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I’m back with a little recap of the Christmas party we hosted this morning.  We invited the whole soccer team over – their team name is “Dynamite” hence the title of this post.  The girls have been together for 3 seasons – 4 come spring –  and we thought it might be a good idea to keep nurturing that chemistry and bond and friendship and all that good stuff in the off season.

I made these fun invitations – – Aqua Mist cardstock by Papertrey Ink, some fun patterned paper by My Mind’s Eye, a frilly doily, some fancy-schmancy leaves from Prima, that adorable little car die from Papertrey Ink, and stickers from The Girls’ Paperie.

The good thing about buying clearance or discontinued paper lines is that you can use it for parties and invitations and gift items, and no one outside of the industry knows – or cares – that it’s not the latest and greatest release.  I bought several packages of this MME holiday collection was it last year…no, the year before, I think.  So I had plenty to work with for the party.

I used the new Papertrey Ink banner builder collection and made my first banner.  Labor intensive for sure – at least for me.  This banner took me 3 hours.  Lotsa cranks through the Big Shot, but I love how it turned out – and so did my daughter.  She was so tickled when she came home and saw this on the day that I made it and immediately connected it to being matching the invitations.

The zig zag piece in the middle was made to go across the top, but if I did that I wouldn’t have good, full trees showing – so I opted to put it across the middle.

I inked all the edges of my Simply Chartreuse cardstock in Vintage Cream to make it more wintery.

Connected it all with some sheer pink ribbon from May Arts – which I am now officially out of – crushed!

The trees were all diecuts in the collection – no work there for my focal point.

I used pieces of the same patterned paper as placemats.  My daughter made little placecards if you will for each girl.  They made Christmas gifts – little plastic mugs that you color – got them at Hobby Lobby for 87-cents, but 50% off = 43.5-cents each x 7 cost me $3.05; whatta deal.

I’m all about the semi-homemade.  That’s how I “do it all”.  I bought the big can of pirouline cookies at Costco, dipped them in chocolate and rolled them in crushed candy canes.  I bake, but I have little patience, so I take shortcuts – and I ain’t too proud to admit it.

Each girl went home with a little red gingham bag topped with a coordinating MME Christmas tree that I cut with the Nested Pine Tree Nesties.  The bag was full of 8 things – – AVON Christmas lotion, lip balm and bubble bath, and then a bunch of things from ELF Cosmetics:  2 bottles of glitter nail polish, some lipstick, lip gloss and a little compact mirror.  I stocked up on super-cheapo deals.

Oh – and a shot of my IKEA lights I was telling you about the other day.  We don’t have a big house – teeny is really what it is – so it’s cozy, and we make it really warm and cozy at Christmas time with lots of fun blankets and pillows and lights and candles.  I never want December to end.