He proved me wrong…
Momo turned two!
Congratulations big guy… you defy death or serious bodily harm daily, but you made it… let's go big and shoot for two more!
We celebrated with a little last minute party. Two is a challenging age for a birthday party. He doesn't have his own friends (can you imagine a house filled with two year olds… undiluted chaos)? Our family on both sides has bred stupendously, and all but one family lives locally. My house would be filled with over 45 people… love them all but I was not in a hosting mood. So we chose to have just Grandma's and Grandpa's join us.
Now I honestly tossed this together the day before (which was filled with soccer games and other must do's). So it's not as elaborate as other parties I've given. In fact it was simple.
Momo has to sleep with one of his "monsters" (ugly dolls). He tends to carry one of them around all day as well. Sippy cup in one hand, monster in the other, and recently I've been leaving him in his jammies all day… he just destroys his clothes. Yeah, I know… mother of the year award Rrriiiiightt Hheeerrrre (imagine a red blinking arrow, with an annoying buzz that turns on and off with every blink pointed at me right now. Like the visual)? We have a small collection of ugly dolls because I used to work, one day a week, and we stocked them there… they worked great as stocking stuffers, easter basket fillers etc… So yeah, we've got a bunch.
Anyway he's slightly obsessed with them. It was clear that his little party should be "Monster" themed.
I wanted to make LOADS of these little cuties. But time was sparse, so I only finished three. I got the idea from Not Just a Mommy she made these little owls that are beyond darling. She gives a little tutorial and everything. I took the basic idea and changed them from owls to monsters. Then I hung them (with fishing line) from the light above the kitchen table.
Then for dessert I created these
"Build your own monster"
cupcakes. Think Mr. Potato head, but edible, and with a cupcake, not potatoes;)
"Build your own monster"
cupcakes. Think Mr. Potato head, but edible, and with a cupcake, not potatoes;)
I made monster parts from Wilton candy chips
I drew the monster body parts on paper then placed the paper on a cookie sheet. Take wax paper and put it on top of your drawing.
Melt chips in a baggie or disposable pastry bag in the microwave. Clip the tip or corner of the bag.
Trace your drawings with the melted chocolate onto the wax paper. Follow the outline first and then fill it in. Then outline again with the dark chocolate. Tap the cookie sheet against the counter to even out the chocolate. Let it cool. Peal off of the wax paper. Voila. I did the same thing for my cat in the hat cupcakes.
Eyes
Arms
Tentacles
Fangs, Ears and Wings
Horns and Noses
I wanted to make little signs to label what monster body parts each plater had… again no time.
Here are a few of the Monster results…
(Sorry they're a bit blurry)
Here are a few of the Monster results…
(Sorry they're a bit blurry)
Seriously they turned out so stinkin' adorable.
K… so someone could take these ideas and really run with them. If anyone does a monster party and uses either of these ideas let me know… I'd love to see what you add to it!
Ohhh,
one more thing.
I add an easy mousse filling to my cupcakes. I just put the mousse in a pastry bag (a zip lock baggie clipped at the corner would work) and then shove it into the cupcake and fill it up (like a ding dong). Yum. Just don't go too crazy or your cupcake will split. Here's the recipe I use…
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 cup Milk
1 Large Package Jello Pudding
Blend with mixer until thick.
Linked up to
Sundae Scoop
Tatertots and Jello
Sunday Showcase
Today's Creative Blog
These Creative Juices
Favorite Things Friday
Hoosier Homemade
I'm adding the buttercream frosting I use here, so you don't have to bother with the comment section...
2 cups solid white vegetable shortening
1 1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring
*1/2 tsp butter flavoring
4 Tbsp milk (or water)
2 Lbs. confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)(approx.8 cups)
2 Tbsp meringue powder (dried egg white)
a pinch of salt.
This is a stiff consistency. Add more milk or water until you get it to where you want it.
*I use wilton butter flavoring. This is optional, you could simply uses 2 tsp vanilla. Or sometimes I use a little almond. Or I go all out and use 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp butter flavoring 1/2 tsp almond.
And the "fur" is made with Wilton tip 233
Hope that makes it easier!
1 cup Milk
1 Large Package Jello Pudding
Blend with mixer until thick.
Linked up to
Sundae Scoop
Tatertots and Jello
Sunday Showcase
Today's Creative Blog
These Creative Juices
Favorite Things Friday
Hoosier Homemade
I'm adding the buttercream frosting I use here, so you don't have to bother with the comment section...
2 cups solid white vegetable shortening
1 1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring
*1/2 tsp butter flavoring
4 Tbsp milk (or water)
2 Lbs. confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)(approx.8 cups)
2 Tbsp meringue powder (dried egg white)
a pinch of salt.
This is a stiff consistency. Add more milk or water until you get it to where you want it.
