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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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February 16, 2011

It was a bash! It was a monster, alien, robot bash!



So what do you do when your girl asks for a 

Monster, Alien, Robot Birthday Party!?
(whew! say that three times fast)


and not any Monster, Alien, Robot Birthday Party
but
cute monsters, aliens and robots!

Of course no such party supplies exist…trust me I know. do not doubt me. just believe.
I looked. and looked. There are of course monster supplies. robot supplies and yes even alien supplies. but there are not in existent any 
Monster, Alien, Robot Supplies. ooops make that “Cute” Monster, Alien, Robot Supplies…
until now!

See, she was turning 11. and she didn’t ask for a Hannah Montana party, or a Hello Kitty party, or a “horse themed” party, or a “cool rocker chick” party..she asked for a Monster, Alien, Robot Party.  And in all honesty, that will probably never, ever happen again. I had to take advantage of one more year.  One more year of fun coming  before cool. One more year of creative versus chic’ and trendy.  

So welcome to our
“Monster, Alien, Robot Bash!” 


I knew I was going to have to come up with my own design.  I was able to download an adorable set of png. graphics from mygrafico.com, it’s kind of like an Etsy shop for graphics.  The set I purchased was $4.00 and I was able to do so much with them! I combined the alien monster graphics with a robot graphic I had through photoshop and was able to create a custom design incorporating all of the elements she had asked for.

On card stock we printed off the letters to Happy Birthday and added monsters, aliens and robots to each one.  We then cute them out and place each letter on coordinating scrapbook paper.  
We strung the letters along ribbon and tied each end with matching bows!  It was a super easy and inexpensive way to make a custom birthday banner!

I also made napkin rings each with either a monster, alien or robot on them!  The girl’s had fun picking which one they thought was cutest.



We wanted all of our food to coordinate with our theme!  This was easy to do with a little creativity

We had Monster Juice of course!
I replaced the Gatorade labels with custom ones made from printable sticker sheets.
For their movie snack the girls were able to choose between
Nuts and Bolts Robot Parts
which was made up of pretzel sticks,  round pretzels, Chex Mix and M & M’s 
you could use really anything that looks like “nuts and bolts” 

or
if they preferred they could have some Monster Munch!

I made this out of Crunch a Munch, Gummy Worms and M&M’s with some 
Alien Cereal (Kroger Brand) thrown in for good measure!

I placed the snack mixes in washed out coffee cans.  I thought they gave them a fun “outer space” robot type feel…besides reusing them made me feel a little “green” 🙂

For dinner we had 
Make Your Own Flying Saucer Pizzas
Each girl was able to design her own “flying saucer pizza”


and because we needed at least one healthy item
we decided some “out of the world” fruit salad would fit the bill!

This included quarter moon “apple slices”,  monster eyeballs “grapes”, blackberries “alien brains” and of course….star fruit!

For dessert we came up with an original creation just for the party!
Marshmallow Robot Heads!
These were so much fun to make but required a little bit of effort.  I would suggest making these early in the day or the night before.    They looked so adorable placed in another reused coffee can.  Gave them that industrial robot feel!

You can find the instructions here

Marshmallow Robot Heads

where I have put them in printable form for you! 
These were a real hit with the girls and so yummy!


But my favorite part of the evening were the adorable, almost too cute to eat

Monster Cupcakes from Annie’s Eats!

Oh my goodness, I love these little guys! Remember the little alien monsters from Sesame Street?  These remind me of them!  
A few had one eye, most had two but ALL of them were too cute!

I seriously had to force people to eat them cause they were just too adorable! 
They were also beyond easy to make. Visit Annie’s Eat’s to get the tutorial on these lil’ monsters!

After eating the girls moved on to crafts.  Where they were able to paint their own “cute monster”.  I was able to find these at Hobby Lobby.  


They then painted custom door hangers for their room and could choose from either a monster, alien or robot wooden cut out to put on the hanger.


To round out the evening we watched what else but…Monsters Inc. and Monsters vs. Aliens.  

and I can’t wrap up this party without a picture of the birthday girl.  Who didn’t ask for makeup, or a Justin Bieber CD, or clothes but 
a guitar. Which is one of the many reason why I love her so much!  She’s one pretty awesome, cool kid!
Thanks for celebrating my daughter’s birthday with us…at the fence!
Heather

This post is linked up to:

Hoosier Homemade’s Cupcake Tuesday
We Are That Family Works For Me Wednesday
DIY by Design Winter Blue Wednesdays
Savy Southern Style Wow Us Wednesday

Designs By Gollum:Foodie Friday
I’m Lovin It! @Tidy Mom

27 Comments Filed Under: At the Kids Table, Celebrations, Children's Parties Ideas, Kids, Parties, Recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Judy says

    February 16, 2011 at 2:03 PM

    What an awesome, cool mom this kid has to create such a super cool party. Wow and Wow…so much fun.

