2024 Galentine's Party

Hello!  Thanks for stopping by Thinking Out Loud Thursday where I talk about something on my mind and invite you to link up and do the same.  Today I'm thinking about the Galentine's party we had last weekend!

We can all thank Leslie from Park and Rec for introducing us to the concept of "Galentine's Day".  Even though my party wasn't on the official Galentine's Day (February 13), a group of my friends gathered together over the weekend and celebrated with each other.  The group of friends I invited was our small group from church.  I'm just getting to know many of these wonderful ladies and the party was a way to have a shared experience.

The party was set for 2 hours and I knew we would have no problem filling the time!  The plan was to have the guests pick up a clipboard with the games attached when they arrived.  We had four games to play, one being a game to get to know the other attendees.  Etsy has no less than a thousand games you can download and print from home.  The ladies worked on answering their game cards as everyone arrived.

I have used the small clipboards numerous times at showers and parties.  I had no idea when I bought them 10 years ago how many times they would be used!  

Clipboards            

As the guests continued to arrive, the ones finished with their game cards could make a Valentine's card.  I had set up several card-making stations with all the supplies needed to complete their creation.  There were samples to follow, but the creative people at heart could branch out and make their own designs.  The cards could be taken home or left here for me to drop them off at a local assisted living care facility.  

For snacks, we had a sundae bar with lots of toppings, fruit salad, chocolate-covered pretzels, Caprese skewers, and spinach artichoke bites.

Before the party began, I scooped up the ice cream into balls and refroze them.  This was the best idea ever!  Popping a scoop of ice cream into the bowls couldn't have been easier!

Keeping with the pink theme, the punch fit right in!  It was made by putting a quart of raspberry sherbet in the punch bowl and adding ginger ale and a splash of cranberry juice.  Ladle it into cups and top with a raspberry.  So delicious and cute!

We gathered around an extended table to eat the snacks and play a few games.  I love playing games like this or that and people bingo so we can learn about each other.  And who doesn't love winning prizes!

Speaking of gathering around the table, it was fun to dress the table with the log candle holders my dad had made for me to use at a wedding years ago.  I have a feeling I'll be using them for years to come.

As predicted, the two hours flew by!  I'm so grateful I decided to have this party.  Having people around to share in conversation, offer encouragement, empathy and a listening ear is the very best part of friendship.  Gatherings like this are the perfect way to build long-lasting friendships!

Now it's your turn - what are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!

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Let's Have a Tea Party!

Recently I hosted a tea party for a group of friends from our small group at church.  It was the most fun!  Gathering friends, breaking bread together, and sharing ideas are some of my favorite things.  We spent a few hours on a Saturday morning sitting around my dining room table, sipping tea, laughing, and getting to know each other.  It was the perfect day!

Some people may cringe at the thought of planning and executing a party.  I'm just the opposite!  I spent weeks contemplating the menu and decorating ideas.  I took a vacation day the Friday before and had the time of my life getting ready.  My neighbor, Jill, came over before the party started and was instrumental in helping pull everything together before the other guests rang the doorbell. 

The first place I started decorating was the area we display our tiered tray.  Since we would be in the kitchen filling our plates and making our teas, I wanted this area to reflect the tea party theme.  Eric and I had fun visiting antique malls and scouring Facebook Marketplace looking for teapots.  

The tulips and welcome sign stayed from Easter and I replaced the bunnies with teapots and tea cups.  

Next, I went to work putting flowers in a teacup for the guest bathroom.  The gold frame is a staple on the sink and I frequently change out the picture inside. 

The dining room table was next.  We brought out two of my favorite china sets and filled the table!  My grandmother's silver also made an appearance.  

Inside the wrapped package was a devotional book I found on Amazon titled Mornings with God.  It was the perfect little gift to send each guest home with!

As everyone was finishing their food, I brought out a little game of Would You Rather so we could get to know each other a bit better.  This game was purchased from Being Happy Prints on Etsy and I modified it to work with our group.  Each question was read out loud and people responded with a show of hands their answer.  

For the teas, there was a basket full of loose teas the guest could choose from or a variety of flavored tea bags.  We had a pump pot full of hot water and everyone made their own cup.  

Each place setting had a diffuser for the guest to use and a little dish to place it on after they made their tea.  

The menu was simple and easy to put together.  I'm going to be doing a separate post with recipes on the items I did make.  

