We’re having a party – Page 6

Graduation Day for our Hippie Chick!

celebrations, family, Food and Drink, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / May 18, 2016

Sugarwings' mama is a full time RN, and working her way up into higher degrees until she reaches her goal of nurse midwife. She conquered another step of the journey this week as she graduated from KU's school of nursing.

We are pretty dang proud of her.

It was a beautiful day to watch the procession of graduates down the hill. I'd never been to a KU ceremony before, it was quite a celebration and a festive parade. Hundreds of grads walk down the hill while families line the sidewalk applauding, then all file into the stadium for the speeches and diplomas.

Nursing was a later group, so we picnicked on some popcorn and pretzels while we waited. (I didn't realize until editing photos, that I'd dressed Dewdrop in rival, K State's colors, she was a purple speck in the sea of blue and red).

Our girl had the BEST cap! It was all rainbowed-up, like the rest of her life. She topped it with a sunflower, a symbol of our state.

Schools of Nursing and Education had the most fun hats, and we noticed that the business students didn't do much decorating on theirs. There was a variety of students, of all ages and ethnicities. Some people had their children walk with them, some carried dogs. Many girls in beautiful dresses had bottles of champagne. Families rushed out onto the sidewalks to hug and photograph their loved ones, grads squealed and ran to the ropes to squeeze friends they saw in the crowd. One group had an old school, boom box and sang together, and we saw a few Go Pros filming the whole march too.

This was quite a fun filled, moving experience, and even though I only knew one of the people in the procession, I enjoyed every bit of the parade of black robed people marching down the hill together toward their futures.

Dewdrop called the grads "Hogwarts people", and liked the robes a lot.

Afterwards, we had a party at the cottage. Sugarwings wasn't happy with the display and said that it wasn't a celebration without streamers. And of course, my studio is magic and can provide any craft supply needed at any time, so I had red crepe paper on hand for the sisters to decorate with.

Her idea was to use bandage streamers, since her mom was a nurse, but I couldn't come up with that.

I was able to provide some bandaids that she wanted to stick onto the balloons, though. Cute idea, huh?

We put the decorated cap on an easel in a place of honor on the food table. The lace curtains came down and I found some red rose curtains to hang instead, since our girls like things colorful. There are two different, vintage curtains with red roses on the windows now, and I kinda like it. I might leave them up for a bit. I see no reason to change the curtains again, since that wall will be torn out soon for the remodel anyway. I'll enjoy a splash of color for a while.

Caike said she felt like she was at the Mad Hatter's Teaparty in this dress anyway, and that it seemed like she was the red queen while I was the white queen, painting the roses red for her.

Things got colorful outside too.

The kids at the gathering made use of the boxes of chalk I'd set out for them.

When they weren't blowing bubbles in the woods.

Or hula hooping and jumping in the mulch piles.

It was cute to watch the kids at the buffet table. I'm impressed with hippy family kids. They load up on veggies and fruits and honestly seem to love them, taking them voluntarily, not being bribed or forced. Every kid there filled up a little tin pail with healthy foods, and carried them down to the Fairy Berry Trail to have a picnic in the tree house.

Of course, I'm a grammie, the one who spoils the littles, so I came out into woods and brought a tray of cupcakes for them.

All day long, I was afraid the weather was going to turn bad, but we lucked out. It did cool off a bit, so we lit the bonfire and that was fine. You never know in Kansas what to expect weatherwise, especially in the spring.

We had our air conditioner moved for the remodel project, and in doing so, the furnace was unhooked too. I didn't think it would be a problem on that beautiful 80 degree day when the workman were doing the job. But, after a week of chilly nights and drizzly days, I'm missing the thermostat! I've had to tell grand fairies they couldn't stay all night with me because it is too cold in my house at night.

Brrrrr!

But for the special day of the party, the weather was lovely, the rain held off till after everyone had left. And while my house got cold that night, my heart was warm with memories of the day.

A Mother’s Day gathering

celebrations, cottage, family, Sugarwings, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / May 15, 2016

Last Sunday was Mother's Day and we had a crowd coming over to celebrate with us. I'd planned on keeping it simple, and using paper plates outdoors. But Sugarwings was spending the day with me and she LOVES a special occasion as much as I do. She wanted to do something nice for all the mothers, and that seemed like a good thing to encourage.

