Hello Everyone!
I hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day! Though I'm not Irish I do like to think that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day. I make an effort to wear green every year on this day and I sometimes even have Baily's Irish Cream!
I think it's important to remember one's heritage and celebrate its customs. When I was young it would embarrass me to participate in our religious processions through the streets because I felt that we were being made fun of. I grew up in a mainly French Canadian neighborhood and our Portuguese customs were kind of odd to them. But in time I realized that even though our celebrations seemed odd, many of these non-Portuguese neighbors were more intrigued than anything else and would often join our celebrations. I realized that when you're young you really just want to fit in but as I got older I felt more comfortable with my ethnicity and learned to appreciate it. Something that I've tried to pass on to my daughters.
Make today a pretty day!
Pretty As A Peacock
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Spring Is In The Air
Hello Everyone!
It's been a while since I posted a blog. I haven't been feeling great but at least it's starting to feel a little like Spring. As I've said before, it's one of my favorite times of the year. The only thing I'm not to thrilled with at this time is Spring cleaning. This year is especially difficult since my surgery is quite recent and I have to be very careful not to aggrivate my condition. My daughters have to do all the work and I'll just supervise. It's a big job every year, and it's been more difficult the last 2 years since I've been hurt, but it does feel good when it's all done and everything is clean and fresh. Then I can feel ready to enjoy my favorite season--Summer.
I can't wait to feel the warmth of the sun and be outside as much as possible. I like to work on my cross stitch outside and the longer, warmer days encourage me to work even more. Maybe I can finally get back to work and get enough pieces done for the sale I want to have in November.
In the meantime, I just hope to get better so I can be in shape for my favorate time of year.
Make today a pretty day!
Pretty As A Peacock
It's been a while since I posted a blog. I haven't been feeling great but at least it's starting to feel a little like Spring. As I've said before, it's one of my favorite times of the year. The only thing I'm not to thrilled with at this time is Spring cleaning. This year is especially difficult since my surgery is quite recent and I have to be very careful not to aggrivate my condition. My daughters have to do all the work and I'll just supervise. It's a big job every year, and it's been more difficult the last 2 years since I've been hurt, but it does feel good when it's all done and everything is clean and fresh. Then I can feel ready to enjoy my favorite season--Summer.
I can't wait to feel the warmth of the sun and be outside as much as possible. I like to work on my cross stitch outside and the longer, warmer days encourage me to work even more. Maybe I can finally get back to work and get enough pieces done for the sale I want to have in November.
In the meantime, I just hope to get better so I can be in shape for my favorate time of year.
Make today a pretty day!
Pretty As A Peacock
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Spring Flowers
Hello Everyone!
As I've said before, I love all things girlie and pretty. One of my favorites is flowers. I love Spring because blooms are starting to pop up and stores are full of pretty spring flowers. Although you can find flowers all year round, there's a real need to enjoy the feeling of freshness and beauty, after a very long and dreary winter, that pretty flowers bring. I love the sense of a new beginning I get from looking at them.
I have a degree in floral arrangement after completing a course many years ago. I thought I would work in this field but it never happened. I don't regret taking this course since I loved every minute of it, and I feel that learning is never a waste, but I must say that the art of flower arranging is always evolving and I'm afraid that some of what I've learned is a bit outdated. After watching some current t.v. shows, such as Petal Pushers and the Adventures of Ambrose Price, I need quite alot of updating in my style and techniques. I still enjoy flowing arranging and would love to garden more if my back would allow it but I think I'll leave it to the professionals
(at least for now).
Make today a pretty day!
Pretty As A Peacock
As I've said before, I love all things girlie and pretty. One of my favorites is flowers. I love Spring because blooms are starting to pop up and stores are full of pretty spring flowers. Although you can find flowers all year round, there's a real need to enjoy the feeling of freshness and beauty, after a very long and dreary winter, that pretty flowers bring. I love the sense of a new beginning I get from looking at them.
