Welcome to the Christ Child Society of Northern Michigan’s blog site.  We will be using this site as a way to keep our members and community informed of our activities and events.  Please check in often.

January 18th – Newsletter Deadline for winter edition.  Please send photos, articles and any other information to Diane Giffin at:  dkaygiffin@aol.com

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Hey everyone!! Sorry this post is up late, but I’ve been very busy recently sorting things out…. Anyway so the Summer Party is underway although the Sunflower Wallpaper is not yet out because of an assumed glitch! The Summer Party has been extended untill the 7th of September to give us a chance to get the Sunflower Wallpaper when it is released!!

Hey everyone!! There is going to be a summer garden party from Friday the 28th of August till Tuesday the 1st of September!! There is also going to be a rare item up for grabs!! Heres how to get  your hands on it-

1. You’ll be sent a mod game letter like this-

2. Work out the answer and then go and find the moderator who looks like this-

3. Once you have found the moderator, tell them the answer!-

4. If you are the first person to say the  correct answer, then you will win this rare prize!! (Sunflower Wallpaper)-

Make sure you’re there because otherwise you’ll be waiting until Summer 2010!!

Photo from ModernJune’s Etsy site.

All year I dream about patio tea parties and picnics under giant trees.  I dream about colorful garlands wrapped through branches, replaced by twinkling mason jar lanterns at night.  I dream about mixing calicos in sunny reds, yellows, and oranges for tablecloths, napkins, and garlands.  Something just cheers “party!” when you hang a banner.  And when they are made of fabric they can be re-used year after year for birthdays, celebrations, and those days that need a little something extra.  Making one (or many!) is definitely on my to-do list.  I made a simple paper heart garland for valentine’s day.  And well…actually…it’s still hanging up.

Here’s hoping you have all the elements for a great summer party.

Photo from Apartment Therapy

Photo from Martha Stewart Living

Photo from Moonstitches

Photo from daisysanddots Etsy shop

Photo from Kim Vallee

Our Summer Party was awesome and we had a lot of fun at the Metropole.

Thank you for all the nice people who showed up!

The party started at 7pm and we ordered our first drinks, pizzas and nachos. Around 9:30pm we started our PuB Quiz and everybody had the chance to win Sightseeing tickets sponsored by Big Bus, Whistler Trips sponsored by moose travel network and a great Seattle Trip sponsored by West trek. Thank you to Mike who presented the PuB Quiz, he did an awesome job. After the Quiz we had a lottery and the fantastic prize was a two day Victoria Trip sponsored by West trek.

Congratulation to our winners:

Philine – Victoria Trip

Mayuko and Ivan – Whistler Trip

Jessica – Seattle Trip and Big Bus ticket

Sandra – Big Bus ticket

Priscilla and Christy – Big Bus tickets

It was time to party after all the nice prizes. We ordered some new drinks and let the party started on the dance floor

It was a fantastic and long night at the Metropole, thank you Liza and Mike it was great to plan and organize the INTERNeX Summer Party 2009 with you guys.

A lot happens in the Algarve in August.  Concerts, night clubs, sporting events, exhibitions and more.   However, Vale  do Lobo is home to two of the month’s most anticipated events….the Vale do Lobo Summer Party and the Grand Champions Tennis Tournament. 

Every year, Vale do Lobo throws a massive party in August.  It is intended primarily as a festive Summer event for the residents of this exclusive community.  Outdoor space is cleared on the golf course next to the fairways.  A stage is erected.  An open air discotheque is built.  Cocktail service is strategically placed around the perimeter.  And, bean bag chairs are strewn throughout the garden to create the ultimate al fresco lounge.   This year’s main event was a performance by Killer Queen, a trivia band that looked and sounded identical to the classic Queen.  

Vale do Lobo Summer Party 2009

After the concert, guests danced the night away at the disco to the sounds of DJ Carlos Campos.

Dancing through the Night at the Lakeside Disco

In the next week, Vale do Lobo hosted the Grand Champions Tennis Tournament at the Vale do Lobo Tennis Academy.  This particular event is always a good time.  Tennis veterans come together to compete and entertain the sold out crowds.  This year’s line up included:  Stefan Edberg, Marcelo Rios, Thomas Muster, Greg Rusedski, Henri Leconte, Marc Goellner, Nuno Marques and Fernando Meligeni.    Rusedski beat Edberg in the final 6-3, 6-4. 

