Super Bowl Menu

There is going to be some yummy food come Sunday, a few I've made in the past and a few I'll be making for the first time.  I wrote the items we'll have in the spread with chalk on foam board and nailed those suckers on each side of the snack bar sign.  I am getting so amped for the game.  As I said before I'm not a crazy fan, but Craig has chosen Baltimore so I am in turn choosing San Francisco to make things interesting. Loser has to give the winner a massage, so... come on San Francisco!

The link for the Ceviche recipe can be found on my Baby Shower post and the Bacon Jalapenos are under Food, Gifts, and Fun.

The Key Lime Tarts are here, and you can find the Mojito Jello-O Shots here.  I haven't made either before so I will share how scrumptious they are when I post the photos after the party.

I've got a lot of work to do before Sunday so I will wish everyone a fabulous weekend and hope you come back to see the photos after the party.

Marquee Snack Sign

I saw an episode of Man Caves yesterday where they created a new studio for Nick Dipaolo and Artie Lange.  The marquee board they added sparked my creativity and had me rethinking my snack bar sign.  So I set to work creating my own.

They used wood and power tools to create theirs, I used a great piece of cardboard our cats like to play in.  I painted the whole thing white and added the letters I used as my stencils for the first sign.  The raised border around the outside was perfect for concealing the wiring for the cafe lights I borrowed from our catio.  I poked holes through the cardboard for the bulbs to fit through using a screwdriver.

    

It looks so great lit up and blows my previous sign out of the water, I am in love with it!

Football Field, Beverage Sign & Nonsense

I've been working on more projects for our Super Bowl party coming up this Sunday.  I will share the football field I finished painting and a sign I made for the man beverages.

First, however, I had to share the crazy happenings last week with Ronan.  Tuesday, he came home with his coat weighing a ton.  Inside his coat pockets were a ridiculous amount of dirty rocks he found on the playground at school and various other items that caught his eye.  From his pants pockets he emerged with over a dozen bits of pencil lead, which he explained he is now collecting...please help me.  The following day I received a call from the school nurse explaining Ronan had swallowed a piece of metal.  He didn't know what it was, he just found it on his desk and began chewing on it and happened to swallow it.  He told the nurse he has a chewing habit.  He seems to be fine and we hope the elusive metal object has passed.

Now, back to the Super Bowl business...
I used an old desk top and green paint we had on hand.  I drew field lines with white chalk and will add football related words and plays before the party.  I will have pictures after the party with everything in place.

Next, I created a sign to place in front of the cooler which will hold the adult drinks.  Using black paper, I first placed the bottle stickers down then sketched a cooler around them.  I cut the bottoms of a few stickers so it would look like they are below the ice.  I used stencils as a guide for the lettering which I also sketched in pencil first since I am not a very good chalk artist.  Finally, I filled everything in with the colored chalk and placed it in a frame I painted white.

My Road to Super Bowl

Craig has invited a few friends from work over for Super Bowl Sunday.  I'm not a fanatic fan, but I do enjoy watching a game and throwing a party even more.  I've started a few projects and will post more as I go.

I found these great crates Craig had stashed in storage and knew I had to use them.  I painted the lettering white so it would stand out more, and decided these would be part of my color scheme.  I may place the cups, plates and cutlery in these for the party or use them to display the food.

I also painted a scrap piece of wood white and traced and painted red lettering for a sign to hang above the snack table.  I'm going to search the local thrift store for some chain I can attach and hang it from.

Above the table where I usually keep our seashell collection, I've assembled finds from Craig's bachelor days.  I created the framed football plays with black paper and chalk.  I wanted a pub type feel instead of fluffy nonsense since it is a football party.

I'm working on a football field I'll place in the center of the table and will post pictures when I finish.
 

Baby Shower

Last year we found out my sister Teniel had a new addition to our family on the way. When she was pregnant for her first time there was no shower, so I wanted to make it special this time around.  I made all the decor and food myself along with the help of my trusty sidekick Craig.


Craig cut a whole bucket of scrap wood into blocks for me and we set work sanding them.  I then painted the sides using Martha Stewart Crafts paint in various colors.  I only painted around the edges of the sides I planned on placing craft paper.  I cut the paper to fit, brushed decoupage on the sides I wanted and placed the paper down.  Lastly, I put sticker letters on the remaining sides, decoupaged the whole thing with two coats and gave them one more good sanding on the edges.  You can get the whole how-to here.

  

I used three different blues and a silver paint as well as several sheets of craft paper with patterns.  They turned out so cute and I used them to fill jars, baskets and to spell out baby related words.

I painted circles with a stencil using burlap and the same paint from the blocks to create a table cloth.

We hung baby clothes and family photos on a line, played guess her belly size, gave blue and white candies away as favors and had guests write wishes for the new baby on cards to be hung with clothes pins.