    Reply
  2. Tina at akagramma says

    February 16, 2011 at 3:15 PM

    What an awesome party! You have a very talented, creative imagination! Great job!!

    Reply
  3. Debbie says

    February 16, 2011 at 3:23 PM

    I agree completely that she’s totally awesome for wanting the guitar. I also love her idea for a party and I remember you mentioning that you were planning it in a previous post.

    Seriously, there was and is no pleasure in Debbie Land any greater to me than concocting a child’s party. I just love it. The more creative, the better.

    You are fantastic at it!! I loved every single idea. Have you ever considered going into business as a children’s party planner?

    Reply
  4. Debbie says

    February 16, 2011 at 3:23 PM

    And I think I got my blogger bugs worked out. UGH. It’s just Satan, trying to steal my joy today.

    Reply
  5. Traci says

    February 16, 2011 at 4:22 PM

    How fun!!! You are sooo creative! My fave is the cupcakes!! Your daughter is gorgeous!

    Reply
  6. Petie@inspirednesting.com says

    February 16, 2011 at 5:59 PM

    FUN, FUN, FUN….some it reminds me of the oh so popular, UGLY DOLLS 🙂 You did a great job…soooo creative!!!

    Reply
  7. michelle says

    February 16, 2011 at 6:17 PM

    OHMYGOSH Heather what an adorable and incredible creative birthday party!! You are so talented and I love everything! Those cupcakes look so yummy and what an adorable picture of your daughter and her guitar! I am so glad that everything went well!

    Reply
  8. Le-Ann says

    February 16, 2011 at 6:52 PM

    Love all of it! So fun! You are so creative. The birthday girl is beautiful (like her mom!) but I can’t believe how grown up she looks. :O

    Reply
  9. Kim @ Savvy Southern Style says

    February 16, 2011 at 7:58 PM

    What an adorable party. You did a fantastic job of putting all that together and she will never forget it and you won’t either. Ha ha. Look at those big colorful cupcakes!! Thanks for linking this up this week.

    Reply
  10. Green Door Girl says

    February 16, 2011 at 8:17 PM

    what a cool party – great job mom!

    Reply
  11. sheri says

    February 16, 2011 at 8:38 PM

    You are one out of this world momma! This looks like it so much fun – and i’m left wanting to go through my pantry looking for marshmallows to turn into robots for my boys – those are so cute!

    Reply
  12. HoosierHomemade says

    February 16, 2011 at 11:04 PM

    What a fun birthday! I’m sure your daughter will never forget it.
    I love how you coordinated everything, very cool!
    And the cupcakes…super cute!
    Thanks for sharing them on Cupcake Tuesday!
    ~Liz

    Reply
  13. Judy says

    February 16, 2011 at 11:06 PM

    I’m so glad you linked up the cupcakes. I love this post. It’s filled with so many great ideas.

    Reply
  14. debs says

    February 17, 2011 at 1:03 AM

    You girls are something else! What a party. You can come and cater my next party anytime! XO
    Thanks Vanessa for following my new blog! XO

    Reply
  15. A Vintage Vine says

    February 17, 2011 at 2:52 AM

    How fun! Love the Monster Juice!

    Reply
  16. NanaDiana says

    February 17, 2011 at 3:48 AM

    What a GREAT party! You did a wonderful job and I am so glad you “went with the flow”..because, you are right, all too soon it won’t be “cool” anymore…enjoy every moment of it!

    oh..and did I say everything looks FANTASTIC?? It does! xxooDiana

    Reply
  17. SavannahGranny says

    February 17, 2011 at 7:17 AM

    what an awesome daughter. She deserved this awesome birthday party. So many things one could use for inspiration. Thanks for sharing, Hugs, Ginger

    Reply
  18. Michelle @Shellsshabbyshack says

    February 17, 2011 at 3:22 AM

    My 6 year old would go nuts for this! I’m so going to try this for his b-day, this summer! Love those cupcakes and robot theme! You really know how to throw a fun party! Fun!
    Hugs,
    Michelle

    Reply
  19. Jane @ Jane's Junk and Treasures says

    February 17, 2011 at 7:59 PM

    How did you come up with all that!
    I love it!
    Monster Juice, nuts and bolts!!!
    Awesome!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  20. CAS says

    February 17, 2011 at 10:18 PM

    Soooo….cute! She is adorable, by the way. She’s very lucky to have such a clever mom who was so passionate about giving her daughter exactly what she wanted for a party.
    CAS

    Reply
  21. Lynn says

    February 18, 2011 at 11:48 AM

    I love cute parties! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  22. Jodie says

    February 18, 2011 at 2:13 PM

    This party is the cutest! Love the Monster Cupcakes, so adorable and fun! Thanks for sharing! Love all the details!

