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Fun Pantone Inspired Products

Host Bee — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 02:00:47 +0000

Fun Products Inspired by the Colors of Pantone!

With the recent announcement of the Color of the Year for 2010, a fabulous shade of turquoise, I thought that I’d take a look at some of the fun gifts inspired by these classic color charts!

Mugs

Choose your favorite shade from this assortment of ten colors! Or, an entire set of ten! (individual mugs, $14.99)

Travel Accessories

Each one of these items is really practical, but pack a punch of color with creative flair!

Laptop/Messenger Bag, $88
Passport Cover, $23.99
Coin Purse, $16.99
Luggage Tags, $14.99
Wallet, $39.99
Book Bag, $44.99

Playing Cards

Bring a touch of class to your card games with this colorful card set by Roger La Borde. (Playing Cards, $13.99*)

T-Shirts

Match your preferred strength to the relevant Pantone colour and get that perfect cup every time! (Pantone 4 Coffee T-Shirt, from $25.14)

Cufflinks and Key Rings

Designed to resemble the iconic Pantone chip, these cufflinks and key rings are made of stainless steel and feature coloured enamel in seasonal colors. (Cufflinks, $67; Key Rings, $45)

Each one of these items would make a fabulous gift for the creative people in your life – both those who create art and those who are inspired by it! What Pantone color are you?

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Color Trends for 2010

* It’s serendipity when the products we love are from the sponsors we love

Friday Night Pizza Party for Friends!

Host Bee — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:28:36 +0000

Host a Friday Night Pizza Party for Friends!

These days, staying at home and sharing a simple meal with friends is appealing on so many levels, and pizza definitely fits the bill! Delicious, not too expensive and hands on – three factors that add up to a fun night!

Invite Guests

This is a casual evening, so written invitations may not be necessary. But if you’d like to send an invitation that sets the stage, consider the Pizza Box Delivery from Dainty Invites!

Pizza Dough

Of course, making personal pizzas is the highlight of this evening’s menu! The pizza dough can be home made, purchased from your local pizzeria or Boboli shells from the grocery store. No matter which crust you choose, it’s the toppings that will make the pizza.

Toppings

You can take a more traditional route with toppings like tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, peppers, onions, mushrooms and sausage or take a more adventurous route with some of the fabulous combinations I’ve come across recently!

Here are some standout combinations:

Regardless of which toppings you choose, prepare bowls filled with each topping in advance. Use a small pitcher for dispensing tomato sauce. Likewise, divide the pizza dough into balls sized to make a personal pizza.

Beverages

Pizza and beer are a classic combination, but sangria is also a fun option! Give a nod to this Italian meal with soft drinks like Pellegrino and flavored Italian sodas!

Dessert

I’d give the pizza chef a break and serve pizza desserts that have been prepared in advance!

Easy recipes use refrigerated sugar cookie dough to make the crust and then are trimmed with icing and either fresh fruit or candy.
Gelato is another delicious choice, as well as adorable pizza slice cookies from Alis Sweet Treats! These cookies would also make a fabulous party favor!

This at home party is a wonderful way to entertain friends and family without great expense or effort, while offering an opportunity for great food and great fun!

For more pizza party ideas, take a look at “Perfectly Easy Entertaining with a Pizza Party,” a plan put together with the kids in mind!

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Party Supplies Affiliate Resources:

Retro Foods of the 60’s and 70’s!

Host Bee — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:17:01 +0000

Retro Foods of the 60’s and 70’s: A Trip Down Memory Lane!

A while ago, in Beauty Flashback, I wrote about a few of the beauty products from my teenaged years that I just couldn’t forget, and from the amazing responses that came from Busy Bee readers, apparently they hadn’t forgotten those products (and more) either! After the fun of reminiscing about the beauty products, I started thinking about the foods that were unique to my generation and so here goes!

