Under the Sea Ocean Birthday Party Details

I'm very excited to share this Under the Sea party with you that I put together for my daughter's birthday.  Her party was at the very end of summer, and for the first half of the party we ate and chatted, and the last half we swam.  There are so many fun details that I'd love to share with you!

I chose to use turquoise and white for the colors of the whole party to give it a nice soft natural look.  I wanted the tables to have an ocean feel to them, so I covered them in layers of tulle and net. 

I scattered sea shells, starfish, and those little round glass marbles (they reminded me of bubbles) all over the tables to add to the under the sea theme.  

I also had some tiny little metal crab name card holders that I bought a few years ago from Pottery Barn that I used to hold the names of the food that fit perfectly.  I created the printable signs and all of the food signs with waves on them so they all coordinated and matched.  

There are so many sweet treats that you can serve at an ocean party!  

One of my very favorite things that I made was this edible ocean sea glass.  It is a hard candy that you can suck on (I made them mint flavored), but looks EXACTLY like pieces of sea glass that have been battered around by the ocean waves.  For the directions and recipe, just click here!

I even made them look frosty, like real sea glass!  I'll include a tutorial for those soon, because they're very easy to make, but are very impressive to serve.  Everyone loved them!

They looked great with the chocolate sea shells that I made.  These too were very easy, but looked great on the table.  I also used graham cracker crumbs mixed with brown sugar underneath some of the food to make it look like sand, to add the the ocean feel.

I made these fun oyster cookies with a "pearl" in the middle, and they were a hit!  I'll write a tutorial for these soon.  

I made some homemade salt water suckers in two different shapes (no salt water inside, I just like the name) using this tutorial I shared with you last year.

Seaweed popcorn was such a pretty color, and was easy to make using this recipe.

You'll never guess what the secret ingredient is that gives the popcorn its' color!  

I made this sign, and placed it in front of the candy and treats, along with these cute little cups from Wholeport that matched perfectly.  The kiddos all loved filling up their cups with candy themselves!

 The kids all devoured these gummy sharks!

What under the sea party would be complete without salt water taffy?  I bought the turquoise, blue, and white colored taffy to go with my party colors.

Now for the dinner… yes, I did start with the treats first! ;) I served a build your own taco bar, with tons of different options and toppings for everyone.

The tacos were absolutely delicious, and it was easy to put together since I did all of the prep work ahead of time.  Plus, everyone could make their own the way that they like it!

Then came the cake.  I just love how it turned out!  I made a lovely four layer hombre cake, with each layer a different color of turquoise and blue.  

I added more graham cracker and brown sugar "sand" to the top, along with some chocolate shells.  Please excuse the darkness of this picture.  I had to get all the kids out of the pool to sing happy birthday and cut the cake, and it was dark outside by then.

I also whipped up a handful of these hanging jellyfish that really added to the party theme.  I love the way the long tendrils would slightly flutter in the breeze.  I could watch real jellyfish for hours at the aquarium, and these were the closest I was going to get to having jellyfish at the party! ;)  I'll write up a tutorial for these, too, because I really had a lot of fun making them.

And now for my sweet birthday girl.  I made her a starfish barrette with just a starfish, some tulle, a clip, and some hot glue.  I also made her a freezer paper stenciled shirt with a dolphin and her name on it using the tutorial I shared with you here.  She wore a blue tutu as well that her sister wore for her Minnie Mouse party.  I always try to make some kind of shirt or outfit for the birthday boy or girl to make them feel extra special!  

I didn't plan any games for the party since all the kids swam for hours after we ate.  The party was a huge success, and I honestly had so much time planning it!  Thanks for letting me share with you!  If you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask below!

For more creative party ideas, check out my son's Jungle Safari party!  From free printable safari passes to a homemade base camp where the kids get outfitted, this party is tons of fun!

Throwing a party doesn't have to cost an arm and a let!  See how I decorated inexpensively with Duck tape for my daughter's Minnie Mouse zebra print birthday party.

If you liked this project, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

xo, Laura

Sharing here:  Show and Tell

Homemade Orange Julius Recipe

I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to share with you one of my favorite all time recipes... orange julius!  I used to make these at least once a week as a teenager and up through college, and now my kids love this easy, fruity, delicious drink too!

This is the recipe I learned from my mom as a teen.  It is soooooo incredibly easy, takes under 5 minutes to make, and takes ingredients you probably already have sitting at home.  And it tastes so refreshing and delicious, especially on a hot summer day!

