Kissi-cat's "Cowgirl" 4th-Birthday Party Preperations

Getting excited for Kissi-Cat's 4th birthday party! 

I need to reserve the church and get details on the pony rides at this stable that offers pony rides 2 blocks from the church. They offer pony parties as well but not sure I want to have the party there, I will have to check and see the details...

I  want to decorate in Red bandana & BLACK & White cow hide prints and wanted to find a matching out fit for Kissi-cat to wear. I then found some adorable ideas for bandana fabric dresses, was all set to make them, but then stumbled on to this charming pillowcase dress with both prints I wanted for a reasonable price on E-bay: boutique_littlesweetie.

Pillowcase dress-SUPER CUTE!!

How cool is that?? I think I will purchase a black, long sleeved turtle neck for her to wear under this dress as April will still be cool.

The seller, Laurie gave me an idea for an appliqued tie shirt for my son, but we were unable to come up with an idea she was comfortable with making.  I found Laurie super sweet, easy to work with, and I would order from her again. I will post the outfit once I get the dress which she sent me a tracking number and it's all ready on its way within 3 days of purchase..super fast, REC'D IT WITHIN 4DAYS~WOW!! It is soo darling, and looks just like I thought it would.

Here is the boot for Kissi from Amazon I got for $16

Kissi-cat has these "skinny jeans" in a black wash finish pared with these stylish and very comfortable boots the outfit will be sooo perfectly cowgirl! She was so thrilled with her boots, she has been dancing around the house in her boots and she can't wait for her party!

Imagine this w/long sleeved black shirt w/Red bandana print vest with cow hide tie

I then googled cow print shirts for boys and found an Esty seller: BittyBundlesofJoy who was willing to customized her cow hide print vest and black tie applique concept to fit my ideas. I wanted a long sleeved black shirt with vest and tie, she recommended using the red bandana vest and cow print tie combo.

I think I could have handled making this on my own but the price was right, Kate was super nice and easy to work with plus she  worked out the bugs of making this and I supported a small, woman owned business~ so I am ALL  for that!! I order the the shirt on Tuesday paid for it on Wed and I just got a notification it was sent Thursday, how is that for super fast?? Will post the shirt on my cutie when I get it!!

This was the inspiration

Love the Banner with brown bag burnt edges with cowhide print banner the cupcake tags, and the overall design!

$9.00 for 25 free shipping

The colors of Kissi-cat's party are BLACK cow hide print and red bandana, u guessed that right? LOL! I found these balloons super cute, I think I would add some plain red balloons. Might try buying plain white balloons and use a sharpie to color cow hide print on it? Would be  a penny pinching idea, since I can get a bag of 25 for under $2. I am thinking of using red gingham table clothes with burlap-like table runners and clear buckets with steel accents filled with natural raffia strands, and cow hide and red print balloons. Or if too expensive white or red table clothes, with the same stainless steel buckets and runner,  using images from Old West Cricut Cartridge- (Cool story, Kim, an amazingly sweet woman  from Cricut message boards, saw my post and went WAY out of her way to find me this cartridge in Oklahoma today!!) poking out of the clear paint can....

Love the balloons and stainless steel

Want to make a 2 layered cake, might purchase one from bakery and add a horse to top with mini-banner like this party planner did:

 Horse, natural raffia, and bunting

I also like the natural raffia on the table, to mimic hay. I would want the cake to be white, unsure how I would ice the "trim" bc red and black can be so bitter, will have to think on that some more...

Might use this idea w/my party colors

Then enters this idea for a double banner and the icing with the swirls, I could make the cake and save money and practice the swirly technique... might do that just use cow hide print and bandana print  remnants and use fusible web on twine with kabob skewers? I would then make cup cakes with plain white paper cups and use Old West Cricut Cartridge for Icon images, like cow boy hat,  boot, & bucking horse images.  Not sure how I will display cupcakes, think I will simply place on white square plates and make 24 plain white w/white frosting or do mini cakes and idea with egg carton pictured below.