I have a degree in floral arrangement after completing a course many years ago. I thought I would work in this field but it never happened. I don't regret taking this course since I loved every minute of it, and I feel that learning is never a waste, but I must say that the art of flower arranging is always evolving and I'm afraid that some of what I've learned is a bit outdated. After watching some current t.v. shows, such as Petal Pushers and the Adventures of Ambrose Price, I need quite alot of updating in my style and techniques. I still enjoy flowing arranging and would love to garden more if my back would allow it but I think I'll leave it to the professionals
(at least for now).
Make today a pretty day!
Pretty As A Peacock
Monday, March 9, 2009
Breast Cancer Awareness
Hello Everyone!
One of my proudest moments as a Mom was when my youngest daughter asked me if it was o.k. that the theme for her High School Graduation party be Breast Cancer Awareness. I was surprised at this question since thankfully no one in our family or circle of closest friends has been personally touched by this disease (we knock on wood and pray that no one ever is). So I was especially proud when she said that she just wanted to do something to help others. She has always been a very caring and giving child and this was just another occasion to think of others.
So we went ahead with her request and I proceeded to get as many pink accessories and decorations as I could. We indicated on the invitations what the theme was and why. We asked everyone to wear pink or white and we asked that everyone make a donation to the Breast Cancer Foundation. We again had a very simple menu and instead of a cake my daughter made 2 different kinds of cupcakes (a dozen of each) which she frosted in white and decorated with the pink Breast Cancer Awareness logo.
We gave a prize to the adult and child who was the "Prettiest In Pink" (which was the name we gave the party). We also played a game where I prepared a box full of gifts (wrapped up very pretty) for either males or females. No one could unwrap the gifts until the end of the game. The men went first. We picked a name out of a bowl and that person picked a gift out of the box. The next person chosen could now either take another gift out of the box or "steal" the first person's gift. The next person could again take a gift from the box or "steal" someone else's. The game goes on like this until the last person has a gift. If anyone's gift has been "stolen" that person now has one last chance to either keep what he has in his hands or get back his original gift or take someone else's. You follow the sequence in which the person's name was called if you have more than one person whose gift had been "stolen" and this person only has one chance to exchange his gift. If someone's gift is "stolen" back, the person without a gift cannot take the same one back again but has to take someone else's gift. This way everyone has a chance to "steal" someone's gift or get back the gift he originally wanted. The game is over when everyone has a gift and now everything can be unwrapped. Then it was the ladies' turn. For the kids we just asked them a simple question concerning my daughter (like how old she was, what her favorite color is, etc.) which was tailored to the child's age and when they answered correctly they were given a prize. We also just had a simple game of picking names out of a bowl-3 men, 3 women, and 3 kids-and the chosen won recieved a prize.
Everyone enjoyed these games since it made for friendly competition and everyone was happy with their gifts. Again, having simple food and activities made for a very enjoyable occasion for everyone including me. We also managed to raise $100 for the Breast Cancer Foundation which made my daughter happy and made the occasion even more special.
Make today a pretty day!
Pretty As A Peacock
One of my proudest moments as a Mom was when my youngest daughter asked me if it was o.k. that the theme for her High School Graduation party be Breast Cancer Awareness. I was surprised at this question since thankfully no one in our family or circle of closest friends has been personally touched by this disease (we knock on wood and pray that no one ever is). So I was especially proud when she said that she just wanted to do something to help others. She has always been a very caring and giving child and this was just another occasion to think of others.
So we went ahead with her request and I proceeded to get as many pink accessories and decorations as I could. We indicated on the invitations what the theme was and why. We asked everyone to wear pink or white and we asked that everyone make a donation to the Breast Cancer Foundation. We again had a very simple menu and instead of a cake my daughter made 2 different kinds of cupcakes (a dozen of each) which she frosted in white and decorated with the pink Breast Cancer Awareness logo.
