Winner!

7.16.12- 

  I'm back!  Sorry, we've had some technical difficulties 

{a bottle of water spilled on the keyboard :( }  

so I'm using my hubby's laptop to announce the WiNNER of the weekly giveaway a little late.  

Thanks to everyone who commented & played along.

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Congratulations... Jen Bowles!! 

{WiNNER of the Random party supplies giveaway- YiPPEE!} 

Jen, email me your address so I can get this in the mail to you. 

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Ok, once I get the computer up & running I'll be back.  Still lots to show & share with you & another Giveaway in the works! 

-Have a wonderful week!- 

{M}

A twist!

7.13.12-  {Friday the 13th- oOOoHh!}

Oops... I forgot one thing I wanted to show you.  It was a fun little "Twist" I added to the RaNDoM party & it is so simple to do.  You know I love a good banner to hang up, well this just might be the easiest & cutest one yet.  It can be done in a jiffy & add that little touch of cuteness 

{It just might be the thriftiest banner to make too- under a $1}

-Crepe paper polka dot twist garland-

Instructions


*Unroll your crepe paper just a bit.
*Hold about 2 inches in from the end of the crepe paper & twist to start the garland. Then with your other hand place your thumb to the desired length you want your circle to be & twist. You just keep moving & twisting along the crepe paper. 
{seriously, that's all there is to it!}
*Repeat over & over until you get the length of the garland you want.
*Then simply tape up into place- WaH-LaH, that's it!! 

Look how adorable it looks nestled in among all the other RaNDoM garlands for the party.  So eclectic & fabulous! {p.s. that is the fringe banner that you'll get too, if you win the goodie bag- instant PaR-Tay!}

So as a bonus to the GiVEaWAY goodie bag- I'll throw in a roll of crepe paper  {or maybe 2} just for fun.

-Ok, don't forget to enter for your chance to WiN the GiVEAWAY this week. All you have to do is leave a comment on any post from this week.
{the more the better ;)}

{M}
-Since I forgot about to share the polka dot crepe paper garland I'll wait to draw the winner tomorrow. I'll let you know!- 

The GiVEAWAY Goodie Bag!

7.12.12- 

  Just wanted to show you what is up for grabs for the 

Friday GiVEAWAY this week. 
{nothing too big- good things come in small packages, right?} 

I've enjoyed showing & telling you some of the simple, super easy & quite fantastic party ideas for my daughter's birthday last month. I hope they have inspired you to try something RaNDoM & fun! 

-Yay, for Me!!  Look what I did on Photoshop, baby steps! I didn't even have to call my techie friend for help on this- 

I appreciate those who have left comments this week. I enjoy reading them & it keeps me going with this whole blogging thing.  I have just been thinking {for awhile} that I wanted to give some little incentives for everyone to stop & say, "Hi" while you're here checking out Hollyhocks & Honeybees. Thanks to those who have been brave & left your first comment! 

{Good for you!} 

Can't wait to send this package of RaNDoM fun to some lucky H&H blog commenter!  I'll be back tomorrow to tell you who the recipient will be. Be sure to leave a comment on any post this week for a chance to WiN!

{M}

Something Sweet- random part. 2

7.11.12-

I'm back today with another fun thing we did for my girls RaNDoM birthday party. We made what we like to call Summertime Suckers made from everyone's favorite little colorful candy, Jolly Ranchers.

{this is so super simple & easy!} 

Be on the look out for different flavor varieties of Jolly Rancher's- I didn't know there were so many colors & flavors to choose from. The flavor combinations for these suckers are endless! 

This is the perfect activity to do when you hear your kids say, "I'm BORED!"  Does that happen at your house?  Trust me the unwrapping the candies alone will keep them busy for awhile. 


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-Summertime Suckers-

You'll Need: Jolly Rancher hard candies 

Sucker sticks 

    Parchment Paper**

Cookie Sheets 

-Line cookie sheets with tin foil & then cover with parchment paper.  Unwrap jolly ranchers & place on cookie sheet in desired pattern & have them touch so that they melt together. {We put 3-5 together for each sucker} Place in a pre-heated 275 degree oven & bake for about 5 minutes or until candies have softened.  Take out of oven, place on hot pad & then carefully place the sucker sticks into the base of the sucker & softly twist until coated. Let completely cool & then package up to give or start licking away!   

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We had a blast making this suckers but I once again learned a valuable lesson in my party prep.  

**Note to self:  Make sure you use parchment paper NoT wax paper when making the suckers.  Wax will melt to the suckers & they won't come clean off the cookie sheet.  

{Learned the difference the hard way & lost a batch of suckers in the process} 


A great lazy day activity to do with the kids.  Give it a try! All the guests at the birthday party went home with one in their goodie bag & LoVED them! 
*don't forget to leave a comment & you just might get sent all the supplies you need to make these at your house! 


{M}

Random party part 1.

7.10.12- 

  I guess I better re-cap one birthday party before we have another birthday around here. 

