garbage truck party!

Sometimes my scattered brain does not file things away as it should. Today I just remembered that I never posted this super cute garbage truck party! What a fun theme for a 2 year-old (or any age, really).

From Lucy: "Liam really wanted a garbage truck cake and theme (he's obsessed with them) and yet I really wanted to be stylish and semi-eco, too. Nathalie (of the apple party) was one of my inspirations. Like you, I was horrified at making the cake from scratch- especially a three-tiered one, but everyone was too in awe of the flashing lights to notice the actual cake (wires were hidden in between the cake segments and a battery pack was in the back)." 

Thank you, Lucy! More details on the party and the 'eco' aspects here.

As always, I love sharing the parties you creative lovelies have come up with. Send your photos to me at: hickspapergoods(at)yahoo.com. 

reader DIY gift wrap idea

Party Perfect reader Beth Kaleida of New York, NY sent us this cute idea for DIY gift wrap. Beth writes, "I bought two gifts for a good friend's son's 1st birthday...a cube-shaped box of blocks and a small hardback book that was also a cube shape. When I got home I only had plain white or plain blue wrapping paper. I had a moment of inspiration and decided to wrap the presents in white paper, and then color and draw on them to look like blocks. I made a white paper 'sleeve' to go on top of the normal wrapping, to hide the other paper folds and tape. Then I colored the permanent marker around the edges and drew the 'W' (for Will) and the '1' for his age. My husband thought I was crazy for going to all this effort for a child that was not mine, but it was a fun, creative release for me!" Note from Sara: For those of you who don't feel comfortable making letters freehand or want a more polished look, you could buy alphabet and number stickers from an office supply store instead. For those a wee bit craftier, you could print out your favorite font and use an exacto-knife to cut out the letter or number, then apply with spray-on adhesive. Thanks for sharing, Beth!