Monday, September 24, 2012

Celebrating my Dad's mustache with a classy gathering and with Black Tie Mousse Cupcakes!

 

I finally have a chance to show off the details of my Dad's Mustache party!  I threw him this party 2 days BEFORE our big Olympic party this summer so I was a busy party girl that week!  We hosted the party at my parent's home sweet home. 

Me, the party planner n' my MEstache. :{



This party was probably one of the MOST FUN times we've shared at a family party, probably because it was just all so silly and ridiculous to elevate the MUSTACHE as a party theme.  So we laughed a lot and just enjoyed FAMILY.






 The REASON I chose a mustache party for my Dad was easy: I've never in my life seen him without a mustache.  He has had one ever since he was a hippie teen back in the 70's.  It's always been him.  Every time I see mustache this and mustache that, I'm reminded of my Dad and his handsome 'stache!  This birthday was to celebrate all the years that he's been the BOSS OF THE MUSTACHE.


 


One of the main focal points of the party decor was a mirror in my Mom's dining room.  I hung a timeline garland of random photos of my Dad through the years with his mustache.

In the middle of the photo timeline I hung a tag that read, "Dad's stache through the years". 











 I also used hot glue to attach paper mustaches to the baby clothespins that held the photos.
  

 

Dad taking a moment to look at his photo timeline garland...



THE PLAN: I wanted to surprise my Dad with this ridiculous mustache celebration.  My dad is very balanced, level-headed, and practical.  I assumed he would be baffled as well as surprised when he walked in to see us all playfully celebrating his mustache.  Our family was all lined up, in the decorated house, waiting for my Dad.  We each held a paper mustache on a stick up above our lips, ready to sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY when he walked in.  He was certainly surprised and he was very entertained watching us too.



 

Singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY as he comes into the room.



This was his surprised and amused reaction.




 Okay!
 Party time!




 Please don't laugh.  This is a very serious celebration of my Dad's 'Stache.





If you're wanting ideas to throw a party that involve EASY, QUICK, RELAXED, and SIMPLE, this is your party, loves. ;)   My mom ordered Chick Fil A catered meal trays and I just brought one small box of party decorations to her house to set up our scene.  We made a good team, setting up candles and setting the tables.  Just a quick toss of special touches made this celebration MORE THAN GOOD ENOUGH.

 This adorable cupcake pedestal 
is from my favorite dish company, Rosanna Inc.



For the main food buffet table I maintained neutral colors with some white and black. 


 Again, keeping it classy BUT easy with a big bowl of popcorn for an appetizer in a pretty cream bowl.  My mom set out other quick finger foods to enjoy along with our Chick Fil A catered trays.

 




I'm a dip girl.  I'm quite certain that my love of dips have given me some extra curves.  I don't even like french fries and chips are just okay.  I just use them so I have an excuse to have DIP.  You can't serve chicken tenders without a variety of dips!  An excellent way to use those adorable little mustards and sauces you receive in food gift baskets is for parties!  Just peel off the labels and TA DA!...pretty decor is in place.



I used kraft colored mini espresso cups (to maintain my neutral color theme) to hold our dips: BBQ, ketchup, and homemade ranch.  I used mini stickers to attach playful paper mustaches to each cup and added white painted dipped spoons from Antrho in each cup.   




This is the easiest meal my Mom and I ever prepared.  We are a little "suzy homemaker" team who decided to let Chick Fil A do the magic on our buffet table.


  We chose Chick Fil A because it's one of my Dad's favorite restaurants and because he double loves chicken!  This party was to celebrate him, and that includes bringing in his FAVORITE THINGS. 

 I stuck some mustaches in the food trays as well...

 


My Dad was raised in Southern California, which makes him a big fan of fruit. So we had to order in a fruit tray too.



I LOVE, LOVE to use gifts as part of my party decor (I'm going to do a separate blog post on that topic someday!).  As part of his birthday gift, we gave my Dad some little mustache shot glasses to hold toothpicks etc, a mustache milk glass, and mustache shirts for him and my mom. 

He got the special milk mustache glass at the table! (And yes (ughhh) I see now that I put his glass on the WRONG side of the table...really?? After all the practice I've had setting the table...oops)




Milk Mustache REDEFINED.





More gifts as decor...


Even his "real" gifts were wrapped in distinguised mustaches.




Even his card has a mustache...awww.



Instead of a cake, I baked {ooooh so good} Black Tie Mousse Cupcakes.  Have you ever had Olive Garden's Black Tie dessert?  It's rich and rich and rich...and yummy too.  I found a recipe online that mimicked their signature recipe and I put my apron on and made some magic in my kitchen.  The only changes I made to the recipe is that I prepared a homemade chocolate cake instead of the boxed and I made them into cupcakes instead of a cake.  See HERE for recipe. 


