A Snowed-In Birthday Party

Last weekend was my daughter's 12th birthday. We had grand plans that involved a day out with our family eating, drinking (soda of course), and being merry. Unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans for us. A couple days before my daughter's birthday we had received almost 20 inches of snowfall, and there was no chance of us going anywhere (or me buying any of the gifts I'd planned on purchasing for her). In a rather panicked frenzy I tweeted about my predicament: "What do I do...help me?", and got a bunch of wonderful responses.

The top suggestion was to create a scavenger hunt, which was perfect (thank you so much everyone)! Then I thought I could take full advantage of the snow by surprising her with a project of making our own (almost) natural snow cone syrup (she loves anything involving cooking, and snow for that matter). I made a secretive list and then we bundled up and trekked to our two local grocery stores with empty backpacks on our backs. At the first store I made her wait up near the front for a minute and ran down a couple isles where I was able to pick up candy (for the scavenger hunt), party streamers (they had all the colors she was wishing for - yay) some candles, and neon food coloring (she is a kid after all). At the next store I again ducked down the isles and picked up ice cream, cream soda (her favorite), natural drink mix (kind of like kool-aid, but without the chemicals), and then got some $5 bills to also hide in the scavenger hunt.

To make it feel more festive (and age appropriate) I decorated an aqua desk with streamers at both ends and then wrapped the top in some pretty wrapping paper. Streamers were hung above and one of my coffee filter pom poms hung down above the table for an added touch.

Fortunately my daughter already had two pink trays (I didn't think to pick up any festive paper plates), so I used them on the table as our dishes for breakfast.

Yum! Everything tastes better with striped paper straws!

The scavenger hunt began with a clue inside this striped box. Treat bags were filled with gum balls as party "favors."

Here's all the loot my daughter received from her scavenger hunt (the little boxes on the left held some of her prizes). She also found candy at every clue. Some of the prizes were $5 bills and others were "tickets" for larger gifts (the things I couldn't buy because of the storm).

A newly-minted 12 year old and one of our favorite party guests!

Thanks for taking a peek at our party...and a big huge hug to all of you on Twitter who helped me out with your brilliant ideas! xo Ez

Sponsor Spotlight: Royal Design Studio

Hello everyone! Today I am starting a new section here on Creature Comforts that will spotlight my amazing long-term sponsors (many of the ones who you see at the right). This blog would truly not be possible without their support, so this is my little way of saying thanks for making my dream of blogging an ongoing reality. They are awesome!

For my first post in this series I would like to give a shout-out to Royal Design Studio. I first became aware of this lovely stencil company when I spotted their fabulous Skylar's Lace stencil (the photo of the beautiful floor above) featured on another blog a couple years ago. I guess I had never really thought of the wide array of creative projects possible with stencils until then, and a look around their site opened my eyes even further.

I asked Royal Design Studio to share a bit more about their stencils with us today, and here's what they had to say:

"All of our stencils are cut from a thick, durable mylar material that can be used over and over. Stenciling allows you to easily match your paint colors to your existing decor, creating a personal, custom, economical touch that simply isn't possible with wallpaper or vinyl decals. They allow you to creatively customize your space with color, patterns and painting techniques, in a way that is personally rewarding, satisfying AND inexpensive. Stenciled decor isn't limited to wall, though! Pretty much any surface is fair game, including floors, ceilings, furniture, fabric, and accessories."

Isn't your mind just bubbling with ideas on how to use these amazing stencils now?! I know mine is! Hop on over to Royal Design Studio for even more inspiration, and of course the actual stencils. Also keep a lookout for a free downloadable stencil e-book and free tutorial video series that they'll be introducing soon.

*Please note, that while ad placement (in the right-hand column) was purchased by my featured sponsors, the Sponsor Spotlight segment is not a paid portion.

Inspiration Daily: 02. 11. 11

Image credits: 1. Untitled, 2. peekaboo, 3. chocolate cupcakes, 4. photobooth

DIY Valentine Luminaries (Video Edition)

Hi bloggy friends! Today I'm excited to be sharing what I hope will be the first of many simple video tutorials and DIY projects here on Creature Comforts. I first have to give a shout-out to my oh-so sweet friend Erin (of Design for Mankind) who very generously gifted me my new Flip Camera! Isn't she lovely! Second, I have to apologize for the shakiness, sound, and a few blurry patches in this video. This is my first time ever using a real video camera, so I'm still learning. Despite these minor issues...I hope you will enjoy following the video and creating your own simple DIY Valentine Luminaries. Have fun! xo Ez

 

For those of you who would like written instructions...here you go:

Supplies needed:

• Glass jars and/or teacups
• Plastic gems (found in the floral/candle area of my local craft store)
• Battery operated candles (also found at my local craft store)

• Paper doilies (from the baking isle of the craft store)
• Baker's twine (you can find a similar giant spool at We Sell Coffee for only $8.95)
• Hand cut paper hearts - you can use vintage books, old maps, love letters, cardstock, or whatever else you'd like.

For simple luminaries:

Place lighted battery operated candles inside chosen glass containers. Fill with plastic gems until the "flame" portion of the candle has been covered. Leave as is or add to them in the following way...

For doily heart luminaries:

Before filling glass jars with gems or candles, wrap a doily or two around the outside of your vessel. Tie it in place with a length of baker's twine or any twine/ribbon that you like. Insert a hand cut paper heart beneath the bow. I used a page from an old book, but you could use any kind of paper that you like - or maybe even stiffened fabric! Fill with lighted battery-operated candle and gems.

Can't Stop Watching:

I don't post videos very often, but I so enjoyed watching the creative process for this art piece by artists Supakitch and Koralie (I think I viewed it at least 10 times) that I thought you might too.

{photo from Damien Elroy Vignaux - Elroy}

It just gets more and more awesome as it progresses (in my humble opinion). I just love seeing each small detail take shape in the larger piece. Amazing. xo Ez

Artist representation by One Louder.Agency | Video shot by Damien Elroy Vignaux (more photos can be seen on his flickr page) - Elroy (you have to see all the awesome project they've done on their site) | Music by D*L*i*d