    Reply
  23. Sarah @ Modern Country Style says

    February 18, 2011 at 3:25 PM

    Hey Heather,

    What fantastic party ideas. I might make one of my kiddies have a monster/robot/alien party next year just so I can copy *everything* you did!!!

    Sarahx

    Reply
  24. Allison @ Alli 'n Son says

    February 18, 2011 at 7:40 PM

    Wow, what a great party! Those cupcakes are adorable.

    I’m hosting a weekly linky, Sweet Tooth Friday, I’d love for you to share your recipe. https://alli-n-son.com/2011/02/17/chocolate-chip-toffee-bars/

    Reply
  25. BigBearswife says

    May 6, 2011 at 8:40 PM

    What a neat party!! Loved the monster cupcakes!

    Reply
    • Patsy Dennis says

      March 14, 2013 at 9:57 PM

      Thanks for posting these ferric parties… I, too, like to be creative with parties and I am glad you posted this one especially.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. At The Movies Birthday Party! says:
    January 29, 2013 at 4:22 PM

    […] by and I’m sharing another of the girls birthday parties with you! You might remember her cute Monster, Alien Robot Bash Birthday (yes we can be quite creative in our household. ) from last year! So, a big thanks for sticking […]

    Reply

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“Ah, Lovely October, as you usher in the season “Ah, Lovely October, as you usher in the season that awakens my soul, your awesome beauty compels my spirit to soar like a leaf caught in an autumn breeze and my heart to sing like a heavenly choir.” Peggy Toney Horton.

Happy October dear friends! 🍂
On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the po On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the pouring rain outside contributed to my feelings. But the primary cause was this overwhelming flood of thoughts about how much in our world and in our culture is going off the rails. I’d planned to make pumpkin bread that day but I was tempted to just curl up in a ball on my bed, pull the covers over my head and pretend that this would actually solve something. I didn’t give into that temptation though. Instead, I got out my favorite pumpkin bread recipe and found that, as I worked and prayed and hummed worship songs, my spirit began to settle. When the world feels very loud, the demands of family and home can actually help to quiet our souls. As each family member walked through the door later in the day, they commented on how wonderful the house smelled. It’s better than any fall candle in my opinion! And I knew that the extra loaf that I get from the recipe would be a welcome treat for my widower neighbor. So, if your heart is feeling a bit unsettled this week too, maybe this recipe will come in handy!

Pumpkin Bread:

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 🍂
Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super simple centerpiece that you can make in five minutes (or less) with just a few pumpkins and extra faux greenery. Let’s spend less time decorating and more time enjoying this season. It’s my favorite!! 🧡

#fallcenterpiece #falldecor #centerpiece #fiveminutedecorating
"Define your day", she told me as I held my newbor "Define your day", she told me as I held my newborn son. My mom and I were talking about how blurred my days and nights had become and how easy it would be to just stay in my pajamas 24/7. She encouraged me to make an attempt to put on 'real' clothes in the morning even if they were just nice sweatpants (bonus if they were clean!) and to throw a little bit of makeup on. That simple advice helped chart a course for my years of motherhood that continues today. And recently I began thinking about how critical it is that we not only seek wisdom from those ahead of us in our stage of life but that we are willing to apply it as well.

So, I asked this question on my personal Facebook page; "What is something you feel you've done well to create a peaceful/meaningful home for yourself and your family?" The catch was that the question was geared towards women in the 40+ age range. The responses came flooding in and were so wonderful and insightful. So, I'm going to be starting a new series where I share this wisdom with you and will include the first name of the woman who offered it. 

Today we start with Alison who said "I learned to set my alarm early to get up and moving before my kids woke up. I showered, got dressed and did my devotions while the house was quiet. It set my heart and perspective for each day.”

Is this something you do in your life too? What wisdom would you offer to a mom of young children?

