Love is All Around Us

Alright, so this entry may be less about the previous Valentine's Day Parties we have had and more about Yvonne Meyer's beautiful photographs.  The next few are her pictures from February 2007.

Zane and Eli again, with a rare display of affection.

If I remember correctly, we had a difficult time dragging Cicely away from making valentines to be part of the pictures.

The Pickel clan.  Thanks for the photos, Yvonne.

Spoils from parties past.

Eye of the Tiger

Last year was the Year of the Tiger.  When Cicely was in preschool she won a giant tiger, gorilla, cheetah, lion, and giraffe.  It was so nice to actually have a purpose for the oversized tiger, if only for a night.

The adult table.  Prior to my second Chinese New Year my sister, Amanda, helped me make 24 tea cups.  I wanted them to be very informal and organic looking.  It turns out I am absolutely hideous at pottery.  It is one of those things I try to over think or power through like iceskating and swimming.  I took swimming lessons from a friend at age 25 and he described me as a "land mammal conquering water".  I must have decimated a dozen cups before my sister took pity on me and turned them all out in about an hour.  The place settings have a representation of each guest's zodiac animal and a sheet describing characteristics of the sign.

 

The girls' table.  The girls were drinking bubble tea which originated in Taiwan but is popular in China.

A table setting for the girls' table.  I laminated pictures from a calendar featuring China.  The kids also received treat bags.

Skaty

One of my favorite parties past was my 35th birthday party.  We were going almost weekly to kid's birthday parties as the skating rink listening to awful, awful music.  The idea started like this, "How cool would it be to skate to a soundtrack that you created?"  So I rented out the skating rink and invited friends and family to come and skate their brains out. 

We brought in cookies and cake and otherwise guests accessed the snack bar.  Notice the fancy skates on Rose (second from left).  She skated circles around us.  At one point she actually zoomed by tucked in to the classic one knee bent one sticking straight out position.

I made a playlist named, of course, Skaty.  Got to love skating to "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" by Flaming Lips; also songs by Beck, the Replacements, and well as some rink classics "YMCA" , "Funkytown", and "Downtown".  Guests took home copies of the CD.

 

Go Bananas

For they boys' fourth party they wanted a monkey theme.  The Martha had just run a feature of a monkey party with something roughly resembling the cake below.  We did chocolate covered bananas as well.  My friend Tony let us display his very large monkey collection as part of the decorations.

Legions of monkeys.

A great portion of the night was spent throwing these cute little monkeys over the loft banister into a basket that adults took turns holding on their heads.  The boys still identify that as their favorite birthday memory. 

Pretty Pink Parties Past

One of my favorite parties was for a sad occasion, my friend Lori moving away.  It was a great party but I still miss her like crazy.  We went simple with the decorations--everything was pink.  This party was actually a week after the 80's Party I featured the other day.  Same basic color theme but I added graphic black and white ribbons to bottoms of the lanterns for the other party.  It would have better if I would have added little medallions of iconic things from the decade. 

Guest of honor opening gifts, not President Obama, President Obama Bobblehead.  We played Wii, did Mad Libs, played Apples to Apples, danced, and told Lori stories.  And there was tequila.

Sentiments to Lori left on the bathroom wall.

It Was Acceptable in the 80's

Here is my family suited up for last year's 80's Party.  It was originally scheduled for Valentine's Day but snow forced it a day later.  Everyone dressed up.  There was a lot of big hair.  I intentionally bleach stained a miniskirt for the occasion.  My boys were Mork from Ork and Johnny Slash (from Square Pegs).  The kids made friendship pins as an activity.  We did a Nacho Bar and I had all of the guest idfentify their favorite 80's tune and put it on a CD for everyone to take home.   

Party's Past

No party this week so I will traipse down memory lane.  Here is the drink bar for last year's Halloween party. 

Here is the Halloween table.  Part of the reason I took this week off is to decorate (later this week) for a month of Halloween parties.  My husband and I have an understanding,  if he ever asks me to go to Walmart on a Friday, I get to divorce him, no fault.  If I attempt to decorate for Halloween before October 1st he gets to trade me in for a newer model.  So I bide my time and reminisce.