Back in February (yes, I'm still playing catch up!), my cute friend Traci and I hosted a Valentine's Day Cookie Exchange for all or our Zumba Friends!
We asked everyone to bring 2 dozen of their favorite Valentine's Day cookies, treats, candy or whatever! We made sure to specify that the items did NOT need to be homemade! We were absolutely fine with store bought treats! We didn't want anyone to feel overwhelmed to bake something!
Traci and I had so much fun planning the menu items and decorating for the night! She is one of the most creative people I know! Check out the flowers in the candy filled vase below. She had three different ones! So cute!
Some of the food items: Cheese with pretzel sticks, veggie cups, soft/warm pretzel bites, baked ravioli with marinara sauce and fruit salad! We also had meatballs and a few more yummy items.
We set up a large table in my family room for all of the treats:
Oh my goodness! Can you even believe all the deliciousness on that table? And this was just the beginning! By the end of the night the table was overflowing and we were out of room!
We had wedding cookies, mini cheesecake, mini cupcakes, several GIANT Mrs. Field's cookies, rootbeer cookies, YUMMY desserts from Kneaders, eclaires and so much more!
I picked up some plain white cake boxes at JoAnn's and lined them with tissue paper, giving everyone a box to fill with goodies to take home with them!
Are you drooling, yet?
It was really one of the funnest parties I have ever hosted! And hosting with Traci, was even better!
Traci and I.
Seriously, some of the most fabulous people I know! We work out hard, so we can eat yummy treats!
The whole group! (minus me, the photographer!)
I think it would be fun to make this an annual tradition!
And look what Traci even left for me after the party:
Happy Hump Day, friends! Almost half way through the work week!
I mentioned in Monday's Weekend Wrap Up post, that I hosted a "Favorite Things" Party on Friday night. I've heard about "Favorite Things Parties" all over blogland over the years, and I thought it would be so fun to host one.
My brother was gracious enough to let me host the party on his beautiful patio. He recently got married and is selling his house. His backyard has been the site of many family parties, graduation parties, outdoor movie nights, etc. Perfect backyard/patio for entertaining!
I invited a bunch of friends (30+) knowing that not everyone would be able to attend, but I wanted to have a big fun group! I asked everyone to pick one "favorite thing" (nail polish, lotion, kitchen gadget, wine, book, household product, etc), and bring 5 of them. The idea was to share with everyone else, something they can't live with out, or something they just love. The maximum was $10 per item, but I stressed that $5-$6 was plenty. It wasn't about the cost of the item. I also asked everyone to bring their favorite dessert or appetizer.
The patio/yard:
I had a table set up for the guests to write their name on 6 slips of paper (in addition to the 5 items, I had a special drawing for some of my special favorite items) to place in to a large vase. Each guest would have a chance to talk about their "favorite thing" and then draw 5 names out. Those 5 guests would get the "favorite thing"
I put together "Swag Bags" for everyone, for the favorites they got to go home with:
The food spread was fabulous! Oh, and I also made Peach Sangria! So delish! Recipe to come soon!
The "Favorite Things" were so creative! I loved it!
We had wine, easter beauty items, quinoa, visors, body spray, gel insulated wine bags, hand sanitizer, almond butter, candied pecans, diet coke, coasters, sugar cookies, etc. So many fun things!
After our favorite things, I held a special drawing for some of my additional "favorite things"! I had some super fabulous peeps donate items to the party and I can't thank them enough! In fact, I will have a whole separate post thanking them!
Did you have a great weekend? I am still recovering, I think. We are trying to pack everything in to these last weekends of summer!
On Friday night, I was able to check off two more items off of my 2012 Summer Bucket List! I hosted a Girl's Night Out on the Patio, and served Peach Sangria. I'm slowly chipping away at the list, but I have to realize that I am not going to complete it before summer is over. Sadness. I think I may have to add the word "Fall" to the list, and continue on until it snows!
Anyway, I took off work a little early on Friday, to set up for the party. It was a "Favorite Things" party, which I will post more about later this week. There are too many details to cover in a weekend wrap up post. Here is a sneak peek:
It was well past midnight before I went to bed, and I was up early, early to spend a bit of time helping out with my church's yard sale. I wasn't able to stay too long as I had a full day ahead. First of all were a few errands that needed to be taken care of, then if was off to the summer corporate games where Carl was playing on his work's softball team. They were hoping to win the first 2 games which would put them in the championship game at 5:00 pm. They did it! We had plans to attend the Salt Lake Bees baseball game later that night with my employer, so we were hoping they would win the championship game and not have an "if" game. Well, they won the championship! It was great! They did awesome!
We were able to run over to my parents house, so Carl could quickly shower and we could head out to the Bees game. It was the perfect night for baseball!
The game was a lot of fun, and we were able to invite our friends Kristyn and Dave as well. They even had fireworks after the game. It made for another late night but, another item was check off the bucket list! That makes three items, this weekend! Can I get a woot woot?
Sunday was spent relaxing, doing laundry, trying to get the house back in shape and putting this together out on the patio:
We got a smoking deal, since most all patio furniture is on clearance right now! Love it!