I truly think our culture would greatly benefit from more women in different seasons of life being willing to invest in each other. 🍂

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #motherhood #parentingwisdom
If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a resta If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a restaurant I’m definitely ordering it! It’s one of my all time favorite treats. So I decided to try my hand at making some here at home with a little fall twist and it was SO delicious!! 🍎

Ingredients:

6 slices of day old bread (french, sourdough or even brioche works great)
2 cups of heavy cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
For the apples:
3 peeled and chopped apples of a tart variety
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour (or corn starch)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350
Cut bread into cubes and place in a greased 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish
Whisk together in a bowl the eggs, cream, vanilla, rum, cinnamon and nutmeg and then pour it over the bread cubes. In a separate bowl, mix together the apples, brown sugar and flour/corn starch. Pour the apple mixture on top of the bread mixture making sure to spread the apples evenly across every part of the bread mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes. 
Enjoy!

#falldesserts #breadpudding #fallrecipes #desserts
When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after onl When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after only a week of school, you take the opportunity to make Saturday a truly restful day. Pancakes on the griddle, puttering around the yard admiring the way the limelights have begun their autumn journey from white to green to pink. Sprinkling touches of fall around the house a little bit at a time. Savoring the slowness of it all and taking care of my people in this place that provides us all with a respite from the world even if just for a day.

Hope you’re weekend is off to a great start and that you make it a priority to slow down for a bit and soak up the beauty around you. 🍂

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking #falldecorating
As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but thin As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but think about how grateful I am for the reminders all around me of God’s Sovereignty over everything including the seasons. It can be challenging in our world today to trust that there isn’t a single thing happening that surprises Him.

In a way, decorating my home to reflect the changing season serves as a tangible reminder of this trust. Even something as simple as seeing a pumpkin on my mantel or a basket of mums on the coffee table fill me with peace because they represent the things that remain constant and true.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #club31women
I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consumin I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consuming seasonal decorating. When I think back on the years where I would feel all of the pressure to come up with something fresh and creative I’m seriously embarrassed. Truly. Because it was such a waste. A waste of my time, my energy, my resources. Something clicked with me a few years ago. I was just done. I needed to simplify. I needed to not spend an obscene amount of time looking at fireplace mantels on Pinterest and trying to figure out how to make mine look amazing. I needed to put it all in the proper place in my heart and my mind. Which meant, it had to go waaaaayyyy down on the priority list. So far down it almost wasn’t on it. And I needed to confess to the Lord that I had allowed it to become an idol. 

Yes, I want to have a home that I enjoy. Yes, I love pretty things. But something really amazing happened when I finally released it all. When I decided to not give into the pressure and panic I would feel when I would scroll through my Instagram feed. When I just laid it all down and said…enough. There was this incredible irony in it. Because, the less time I took to decorate my home for each season, the more I found myself loving the results. I think that all along I had just been getting in my own way. It’s really taken a lot of time and prayer for me to finally be at a place where even though I still struggle with insecurities and I still have doubts from time to time, I’m becoming increasingly more confident in who God created me to be. And, just like my home, I’m finding that as I relax into myself, letting go of the comparisons and the pressure, the more I can actually lean into the calling He has placed on my life. 🍂

Leave a comment if you can relate! 

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking
“As the alluring song of September begins to whi “As the alluring song of September begins to whisper in my ear, my passionate spirit yearns for the splendor of its promise.” (Peggy Toney Horton)

Happy September dear friends! While I’m not quite ready to let go of summer and I plan to make the most out of the lingering, warm days, I’ll admit to starting to think about my fall decor this year. And one way to get inspired is to take a look back at previous years. Here’s just a glimpse at some of the ways I’ve welcomed Autumn to my home! 🍂

#september #falldecorating #falldecor #falldecoratingideas #wearethehomemakers
Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning the corner and getting closer to fall but I’m not quite ready to let summer go. So I’ll just be over here continuing to whip up some super simple summer meals for my family that frankly can be enjoyed in any season. These shrimp rolls I made the other night were definitely a hit and would be great for any of your upcoming holiday weekend gatherings!

Shrimp Rolls 🍤

Ingredients
1-2 lbs of shrimp that is peeled, deveined and tail off (If using frozen make sure it’s thawed completely)
1/3 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 of a lemon
2 Tbsps chopped scallions
1 Tbsp chopped dill
1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 Tsp of Old Bay seasoning (more if you like!)
pinch of sea salt and pinch of black pepper
Hoagie Rolls
Softened butter

Directions: Gently pat the shrimp with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Roughly chop the shrimp and place in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, squeeze half of lemon and stir to combine before adding in the scallions, dill and parsley. Stir to combine and then add the additional seasonings. Spread butter on hoagie rolls and toast in the oven until lightly browned. Pile on the shrimp mixture and enjoy! 

#shrimproll #foodie #weeknightdinner #easydinner #seafoodlover
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