We moved the kitchen island out of the way, set up a folding table with extra chairs, got out the pretty table cloths, and I let Sugarwings set the table.

One of her special touches, was a colorful ribbon around the plates where moms would be sitting. (no that isn't Grammy hitting the wine bottle early in the day, that is actually sparkling water, although, I did switch over to sparkling wine at the dinner party)

Her Hippy Chick mama loves colorful things and rainbows, so instead of white roses, she got a fiery rose in a red vase, and an LED light stick that changed colors as it flashed in place of a candle.

Sugarwings took all of the photos after too.

Being able to set a nice table is a good skill to have. Our dishes, silverware and glasses are all mis-matched, but my grandfairy knows where each piece goes and makes it look nice even with the hodge podge we use.

It is always cute to see her use this tip, and make the a-okay sign with her hands to remember where the bread plates and drinks go.

Her finishing touch before guests arrive was to sprinkle some rose petals up the walkway.

Which was 100% her idea, she loves the over the top flourishes to make things special.

Rose petals lined the way to her mommie's seat.

Twinkle looked a bit confused by the whole thing, but will follow her girl on any adventure.

A playdate tea party

fairies, family, Food and Drink, friends, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / May 9, 2016

Sugarwings has been wanting to host a play date, and asked me for help. We decided to turn it into a fancy tea party with crafting and a walk in the woods after.

She and Dewdrop worked on the food, making these grape caterpillars with googly eyes, after a mini lesson from me on how to do it. We used blackberries for the heads and simply pushed the googly eyes (meant for cupcakes) down into the berries after we had them on the sticks with the grapes.

And see how nicely the table is set? Sugarwings did it all on her own.

We made the the place cards together. I cut a strip of died coffee filter, rolled it up, pinched the bottom and added a staple to hold it in place. Then gave her two leaves cut from scrapbook paper. She wrote the names on them and stapled them onto the rose buds.

The guests seemed to appreciate the efforts. One girl kindly told me that the tea was "divine".

We used cookie cutters to make the french fries into flower, butterfly, and bird shapes, then cut the hot dogs to make octopi.

Of course, any food looks special when you use the best dishes.

And it all tastes better when eaten with friends.

The girls explored the Fairy Berry Trail, before heading across the creek for a walk in the woods.

The creek was low, it was a good day to cross.

For me, the cutest part of the day was watching them sit in the Fairy House and point out all the sprites they imagined flitting about. The girls had full descriptions and stories about the little winged creatures they saw.

It was adorable to watch them build tiny homes from twigs, leaves, and ribbons for their new imaginary friends to live in.

This part of the day was so much fun, we ran out of time to do any crafting.

Looks like we will have to invite them back for that part, huh?

A naturally beautiful wedding

celebrations, family, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / April 18, 2016

Did I mention that the wedding was non traditional?

It was not only unique, it was lovely and moving, completely natural and fun.

No fuss, nothing fancy, just a lot of love.

Set in a cavern down in S. Missouri. The cave was so spectacular, no decorations were needed.

It was an adventure to reach the cave from our campgrounds.

With a long, winding, narrow road and a hike to get to the hidden cave under the cliff we had driven over.

Our Hippy Chick, my son's ex, who is now my daughter, performed the ceremony.

We had sage and blessings and lots of hugs passed around.

I'd helped Miss Tree create her bridal headpiece and she is also using it for her areal performances too.

And she looked beautiful in it.

This wedding was done on a budget of, well, almost nothing. You don't need to break the bank to have a perfect ceremony. These two were interested in simply sharing their moment with people they cared about.

Sugarwings and I decided to make ribbon wands for the attendees to wave as the couple exited the cave, and I brought some dried lavender to throw also.

Katie and Adam didn't want any wasteful items, and I wanted to honor their wishes, so some of the wands will be recycled for Sugarwing's birthday party favors in August.

Sugarwings enjoyed having something to plan for her daddy, and if you know me, you know that I just had to do something festive or I'd burst.

The bride's mother also provided a picnic lunch afterwards, back at the campground. Which was sweet and we all enjoyed.

The weather was perfect, and the sun was shining into the black cavern.

While waiting for it all to begin, we had a chance to explore our surroundings.