{Plus- I need to share the surprise party that was thrown for me! Lots to share} 

This is going back a month but remember me telling you about Audrey & Emily's RaNDoM birthday party?  They came up to me & said Mom, "We don't want a theme or any certain colors for the party. We just want to play & have FuN"  Well that is exactly what that party turned into.  

{Let me tell you it was alot less stressful planning that way}

-A few RaNDoM banners hung up to celebrate the day!- 

I started off the RaNDoM fun by sneaking into their room at Midnight & placing a variety of helium filled colored balloons {remembering their request} 

& scattered them in their room.  Trying to be careful not to wake them up. 

-what do you think of the night vision picture?- 

Each balloon had a 5x7 picture of the 2 of them attached to the end of the string.  I actually saw this idea & pinned it onto one of my pinterest boards & it was re-pinned 3,844 times. 

{That is crazy!  Talk about viral in a day!  It still is pinned quite a bit} 

-Cute memories of my girls!- 

-More pictures of special times shared together- 

**Note to self:  Next time when I do this attach the picture onto the balloon & keep them un attached from the others.  Miss Mace helped me tie them all on 

{while still in big bunches tied together} 

I thought we were being smart that way so it would be easier to take down into their room- NoOOO!  I sat at the bottom of our stairs for an hour untangling them all from each other which was not an easy task - augh!

{So take note & learn from my experience if you attempt this}

-Finally, all untangled & ready to put in their room- 

The girls LoVED waking up to the balloon filled room & enjoyed looking back on the memories they have shared together in the pictures.  It was a fantastic way to start the day.  So much FuN! 

 ** Note to Self: {wow, I learned a lot with this}  Be prepared for them to wake up EArLY if you do this!  There is no way to contain your enthusiam & excitement when you roll over at 6:00 a.m & see your room filled with lots of balloons!! 

-2 happy 10 year olds ready for a fun-filled day!- 

-Another great use for the marquee board!-

The girls had a blast with their friends just laughing, giggling, dancing, singing, musical chair-ing, limbo-ing & scribbling glow- in-the dark chalk everywhere.  It was a joy to watch them all night.  

-We decorated the outside of the door with streamers, balloons to welcome party guests-

-Em, Audrey & Jane having fun on the tramp- 

-What a cute group of fun friends- 

-Happy Birthday to YoU & YoU!- 

-Crayola glow-in-the-dark chalk, LOVE this stuff!!- 

Thanks to my girls for teaching me a valuable lesson that everything doesn't have to match, be perfect & above & beyond to have fun.  They gave me the opportunity to just relax & not stress out over all the details 

{which I tend to sometimes do} 

but just be present, in the moment & enjoy the random-ness!

TRYiNG something NeW!!  
Leave a comment on any post this week & you'll be entered to win something fabulous & FuN on Friday! 

As a ThaNK YoU 

I want to help you get started on your party planning or just send a little SuNSHiNE your way!  All you have to do is leave a comment on any post anytime this week & I'll draw one lucky person & send them: 

*-a bag of Jolly Ranchers & sucker stickers {these will come in handy with what I show you tomorrow} 

*-pack of 12 blue stripey straws 

*-& a 9ft. frilly banner to put up too! 

Be back to share more from the random party tomorrow & another post to comment on ;) 

{M}

Where to begin?

7.2.12- 

  It's July already?  Wow, where did the month of June go?  I have so many thoughts, posts, ideas & things running through my head right now that I want to share with you all.  I'm struggling because I really do love to share things in the order that they happened.  BUT... there have been a few amazing things happen as of late that are super exciting & fabulous that I want to share with you first.  So I'm trying to figure out how to tell about them on my blog.  

{Just curious do any of you bloggers out there struggle with that?  Don't worry I'll figure it all out I'm sure! ;) } 

In the meantime here are a few things for sure I want to share with you today.  

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SWaP pictures are up & posted over on the Cultivate blog.  Please go over & take a peek at all the fun we had at the Carnival inspired Swap this time around.  It was a total party from start to finish.  

-The Cultivate girls & my dear friends- Becky, Sheryl, Haley & Nicole. Love these ladies!!- 

P.S. If you think that looks fun & want to be a part of it next year {it only comes around every 365 days you know}  just simply click on the follow link on the right of the blog.  That way you'll stay up on all the latest info. & updates concerning how you can get a ticket to join us. 


I heard the sweetest compliment that night from a friend who told me that the Swap "Was like Pinterest LiVE!"  Seeing all the amazing, little details & touches that just make everything fabulous. It was so kind of her to tell me that, I loved sharing that with the other Cultivate Girls. 

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This is just about the cutest book ever!  Did you know that I LoVE History & that I even majored in it at college?  Well I do!!  John, Paul, George & Ben {written by Lane Smith} is such a clever & charming book about our fore fathers & the Revolution.  {Not to mention the adorable illustrations} It's a family favorite & if you have little kids I think you should have it in your home to read this time of year too.  

{Do you have a collection of books for certain seasons or holidays?  We do, & we only get them out when such occasions arise. Kind of fun that way.}

-Just had to take a picture of Audrey snuggled up by the flag pillow reading this morning.-

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Thanks for stopping by- be back soon!  

{M}