Let's Party- Graduation Style!

Alexa did the graduating, I did the decorating!

Here are a few lot of pictures of our HER party...

Sign-in table.  We had her yearbook, an artist's sketch book {acid free-purchased at Hobby Lobby in the painting section} with grad pictures fixed to the pages, an assortment of pens, and a couple pictures to make it all complete.

The guests could all leave a note or just sign the book.  Emmalee asked if she could draw a rainbow.  I said yes, and before I knew it, she had the page covered in rainbows!  I am sure that was Alexa's favorite page, LOL.

Given that the party was held in a garage, I went to great measures to cover the garage-iest areas.  This wall was covered by 4 pairs of Ikea curtains.  I had one pair, but ran over to Ikea to grab another, when what did my wondering eyes behold???  They were on sale for $3.99 a pair!  

Load me up with 3 more sets please ;0}  I used actual Ikea curtain mounts to hold the ribbon out away from the wall in front of the curtain.

So, for only $16 we covered this wall with lovely gossamer curtains...or at least lovely tulle curtains and hid all the garage-i-ness that existed behind.  We strung up a couple ribbons, mod podged paper and glitter to a few hundred clothes pins, and Voila! Photo wall to cry over.

Then there was the food wall.  Yum.  Mary Jo really knows how to supply a spread of yummy goodness!

I was in charge of the ALEXA photo letters.  I scanned in about a thousand lot of pictures and fitted them to the letters using my scrapbook program.  Then I emailed the files to Office Max to print for me.  Mads cut the images out and mod podged them to the letters while on a babysitting job.  Don't you love how I put people to work no matter where they are or what they are doing?

Did you notice the lime green and black/white polka dot backdrop???  Yep, wrapping paper and double sided tape from Hobby Lobby.  I have mentioned a few times how fabulous their wrapping paper is.  It really is that nice, you can wallpaper with it!!!

One more wall of wrapping paper here, for Alexa's walk of fame ;0}

I cut the 2014 numbers on my band saw, sister Kallie painted those, and Mads glittered them.

Hip, hip, Ho-ray! for group effort everyone!

Tagged on the end there was the suitcase for cards and presents.  We proudly displayed Alexa's baby pic, Senior Pic, and Diploma.  

I must show off the card banner in greater detail here.  Madison was given the job and what a fine job she did.  She used my photo prop suitcase and some vinyl letters I cut out, then ran with the rest herself.  Don't you love the scrappy flowers she made for the top?  She is 16.  What am I going to do when she leaves me for silly old college???  Oh Emmalee.....I have a few thousand skills to teach you...

For the centerpieces we made the bead board frames from our YW Conference a few months ago.  We printed up the grad pics taken earlier, glittered a few more clothes pins, put two frames back to back and added some flowers to hide the hide-e-hole.

For the little extra touch we made these starburst party favors.  The word labels were one more project I pushed off on Madison, while my sister Kallie repeatedly burned her fingers on Alexa's face.  It was a late night, let me tell you.

We wanted to do the Hershey kiss candies, but worried that they would melt in the heat.  The Starbursts were perfect!

Shout out to Uncle Ed.  Yep.  Your face made the blog ;0}

Don't you just want to pinch those farmer cheeks!?!

Outside we had two easy-up shade tents set up with tables and chairs underneath.  I made the fabric pennant banner to dress things up a bit.

I pinch these cheeks all the time.  I am his favorite auntie, don't you know?

Hello cousin Austin.  Yep.  You made the blog too.  That will teach you to smile next time :0P

FYI, don't try to pinch his cheeks.  He gets feisty. 

So, details about the food.  We served walking tacos.  For those of you who have no clue what they are, you basically have a bag of doritos, open it, deposit any taco fixings you want, stir it up, and eat.

Mary is a fabulous hostess, so she of course had a variety of chips to chose from.

Fixings and Mary's famous Mexican Roll-ups

For variety they also had sub sandwiches.  Fruit salad and fruit and dip were also served.

I ran in the kitchen and made this basket out of a watermelon.  It was a fun little dish for the fruit medley.

Probably the most interesting thing about this party to me was the use of food boats.  What?  Mary had these little raft-type blow-up ice boats.  You blow them up, fill them with ice, and put your food in it.  We had the party for almost 5 hours, outside in 80 degree weather.  There was still ice floating in the water at the end.  That tells me that for 5 hours the ice boats kept everything cold!

WANT SOME!

I bet you can guess where the desserts and the bathroom are???

Keep going...

Almost there...

Ta-Dah!

Desserts.  You have come to the right place.  Notice the artistic use of dance posters passed from one grad party to the next ;0}

Madison's cake pops, oreo in flavor.

The tower to the left is mine, full of more cake pops, then three kinds of cheese cakes.

We have oreo cheesecake with a dollop of fudge and a swirl of sweet cream, topped with a mini oreo.

We have salted caramel cheesecake topped with more caramel, sweet cream, and a rollo candy.

Then we have Strawberry cheesecakes topped with fresh strawberries and sweet cream.

Congratulations Alexa and parents. You not only made it through graduation, but you survived the graduation open house!

Please don't remind me that these three will all be graduating in a short two years.  They have all been informed their open house colors will be Aqua, Orange, and Lime ;0}