These are my two newest grand fairies. Both are ideal role models for their newly acquired little sisters. These teenagers are smart, funny, strong, and loveable. Not to mention talented, both are arealists like their mom.

This was a wedding with zero drama, just happiness.

No one had to fret, fuss, or worry, all happened as it happened. No practices, rehearsal dinners, gift registries, showers. Just a circle of people who cared, listening to promises of love.

I don't know why I didn't cry. I'm teary thinking about it now. But at the time, I was just beaming with joy.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a person who loves planning parties and going all out, but it was very pleasant and peaceful just to watch the day flow.

Of course, with Katie and Adam, that is a regular thing. There are no pretensions in their lives.

I'm quite lucky to have them in my life.

Thank you, son, for bringing me these 3 sparkling and delightful women as family members!

Coffee Filter flowers for Valentine’s Day

flowers, holiday decor, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / February 13, 2016

To celebrate the holiday, Sugarwings asked if we could throw a craft day party. I try to do these for other occasions too, some years we have one for every holiday, other years are hit and miss. It is always a good excuse to clean up the studio and hang out with good friends. so if I can make a party happen, I'm glad to do it.

And it is such fun to see Sugarwing's excitement and to watch her little wheels turn as she plans a soiree. We made a couple of trips to craft stores, and she picked out all the supplies needed to make cards.

The menu was all her idea too. Of course, Conversation Hearts were a main treat.

Along with Ghirardelli chocolate dipped strawberries.

Sadly, about an hour before the party, I got a call from her, in tears because she was ill. Our poor, fairy baby had a fever and had to cancel. Luckily, her Nurse Mommy had a day off, and was there for her.

Which meant she was in very good hands. (Here comes a bragging moment, and a big one-) Her mom, our Hippy Chick, is on the nominated list for "The Best of Lawrence" voting for Best Nurse in town!

And that is a big deal, isn't it?

After talking to Sugarwings, I talked to her daddy and discovered that Kia, my Faux Granddaughter, was ill too. So, no family for the big party. Dewdrop is in NC with her own mommy, and the rest of the bunch were taking care of sick kids.

I was down for a bit, sad that my girl couldn't come to the party she had planned out, but I'm leaving it all set up and letting her throw another one for her family, and I had a lovely day with my good friends and their kids.

Lots of cards to spread Valentine love were crafted, and we also made some coffee filter flowers.

Here is a vaseful at a point when I thought they were done.

But, I decided that they needed something more, and figured out that a kid's marker dipped in water was great to give the petal edges some color.

Watercolor paints work well on the petals too.

I added some leaves pulled off my favorite old hats too.

Much better!

They were so much fun to make, that I'm also having one more coffee filter craft day too. Plus, I have dyed HUNDREDS of filters…

Twinkle really needs to learn to not be so curious when I'm dying things. She always ends up with a polka dot on her head.

It's been a few days and the color is barely fading.

I bought two packages each of small, medium, and large filters, and dipped them in fiber reactive dyes. Once they were done, the amount seemed to quadruple.

I'm going to need more friends to help me use these up….

Or I could just sit and make flower, after flower, after flower. (this is the same flower I showed painted and using a marker on. Big difference, huh?)

Because they are addictive and beautiful. I seem to have the best luck with peonies, I wish my roses turned out better. And I find it hard to work with the dang floral tape.

Why is it even called tape? It has very little stickiness, which is basically tape's main ingredient.

But the flowers are really pretty easy to make, we all had some beauts. The kids might have even out-flowered the adults.

The hardest part for me was adding the wire stem with the floral tape. I discovered that it was better to use artist tape to hold the flower onto the wire, then cover it in the green tape.

It still wasn't perfect. I'll need to do some research before friends come back to make more flowers with me.

If you want to make some, there are so many how-to videos and guides online, that it probably isn't worth my time to give you any directions. This site has links to many different tutorials. I tried a variety of styles, some easier than others. I gave up on the Martha Stewart ones. They are unbearably beautiful, but not a quick process.

The joy of the other directions was that they are so simple and look like you spent a lot of time on them, when you really didn't.

I'll let you know if we figure out any good shortcuts or tips when we make more. I'm glad to be having more parties!

Asian centerpieces and decor for a dinner party

celebrations, Travel, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / February 7, 2016

Well, that is not a photo you'd expect to see on my blog, is it?

