Kim Kesti
Hey there, everyone! Welcome to the first post in my Not Bummer Summer series.
I know, the end of summer is getting closer, but I say we still have four weeks to squeeze in every last bit of fun.
How about a summer Swim Party?
I call this one “Party In A Bucket” since just about everything in this easy party ensemble fits inside one cute tool caddy.
I was inspired by a recent shopping trip to Target where most everything summery is on clearance…already. I know, right?
So, I picked up some striped paper goods and launched my party idea from there.
I created little decorations for my straws using plain old cardstock and some nautical flag ideas found on the Internet. You can find similar ideas at Boat Safe. I had fun piecing these together.
For party favors, I stamped this adorable little fish from the Birthday Buddies set by Paper Smooches. The treat containers were found at the Dollar Store (in the wedding section! Hee, hee). I just added two red strips of cardstock, matted the stamped images with a few punched circles and, of course, filled the containers with Swedish Fish! (Goldfish Crackers would be cute, too).
I picked up these lanterns from Target, also, but I wanted to add a few more decorations to to my party. So, I picked out matching cardstock and punched circles in three sizes. Then, I ran the circles through my sewing machine in one long continuous garland. They kind of remind me of bubbles, don’t you think?
After bundling everything in my tool caddy, I made this tag to decorate it. You could easily use something similar for a party invitation. I have a nephew that is turning two in August, so I plan to give this bucket to his Mom and she’ll just have to add some cupcakes for a complete birthday party. (Wouldn’t it be cute to wrap up the book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish for his present?)
Well, I’m inspired to have a fun swim party this summer, how about you?
Leave a comment about one of your favorite summer activities and I’ll pick two winners to take home the Birthday Buddies stamp set from Paper Smooches! All comments must be received by midnight (MDT) on Thursday, August 4.
And, stay tuned next week for more “Not Bummer Summer” ideas!
Kim Kesti,
Paper Crafts Go-to Gal
P.S. Speaking of fun party ideas…have you checked out the amazing party-themed creations for the final round of Gallery Idol? Click HERE to view the Top 5 finalists’ entries and cast your vote. Voting will end at noon (MDT) tomorrow!
WOW!! What a cute idea!! I LOVE the fun colors!!
Our FAVORITE summer activity is hanging out with the family at the lake or time spent during our county fairs!! We enjoy all of the time we get to spent together with the WHOLE family and the cousin get alot of playing and bonding time in which is SO GREAT to see!! THANKS for the chance to win and have a FABULOUS WEEK!! =)
My favorite activity is to go swimming, the other were invited to go swimming and out of nowhere it started raining hard, no lightning just rain, crazy Florida weather let me tell you, since we could tell it was just going to pass by; we stayed, me and my friend were trying to stay out of the rain in bathing suits under an unbrella that was not water proof and holding on to our towels that were getting wet my the second, while the kids were having a blast in the pool under the rain, 5 minutes under cold rain seem like 30minutes, my friends brother in law passed by when the rain was almost stopping and asked “What are you doing?” are you afraid of getting wet? i am sure it was pretty hilarious sigh. The pool water that before felt cold now felt warm compare to the rain. The Sun came back out and we all ended up with a bit of a sunburn. But we sure did enjoy getting to swim like little fish.
I love going for a walk either in the early am with my hubby and dog when there is still a slight chill in the air but the sun is bright and the dew is starting to melt, or in the late evening after dinner when the sun is starting to set and it’s still a little warm out but there is a breeze in the air. The other thing I enjoy is working in my veggie and flower gardens in the am when the air is still slightly chilly but the sun is shining brightly above and my dog is running around the yard happy as can be. There is nothing like a beautiful summer morning!
One of my favorite summer activities is to go to an expensive ice cream eatery such as Cold Stone and have one of their concoctions for dinner! At least once a summer since my girls were little we would do this when Dad was out of town.
Kind of like a passage into summer – Dad likes a cooked meal so he wasn’t too worried about missing it. It is a Mom-Daughters bonding thing. 
Thanks for a chance to win a great stamp set, too.
Favorite Summer activities=finding a not too crowded beach (a challenge in San Diego) and eating fudgesicles on a hot day.
ADORABLE projects! my favorite activity-going home to shoot off fireworks and hang out with friends and family!
I love the garland idea to go with the paper lanterns. I will definitely be using this idea for decorations at my next party.
One favorite summer time activity is to go the Honolulu Zoo’s Wild Wednesday Night concerts: the zoo stays open late w/ free admission for early evening picnicing after a day at work.