I wanted sophisticated, dressed up cupcakes so instead of fluffing the frosting on, I stacked it into a round, flat wall and spilled chocolate ganache over it.  After that, I whirled some melted white chocolate on the tip top for garnish. I really liked the stacked wall of frosting.  It gave it more of a modern, masculine, "gentleman" look.    Details, lovely details.


What's in these babies??
Everything.

Custard.
Mousse.
Cake.
Ganache.



This is a not-so-simple cupcake, though I usually prefer LESS ingredients for a more homestyle, classic, traditional, goodness.  There is a special sweetness in simplicity.  However! This party was an exception.  Everything else in this party was kick back, so I thought I could elevate the cupcake on a lil pedestal.  I wanted to add an elegant, black tie, gentleman dessert to pair with our distinguished mustache theme.   My Dad isn't a classic gentleman though!  He doesn't have Cuban cigars, he doesn't golf, he doesn't wear black ties.  He is an Arizona/Colorado gentleman instead.  He has manners while he wears jeans and flip flops, races fast cars and 4 wheels through dirt in stuff with big engines. 

These black tie cupcakes are the closest thing he'll get to being fancy.


It's a maze of mustaches!  I lined the cupcake tray with mustache wrapping paper.









Happy Birthday to you Dad, and your mustache.


 

My parents 2012




Leaving the party and the balloons...


 






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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Cavemen in Training: Little Boys to Macho Men CAMPOUTS


 This is a RE-POST.  This is the first time I've completely re-posted an entire blog post SO I hope it doesn't confuse you.  The original post was written HERE in 2009, as one of my first blog posts.  The only changes are some new camping photos from this year.  Chris took our youngest son, Titus, on a father/son {CAVEMAN TRAINING} campout a couple weeks ago.  I will be showing the blog RE-POST further down the page...


This concept is a little {no girl allowed} tradition that our family does.  Chris takes only one boy at a time on a short summer camping trip to teach them all the MAN SURVIVAL SKILLS.  I just double love this tradition because it has layers of values from incorporating special one on one time, to teaching our boys lifelong provider, survival, and protector skills.

The following pictures are snapshots of Chris' most recent father/son camp trip with our youngest son, Titus, a couple weeks ago. 



Early mornings in the mountains are the best times:



Learning lifelong skills like how to start a campfire:
 

My own caveman, and love of my life! :) 

 
 I guess camo can be HOT after all...



OKAY,  the following post is the RE-post:
 
                                                                        Chris 2008

I'm about to lift my husband up on one of those shiny tall pedestals for just a bit! Chris is an incredible Daddy! Some of my greatest joys are watching him interact with the boys. He is perfect at patiently training them and teaching them new things. It comes so naturally to him and it makes me smile from the INSIDE OUT!

A few years ago, Chris started a family tradition with the boys...a No Girls Allowed tradition. Each summer he would take ONE boy out on a Father-Son Camp out. This allowed for special one on one time with Daddy. Cameron Skyler got to go first. This year was Kotah's turn. Titus is anxious for his turn next! The purpose of the camp out is to teach them survival skills and all those macho man qualities! He has a series of things he wants to teach them and several things he already has taught my little men!

They include:
-tying knots

-starting a fire

-handling a gun safely
-setting up a tent

-filtering water

-etc etc etc


I got Chris this book The Dangerous Book for Boys for more ideas.


I appreciate his doing this because even if my boys grow up wearing Armani suits and living in the sleek city streets of America, I still want them to possess the skills to protect and care for their family if the need arose. I'm all about tough, real, macho men! I'll pass on the pansies {wink}.

Thank you Baby for raising up capable little men, I love and appreciate you so much.





Indulge in some Redneck pictures ya'll
(FYI, we're not always quite so redneck...I have to disclose this to protect my pride!)


This photo group is of Chris' trip 
with our middle son, Dakotah
in 2009

Oh wow





CAMPING TRIPS PAST
WHEN THE BOYS 
WERE LITTLE!

Kotah being himself
 
Titus patiently fishing
Cameron Skyler fishing 


What traditions make up the blueprint of your family? What are you doing today that can be remembered tomorrow? I'm a fan of learning, so send me your ideas!




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 This post is linked to: Under the Table & Dreamin, Nifty Thrifty, Seasonal Sundays, Made by You Monday, Met Monday, Tuesday Tutorials and Tips, HOMEWORK: Be Inspired, Tasty Tuesday, Tip Junkie, Get Your Craft On, Works for Me Wednesday, Organize and Decorate Everything, Celebrations at Home,Transformation Thursday, Tablescape Thursday, Strut Your Stuff, 36th Ave, Foodie Friday, Frugal Friday, I'm Lovin It, Tickled Pink, Friday Flair, Design Dazzle, eighteen25, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Weekend Wrap Up sew many ways Six Sisters Saturday