Nope, not like me at all.

I travelled with my husband to Long Island to visit the Hamlet club, where the crew there had done an exceptional job and deserved a celebration. My husband's team was going to prepare and serve a special dinner and I offered to help.

When I was asked to pick up some items to decorate with, I was excited, that was right up my alley!

When I was told it was sushi night, I was flummoxed, that isn't exactly my style and I had no idea where to start.

Especially in a strange city, without my regular shopping targets. But, I went out exploring, set my Google Maps to Michaels and promptly got lost.

Very lost.

No cell service, no maps.

So, I turned into the first parking lot that I found, hoping to snag some free wireless from a business. I just so happened to be in front of an AC Moore, a store I'd not heard of, but the sign said "crafts" so I went in.

And found all the inspiration I needed for the table- some handmade, Japanese rice paper in firey dragon colors, and paper, clip on, crayon yellow, dragonflies. I bought enough rice paper to line up and use as a runner, scooped up some colorful bugs, and went from there.

Black "floating frames" were buy one get one free. I got 8, in different sizes (all they had) to use as zen garden style trays to fill with stones and moss, along with simple, cylinder candles and vases. In the larger frames, I centered a strip of coordinating rice paper for an extra layer.

To spice up the candles and vases (cheap ones from the wedding section), I bought some washi tape (that is Japanese, right??). If you are going to use washi tape to add a stripe to the top of a glass, I'd say make sure the vase or votive is as straight up and down as possible, and choose a tape that looks okay with a bit of a wrinkle in it. Because it is very hard to get it perfect. I thought about using an exacto blade to trim Vs out of the tape to make it fit better, then decided that working with the wrinkles, and burnishing them out as flat as I could was good enough.

I think it is fine.

Each frame "tray" was filled with handfuls of pebbles around the candles and flowers, with moss tucked in among the rocks. I also bought some big, black stones, and a gold paint marker. Then, I googled "Japanese lettering" and copied pictures I found.

On the backs, I wrote the English translation. I tried to chose words that went along with the event, and the people it was for, such as: pride, team, strength, friendship, self confidence, etc.

(Uhm, if you are fluent in Japanese, please don't try to read these, let's consider them arty, not accurate)

You can find anything online can't you? I thought that it would be a nice touch to have origami folded napkins too. So looked up youtube videos on folding swans.

I had a short period of time to pull this all off, from shopping to creating to setting the table. And the swans were not going well. So, I quickly switched to butterflies. Which went much, much faster. In all, I had about an hour into ironing and folding the napkins, and most of that was a learning curve. Once I figured out the steps, it went quickly.

The tall, clear vases were filled with more pebbles, and I split a package of curly twigs and bamboo between the 8 vases on the table and a larger one on the buffet.

On the way to the club, I got lost again and found the coolest grocery store I'd ever been in. I am a huge, Trader Joe's fan, and discovered the REAL deal type place that the chain is probably based on. It was an older market, full of imports and good prices too. I could've wandered around sampling cheeses and filling my cart with pasta from Italy, all day, but had to get to the club to set my table.

Before leaving, I picked up two bundles of freesias in yellow and orange for only $6 each, and they were the most perfect finishing touch for the vases. It wasn't something I'd set out to find. I thought that the vases looked pretty good with the washi tape, dragonflies, and curly twigs. But a few, small handful of bright flowers really improved the whole table.

There were even enough yellow freesias to add to the buffet table vase too.

There aren't any pictures of the buffet table because I was helping serve the appetisers by the time the main course was set out.

Yep, I was a waitress too.

When I was a single mom, that is how I supported my kids. And I met my Handsome Husband while waitressing at a Holiday Inn where he worked at the front desk. After I was married, I kept it up for years because the hours were great, I could work lunches while the kiddos were in school.

And I always loved doing the job and thought I was pretty good at it. So, I figured I still would be.

WHOA!!!!!!!!

Not so much.

The first thing I noticed as people were starting to come in, was that the trays were much heavier than I remembered. Very heavy.

Now, I still carry 9 year old Sugarwings around a lot. I garden, I keep busy. I'm not a gym rat, but I do lift some free weights (well sometimes).