*I use wilton butter flavoring. This is optional, you could simply uses 2 tsp vanilla. Or sometimes I use a little almond. Or I go all out and use 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp butter flavoring 1/2 tsp almond.
And the "fur" is made with Wilton tip 233
Hope that makes it easier!
This is without a doubt the most darling party idea I have seen in a long time! Those hanging monsters. And the cupcakes. I just can't get over the wow factor here!
ReplyDeleteYou have a delighted new follower on your hands. :)
Thanks so much for popping in to comment on my tiered planter this week. I really appreciate it!
Amy
How fun are those cupcakes?? Love them!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous idea for the cupcakes! I've gotta save this idea for later. :)
ReplyDeleteUR Awesome. :) How did you do the frosting on the cupcakes? Very cute!
ReplyDeleteKayleen I used Wilton tip 233:)
ReplyDeleteAnji,
ReplyDeleteI miss all your creativeness in young womens! I miss you and your cute family. Milo is the cutest little thing!
love,
amanda
Anj... WOW! This party is darling!! I am bookmarking this one for sure. My son's second birthday party now has a theme! (It's only 9 months away...) CUTE!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE it! I totally want to convince one of my boys to do it for a party! Those cupcakes are just a BRILLIANT idea. Maybe for a Halloween party!
ReplyDeletejust as i let out a HUGE 'sigh' of relief that i have no more kids parties -till next jan- all 3 done by april {!!}...you go and spring this on me! i adddore those little mr.moster heads- mr .ph is BIG in our house - so am going to make them for a little half term celebration anyway...i can't resist...
ReplyDeletecan you just tell me 'how you did' the icing again- what is a wilton tip -for us aussies??
happy birthday big boy mo-mo...and anj you did it- you got him there!
melissa x
ps- he's super cute isnt he!
A Wilton tip is a pastry bag tip. Wilton is a popular pastry decorating brand in the states. They have a (website wilton.com) and here is the link that takes you straight to the tip I used. http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E30DD64-475A-BAC0-5FBA791BBD7A052B&fid=3E3324C3-475A-BAC0-5DF027EB4874EBF7
ReplyDeleteWhen you use this tip to get the "fur" look put pressure on the bag and slowly lift the tip away from the cake and release pressure at the same time. (Ashlee should be the one explaining this... she's the cake genius). I hope that makes sense.
Here is the buttercream recipe I use for decorating...
2 cups solid white vegetable shortening
1 1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring
1/2 tsp butter flavoring
4 Tbsp milk (or water)
2 Lbs. confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)(approx.8 cups)
2 Tbsp meringue powder (dried egg white)
a pinch of salt.
This is a stiff consistency. Add more milk or water until you get it to where you want it.
Let me know if I can help with anything else;)
Just dropping by from I Heart Naptime. Fantastic idea!!! Love all the little legs and eyes and so on to create masterpieces!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteJust came over from Tatertots and Jello...love this party. My girls are long past this stage and in college, but I just love the colors and the inspiration. I will definitely pass this on to my sister in law who has 3 small boys. Happy Birthday to your son!
Take care,
~Karen~
OMG! Your monsters are freaking cute! I absolutely heart how you made the felt monsters...I can't believe how my owls inspired them. I must share with my readers...
ReplyDeletethis is like the cutest thing ever!@!!! I Love this sooooo much!
ReplyDeleteLove this!
ReplyDeleteHad to laugh out loud and re-read the filling for the cupcake...I thought it was some cool new filler until I realzied you meant mousse (instead of moose)!!!
Awesome!
LOL!!! Oh Chriss thank you for the heads up! I knew something was wrong, and I was going to fix it. But then my photo's were not loading and by the time they finally did I was so frustrated I just pushed publish before proof reading. That'll learn me!:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the laugh!
I think this is the cutest thing I have ever seen!!! I LOVE how fun colorful and creative everything is! What a lucky boy! Looks like so much fun :)
ReplyDeleteok-I wish that we were neighbors so your fantasticness would rub off on me!!
ReplyDeleteThese ideas are fabulous-magazine worthy really!!
Awesome JOB!!!
Love these cupcakes! You have a new follower- great ideas and I love your spiritual thoughts too. Thanks for sharing a piece of your life.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous party! I love all the details - incredible! The little monster balls are darling! The build your own monster is adorable! Great job! Thanks so much for stopping by and joining the Sunay Showcase Party. I greatly appreciate it! Hope you have a great week! ~ Stephanie Lynn
ReplyDeleteHi Anj! Just wanted to let you know I'll be featuring your party today. Stop by and grab a featured button if you like. Thanks so much for linking to the Sunday Showcase Party! I greatly appreciate it! ~ Stephanie Lynn
ReplyDeleteThis party is like....well...delicious, and awesome, and creative, and inspiring me to try frosting hair! I'm just so impressed!! And then I thought, "self, if this post is awesome, maybe the other ones are too." And sure enough. They are. This is going on my list of favorites! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI my freaking heck!!! I seriously adore this party!! My friend wanted to do a monster party for her son... so I will pass this onto her. I think the little monster balls are sooo cute and the cupcakes are the best idea EVER!! Great job! You win!!
