DIY Pinatas

This weekend (and this upcoming week) is all about party prep. I am hosting 8 people for a Mexican Fiesta dinner party. I was so excited in planning this party that I created a pinterest board (follow me here: http://www.pinterest.com/aedepp/mexican-fiesta/). I loved the mini-pinatas I saw on Oh Happy Day's blog. I had no idea how long they would take. But I know that they will absolutely add an additional flair. Below I share my version of getting these babies done!

Step 1: Create a template - this took me a few times before I got one I liked. 

Step 2: Cut out template - I folded my cardboard paper and cut out two at once so that the front and back were identical.

Step 3: tape along edges of one template - tape is facing up on this image - I taped it while it was the other way and then lifted it.

Step 4: Cut strips about 3/4 inch thick and begin to tape to bottom template. Repeat with the top portion to create a 3-d figure.

When you are done it will look like the below two photos.

Step 5: To make the color, I used crepe paper. I cut 4 lengths about 6 inches long, stacked them and then folded them in half. I then cut small slits on the non-folded side.

Step 6: Once cut, I unfolded the paper and cut along the fold. This created strips for me.

Step 7: I used elmer's glue and wrapped the strips of crepe paper (starting at the bottom) along the legs and then moved to the body.

The completed donkey pinata is below. Not the best nor the worst and will work perfectly as VERY time consuming name cards. :)

 

These pinatas purposely do not hold candy or treats. It was more about a look versus a purpose.

House Redesign: More Sneak Peeks

If you have been following the blog, then you are aware I have been updating the design elements inside my house. I took a long break from the blog and now that I am back, I wanted to give you another sneak peek.

I decided to accent the new entry wall and the wall along the entry hall with wallpaper. I wanted something bold and eye catching but not too bright. I ended up going with this bold floral from Osborne & Little. It is beige and white with grey highlights. I absolutely love it. (White door is the front door that leads to front yard.)

 

Also in the above picture you can see the new hardwood floors. I absolutely love the color and so happy that I did it. They are a mix of jacobean and walnut. 

In the last sneak peek I shared the new circular dining table. Now for the chairs. We went for a sleek black and I love the x-back look. You will be shocked to learn that I got these from Target for $99 for two. What a steal!

In the above picture you can also see one of the new rugs. This one is grey and super soft. I got it from overstock.com and can't remember anything about it except that it was less than $300 for an 8x10.

That is all for this week. More next week!

Game Night Dinner Party

I recently hosted a Cards Against Humanity dinner party. My whole goal was to get a fun group of ladies together to play the game. But I wanted to class it up a bit - the game is super dirty - so we did a more formal dinner party. Guests all brought a main dish and we had appetizers and dessert as well. The weather has been gorgeous so I hosted cocktails and apps inside and then we went outside for dinner and game playing. This was a great choice since we stayed up until midnight laughing hysterically. I decided the colors would be black and white to match the game but add a pop of color.

Apps were placed on the dining room table. We used white craft paper on the table and black/white scrapbook paper under the plates. The plates are old and from the Target Missoni line.

 

As guests walked outside they were greeted by a decorated coffee table. We placed all of the wine bottles here during dinner. The cups, napkins, cake plate and ice bucket are all from the Oh Joy! for Target line out this past spring. The light up question mark also sold at Target and are in stores now.

 

The game itself was displayed on a side table. We used the larger plug in ? here. Also sold at Target.

 

The dining table featured paper place mats (so easy at clean up), missoni chevron plates from Target, napkins tied with ribbon to look like bows and Oh Joy! for Target cups filled with flowers and vases. We used mason jars for water and printed place cards in a chalk font.

 The entire evening was fantastic. I can't wait to throw my next party.