Fantastical Invites

June 15th, 2009

The Fablehaven invitations were adapted from a teeny-tiny invitation I did over on OccasionalGenius.com. They seem especially fitting for fantasy-type themes - just like Fablehaven.

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In plain terms, the invitation is a rolled piece of paper held bound by a smaller tube of paper. Beads and a name tag are held at both ends by a piece of string run through the center. 

Plain terms are hardly fun, however. I much prefer decidedly un-plain terms with plenty of details.  It’s interesting to know, for instance, the invitation is written on gold-dust vellum.

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With pictures like these, I’m afraid you’ll have to take my word for it…it was like printing on, well, sheets of gold dust. Almost magical even! (And worked just fine in my laser printer)

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The bands might be my favorite part of this project. These began as small squares of brown cardstock. Just a quick impression using Cuttlebug’s ‘pebbles’ embossing folder and a twist ‘n glue around the cap of a marker was all it took to transform paper into bead-like tubes. That little piece of brown cardstock got a serious make-over!

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The beading really is simple. I don’t think even I can blow this part too out of proportion. For the half sheet of vellum - 5 1/2 inches across - I used about 18 inches of twine. The white bead is at the center point of the twine, with both ends coming back threw the flat bead.

Both ends of twine are run through the roll of paper, next the last bead, then the name tag (a very small punched hole), and finally knotted at the end.

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I guess as finely detailed and ingenious as I try to present these invites, they are  just too quick and easy to warrant going on and on about. It’s just as well. Fast and simple is nice too.

Fablehaven Author Tags Fans

June 10th, 2009

Typically I like to save the best for last. Sometimes, however, the best just has to go first.

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Obviously, having Brandon Mull attend our little party was amazing. Short of loading everyone in his car and taking us all to Disneyland he couldn’t have been a nicer guy. Super-cool, famous, best-selling author aside…my favorite part was the super-cool thank you note Liz and I received from the party guests. We couldn’t have thrown a party for a nicer group if we had hand-picked them. So, tremendous thanks to Brandon and the Owen family and friends!

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As the guests arrived our fairy put them to work in the potions lab, where they could make their own potions using ingredients such as Wizard Slime, Umite Honey, and Pixie Rain-Forest Water.

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When Brandon arrived the introductions were made…

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and everyone got to show-off their potions.

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Finally, we dispensed with the pleasantries and a spectacular game of Steal the Artifact ensued. I figure plenty of people get to meet their role-model….but how many kids get to be viciously tagged by their favorite author?

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Following a solid 3-0 defeat by Brandon’s team, the kids had the opportunity to compare their own interests with those of the Fablehaven creator.

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Who could have guessed that Brandon’s most coveted invention would be a device that takes the words right from his brain and puts them on paper? Or, that his favorite video game is Twighlight Princess? And, that he’d rather drive the Batmobile than an Aston Martin? Duh!

A silver dragon egg hunt revealed the password to the magic box containing the party favors. Brandon graciously identified the Fablehaven items as everyone opened their bags: a dizzy crystal, fairy cacoons, magic-knot bracelets, Nero’s gold, and assorted edible rocks.

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With a little reluctance we cut into the Fablehaven cake created by Dippidee in American Fork. Fortunately the delicious taste helped us forget the pain of destroying such a marvelous creation.

If everyone had as much fun as I did the party was a huge success! Upcoming posts will detail the invitations, activities, and favors so you can throw your own Fablehaven bash!

For our next party give-away, I’m thinking pirates!!

Happiness in a Jar

May 29th, 2009

I always hoped that one day I would do something to benefit humanity. I believe that time has come.

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I recently found myself wondering how you could send a cheesecake in the mail. I mean, I know Sara Lee has refrigerated semi-trucks, but how does a commoner like myself get a cheesecake from Utah to say, Pennsylvania? I’ve tried to solve this problem before when I was trying to get some Thrify double chocolate malted crunch ice cream shipped to myself from California. I remember something about dry ice and special frozen shipping boxes. I also remember high-math being involved for figuring the ratio of space to ice, distance traveled, and desired temperature.

As for the cheesecake, a new idea I’ve seen around a lot lately came to mind: cupcakes in a jar. So, why not cheesecake in a jar? No reason at all…except you still have to refrigerate it. Which brings you right back to dry-ice, or hitching a ride with Sara Lee if you want to send it cross-county.

By this point in the process, however, I really love the idea. Unfortunately, because the only reason for baking a cheesecake in a jar is the novelty of it, there aren’t any how-to’s floating around. Until today.

