Going Away Party

I got to host another little shin-dig, but this one wasn't for a happy occassion... Ok, maybe I'm selfish, but it wasn't happy for me....   I very very very very close to friend is moving away.... We had her bachelorette party two weeks away and then realized how soon she would be moving, so we had to have one more "girl's night" before she loads up her car and moves to The Sunflower State. 

We had a pitch-in for tacos and desserts. I threw together some directions at the last minute to make it fitting. I think everything cost me $5. I bought 4 bunches of sunflowers at the Dollar Tree, two poster boards 2/$1 and used a free map I found in my car.  I did also use those glittery clothespins that I made for the bachelorette party and didn't get to use, as well as black streamer that I bought and didn't hang.

Map and Sunflower centerpiece

Her state information

I framed a ton of pictures of all of us girls around my living and dining room

Each girl got a picture from the bachelorette party and driving directions from here to there.
She got directions from there to here. :)

I didn't get a good picture of it, but I also made a banner with "We Will Miss You" cut out from map and glued to poster board triangles. I used Dollar Tree jute string that I already had on hand.



One of the girls said during our goodbyes that it's not a good-bye... It's an "until next time."


That's what I keep telling myself.... she's not moving to another country or leaving us forever....
Until next time....
Krista
Happy Planning!





DIY Glittered Clothespins

If you read my "A Night for the Girls" post, then you read about how I didn't get to use these gorgeous things. I was very bummed, but they are still so pretty and so easy that I have to show you how to make them. I made mine black and clear just to match my party, but imagine these things pink, white, brown.... with festive sparkles or girly glitter. The possibility are endless. You could also decoupage them with paper to match your theme, but I've never tried it.

Please don't judge my photography. My sister is the photographer, not me. I have a point and shoot camera and I'm lucky to get good pictures from that. I've never studied how to know what kind of ap. to use and f/200 blah blah blah thingy to choose. I usually shoot on Auto and look for the green hand to pop up and tell me it's clear! haha I was also painting these at night and had zero natural light until the next day when I got the pics below....

ignore the dirty window and sill! yikes!

What I started with

Black paint and a sponge brush (14/$1 at Michaels on sale)

How I started

NIGHTMARE! By the point of trying to get into nooks and crannies, I was thinking that buying glittered clothespins would have been a better idea!

I ended up holding each clothespin and jamming the sponge into each crevice to try and get as much paint as possible on it. My left hand was covered in paint

When they were painted and dry, I covered them with craft glue and rubbed it in with my finger.



I already owned the paint, glue and glitter (I'm pretty excited that I have enough craft supplies in stock that I can actually say that!) That tacky glue I have had since 2004-2005. That stuff never runs out!



I sprinkled the glitter on, rolled the paper up and dumped the excess back into the tube.

When I decided to make more, I hooked all of the clothespins to a dowel rod and SPRAY PAINTED them..... oh my goodness ya'll, I can't even tell you how much easier that was! I then repeated the glue and glitter process.
Please don't hand paint yours...BIG mistake! Spray paint is the way to go!


Planning to make these for your party? Please send me a picture of how they turn out for you!