Party Time

… and I am addicted to labels. Love them. Adore them. Dream about them. My infatuation with labels comes from my self-diagnosed OCCD, otherwise known as Obsessive Clutter Containing Disorder. You see, for me, all is right with the world when life’s bits and pieces are enclosed in an appropriate and identifying receptacle. I get goose bumps when I enter The Container Store and have been known to weep at the site of a freshly stocked Kassett display at Ikea.

Who knows where this compulsion to box, label and zone everything came from but it surfaced at a very tender age and has been directly responsible for many hours of reconfiguring over the years. Some people build dollhouses or run model trains as a hobby. I containerize.

And because of this need to box everything, I have probably singlehandedly kept the plastic storage container industry in the black for the past ten years. There is not a shape, size or color of plastic bin I do not currently have or have had at one time. My collection is so complete that if Monty Hall were to ring my doorbell and offer me $100 for an opaque gray 56-quart storage box, I’d be $100 richer and on my way to my not-so-local LSS to shop.

My Dymo labeler is never far from reach. And if I could get the cat to move, I would sleep with it under my pillow … for there it would undoubtedly inspire happy dreams of rooms filled with endless shelves of IRIS scrapbooking boxes all at the ready for me to type, print, peel and stick. Oh, what joy this vision gives!





My labeling activity usually hits an all time high in January. With the satisfaction of Christmas décor re-boxing still lingering over me, coupled with the flagrant department store storage box sales, I begin the New Year with a frenzied passion to re-contain and reorganize the entire household. Nothing is safe including the cat’s toys … which are about to be pared down to only their favorites and moved to a new, less conspicuous spot. Quite frankly, if they haven’t played with that rubber chicken in the last six months, they probably won’t play with it ever again. Say ba-bye squeaky, featherless bird.

So this last week I spent a lot of time in my hall closet. That is the home of my EK Success design team product. It needed some serious containing and re-labeling and after hours of blood, sweat and the occasional expletive, I am soooo at peace with the results.





I am already sleeping better knowing that that area is in order and in a better state of balance (insert picture of me sitting crossed legged, arms outstretched and fingers in Namaste position).

And while I was feverishly Dymo-ing away, I formulated an idea for this week’s blog topic. Now stay with me, I’m taking a bit of a leap here … how about an entire blog about Party Food Labels? Wow! How’s that for proof that some of my neurons are still firing properly. Whew! Maybe those crossword puzzles are working : ).

Why Party Food Labels you ask? Well, because in reality, how many of us have sit-down formal dinner parties in which place cards are used for seating guests? I’d venture to guess the number is quite small. I would bet that most of us host buffet-style dinner parties; those in which guests can serve themselves without the benefit of our culinary narrative. Food labels thus provide a valuable service to your guests. They identify and clarify ingredients and will certainly make your guests party experience more pleasurable. Food labels can prevent accidental allergic reactions and may in some small way help cut down on waste. Both reason enough to craft some labels for your next party.

So here are some fun Food Label ideas for you to peruse and try.

Five Kinds of Food Labels

One: Clips

Use decorative binder clips to hold printed labels or paint clothes pins to match punched shapes. A matted stamped square held high by a photo clip is a quick and graphically simple way to identify a dish.





Two: Stakes

Bamboo skewers and (clean) garden stakes are functionally ideal for use as food markers. Add a paper pennant or chipboard die-cut to a skewer and your guests will be sure to take note as to what is being served. Cover a garden stake with paper so that it can be reused multiple times.





Three: Tags, Boxes and Bags

Paint pre-made tags with chalkboard paint and label each dish with a handwritten note. The tags can be wiped clean with a damp cloth and reused at another event. Paint and decorate favor boxes in a coordinating color and scheme then add a simple handwritten title to finish. A dainty party bag tied with food id tag makes for an adorable presentation.


 

Pre-printed tags can make labeling pot-luck items easy. Guests can write the dish name down and tie or stake the tag to their entrée.





Four: Trinkets

Embellish place card holders to continue your party theme. Hang a metal rimmed tag from a shaped cookie cutter as an unexpected way to identify a dish.





Framing the entrée’s name in a pre-fab or paper covered chipboard frame will certainly draw guest’s attention.





Try using toys as holders for baby showers or children’s parties. Again, choose an item that will carry your party’s theme to the serving line.





