Safari Roulette and Beach Theme Placemats

     In a previous post, I gave directions on how to make your own placemats by putting graphics and/or photos to 12" x 18" clear plastic envelopes.  While planning a Safari baby shower, I came up with the idea of playing safari roulette (previous post) using online/phone spinner apps.  I wanted to enlarge the boards, but didn't want to bother my architect husband to print them off at work.  I was also making beach themed ones for our trip to the beach for my daughter's birthday.  She is inviting friends over all week, and I wanted something special.  
     So yesterday, I pulled out some yellow cardstock I had.  I landscaped two pieces to fit across the bottom of the envelope.  I taped them together on the back and glued the overlaps together on the front.

This gave me the sand.  I did the same with white cardstock for the roulette board.
For the blue, I used just one landscaped piece cut in half the narrow way, then taped/glued together.   I found the cutest airplane graphic that resembled those carrying flags at the beach.  I changed the wording to say "Happy Birthday, Annie."  I found the sandcastle, beach chair, and umbrella clipart and enlarged them to fit on my "beach."
I think they are so cute.
       Then I wondered today if I could fit all the Safari pieces into the envelope.  You can see from the photo above that I did.   I printed out each animal's box in a 3" tall by 4" wide box.  The phone app only allows for 10 sections on the spinner.  I matched the colors of the boxes to the colors on the spinners.  The words Safari Roulette are in an 8" wide by 3" tall box.  The column signs are each 4" wide by 1/2" tall.  The row signs are each 3" tall by 1/2" wide.
         I am making four of the roulette placemats for the baby shower.  I am making 12 of the beach placemats for the birthday beach bash.    I hope my guests enjoy using them as much as I had fun making them.

How I Survived Poison Ivy

 

You can buy it here

Last week I took my dogs for a walk.  We did not go into any woods, bushes, or areas that had poison ivy.  But, last Saturday my legs, arms, face, and neck broke out with a VICIOUS case of poison ivy.  I waited five days to go to the doctor to go on oral prednisone.  He gave me cortisone cream for my arms and legs, but said that it would permanently stain my face and neck if I used it on them.  

I had tried home remedies the first few days.  In the past I have used facial mask to stop the itching.  It does help dry up the spots.  I was taking  Advil and Benadryl.  They helped some, but my face and neck just BURNED.

Even on the medicines, I couldn't sleep.  Then I remembered that last summer, my scalp was burning horribly.  It turned out I was allergic to an ingredient in hair dye.  My friend has started selling organic lotions.  She recommended her brand.  I took a photo of the bottle because it has saved me so much pain.  It is NYR's  Calendula and Oats body lotion.

This lotion calmed down my face and neck to the degree that I could actually function as a human being.  I am walking around the house with this bottle at all times.  It's not curing the poison ivy, but it is not only soothing my outbreaks, it is soothing me.

I wouldn't be recommending a product I don't have complete faith in.  If you go to her link, I have put you directly on the page where this lotion is.  If you are also interested in organic, chemical free beauty products, click here for catalogue.  If you have trouble reading the page, there is a zoom in button on the bottom bar of the site.  

I have also tested more of her products that I LOVE and am putting together a SPA in a Jar.
I will post about this soon.   

Update:
  I spoke with our homeowners association to ask if they'd cut back the poison ivy along our sidewalk.  They assured me it was Virginia Creeper and not toxic.  After speaking with my sister-in-law this morning, she told me Virginia Creeper can be just as poisonous to some people as poison ivy.  So, I Googled Virginia Creeper and MANY websites told me that a LOT of people are allergic to a chemical in Virginia Creeper and have worse reactions to it than poison ivy.  This is why I am in so much pain and am still having large breakouts seven days later.  But...the lotion works great.  
  

Wagon and Cake Pop Stand Serving Pieces

It's at the Etsy.com shop

I was thinking of building a cake pop stand after seeing a PIN on how to do it.  By the time I went to buy the lumber, knobs, sandpaper, and paint,  I probably would have spent more than the twenty dollars this cost me to order this ready made one online.  I already have my cake pop bibs made up and ready to be printed (previous post).  I can't wait until it gets here.