Using Old West images as toppers/or "4" for her birthday

Love the Name plate labels and snack mix paper cones

Also I am thinking of doing cake balls again, only this time make them to stand on plate and insert the pony icon/4 circle icons on to long sticks, s'mores marshmallows on sticks with the inserts, fruit cream cheese spread w/teddy grahams, fruit Kabobs-adult ones on larger skewers placed in a stainless steel wash tub speared into lettuce head as I did in the Princess party, but add a small rectangle plate with mini- fruit and veggie kabobs for smaller kids on longer tooth pics or use my 4 slot large rectangle serving dish.  Also make a veggie tray w/thick ranch dip, crackers, and cheese, chips, pretzel sticks, and (might add Bar-B-Q chicken drum'etts in slow cooker, Ranch Baked Beans, and Potato Salad.)

Love the labels of this party the use of burlap ribbon, I would use a cork that has a slit cut into it and use images from Old West, also LOVE the other use of egg carton for deviled eggs called "hatchlings", LOL! Plus the burlap paper cones holding the snack mix.

Mini-Cupcakes, gr8 idea for easy transportin

Love this mini-cup cake holder idea, I have been saving egg cartons (that I cleaned & sanitized!) just for this idea, I would have to have longer tooth pics, might display the cupcakes this way on either side of my cake w/swirls and red bandana bunting. Will make chocolate cake with white frosting to look like cow hide print and use red bandana backgrounds with cowgirl icons on the pic.

PONY RIDES!

This might be the "pony ride" we end up with, hopefully I can borrow a saddle from my one friend to make it complete!

Kids can color if they want or take home!

Found this idea for the place settings and it is a free printable, I have the PDF saved to my Pony Party File but I can't find the link, I have found the images of this party all over pin-interst but none take right to this party, I am thinking it is a "Kara's Party Blogg" item, if you want to check you might find the "Free PDF". I remember the instructions were to use a flat 9"X12" brown shopping bag and cut down 1/4" of the bag, fold over, and insert the poster. Tie with twine and add a Sheriff's badge. The poster says " WANTED ... definitely alive, space to color pic, then lower portion says for crimes of not cleaning room/stable. Or something like that, funny bc Kissi-cat is very good at cleaning her room and helping clean up in general so far that is anyways...

Printing DIRECTLY on lunch sacks!

For favors:  I am going to print on a brown lunch sack "THANK YOU" in Western print and punch holes in the top and tie jute/twine rope and attach a tag w/child's name. I think I will find a tub of horses and give horses as favors and cow tails candy along with horse stickers.

For Games: If we don't go the pony ride route am thinking of some games.

Use the stamps for game and Kissi's present

Pony Name: When guests first arrive give each guest a plaque to decorate with their pony name. If they were a pony, what would they be called?  Then using this Kit from Melissa and Doug have the kids stamp their favorite horse and color.  Use that name from then on & write on a star and stick on kid's clothes- if they don't freak out about it. Hang up pic & Plaque on jute rope line as a bunting behind the pony on a haystack with clothes pin.

Sugar Cube Race: Call the kids by their pony names and tell them that sugar cubes are one of a pony's favorite treat Split the guests into two teams and have them take turns racing a sugar cube on a spoon. If the sugar cube falls off, they pick it up and go back to start.

Pony Relay Races: Run short races pony style: prance, gallop, run, and trot. Who’s the pony at your pony party?- If I can find a CHEAP HOBY HORSE/STICK PONY, I will buy or perhaps make it? Then the kids can name it and use the games above with the ponies.

So those  are SOME OF my ideas...

I have started some ideas using Cricut Craft room  an online design tool that lets you experiment, explore, and design in ways never before possible. And it’s free. Plus, just for starting your account, you’ll automatically receive Cricut Craft Room™ Basics, a collection of digital fonts and shapes. 

I thought I wasn't going to find the cartridge until my new Oklahoma friend KIM, offered get me one from her local Hobby Lobby-she ended up calling 8 STORES and found me one, yay!!! That has to be the COOLEST story ever! 

I have designed the center pieces & the banner is started in the Craft Room. This is a really cool program, gr8 for those who don't have a gypsy yet, there is a learning curve, but once I figured out the mat layer it was smooth sailing, haven't cut any out yet, bc I had to either purchase or link up my cartridge so hopefully all that time won't be for not. I can see using this to design during the day and being all set up to cut& assemble at night while kids are sleeping...so excited to use this!! :-)