ReplyDeleteI win!?! Hot dang, I'm on a roll!;)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much everyone! You are all rock stars!
I LOVE pretty much EVERYTHING about this post. I love fun new ideas for bday parties. I really LOVE the build your own monster cupcake. What a great idea.
ReplyDeleteNow I have to go through the rest of your blog and see all the fabulousness that has happened before I found your blog.
Oh I came over from creative juices. I linked up there too. Would love for you to stop by my blog too.
Again, LOVE the cupcakes and deco.
Larissa
Just Another Day in Paradise
Wow, you did an amazing job. Love the cupcake idea!
ReplyDeleteSO ADORABLE! Would love to feature this tomorrow! Stop by and check it out and grab a featured button if you would like! Thanks for linking up!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this idea for a birthday party. In fact I loved it so much I posted it up on my own blog: http://onmysideoftheroom.blogspot.com/2010/05/monster-party.html
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work!!!
Hello Anj from Anji!
ReplyDeleteI just hopped over to you from somewhere... I love these monster party ideas! The cupcakes are too cute and I love treats which guests can 'participate' in. As soon as I saw those felt monsters, I immediately thought, they could be made around a bouncy (tennis?) ball so they bounce too! I might just have to try it out later...
Loving your blog, and it's so cool to see someone with the same name as me?!
WOW! That party is amazing! My 4 year old did a halloween monster party (with the same cute monster decore from Target), we even bought out their clearance section and re-did the boy's bathroom in a monster theme!
ReplyDeleteSo you can imagine how excited we are to make those little styrofoam monsters...today actually! I saw this on Positively Splendid yesterday and my little guy has been excited to make them ever since!
Thank you for taking the time to post pictures and links so that we can make them too!
I'll post on our blog when we've finished ours and link back to you.
www.brandyscrafts.blogspot.com
stinking cute!!!! I wish i had saw your post before I did my cupcake post but you have so many followers it's fine.. LOL
ReplyDeleteOh my heck. You are right - they are stinkin' adorable!!!
ReplyDeletewww.makingmemorieswithyourkids.blogspot.com
Hi - LOVE this! I found (& now following) you from "A girl & a glue gun"... These are so cute, I may borrow this and apply to "build your own fairy" cupcakes instead. You have a beautuful blog, I can't wait to see more!
ReplyDeleteSuper cute! I'm wishing my teenagers were little again! :-)I'd love for you to share these on Cupcake Tuesday!
ReplyDelete~Liz
Oh my goodness you are so talented! I love the concept and the look, wow! Very cute! I just used tip 233 yesterday for my cupcakes and I can't get the frosting to stand up, thanks for sharing your frosting recipe!
ReplyDeleteThese are so FANTASTIC!!! Not only are the monster cupcakes completely ADORABLE, but this method is so great to store away in my cupcake arsenal for making all kinds of future baking projects. Brilliant!!!
ReplyDeleteI found you at Hoosier Homemade's Cupcake Tuesday... I'm so glad I did!
Blessings
Rachymommy - MommyTopics.com
I'm so glad you had a minute to link up! Thanks so much!
ReplyDelete~Liz
OMG! You are just one amazing idea after another! I have to do this one day!!! So much fun!
ReplyDeletehttp://brandyscrafts.blogspot.com/2010/05/felt-creations.html
ReplyDeleteAnj, my kids and I made these a couple of weeks ago and I finally posted them to my blog :) Thanks for the inspiration! Aaron LOVES his little monster!
What a fabulous idea! I love love love it.
ReplyDeleteAs a mom of 2 little boys (one wit ha birthday coming up) this idea has made my day! I always find so many cute princess/sparkle/flower cupcake ideas but can't use them! DIY Monster Guys....LOVE IT SO MUCH! Thanks a bundle :)
ReplyDeleteI love anything to do with monsters!!! These are great! Love the cupcakes! Its a bummer too, because both of my boys JUST had their birthdays...I will definitely think of this next year...
ReplyDeletethose are totally awesome what a great idea for a party what a great mom your are :)
ReplyDeleteI loved your insipration! I just wanted to let you know we had a monster party last week and used your adorable cupcake idea!
ReplyDeleteOur monster party!
Thanks again!
I forgot to tell you a few months ago that I made your monster cupcakes for my son's birthday:
ReplyDeletehttp://calderwood.blogspot.com/2011/01/why-am-i-always-so-far-behind.html
Okay, not as cute as yours but I'm learning!
these are crazy awesome! love it!
ReplyDeleteSo fantastic! I love it all... the create your own monster cupcake - total genius!
ReplyDeletehugs! Kim @ Party Frosting!