May 30, 2012

 

Woo Hoo!! Wednesday

I have BBQ on the brain :) Sun is finally here, it's daylight longer. Pretty soon I'll be able to walk outside and breathe in the smells of the grill :)

Welcome to my Woo Hoo!! outdoor kitchen. 
Source unknown :(
And the one at my summer home Source,
Party favors for all !! :) Source 
 No sharing fries at this BBQ. Everyone gets their own fry bucket

After dinner we'll grab some drinks to go,

And sit down by the fire pit while we watch the stars,
Don't you want to have a BBQ at my Woo Hoo!! house now :)

May 28, 2012

 

4 day weekend Woo Hoo!!

I've been looking forward to this weekend all month, 4 days off. 4 for me because Friday was a furlough day, mandatory day off work without pay. Oh the plans I had. 

I was going to see if my friend Kristina wanted to get together and use that BBQ and Margarita maker of hers. I don't see enough of her these days. 
Hawaiian Grilled chicken from The Girl Who Ate Everything 
I was going to work in the yard, do some spring cleaning, check out some shops I've been meaning to get to. Fire up the BBQ.

BBQ chicken kebabs from Pink Parsley 


Grilled coconut glazed corn from The Girl Who Ate Everything 

Instead I spent all 4 days here,
watching Netflix and T.V. For 4 days! BORING! I came down with a bad cold/flu, not sure what it was. I had the energy of a sloth. Normally I am the Energizer Bunny. Such a waste of 4 days. I did fizzy up my nails while watching DC Cupcakes 
I did spend one evening at a family get together. Aunts, uncles, cousins. I have the best family so I wasn't going to miss this. This is what I was going to bring,(from Lick the Bowl Good)
Since I was sick, I fizzy'd up Costco red velvet cake. Since it's Memorial Day weekend I placed it on my flag tray and added blue berries for the blue in red, white and blue. 
I hope you all enjoyed your time off and BBQ'd, baked and spent time with family and friends. 

To our fallen soldiers, we salute you. Happy Memorial Day.
Today I honor my grandpa who served this country in WW II. 
Image

May 26, 2012

 

Things I'm Afraid to Tell You

Have you seen this movement?  The Decorated Cookie  posted a few links to other blogs doing this so I decided to check it out. The image above comes from Creature Comforts. I missed the whole Twitter frenzy on this. Guess I don't rate on Twitter ha ha. I didn't even know there was a "movement" until The Decorated Cookie posted a few links.  So I did my homework and read a bunch of blogs taking part in this movement.  After reading several posts on Things I'm Afraid to Tell You, I can understand why they didn't ask me to be a part of this movement. You'll see why if you keep reading.

Many of the posts talk about the same thing.
1. The perception that bloggers make a lot of money. We do? Well how come you all aren't sending me checks. :) I'm missing out. ha ha Where did that notion come from? I have never thought for a minute that any blogger out there makes a lot of money. I know I didn't start mine thinking I would make money. Would I like too? Sure, who wouldn't. Making a little extra to buy more party supplies would be great. Than I can share more parties with you :)
2. The burdens, stress and pressures of blogging. Ok, if it's become a burden,stressful and you're feeling pressure,  maybe you shouldn't be blogging anymore.  Um, didn't you start the blog for ...fun!
3. Blogs make people doubt what they have and the way they live.  Again, these thoughts have never crossed my mind. And why are you letting people you've never even met make you doubt what you have or the way you live? Don't you get enough of that out on the street?
4. There's a lot of crying going on out there. Again, why?

Why did I say I can understand why I wasn't asked to be part of this movement? Because I can't relate.  Ok, here goes, the "real" me (as if I haven't been the real me since starting this blog).
I just don't feel the pressure these other bloggers are speaking of.
If I don't feel like writing posts for a week it doesn't bother me. I don't feel stressed out.  Would I maybe lose a few people who read my blog, sure, but that's not going to stress me out. I don't feel burdened or pressured to write posts or stressed about it. Is my blog perfect, no. Do I spend hours, days writing up a post, no. I'm ok with that. If this blog was my sole income, you bet it would be more perfect. But it isn't and I refuse to let this blog become a burden or stress me out like so many other bloggers out there are feeling.