We gave a prize to the adult and child who was the "Prettiest In Pink" (which was the name we gave the party). We also played a game where I prepared a box full of gifts (wrapped up very pretty) for either males or females. No one could unwrap the gifts until the end of the game. The men went first. We picked a name out of a bowl and that person picked a gift out of the box. The next person chosen could now either take another gift out of the box or "steal" the first person's gift. The next person could again take a gift from the box or "steal" someone else's. The game goes on like this until the last person has a gift. If anyone's gift has been "stolen" that person now has one last chance to either keep what he has in his hands or get back his original gift or take someone else's. You follow the sequence in which the person's name was called if you have more than one person whose gift had been "stolen" and this person only has one chance to exchange his gift. If someone's gift is "stolen" back, the person without a gift cannot take the same one back again but has to take someone else's gift. This way everyone has a chance to "steal" someone's gift or get back the gift he originally wanted. The game is over when everyone has a gift and now everything can be unwrapped. Then it was the ladies' turn. For the kids we just asked them a simple question concerning my daughter (like how old she was, what her favorite color is, etc.) which was tailored to the child's age and when they answered correctly they were given a prize. We also just had a simple game of picking names out of a bowl-3 men, 3 women, and 3 kids-and the chosen won recieved a prize.
Everyone enjoyed these games since it made for friendly competition and everyone was happy with their gifts. Again, having simple food and activities made for a very enjoyable occasion for everyone including me. We also managed to raise $100 for the Breast Cancer Foundation which made my daughter happy and made the occasion even more special.
Make today a pretty day!
Pretty As A Peacock
Friday, March 6, 2009
High School Memories
Hello Everyone!
Well it's been a few days since I've posted anything. It's been a busy week and I just didn't get the chance. I do want to continue telling you about some of the parties I've planned.
One of the most fun parties was my oldest daughter's High School Graduation party. When discussing a theme together we came up with a School Days theme. We thought it would be fun to have kind of costume party where everyone would come dressed as someone you would see at school. We gave out invitations which discribed our theme and gave some examples to give the guests ideas on how to dress. Some examples were: Cheerleader, Jock, Geek, Punk, Phys Ed Teacher, Soccer Coach, Beauty Ed Teacher and of course my daughter was the Prom Queen (this was mentioned in the invitation so no one else would wear that costume).I must say that our families are pretty game for just about anything and many really got into the fun of it. We had some pretty creative costumes, including the School Nurse, the Cafeteria Lady and the really Nerdy Student. It made for quite some interesting pictures!
Luckily, it was the end of June and we were able to have the party outside. The weather was beautiful so we we able to have some fun activities for the many kids that were there. I decorated with as many school items as I could which included mini blackboards, erasers, chalk, mini globes, crayons and craft paper. We played games such as a spelling bee and a cheerleading competition. Though I gave out small prizes everyone seemed to enjoy them. We had a simple menu of chicken cutlets, pasta salad and grilled sausage sandwiches. This plus lots of fruits, salty treats, candy and a cake was enough to keep everyone happy. It was so warm that the most important thing was to have plenty of cold drinks for everyone. The best part of this menu was that most of the preparation was done in advance. I also did the decorating the day before.
Being organized and preparing as much as you can in advance makes for a much more relaxed occasion and makes it alot more enjoyable for you and your guests.
Make today a pretty day!
Pretty As A Peacock
Well it's been a few days since I've posted anything. It's been a busy week and I just didn't get the chance. I do want to continue telling you about some of the parties I've planned.
One of the most fun parties was my oldest daughter's High School Graduation party. When discussing a theme together we came up with a School Days theme. We thought it would be fun to have kind of costume party where everyone would come dressed as someone you would see at school. We gave out invitations which discribed our theme and gave some examples to give the guests ideas on how to dress. Some examples were: Cheerleader, Jock, Geek, Punk, Phys Ed Teacher, Soccer Coach, Beauty Ed Teacher and of course my daughter was the Prom Queen (this was mentioned in the invitation so no one else would wear that costume).I must say that our families are pretty game for just about anything and many really got into the fun of it. We had some pretty creative costumes, including the School Nurse, the Cafeteria Lady and the really Nerdy Student. It made for quite some interesting pictures!