Menu

 Egg Salad Sandwiches

Cucumber Sandwiches

Pimento Cheese Cups

Egg Bites

Pastries/Bagels/Croissants

Fruit Salad

Cookies

It made my heart happy to share the morning with this group of fabulous ladies!  I'm so grateful they gave me a reason to bring out the china and plan a party!  But you know what - this morning would have been just as special if I had served water in paper cups and we sat around my family room with baskets of dirty laundry.  Don't miss an opportunity to share fellowship with your friends just because you don't have time to make it special.  Just being together is special enough!

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Weekending - January 31, 2020

Happy Monday!  Here we are at the beginning of a new month.  Who's ready to show February what we've got?  Before I start thinking too much about the month ahead, let me do a quick recap of the weekend ~

Friday night Eric and I had a date night.  I left work a bit early and we went to see a movie the minute I got home.  Nothing quite like jumping right into the weekend as soon as possible!  The Gentlemen was on both our lists so that's what we decided to see.  Have you seen it?  A lot is going on in this film.  The opening scene really had me intrigued, but shortly after that I kind of lost interest.  It was an okay movie, but definitely not one I'll be hoping to ever see again.

                         

We decided to drive through Popeye's Chicken and get one of their chicken sandwiches everyone has been raving over.  Believe the hype - it was delicious!  Just thinking about it makes me want to go get another one.  

Saturday flew by.  Eric worked in the morning and I tried to conquer my to-do list.  Every week I start a list of random things I want to get done and then over the weekend try to accomplish them.  The list is always too long and I never get it totally complete, but each week I try.  One of the items on the list was to update my message board that hangs upstairs.  This sucker took WAAAAYYY longer than it should have to complete, but I do love the results!

Saturday evening we attended friends of our's 50th wedding anniversary party.  It was so much fun!  The anniversary couple, Janet and Dan, were surrounded by their four children as they welcomed their guests and partied the night away.  We ate great food, danced and caught up with friends we hadn't seen in a while.  Good times!

The next morning we rose early to head to my home town to help our great-nephew celebrate turning four at his Hot Wheels party.  

                 

His mom had the cutest activity for the kids - she had gotten wooden cars from Oriental Trading and the kids got to decorate them.  She even had a racing track for their cars to compete!  

I couldn't resist using my Silhouette to decorate his gift.  This was another thing on my list that might have taken a bit longer than I thought it would.  But the result was worth it!

The weather was absolutely gorgeous on Sunday.  As soon as the presents were opened, the kids couldn't wait to head outside and play.  Nothing quite like some mud puddles to make playing outside perfect with your new toys!

We left the birthday party in time to get home and settle in to watch the Super Bowl.  Way to go Chiefs!  What an exciting game.  And this is why you shouldn't party too soon:

Hope your week is off to a wonderful start.  The temperature is great again today here, but then we are supposed to get snow on Wednesday.  Thank goodness the prediction from the groundhog is an early spring!

Buzz About The Bee Party

Hey guys - it's Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  Today I'm thinking out loud about the "bee" party we recently hosted at our house.

Last week Scripps National Spelling Bee made history when they allowed the top eight finalists to claim the title of spelling bee champions.  That's right, for the first time in history we have Octochamps!  While the top 16 kids battle spelled, me and some friends had our eyes and ears glued on the TV to see if our local kids could claim the title of National Spelling Bee Champion.  After 20 rounds, the officials called it and awarded each of the eight remaining contestants with the $50,000 cash prize.

Even though my "bee" decorations were to celebrate the spelling bee, these decorations could easily transition into a gender reveal party (What Will It "Bee"), a birthday party (Happy "Bee"day) or baby shower (Mommy To "Bee").

I had been scoping out and picking up bee-related items for the last month.  One of the areas I knew I wanted to deck out was my three-tier stand.  Here's how it came together ~

 I found some great treasures to go to on each side of the tray ~

The fireplace got some special attention ~

 Even the guest bathroom was "buzzing" ~

With the help of my Silhouette, I whipped up some cupcake toppers that were adorable!

No party is complete without favors.  Everyone left with a group of honey sticks and a little note letting them know I was happy they came.

Oh, and if you're wondering how the our local contestants finished - Alice Liu, who won the St. Louis Post-Dispatch spelling bee back in March got out in round 14 by misspelling the word rassenkreis.  Another St. Louis contestant making it to the television portion of the competition was Colette Giezentanner.  Colette left the competition in round 12 when the word chama got her.  Good luck next year girls!

Now it's your turn - what's on your mind today?  Link up and share!