Orange Julius Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 can orange juice concentrate
• 1 cup water 
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like it- I usually use 1/4 cup)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 10-12 ice cubes

Put all of the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.  

Told you it was easy!

Enjoy!! 

I hope this becomes one of your family favorites, too!

xo, Laura

Linking up Here:  Craft-O-Maniac, C.R.A.F.T., SNAP!, Ginger Snap Crafts, Tidy Mom, 30 Handmade Days, Whipperberry, Tatertots and Jello, A to Zebra Celebrations

My Birthday Date Night at BJ's Restaurant

“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and BJ’s Restaurants, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #BJsrestaurants http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO”

A few weeks ago it was my birthday, and I was lucky enough to have my husband's cousin, his wife, and their new baby boy in town to celebrate with us!  We wanted to go out to eat somewhere fun and delicious for a date night, so we chose BJ's Restaurant, because we can always find something new to try there that we love!  Plus, their famous Pizookie dessert is to die for- yum!

BJ's Restaurant has recently partnered with Big Poppa Smokers BBQ to create a new Specialty Menu that is available until September 2, 2013.  This menu is available at ALL neighborhood BJ's Restaurants with just a few exceptions.  We wanted to be sure to try some food off their special menu before it was gone, and it did not disappoint!

There were so many amazing choices on their new Big Poppa Smokers BBQ Specialty Menu that we had a hard time deciding what to order... I narrowed it down to baby back pork ribs, pecan wood-smoked barbeque half chicken, barbeque pulled pork sandwich, or a barbeque beef sandwich.

After much thought, my husband and I both decided to order the Barbeque Beef Sandwich, which consisted of tender roast beef covered in BJ's Jeremiah Red Ale BBQ Sauce, along with melted provolone cheese on a toasted garlic cheese French roll topped with crispy onion strings... YUM!!  My sandwich was served with wedge-cut seasoned fries, while my husband chose mashed potatoes.  We also ordered their handcrafted root beer, which was amazing!

My husband knows his barebeque (he lived in North Carolina for two years, after all), and he said that his barbeque beef sandwich was the best barbeque sandwich he's ever eaten!  I LOVED the crispy onion strings that were inside my sandwich- they added a nice flavor to the already delicious sandwich, and gave it a nice crunchy texture, too.  If you follow me on Instagram (which I'd love for you to do!), then this photo might look familiar ;)

Next time we go to BJ's, we are going to try the Blue Ribbon Barbeque Combo for two for only $19.95- it includes a pecan wood-smoked barbeque half chicken with a half rack of baby back pork ribs, as well as as your choice of BJ's housemade BBQ sauces, BJ's cornbread with honey pecan butter, and your choice of two BJ's Blue Ribbon BBQ sides. So much food for under $20, right?

For dessert, I was surprised with a free birthday Pizookie for my birthday, complete with a candle for me to blow out!  My birthday Pizookie was so cute I had to get a picture and Instagram it!  My husband, Chris, Morgan, and Rachel ordered the Pizookie Trio, which is your choice of three mini Pizookies each served with a scoop of ice cream.  They chose the classic chocolate chunk, the red velvet, and the white chocolate macadamia nut Pizookies to share, and ate every last crumb of cookie and drop of ice cream!

We had such a great night celebrating my birthday and catching up with family at BJ's Restaurant! The atmosphere was great, and the food was amazing.  I can't wait to go back for more!

Be sure to connect with BJ's Restaurant on their website, Twitter, Facebook, and with Big Poppa Smokers on their website!  

xo, Laura

DIY Lemonade Stand from Wood Pallets + World Market's Summer in Paris Sweepstakes

Today I am beyond thrilled to share with you a project that I have worked very long and hard on- an amazing lemonade stand that all started with 3 wood pallets!

This DIY lemonade stand is durable and large, but the great thing about it is the ingenious way that it is built (thanks for the help, honey)!  It is so easy to put together and take apart this stand, and it can be stored in pieces, so that it doesn't take up much room.

I have SO many plans for this stand already!  It's not just a lemonade stand!  It will be a safari base camp outfitting post at my son's jungle safari party (coming soon!), a concessions stand, an Italian soda bar, a ticket booth, a puppet show, and the list goes on and on!

Before I show you how to build this stand, I want to show you what we served...