What else have I added to my party serving displays?  I previously posted that I bought this wagon an antique store.  It went to the Ballerina Monkey Shower to hold favors. (See previous post).  But, I wondered if it could be a "CHUCK WAGON."  Amazon.com had these meatloaf size pans.  I can fit four of them into it.  I am going to serve the fixing for burrito bowls in the pans.  When I'm serving up to 200 people at an office party, I think this will come in as handy as the wooden boat I bought last year.  I put a different kind of cracker in each section of the boat.  At the Safari Shower it will be "The Monkey Junction Chuck Wagon." 

Safari Baby Shower Cake Pop Bibs

See how to make them here.

I saw the cutest baby cake pops on a Pin by Bakerella.  She added the bibs.  They are made from cake pop labels.  I didn't even know people were putting labels on their pops.
I didn't even know they made the chocolate disks in peach and butterscotch for the faces.

So...since I am in the midst of planning a baby shower safari, I knew I had to make these with baby safari animals on them.  Feel free to grab them and change the colors if you want.  I got the clipart at www.iclipart.com.

The blue labels are blank ones for you to use with your own ideas.  I am printing mine out on cardstock.

Safari Game with Virtual Online Spinner

Click on the link below to see the coolest online game spinner.

http://www.unpracticalmath.com/applets/virtual_spinner.html

I needed a safari themed game for the SAFARI baby shower I am giving in September.  I have been collecting animal clipart for the napkin ring tags (see previous post).  I was wondering if there was a virtual game spinner online or an app for my iphone.  Sure enough, there is.  I downloaded the GA Spinner for my phone.  But...it only let me have up to eight spots on it.  I have eleven animals for my roulette animal board.  So, I searched online and found the virtual spinner with the link above.  It lets me have up to 20 slots and choose the colors for each number. I will open on my ipad for the party.  Each number on the wheel will match a color on the wheel.  You just hit the "spin" button and off it goes.  What fun.

How to play:  Enlarge game board to 1/2 poster size.  Make two or more and divide party into smaller groups.   I will give you the animals as separate jpgs I case you only want to play with eight animals and use your iphone/notebook app.

Gather lots of pennies, candies, buttons, or small tokens.  Have everyone place a bet.  Have each group keep a pile of tokens for the bank at each board. 
When someone wins, they simply take a token from the bank.  If no one wins, the bank keeps the tokens.  Play the game just like roulette.  

If you can think of another way to play, please leave a comment.  Below are the individual animals if you'd like to make your own board. I've included a few that were not on the board I made.  I reworked the game sheet this afternoon to make it a little more fun.  Now you have a choice.

 

                                                   
                                                                    
                                            

                                                                                                                           

                                                                        

                          

Safari Party Napkin Rings

 I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE napkin rings.  I have ones for lots of different occasions.  But, I am hostessing a sit down baby shower luncheon for close to twenty people.  The theme is Safari.  I found these woven napkin rings at Sur la Table for only .98 each.  I bought them because the weave is open enough to slip a very thin ribbon through it.

buy them here


This is important to me because I want to be able to change ribbon colors for different themes.  I also want to attach place cards on them with clipart.

I have spent two days collecting animals you would find on a safari.  I wanted them to have character, but not be too babyish.  I found just the right color green for a background, but had to search, and search, and search for just the right frame.  I wanted a tiny bit of frill.  So, I adjusted a really frilly clipart border I found at www.iclipart.com.  I erased 3/4 of the frill and placed just one of the scrolls inside the border to make it easier to cut out.  

If you like the three sets, just print them out on card stock for your own Safari Party.

I have tons more ideas and plans.  I will post more later as it gets closer to the party.  The wagon I bought for the Ballerina Monkey party is going to my next two parties as a "chuck wagon."  I got just the right size loaf pans on Amazon.com to fill it up.  We are making borito bowls for both of these parties, and now we have a really cute way to serve the fixings.

I included the blank ones for you to use with your own clipart.

 

Hey, Diddle Diddle Baby Shower

A friend of mine and her sister and cousin are throwing a "Sip and See."   I just learned that this was a party to show off the new baby.  The cousin wants a theme and chose Hey, Diddle Diddle.  I checked Pinterest for any really cute graphics, but couldn't find any to tickle my fancy.  I created these for anyone to choose from bits and pieces of clipart at www.iclipart.com.

