Plants vs. Zombies Birthday Party!

Katie recently threw one of her kiddos an AMAZING 6th birthday party.  I am not sure if you are familiar with the game (available on the iPhone and iTouch) but it is called Plants vs. Zombies.  I personally have never played it, but kid #1...he plays ALL THE TIME!

Of course, Katie and Cindy were super creative.  From the cake to the photo op to the games, it was all hand made! Here are the photos:

 The Birthday Boy, AKA Pea-Shooter

 The Plants

 The Bucket Head Zombies

 The Zombie Cake

 The Plant Cake Pops

 The Plant Cake Pops

 The Plant Cake Pops

 The Plant Cake 

The Decorations

One of the Plants...Yes, kid #2

The photo op- that is me and kid #1

Hope you enjoy!

*hugs*
Denice

Photo Credit: Katie

It's a Jessie the Cowgirl Birthday Party!

My friend Deanna recently gave her 4 year old a fabulous Jessie the Cowgirl themed birthday party, and I had to share it with you!

1) Where did you get the inspiration for your decorations?
After seeing Toy Story 3, my daughter was insistent on having a Jessie Party. I felt the country theme would be easy to create, as there are many products out there. I also was inspired by a couple of parties that I had gone to.

Decorations
My husband and I created the birthday banner out of card stock and rope that you can find at your local craft store. I decorated the tables in tradition picnic table cloths and the tables that held food or beverages were covered with burlap or red and white gingham fabric.

Food
For Food I went went with BBQ Beef sandwiches, potato salad, fresh fruit, veggies, chips and dip. I also had lemonade in a clear glass container with diced lemons to add to the country theme.

Favors
For Party favors are guest took home a bandanna, cowgirl hat, balloon art and a mason jar filled with either army men or chalk. I went to party where they filled mason jars with lemonade for each guest to drink. I thought this was the cutest idea, but after much thought I decided having kids caring and drinking from a glass container would not be safe. Instead they were filled with treats and served as table decorations until it was time for everyone to leave.

2) The water bottles &invitations are adorable, did you make them yourself?
I did not make the water bottle labels or invitations. I purchased them from an online site. It was very reasonable. They send you a PDF file and you print at home. The Labels were four dollars and the invitations were seven dollars.

3) Did you use a local vendor for the balloon art?
I did you a local vendor the the balloon art. We had gone into our local Chili's for dinner one night and he happen to be there making balloons for kids. He is a little pricey, but worth every penny!
Ron's Balloons  (909) 815-1839  or http://www.ronsballoons.com/

4) Were you able to rent the hay or did you have to buy it?
I purchased the hay bails from a local feed store in Rancho Cucamonga called CW Feed, which is located off Archibald between 19th and Baseline. Each bale was $7. My other daughter takes riding lessons and our hope was to donate the bales. However, the horses didn't eat that kind of hay.

5) The bouncer fight right in too!
We were also able to find a Toy Story bouncer from Bounce Around Party Rentals  626-960-9485 

Thanks for letting me share Denice....what a great website you ladies have going!

Thanks for sharing Deanna!!

*hugs*
Denice

Photo Credit: Deanna =)

The Troll Cake

Katie and Cindy are at it again being UBER creative. Their grandma recently had a milestone birthday and they took to creating her a fabulous cake.  This had to be a cake that was fun, and could also feed lots of people.

Here is a little background on what they were dealing with:

1) Their family is from Norwegian ancestry.
2) Their grandma is a bubbly lady, full of energy!
3) They all grew up in a mountain town (skiing, snow, lodges etc.).
4) They come from a HUGE family.
5)They have family from Minnesota.


Ok with that, here is the TROLL CAKE!

REMEMBER, they were 100% , hand-crafted Trolls from molding clay, all by these ladies.  They spent lots of time creating them, see:

What can I say, these ladies can do it all!  See, the cake is even edible!!

*hugs*
Denice

Photo Credit:
Photography by Soozie and Katie

Clickable Party- Party Decorations from your Computer?

I found a GREAT website for those who like to be creative in planning their events.  It's called Clickable Party.  Clickable Party is *printable* party decorations that are unique, customizable and reasonably priced. They create matching party invitations, thank you cards, cupcake wrappers, toppers, banners, favor boxes...everything you need to make your next party look extra special. All you do is just print and cut them out!