To make my lemonade stand extra special, I served delicious Lorina Prestige Sparkling Soda that I bought at World Market, and that comes in 3 amazing flavors- lemonade, pink citrus lemonade, and blood orange.  So delicious!  I served the lemonade in these World Market mason jar glasses that I fell in love with, and some yellow striped straws.

And why stop at lemonade?  My stand also included some sweet treats from World Market's French line- because really, who can resist candy?!  Especially when it is served in these beautiful clear glass apothecary jars?  We loved these tasty chewy Eiffel Bon Bons that come in strawberry and green apple- my kids would not stop eating these!  And neither did I ;)  Our candy selection also included the classic lemon drops (my husband's favorites), as well as lemon suckers, and salt water taffy.

Classic French Madeleines were served on this lovely white porcelain cake stand. For more fun food and drink ideas, be sure to check out all the amazing gourmet food and drink items that World Market sells- I love shopping their food aisles!

Speaking of French food, World Market has an fantastic Summer in Paris sweepstakes going on now that you NEED to enter- details are at the end of the post!

At the end of a long busy day, it felt great to sit and relax and sip a refreshing glass of lemonade!!

Now let's get to building!  Here are the directions if you'd like to create your own lemonade stand from wood pallets.  Wood pallets are not all the same size, so I tried to be as specific as possible with the directions without giving EXACT measurements, because your pallets won't be exactly the same dimensions as mine.

This lemonade stand can be adapted to using wood that you many have on hand, cheaper or more expensive wood, etc.  Do what works for you!  You can also leave out some of the supplies if you would like to make this for cheaper.  You don't need to add the wood veneer to the front and sides (although it does make it look more "finished")- you could just leave the pallet exposed.  An awning isn't absolutely necessary, but it sure adds to the cute factor, and provided much needed shade in the heat of the summer.  Just make sure that you follow the directions to build main structure- you wouldn't want to leave out any important pieces support pieces that hold the stand together.

DIY Wood Pallet Lemonade Stand:

SUPPLIES:

• 3 Wood pallets
• Wood veneer, bead board, or plywood (3 pieces cut to the size of your pallets- optional)
• Drill
• Screws
• Piece of wood (optional- size of your choice, for frame on front), 
• Chalkboard paint (optional- for frame on front, and the sign on the top)
• 4 long boards (for sides of pallet)
• L-brackets (at least 8)
• Wood board (for top support board- same length as the pallet)
• Wood board (for top sign- same length as the pallet)
• 2 Wood boards (for awning support in front and back- same length as the pallet)
• 2 pieces of old, distressed, thick wood (for counter)
• 4 small pieces of wood (to connect the two counter boards together)
• 2 spade bits (one to fit the head of your counter bolts, and one to fit the body of the bolt)
• 10 bolts (4 for the counter top, 4 for the awning, and 2 for the back), 10 washers, and 10 nuts
• White duck cloth (or other thick fabric- for the awning- optional)
• Painter's tape (optional)
• White, pink, and tan paint
• Paintbrushes
• Grommet kit (extra large grommets)
• 2 Wood boards (braces inside the stand)
• Wood board (top back counter support)

FRONT & SIDES of stand:

1.  You'll need 3 pallets for the structure of the lemonade stand.  There are different grades of pallets, so  try to find the sturdier pallets with thicker wood that is not split.  Remove any nails at the top corners of the pallets where you will be drilling holes (this will make more sense as you read on).

2.  You can leave your wood pallets bare, or you can add some wood veneer, bead board, or plywood to the front of your pallets, like I did.  These range in price and thickness, but I used a $9 piece of wood veneer that was enough to cover the front and one side of my stand.  Cut the wood veneer to fit each of the 3 pallets.  Screw the veneer into place on each pallet.

3.   If you would like a framed chalkboard area on the front of your stand like mine (optional), then cut your desired wood piece into 4 pieces to form the frame, using 45 degree angles.  Screw on the frame to the front of your stand.

4.  Attach the two long boards to each of the front sides of your front pallet using your drill and screws.  This serves two purposes- to cover and hide the pallet underneath, and to help build the framework for the sign and the awning.  Screw in a top support board to the top of the two side boards using L-brackets to attach the three boards together.

5.  Now it's time to add the sign to the top of the stand.  You can choose the size of your sign, it just needs to be long enough to reach both side boards.  Paint the sign in your preferred color- I chose chalkboard paint.  Attach the sign (when dry) to the side boards using L-brackets and screws.  

