#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

{How To} An Animal-Themed Birthday Party & Cat Cupcakes {Support Your Local Animal Shelter}

February 22, 2013 · Narrative

MP - Maddie and Lucy-001
When it came time to plan Madeline’s birthday party to celebrate with her friends, we went through a short list of things she’d like to do. She first requested a dolphin-themed party, and that somehow morphed into a pool party, the water of which would lend itself easily to the dolphin theme she asked for.

While there are several local hotels that allow use of their indoor pool for a children’s birthday party, they require a parent for each child to attend (which is fine, because nobody drops off their kid at parties for this age group), and there is no lifeguard, which means I would responsible for a swarm of five-year-olds who may or may not be able to swim.

To which I said no thank you. I mean, the responsibility factor of managing that? No way. When she’s older, like Nick’s age, fine. Now? No.

So then we turned to her obsession with animals, and after a quick Google search for animal parties, I found out that a local animal shelter does birthday parties.

Could it be any more perfect for her?

I mean, aside from being able to swim with dolphins.

This is very definitely the next best thing.

They usually don’t host birthday parties for Madeline’s age, so I promised I would help. We were given a private community room for the party, where the Director and her helpers did a few crafts with the kids (coloring a giant birthday card for Madeline and a t-shirt, coloring an art piece that they could take home, and coloring these cat masks that I bought from Hobby Lobby).

Untitled

The kids also got to tour the shelter and see the available cats and dogs. Pet a bunny. Meet the Director’s dog (a rescue from the shelter) and learn about rescuing an animal. I tried to keep my head down and not make eye contact with any of the animals, lest we come home with another furry friend.

Untitled
Pizza. Cupcakes. Done.

It was something completely different.

And so her.

Untitled

Untitled

I had the invitations made from a seller I found on Etsy, and for favors, I gave each child a small Siamese cat stuffed animal that I purchased from Amazon. Which I thought was w-a-y better than stuffing little favor bags with a bunch of junk that the kids don’t need to begin with.

So win/win.

When it came time for the dessert portion of the party, Madeline asked for cat cupcakes. Luckily I had spied a picture from Kal on Instagram recently and used that for inspiration (and coincidentally enough, her daughter was also having her birthday at an animal shelter as well).

The end result looks more time-consuming than it actually was. I baked the cupcakes the night before, and in about forty-five minutes on the day of the party, I was able to get them all frosted and decorated.

And these days, with new baking items coming to market every day, it makes things like this way easier for the average home baker.

Untitled
Candy string for the whiskers.

Untitled
Candy eyeballs for the eyes. Natch.

Thank goodness for Wilton!

I used an 1/8 of a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup for each of the cat’s ears.

Icing for the little mouths.

A little sanding sugar for sparkle.

Madeline was thrilled, and really that’s all that matters.

Well, that and they were actually recognizable as cats.

So … Bonus!

My creation
If you have an animal-obsessed child in your household, consider looking into your local animal shelters to see if they do children’s birthday parties. Reasonably priced (and a bonus that the money is going to support the shelter), something unique, and happy children at the end of the day.

MP - Posing-001

Tomorrow? Toothbrush tunes!

PS Since we’re on the topic of supporting animal shelters, did you take the emBARK pledge? Just a few seconds to fill it out, and the generous folks at Sergeant’s Pet Care will donate a pet care kit to a local animal shelter (they will donate up to 5000 kits!). Pretty awesome, right?

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: animal shelter, animal-themed birthday party, cat cupcakes, emBARK, Sergeant's Pet Care

Comments

  1. Patrizia says

    February 25, 2013 at 9:51 pm

    Haven’t visited in forever! As a guest, I can say it was fun all around!

    Reply

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨

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