Luckily, it was the end of June and we were able to have the party outside. The weather was beautiful so we we able to have some fun activities for the many kids that were there. I decorated with as many school items as I could which included mini blackboards, erasers, chalk, mini globes, crayons and craft paper. We played games such as a spelling bee and a cheerleading competition. Though I gave out small prizes everyone seemed to enjoy them. We had a simple menu of chicken cutlets, pasta salad and grilled sausage sandwiches. This plus lots of fruits, salty treats, candy and a cake was enough to keep everyone happy. It was so warm that the most important thing was to have plenty of cold drinks for everyone. The best part of this menu was that most of the preparation was done in advance. I also did the decorating the day before.
Being organized and preparing as much as you can in advance makes for a much more relaxed occasion and makes it alot more enjoyable for you and your guests.
Make today a pretty day!
Pretty As A Peacock
Monday, March 2, 2009
A Day In Paris
Hello Everyone!
Just like for my oldest daughter, I planned a special Sweet Sixteen party for my youngest one 3 years later. Since my daughter has a special affinity for Paris I decided to use this as my theme.
Though you usually see Paris-themed items is black and pink and white my daughter doesn't like pink. So I went with her favorite blue and silver and white and called it "A Day In Paris". I made invitations with pictures of Paris landmarks and, as I had done with my eldest, I had her best friends help me with the guest list and distribution. Again, I sent quizzes with the invites to be filled out in advance. I also asked everyone to wear light blue and/or white and/or light grey (which substituted for silver).
As she arrived and was greeted with "Surprise", I had her put on a blue beret and boa that I had gotten for her. I had also found a pair of blue boxer shorts with an Eiffel Tower and a cute French saying printed on them which she put on over her jeans. She got a big kick out these accessories and it set the theme for the day.
I decorated with as many Paris-themed items I could find which included a mini Eiffel Tower and picture frame that my daughter already had, a tissue paper box with a picture of the Eiffel Tower printed on it, a keepsake box and napkins printed with a Paris design (which luckily were in the same colors as her party theme). Everything else I bought in the right color scheme.
I also tried to keep the menu co-ordinated with the theme. I served baguettes with several patés and brie, mini quiches and French crackers. I did have to add in buffalo wings and pizza but the kids didn't care that these weren't "French"! Again, I opted for her favorite cake instead of a themed one.
We played most of the same games that we had played for my eldest's party except this time I filled a blue martini glass with my daughter's favorite candies for the guests to guess at the quantity and instead of "Kiss the Hunky Actor" game we had a poster-sized funny picture of my daughter, which we had snapped with out her knowing. This made it more interesting for the boys in the group!
Though this time there were boys at the party, they enjoyed the games and prizes as much as the girls did. The prizes were all different itmes that I didn't spend more than $2.00 each on but everyone liked them and were happy to be taking something home.
It really is a question of being creative and trying to keep the kids entertained with things that they'll like that makes a party successful. Again, I still get comments from the boys on how much fun they had and how they liked their prizes. Teens are just older kids and they still enjoy games and prizes as much as when they were younger, as long as it's suited to their age group.
Make today a pretty day!
Pretty As A Peacock
Just like for my oldest daughter, I planned a special Sweet Sixteen party for my youngest one 3 years later. Since my daughter has a special affinity for Paris I decided to use this as my theme.
Though you usually see Paris-themed items is black and pink and white my daughter doesn't like pink. So I went with her favorite blue and silver and white and called it "A Day In Paris". I made invitations with pictures of Paris landmarks and, as I had done with my eldest, I had her best friends help me with the guest list and distribution. Again, I sent quizzes with the invites to be filled out in advance. I also asked everyone to wear light blue and/or white and/or light grey (which substituted for silver).