Who knew a finial would make an awesome food label. These brightly colored ones at BHG’s web-site inspired me to craft one of my own.





I just used a hack saw to slice a groove in the top for the card to sit in and then spray painted the whole thing. It was a fast project with stunning results.





Five: Folded Paper

Folding paper into food labels is probably the most common method. But common doesn’t have to be boring. Check out this tri-fold tent from Blumebox.





And this tri-fold tent version by Jess from penandpaperflower.





The Martha Stewart designers came up with this origami stand. Can you say easy?





Here’s what I created after seeing the above examples: Love the quickness of the origami one … seriously, it can be done in seconds!





And lastly for those of you with a bit more time or a nautical themed party in your future, try these boats, again by Martha Stewart’s designers. Just add the dish name to the sail or boat side. Totally cute!

So just remember, that a Food Label is basically nothing more than a place card with Stewed Tomatoes printed on it instead of Stu D. Matoe. Any cool place card project can be adapted to a Food Label with a quick type, print, peel and stick. Now, off to buy more Dymo tape. You know, I should really think about getting it in the gross …


~ Elizabeth (ekb)

“Now is the time to call loved ones at a distance. Share your news.” Yep. We had Chinese food for dinner tonight and that was my fortune. Hmm. The only news I have to share with anyone is that I am really, really stuck as to how to start this blog entry. Too bad Confucius doesn’t have a cookie for that. Guess I’ll just have to figure it out on my own.

You see, I’ve struggled all week with what to discuss here. I’ve run the gamut on topics. Parties-in-a-box. Emergency party kits. Party planning notebooks (Jessica’s already been there, blogged it, got the t-shirt). But nothing was working. Then, a little Spotted Canary bird suggested aprons. Hmm. That sounded like some fun. That’s a blog subject that could involve sewing and better yet, maybe even sewing with ribbon. My giddiness level shot up. Way up.

So with a topic finally decided upon, I hit the web and found some fabulous inspiration pieces constructed of dish towels. I love how this one from Jen Love at Crafty Daisies is gathered at the top.



And how uponawhim at the Insructables web site used two different towel patterns to create a fun look.



Halleluiah, there was light at the end of my blog entry tunnel. But wait; here came the preverbal brick wall.

I turned my attention next to that one key blog element, that one component that ties the whole thing together and breathes life into a post. I needed an anecdote; a funny little story involving an apron and, well, me or some unsuspecting, defenseless family member. Hmm. That could be a problem. Too bad the topic didn’t involve a skunk, a dog and a dad running across the yard in his underwear. Have I got a story for that!

So because procrastination and going off on tangents are two of my best talents, I sat on the couch and watched some football with my husband tonight. And during the bits of game he was fast forwarding through, I managed to engage him in a conversation about my predicament. He asked for an example of what I was looking for and I reminded him of the story I told a few weeks ago about my dad baying at the neighbor’s dogs on New Year’s Eve.

Well, let’s just say that this conversation became very revealing. And because you all have lives to get on with I won’t go into too many details. But let it be known that from now on the day after I post something here, I will be quizzing my extremely supportive and very devoted husband about its contents : ).

My husband was not shocked or taken aback by father’s impish behavior. In fact he divulged a little something about himself. He admitted that as a kid he would do the same thing … he just did it in the shower. Instead of singing a happy tune, he howled. Howled like a werewolf. Wahahahaha! How stinking high-larry-us is that (ok, and a bit weird)! But the frivolity of the moment soon left me as reality hit. Hit me like a ton of bricks. I had married my father. Geez. How many hours in therapy will that take to work through?

With this new insight to my inner psyche, I went back to racking my brain for a familial apron story. And what did I come up with?  Nothing. Seriously. I may have to get a new family with different tales to tell. Too bad. I was just getting used to the one I have. So my thoughts then wandered off (I told you I have a talent for tangents) to recalling all the aprons I have owned in my life. Ok, my “all” equals about two or three, but as I was remembering them, it hit me. Hit me like a ton of bricks. I had turned into my mother.

My mother is a saver. Not a hoarder, but a saver. She has always shelved things like towels, clothing, and especially tablecloths so that they wouldn’t be ruined and could be kept for that one special occasion. She reasons that her behavior stems from growing up during the war years when commodities were hard to come by. That makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is that without even realizing it, I have picked up this same habit.

Case in point. I bought this apron last fall. Bought it at the same time I bought one for a friend's birthday.