Drinks – Tang; Kool-Aid (served in my mom’s plastic pitcher that replicated the big guy!); RC Cola

Breakfast – Carnation Instant Breakfast; Count Chocula or Quisp cereal; a soft boiled egg served in an egg cup with a generous sprinkling of Bac-Os!

Snacks – Onion dip made with French Onion Soup Mix (the oversized can of Charles Chips was optional!); Jiffy Pop Popcorn (remember anxiously watching the foil lid?)

Dinner – Libbyland TV Dinners – when a baby sitter was in order, these were the favorite treat!

Dessert - Jello 1-2-3 (who could forget those three “magical” layers!)

Candy – Pop Rocks, Bottle Caps, Razzles, Lemonheads

I can’t wait to see what all of you remember from both family dinners and parties hosted by our parents! We’d love to hear!

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Retro Desserts: Totally Hip, Updated Classic Desserts from the ‘40S, ‘50S, 60s and ’70s

Exceptional Resortwear and Accessories

Host Bee — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:13:38 +0000

Busy Bee’s Resort Report

Exceptional Sarongs and Terrific Tunics!

Give your vacation wardrobe a makeover with a sarong or tunic from Turtle Beach Designs! In gorgeous brilliant patterns, these tunics and sarongs are sewn from luxurious light weight fabrics and feature unique details like beaded trims and ties. Don’t be surprised if you find these fabulous cover ups so appealing that you pop one on to wear out to dinner or around town! (Turtle Beach Designs, $55 to $150)

Sunny Days Straw Totes!

Specialty straw totes from Queen Bea are the perfect accessory for a warm weather get away! Hand woven in a variety of shapes and sizes, these totes are treated to gorgeous embellishments like grosgrain ribbon, monogrammed emblems and actual sea shells, as well as shell ornaments fashioned in pewter and gold plate! (Queen Bea Studio, $98 to $150)

Fabulous Flip Flops!

Flip flops are an absolute necessity for your resort wardrobe and this sandal from Tory Burch will fit the bill quite stylishly! A traditional rubber flip flop receives a designer touch with a wide array of color combinations on the sole and Burch’s signature gold ornament on top. Picking just one will be a challenge! (Tory Burch, $45)

Organize Your Family’s Suitcases!

Packing for your family’s next vacation just got a lot easier! From Traveling Chic, pick up a set of these adorable suitcase organizers. The set includes three drawstring bags each with a cute embroidered label indicating what goes in which bag – clothes, shoes, and dirty laundry too! Brightly colored combinations are available for boys, girls, men and women. (Traveling Chic, $45)

Sea Shell Gathering Made Simple!

Perfect for your little beach comber, this bag is made especially for collecting sea shells! Featuring a colorful burlap strap and top in either pink or blue with an attached mesh pocket, water and sand fall through while sea shells remain safely inside! Since this clever bag is both lightweight and flat, it is an easy addition to your child’s suitcase as you head to a warm weather destination! (Seashell Bag, $12.99)

Do you have a tropical vacation on tap? With the kids or without? A terrific location that you dream of visiting? We at Busy Bee would love to hear about your travel plans past, present or future!!

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Cupcake Birthday Party Theme!

Host Bee — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:42:18 +0000

Host a Cupcake Themed Birthday Party!

Cupcakes are so adorable that they are the perfect treat to inspire a fun and delicious birthday party for girls of any age! Plan to carry the cupcake theme through the entire birthday celebration from the invitations, to the menu, to the favors!

Cupcake Invitations

Invitation Jane – This new site has a charming cupcake invitation with a pink and white polka dot border and a red, rhinestone cherry to attach to the top of the cake! (pictured right, Cupcake Invitation)

DIY – Consider printing your party details on simple card stock cards, leaving an inch or two blank at the bottom. Cut cupcake papers in half and use as a trim for your cards! Instead of traditional envelopes, package your invitation in a cellophane bag and tie with a pretty ribbon. (hand delivery may be necessary!)