I understand that what many of these bloggers are talking about is the perfect parties featured on a lot of the blogs out there. The pressure to be perfect. Those of you that follow me though know that my parties are not perfect, I have no problems showing you my oopsies. My blog is not about perfect parties that look like they cost a fortune and the average person can't pull off.  My blogs all about just getting people to add a little fizzy to their get togethers. Who cares about perfect. I look at those same blogs too but I don't think, wow, I'll never be able to afford a party like that, my parties don't look that perfect. I think, oh cute, look at that idea I can tweak and make my own to incorporate into a party. Those perfect party blogs are like Vogue magazine to me. For fun. For a little escape indulgence. Not once do they make me feel inadequate or inferior. Did I mention I have a high self-esteem. Aka stuck up :) ha ha

And what's with all the crying? Goodness people, stop putting pressure on yourself. If you don't have time to write a blog every week, be a mom, work, keep the house clean etc etc no one cares but you. The real me is kinda blunt huh? It's who I am. Stuck up...remember ha ha.  I don't get upset when I don't have a lot of followers on here or Facebook like some bloggers do.  It doesn't bother me when someone defriends me on Facebook.  I am not defined by the number of followers I have. Nor do I get upset and cry or stress out because my blog isn't as amazing looking as some others, or my parties aren't so over the top amazing. I don't cry and stress out if I see someone who hasn't been blogging as long as me get a book deal or have more followers.  Last year was a really stressful emotional roller coaster of a year for me but I wasn't crying over it or have a break down. I'm a pretty strong person. Must be because I'm stuck up hee hee  Nor am I going to share it here. Not because I'm afraid to tell you but because it's personal and I didn't even share it all with my close friends.

My religious orientation, political beliefs, any tragedy that has hit my life, why would I share it here like so many other bloggers have during this movement? It's not because I'm afraid to tell you. I don't share it because this blog is about happiness and good times with family and friends. There's enough unhappiness out there in the news. Do you really want to read about it on a fun party blog too?

So you see, I can't really relate to this movement.  I'm not afraid to tell you anything. Nothing against all the bloggers that are participating in this movement. It's just not me.

Fire away.



May 23, 2012

 

Woo Hoo!! Wednesday

It's baaack! Woo Hoo!! Wednesday.  I've been enjoying the SUN here in Oregon while I can.  It's not out for very long sometimes so you have to LIVE it while it's out. Because as I look out my window right now it's raining and will be all week. I'm a born and raised Oregonian though so I'm not all sad and depressed when the rain comes. It is what it is. 

As you know Woo Hoo!! Wednesday is about the splurges in life.  Expensive items I'll probably never buy, items I could never make, etc. It's the Woo Hoo in life. Like these adorable Le Creuset mini Cocotte. I LOVE these little guys and always imagine a lovely dinner party where I cooked the whole meal (HA HA yeah right) and one of these would be placed at everyones setting. Never going to happen. I don't cook and I'm not a dinner party entertaining kind of girl. But in Woo Hoo!! Wednesday, I am.

Snow cone maker and all the fixings, hello summer! 

This whole set makes me want to have a summer picnic party in my backyard. Soo cute! 

Ahh Pottery Barn, always a Woo Hoo!
Boat dishes....cute!
Perfect for Hawaiian/Luau parties
Come back Friday when I discuss the "Things I'm Afraid to Tell You" blog movement. You won't want to miss it. 

May 21, 2012

 

Mother's Day Delayed

I know, I've been a bit MIA, have ya missed me? You see, there's been this bright yellow orb in the sky raining down warmth and well, we haven't seen it in sooo long that I've been soaking up as much of it as I can. 

Last weekend was officially Mother's Day but as you read here, my mom was at the beach. So we postponed Mother's Day and had it this weekend. My parents came over and we had lunch and made cupcakes. My man actually grilled for the first time. I'm the one who usually does the grilling. He did a great job though. Chicken was perfect. 
   
We had baked beans too but I don't like those. Yes I know this isn't a pro food picture but that's not what this blog is about. It's about inspiring YOU to have more get together's. So fire up that grill and invite some people over. 
Lunch with my parents was yummy. Oh yes, those are strawberry daiquiris, mmmm mmm 
My mom likes to cook and bake.  I didn't inherit her love of cooking but I do like to bake.  So we baked cupcakes together. Mom brought over a recipe for angel food cupcakes filled with strawberry filling and topped with cooked frosting. Sounds delish right, well...
They look soo pretty but they were... meh. But hey, that's how it goes sometimes. You never know if a recipe is going to be a keeper until you try. 

It doesn't matter that there were no party decorations or that the cupcakes didn't taste as fabulous as they looked. What mattered was time with family. 

Now that the sun has decided to finally show itself, I think I see more BBQ's and cupcake making coming :)

May 13, 2012

 

Mother's Day

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

I won't be celebrating today with my mom because she decided to enjoy some gorgeous weather at the beach.  I don't blame her. You have to grab it while you can around here. 

