So after a whole year break from blogging I finally decided to get this blog back up and running. Before it was meant as a means to showcase my adventures in travelling Europe but as I have been back home already for a year I am using it as a base to display my many creative creations. From different recipes I've learned and tried to different types of DIY art work I've made, this blog is now going to be a collection of the little things I do/create to make my life good. Plus I'll throw in some tidbits/updates of my actual life that hopefully tie in with these projects as I also use this blog as a means to communicate my thoughts and experiences. So let's dive in and get started!
After arriving from Europe I found myself itching to move out of my parents place and finally get a place on my own. I figured if I could plan and execute a whole 3 month trip across the ocean, moving out to a different city just a 40 minute drive away shouldn't be that bad right? So after months of saving up and working I finally moved out last February to a quaint 450sq ft apartment in the heart of the West End in Downtown Vancouver. Now the first thing I really wanted after I unpacked was host my very own housewarming with some of my friends. I thought that a Carnival theme would represent the celebration of moving out and the fun of the unknown quite well so a few internet searches later and ta da! a Carnival themed house warming was created!
I started to think of some games I could play that revolved around the whole Carnival theme. The first thing that came to mind was a simple and inexpensive jellybean guess! Where everyone would have to guess how many jelly beans there were in a jar without going over the actual amount. Using just a simple mason jar and a couple of bags of jellybeans, this game added a quick game of fun.
Next up I used an idea I got from surfing Pintrest on making felt bowties as a take away from my housewarming. So I got some felt, folded them into a bowtie shape then using a hot glue gun I stuck them onto a bamboo skewer to make a little gift to all my guests. All my friends know I love to wear bowties so having these as a takeaway I found very appropriate.
For decorations, I thought that keeping the colour scheme of the party to the 3 simple and bright colours of Red, Yellow and Blue would be best, especially since Carnivals are all about the use of colour to attract visitors and guests.
I had acquired a really nice wine cabinet from my parents when I moved out that is situated in the corner of my apartment where I decided to focus the majority of the decorations on. Using tissue paper and string I folded yellow, blue and red tissue into giant pompoms that I dangled around the cabinet as a festive decoration. Again I got the idea from Pintrest.
My favourite part of the party was planning my DIY photobooth (which I had always wanted to create) Simply by taping a red valour type panel to the wall and setting up my camera and tripod against it, I got a beautiful and fun new activity to use. My place is a little small so the space was tight but somehow I managed to arrange everything so that everyone got plenty of space to be in front of the camera.
The night before I had cut up some painted some cardboard and cut them out forming different types of props to be used in the photobooth. These included moustaches, lips and an assortment of hats. With a little tape and skewers the props were complete.
The food was the next thing I had to consider for the party. I wanted a good balance of sugary confections (Carnival theme) and actual food. So the menu ended up consisting of a lot Mike and Ike's, Cracker Jacks, Gummy bears, Sour worms, Twizzlers, peppermint twists and Caramels. These really brought the carnival theme together but alongside that I included some homemade madelines, watermelon, a french baguette with oil and vinegar and some pigs in the blanket to the menu. As much as I loved sugary sweets I figured having some bits of actual food would help too.
I wanted another game to be played so I had a few
extra balloons lying around (don't ask me why) so I blew them all up and wrote a little note on each of them either saying 'POP again' or another note of disappointment. One particular balloon had the "WINNER" note that everyone took turns popping in order to find. It was a really fun game that I recommend playing as long as everyone involved isn't scared of loud unexpected popping noises!
Finally to add a touch more of the Carnival theme, I got some really festive wrapping paper (from the dollar store) and used it as a table mat for all the food and beverages to be placed on. I had cut up several of them into triangle pieces to hang up against the wall as flags normally would be at the Carnival.
Overall I'd like to think of this party as a huge success that really brought the warmth I wanted to my new apartment. Everyone had a great time with the mix of games, food and decoration and cleaning up after was such a breeze! All in all this whole party took about 3 days to plan and on a budget of only $40 (most of which went to food). This was the first themed party that I planned and I know after having so much fun planning it, that it won't be my last!
Here are some of the photos from the photobooth!
After arriving from Europe I found myself itching to move out of my parents place and finally get a place on my own. I figured if I could plan and execute a whole 3 month trip across the ocean, moving out to a different city just a 40 minute drive away shouldn't be that bad right? So after months of saving up and working I finally moved out last February to a quaint 450sq ft apartment in the heart of the West End in Downtown Vancouver. Now the first thing I really wanted after I unpacked was host my very own housewarming with some of my friends. I thought that a Carnival theme would represent the celebration of moving out and the fun of the unknown quite well so a few internet searches later and ta da! a Carnival themed house warming was created!
Next up I used an idea I got from surfing Pintrest on making felt bowties as a take away from my housewarming. So I got some felt, folded them into a bowtie shape then using a hot glue gun I stuck them onto a bamboo skewer to make a little gift to all my guests. All my friends know I love to wear bowties so having these as a takeaway I found very appropriate.
For decorations, I thought that keeping the colour scheme of the party to the 3 simple and bright colours of Red, Yellow and Blue would be best, especially since Carnivals are all about the use of colour to attract visitors and guests.
I had acquired a really nice wine cabinet from my parents when I moved out that is situated in the corner of my apartment where I decided to focus the majority of the decorations on. Using tissue paper and string I folded yellow, blue and red tissue into giant pompoms that I dangled around the cabinet as a festive decoration. Again I got the idea from Pintrest.
My favourite part of the party was planning my DIY photobooth (which I had always wanted to create) Simply by taping a red valour type panel to the wall and setting up my camera and tripod against it, I got a beautiful and fun new activity to use. My place is a little small so the space was tight but somehow I managed to arrange everything so that everyone got plenty of space to be in front of the camera.
The night before I had cut up some painted some cardboard and cut them out forming different types of props to be used in the photobooth. These included moustaches, lips and an assortment of hats. With a little tape and skewers the props were complete. The food was the next thing I had to consider for the party. I wanted a good balance of sugary confections (Carnival theme) and actual food. So the menu ended up consisting of a lot Mike and Ike's, Cracker Jacks, Gummy bears, Sour worms, Twizzlers, peppermint twists and Caramels. These really brought the carnival theme together but alongside that I included some homemade madelines, watermelon, a french baguette with oil and vinegar and some pigs in the blanket to the menu. As much as I loved sugary sweets I figured having some bits of actual food would help too.
extra balloons lying around (don't ask me why) so I blew them all up and wrote a little note on each of them either saying 'POP again' or another note of disappointment. One particular balloon had the "WINNER" note that everyone took turns popping in order to find. It was a really fun game that I recommend playing as long as everyone involved isn't scared of loud unexpected popping noises!
Finally to add a touch more of the Carnival theme, I got some really festive wrapping paper (from the dollar store) and used it as a table mat for all the food and beverages to be placed on. I had cut up several of them into triangle pieces to hang up against the wall as flags normally would be at the Carnival.
Here are some of the photos from the photobooth!
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| Group Photo |
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