As she arrived and was greeted with "Surprise", I had her put on a blue beret and boa that I had gotten for her. I had also found a pair of blue boxer shorts with an Eiffel Tower and a cute French saying printed on them which she put on over her jeans. She got a big kick out these accessories and it set the theme for the day.
I decorated with as many Paris-themed items I could find which included a mini Eiffel Tower and picture frame that my daughter already had, a tissue paper box with a picture of the Eiffel Tower printed on it, a keepsake box and napkins printed with a Paris design (which luckily were in the same colors as her party theme). Everything else I bought in the right color scheme.
I also tried to keep the menu co-ordinated with the theme. I served baguettes with several patés and brie, mini quiches and French crackers. I did have to add in buffalo wings and pizza but the kids didn't care that these weren't "French"! Again, I opted for her favorite cake instead of a themed one.
We played most of the same games that we had played for my eldest's party except this time I filled a blue martini glass with my daughter's favorite candies for the guests to guess at the quantity and instead of "Kiss the Hunky Actor" game we had a poster-sized funny picture of my daughter, which we had snapped with out her knowing. This made it more interesting for the boys in the group!
Though this time there were boys at the party, they enjoyed the games and prizes as much as the girls did. The prizes were all different itmes that I didn't spend more than $2.00 each on but everyone liked them and were happy to be taking something home.
It really is a question of being creative and trying to keep the kids entertained with things that they'll like that makes a party successful. Again, I still get comments from the boys on how much fun they had and how they liked their prizes. Teens are just older kids and they still enjoy games and prizes as much as when they were younger, as long as it's suited to their age group.
Make today a pretty day!
Pretty As A Peacock
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Let's Party!
Hello Everyone!
As I've said before, I love to plan parties and I have done quite a few successful ones. Today I want to tell you about my oldest daughter's Sweet Sixteen.
I think the easiest way to come up with a theme for a party is to pick something that the guest of honor really likes. In my daughter's case, she's a big soccer fan so I decided to have a soccer- themed party. Because the guests were going to be 15 to 17 years of age, it was important to keep the decorations and activities suited to this age group. Her favorite team wears black and red jersies so I asked everyone to come dressed in these colors. I decorated with red and black streamers and balloons. I used a red table cloth, black and red napkins, and red plastic plates, glasses and utensils. I served mini quiches, hamburgers and pasta salad. Instead of a themed cake, which can look childish, I served her favorite Ferrero Rocher chocolate cake. All this gave an older feel to the birthday party.
When you have a bunch of teenagers in the house it's important to keep them entertained. I came up with a few fun activities that everyone could participate in. Since this was a surprise party I had one of my daughter's best friends help with the guest list and with the invitations. These included activity sheets for the guests to prepare in advance and bring with them on the day of the party. Each guest had to fill out a "How Well Do You Know " quiz, a "The Flower You Most Remind Me Of And Why" quiz, a "Did She Ever Do This" quiz, a "My Favorites List" quiz and several others. When arriving at the party each guest was given a pen with a number attached to it. They used these to sign a group card and then kept them for a number picking game where the holder would get a gift if their number was picked from a bowl. I also filled a big glass with small candies and the person who correctly guessed the number of candies in the glass got to take it home.
After playing these games and eating supper, we played a game of "Kiss the Hunky Actor", which is a variation on "Pin The Tail On the Donkey". I bought a poster of my daughter's favorite actor, taped it to a door and the guests each took turns trying to kiss the actor on the lips while blindfolded. The spots where marked with lip-shaped stickies which I had cut out from regular square ones and the one closest to the actor's lips won a prize. The favorite game of the night was "Dress-Up Black Jack". This is a variation of "Strip Poker" which I came up with and which is much more appropriate for a teen party! In advance of the party I had filled up a big black garbage bag with an assortment of clothes and accessories. I put in hats, gloves, nylons, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, ties, scarves and boxer shorts. The guest of honor had to play every hand against a new opponent. You play Black Jack and the loser of the hand had to put on something from the bag that the winner of the hand picks out from the bag without looking in.