Greg Rusedski Celebrates His Win

Fernando Meligeni, Henri Leconte, Nuno Marques Enjoy the Post-Tournament Party

Following the success of our two previous summer parties, the Kings will be putting on the third of its summer events on Saturday, 29 August 2009, the bank holiday weekend.

We will be providing a summer buffet, which includes beef, ham, salmon, a selection of pastrami hams and various salads.  The  summer party is on Saturday 29 August, from 7.30 pm til late!

Again the tickets for this event are only  £5 and include the price of the buffet.  Word is  getting around as to the success of our summer gatherings and we were sold out for the last event.

And the success of our first two events means that to avoid disappointment you need to be sure to buy your tickets a minimum of 48 hours before.

A block party is a great opportunity to strengthen your current relationships and to welcome new members into your neighborhood.

With a few simple preparations and coordination with your neighbors and friends, you can easily pull together a summer Block Party Bash!

Invitation

Why send an invitation in the mail when you can simply hand-deliver? For a creative invite that screams block party, create a door hanger with all the party information, and then place the invitation on your neighbors’ front doors. Be sure to create a slogan or a community saying for the front of the doorknocker to give it a personalized touch (this neighbor used “Queen Anne Rules” for their Queen Anne neighborhood).

Your friends and neighbors will come home to a surprise on their doorstep.

Backyard Picnic

Outdoor tables and chairs may feel like a hassle to set up at your block party. The solution? Waterproof blankets to create a picnic, family-like atmosphere for the group. These fun blankets come in a variety of colors and will leave less of a mess once everyone is done indulging in a delicious meal.

Name Game

Hopefully all of the families at your block party are familiar with each other, but remember the possibility of new families and friendships. To spice up your décor or to help your guests with the names of every attendant, create signs with each family’s name for the picnic blankets. Attach each sign to a wooden stake and place it in the ground next to the family’s assigned seat. The signs will not only add a whimsical feel to your outdoor set-up, but they will also function as outdoor place cards for the backyard oasis!

Barbeque on the Block

Paper plates and cups will leave your backyard in a mess, and plastic utensils are certainly not eco-friendly. As a solution to the problem, create a small picnic basket for every guest complete with flatware, a container for food and a cookie. Simply grill meat, vegetables, and seafood, and let each guest create their own kabob to bring back to their blanket with their basket. This scenario is much easier than trying to arrange a potluck or large barbeque.

Signature Cocktail

For the adults at the party, make Arnie Palmers, complete with lemonade, iced tea and Finamore Limoncello. For the alternative kid-friendly version, use the original Arnold Palmer and simply mixed iced tea and lemonade. To display the cocktails, use beautiful apothecary jars and create matching labels identifying the two beverages. The little ones will have a blast sharing drinks almost identical to their parents!

Entertainment

While the adults may be content simply chatting the night away, you will need something fun to keep the little ones occupied. As a solution to their boredom, rent a sno-cone machine, so the kids can stay cool with their favorite treat. Sno-cone machines are fairly inexpensive to rent for the day. If a rental is not in your budget, a cheaper version can easily be purchased for less money.

Takeaway

Even though you may include multiple houses for the block party, a takeaway is still nice for a memorable experience. To solidify the new relationships formed at the party, send each guest home with a water bottle complete with the same logo as the invitation. As a helpful reminder, attach a neighborhood watch schedule with the name and phone number of every family who attended.

The guests can easily place the tag on their fridge or bulletin board as a safety precaution for the community, but the note will also remind them of the great time they had.
]]> http://internexcanada.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/internex-summer-party/ Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:05:55 +0000 internexcanada http://internexcanada.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/internex-summer-party/

It’s time for INTERNeX Summer Party! We would love if you could be there! It’s a good opportunity to meet other INTERNeX clients, and make new friends.

The event will be held at the Metropole, 320 Abbott St in Gastown Friday 14th of August. There will be some snacks, a couple of free drinks and games. Of course with some nice pricez!  After ten there will be a night club for those who want to dance! The doors open at 7 pm.

Have a great week and hope to see you on Friday!

