Frozen Party!

My son recently celebrated his fifth birthday and begged me for a Frozen party. Since I have all boys and typically don't get to dabble in anything princess, I was kind of stoked he insisted on a Frozen party. We decided to go heavy on Olaf and not AS much on Elsa or Anna (since he is a boy). So, here's the Frozen Party!

                              .....................................Drum Roll......................................
               

I ordered the invitations on Etsy. This is what they looked like, except with our information (obviously) and orange writing in place of the purple.

We had a Pool Party and I decorated the cabana in colors of light blue, turquoise, and silver. Here's how it turned out.

                      

   

So, I need to give credit where credit is due. I ordered a lot of the Frozen printables off of Etsy. Here's the rundown for any of you out there who are thinking of throwing your own Frozen party.

*Tissue paper poms -- for a great tutorial on how to make poms, click HERE.

*Treat bag labels -- I ordered them off Etsy here.

*Cupcake toppers/round Frozen labels -- Ordered from Etsy here.

*Melted snowman water bottle labels -- Ordered off Etsy here.

*The Frozen food labels -- Ordered off Etsy here.

*The 8 x 10 Olaf and Elsa pictures -- Ordered from Etsy here.

*Cake and cupcakes -- made by a dear, talented friend. The cake was a combo of chocolate and vanilla -- so yummy -- and the cupcakes were scrumptious with cream inside!

*Snowflakes -- my creation :)

*Fans -- my creation :)


Whew! So glad it's over! And I think my little man had a GREAT time! :) Thanks for stopping by!

What's Up Wednesday and Exacting Essence

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly blog hop created by sisters Jamie Morrow and Erin Funk to help writers connect on this writing journey.

WHAT I'M READING
I started Elizabeth Seckman's Past Due yesterday, and now I'm almost done! I've had a hard time putting it down. I was immediately drawn in by the characters and hooked by the plot. I'm a huge romantic, and this book doesn't disappoint. (Why else would I be staring at my computer screen for hours on end completely immersed in the story?) I can't wait to see how it ends...

WHAT I'M WRITING
Since I finished the first draft of my YA dystopian, I've been revising more than writing, but the truth is, I kind of get a little depressed when I finish a novel. Maybe it's because I feel a bit of a let down that the story is "over" or maybe because when I write I feel like I can take on the world. I need that creative outlet. I'm hoping I can finish revisions soon and start on the second book in the series.

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW
Music. I created a playlist for my YA novel because there were so many songs that inspired me as I wrote. I always write to music (sometimes it is very soft in the background), and I love it when I hear a song and the words fit so perfectly with my current WIP.

WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO

Well, I survived the Frozen party! For those of you new to my blog, my son requested a Frozen party for his 5th birthday, and knowing that I go all out when it comes to decorating, he was like a slave driver! Constantly, he asked me when I was going to work on his party, and if I shifted my focus to something else, he whined that it wouldn't be ready in time. So glad it's over...I plan to post pictures soon...maybe Friday?

Also, I was recently asked to write a story for a Youth Girls Camp that hundreds of girls attend every summer for a week. The leader of the camp wants to convince the girls that deep beauty, inner beauty is the most important kind of beauty. She asked me to write a story, almost like a fairytale, that will illustrate this important concept. She also asked me to come to the camp and read it to the teenage girls during one of their nightly devotionals. The story will be printed and each girl will receive a copy to take home. I'm excited for this opportunity, but also feeling a little overwhelmed. This is such an important message to convey to our youth. The world would have us believe that beauty is skin deep, but I want them to understand that their beauty is measured by who they are and the good things they do, not by the texture of their hair or shape of their body. I hope I receive the inspiration I need to write it and write it well.

    And now on to a Book Release!
                                                                      *****

A BIG congratulations to James Wymore and his latest book, Exacting Essence.

Author Bio:

On a lifelong search for fantastic worlds hiding just out of sight, James Wymore writes to explore. With three books and six short stories in print after just one year, he continues to push the boundaries of imagination. Journey with him at http://jameswymore.wordpress.com/


Book Blurb:

Remember waking up late in the night after a nightmare? Your mother holding you tight and whispering it's all just a dream and everything would be all right?

She lied.

Evil clowns haunted Megan's dreams for years. Even though nobody ever said she was crazy, she knew they were all thinking it. With her life falling apart, she turns suicidal until a new therapist suggests the impossible: dreams are real. Nightmares are living, breathing predators, feeding on dreamers' fears by Exacting Essence.

Most, of course, forget theirs as soon as they wake up. Megan is not so lucky. She's also not so powerless.

But is even a power nurtured within her dreams enough to fight off the horrors lurking just beyond the veil of sleep?


Interested in reading more? You can find Exacting Essence At Amazon and Barnes and Noble.


Be sure to enter the Goodreads Giveaway here.



Also, if you want a little teaser, check out the book trailer below.

So, what have you been up to? Have you read Elizabeth Seckman's book yet? Are you excited for James' new book?

IWSG & What's Up Wednesday

The first Wednesday of every month is reserved for the Insecure Writers Support Group (also known as IWSG). If you are interested in joining this awesome group where we post our insecurities, triumphs, fears, and failures, as well as offer encouragement to fellow writers, you can sign up HERE. Created by the amazing Alex Cavanaugh, IWSG is a wonderful group to be a part of. Be sure to check out the co-hosts for this month: C. Lee McKenzie, Tracy Jo, Melanie Schulz, and LG Keltner!

I think I'm having a hard time with motivation lately. I'm not very motivated to blog. *gasp* I'm not very motivated to clean my house. And I think I figured out the culprit.

Writing.

When I am in the writing mode (i.e. working on a novel), everything else takes a back seat, including, but not limited to, my children. And my husband. And maybe some friends. Oh, and don't even think about asking me to make dinner. That's what corn dogs and chicken nuggets are for. Awful, I know.

I do feel guilty...maybe for a small moment until I immerse myself in the next scene of my WIP. If only I had a clone to do my blogging, and little fairies to clean my house, and a gourmet chef to cook healthy, grease-free meals, it would be the perfect life. Right?

So, here's a question for you...When you are neck-deep in a novel, do you shirk your other responsibilities? Do you become crazy obsessed like I do? I'd love to know...

Now on to What's Up Wednesday!

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly blog hop created by sisters Jamie Morrow and Erin Funk to help writers connect on this writing journey.


WHAT I'M READING
Nothing. Might have something to do with that crazy obsession of mine...


WHAT I'M WRITING
I finished the first draft of my YA dystopian novel, the first book in a three book series! Yay! The novel weighs in at 91,000 words, but I want to rewrite the ending. I'm finding that this ending is tricky because I want to give enough that the reader is satisfied, but I have to leave some questions unanswered to entice the reader to want to read the next book.


WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW
Other authors. And their successes. Last week was my week to host on Unicorn Bell, the writing and critique blog, and I had the opportunity to interview some AMAZING authors. They inspire me, AND all of YOU inspire me. So, thank you.
 


WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO
 The Frozen party for my five-year-old is drawing nigh and YIKES! I've been too busy writing and not preparing for this party. Time to kick it into high gear!

Also, this is the last week of school for my young'un's, so summer craziness fun is about to set in. You may not see me around the blogosphere as much, but I will be here every Wednesday (or I will try to be) for What's Up Wednesday and IWSG (first Wednesday of the month). Occasionally, I will grace you with an author interview or guest post. 


Ciao for now!