I decided to start with a Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake recipe from RecipeZaar.  This recipe filled 4 - 8oz jars and an additional 20 cupcake size cheesecakes.

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The first round of experimenting I made the nutty crust. These photos show a simple graham cracker crust. 1 1/2 cups of crumbs to 2 Tbs of butter.

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About 1/8 cup of the crust mixture in the bottom of the jars, patted down with a spoon.

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The jars went on a cookie sheet to facilitate getting them in and out of the oven. I hestitated to show you my cookie sheets….all I can say is, they’re seasoned. We buy new and always go back to the old.

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To add a little mystery to the cupcake tin I dropped in a couple truffle kisses. Will we find yummy melted truffleness or a barely altered, reinstated truffle kiss at the end?

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I filled the jars with cheesecake batter just to where the band begins.

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The muffin tins got filled right about to the top. Because…

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…after 20 minutes in a 325 degee oven, the cheesecakes will plump a bit…

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…you’ll see in the background how they sink back down. (The jars stay in for 25 minutes)

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With a little more cooling the cheesecakes sink even more. Go ahead and let them sink. They are their best the next day anyway. Rumor has it they’re their best 2 days later. We’ve never had one last long enough to confirm the rumor.

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If you like the idea of actually sealing the jars, you’ll need to put the lids on immediately, while the jars are hot. After they cool, store them in the fridge. They’ll last stored this way much longer than you’ll be able to refrain from opening them.

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Makes a much better presentation than a paper plate and saran-wrap, wouldn’t ya say?

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Of course, presentation is just the frosting on the cake. What really counts is how it tastes. I’m not too humble to say, the best part is inside the jar.

Spotlight: Face Painting Illusions

May 26th, 2009

You know the one-man-band guy? He’s got the cymbals between his knees, the bass drum on his back, a harmonica strapped to his face and he’s playing a violin with one hand and a trumpet with the other. That’s pretty much how I see Emily Steck, the owner of Face Painting Illusions and Balloon Art.

 

Emily has been a professional cake decorator, a costume seamstress, and a finish carpenter. She refinishes antique furniture, wallpapers, creates wreaths and is a Master Gardener. As she says, “the creative juices have gone in all directions.” No kidding, Emily!

 

After working with a professional entertainment company for five years, Emily and her daughters began what would become their own face painting and balloon art business. It has been about 8 years since then and Face Painting Illusions and Balloon Art has certainly made a name for itself.

 

Emily and her crew.

Emily and her crew.

 

In just the past year and a half they have appeared on KSL news and been on the front page of The Daily Universe. They were sponsored in the Safe Kids Fair with over 10,000 people in attendance. Emily has also managed and serviced events for Thanksgiving Point, Cornbelly Maze, and Partyland Utah. This July you’ll find them at the Days of ’47 Float Preview.

 

Currently Face Painting Illusions and Balloon Art has been nominated for the Utah’s Parent’s Choice Award for entertainment at GoCityKids.com.

 

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I’d be hard-pressed to think of any kind of entertainment event that wouldn’t be made better with face-painting! Emily has done corporate events, grand-openings, book signings, birthday parties, store promotions…. you get the idea.

 

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Be sure to check out Emily’s blog as well as her pages on MyPartyBug.com. You’ll find my favorite face on her gallery page! I love the purple dragon!! I think Emily calls it a monster, but with the Fablehaven parties just around the corner I’ve got dragons on the brain.

 

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Face Painting Illusions’ slogan is “The world looks brighter from behind a smile!”  Clearly Emily Steck has brought smiles to a lot of faces!

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We have two winners!!

May 19th, 2009

It can be tough to choose a winner from among so many worthy entrants. Lucky for us there’s Random.org!  All we do is enter the numbers 1 and 1052 and Random.org does the rest.

Congratulations to Martin of West Jordan and Jeff of Saratoga Springs!!!

We’ve contacted both winners and confirmed their eligiblity. That is, they’re both very excited and love Fablehaven! Martin won the grand prize Fablehaven party with Brandon Mull!  Jeff and his family will receive everything they need to host their own Fablehaven shindig.

Check back often for step by step planning  ideas for Fablehaven party invitations, favors and activities. 

We’ll also be announcing our next party give-away before too long. If you were entered to win the Fablehaven party, you will automatically be entered for all our give-aways. We might even pass along a few coupons for yummy treats and fun things to do. So, your entry will surely bring good things your way, if not today, someday soon.

Thanks for playing and have a  great summer!