I hope you had a FABULOUS weekend! I'd love to hear about it! Let me know what the best part of your weekend was!
For me, it was the Favorite Things Party on Friday night. I love to get together with my girlfriends for a fun night of catching up!
Did y'all have a great weekend? Did you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?
We had a pretty low key Saturday. I spent the morning at a St. Patrick's Day Zumba Party, which was awesome!
Great workout!
We were invited to dinner with some friends for Corned Beef & Cabbage (soooo good!), my assignment was to bring dessert.
I wanted to do something fun and creative, but didn't know what to do. I had some jelly jars in my party, left over from a strawberry shortcake dessert I did last fall for a tailgating party.
Well, technically the party was almost 2 months ago, which was about the last time I posted. What is up with that? I think with all the excitement and festivities during the month of May, I needed some time to decompress. Yeah, that's it. We'll go with that! So to play a little catch up, I need to post about Madison's Graduation Party!
We held the party in the backyard of my brother's gorgeous house, the Friday night before her Sunday graduation, and it worked out perfect. We did have a few rain sprinkles, but for the most part the weather held.
First up, the decorations. Madi's favorite color is purple, so I knew that would have to be on of the colors in the color scheme. Since yellow seems to be "in" right now, I thought that make a nice choice to add to the purple. I made the usual tissue paper flowers that you see all over blog land, and added some paper lanterns
We strung some white Christmas lights from the fireplace to the trees, over the stone patio.
I made a purple and yellow bunting banner from scrapbook paper to drape from the covered patio
I also used my trusty Silhouette to cut out some vinyl in a celebratory message for the wall of the garage, under the enclosed patio. I surrounded the message with a bunch of pictures of Madi throughout the years
I also strung picutres of Madi witht he friends from the last 4 years of high school Lot's of dance pictures, cheerleading photos, etc. It's hard to tell, but they are hung from ribbon with tiny clothes pins.
I bought two large bouquets of flowers from Costco that morning, and split them up in to several different vases. One on the food table, the stone fireplace, the wine table, and the entry table. They were gorgeous yellow and purple flowers with some white daisies too!
I also had a small entry table as guest arrived in the back yard. It had Madi's yearbook, for friends that hadn't signed it yet, as well as advice/memory cards for friends and family to fill out for Madi. Giving her advice for the years to come, or a favorite memory.
The menu was pretty simple and easy, which worked out great. We had pulled pork and roast turkey from Sugarhouse BBQ Company which was delish! Along with rolls, a yummy pasta salad, fresh fruit, chips and salsa, shrimp, and cupcakes for dessert.
The cupcake toppers were made from scrapbook paper, my giant scallop punch, and were glued to toothpicks. Super easy!
We also rented a cotton candy machine (Madi loves cotton candy), that was a HUGE hit with the kids AND parents!
At about the time the party actually started, I put my camera down and never picked it up again! What was I thinking? Too busy hostessing and visiting, I guess. Thankfully Madi took a few photos!
It was a super fun night, and we all had a great time! We had the fireplace going, another firepit lit, and dancing in the garage! Just wish I would have taken more photos!
Thanks for hanging in there through all the photos! And for being patient with my blog-vacation! Guess, what? It's friday! TGIF! Hope you have a great weekend!
A whole lot of envelope addressing is going on at the Moll house!
Madison's last day of high school is today. Really? How is it, that my baby girl is old enough to be graduating from high school already? It can hardly comprehend it all!
We've been busy tying up loose ends (end of year projects, extra credit and studying for finals), as well as getting the graduation announcements (courtesy of Jostens) and graduation party invitations (courtesy of Shutterfly) addressed and out in the mail.
Starting tomorrow, things will begin to get out of hand! The first of the graduation parties that Madi has been invited to (and some that we are invited to as well), begin. No school for the kids next week, but there is the Activities Awards Night on Monday, and then the Athletics Awards Night on Tuesday, along with several rehearsals for both Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation thrown in throughout the week. On Thursday night we celebrate the Baccalaureate Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine, which is beautiful! Definitely one of the things I love about my kids attending a Catholic High School! ALSO, Tyson will be home from college on Thursday! Woot Woot! Can't wait to have everyone under one roof again!
Friday night is Madi's big graduation party! A time to celebrate with friends and family! I have been busy making these
Tissue paper Pom Poms to hang from the trees in the backyard! I know, I know….as you can tell from Madi's graduation announcements….Puple and Yellow are NOT her high school colors! LOL! She LOVES the color Purple, and wanted that to be the "theme" of HER night! I also rented a Cotton Candy machine for the night! Hoping to serve Purple cotton candy! Fun, right?
A few more graduation parties on Saturday, and then Madi's Graduation on Sunday at Abravanel Hall.
Such a crazy time for all of us! But, what an exciting time for Madi! Her facebook status last night said:
beginnings are usually scary, and endings are usually sad, but its everything in between that makes it all worth living…♥
I love it! Perfect for her and this time of year!
Thanks for sticking with me, and allowing me to document the personal stuff that is going in my life!