But it didn't take long to find out that I do not have a single waitress muscle left in my body. Instead of 8 to 12 plates on a big tray, I could barely heft an empty, large tray over my head. I stayed with small, drink trays and carried a couple plates at a time, making many more trips back and forth that way.

Let me brag a smidge that I still had the drive and the eye for waitressing. I can spot a half filled glass and top it off before the guest even knows they are running low on water. I can whisk away a plate within seconds of the diner deciding he is done eating, and will scoop up all extra items on the placemat, keeping the area tidy.

But, boy, was I achey after all of it. It was fun to be a part of the event, and I loved the challenge of decorating, but the exhaustion that came with serving the meal really threw me emotionally. I wasn't prepared to face the fact that my youth is far, far behind me and I just can't keep up with things I used to do.

I think I'll keep my day job. Or maybe practice carrying trays around and get ready ahead of time before I do it again? I was too cocky to think of that, I figured I'd be a star waitress, not a weak, little old lady.

Because I sure would do this job again, what a delightful party it was, and the food was amazing!

I'd like to see more of Long Island, especially the Hamptons. There wasn't quite enough time to get that far. We did go to Times Square where we posed with one of a dozen or so Elmos walking around. They work for tips and before you know it, you are surrounded by all sorts of characters, each asking for money, even if some weren't in the picture and most weren't asked to be in it. They all crowd in, whether you want them to or not, and then try to get more cash from you. I was a bit taken back by it all, but it was pretty funny to be mobbed by cartoon characters.

I don't think Disneyworld would approve of Minnie Mouse's attitude.

We took a ride up to the top of Rockefeller Center. (Nice venetian plaster on the wall, isn't it?)

I was entranced by the chandelier.

Wouldn't you love to have just one strand from it?

And the lights built into the walls were chunks of crystal with colored lights behind them.

And what a view!

And what nice people we were with. Who knew I'd go all the way to NY just to meet a fellow junker and furniture painter? I enjoyed hanging out with my new friend, Beth.

We ate at Carmine's and I adored the mismatched chandies there too.

The selection of old photos on the wall made me feel right at home. This was my fave.

I've never been a city person, but I sure did love New York.

Our Christmas

celebrations, Dew Drop, dogs, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Food and Drink, holiday decor, Sugarwings, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 26, 2015

I hope your holiday was full of joy. We had some fun experiences, and plenty of laughs. With lots of hugs.

We started out our two day, holiday extravaganza with a nice, long walk in the woods on Christmas Eve.

It has been mild weather, ideal for a light jacket and some time in the trees.

Albie took that literally, and showed off his climbing abilities. That boy loves to climb trees.

Dewdrop likes to be a damsel in distress waiting to be saved from her perch in the branches.

And her Pop Pop is always happy to step in and help her down.

Katie's girls are as adventurous as Albie and showed off their circus skills by straying off the path and up the branches at every turn of the trail.

Of course, when you hang out with trapeze artists and circus performers on a regular basis, things usually get interesting.

We also had a big, family yoga session before our dinner Christmas Day.

Which soon led to a human pyramid.

Or two.

Or three. (Although this one is only 2/3 human)

Notice that I am not in any of the piles? I was in charge of Santa Hats and photos. Somehow, I wasn't added to the stacks of people, I think my reputation for clumsiness is pretty well known.

Our Thursday was full of exciting deliveries, there were presents being left on the porch all day! One was a package of steaks which came with DRY ICE packed in it.

I was intrigued by the dry ice and used it to create a mini fog machine in this old, silver coffee pot, with the mist flowing from the spout and around the evergreen branches. (Adding rubbing alcohol to the block makes clouds of swirling fog rise from it)

We also tried making sushi on Christmas Eve.

Tried pretty hard.

Then my husband got us some take out.

It was a little like the Bumpas' hounds ruining Christmas dinner in A Christmas Story.

On Christmas morning, we had evidence of the Jolly Old Elf's visit, by the tracks of glitter left on the floor. And I have a feeling, I'll be seeing remnants of that holiday magic for the rest of the year.

The evening ended with Elf and Nightmare Before Christmas, after a big poker tournament where Ryan won 40 bucks from his cousins and was beaming with pride.

I'll leave you with a few more pictures of our celebration, and wishes for a happy holiday season to you too.