Fill in the Blanks

For a 1st birthday, Celebrate Express offers a package of 8 festive cupcake invitations that you can easily complete by hand – pink for girls and blue for boys! ( Cupcake 1st Birthday Invitations)
Another cute choice from Parties for Lori features cupcakes displayed on a fancy cake stand! (pictured right, Cake Stand Invitations)
Coordinating Paper Goods are available for both of these invitations!

Cupcake Themed Paper Goods

Celebrate Express

At Celebrate Express you’ll find their Lil’ Cupcake Birthday theme will provide all of the paper party supplies you’ll need for a 1st or 2nd year old’s cupcake themed birthday party. Available in pink for girls and blue for boys. (Lil’ Cupcake 1st Birthday Paper Supplies, Lil’ Cupcake 2nd Birthday Party Pack)

Plates & Napkins

I love these paper plates and napkins tagged “Cupcake Carousel!” With a pink and white polka dot border circling a three tier tray laden with cupcakes, these are appropriate for a birthday or a “just because” party! (pictured right, Cupcake Carousel)

Parties by Lori – a third cute choice from this terrific source features a curvy cake stand with lots of cupcakes! Cups, napkins, plates and more are available! (Cupcake Party Goods)

Cupcake Themed Party Activities

Plan to spend a portion of the party time decorating cupcakes to be eaten later for dessert! Look for details for assembling your “cupcake bar” below!
Play the perfect party game – Pass the Present!

Cupcake Themed Menu

Of course, this party theme requires that cupcakes be served for every course!!

Dinner Cupcakes

Each of these main dish recipes is baked in cupcake pans and sure to be a hit with the guests!

Dessert Cupcakes

Decorate Your Own Cupcake Bar – using either home baked or store bought cupcakes (without icing), set up a make your own dessert bar! Using a disposable tablecloth, set out vanilla and chocolate icing, sprinkles, mini M & M’s, chocolate chips, crushed oreos, skittles and any other favorites candies and let the kids go to town! (Wilton Cupcake Decorating Set)
Bake a Supersized Cupcake Cake – using a Wilton cake mold, bake one giant cupcake that can actually be shared by all of the party goers! (Wilton Giant Cupcake Pan)

Cupcake Party Favors

The choices for party favors are almost endless! With great restraint, here are a few ideas:

Aprons - pick up a chef’s apron perfectly sized for a little one! When I used these as a party favor for my daughter, I had the girls’ names embroidered on the front and trimmed the aprons with a matching ribbon! (Chef’s Apron, Little Girls’ Chef Party)
Lip Gloss – four cupcake shaped lip glosses arrive packaged in a “gift ready” box! (Cupcakes & Cartwheels Lip Gloss Set)
Soaps – cute little cupcake soaps have chocolate scented frosted tops for the bath or shower! (Cupcake Soaps)
Personalized Cookies – delicious and gorgeous cupcake shaped cookies feature your choice of wording and cellophane packaging! (Cupcake Cookies)
Tiny Towels – towels fashioned into vanilla or chocolate cupcakes are so sweet and practical, too! (Cupcake Towels)
Mints- send your guests home with a sweet reminder of the party with a personalized tin of mints! (Cupcake Mints)
Faux Cupcakes – it will be easy for kids to remember this party long after the last cupcake has been eaten with the soft, carefully detailed play versions from Oompa Toys! Wrap each one individually in a cellophane bag with a pretty ribbon. (pictured at top, Sweet Trio Muffins)
Cupcake Favor Box – Available from Celebrate express, Girl’s or Boy’s Lil’ Cupcake Favor Box

Well, if you’ve made it to the end of this article, you’ll have a deeper appreciation of my deep appreciation of cupcakes! I hope you share my passion and plan the most delicious cupcake birthday party ever!

And for a real treat, take a look at The Icing on the Cake, Cup Cake Birthday Party Theme Party II!

If you’re looking for more birthday party supplies, look no further than Beau-coup Favors. Our edible wedding favors are pretty to look at and fun to eat. Our selection of themed wedding favors and other party favors will help you plan your party without a hitch!

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