The 4-1-1

So....you volunteered. Now what? You search the web aimlessly...okay, frantically, for that perfect something to show your child (and the world) how special they are. Send in ordinary cupcakes- out of the question. Store bought - never! But, you also don't want to repeat what the last mother did...no matter how fantastic.

You have just entered the mind-set of the "ROCKSTAR" parent.

Pretty soon, mothers and fathers will be saying "How did you do that?" and "That's so cool!" or "Mmmmm, delicious! I MUST have the recipe!" Before you know it, you will be called upon so regulary for contribution that you will almost hear the crowd cheering and see your name in lights!

That's exactly what my road to stardom was like. But, it didn't end at kid functions. Nope. My family and friends noticed the extra-special attention I gave to gatherings. Whether it was a weekend at the lake or Thanksgiving dinner, there was always something extraordinary to make my loved ones feel exactly that~ loved. So, my input is regularly given and I love it!

Within this blog you will hear just about everything; including successes AND failures. (Afterall, you don't have to be perfect to ROCK!!) Favorite recipes, party ideas, ways to save time and $$$ - you name it. A lot of things are pulled from the Ultimate Resource Guide (aka "the www"); but, others are my own tricks. The beauty is that it's all right here.

Are you ready to ROCK??


Search This Blog

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Use Some Thought...Make It Count

In true ROCKSTAR style, I love giving gifts that make people feel important.  I try to take mental notes when I'm talking to someone and when an occasion comes up, I like to present them with something really special.   Special does NOT mean expensive!  Remember, I'm a SAHM and this party has a budget!  It means making specially flavored cupcakes, or buying them a bag of their favorite coffee, or sending a homemade card that makes it on (or before) their birthday.  It means creating a really cool presentation for that gift-card you just picked up for that person who has everything!

I believe that the time you put into a handmade card or really cool wrapping job means just as much as the present itself.  It lets the recipient know that you've really been thinking about them and their special day (no matter how big or small).   One Christmas, I requested my MIL drop off boxes (yes, boxes) of photos she had been keeping since she was dating my FIL.  I organized them chronologically and placed them into albums.  The investment of my time was nothing compared to her enjoyment on Christmas day. 

This brings me to my case-in-point.  I have the cutest niece and nephew.  They are twins and only 4 months older than my youngest.  Unfortunately, with distance and busy schedules, we only get to see them a handful of times each year.  So, when it comes to special days, I really like to ROCK in the gift-giving department.   This year, I thought I would share my gift with you, as well.

A few years ago we got a new computer with Lightscribe technology.  It basically laser images a design directly to your CDs.  Like most new toys, the shinyness wore after after a while and I haven't lightscribed a CD is over a year.  I was dancing around with my kids one day and it dawned on me what I would do for my niece and nephew's birthday.  I was going to make them a CD!

So, I hopped on my iTunes and created a new playlist of all of our favorite kid songs.  Since children's songs are much shorter than standard music, I was able to fit 52 of the most wonderful classic kid's songs onto the CD.   

Next, I Lightscribed the CD with their pictures, a picture of all of the cousin's together, and a photo of my two girls.  As part of the Lightscribe, I wrote "Happy 3rd Birthday" and "Love, Allison & Emily". 

Then, my creative juices really kicked in.  I dusted off some of my scrap booking stuff and went to work on the CD cover.  This is what I came up with:

iTunes is wonderful enough to have the capability of printing a "large playlist" in the exact size for a CD cover.  I printed it on heavy card stock, so it would look more professional. 
I chose red and black for the color scheme, since the CD is for both a boy and girl.  I also like to use classic colors that are fun. 
For the front, I used Microsoft Word, chose a font that I liked and printed it on the same heavy, red card stock.   It reads: "Happy Birthday Beau & Mary-Claire"   and underneath, reads, "A Musical Celebration." 
For the cupcakes, I took a clip-art image and dissected it to make my patterns.  I had a pattern for the: cupcake holder,  cupcake top, candle stick, and flame.  For a total of four.  I chose my coordinated the cupcake liner  with the edging, chose a fun pink for the icing and used a printed paper that reminded me of fire for the flames.   I used adhesive foam squares to bring the cupcake topper off the of paper to give the cupcakes some dimensions.  Since they are turning 3, I used 3 cupcakes.  I took a small brush and made dots of glue and added glitter to the cupcakes, so they would sparkle a bit. 

I hope they enjoy it as much as I did making it!
Posted by at