Have You Hugged a Gnome Today?

My oldest daughter will soon be 8 & the theme for her party this year is "Woodland". Think: gnomes, mushrooms, forest, deer, foxes, raccoons, acorns, squirrels, owls, hedgehogs. It's quite a tricky theme, only because it's not the type of party you can just go out & buy decorations & plates & banners for at a one-stop party shop. But I've got some plans up my creative sleeve that I can't wait to share.

First, the invitations. (You'll have to wait for the rest!)

Her invitations were really simple. Maybe too plain. I don't know. The main ingredient, apart from the ADORABLE puffy gnome stickers I found at Target, is: woodgrain contact paper!! Is that genius or what?? I'm rather proud of myself for thinkin' of that. I've always hated that stuff. Not contact paper--but that specific cheap-looking wood stuff. But now I see it in a whole different way with my super-duper deluxe crafty x-ray vision.

I first cut out a square with rounded corners, stuck it on the card, drew scallops around the edge with just a regular ole cheapy black inkpen & then stuck on the gnomie. (I'm addicted to 'scalloping' everything these days!) The inside of the card has part of a quote by an alpine skier from Austria. She was referring to a race she was certain she'd win. But I thought it was appropriate for Zoey's special day:

"I had the voices of a thousand

little gnomes in my head

telling me this would be my day."

-Michaela Dorfmeister

Instead of "Please RSVP", I stated:

"Wood you be a deer

& give us a hoot

if you'd like to come?"

For the first time Zoey gets to invite her whole class at school to the party. She was BEYOND giddy at getting to pass out the invitations at school today.

Now if only they'd "hoot" so I know who's coming...

♥