I TOOK A BREAK!

It's getting close to Halloween and all my Halloween goodies are in the rafters in the garage.  I cant get up there and Gary is still working with one arm so I can't ask him for help.  All's good, while at  a Garage Sale with Hailey this morning I purchased fabric for $2.00, a steal I tell ya, and here's what I created with it.....................

I LOVE VISTA PRINT!

Vista Print http://www.vistaprint.com/ it's the place where I was able to design the invitations, labels for the jams, banners and signs are through the internet. 

NAPKINS AND NAPKIN RINGS !

     Its true that I'm obsessed with making every little detail be just perfect and the napkins and napkin rings are no exception.  Can you believe it's October and I already have a full basket of 50 napkins & rings complete with red and blue plastic ware ready to go.  I will do some dusting prior to the event. 
     I made another trip to the dollar store, where I found gingham dishtowels that I was able to cut in quarters to be the perfect size for a napkin. 

     At JoAnns fabric store I purchased both red and blue gingham thin ribbon spools and Stiffy.  Stiffy is a starch and now comes the fun part.  I used some pvc pipe to tie the ribbon around and make a bow.  I then pour the Stiffy in a bowl, using a small paint brush I saturate the bows.  After they throughly dry I pull them off the piping, their stiff and perfect for the napkins.

CORN HOLE GAME!

While investigating games they played at picnics during the 30's, I learned about corn-hole.  We mentioned to Brent, Gary's son that along with croquet and badmitten we want to find a cornhole game..............you can amagine how shocked I was when he said he had one.  He purchased it several years ago and will be happy to loan it to us for his grandmothers birthday. 

I CANNED!

I thought the perfect gift to give our guests would be jam or jelly. The only trouble is I've never made jam or jelly before.  It has to be home-made, to stay true to the theme of the party. I spent several day's on line looking for the best site to learn how to make jams.  I found this site  http://www.pickyourown.org/applebutter.htm.  They have all types of jams, I decided that apple butter would be the best for my first attempt.  I've spent the last two day's making Apple-Butter, and I have such an appreciation for our grand-mothers and great-grandmothers for all the work they went through.   I was so excited to share my accomplishments, first I called Gary, he seemed happy for me, but I believe he was just happy to hear the excitment in my voice.  I called Blu, he appeared to be impressed,  however he did ask if I used good apples? (thanks Blu), Kevin was the funniest though, I called and said "I CANNED", KEVIN: "What are you doing that for?, ME: "because I need to for Anita's Birthday" KEVIN: That's not until April, do you know how bad that is?................. He thought I said I TANNED..... So cute!  I found out my mom doesn't like Apple Butter, so next week I will try a new fruit to can.  By April I should be a canning Queen.  Here is a picture of my first canning....I will give these away at Thanksgiving. 

The $3.00 Centerpieces I made!

I've made ten $3.00 centerpieces. While wondering through the dollar store I came across these plactic hats with a red, white and blue ribbon around the rim. Perfect to fit in with my 1930's theme, they look just like one's worn by the men in a barbershop quartet I didn't think the hat alone would make a good centerpiece, so also at the dollar store I found bunches of daisey's that I would have coming out the top of the hat's. I'm using Styrofoam under the hat to stick the stem of the daisey's. I love them and I think their perfect for the type of party were having.

About Anita, who will be turning 90 in April 2010

Anita is my boyfriends mother, it sounds so silly, me a 53 year old female calling a 66 year old man my boyfriend. However; it's working for us. Anita lives in Phoenix AZ, we live in Canyon Lake, Southern California. She's already agreed to spending her birthday celebration with us and hope to have the family members in Arizona also join in what I plan to be the best picnic ever.

I adore this woman even though she's turning 90, she has more energy and less wrinkles than me, I am in awe of her and all that she's acomplished during her life. It gives me great joy and pleasure to plan such a special event. I have been known to go over the top with my projects, and Anita's "Old Fashioned Picnic" will be no exception.