decor

Several years ago, I bought a small pergola designed to shade a grill, about 8x4 feet.  It was one of my craigslist finds, and I have gotten so much use out of that $30 purchase!  

At some parties, it just makes sense to have a lot of photos on display.  A first birthday party.  A graduation party.  Or an anniversary like the daisy-themed 40th anniversary party I threw for my parents.  One fun, simple way to incorporate many of those photos is by using them as the backdrop for the food or dessert table.

Nothing says movie nostalgia like a lit marquee letter sign.  But I did not have the budget to go scouring through antique malls for the Firefly Theater outdoor movie night.  As usual, I decided to figure out how to make my own!

Balloons make people happy.  Give a child a balloon and watch her face light up with delight and joy.  Big or small, any balloon is grand.  But I think I like the giant, 36" round balloons especially because they make me feel like a kid again, gazing up and the practically magical, colorful orb floating above me.

I love using those paper mache 3D letters from the craft store as party props.  They're inexpensive and easy to embellish to match any theme.  

Sometimes I spell out an entire name, like I did for my daughter's first birthday.  (The name now sits on a high shelf in her room, looking adorable as decor.)

I'm guest posting today over at Catch My Party with a fast and simple tutorial for making placemats and chargers out of real leaves.

I love making elaborate, complicated cakes.  Spending days--sometimes weeks crafting edible gumpaste details.  But sometimes I just don't have that kind of time.  Like this Valentine's day.  I knew I wanted to share my strawberry cake recipe with you guys, but I had NO idea how to decorate the cake when it came time to take the pictures.

When my friend Naomi talked to me about helping out with her daughter's 80s high school reunion murder mystery party, I knew immediately that I wanted to decorate their great room to look like a party in a high school gym.  Streamers.  Round tables.  Balloons.  Dance floor.  And, of course, a disco ball.

I'm in baking frenzy mode, and Operation Gingerbread 2012 is in full swing.  The first two (of five) gingerbread house decorating parties we're throwing are on Friday!  One for my older daughter's class at school, one for the Girl Scout Brownie and Daisy troops.  

There are plenty of lovely artificial wreaths that can be bought, but I really love hanging a Christmas wreath made with real fresh evergreens on our door.  In past years, I've bought them at the store when I've run across them.  But this year I'm making my own.