Needless to say that everyone had on a crazy assortment of items on especially the birthday girl since she played every hand and had more chances of losing and putting something on. All the guests had a great time and they all got to bring some gifts home. Everyone likes a little something, even though they're not little kids anymore.
It seems that the more simple and casual the party, the more fun it is. My daughter had many friends who had Sweet Sixteen parties that year which were done at restaurants or reception halls and many were not very enjoyable. I was told that they felt impersonal and that they couldn't really enjoy each other's company. But to this day, 5 years later, many of my daughter's friends still rave about her party and how much fun it was. You don't have to spend a lot of money or do some fancy thing. All you need is some creativity and effort to make everyone feel
comfortable and appreciated.
Make today a pretty day!
Pretty As A Peacock
As I've said before, I love to plan parties and I have done quite a few successful ones. Today I want to tell you about my oldest daughter's Sweet Sixteen.
I think the easiest way to come up with a theme for a party is to pick something that the guest of honor really likes. In my daughter's case, she's a big soccer fan so I decided to have a soccer- themed party. Because the guests were going to be 15 to 17 years of age, it was important to keep the decorations and activities suited to this age group. Her favorite team wears black and red jersies so I asked everyone to come dressed in these colors. I decorated with red and black streamers and balloons. I used a red table cloth, black and red napkins, and red plastic plates, glasses and utensils. I served mini quiches, hamburgers and pasta salad. Instead of a themed cake, which can look childish, I served her favorite Ferrero Rocher chocolate cake. All this gave an older feel to the birthday party.
When you have a bunch of teenagers in the house it's important to keep them entertained. I came up with a few fun activities that everyone could participate in. Since this was a surprise party I had one of my daughter's best friends help with the guest list and with the invitations. These included activity sheets for the guests to prepare in advance and bring with them on the day of the party. Each guest had to fill out a "How Well Do You Know " quiz, a "The Flower You Most Remind Me Of And Why" quiz, a "Did She Ever Do This" quiz, a "My Favorites List" quiz and several others. When arriving at the party each guest was given a pen with a number attached to it. They used these to sign a group card and then kept them for a number picking game where the holder would get a gift if their number was picked from a bowl. I also filled a big glass with small candies and the person who correctly guessed the number of candies in the glass got to take it home.
After playing these games and eating supper, we played a game of "Kiss the Hunky Actor", which is a variation on "Pin The Tail On the Donkey". I bought a poster of my daughter's favorite actor, taped it to a door and the guests each took turns trying to kiss the actor on the lips while blindfolded. The spots where marked with lip-shaped stickies which I had cut out from regular square ones and the one closest to the actor's lips won a prize. The favorite game of the night was "Dress-Up Black Jack". This is a variation of "Strip Poker" which I came up with and which is much more appropriate for a teen party! In advance of the party I had filled up a big black garbage bag with an assortment of clothes and accessories. I put in hats, gloves, nylons, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, ties, scarves and boxer shorts. The guest of honor had to play every hand against a new opponent. You play Black Jack and the loser of the hand had to put on something from the bag that the winner of the hand picks out from the bag without looking in.
Needless to say that everyone had on a crazy assortment of items on especially the birthday girl since she played every hand and had more chances of losing and putting something on. All the guests had a great time and they all got to bring some gifts home. Everyone likes a little something, even though they're not little kids anymore.
It seems that the more simple and casual the party, the more fun it is. My daughter had many friends who had Sweet Sixteen parties that year which were done at restaurants or reception halls and many were not very enjoyable. I was told that they felt impersonal and that they couldn't really enjoy each other's company. But to this day, 5 years later, many of my daughter's friends still rave about her party and how much fun it was. You don't have to spend a lot of money or do some fancy thing. All you need is some creativity and effort to make everyone feel
comfortable and appreciated.
Make today a pretty day!
Pretty As A Peacock
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