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Showing posts with label Me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Me. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Wine Club Game Night


We hosted a Game Night for our wine club last month!
I thought I had posted this already, but it's still showing as draft, so forgive me if you've already seen it.
 
I had a ball planning this - lots of great photos out there when I googled "game night party".
I had this adorable vinyl banner made and will hopefully get a chance to use it again and again.


 
I found this cool cardboard sign with stand (which we didn't need) online.  David hung it out front in the driveway.
 
We set up 4 games throughout the house and made a scoreboard to keep up with who won each round.  We asked partners to play a different set of partners for each game.
 
I set up Operation in the living room, but Thomas played with it and found the buzzer didn't work right.  And it was a brand new game!  Brand new batteries, too.
 

 
We gave up and pulled out Perfection instead.  Always a fun game, especially with wine.

 
I believe David chose the other games, including Pictionary - his favorite.
I made easy rule sheets so that people who had never played before could learn it quickly.

 
Following a great idea I saw online, I used a Twister mat as a table cloth and we set up Jenga in the kitchen.
 
And we sent everyone downstairs for the fourth game - Taboo.

 
Based on a great idea I read about online, I put the invitations on Uno cards and sent them to our guests with a ribbon for hanging.


 Everyone brought an appetizer or dessert, and a bottle of wine or beer.
The food/wine was not meant to be the star at this party - just a casual game night.
As always with our friends, the food was great.
 
I made up a couple of dishes that worked well with the other dishes.
And Scrabble tiles announced them for us.

 
I made my friend Leslee's famous sloppy joe's - they are the best thing, and we don't even eat that much meat.  She makes them every year for Halloween before we go trick or treating, at David's request.  I have several photos from Game Night where David is in the background eating sloppy joe's.  They completely disappeared and I was thrilled.

 
Have you seen these little suction mustaches for beer, Cokes, and water bottles?  They're color-coded so you can find yours after you set it down.  I found these in the Dollar spot at Target.  Awesome!

 
I found these cupcake toppers on Etsy.  The boys enjoyed decorating for me.


I made up a "community chest" of candy.  It also disappeared - awesome!

 
I set up a lot of food in the kitchen, but also used one of our new counters for more snacks downstairs.  (still need art for this space - I have an idea though...)

 
This was in front of the water bottles and carafes of water.

 
Copying this idea that my friend Missy sent me...

 
...the boys were happy to decorate with Legos.

 
And lots of other stuff....
Quick, fun decorations!

 
We were only missing a couple from our group that night.  Tons of fun catching up!

Jan, Vinita, and Ginger

Jayne, Jan, Roger, and Charlie are serious about Jenga

 
Barry, Leigh, and Jeff join Charlie and Jayne for Pictionary

 
Downstairs Mary and Karen challenged John and Ginger in Taboo

 
Well, someone has to be the loser in each game.  Sorry guys!
 
P.S. I love how Mary's L is even backwards.  Serious loser.

 
So it came down to a tie David and Michael vs. Jeff and Mike.
They decided to battle in Taboo to determine the winners.

 
And David and Michael won!

 
It was a really fun evening, and I appreciate everyone being so "game"!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Fun on Oahu


Final Hawaii post. 
Lots and lots of photos to share.
 
We had such a wonderful trip to Hawaii.
I know we travel our fair share, but this was a special adventure for all of us.
 
 
Arriving in Honolulu...

 
Super cool tree at the Honolulu Airport

 
View of Waikiki Beach from our hotel balcony


National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
at Punchbowl Crater
 
 
Punchbowl Cemetery
 



Inside the Arizona Memorial

 
Oil from the Arizona still coming up

 
Pearl City from the Arizona Memorial

Aloha Stadium from the Arizona Memorial

 
Inside the Arizona Memorial
 
My men

 
Beautiful plumeria tree - the flower that many leis are made of

 
Heading off to do the world's largest maze at the Dole Plantation

 
They finished the maze and were treated to some pineapple yummies

 
Cool pineapple plants


Heading up to North Shore

 
Waimea Beach on the North Shore

 
The Koolau mountains on the Windward side of Oahu

 
Chinaman's Hat island in Kaneohe Bay

 
Surfing at Waikiki


The Hawaii State Capitol
The pillars represent palm trees
The interior is absolutely beautiful 

 
 
Queen Liliuokalani statue outside Iolani Palace and the State Capitol

 
Stone head from Easter Island outside the Bishop Museum
(they're not unhappy, they're trying to make the same face)

 
Inside the Bishop Museum
 
 
Bishop Museum
Photo by our tour guide and my former teacher, Anna


And now for a few iPhone photos...
 
 
Thomas LOVES building in the sand at Waikiki

 
Down the beach at Waikiki


Photo Bombed!

 
We always loved the name of the public bus system when we lived there.
The Bus

 
Not to be outdone, The Cab is also in business
 
 
Waiting in line for noodles downtown for lunch one day



The banyan trees were beautiful.  The roots grow from the branches down to the ground and form pseudo trunks.

 
Best $5 rental fee
 
 
Waikiki

 
Downtown (Honolulu)


 
Our first rainbow

 
My first Mai Tai in a looong time

 
Last day, had to close with a pina colada

 
My idea of Heavenly weather

 
Hang loose, boys!

Aloha!