{DIY} Valentine's Gumball Necklaces

Here is an ADORABLE Valentine's gumball craft from One Charming Party. Not only would these be great to hand out at a Valentine's Day party, but they would be cute as party favors for a little girl's birthday as well.



Here are the instructions provided by One Charming Party:

1. Using a metal skewer, pierce one side of the gumball. Hold the top of the gumball steady as you guide the skewer (see photo). This will prevent the skewer from slipping off the slick surface of the gumball.

2. Flip the gumball over and pierce another hole directly opposite to the first hole. If you try to poke a hole straight through both sides at once, the gumball will crack.

3. The hardest part is stringing the ribbon. Use a large needle to thread the ribbon through the gumballs. Thinner ribbon is easier to string. Tie a knot between each gumball as you string it.

Tip: Look for bags of single colored gumballs at your local party supply store.



Click here to visit One Charming Party and see more of their fabulous ideas!

"Bee My Valentine" Party Printables for Operation Give Thanks

I am so happy to be able to share some great Valentine's Day Party Printables that are not only cute, but are part of a nation-wide fund-raising party for an extremely worthy cause as well. Miss Bird of Bird's Party Blog (L-O-V-E her!) created this adorable "Bee My Valentine" party printable collection for Operation Give Thanks.


Operation Give Thanks is a nation-wide fund-raising party to help the amazing organization, Operation Shower, continue on its mission to throw amazing baby showers for military families to ease the burden of deployment. I had the privilege of volunteering with Operation Shower back in October and was able to see first-hand how wonderful this organization is and how important its mission is to so many deserving families. By making an online donation of $5 or greater to Operation Shower, you can help spread some LOVE this Valentine's Day to many deserving military families AND download some Fabulous printables as well! Did I mention that the "Bee Mine" Valentine's Party Printable collection includes: Fill-in party invites, 2" cupcake toppers (or round favor tags), party icons and cut-outs (bees and beehive) that you can use as cake toppers too, napkin rings or jar and bottle wrappers, place-cards or dessert buffet labels (Bee My Cupcake and Pink Lemonade), candy jar fancy labels and a 5" x 7" super cute party sign - Instructions and list of materials are included. How great is that!






BUZZ on over to Bird's Party Blog to show your support and DOWNLOAD these great printables. Tell Bird that I sent you ;)

The Simply Silhouettes GIVEAWAY Winner Is...

Congratulations to Anne for winning this week's Simply Silhouettes GIVEAWAY!
Don't forget that ALL SHEEK SHINDIGS FOLLOWERS CAN RECEIVE 20% OFF THEIR TOTAL PURCHASE FROM SIMPLY SILHOUETTES FROM NOW UNTIL FEBRUARY 28TH!! Just mention Sheek Shindigs when you place your order for any of their products.

{Real Parties} A Chinese New Year Birthday Celebration

In honor of the beginning of Chinese New Year, I thought that I would share this unique Chinese New Year Birthday Celebration that was featured on P is for Party. Melisa of Project Nursery created this Chinese New Year Celebration for her son's 1st birthday and to celebrate The Year of the Rabbit (Melisa's son is 1/4 Chinese. What a great way to celebrate who he is!).











So creative, right?! To see more of Melisa's party pictures and details, visit P is for Party, here.

Don't Forget to Enter the Simply Silhouettes GIVEAWAY!

Only a little more than 24 hours left to enter for your chance to win this week's GIVEAWAY sponsored by Simply Silhouettes. Follow this link to enter now.

{Etsy Shop} Calling all Super Heros!

POW! ZAP! BAM! Defeating evil is hard work for a Super Hero!
A few months back I helped a friend with a few details for her son's Super Hero themed birthday party. She did a fabulous job with all of the details and the paper products that I created were a great addition. I have been wanting to add a Super Hero party line to my Etsy shop for quite some time and finally got around to it. Here are just a few of the products available.





These products can be customized to fit your celebration, including the colors and wording. Coordinating beverage wraps, cupcake wrappers, and invitations can be made to order as well. My favorite thing about this line is that it is extremely versatile and will fit well with any super hero celebration. Visit the Sheek Shindigs Etsy Shop to view these products as well as others that I offer. Don't see what you are looking for? Contact me for a custom order!

Celebrating the Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, which is considered to be one of the most important of the tradtional Chinese holidays, is a celebration at the beginning of a new year according to the lunar calendar. This holiday is celebrated with family gatherings, gift giving, the eating of symbolic foods, and display of festive decorations, all of which are focused on bringing good luck for the new year and celebrating the coming of Spring. Year 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit and begins on February 3rd by the Chinese calendar. Here are some fun facts and kid-friendly crafts and activities to help you celebrate the Chinese New Year holiday with your family. Follow the provided links for details and instructions about each craft and activity.

The lantern is one of the most prominent symbols of the Chinese New Year. In fact, there is an entire festival (the Chinese lantern festival) which is celebrated fifteen days into the New Year on the sighting of the first full moon. The idea behind the lanterns is to bring about a cheerful environment as the full moon shines bright in the sky and masses of Chinese people gather at the festival holding up colorful lanterns and creating a completely lit up environment. Help your little ones make these colorful Paper Lanterns to decorate your home for the Chinese New Year.

The dragon is another popular symbol for Chinese New Year. It is a symbol of strength, goodness, and good luck. During New Years, one of the main events is a large parade through the city streets. As part of this parade, people dress up in dragon costumes and dance down the streets. You can celebrate the Chinese New Year with your children by creating this mini version Festive Ribbon Dragon from Family Fun.

One tradition families enjoy during the 15-day celebration of Chinese New Year is writing and displaying chun lian, simple expressions of wishes for good fortune in the coming year. Create your own well-wishes for family and friends with these colorful, fortune-filled paper cookies.



Create this costume to dress-up like a dragon and lead a traditional Chinese game, Chase the Dragon's Tail. I have played this with a group of kids before and they all LOVED it.



During the Chinese New Year, red packets, called hong bao in Chinese, are traditionally given as a gift to children and unmarried friends and usually contain a small monetary gift. You can introduce this tradition in your own home by using this envelope template from Martha Stewart, which is pre-printed with the Chinese character for Good Luck.



Present your family and friends with another traditional Chinese New Year's gift: tangerines and oranges. This gift symbolizes wealth, good luck, and abundant happiness. Tangerines that still bear leaves signify that the relationship between you and the giver is secure. Package your tangerines and oranges on a tray or in a bag and include a hopeful message for the new year.



Xīn Nián Kuài Lè.
Happy New Year!