Embroidery Transfer Tutorial

 I am hosting a 1950's Happy Homemaker party for my daughter's 11th birthday on Sunday. I decided to get aprons for the girls to wear during the party and as their favors. Instead of spending hours making the aprons, I got these from Oriental Trading Company and I decided to embellish them. I was originally going to write the girl's names on the apron myself but I really didn't trust my hand at getting the names perfectly centered and all the same size. So I decided to use Little Days font on 96 pt and print out the names on regular copy paper.

 I put the apron in the embroidery hoop and centered the hoop on the edge of the ruffle and between the pockets. The material was thin enough so I could see the printing really well.

 I then just taped the name where I wanted it.

 Next, I used a regular colored pencil in black. The only reason I used it is because my kids were working on a school project at the same time at the same table, so I just grabbed it. You can use a washable fabric pen, too. I held my fingers behind the paper and lightly traced the name unto the fabric.

Then, I used 3 strands of hot pink embroidery floss with an outline stitch. I was lucky enough to have my Grandma teach me how to embroider when I was 9 but there are great tutorials on line if you need help with some stitches. I made 7 of them in 1 day while waiting to pick up kids at school. I hope the girls love their new aprons!

I linked up!

Mad Hatter at Disneyland

 I was contacted by a pharmacist in Orange County to host a Mad Hatter party for the CSHP at the Disneyland Hotel. It was to honor the volunteers of the organization that supports pharmacists around California. The amazing woman honored is a Dr. and teaches pharmacology at USC and is a leader in women's studies and emergency contraceptives.


All of the guests loved the decor that I had made myself for the event. Since it was a much larger event and venue that I usually do, I had to make a lot more decor and think outside the box with such a tiny budget.

 I made all of the Mad Hatter hats including the one on my head out of poster board and fabric. It took me 8 hours to make 12 hats. ( I made 20 total!) The hat stands were made from Dollar Tree candlesticks and wood trims from Home Depot. I also painted all of the tea cups and saucers stacked on the tables. The pharmacists supplied green medicine bottles that had "Drink Me" stickers on them.

It was difficult to decorate this room since I couldn't put anything on the walls or hang the paper lanterns from the candelier. There is also constrution going on in the pool area of the hotel (where the room overlooks) so the windows were frosted over and there was no view. :(

 The big hit of the night was the photo booth. I painted a canvas blue and hung it on a frame of PVC pipe. I decorated it with flowers made from colored lunch bags and google eyes. The guests acted like little kids picking out their hats and posing for the cameras. There was a professional photographer and a pharmacist with her cmera as well. I will be getting "better" pics from them later :)

 The hat I am wearing is the original size of the pattern. I had to enlarge it 150% to have the hats big enough for the cocktail tables. I attached the hat to a black elastic headband and no one could tell how it was attached to my head.

 It also poured rain when I made my 5 trips down to my van to get all of the decor. This is why I look like a drowned rat. I'm so glad I had the hat to distract.

One of the bartenders said she noticed all of the details I had put into everything and said I should work for Disney. That was the greatest compliment I could have gotten!

Dream Job

 Right now, I am putting the final touches on a special Mad Hatter party. It's not a birthday party for a one-year-old or a Sweet 16. It's not a bridal or baby shower.

It's a party for 250 pharmacists at the, wait for it...

The Disneyland Hotel in the Sleeping Beauty Pavilion!

It can't believe I am "working" at Disneyland! When I was 16, I desperately wanted to work at D-land but it is about 70 minutes away from my house so I ended up working at Six Flags Magic Mountain which is 3 miles from my house. A much better commute but not the same.

I will post pictures this weekend so come back and take a peek!

Raven Brunch

I hosted a Poe/Raven inspired brunch for my Tea Sisters. I wrote on the invitation Gothic Attire Encouraged and my friends do not disappoint with their interpretations.

The centerpiece was created with branches from a tree that was cut down the day before next to our supermarket. The small ravens were from the Dollar Tree and the raven plates with quotes from the famous poem are from Home Goods.

I also made scalloped newspaper cutains and funeral wreaths and hung them on the windows for that extra creepy touch.

 

 For brunch I served hot apple cider, puff pastry spinach quiche, pumpkin donuts and fresh berries. I made raven shaped cookies that never got frosted with black Royal icing or black sanding sugar (just picture it in your head) so I gave my guests boxes of scone and muffin mix.

 After the party, my living room looks like this...

 I made the lampshade from linen and vintage black bias tape.

 I covered existing pictures with poster board and pages from books also from the Dollar Tree and I used my Cricut Wall Decor cartridge to make all of the black silhouettes.

 I had to make a fabric cord cover for the chandelier...heehee.

On Halloween, I'll bedressing up as a Disney-inspired Haunted Mansion ghost and stand on my porch and pass out candy under a black light. This year, my daughter is joining me in a matching costume.

Do you have any Halloween traditions?

"My Fair Wedding" Premiere

 I am a big fan of David Tutera , the celebrity party planner and star of "My Fair Weddding" show on WEtv. So, of course, I am also a Facebook fan, too. A few weeks ago, David tweeted to enter your email address to get tickets to his premiere of Season 5 of MFW so I entered and I got 2 free tickets to attend this event.

I invited my friend, Suzie Smith and we headed down to the Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. After standing in line for over an hour, we got in. The giant staircase was lined with 2 girls in red dresses and their trains were the red carpet. 2 girls in the center red aisle were wearing bridal gowns from David's line. We were offered champagne at the top of the stairs and there was also a red carpet Press line. Frenchie Davis from "American Idol", "The Voice" and broadway was giving an interview.

We headed into the ballroom which was to be the screening room. Another hour we waited before Frenchie sang 2 songs (such a beautiful voice!) and then David was introduced. He welcomed everyone and introduced his parents who came out from New York and his partner of 13 years.

 Then the president of WEtv came on stage an introduced the couple who was in the premiere episode. The bride's son, a cancer survivor, was granted a wish from the Make A Wish foundation and his wish was for his mom to have a dream wedding from David. He had only 6 days to pull off the dream wedding!

At the end of the show a marching band marched through the crowd because the bride's son (and David) were both part of a marching band.

Then it was for the time for the after party. Unfortunately, there was not enough room for the non-VIPs to get in so Suzie and I headed home without winning a raffle prize, tasting an hors d'ourve or meeting David.

Halloween Ideas on Houzz and HGTV

My Halloween porch from last year was featured on the Houzz.com blog. Also, Kim from TomKat Studios included my bench in her HGTV blog piece. Such an honor! Next Friday, I am hosting a Poe inspired luncheon for my girlfriends. I will post preview pictures this week!

Book Print Pumpkin

 I added a few pumpkins to my Poe/Raven inspired front porch bench. I made them out of Dollar Tree pumpkins and a book.

 First, I gave the pumpkins a coat of primer white paint and let them dry. Then, I ripped up some pages of the book (yes, it killed me to destroy a book!) and then Mod Podged the strips on. Since I didn't want to buy anything extra, I used some gold paint for the stem since I couldn't find any brown in my paint collection. While they were drying, I used Heat n' Bond for the gingham leaves. I hot glued them to paper covered wires and also used the wires to make the tendrils.

I love how the book flower has darkened in the sun. I hope the pumpkins will do the same. I'm working on some indoor decor with the same theme for my tea party for my friends. Usually I host a Witches Tea (here and here) but I wanted to do something a little different. I seems blogland had the same idea I had! I have found some wonderful inspiration this year!