    I am giving you the individual pieces of the poem in case you want to make a banner.  For my last baby shower, I just made two big triangles on a blank landscaped page. I made a rectangle to put on top of each triangles top to fold over onto ribbon.  (See Ballerina Monkey post).

   The hostess has a nice size paper mache moon.  I found the perfect cow helium balloon on Amazon.com to "jump" over it.  They are making it into a flower centerpiece.  What a cute idea.

    

More Photos of Erin's Wedding

http://www.bethanybandera.com/

This is my nephew John Mark's wife, Dorothee.  He is the bride Erin's brother.  Dorothee was an attendant for the wedding.  Sitting on her lap is her son Benjamin.  He looks like he's helping her study her reading for the wedding. Erin's friend Bethany Bandera took these photos.  Her link is above.

Last year's post described the fact that Erin wanted a long aisle.  This view and the next  two show you why.

This photo gives a better idea of how we used the clothesline to hang pictures of the happy couple.

I love this black and white the photographer took of the welcome sign.  They tray underneath the blackboard held stones we all made wishes on.  

Here are some of the kids collecting the ribbon wands.  Erin handed them over to her friend to use in her wedding the following week.

Even though a huge wave was to have come to end the world on this particular day,  the guests partied on.

If I'm at a wedding, there WILL be a conga line.

The tent ceiling held battery operated candles in paper lanterns.  The groom, Dan, made tons of paper flowers.  I love their save the date card, don't you? 


 

Photos of Ballerina Monkey Shower

It's always fun to start off with a photo of the table.  The monkey ballerina on the motorcycle was a hit.  As was the box of cupcake onsies.  I even found pink monkey napkins on amazon.com.  The party started at 7pm.  We were afraid some of the guests might have skipped dinner, so we served chicken salad sandwiches and cheese and crackers along with the desserts.

Since the mom-to-be couldn't come across country for the shower, we put her picture on the mantle above the ballerina monkey banner.  We wrapped her gifts at the party and packed them in a HUGE box to be shipped to California.

I can't believe we actually got the centerpiece in a large gift bag, along with all of these surprises.  She has NO IDEA we did this.

I saw the cookie pizza idea on Pinterest.  I had the serving tier, so we went for it.  I had given my bff a baby foot pattern to cut the cookies.  Don't try using a cutter with store bought dough from a tube.  It spreads.  But, these were a big hit.

Here is the fun foam monkey ballerina welcoming everyone from her corner.

Here she is with the balloons attached. (My camera phone didn't do well here, but she is posted on a previous post). Directly above is her pattern on my table.

For the first game, each guest was given a shoe pattern.  They were to cut it out, write a message on the bottom, then glue it together with no directions. (Previous post has the pattern).

Patty, grandmother-to-be, and her daughter-in-law Alicia were the last to complete the shoe.  Two hours later (just kidding) they were laughing because they refused to give up.

Here are two guests working hard on the second game.  I will put this on the Monkey Ballerina post.  I researched "baby talk."  I found out it is actually good for the baby because it encourages them to speak.  But...finding 27 words to fill up three baby bottles took time.  I gave them the English words in the left bottles.  They had to write the baby talk words in the matching right bottles.  They loved this.

 Here are two more guests working hard.

 We dipped strawberries in pink chocolate.  We made flowered tartlets with pink lemonade filling.  We served the chunkie monkey cookie cups with chunkie monkey ice cream.  Mmmmm....

 Here is another member of the ballet class in her tutu in the wagon with the Cookies in a Jar prizes.  The recipe is on the tags.  I also made smaller favors in shaker jars with a home-made meat rub.  I didn't know how these would go over, but the guests LOVED the idea.

     

Please see the silver stacking cups in holder that I purchased on whim at Luckett's Antique Store.  I fell in love with them instantly.  The love continues after using them at the shower.  The kept the pink lemonade punch ice COLD for a very long time.  I can't use them for hot drinks, because they made the metal too hot to handle.  I could make cozies for them, but that's another post.

 Above is a close up of the onsie cupcakes. I found the how-to on Pinterest.  See Baby Shower Board.  I reused one of the quilt table runners from Erin's wedding.  I added pink gingham ruffles to each end.  

             Sara, when you see this post, we want you to know that we missed you at your East Coast Baby Shower.  We can't wait to see pictures of the baby when she comes. We wish you the very best in your new exciting life as a parent.