Notice how shiny and new it looks? Well, that’s because it is. It has been hanging up in the closet without being disturbed since the day I unwrapped it. I’ve been too afraid to wear it for fear that something might be spilled on it and it becomes ruined. Sound familiar? Geez. How many hours in therapy will that take to work through?

The answer. Too many. So instead, I’ve decided to throw in the towel and just accept the fact that I am a product of my parents; the good, the bad and the ugly. They intentionally and inadvertently shaped who I am and I am ok with that (except for the thunder thighs that came via my paternal grandmother … thanks Grandma Wilhelmina).

So as a way to celebrate this freeing acceptance of parental influence, and, most importantly, to include the last element of this blog entry, I have created an apron made from two dish towels. I used the above mentioned links and my shiny new apron as inspiration for its design.

 

Here are the basic steps for sewing one (for more detailed instructions click on the photo).  Make a few at a time to have them ready on hand as hostess gifts.  Or better yet, make one to match your party decor or theme. 

1. Wash, dry and iron towels.



2. Make casing in center towel for neck strap.



3. Cut side towel in half.



4. Pin pieces together and machine stitch to secure.



5. Press seams open, easing top of the center section's seam into a fold so it will lay flat. Machine stitch to secure.

6. Center ribbon on apron and machine stitch in place.

7. Thread ribbon through neck casing and machine stitch at apron center to secure.

8. Finish ribbon ends to prevent raveling and embellish with a pinned on felt flower.

So literally with two towels, five yards of ribbon and about an hour of time, you can whip up a new apron for yourself. Or one for your mother : ). And while you’re sewing away, take a few moments to embrace those traits you’ve inherited. The good, the bad and the ugly. I did. That’s why this apron is going in my pot holder drawer to be used and abused and why the other apron is going back in the closet to wait for a special occasion.

By the way, the winning lottery numbers on the back of the fortune are 2 14 32 33 39 43. Good luck! 

~ Elizabeth (ekb)

 

When I was growing up, my family would always clang in the New Year. Just as the clock struck twelve, we’d race outside and bang our issued pan with a wooden spoon. There was nothing melodious about it. It was pure noise. We’d exchange New Year’s greetings with our neighbors and reminisce about the past year. And as tradition would have it, just as everyone had returned to their homes, my father would lift his head to the sky and start to bay. Yep, just like a dog. Makes a daughter proud.

At this point my mother would make a dash for the front door. And just as she hit the threshold she’d hear the canine choir begin its annual concert under the direction of her snickering husband and complete with solos provided by Ringo and Rusty, our neighbors Cash and Ida’s two bellowing beagles. Now what makes the story even funnier is the conversation my dad and Cash would have the following day. Cash would comment to my father about Ringo and Rusty’s sudden excitement and wonder what the catalyst was. My dad, with a twinkle in his eyes, would make his trademark furrowed brow, shrug his shoulders and simply reply “It must have been all the clanging.”

Thinking back on the whole scene, I’m pretty sure the brow furrowing was just a means to prevent him from bursting into fits of laughter. My dad was a stinker. Hiding under his mild mannered, rather passive personality, was a troublemaker brewing. Some would say the apple hasn’t fallen too far from the tree. I’m fairly sure they are referring to my brother because I would know nothing about of being a stinker. And thankfully my mom is out of the country right now with no means of disputing this statement. But I digress.

New Year’s Eve was special because it was the night of extraordinary treats. It was a treat to stay up late. It was a treat to sip sparkling apple cider from crystal stemware. It was a treat to go into the streets of Pinole and make as much noise as possible. I loved those home bound celebrations. And so the tradition of being at home for New Year’s Eve has continued for me through the years.

There was however the exception year of 1999 when my husband, mom, son, good friend and I ventured to downtown Fort Worth to ring in the new century with a few thousand of our closest neighbors. I mean the world was about to collapse, right? So why not watch it unfold from the middle of a city square where there was plenty of protection from chaos and rioting. Yeah. Good sense runs in my family. See above story for proof.

Well, the world did not collapse. There were no riots or ensuing chaos. In fact, the only tense situation was being in the car as my husband tried to maneuver our way from the parking lot to the freeway. It’s a miracle we are still not driving around in circles ten years later. This was after all pre-navigation systems and pre-husband-realizing-he-needs-to-occassionally-ask-for-directions. But I digress.

