite and stirred it up. It looked like polka dots in a bowl.

Now for the cake. My sister-n-law is a trained pastry chef, so she helped me out with the cake. Looks like an ordinary cake, but the flavor was cotton-candy. How cool is that? Everyone was surprised when they took a bite.

Not to over the top, and everyone had a great time. Just a relaxing day eating goodies and hanging with friends.


Hope this gives you some ideas and have fun...

Pop Star Party

Oh goodness it has been a while. Busy isn't even the word. Finally, finished this season of cheer with a trip to Nationals. Abigail's team placed 9th out of 15, so not to shabby for their first time. I told her there is always next year to show them. I made it through the holidays (barely) and after 22 years left the one company that I grew up at to start a new job. Just completed my 1st week. I'm exhausted!!!!

I starting planning Abigail's 8th birthday party (can't believe it) and realized I haven't posted last years party, so here it is. We did a Pop Star Party. I hired Pop Star Parties and they took care of the music, accessories, and the concert posters. Everyone had a great time. Especially me, I had way too much fun. It took me about 2 - 3 months to get all of this together, but it was worth it. Abigail threw me a couple of curve balls and with diving catches I RULED!!!!! 

The colors were zebra stripe and hot pink and everything was rock star themed.

It all starts with the invitation. I was at Hobby Lobby (they should give me my own parking space) and I saw these. Why not? One less thing I have to do.

Here is curve ball #1. "Mom can you make me a party dress? I designed this myself." How do you say no? The finished product doesn't really look anything like Abby's design, but I did what I could. Funny thing she didn't wear it at the party. Not 100% convinced she really liked it until she told me she wanted to wear it at this years party. OKAY!

I made these really cute backstage passes lanyards. You can see them hanging from the girls necks. I know I took a picture, but can't seem to find it at this time, so I will have to add a picture later. It was basically card stock and washi tape. 

The backdrop and equipment belong to Pop Star Parties.





The lovely ladies from Pop Star Parties. Rehearsing with the girls.

 After they are all glammed up. Accessories by Pop Star Parties.

 More rehearsal. The girls made their own concert posters. Courtesy of Pop Star Parties.

Now for my part.

I made a backstage sign for the front yard using a dowel rod, a scrap piece of wood cut into an arrow, and zebra striped duct tape. My husband cut the piece of wood into an arrow shape and painted with chalkboard paint. I added the pink fur (hobby lobby). He attached the duct tape wrapped dowel rod to the back of the arrow with a screw. I placed tissue paper around the bottom of the dowel rod and stuck it in the ground.

For the entrance I got a red plastic tablecloth from Dollar Tree and added some star decor (also from dollar tree).

 Think outside the candy bowl. I found these candle holders at Ross a set of 3 for $10. I put giant gumballs, sixlets, and ring pops in them.

I used my crock-pot insert to hold drinks. I printed the labels from Avery. I covered the original label with zebra striped duct tape and added the Avery label in the center. Your choice Rock 'N Rolla Cola, Orange Pop, (taking you to the 80's) Poison Root Beer.

 The food. I did guitar picks (kettle chips) and Elvis roll ups. The roll ups were wheat tortillas with peanut butter and banana drizzled with honey. I also did a ham and cheese roll up (just in case).

My candy bowls surrounded by cake pops. Swirled cake pops were my take on a microphone and glitter ball cake pops. We also had pop rocks and pop corn. I set up a mirror tray with the party favors glow in the dark lip gloss and nail polish, tattoos and pins. The girls took what they wanted.

The craft table.

The cake. No picture the 2nd curve ball it was a Justin Bieber edible image cake from HEB.
 The girls had such a good time. They keep asking me to do it again every time I see them!!!!!!!!

Hope this gives you some ideas. Have Fun.