For the food I made:

• Baked Crab Rangoons
• Special Stuffed Mushrooms
• Spring Crudite & Buttermilk-Pepper Dip
• Baked Triple-Veggie Dip
• Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus
• Ham Rolls
• Mini Ceviche

I used frames I had on hand, black paper and chalk to write baby related quotes and sayings.

Godzilla & Sharktopus Party

I couldn't help but make a strip about Ronan's Birthday.  He wanted a Godzilla/Sharktopus party and it was quite a task, as no stores sell anything even close to either one.  I had to stretch the imagination really far on this one.  I think it turned out pretty well, considering the theme.  

I painted wood scraps to resemble a city and traced both characters on opaque paper. I set up the city in front for guests to see as they walked up.  Guests also had Godzilla tracks to follow to the front door.  Later,  the kids had a Godzilla egg hunt.  I somehow was able to find plastic eggs in July and decoupaged them with colored paper (as seen in the comic strip above). 

   

Inside I made a balloon chandelier out of different sized metal rings and water balloons I attached using zip ties.  I also used colored paper to create Sharktopus' tentacles emerging from the closet and more footprints on the inside of the house.

  

I ordered a cake from some recent movie that had a city background with half water and half land.  I had the bakery place a sugar photo of Sharktopus in the water, added a mini Godzilla we bought and some edible rock candy.  I carved the watermelon into the shape of Godzilla's head, and Ronan just loved it!

I took a board Craig had brought home form work, painted a city/water scene on it and added buildings I created along with miscellaneous extras.  It was a great centerpiece for the table and the boys still use the board for imaginary play.

My catnip dream

After getting our first cat Sara, I wanted make sure we had places for her to scratch, sleep and release her feline instincts.  I'm not a fan of the carpeted cat trees, in fact, I think they're hideous so I set out to find something I could use to make my own cat condo.  We also wanted our cats to be indoor cats because we live next to a road, have a large dog that lives behind us and raccoons that frequent our neighborhood.  I couldn't imagine the poor things being cooped up in the house never to experience the wonders of the outside world, however, so I also starting searching the Internet and brainstorming ideas for building a "catio".

I found this plant stand at an antique store for $12 and a few rolls of burlap for $9.  I added driftwood for them to scratch on.  Sara uses the wood all the time for her nails because we taught her when she was young what was okay to scratch on.  Penelope uses our couch, she's a work in progress.

For our "catio", I had to find some way of making our back deck safe without attaching anything to the structure itself.  I found several different types of  grids you make storage cubes into at thrift stores and on craigslist.org.  You can also buy them new from several different stores such as Target or online.  It took me several attempts before I found a pattern that would fit just perfect and a height that would prevent them from the great escape.  I would recommend using a rubber mallet to tap the connectors onto the grids because they can be difficult to snap into place with your hands.  I started by building the bottom layer of one side flat on my deck then set it up where it belonged and attached the rest one by one to insure a tight fit working layer by layer.  I got lucky and it all fit perfect so we didn't lose any deck space.

 
During the summer we leave the backdoor open so they can come and go as they please and enjoy the sunshine.  Our red ear sliders even get to enjoy the warm weather while Sara babysits.  Since there is no top, and just to be safe, we never leave the door open while we're gone.  Some cats are sneakier than others so I would keep an eye on them if you decide to build this type of structure.

I added cafe lights to the top making it an enjoyable space for us at night.  I think the cats like it even more because  they can go on the hunt for bugs drawn to the light.

  

Organizing and showcasing your jewelry

Craig and I love going to antique stores and I usually go home with a new fun piece of jewelry each time.  I've accumulated a lot of pieces and finding places to put all of these little gems has become a challenge.  I have two jewelry trees, but I love chunky rings and bracelets and they don't accommodate them well.  I don't like jewelry boxes because it gets messy and you have to dig to find what you want.  I have repurposed a few items to make my jewelry accessible and show off what I have.


A super simple way to hold all your bangles and large bracelets is a vase.  I usually use this for my cuffs, because I can grab them off instead of taking all of them off to get to the one on the bottom.

Next, is a shelf I snagged at a rummage sale.  I paid $5 and right away knew it would be perfect for bracelets.  I happened to find a few jewelry pillows at the same sale to put inside each cubby.  I love that it hangs on the wall to free up more space on my dresser.

Lastly, I have a wall piece for holding candles.  I have used this little dandy for everything from it's designated purpose, to holding photos between the leaves and of course holding my jewelry.  Necklaces can be hung over the leaves, earrings slip right over the vines and the candle holders are great for storing rings.  Place a mirror behind it, and it really shows off my collection.

The cast & crew

I'd like to introduce you to the characters that contribute to my life as it plays out.  We all have very different personalities, but somehow seem to cohabitate without killing each other.

