LADIES DINNER - 8.12.14

Hi guys it's me, that girl katie, I love summers and since I am unable to do any outdoor activities because of my recent ACL surgery I am finding other ways to enjoy the outdoors. So, I hosted a summer ladies dinner.

My adorable husband agreed to make pizza's & grill the flank steak. He even cleaned up which was beyond nice because it would have been a lot on my knee.

Planning a party takes a lot of prep. I enjoy the creative and design aspects of the party and like to outsource the food unless it involves making homemade ice cream. So, a special shout out to Laura who helped make a lot of the other food. Even party planning can take a village to pull off.

It was a relaxing and fun evening and I am glad I was able to share it with these special ladies.

DIRT BIKE THEMED BIRTHDAY PARTY

Hey, it's me, that girl katie, Before the winter hit, I hosted my son's 3rd birthday party and wanted to pass along my dirt bike themed party ideas. (video link at top.)

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Source Links:

Party Store:Kara's Invitation: TBoneSquid Supplies: Amazon

If you decide to host a dirt bike themed birthday for your cowboy or cowgirl, I would love to see your pictures. Yeehaw!

Traditional Gingerbread Party

Hi y'all, it's me, that girl katie,

Last week my friend and I hosted our annual gingerbread decorating party at her restaurant, E'leaven Food Company. It is the perfect venue to host this kind of party & others too. I can’t imagine hosting this at my house but I have other friends who do just that.

I order the houses from, Gingerbread Traditions and put them together prior to the party. We ask everyone to bring 2 bags of candy or other decorating items.

This year we had one house per family and gave Moms the heads up to prep their kids that they would have to work together as a team. They exceeded any expectations I might have had.

My mantra this holiday season has been, expect nothing and appreciate everything.

Cheers to you this holiday season & may all your wishes come true.

Source list: http://www.gingerbreadtraditions.com http://www.eleavenfood.com/

Dinner al Fresco

Hi y'all, it's me that girl katie, Earlier this month my husband and I hosted a "Dinner al Fresco" along the Snake River in our hometown of Jackson, Wy. I attended one last year and couldn't wait to host one myself. Lucky me, my husband enjoys to cook which allowed me the time to create plenty of small details and homemade ice cream in order for the night to really glow along side his awesome menu. After all, there were a few celebrations that took place, a birthday, an anniversary and an anniversary eve. It was a perfect night to spend with great friends we have known for a long time.

I hope this inspires you to do something similar in your hometown.

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Menu:

Apps: Herb and lemon goat cheese spread with baguette Prosciutto wrapped shrimp with red pepper aioli

Dinner: Salad with honey lemon vinaigrette Quinoa salad with corn and fresh herbs Grilled lemon-oregano chicken drumsticks Santa maria tri-tip roast

Dessert: Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Push Pops (kept frozen with dry ice which you can get at your local grocery store)

Embelishments:

- Dinner al Fresco chalkboard sign - A painted black and white stripe table runner - Mason jar vases wrapped with black burlap and brown twine - Flowers- I bought from our grocery store and assembled them into the mason jars - Mason jars with candles - Battery operated lights strung over the table - Speciality Drink with a decorative label - A green plastic table cloth I purchased at our local fabric store

Details:

- BYOC - We asked all of our guest to bring their own chair - We choose a location that was public property so we didn't have to reserve it. I did take a few chairs out earlier in the day to silently reserve a spot. - We used bamboo plates that I bought at our local organic grocery store. My husband can't stand paper plates so for me to get him to agree on these instead of ceramic plates was huge but it lightened our load. - We made sure to tell our guests that there wouldn't be a bathroom on site. Hello nature toilet. - Headlamps were also very handy during clean up when it was really dark - Bought ice on way to site

What we learned for next summer:

- Bring large bins to throw everything in when its too dark to organize and deal with the next day at home - Consider hosting it with another couple.

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A perfect evening!