Being home for New Year’s Eve through the years has, I must admit, lost its specialness. And I wonder if I have done enough to create that same sense of excitement for my son as my parents did for my brother and me. Honestly, by the time December 31st arrives any more, I am usually so tired from all the holiday hoopla that the thought of staying awake past 10 o’clock makes my head hurt. Makes me yawn right now even thinking about it.

So what can I do to get the frivolity back into our New Year’s Eves? I think there are two steps involved. First is to get more sleep so that I can actually stay awake long enough to see the clock strike twelve. This step could include one of my favorite things … naptime (hey, I like this plan already)! And second is to make a bigger deal out of the evening. This step could include inviting people over for some festive food, games and pan clanging. I mean, who can resist pan clanging?

With step two in mind, my brain began thinking of an ensemble of accessory pieces I could incorporate into the festivities. And after some aimless wandering around my local crafts store, I had a color scheme, a motif and a theme for all the pieces. I fell into giddiness with the teal and tiffany blue sequins I stumbled upon and used them to base my color scheme and circle motif on. Hanging right next to the sequins were packages of silver bells and from there my theme was formed. It was kismet.



I began my Ring in the New Year party pieces with the food markers. To incorporate the sequin’s circle motif, I simply stamped and embossed the food name on the lighter cardstock and punched it out. After matting it with a larger darker circle, I hot glued it to a large bell. These large bells were screaming to be used (ok, maybe not screaming, but at least chiming loudly) and I love how they reinforce the party’s theme.



Next I toyed with the idea of glass charms. It’s easy to lose track of your glass at a party, especially if everyone is drinking the same thing, which at our house is still sparkling apple cider on New Year’s Eve. I rummaged around for some leftover wire jewelry hoops and started threading sequins onto them. With a simple paint pen initial, these charms were way quick to make and can even be done by your guests as an ice-breaker activity. Every party needs something to bring people together; a common activity can be that bonding experience.





Now what says party more than silly hats? Nothing else really. Especially if those hats have crazy antennae like embellishments popping out from the top. Again, this is an item that your guests can make themselves. Pre-cut the cardstock half-circles and ribbon lengths then set out multiple staplers and hole punches for everyone to use during assembly. Each hat will be unique and everyone will have fun modeling their haberdashery to each other.



I believe every party should have a parting gift. A little something that says thanks for coming. So here’s what I came up with for this Ring in the New Year bash. It’s a faux old-fashioned cracker. You can make it a real one; there are ways to do it. But for demo purposes I just faked it. Christmas wrap rolls would be great to use as the base, but paper towel and toilet tissue tubes are sturdy enough too. Wrap the tubes with colored tissue paper and tie off the ends with ribbon. I added the sequins and bells by wiring them onto the ribbon knots. The sentiment circle was done the same way as the food markers. Gather these in a silver bucket placed on your serving table for a pretty display and then hand them out as guests leave.





Silverware wraps are another favorite accessory of mine. I guess because I hate fumbling with separate utensils at parties. I always seem to drop one or two while piling my plate with buffet goodies. Both maddening and wasteful. A length of ribbon tied around the grouping is the easiest way to secure them. But why not take it up a notch by gathering a few sequins and a bell onto a wire jewelry hoop and attaching it to the ribbon knot. Quick and painless with a striking end result.



The last item in this ensemble is the invitation. I know, I’ve worked backwards this time round, but hey, it’s ok to break my self-imposed rules once a year (as long as I don’t make a habit of it, right? Yes, ma’am). I used ideas from the other pieces to make the invite. There is the ribbon tie from the cracker and silverware wrap, the circle sentiment from the food markers, and the sequin/bell loop from the glass charms. Each element gives your guests a hint of what’s to come. They all tie together to set the mood and theme of the evening as well as to be so dang cool that no one will want to miss the party with the awesome invitation.





So however you decide to spend your New Year’s Eve this year, whether it’s a quiet night catching up on your sleep, a gathering of family and friends in your home, or a wild night out on the town, I wish you safety and happy memories. May your 2010 be filled with many opportunities to share your home and hospitality with those you hold dear and to celebrate all of life’s moments whether they be monumental or mundane. And may your neighbors refrain from calling the police when you fill the street with the loud and thunderous sounds of clanging pans. Clang on, dear friends, clang on! 

~ Elizabeth (ekb)