Craig is the man of the house...most of the time.  He has a ridiculous sense of humor, that keeps us all laughing and sometimes disturbed.  He is a fantastic woodworker by day, and an even better wig model by night as you can see.  He has two grown children of his own so he's working hard at adapting to raising two more all over again.  Craig is an avid music lover and if you have your camera ready, you may just capture a moment of his amazing dancing.  He loves the 80's (he would regrow a mullet if he could), our local sports teams and collecting sports memorabilia.  He has an outgoing personality and is always the life of the party. He shows me love everyday and I'm so glad I've finally found my life partner.

Jaden is 10, a little shy but very empathetic towards others (besides his brother of course).  He enjoys making Nerf videos, building with Legos & Megabloks and teasing his little brother.  He is an expert on dinosaurs and anything prehistoric.  His favorite books are the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series and "Dinosaurs a Visual encyclopedia".  He wants to learn how to play the guitar as soon as his wayward mother signs him up for lessons, and play baseball.  His favorite shows are Adventure Time, Regular Show and The Amazing World of Gumball.  Jaden wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up.  He is very helpful around the house, helps remind his brother to stay in line and I love him to bits.

Ronan is 8, and has Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) so some days are a struggle, but everyday is an adventure.  He is a self-proclaimed "crazy cat man".  He enjoys rollerskating and playing board games.  He loves watching the original Godzilla and Syfy movies (the cheesier the better).  His favorite books are "Garfield", "Calvin and Hobbes" (which is his life story) and "Guinness World Records".  He says some of the wildest things and has been described as "an old soul".  Ronan wants to open a cat sanctuary when he grows up (which will be interesting, because he says he's never moving out).  To say he's a handful is an understatement, but Ronan teaches us patience and brings us joy and laughter...we wouldn't want him any other way.

  

Sara is 1, super smart and super sassy.  We adopted her from a shelter when she was four months old.  She loves to play fetch with balls and milk rings.  She walks on a harness and sits and speaks at meal times.  She's become more independent and will allow love when it's convenient for her.  She is a little jealous of the new kitty and will bat at her if she's getting attention.

Penelope is 5, has a slight "touch" but a true lover.  We adopted Penelope from the same shelter as Sara a few months ago.  She loves to lay on our chests and get rubbed.  She often zones out into space and will attack things that aren't there.  At night, she drags the boys stuffed animals out and meows.  Her meow is really quite horrendous, and when my sister stayed over one night she actually thought Penelope was calling her name!  I think she may have been taken away from babies and has some type of separation anxiety.  Anyhow, I think I may have to call Jackson Galaxy to get the situation under control.  Despite her issues, we love our little burnt marshmallow.

Of course lastly is me, the most sane in the house (though that's not saying much).  I enjoy the outdoors on a nice day, entertaining and seeing my boys laugh.  I keep the peace in our home to prevent any riots from breaking out and try to keep the fart and poop talk to a minimum.  My favorite book is "Way of the Peaceful Warrior".  I love watching comedies and I'm a sucker for love stories.  I'm very close with my family, who have supported and loved me through life's ups and downs.  I want to use my eye for design and love of entertaining to start my own event planning business.

 

Food, gifts and fun

Cooking dinner everyday is so monotonous for me, but for some reason I love to entertain and cook for other people.  Part of it might be the fact they show appreciation for the work I've done compared to "what's this?", I get from my boys on occasion.  I'm always on the look out for new recipes, and found some really yummy ones I used on Christmas Eve. 

Appetizers:

• Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus
• Prosciutto Feta Rolls
• Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos

Drinks:

• Amaretto-Bourbon Punch

Main Course:

• Italian Wedding Soup

Dessert:

• Mini Pecan Phyllo Tarts
• Mini Pumpkin Tarts

Everything was so good, but the Italian Wedding Soup was my absolute favorite.  The recipe calls for curly endive or as a substitute, escarole.  I couldn't find either so I used mustard greens, which worked just fine.  The lower half of the pie plate was filled with mini tarts as well, however two children, who's names I won't say, decided to dip into the dessert early.  The punch was very yummy, especially with the homemade maraschino cherries I will share with you next...

I found the recipe for these amazing little gems while watching The Best Thing I Ever Made: Stocking Stuffers.  I made a jar for each family member as a gift and had enough for one jar to go with our punch.  The recipe is ridiculously easy and can be found here.

Lastly, to end the Christmas rambling my own spin on a children's game...

...so the boys received this game last year for Christmas and each person has to try to guess who or what is on their card by asking questions.  I thought I'd mix it up and make my own cards to go along with the holiday season.  My niece Vanessa helped me come up with some great ones...just perfect to get the kids laughing and having fun.  Ronan had Frosty's "Snowballs", and the reaction when he took his card off was priceless!  I think in the future I'll make new cards to go along with each holiday and get the grown-ups involved.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and hopefully you found some ideas here for your next shindig.  Next week I'll introduce you to the interesting characters in my life and some DIY ideas for keeping your jewelry organized and a "catio" to keep kitties safe while enjoying the great outdoors.