TIME TO (SOCK) MONKEY AROUND

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY TO OWEN & HUDSON

When my mom told me about the cute sock monkeys Kohl's had for their Kohl's Cares stuffed animals,  I was inspired to throw a sock monkey themed party for my twin boys' 3rd birthday party.

Kohl's Sock Monkeys before I modified them

I added a hat tassle & monogrammed letter to the monkeys

My mom and grandma made sock monkeys for all three of my boys and they love them, so I knew it would be a party they would like. 

These are the invitations (the photo was attached to the back)

I made shirts for the boys with sock monkey sock material.

I always like doing a welcome sign

Our dancing monkey

My boys love air dancers...you know, the funny dancing blow-up tube guys that advertise oil changes and the like.  I decided I wanted to get one for their party. Of course I didn't find a sock monkey one, so I decided it was a project I could take on to make.  I was so happy with how it turned out...in looks.  When I hooked it up to our bounce house fan it didn't dance. I made adjustments, enlisted my mom and dad's help, visited an actual air dancer, but never got him to dance.  So, we just blew him up to stand straight (which also needed a little help to get him to just do that). The boys still enjoyed it, but I think I will still try and figure out the physics of it. If anyone has an brilliant ideas, please share.

 

Their party was at the end of September, so I thought chili would be a good and somewhat easy thing to have for over 40 people. I guess I didn't expect it to be a day of 90 degree weather, but at least it cooled down by afternoon.

We had over a dozen little ones at the party (with only 1 girl, the rest boys).  We had a little craft table where kids could decorate vests for the sock monkeys that they got to take home. We also had the kids play Pin the Tail on the Sock Monkey and break open a pinata.

For dessert we had sock monkey cake pops (chocolate), red cake pops (vanilla), and regular cupcakes. We also had a candy buffet.

 

Hudson blowing out his candle; both the boys with their cupcakes

Candy buffet with Hot Tamales, Whoppers, Red Vines & Twizzlers (we are a family divided),
banana chips, caramels, Werthers, Tootsie Rolls, peppermints, rootbeer barrels

I had fun making the gift bags and I loved the fact that money went to a good cause when I got the sock monkeys. Each bag just had the monkey, a barrel of monkeys game and little reusable container with Tootsie Rolls. The one little girl who came got a special little headband I made for her since she had to deal with all those boys.

Here are the birthday boys (with bad hair days) and a picture of our whole family.  It was a fun day.

And no, my husband is not touching me where it looks like he's touching me...his hand was just resting on his knee. Sadly it looked like this in every picture we had taken. Oh well.

Thank you for taking a look.  Now onto big brother's party which is only a month away.

MADMEN VIEWING PARTY

For the season 4 premiere of MadMen we threw a viewing party to honor our great friends' identical twin sons (Michael & Brody) for their role as Baby Gene Draper.

So much fun to plan, and such a great evening of '60s style eats, drinks and cigarettes 
(candy, that is).

The invitation

 


This is my friend Teresa, who is Michael and Brody's mom. She has a little candy buffet business and let me use some of her vases for the little candy buffet we had.

Below is Teresa with her husband Cameron. Their older son is my oldest son's age and they are good friends. Then they have their twin boys and we have our twin boys. Not only are they wonderful friends and neighbors, but they have been unbelievable support for us in this crazy world of having 3 boys - including a set of twins.

I remember the day Teresa called to tell me her sons had an audition for a show that she had known was my favorite. I couldn't believe it and told her they would the perfect baby for Don and Betty Draper. They obviously got the part and I was lucky enough to accompany them to the set one day to help out. I got a little tour and even said a little hello to Jon Hamm. Small world...but he and I both went to the University of Missouri at the same time. How could I have never run into him there? I've since met him when the cast of MadMen hosted the annual brunch for the Rape Treatment Center this year, which I volunteer for every year.

 

Here's my little photo for making a very worthy donation at that event.

Okay...back to the party. The retro furniture was borrowed from storage from my inlaws. I went to the library to check out art books published in the mid-60s for the coffee tables.  Probably should have rolled up the contemporary non-matching rug for the party, but just getting the toys put away was a feat.

I had fun with the little touches, like framing a picture of JFK and putting together a slideshow in the digital frame of MadMen stills and pictures of Michael and Brody. I even put retro Vogue pictures and artwork from the 60s in my bathroom.

I pulled all the scenes from the episode that had the twins in it so we could have a special viewing of their parts. Even projected on a vintage screen. 

Teresa and I in our MadMen outfits (retro clock courtesy of my inlaws...took me a couple of months to take it down because it was such a big hit).

Everyone outdid themselves dressing the part

This is my husband, Matt. My Don Drape

All the MadWomen

All the MadMen

Enjoying our candy cigarettes...maybe a little too much

Well, I forgot to take pictures of the cleverly named retro appetizers and food (deviled eggs and pigs in a blanket included) but got a last minute photo of the vintage wooden pineapple cheese holder. LOVE (again a thanks to my inlaws).

Someone caught this very unflattering photo of me, but at least you see I did serve food.

Not very retro, but yummy red velvet mini cupcakes

As people left I had DVDs of the boys' episode and scenes along with a photo of the boys for
everyone to take home

I WANT KANDY

I was so excited to help my friend come up with her and her friend's logo/business card. This is what the finals looked like. They couldn't decide between the green and pink, so did both. What a great idea.

They are going to be doing candy buffets at weddings and parties. I think it's becoming a big thing to do in California. And I'm excited for them. So if you are in Southern California and ever looking for someone to do your party...here's all the information you need.