Tips for Creating a Twinkling Holiday Party Buffet

Food and Drink, holiday decor, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 18, 2015

Every year, I look forward to hosting the book club party. It's a good reason to make some goodies and do a little extra decorating. And while there is book talk, too, there is less emphasis on the books and more on the people, so we all get to get caught up on what is going on with each other.

If there was any way possible that I could make this work on a regular basis, I would keep lights under the table.

But with a houseful of doggies, kiddos, and well, a husband who probably wouldn't find it easy to pull up his chair to the table and enjoy his morning paper and coffee… well, I just don't see how it could happen.

But gosh, isn't it fun for a party?

All twinkly and sparkly?

For real life, our over sized, hairy, puppy would be chasing dorkies under the table, getting caught on the table cloth, and pulling it off as little dogs run across the room tangled in lights. And grand fairies would trip on extension cords.

Around here, I get away with a LOT of over the top decor at Christmas, so I guess I'll not complain about not having a glow under my dining room table full time.

Plus, to get the full effect, I need to move all the chairs away from the table, like I did for book club seating.

And on a normal basis, it is kind of nice to have chairs around the table.

I'm going to miss them when I take them down tho! Here, let's look just one more time…. ahh!

If you'd like to try it for a party, it is pretty simple. I hooked two sets of lights (one warm white, one cool, for a nice blend) to a power strip, and laid them about 10" back from the legs, all around the front and sides of the table. Closer and they look too obvious, further back and they don't show enough.

I used a sheer curtain across the front of the table, and a lace curtain on each end, anchored them in place with a small bit of duck tape, then threw another, heavier table cloth (actually a painter's canvas drop cloth) over the top of the table. My dining table is 110" long with all of the leaves in it, so I had to use a combo. If your table is smaller, it can be less complicated to do. But I do think something sheer works much better than a heavy cloth, but yet I like a more opaque cloth over the top.

I felt like the canvas calmed it down and was more cottagey than if I'd gone with something frilly. There was already a lot going on. Also, when I do a buffet spread, I like to have a care free table cover, because things do spill.

Run the power cord from the back, and make sure it isn't somewhere that it will be tripped over. I set an extra chair over mine. If that isn't an option, use duck tape or a rug to cover it. Of course, if possible, you can just push the table against the wall and not worry about that. That might be pretty for a side table in the living room, huh?

We had some tasty, but simple food. A small veggie tray (lined with kale I had growing outdoors)

Chocolate chip cookies baked in a silicone pan with square shapes, then sprinkled with powdered sugar. I though that dressed them up a bit. The hardest part was picking all those Crunch Berries out of the Captain Crunch to decorate the plate.

Ha!

My friend, Connie kept teasing me about the Crunch Berries. They are actually peppermint pretzel balls. A couple handfuls of those made chocolate chip cookies look a lot more special.

At Thanksgiving, I made up extra pumpkin cheesecake batter and froze it. Then, I put puff pastry in those same shaped silicone baking pans and made mini cheesecakes. I added an ornament to the tiered cake stand.

All of the dishes were glass, white, or cream. Adding a mirror, and compotes for texture and height make a pretty display for the fruit and cheese.

For more height, I sat a mini white tree on the table (its cord plugs into the power strip for the lights on the floor) I like to have a layering of heights for visual interest, so there is a green and white flower arrangement (mostly inexpensive mums and carnations with branches from outside) in front of the tree. The height from the tree, to the flowers, to the two compotes, stair steps down.

Around the back of the table are two white garlands with some battery powered lights over them. Setting that little tree and the two garlands across the back of the table took a matter of minutes, but it looks like I went to a lot of effort.

The serving pieces are gathered onto a metal tray at the other end of the table. I like to use this metal basket for ([plastic) silverware and napkins. But a vase, basket, flower pot, many other things could make an interesting way to set out the silverware.

The rest of the food that we had was easy, a dip, some crackers and pita chips, cupcakes and a baked brie. The brie is a family fave, I use a premade pie crust, lay the cheese on it, sprinkle with fresh rosemary, wrap the crust up over the cheese and bake.

None of the food that I served was particularly hard to do, or expensive. It looked fancy because I took some time to set it out in a creative way. Most of the dishes and serving pieces are from garage sales, and I buy flowers from the mark down buckets at the local grocery store.