6.  Attach your awning support board 1/2" between the top sign.  This gap will allow you to slide the awning between the boards so that you can attach it.

COUNTER TOP of stand:

1.  For our counter, we used two old weathered boards that we had on hand and really liked.  This is a great way to use up old wood that you might have, and will lower your cost.  Cut one of the boards so it will fit in between the two side boards of the front of your stand.  We used a larger board for the outside of our counter that was about 6" longer than the other counter board on each side- this gave us more counter space and looked more custom.  Turn the wood upside down on the ground and place centered together, as it will appear on the stand.  Screw your four small pieces of wood onto the bottom of the counter top to connect the two counter boards.  

2.  Now we need to attach the counter top to all three pallets.  Put the pallets in a U-shape, with the veneer facing outward.  You will be drilling four holes in your counter top using a spade bit, so that you can countersink the holes to fit the bolt heads that you selected.  You will want to use very large bolts.  The two front holes are going to go through your counter top and then through the front pallet.  The two back holes are going to go through the side pallets (one hole in each pallet).  Make sure that there aren't any nails where you will be drilling these holes!  If there are, be sure to remove them.  

To countersink the bolt head, you will need to drill two sets of holes.  Start with the larger drill bit, one that will fit the bolt head.  Drill your hole, and stop when the bolt head can fit inside the hole and is flush with the counter top.  Drill a longer, smaller hole with the smaller spade bit, so that it fits the body of your bolt.  This hole will go all the way through the counter top and the pallets, and is what will hold the whole structure together.  Drill all four described holes this way.  Place the bolts inside their holes, and attach and tighten the counter to the pallets using the washers and nuts.  These bolts will not be seen, so it is safer that your bolts are longer rather than shorter.  If the bolts are too short, then you can't attach the whole structure together.  

BACK of stand:

1.  Attach two side pieces to the back sides of your stand, one board on each side.  Add the back awning support board to the two back side boards using two bolts to connect them.  Bolts are used so that this can easily be taken apart to store. 

AWNING:

1.  An awning is optional, but it keeps the lemonade sellers out of direct sunlight, and adds quaintness to your stand.  My awning was made from duck canvas, which is a utility fabric that doesn't fray as much when cut.  Measure how much material you will need to use for your awning- I used a little over 2 yards of fabric.  Cut your awning to size, measure how large you would like your stripes, and apply painter's tape to your duck cloth to help get nice, crisp even paint lines.  Paint, let dry, and remove tape.  

2.  Drill two holes in your front and back awning support boards where you would like your grommets to go- this will be what holds your awning in place.  The awning will be easy to remove because of the bolts.  Hold up your awning, and draw a small dot where the holes are that you drilled.  Add grommets to those holes by following the directions on the back of your grommet kit.  Add awning to the stand by screwing bolt into grommet holes, and using washers and nuts to secure into place.

BRACES:

1.  Cut two pieces of wood to fit on the inside ground of your lemonade stand, so that the bottom sides of your pallet are secure.  Set one piece of wood in the front inside of your stand, and the other on the back inside to support it.

Top Back COUNTER SUPPORT:

1.  Use a spade bit and drill all the way through a piece of wood the size of your choice.  Make sure there aren't any nails in the back corners of your side pallets. Drill halfway down the back top of the side pallets.  Glue two wood dowels, one on each side, into the holes with wood glue.  Once glue is dry, place the back counter support board over the dowels so that it fits into place.

ALL DONE!  

That was a lot of work, but look at the amazing finished lemonade stand!!  It is easy to put together and take apart, is very strong and durable, is easy to store, and can be used multiple times and for multiple events!  You can make multiple awnings as well to match the different events that you will be using it for.

Now for the fun sweepstakes!  World Market is has teamed up with Lorina French Lemonade to give away an AMAZING prize- a dream trip to Paris!!  Winner will receive a trip for 2 to Paris, a $1,000 World Market gift card, a two day museum pass and river cruise, dinner at the Eiffel Tower, and a case of Lorina French Lemonade!!

I spent a month in Europe back in college and traveled through many cities, but my favorite city hands down was Paris- it is a beautiful romantic city, and I would love for one of my readers to win this trip!  Be sure to enter the Summer in Paris contest here.  The contest ends Friday, August 16th.

Be sure to enter, and good luck!!

I'd love to hear what you think of my lemonade stand!  It took a lot of work and planning, but I LOVE the results!  If you want to build one and have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them!

xo, Laura