Mexican Fiesta

Since Cinco de Mayo is on Sunday, I wanted to share a recent Mexican Fiesta dinner party that I had at my house a few weeks ago.  We've had such a long winter in Switzerland, with many months of gray skies and cold weather, that I wanted to have a small dinner party with lots of color.  Since we love Mexican food and don't get it too often here, I thought it would be perfect to have a Mexican Fiesta!

To set the tone,  I made mini pinata invitations which the guests had to pull apart to get the information inside.  And to set the mood even more, when the guests arrived at our house, they could choose from a paper flower headband or a small sombrero to wear for the night. 

I made fringed streamers using tissue paper that I had left over from another project and strung them up on twine over the dining room table to bring in more of the fiesta feel.  I used the same streamers on the drinks table and over the taco bar to tie it all together.  I also made tissue paper flowers and designed some party printables to use as placecards and to make napkin rings. And, I re-used the bean cans as vases to bring in more color on the table.

On the drinks table, we had strawberry agua fresca, beers and margaritas. I served chips and three different kinds of salsa for an appetizer.  For the main course, I set up a taco bar with all of the fixings so that the guests could choose for themselves what they wanted on their tacos.  

Finally, for the dessert table, I used the leftover tissue paper again to make rosettes to hang on the wall behind it.  I covered a dresser with a hot pink tablecloth and used terra cotta pots and saucers to make a mexican style cupcake stand.  On the stand were the yummiest margarita cupcakes! I also made a tres leches trifle and laid out some chocolate balls.

It was such a fun night! The colors and the theme really helped us to feel like we were in warmer climates, even if it was for just a few hours.

If you would like to have the recipes or need any help planning your own Mexican Fiesta, feel free to contact me or leave a comment below!

Mini Piñata Invitations

It's almost time for Cinco de Mayo and I wanted to share these mini piñata invitations that I made for a Mexican Fiesta dinner party that I had at my house recently.  It was such a long, grey winter in Switzerland and Spring did not come early, so I decided to have a small dinner party with lots of colors.  What better way to do that than with a Mexican Fiesta!

To set the mood, I made these mini piñata invitations.  I used a cereal box to make them. I then designed an invitation and rolled it up, along with some confetti, and placed it inside the piñata. I added some ribbon to the invitation and placed a "pull me" tag at the other end of the ribbon to make sure that the invitation would come out easily. 

It turned out very cute and those that received it loved the idea.  I also designed a printable set that would be perfect for your next Mexican Fiesta.  Come back soon to see the pictures of the party!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope you get to spend your day with loved ones!

Valentine's Day Ideas

Valentine's Day is two days away, but it's not too late to put together something meaningful for your loved ones.  I've rounded up a few of my favorite ideas from around the web for you.  These ideas are so sweet and will add a special touch to someone's day! Click through the links to get the instructions on how to make these.

First up is this heart backdrop from Hank & Hunt.  Gorgeous! This is used as a photo booth backdrop, but I can imagine making it and hanging it in front of my daughters' bedroom doors.  It would be great to have them wake up and have to go through a wall of hearts on Valentine's Day.

Image Source: Hank & Hunt

Next is this giant letter valentine from Oh Happy Day!  What a great idea and it's something that the kids can help you make.  All you'll need is some butcher paper.  It's now too late to send each letter through the mail one by one, but perhaps you can make the letters and hide them around the house for your loved ones to find throughout the day.  At the end of the day, they'll have a lovely (and large!) message from you.

Image Source: Oh Happy Day

I love this idea from Studio DIY.  It's a balloon surprise in a box.  The balloons float up out of the box when you open it. Don't worry, they won't fly away...the balloons are taped to the bottom of the box! It would be so much fun to receive this at your door.  I can imagine it with heart shaped balloons for Valentine's Day.  Great idea for birthdays too!

Image Source: Studio DIY

Finally, this idea from A Subtle Revelry adds a special touch to milk for Valentine's day.  These heart ice cubes made from milk and food coloring slowly turn your milk pink as they melt.  I love pink milk!

Image Source: A Subtle Revelry

I love how these things can all be easily handmade. It's often the little things like these that can show that you care about someone. Do you have any other ideas for things you can make for your family and friends? I would love to hear them!

Party DIY::Valentines Candy Pouches Part 2

On Monday, I wrote about Valentine's candy pouches and today, I was inspired to make more candy pouches, but this time, it's a heart-shaped pouch.  This one is even easier to make than Monday's cone-shaped pouch so I thought I would share it with you.  

To make this one, I simply cut out two hearts from scrapbook paper and used double-stick tape to put them together.  I left the top of the heart open and filled it with candy.  Then I used double-stick tape again to seal the top part closed.  I punched a hole and used it to attach the twine and printable tag (which you can download for free here).  And that's it! 

You can use any shape to make these pouches.  An egg-shaped one would be great for Easter or a square-shaped one would be great for a birthday party. Decorate them with ribbon or our printable tags to make them extra special!