What's Cookin?

For Carly's birthday this year, she wanted to do a cooking party.  So here's how it all went down...

THE INVITATION

I found the cutest little mini rolling pins on Amazon, but they had red handles, and Carly wanted the colors of her bedroom, so I just hand painted the handles with a little toll paint.  Created the invitation with a cute polkadot paper on the back and attached it to the rolling pin with a neat little bow!

To welcome the guests, Carly "decorated" the porch with giant sock monkeys.  I set out the coat rack with aprons for each girls.  I found the aprons at Dollar Tree, but they had annoying cartoon characters on the front, so we decided to sew on a pocket, and we put three different cupcake recipe cards in them that they would use later during the party. 

 I also made coordinating chef hats out of tissue paper, cardstock and a gift bow

...all from the Dollar Tree.

I really scored with the Dollar Tree for this party.  For the table decorations, I used white tablecloths, with a wrapping paper runner.  I used solid plates with cute patterned napkins and a cutie to tie in the orange color.  I also got to use my vintage vases at the last minute and used leftover tissue paper for a fresh, fun, young centerpiece!

We started off by making individual pizzas and mini fruit kebabs

We also had a drink stand where they could customize their drinks...all within the colors of course!

While the pizza's cooked, we played a good old fashion game of Baking Memory (found all coordinating items at Dollar Tree again...I'm telling you!)

 I was so so so so glad to have my mom and sister Stacy helping me!

We also split up into three groups (depending on what recipe card was in their apron) and made three different cupcakes, Orange Cream Cicle, Peaches and Cream, and Strawberry Lemonade.  I have to admit they got a little ahead of themselves on this one.  They were so excited!  I had all the ingredients and tools they needed to mix their cupcakes and get them in the cups.

While the cupcakes were baking (I had already made the frostings), we played a game of blind fold taste testing...

We had the girls frost the cupcakes and decorate with fresh fruit and mini straws.  We then used the finished product as her birthday cake, and of course packaged them up to take home!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY "SWEETIE"

...and Frank stepped in to document the "AFTERMATH", right before I passed out from exhaustion!

LAVA

For Martin Luther King Day, Frank and Cade took a day off work so our families could have an overnight we in Lava Hot Springs. We rented this lovely "Chalet" that fit both our families nicely. It was fun to all be in the same house and not worry about noise!

After we got settled at our new digs, we headed to the hot springs...here's the cute girlies

 And here's the camera shy teenagers...

 Once we turned into prunes, we headed to dinner at our favorite pizza joint at the Royale

The guys and kids went back to the hot springs after dinner while me and Stacy stayed at the Chalet snacking on carmel popcorn and Diet Coke!  The next morning Cade made a delicious breakfast, then we headed to the freaky gift shops....

 Frank loves cheesy photo ops almost as much as the kids...

The kids finally posed for a picture with their awesome gift shop purchases :) 

And no Lancaster/Seeley family vacation would be complete without a few (or maybe more) sister selfies!