We drank. We ate. We communed. And we crafted.
It’s always an honor and a joy to be surrounded by creatives. On Friday, to celebrate Etsy’s birthday, we participated in a meetup everywhere. It was a blast!
I think we should do it again sometime.
Two of my favorite people ever celebrate their birthdays this week.
One of them is a dear friend and invaluable colleague. She’s everyone’s go-to for honest advice and crack-up fun. She’s the friend who always shows up, no matter the circumstances. She has a knack for seeing and coaxing out the best qualities in others. Oh, and her outer radiance is the perfect reflection of her inner grace and beauty.
We couldn’t resist surprising her with a mini party at the Hill Street Cafe in Oceanside. It’s in the Victorian Wetzell House, built in 1888 and is the perfect place to enjoy the most delicious eats with your favorite friends.
We put the hurt on some chocolate cake and carrot cake. I hear their vegan apple crisp is to die for. I will research that further and update you in due time.
(Cheap/Easy/Cute party favor tip: Scour your local Goodwill for tiny vintage vases, fill with blooms and ask guests to take ‘em home.)
If you’re interested in hosting a party or meeting at the Hill Street Cafe, you can call or stop by to reserve one of the rooms upstairs. We were impressed by the extensive menu with plenty of vegetarian and organic options and the walls bedecked with local artwork.
Here’s to celebrating with friends! Thanks, Hill Street.
Let's Party!
Even though we’ve lived in our house for almost two years, it’s taken that long to slowly meet all of our neighbors. As we began meeting the families on our block, we realized that not everyone knew each other. So, we decided to open up the house last night for a neighborhood ice cream party. We were thrilled that most of the block showed up and the experience made us even more grateful to live in such a wonderful place.
I got the chance to try out a few new recipes and learn some more things about entertaining. This is the first time we’ve had a party and invited kids. I was worried that they’d be bored since we don’t have any tyke-sized things. But they had a great time just running around, exploring the yard, and chasing our dogs. Plus, we had lots of ice cream and enough sweets to fuel them for hours.
You Pick!
I cut a giant picture of the ice cream off the side of the box. This made choosing super easy for shy or really young kids. It also let adults know that the fridge was stocked with frozen yummies and fair game for everyone.
Hosting an ice cream party was less expensive and less work that serving a meal. The only downfall was that Matt & I got so busy setting up that we didn’t eat supper and ended up with grumbling tummies by the end of the night. But it was nothing a late-nite pizza run couldn’t cure. Note to self: have more protein, even if it is a dessert party.
Here are some of the treats that kept our sugar high going for a long, long time…
Cheesecake Cupcakes
Evil Chocolate Balls
Shortbread Cookies
Someone brought the most delicious brownies too. I don’t have a picture for you because by the end of the night, it wasn’t pretty. They were to die for! In fact, we may do this again next month just to encourage my new addiction to those brownies.
I learned that one of our neighbors is an avid crafter (like me) and makes the most beautiful jewelry. There’s also a potter living a few doors down. We live next door to someone in a band. A really good band. Our other next door neighbor is a dog expert. Um, help please. Wow, there’s such a wealth of talent and experience surrounding us. Best of all, the people who live here are just down right nice. It was so fun to watch people connect or reconnect. I think getting together more often will make our community safer, stronger, and happier. Getting together around the dessert table may also make us rounder ’round the middles. I’ll have to investigate and see if there’s a personal trainer living on our block. Oh, how I love those brownies.
Pink Poppy
You don’t have to be Crafty Mc’Craftsalot to throw a fun craft party for you and a few friends. I recently hosted a craft party where we assembled these cute little flower pins to give to people who donated to our Breast Cancer 3-Day fundraiser. We had a blast sitting around chit chatting and gluing. And at the end of our social night, we had a big ol’ pile of pretty things to show for it. How satisfying!
Here’s what I learned is important before you start…
Really know your craft. Pick something you’ve tried before so that you know what skills are required to complete the product and you’re ready to troubleshoot if questions arise. Everyone has different talents and preferences when it comes to crafting, so you may have to take quite a bit of time to explain the process or teach your friends how to use the tools.
Plan ahead by breaking the task down into simpler steps, like in an assembly line. Before my guests arrived, I had already made all of the petals for the flowers. So, we had stations for sewing on the beads, gluing the pin backs on, punching holes for the backing card, and finally attaching the pins to cards.
Sewing
Glueing
All Done
Don’t forget to plan for trash. Make your trash bins easy to access. Depending on your project, each person may need their own bowl on the table or a few on the floor may work just fine.
Stock up on treats and spirits. Fun candies, cookies, snacks & drinks will be a great excuse to take a break from all that crafting.
If you’re looking for crafty ideas, well, stay tuned. How-to’s are coming soon on the Domestic Nest blog. If you just can’t hold your breath that long, check youtube, marthastewart.com, or the paper-source.com for some really great free tutorials.
My favorite resource for project ideas is etsy.com. I purchased a pdf instructional for these flower pins and she e-mailed it to me super quick! You can buy the same tutorial at The Foundling shop on etsy.com. Just remember, if you want to sell your craft, be sure to check first before you purchase a tutorial. The creator may specify that items made are not to be sold.
I hope you have a swell party!
The Domestic Nest Blog
