Graduation Party

One important tradition at this time of year is graduation! No matter what age or "grade" you are graduating from, it is a very exciting time for the graduates and their families. Often, graduations are accompanied by big celebrations that honor the graduate's accomplishments and hard work.

What do you think are important parts of a graduation party?

http://parentingteens.about.com/cs/graduation/a/gradparty.htm

http://www.graduationparty.com/

http://www.celebrations.com/graduationparty

Graduations are inspiring times, too. It is an end to school, but a beginning to a whole new life. There are many famous quotations about graduation. Gather some of your favorite quotations from the following websites and compile them in a creative way to celebrate YOUR favorite graduate this year. You could put them into a scrapbook, on a collage, or organize them in whatever way you like.

http://thinkexist.com/quotations/graduation

http://www.quotegarden.com/graduation.html

http://www.allgreatquotes.com/graduation_quotes.shtml

http://www.famous-quotes-and-quotations.com/graduation-quotes.html

Spring has Sprung!

A new season is here, and what better inspiration for a party than the coming of spring! One of the best parts of spring is the new life it brings: birds can be heard chirping again, little critters come out of hibernation, and flowers poke through the ground.

For this assignment, think of something related to spring and plan a party around that theme. Some suggestions:

• Gardening: Plant a flower or even a whole garden. Make a compost area.
• Animal life: Go birdwatching, to the zoo, or to a petting zoo.
• Earth Day: Learn about Earth Day's history. Turn off the lights to conserve energy. Plant a tree!
• Picnics
• Hiking

More ideas: http://party.lovetoknow.com/Spring_Party_Themes

There are many places around that can help you get into the spring spirit and give you good ideas for your party.

Oakhurst Community Garden: http://oakhurstgarden.org/

Emory Community Garden: http://sustainability.emory.edu/page/1008/sustainable-food

Earth Day Initiative: http://www.earthday.org/

Atlanta Dogwood Festival: http://www.dogwood.org/

Go Green!

If March Madness is not your thing, March is also a good time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Even if you are not Irish, a St. Patrick's Day party can still be fun.

You can plan either a March Madness party, or a St. Patrick's Day party, or both! It is up to you!

Think of all the fun things associated with St. Patrick's Day: shamrocks, leprechauns, and everything green! To plan your St. Patrick's Day party:

1) Learn about the history of St. Patrick's Day. It will be fun to tell all your partygoers about how the holiday came to be.

http://www.theholidayspot.com/patrick/historyofpatrick.htm

2) Decide on your decorations and music.

http://familyfun.go.com/st-patricks-day/

http://www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/st-patricks-day/st-patricks-party.htm

http://www.party411.com/holidays-stpat.html

3) Decide on your food. Will you make traditional Irish foods? Or will you serve only green foods? :)

http://partyfood.suite101.com/article.cfm/st_patricks_day_party_food

http://www.ehow.com/how_14303_throw-green-fun.html

http://childrens-party-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/st_patricks_day_childrens_party_food_ideas

It's Tournament Time!

March is the month that basketball fans wait for all year! The NCAA tournament is the perfect occasion to throw a sports-themed party.

How can you carry your basketball theme through the whole party? Will you have a basketball cake? Games? Trivia? What game will you watch? Will everyone dress in team colors? What music will you have?

Here are some ideas for throwing a March Madness Party!

Brackets:

http://www.chiff.com/recreation/sports/ncaa-brackets.htm

(* If you want your guests to guess who will win, everyone can print a bracket at home and bring it to the party!)

Party Ideas:

http://www.purpletrail.com/partytrail/general-parties/basketball_march_madness/enjoy-a-series-of-laid-back-march-madness-gatherings-with-your-friends

http://www.ehow.com/how_2202786_have-march-madness-party.html

http://www.celebrations.com/article/Throw-a-March-Madness-Mixer

Valentine's Day Party Planning

It's February, and you know what that means: Valentine's Day is around the corner! Many restaurants, museums, and other attractions charge a lot of money for people who want to celebrate Valentine's Day... so your challenge this month is to "create" a Valentine's Day party that will not cost a lot of money.

Think about:

Where will you go?

What will you do?

Create:

Homemade Valentine's Day cards

Who are some people that you think should be appreciated this year? How can you send your thanks and love in a handmade valentine?

Homemade Valentine's Day "treats"

Think of the people you wish to appreciate. What treats would make them happy? A few cookies? Cupcakes? Maybe something that is not food: a nice bookmark, a poem, photograph...

Use:

Here are some great websites where you can find ideas for making Valentine's cards, gifts, and treats.

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/handmade-valentines-day-cards

http://www.homeandfamilynetwork.com/holidays/valentines.html

http://familyfun.go.com/valentines-day/

http://familyfun.go.com/valentines-day/valentines-day-recipes/

http://familyfun.go.com/valentines-day/valentines-day-recipes/

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/valentine/index.shtml

Post:

Post a list of your Valentine's Day party ideas here. Post ideas for creating cards and gifts. Finally, post a finished photo of your creations.

Assignment #4: Happy 2010!

Happy New Year! The beginning of a new year is a good time to set goals for yourself for the upcoming year. In honor of the year 2010, let's make lists in sets of 10.

What are your goals in the following categories? You can post your answers in the Comment section of this post.

10 New Things to Try

10 Creative Things to Make

10 Party Possibilities for 2010

10 Favorite Things from 2009 to Try Again

Assignment 3: Deck the Halls!

One of the best parts of the holiday season is decorating! What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to show off your creative talents by finding or making decorations to make this holiday a very special one! No party is complete without fabulous decorations!

Jesse inspired me to create this assignment because of the great Thanksgiving decorations he found on the Disney website. We made one of these decorations together, and photos will be posted here soon.

Part 1: Research!

Using the Internet, find as many Christmas, winter, or other holiday-themed decorations as you can. These should be decorations that are easy to make at home. Some examples might include:

• Tree ornaments or garland
• Table centerpieces
• Door decorations
• Window decorations
• Stockings or mantle decorations
• And more!

Here are some websites that have GREAT ideas:

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/christmas/

http://familyfun.go.com/christmas/christmas-decorations/

http://www.celebrating-christmas.com/crafts/index.shtml

http://fun.familyeducation.com/christmas/gifts/47484.html

Part 2: Creating!

Now that you have found a lot of ideas for Christmas party decorations, it is time to put your ideas into action. Make some of the decorations you found online, and find a place to display your creations for the holiday season or for your party. Take photos of your work and post the photos here. I can't wait to see what you've made!