Having all the overheads off and just a glow from the Christmas lights makes everything look special too. Ambient lighting makes a huge difference for any party.

But the very best, most important tip I can give you for a party? Remember that the party is about having a good time. Enjoy yourself, don't over do it. If something is too stressful, skip it, and do something else. Maybe make as many of the goodies ahead of time and freeze them til needed, or buy pre-made trays? The gathering should be as much fun for you as it is for your guests.

Cupcakes and Cacao Torte with spinning flames

celebrations, family, Food and Drink, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 12, 2015

Birthdays are considered a BIG DEAL at our house. Dewdrop spent hers with her mommy, but we threw her a party when she came back to Kansas and had plenty of celebrating with her here.

You can't have too many birthday parties, can you?

We had three birthdays to enjoy, and threw two parties for them. One out to dinner for Italian food, and the next night, a family dinner at home with a crock pot full of veggie soup.

And cupcakes decorated by grandfairies.

The other two celebrating their birthdays wanted a more grown up cake, so I made a flourless chocolate torte with cacao powder.

That cake was a better size to use for the light up, spinning, and singing candle than the cupcakes were.

But it didn't sing! Dang it! Last one I bought was a lot of fun, this one was a bit of a dud and also scared Dewdrop.

The flames were a little overwhelming, without the Happy Birthday song that is supposed to be a part of the act.

But not too scary. She was pretty happy once it was time to bite into her custom cupcake.

But at a $5.99 price tag for the big, flame throwing, spinning, wonderland of a candle that wouldn't play the song, I think I'll take it back to the store for a refund. Or exchange.

We are tickled pink to have our tiny, Arabella Cinderella back for the holidays. There have been lots of kisses and hugs, big smiles, then more hugs. Dewdrop was missed.

She has been keeping me company out in the studio where we have had a few parades with her as Frosty the Snowgirl. Yep, that girl is a lot of fun.

Here is how I made the torte:

stir 3/4 cup raw cacao powder (more nutritious and stronger than cocoa)
into one stick of melted butter
add 1 cup organic sugar and 4 egg yolks
In a separate bowl, beat the 4 egg whites, when foamy, add in 1/4 cup of sugar and the scraped seeds from one vanilla bean.
Beat the egg whites till almost into peaks, but not as long as you would for meringue, you don't need stiff peaks.
Fold the two mixtures together, gently

Pour into 8" pan and bake for about 45 minutes at 300 (I don't have a springform pan, I use Grandma Nathan's old cake pan, but I think a spring form is called for)

And here are a couple of banners that I've added to the Boutique.

A weekend of fun, family, and friends

celebrations, friends, holiday decor, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 10, 2015

My friend Tami, throws the most fun craft days. The one last weekend was a holiday theme and she gifted us all with the supplies to make these Christmas themed boxes on candlesticks.

And it is always fascinating to see the varied way the projects go as everyone selects the components they want to use.

I went there with determination to get some work done and packed up a bunch of supplies to make banners to sell in the Boutique. But, when I saw the tempting display of goodies to glue onto a box top, and the creations the other ladies had going on, I had to join in. And I'm glad I did.

There is always time to make something to sell. But to slow down, enjoy a day with friends and craft a special piece to treasure as a memory of the day is much more meaningful. And every year when I unpack it, I'll think of the laughs and silliness we shared that day.

Like how Beth compared the angel hair to Donald Trump's head and we all called it that all day, making jokes about "adding some more trumps" to our trees, and other goofy plays on that theme.

Of course, I'll remember the day every time I try to button my jeans too.

Tami's home is decked out with holiday cheer from top to bottom.

And I am always touched to see a project from one of my classes in a friend's home.

The next day, I went with another group of friends on a holiday home tour, and while we saw some pretty things, none of the homes were nearly as festive or creative as Tami's was. But it is always fun to go with my buddies and check out the houses. We all liked this pink and dolly themed bedroom.

And I'd enjoy being invited to dinner in this jolly setting.

But this might have been my favorite part, understated whites and warm browns. Like a cuppa cocoa with marshmallows.

The weekend was a whirlwind of friendship and family. After spending both afternoons with buds, the evenings were full of birthday celebrations.

That was pretty exciting too. I'll share more pictures in my next post.