We'll celebrate next weekend. Unless she decides to sneak off to the beach again :) My mom likes to cook. I do not. I like to bake. And I know she's had her eye on a lot of cupcake recipes so I'm thinking a mother/daughter cupcake baking day. So many yummy ones to chose from. 

Chocolate dipped strawberry decadence from Crazy Domestic 

Chocolate blackberry Syrah from my cupcake lovers over at Cupcake Crusaders 

Red velvet and cream cheese, hello, YUM! From the appropriately named site Lick the Bowl Good . I'm thinking, I'd be licking the bowl clean.  
Chocolate Turtle, mmmm. From Sweet Pea's Kitchen 

Inspired to bake some cupcakes with your mom? It doesn't have to be Mother's Day to have a mother/daughter bake day.  
I'll let you know which ones we end up baking. 

May 9, 2012

 

Woo Hoo!! Wednesday

While everyone's devouring The Hunger Games my friends sister's heart is with Twilight.  My friend took pictures of her sisters party for me because she knows I'm a party junkie and that I enjoy featuring others parties on Woo Hoo!! Wednesday. Thank you Carole :) After all, Fizzy Party is about inspiring others to throw more parties and have great fun with friends. 

Excuse the fuzzy pictures.  My friend took the photo's with her phone and they were too teeny for you to see so I blew them up. It's the party fun that counts :) woo hoo!!

The invitation. It says, " The time has arrived".  The party started with a tour of some of the places where the movie was filmed. Fun!
The party continued at the house where the guests watched Twilight and Breaking Dawn. 
Edward for photo ops
Plates and napkins to keep the theme going
Even the lamp shade is covered in the Twilight theme
Movie posters on the wall gives you that movie theater feel
No movie showing is complete without snacks
Popcorn and                                      


Cotton Candy 
\\\
Don't forget some Bella's Afterbirth punch to wash all that candy down with
What a fun party this would have been to attend.  Thank you Carole for taking the photo's and emailing them to me and to your sister for hosting a girls night movie night. Double feature even..with a field trip! Woo Hoo

May 7, 2012

 

Dessert Fiesta

There were so many yummy Cinco de Mayo cupcake recipes I wanted to try that I had to have a mini dessert Fiesta.  I kept this party on the inexpensive by using everything I already owned. 
The guest table with mini pinatas. Inspired by Oh Happy Day. 

Mini Margarita cupcakes from Recipe Girl were light and refreshing. Displayed on a Spanish fan.  
Mexican Wedding cookies. I cheated on these and bought them at the store. shhhh
Pinata cookies. A little tricky to make but the kids loved them. I found the recipe on Project Denneler. 
I cheated with the Sponch cookies too. Store bought but oh so coconutty tasty. 
I played off the pinata theme with this cupcake stand. 
Chili Chocolate cupcakes from All Recipes.  These pack a kick. 
All out parties are FUN! But you don't need to spend a fortune to have a good time with friends and still show off a little :) 

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May 2, 2012

 

Woo Hoo!! Wednesday

I am SO excited about this Woo Hoo!! Wednesday.  My friend, Gorgy called me last Saturday just to tell me that I inspired her :) well, Fizzy Party inspired her. Woo Hoo!!  She was in charge of decorating for a bachelorette party. All the girls were meeting at a hotel and then heading out on the town.  She told me in detail everything she did and I was SO proud! Little details can make all the difference. 

Gorgy took a page from Fizzy Party and hit up Dollar Tree. Her basket was filled with a black table cloth, chocolate truffle candles, champagne glasses and cheetah stone coasters. Boring by themselves, until she fizzy'd them up. She also hit up Michael's, looking for sales and using a coupon. Woo Hoo!! 

The finished result was fabulous!  I'm sure she was complimented on what a great job she did. Gorgy, you did plug Fizzy Party didn't you? ;)  


The chocolate truffle candles get fizzy' d up with bows and some bling. They look so much more expensive now. The cheetah coasters look almost like lingerie with their bows, bling and marabou. Gorgy said she used left over ribbon she had, bling stickers and the labels are ones she had around the house. She used a design edged scissors to add detail.  Those plain champagne glasses got some ribbon and marabou to make them look way more expensive. Like me, Gorgy's light bulb went off while she was prepping all this. Tissue paper in the glasses for POP! Love it!!
  Those cupcakes, Red Velvet from Saint Cupcake , yum :)

Has Fizzy Party inspired you?  Post it on my Facebook page or email me with details of your party and I'll feature it here on Woo Hoo!! Wednesday.