Best regards,

The INTERNeX team

2.  Partying

3.  Parading

Son 2 aged 22m lies on his nappy mat, stinking.  I clear him up.  “Wipe,” he commands.  I can’t let him have one until he is Clean. Otherwise he will start wiping himself.  I give his nose a kiss. He pulls me down towards him. I rub noses back and forth, telling him “Eskimoses Rub Their Noses.” He hoots with laughter. “Again. Again. Again. “ 

We went to a Summer Party, at the home of some friends in The Country.   Parking in their field, a massive Bouncy Castle, and another newly-mown field for the children to play on, including a goal with loads of footballs, a water slide, a playhouse and a rocket launcher.   The friend, someone I worked with years ago, carried her six-month-old around. Gorgeous. And about the size of Son 2. I do hope he’s out of the 9 – 12 month clothing before he’s two. The Man was hungover, and felt better after many burgers and sausages.  Son 1 aged 4 y 10m ate one sausage and a piece of lettuce. Son 2 said “Cake!  Cake!” Father Jack-like. Son 1 sped in, along and up the Bouncy Castle a zillion times. Son 2 made it on his own.  Although when he got to the top of the climbing wall, he sat, waiting for me to climb through and up to help him.  I made it, several times, but was inelegant scrabbling down in my black linen frock. It took me back to the days when I slid down marquee roofs wearing fancy dress…

We came home, I dashed into town shopping, taking Son 2 with me, hoping he’d have a snooze in The Big Pram. Nope.  Then we were in The Carnival.  A friend gave us a lift, his partner had made the costumers. Marlin for Son 1, Dory for her son and Nemo for Son 2. We joined our partners in the parade, secondary schoolchildren also in costume, hauling a huge whale on a boat trailer.  We watched and waited while Vikings, Pirates, penguins, fairies and cyclists gathered.  The Town Band had dressed up like the Welsh Guards in Rourke’s Drift.  We set off. Son 2 refused to walk, but just stood, peering and everyone and everything.  We walked down a steep hill towards The Town.  I was worried our whale was going to break loose, ten-pin bowl its way through the carnival procession and leap over the buildings at the bottom and into the sea like Free Willy. Son 1 held hands with his 3 year old friend all the way round, and collected a fortune in their buckets for looking cute.    Ye Olde Sweetshoppe was open, so I bought 2 Childcatcher lollipops for the boys at the end. They all crunched up. Son 2 had green food colouring all round his mouth. High as kites and off their heads with tiredness and sugar, they zinged around. 

When we got home, I showed Son 2 his reflection in the hall mirror. “Who’s that?” I asked. “Son 2!” he said.  The little lamb can say his name. Sigh.

NOTE: I can’t post pictures since I’m on my friend’s computer and she doesn’t have the software to take screen pictures… so I will post pictures when I go on my laptop.

Hello Penguins! The new penguin color came out today and as you know, its Aqua! Now I visited the gift shop and there was ALOT of people complaining that it looked the same as the regular light blue, and it did. I did a color comparison with me and my friend and it looked the same! I along with other people are really disappointed.

Waddle On!
Krissi

IN OTHER NEWS: there is construction going around the island for gary’s plan. WOOT!

There are a few things that have the propensity to annoy me more than a set of seating cards, place cards, or napkins flying off and away in the wind during an outdoor party.

Well, thanks to Poopscape Projects, a vase full of rocks now serves a double purpose.

Using gold leaf is not expensive, and when used with double tack mounting film, it’s really easy to use. The mounting film can be cut into any design, regardless of how intricate or delicate it is. You can add gold leaf to just about any surface, but here it is shown using a regular ole river rock.

What you’ll need:
• a selection of river rocks (should be smooth), thoroughly washed and dried
• gold leaf
• Graphix double tack mounting film
• a small brush
• small sharp scissors (for making those dainty cuts) or an x-acto knife

Step 1: Trace the outline of your rock onto the adhesive paper. I highly recommend doing this first because it insures that your design will fit/be centered on your rock. Draw your design on the paper.

Step 2: Cut out your design.

Step 3: Peel the back side off the adhesive paper and stick your design on the rock.

Step 4: Peel the facing side off the adhesive paper design.
Step 5: Grab a piece of gold leaf to cover your design. If you don’t have a large enough piece, you can use several smaller pieces to cover your design. Any scrap you have left over can be used later for another project.

Step 6: Use your brush to push the gold leaf against your design. When it’s firmly stuck, brush off the excess gold leaf. Try not to sneeze or sigh deeply while you’re doing this- the gold leaf will become airborne.

