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30th Birthday Barn Party
Cat Links Centerpiece Ideas, Event Design, Rosy Events!

Andy’s 30th Birthday Wisconsin Barn Party

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I’ve been eagerly awaiting the pictures of this soirée from Über-talented photographer, James Holveck of White Night Photography. Andy’s 30th birthday party was so much fun and James did a wonderful job capturing the beauty of a great fall day, amazing friends and family, and a festive birthday celebration. There are so many fantastic pictures that I had trouble deciding which to highlight. I love all the signs we did around the property. They really added a splash of the family’s fun-loving personality. Since it was late October in Wisconsin, we were prepared with a basket of hats, scarves, and gloves (pictured below) for guests who were feeling the chill of the fall air. See the Sneak Peek post from this party for a tutorial on the hanging tinsel covered thirty below. It created a stunning focal point above the bar. Added bonus: it was super easy & inexpensive! To bring some softness into the eclectic barn, we brought the ceiling down with tulle and twinkle lights. We found a pile of twigs from the apple trees on the property and worked those into the centerpieces then placed them on some log pieces for added rustic charm. Special thanks to Andy and his family for letting

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Ribbon Centerpiece
Cat Links Budget Decor, Centerpiece Ideas, Dinner Party, DIY, Event Design, Holidays, Rosy Events!

Make way for turkey! Hanging Centerpiece Ribbon Chandelier

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Every Thanksgiving I run into the same problem. I’ve painstakingly made (or purchased) an elaborate and beautiful centerpiece. Yet, when I go to put the main attraction (ie- the plethora of fat, butter, carbs, and turkey) on the table it starts to look like Walmart on black Friday – way too crowded. In turn, I begrudgingly remove the centerpiece and resent it the entire dinner. (Thank you, Grandma, for ingraining in me feelings of shame and self-loathing when serving guests a meal without a centerpiece. The horror!) So, when I went to write about the awesome ribbon chandelier I made for this shower, it hit me. What a PERFECT solution for a crowded Thanksgiving table! Hanging Ribbon Chandelier/Centerpiece What I love most about this project is its versatility. Obviously, your ribbon can be any color, shape, size, and length. You can choose to add cardstock pieces like I did, or not. Basically, if you can affix an item to a piece of monofilament, you can use it to create a hanging centerpiece. Wouldn’t it be great to add pinecones & fall leaves to one for Thanksgiving. Or candy canes for your Christmas table. Fresh or silk flowers would be beautiful for a

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Alternative Xmas Party Ideas
Cat Links Christmas, Holidays, Humor, Rosy Events!

Beyond the Ugly Sweater: Three Unique Holiday Party Ideas

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In 2005, ugly sweater parties were all the rage. Hipsters everywhere were drinking PBR in their grandma’s old sweaters. Then the frat boys started doing it. And now, your grandma wants her sweater back for HER ugly sweater party.  This year, don’t host another tired, over-done, holiday party – try one of these three alternatives. 1. Tacky Turtleneck Party – I’m not saying this idea is revolutionary, but at least it will challenge folks a bit. I stopped dead in my tracks when I came across these beautiful, absurdly ugly holiday turtlenecks at Wal-Mart. Encourage folks to really get into the theme and you may just end up with someone in only a dickie! Yes! 2. Naughty or Nice Party – Play up the duality of naughty and nice throughout the party details including food (spicy & sweet), drink (alcoholic and non) and decor (make sure you have some coal in there somewhere). Have movies playing like Bad Santa, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Carol, Elf, and It’s a Wonderful Life. End the night with a white elephant gift exchange so everyone goes home feeling nice. 3. Hawaiian Christmas Luau – Adorn your guests with silk leis, turn up the heat, and tune out the frigid

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Work Pranks
Cat Links Humor, Rosy You!

Bummed you’re working on a federal holiday? Try this.

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Today, the nation is “observing” Veteran’s Day. Which means that (once I’ve thanked my friends and family who are serving or have served in the military,) I’m going to be really disappointed that I have to go to my part-time job. This is what happens when the first six years of your career are spent working for a municipality. Especially, when that municipality is Chicago. I still get upset when I have to work on the first Monday in March. I mean, it’s CASIMIR PULASKI DAY for goodness sake. In my head, if the mail is not being delivered, I shouldn’t have to go to work. But I digress. Since it is November, and people are busy being super thankful every morning on Facebook (seriously guys, maybe you should do that in a journal or something), I decided to take my frustration and do something positive with it. In the form of practical jokes on my coworkers. Consider yourselves warned, guys. Hey, Finance Manager – the phone’s for you! Double decker desk. For that coworker with the reeeeaaaalllllllly long torso. Sadly, I don’t have a personal picture of my favorite work prank. But that’s not going to stop me from

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Flowerless Pomanders
Cat Links DIY, Dye Projects, Event Design, Rosy Events!

Inexpensive DIY Cupcake Liner Pomanders

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Have an extra three hours? Then this one’s for you! But before you even start, head over here to learn how to hand dye your cupcake liners. Despite the excessive time required, I had a blast making these for the colorful baby shower I was planning. And they turned out so stunning, I might even consider doing it again. It all started when I stumbled across the below in Martha Stewart Living while I was at the gym. Oh Martha, you make it look so quick! And because I’m a chronic overachiever, I decided that I needed to add some color to each and every liner by hand dying them. I think it was worth it. Do you? Do-it-Yourself Alternative Pomanders Supplies: Styrofoam balls of varying sizes – I used an 8 inch ball, 5 inch ball, and two 4 inch balls. Just remember, they get bigger when you add all the cupcake liners to them. And, each ball took about 45 minutes to complete. Cupcake liners – I followed Martha’s advice and bought 300 mini cups. I couldn’t find enough white, regular size cupcake liners so I bought what I could, 150. I think their guidelines in the article above are actually pretty

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