We are a family owned and operated business in Southern New England striving to offer unique printable party ware for events, holidays and special occasions. We hope you enjoy our designs. Don't forget to check out the Freebies page for free downloads.

Why not use a party store? You can’t find our designs in your local party store - they stand out from the rest! The designs are made to be personalized, and you control how many you print, how you print them and how you use them. ~ Krysten

They have a ton of cute stuff!  I stumbled upon them while surfing the twitter waves.  There is a freebies section with a full free downloadable party for an end of summer beach bash, and more is added all the time. Cruise on over and check them out!

http://www.clickableparty.com/

http://clickableparty.blogspot.com/

*hugs*

Denice

Photo Credit: Clickable Party

Indiana Jones Themed Party

Katie's son recently turned 5.  He is a huge Indiana Jones fan, so what more perfect than an Indie themed party? Leave it to Katie and Cindy to create the atmosphere of a great Indiana Jones move, all while making the kids the lead role. I guess you could say kids parties are our favorite to do!

The party was held at Momma Labonte's house (because of the pool).  the kids were able to swim and have fun.  Cindy set up a great obstacle course for your young Indiana Jones and guests to run through.  It was so fun.  While the kids were running through the course, looking for their treasure and artifacts, we the parents, were shooting "poison"darts (q-tips out of straws) at them.  It was so funny, and the kids thought it was great!

Cindy and Katie made each kid their own hat, whip and satchels. All by hand of course!

The cake was another momma Labonte original, complete with Lego Indiana Jones characters.

For food we kept it simple (I know...simple right), hot dogs and hamburgers. BUT we did have the "poison" drink (blue koolaid) and the "antidote" drink (lemonade).  Complete with slithering snakes.

This was a great idea for a kids party!  If you are interested in the satchels (which were made from dish towels) and whips, let us know...we could do a "how to" post on them!

*hugs*
Denice

Photo credit: me!

Stacie's Gifts Features KDC Events!

A VERY big thank you to our friends over at Stacie's gifts for featuring our recent post: Last Minute Wedding "To Do List".

So, head on over to their blog and check it out, and while you are there, check out their website for an, "Exquisite Selection of Gifts For Most Any Occasion."

A little info on Stacie's Gifts:

Stacie's Gifts is an online retail outlet focused on providing fashionable jewelry, totes, and fashion accessories at the most affordable prices. We are a family operation based in Tampa, Florida with a combined 10 years experience in customer service and retail.


Our goal is to make your shopping experience the best of any online retailer. With a wide variety of fine jewelry, we have also expanded in very unique items, and accessories. You'll find that our products meet a variety of tastes at affordable price ranges. Our products are of the best quality, and are inspected prior to delivery. Our jewelry and gift items come from all over the world.

You can order 24 hours a day, 7 days a week online. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding our products. We strive to provide the best online shopping experience.

Thanks again!
*hugs*
Denice

Happy Birthday Cooper!

So the day came, and my baby turned 1. WOW, where did the last year go? I can't believe Cooper is 1!! I tried to keep his party low key (since he is only one and will not remember a thing anyways) and not go too over board.

Well, that did not happen! I decided to combine Cooper's 1st birthday with my nieces 3rd birthday and we had a Peter Pan and Tinkerbell bash (more on the Tinkerbell since Claire knows whats going on!)

We had a lost boys treasure hunt, complete with map, lava pit and jungle. My nephew, Thomas, made sure I had all the correct land marks, he was so cute.

Happy Birthday Cooper!! I love you little man =)

*hugs*
Mommy
(aka Denice)

Photo Credit: Me
Birthday Sign: Paul Cope- Auto Graphics
Cakes: Albertsons (my creative thought & action figures on the Peter Pan cake!)

Getting the Perfect Shot

Important moments in life should be captured, and not just in our memory but in pictures. I am a photo freak! I take pictures of everyone and everything. I am by no means good at it, but I am terrified I am going to miss some fantastic moment in life, so I document it in thousands of photos. As most of you know, I had a baby last year, and he is quickly approaching his first birthday. I wish I could say I was as on top of things as I was with my first child, but come on...let's be serious, the second child is often caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. He is a photographed child, but on my iPhone!