Step 7: Brush up against the edges of your design to remove the remaining bits of gold leaf and then you’re done. You can apply gold leaf sealer if you want the gold to maintain its luster, otherwise it’ll gradually take on an “antique gold” patina over time.

Other possibilities: Try making letter/initial designs to use as place settings for a fancy dinner or paperweights.

food: catered by SpaHa Cafe

I’m finally able to sit down and share the details for the summer party I mentioned here. I was on the Planning Committee with two other amazing tenants that made the whole experience a lot of fun. As I mentioned before, we had a tiny budget but I think we pulled it off wonderfully. People in my co-op are still buzzing about how much fun it was. I highly encourage everyone to get out and meet their neighbors. Plan your own party and have fun doing it. 

And if you find yourself planning something, here is one tip: be open to change. I always say this, then I always forget this and then somehow I find myself in a bind remembering what I swore I wouldn’t forget – be open to change. Example, we had a color pallet pretty early in the planning stages. Then after a search for beverage buckets I found a sweet deal at Bed Bath and Beyond for some dirt cheap buckets that were perfect in every way. As in great summer colors, an ideal size and priced perfectly at $5. They weren’t in our color scheme so we come up with a new color scheme that I even ended up liking more. It was so much easier to adapt to the situation and accept the change. In the process we saved money which is always ideal in these tight economical times we live in.

I know with myself, I often have these ideal images pretty quickly in the planning process. Then I want to stick to it and see that image come to life. But somewhere, somehow I always get a curve ball. Life is just so much more pleasant.. so much more beautiful if you just roll with the curve ball.

I didn’t get to take as many photos as I had hoped but I think this gives you a good sense of our summer soiree. 

decor: balloons in red, yellow and blue

balloons, beverages and buckets

wine: trader joe's

dessert table

Questa notte Zona Tortona fa un tuffo nel blu con Summer Party Water Tribe.

Stasera, al T35 in Zona Tortona, il Tour Operator leader italiano nella realizzazione di vacanze in flottiglia, regate, eventi velici aziendali e noleggio in Mediterraneo, alzerà le vele per un party che vi farà ballare fino all’alba su una delle terrazze più belle di Milano, tra drum session, luci, immagini, photo shooting corner e dj d’eccezione.

La lista all’ingresso prevede la conferma. Potrete quindi estendere l’invito a chi volete con l’unico obbligo di accreditarvi via mail all’indirizzo press@watertribe.it

Summer Party Water Tribe, giovedì 16 Luglio 2009, dalle 22:00, Via Tortona 35 – Milano.

Recently I had the pleasure of planning an event for a very fun couple. The event was held at their home.

[Before]

Here’s a peek at some of my non professional photos.

I wanted a rustic color scheme so I chose the colors papaya and chocolate. The richness of the satin and chocolate pintuck really accented the wooden walls and woodsy backdrops.

The cake was custom made to reflect a modular building that equated to their line of business.

The floral stylist, Anita of Anita’s LaFleur created mounded arrangements in lilies & greenery.

Rouge Fine Catering provided the food and beverages and it was delicious. Their sweet potato fries are sinful!

You can’t see him but their was a fish swimming inside of the tall wine glass. And yes, he found a safe home afterwards!

Tomato Mozarella Caprese Platter

I created a cookie buffet using apothecary jars. The ever creative Nicole of Pink Design Events created another cute graphic for me. I purchased the frame from the Family Dollar Store and we spray painted it gold. Not bad for 99 cents.

I used brown satin ribbon and tied the jar, applying ‘Celebrate’ rhinestone stickers.

My client’s spouse had one major request: Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets. This was an extremely difficult demand but it was delivered…along with his very own personal sign courtesy Pink Design Events. The guests got a chuckle out of it. And needless to say – the nuggets did not last long!

Nicole also created a Grey Goose Bar Sign for what else? The Grey Goose Bar! We applied martini rhinestone stickers to the sign. Very cute.

Perkins Productions provided the ambient lighting.

We strung paper lanterns from the gazebo in the front of the house.

The couple’s family provided a surprise screen viewing for them which brought back family memories and nostalgia.

It was so much fun planning this event. Everyone had a great time and boogied til the wee hours of the night.

That was the best thank you of all.
]]> http://365foods.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/national-sangria-day/ Sun, 20 Dec 2009 12:01:16 +0000 365foods http://365foods.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/national-sangria-day/

Sorry for the delay!

