Anticipation

7.23.2012

Video Game Party {the cake}

I'm not a super-fancy cake decorator, but I do my best :) I like to get as much impact out of it as I can without a massive headache. Here's what I came up with for C's

Nintendo Birthday Party.

For this cake you need:

2 round cake layers, a nice rounded one for the top

Frosting of your choice

Marshmallow Fondant

Chocolate Chips (opt)

Classic-flat bottom cake ice cream cones

Action figures :)

1. Frost your cake as you normally would :)

2. Fondant...follow the directions on the link {scroll down for the recipe} Add food coloring to get the desired effect. I actually melted a handful mini chocolate chips into the marshmallow/water mixture before adding the powdered sugar for the brown fondant...I was in a bind and it worked great...tasted pretty good too. Brown food coloring will work just as well:)

Roll out a thin strip of brown fondant that is slightly larger then the height of your cake {so the green will overlap}. Wrap around your cake and gently press to hold.

Next roll out a thin circle of green fondant, again a little bigger than the diameter of your cake. Carefully apply to the top of your cake. Use scissors to cut away excess to form the "grass" top.

3. For the pipes, trim classic cake ice cream cones to fit your cake {see above pictures}. Use a serrated knife and saw back and forth to keep from breaking your cones {it's good to have a few extra on hand}. To wrap in fondant, wet the cone VERY LITTLE to help the fondant stick, then mold the fondant around the cone. Use toothpicks or skewers through the center of the cones to hold the "pipes" in place.

4. Last, place your figures...the ones I used had a base that fit the open cones perfectly. And add candles at the last minute :)

7.05.2012

Video Game Party {the favors}

What could be better than taking home your party loot in true Mario Bros. style? These "question mark block" boxes were a big hit at C's party.

Here's how to make your own....

You will need:

>4 x 4 x 4-inch plain white boxes (mug size...look for them near the gift bags at your local craft stores...aka Michael's, they come flat so you will have to assemble them)

>Bright yellow card stock, cut into 5 3/4-inch squares, you will need 5 squares per box, so plan accordingly

>White card stock, cut into question marks. You will need 5 question marks per box also...this is a little time consuming, but the end product is worth it! I used this to make a template...you will need to re-size your question mark to fit your boxes.

>Black marker

Assembly is simple, after your pieces are cut out, affix your question mark in the center of each yellow square. Then a yellow square to each side (except the bottom) of your assembled boxes. Carefully draw a black dot in each corner. And you're ready to go!

FYI....individually wrapped Rolo candies make great Mario Bros. "coins". We found lots of favor filler options here (and at a reasonable price :)

6.21.2012

Summer Style

I love to decorate seasonally. Summer, to me, should be light and fun with lots of color and a touch of vintage. Here are some of my favorites from some great shops on Etsy....

1. Fantastic candlesticks from Gleaming Renditions

2. Document your summer travels on this chalk board map by Dirtsa Studio

3. Beautiful bowls by Wind and Willow Home perfect for entertaining this summer

4. Who doesn't like chevron stripes? by MMIM

5. An easy seasonal change...recover your pillows! by MoGirl Designs

6. These chocolate filled candy seashells go beyond "too pretty to eat" (this shop is AMAZING) Andie's Specialty Sweets

7. Charming vintage-look coasters by Mayagencic

8. Loving this hanging, almost nautical candle holder by lesliepapafox

9. Beautiful quilt to add a little color to your room by Aunti JoJo's

10. Perfect vintage napkins for your summer party or picnic at Cool Vintage Finds

11. Display your summer memories and photos on this indoor clothesline kit by Heart and Handmade 2

12. Great for a picnic, even better for creative storage...basket by Dew Drop Daisies

13. Succulents, maybe the only plant I can keep alive...this one from So Succulent

14. A fun and colorful print by Happee Monkey

15. Sometimes (a lot of the time) I choose books just by color...make your bookcases beautiful with this instant collection of vintage books from Hampton House Vintage

16. Perfectly summery wreath by The Baker's Daughter

{I receive no compensation for items featured on my blog, I just like what I see}

6.20.2012

Video Game Party {the decorations}

I chose to do one focus wall, with lots of impact for this party. The mural was really quite easy to put together & I was super happy with the results. {watch for the next post on how to make the ? mark block favor boxes}

First off I made a sketch, I wanted a general idea of how I wanted it to look on the wall. A few changes were made here and there, but it's always good to start out with a plan :)

After I hung the blue paper up on the wall, I just started adding the elements.

The pipes are cut from green wrapping paper (just use a large ruler to measure & get your lines straight...a clear quilting ruler works great here).

The clouds, grass clumps, coins and fire-power plant are free form shapes cut from card stock...as are the blocks (simple squares, with either a question mark...see favor box tutorial...or hand drawn lines to form bricks).

For the Piranha plants & bomb, I used images from online and made a simple template, layering colors to get the right effect.

I cheated with the Mario, Goomba, and Turtle, just printing off coloring pages to size, coloring them in & cutting them out.

The "Happy Birthday!!!" took a bit more time, but I think it is well worth it. First I printed off the message in Unibody 8 to use as a "map". I then taped 1 inch black squares {electrical tape would work great here) above the mural to form the words. After getting the first few letters done, it was easy going.

I always use my kids to judge my ideas/projects and this one got a big AWE-some!!! {which really makes it all worth it}

6.13.2012

Video Game Party {the invitations}

For this party, I decided to make a classic, old school Nintendo Controller...it's the perfect shape for an invitation:)
This is a small invite, only 6.25 x 3.5 inches, that fits into a standard letter envelope. It's simply layered card stock, with a little black hand outlining in the center. A template for you to use is below, click on the link to download or print {for non-commercial use only please!}

I printed my party info inside each card before assembly (remember to adjust your margins & print out a draft to make sure it all lines up right). You can just as easily write or stamp the party info on the inside. I used this great (free) video-game looking font: Unibody 8

Invitation Template Inviation Layout

Video Game Birthday Party

My 12 year old is a console gamer. Loves them...if he had a choice he would play them all summer long--not going to happen :). So when it came time to choose a birthday party theme the choice was clear, a Nintendo/Mario Bros. themed party was all he could ask for.
In the next few posts, you'll see how it all came together...