It's F-U-N...

On a stick!!I will admit that when I first thought of sharing this post with you I was excited. I imagined about how cute these little crafties were going to be. And then I started making Fun on a Stick and said to myself- Cheryl, this isn't THAT fun. It's just cut out paper on a stick.

Maggie the Magnificent to the rescue. Dunt-dun-duh! (That doesn't type out so well. Insert your own superhero sound effect.)

I said to her, "I'm doing a post called Fun on a Stick and it's really starting to feel like a stick in the mud." Maggie the Magnificent replies with, "We had a party once and everyone had to bring a food on a stick."

Okay, take the thermometer out because this starting to feel much better now. So, jump on your pogo stick and hop on in because I am officially declaring today FUN FRIDAY ON A STICK!
It all started when I started seeing the mustaches on a stick and these fun pictures of people at a party posing for the camera with their Mustaches on a Stick. It was cute and playful. Kind of like the picture below.

Then I thought that it would be fun if you made a funny mouth and maybe in the spirit of Halloween a Vampire or carved pumpkin mouth.

Or open a Kissing Booth. Give me a lil' smooch, baby!

But wait! Glasses would be fun, too. Cat-eye glasses, Jackie O. glasses or even better Ray glasses.

Don't stop with just one Fun on a stick. Team them up to have even more fun.

Now those are cute and can be made as elaborate or as simple as you want. All you need is a stick. I used skewers because that's what I had on hand. Draw or pull up some clip art to get your designs. I'll admit that printing out the mouths, gluing them to posterboard and cutting them out with scissors was much easier. On the glasses I used Elmer's glue to attach the sticks but on the others I just used plain old Scotch Tape.

Stretch your creative mind and bedazzle, paint or even add yarn to your mustaches. Go ahead- I've got you warmed up. What would you add to your fun on a stick?

But we're not stopping there. Oh no! We're moving to food. Shish kabobs, Corn Dogs, Carmel apples, Cotton Candy- they're all on a stick.

You have foods that are sticks- breadsticks and drumsticks.

Fruit! On a tooth pick or a skewer! Cheese! We don't need no stinking cracker! You can put anything on a skewer and voila! Fun on a stick. Heck, you can even make brownies, cookies and cake balls- all on a what? You got it- a stick! Ooh! Serve sushi and eat with...chopsticks! Somebody stop me!

Don't forget about fun activities! Sparklers aren't just for the Fourth of July, you know. And pinatas! How are you going to break them open? With a stick! Break out that horse on a stick and take a gallop around the room. Stick horse Races! Pick-up-sticks!
This is getting to be very Slap Stick so before you pull out your matchstick and burn me at the stake (which technically is just a big stick) I'm going to leave you with this: Today is also known as Free For All Friday (but I'm lobbying to change it to FUN FRIDAY ON A STICK) so keep going with the stick theme if you want or throw out another word that we can center a party idea around.

All Announcements will be in the comment section because I know we have some Snack Throw Down Stuff going on. Be sure to check out Kate and Lauren's Black Bean recipes. Polls should be up over on the right------>>> Don't forget to vote.

I've got my lipstick on straight with my broomstick in hand and I'm off to save the world so, signing off until tomorrow.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

If I've noticed anything over time it is that creative people find one another... and in many cases help bring your creativity to a whole new level. Today's blog is compliments of my dear friend from Pennsylvania.

Nineteen years ago, while in graduate school, I started hosting an annual Random Acts of Kindness packaging party. It served two purposes. First, it was a great way for me to reconnect with friends who, because of the rigors of graduate school, I fell out of touch with. Second, it allowed me to share my obsession with mail - hoping in the process I might find some unsuspecting girlfriends who would keep me company.

I love sending packages. When other people are building their wardrobes and shoe selections, I am buying printed tissue paper, stickers, foam shapes, hole puches, crinkle of every color, sharpie markers, cool notecards, and above all CLEAN, NEW, WHITE BOXES! I have a collection that probably verges on excessive. What goes in the packages that I send is far less important than the cool packaging and thoughtful note surrounding the treat.

So what exactly is a Random Acts of Kindness Party? Once a year (usually two weeks before Halloween) I invite 10-12 women to my house (it can almost be more fun if the gathering of women is eclectic and don't already know each other). Their task is to bring to the packaging party two things - addresses for 3-4 people to whom they want to send a pick-me-up and a set of twelve small items that can be packaged in a box about 7x5x4 in size (bigger than that can be expensive to mail). Items are typically things such as fun packages of baked goods, bookmarks, candles, recipe cards, small picture frames, soaps, holiday socks, keychains, handmade braclets, etc.... All the items brought by your guests are placed on a community table from which they can shop around for the perfect combination of goodies to send the recipients of their packages.

My contribution is all the packaging supplies necessary to turn your package from simply being thoughtful to being the talk of the postoffice. Lucky party goers move from table to table selecting fun treats to mail to long lost friends, a neighbor needing a pick me up, an old boss or mentor, an aunt or uncle you rarely see, or someone else who is on your mind. Once the treats are selected, participants move to the boxing stations (usually set up all over the kitchen, living room, dining room). Here they select colorful tissue paper, crinkle, ribbons, and most importantly a notecard.

Before the packages are taped shut, one more small task! Placed inside each package is a small note reading "Catch the spirit, do a random act of kindness." This will often times spark a packaging party in another city (to which every once in a while, you might actually recieve and unexpected random act of kindness in the mail). Finally, the packages are wrapped, sealed, addressed, and then decorated on the outside with stickers and markers. This is why it is essential that the boxes are pristine, white boxes that have never been used (not even the pre-printed ones purchased at Target or the post office). I get mine from the Container Store, but if you don't have one near you, you can either order on-line or visit an office supply store like Staples or Office Depot (brown can work in a pinch, but markers are definately more vibrant on a white box).

Wanna do one? Either wait until September when I start planning my annual October party (and talking about it on my blog) or jump right in create your own occassion... St. Patrick's Day, spring break, or first day of summer could be examples.

The great pics are from my good friend's Random Acts of Kindness Party: Valentines Day! I was, in fact, the lucky recipient of a package - the fun contents of which you will have to wait until next Valentine's Day to discover! It, afterall, sparked a whole new fun and creative idea.

Signing off for the day....