So, as his first birthday quickly snuck up on me, I had never even thought of having him photographed! Then I received an email from a local Photographer asking my opinion on an association I used to belong to. We began chatting through email and we instantly clicked! She offered to photograph Cooper for his birthday and I accepted.

Her name is Angel and that's exactly what she is. She was amazing with both of my children, and captured them and their personalities exceptionally. I was so impressed with her that I needed to know more about her and why she does what she does. Here is a brief interview with Angel from Angel Diane Photography:

1) What made you decide to be a photographer?
My father's untimely death. He was 44 and I was 17. He took pictures of the family and they are all I have left of that life. They are images of my memories and a life that is now gone and the only proof of a childhood. From that I started speaking the gospel of, "you MUST take pictures." The photography came secondary. My passion was fueled and the camera found me.

2) How long have you been a photographer?
Professionally, 9 years. I stumbled onto a kind man who saw my passion and graciously mentored me. He changed my life by mentoring me for a year. We did weddings & sporting events together, coupled by college classes. I started in film photography.

3) What is your favorite subject?
I enjoy capturing the bond between people / family. Emotion that exists between people. Weddings are special because I enjoy capturing such an intimate day and freeze framing it for future generations. I also favor capturing the bond between siblings. It's such a beautiful relationship. Siblings are those people that truly know us like no other. They know the good, the bad, and the ugly. And when it comes to hell or high water,they are typically the ones who will stand with us.

4) What is your favorite prop?
Something that is meaningful to the subject. Something that will invoke a memory for the person I am taking the picture for. I don't want them to remember me. I want them to remember a period in their lives.

5) What was your all time best shoot?
Wow! To pick just one is so so hard. I have so much fun with so many people. I laugh with my subjects and somehow become part of their lives. I am honored that my work will become part of their family history. This question causes a flood of memories with so many people I have photographed I seriously don't know how to name one singular experience.

6) What is your best advice for those looking for a photographer to photograph their event?
The food gets eaten, the flowers die, and the cake gets cut. After everything is over, the only thing they are left with is the pictures which will serve as their memories. Make sure you appreciate the photographer's style. It's so much more than telling people to, "smile!" Experience is so important because there are never two variables alike: lighting, time of day, weather, flesh tones, environment, etc...Google all of your vendor's names and find out what they have going on.

7) What is your favorite image you have captured?
This image is special. To me it represents life. Grandma's loving working hands. It was on a wedding shoot and the bride beamed with glee how her grandmother had made her veil. What she conveyed is that she was so happy that her grandmother had made it. I wanted her to have an image of the hand that worked on her veil. She included that image on her final wedding album.

Thank you so much Angel for sharing your passion, and Thank you for the fabulous images you took of Cooper!

If you are in the market for a photographer, contact Angel and check her out. She is very reasonably priced and like I said before, a pleasure to work with. Just a note to all, I paid for my photo session and prints, so this is a true testament of how much I liked Angel as a photographer.

*hugs*
Denice

Photo Credit:

[photography]

Birthday Fun!

Katie and Cindy recently helped with a birthday party for their 13 year old cousin. It was an Alice in Wonderland themed party and it was amazing!! They had card people and a photo op (of course) that was the White Rabbits cottage.

They even had an amazing cake by Alicia! Here are a few photos. I tell you...these two are so creative and amazing!!

Just thought you would enjoy these awesome photos!

*hugs*
Denice

The Enchanted Tiki Room For Frankie

Katie and Cindy transformed Katie's back yard in to the Enchanted Tiki Room...well sort of. It by no means, looked like the party of a 3 year old, but it was. There were colorful birds, tropical palms and tiki gods (handmade by Katie and Cindy).

The kids danced to the sounds of the Enchanted Tiki Room, watched the volcano explode, played limbo and feasted on yummy hotdogs and chicken skewers.

Complete with a festive bar for the mommy's and daddy's, this party was a hit! Katie even made a tiki god fountain, complete with candles, flowers and tropical flare!

Check back for more on this event later! I am going to nag Katie until she writes something on it, so you can get the inside scoop on creating your own Tiki Room!

Come on Katie...we all want to hear!