According to one of my cookbooks, The Big Book of Backyard Cooking, by Betty Rosebottom:

Sangria is one of those quintessentials.  Like the little black dress, Cole Porter, or a VW Beetle, it never seems to go out of style and we never tire of sipping it.

She also says:

The red-wine and fruit-based drink sangria is named for its dark red colour—it is derived from the word sangre, which means “blood” in Spanish.

I really like Sangria.  At summer barbeques, where it rightfully belongs; not as much in the middle of December.

I tried to do some research about Sangria but aside from a bunch of recipes, no one had much to say about it.  I found this at About.com:

Sangria is to the Spanish what punch is to most of the English-speaking world: a great social lubricant at a big house party but something you wouldn’t dream of ordering in a bar. So, bar sangria is aimed almost exclusively at tourists and is charged appropriately – bar owners know foreigners will pay over the odds for sangria as they see it as being ‘Spanish’. You often won’t actually be getting Sangria but tinto de verano with a bit of fruit thrown in. You’re better off making it yourself.

I agree with all of the above, especially the “great social lubricant” part.  At a staff party last summer, my friend Karen and I made a vat of sangria and served it out among our guests.  Next thing you know, it was 3 a.m. and we were still dancing in the living room – with people we wouldn’t necessarily hang with on a given workday.

Below are two of my recipes for sangria.  The first is a more “traditional” red sangria, the second (blasphemy!) is the white sangria I made for myself yesterday.

Sangria

• 1 bottle dry red wine (I like a bold wine like Spanish rioja or even a California cabernet)
• juice of 3 oranges, 2 lemons and 2 limes
• ½ cup fruit nectar (I like apricot, mango, or passionfruit.  Or all 3)
• 2 ounces brandy
• 2 ounces Cointreau or Grand Marnier
• fruit slices: limes, lemons, oranges, melons

Combine.  Serve.  Try to remain upright while dancing.

White Sangria

Maybe Dea can teach me how to photograph food. I suck at this!

Speaking of little black dresses, Jim bought me a pretty one yesterday, for the Christmas season.  A new shop just opened up on Main Street, called “The LBD Store”.  They have sizes from petites to plus, completely reasonably priced.  Cute, cute dresses. Check it out, ladies!  I mixed up just a glass of white sangria and sipped it while doing my makeup and donning said little black dress for a Christmas party.  Dress was a hit, and I was sufficiently “socially lubricated” to relax and have fun…

• 1 bottle Prosecco
• 1 cup Ceres litchi juice (I looooove Ceres juices!)
• ½ cup apricot nectar
• 4 ounces apricot brandy
• fruit slices (you see from the picture that I didn’t bother with these.  Would have made a prettier picture but I really like to serve this sangria with a pitted litchi adorning the glass, and I didn’t have any)

xx Eva

(Summer) Party

The kit is available at NDISB, ScrapDish and Scrap-Wishes

(Summer) Party is a colorful kit that can be used to scrap Birthday Parties as well as other fun events. The fun kit comes with:
14 papers sized at 12 x 12 inches
6 balloons
3 buttons with bows
6 stitched buttons
6 eyelets
3 eyelets connected with a tied ribbon
7 word art elements
6 tags
1 star border
6 colored staples
1 ribbon element
2 ribbon hearts
5 frames
1 flower pendant

The kit is available at NDISB, ScrapDish and Scrap-Wishes

Our next PuB NiGHT will be on Tuesday 8th of September, because Monday is a public holiday
(Labor Day) across Canada.
We will meet us at the Metropole 320 Abbott St after our weekly Welcome Orientation for the new people who are arriving in Vancouver.
A lot of people are leaving Vancouver this week, because they finished their internships.

Thank you very much to Marion, Caroline, Cecilia and Philipp.
The time with you guys was awesome we had a lot of fun with you at our weekly PuB NiGHT, INTERNeX Summerparty and the Whistler Rafting trip:-)

But WELCOME to Vancouver to all the new people who are arriving this week:-)

I hope to see you all on Tuesday at the Metropole, let’s have some beer, play pool and meet people from all over the world!

There was a new newspaper today and it seems like it has something to do with the cove. I think the cove is going to be for surfing! Tell me what you think. Here are some pictures.

Also the summer party is going to be on June 8- June 18! I’m so excited. Maybe that hawaiin shirt will be in the catalog.

~DirkD