My Camp Theme Wedding - Camp Nutenbeier 13 Years Ago Today

Just Married - Heading out of the Forest and Off to Camp Nutenbeier

Lucky 13, that's what I'm calling this anniversary! I'm so lucky to be married to my best friend, confident, right-hand guy, travel companion and partner in crime. We had a non-traditional courtship of being friends for a long time before we got engaged. (Yes, we practically skipped dating.) The engagement was not that much of a surprise though, since all our friends suspected we were already more than just friends!

The true test of the relationship, though, came when I proposed we'd have a camp-themed wedding. I didn't just want the rustic look, and setting (Lake Tahoe, California), but I truly wanted the full camp experience! My husband-to-be put up with a summer of being my production intern cranking out Boy Scout-like badges, camp passports, how to tie know games, lanyards and more. Little did he know that 7 years later, I'd give up the corporate world, and start my party business (in 2007)! I guess our wedding was fore-shadowing. Lucky for him now, I have not employed him again as intern!

My Wedding Camp  in Full Swing: Guitar Lessons, Knot Tying, Campfire Books and More

I couldn't have asked for a better day. Incredible Sierra weather and lots of happy campers doing their activities and filling out their camper passports!

Wedding Cake Was Not My Thing: S'mores Fit the Bill Perfectly!

To end the camp, we had a rousing competition of rochambo to determine the winning cabin group and get the prize t-shirts. The s'mores were served to much delight and surprise. I had many guests in shock to learn, that no, I was not serving wedding cake. (I must say, 13 years ago, s'mores were not that popular in the wedding scene!)

Although Camp Nutenbeier seems like a long time ago, I'm still so lucky to be in love with my favorite camp buddy. I hope someday when we are old and gray we can head off to Camp Nutenbeier again and relive our youth!

Notes from the Studio: Home Sweet Home

Time for a Little Redecoration

I gave my husband a full week after we had returned from our month long trip to let him know it was time for some redecorating in our home. As you can imagine, it didn't go over so well.

"We've just returned from an amazing trip, and you want to redecorate?"

As I scanned the 2 rooms in question, "Um, yes."

There was a grimace on his face. I'm sure in the back of his mind he was thinking this Fall would be the perfect time to just relax for awhile. Get back into the routine of school, work, and life, and possibly watch some football too. I can only guess a "fun" and most likely costly redecoration project was not on his radar.

A couple weeks have passed now since I sprung the news, and I've been slowly making progress. First, I've pulled out a pile of magazine cut outs I've been storing away, and have been doing a little low-tech Pinterest work by gathering up all the inspiration I can find. Of course, I'm also doing the high-tech approach and pinning away on my Home Sweet Home board.

Lastly, I've started to dig in to Holly Becker's Decorate Workshop book. Oh, what a feast for the eyes, with very "Betsy-like" exercises to help me think about the spaces I want to update. One of my main goals in redecorating is to add more personality to the spaces, specifically my family's personality. This book is definitely helping me pull out that information.

I'm also seeing a little softening up on my husband's part. We had to do some cleaning and moving around of some rugs this week (another long story, but let's just say the dog was involved), and it gave us a chance to see how much lighter the rooms feel without the dark rugs. I guess I should thank my dog for her troubles, since it looks like I'm getting my chance for a little redecoration after all!

I'll definitely post some updates along the way, and may just have to poll you wonderful readers when I'm stuck on finding what I'm looking for. Given how fast things move around here, it could take awhile, but I'm sure in the end, it'll be worth it!

Pixies and Pirates or Mermaids and Pirates - Playful Alternatives to a Pirate Party Theme

Pixies and Pirates Party Invitation & Mermaids and Pirates Party Invitation by B.Nute productions

Your little one is begging for a pirate party theme but you're thinking the Pirates of Caribbean look may be a bit much. Or, perhaps, your rough and tumble girl loves pirates, but is also partial to a bit more girly theme too. Here are 2 great pirate party theme alternatives that are perfect for these scenarios and more-- a Pixies & Pirate Party and a Mermaids & Pirate Party.

Pixies and Pirate Party
A Pixies and Pirates Party is the happy marriage of a fairy theme and a pirate theme with a dash of Peter Pan's magical Neverland world. Tinkerbell and all her pixie friends always loved a little tussle with pirates every now and again, and this theme is the perfect blend of both fairy magic and fearless pirate fun. Check out this book below for some visual inspiration and party ideas:

In the Realm of the Never Fairies by Monique Peterson on Amazon.com

Mermaids and Pirates Party
For this party theme, just blend a mermaid theme with a pirate theme and sprinkle with a bit of the Little Mermaid to add pizazz! Pirates and Mermaids both love the sea-- although some are underneath the sea and some are above. Playing off these themes, your Mermaids and Pirates Party can be filled with hidden under water grottos, sunken treasures, secret sea shells and pirate mischief. Below is wonderful book for mermaid inspiration:

The Mermaid's Treasure by Stephanie True Peters on Amazon.com

Note: For Pirate inspiration, be sure to see all my Pirate Party ideas on this blog - from games, entertainment, food ideas and more.

Pirate Party: Games, Entertainment and Art & Craft Ideas

The Pirates at Your Party Are Ready to Play - Time for Some Games!

You've got a rowdy group of pirates ready for some action at your Pirate Party, and you are wondering, how on earth will I entertain these rascals? Here's a list of pirate party games, entertainment ideas and arts & craft activities that will make your party time sail by!

Pirate Party Games
Shark Infested Waters
This game is like the pool game, Sharks and Minnows, but you play this on a lawn area instead. Designate one side of your yard the pirate boat and the other side the island. The space in between is the ocean. Have all the pirates stand near the boat. Have one party guest be the “head” shark. The shark tells the pirates to swim to the island. The pirates must pretend to swim from the boat to the island without getting tagged by the shark. If they are tagged they become a shark and help the sharks catch more pirates. The last pirate left becomes the new “head” shark.

Treasure Hunt
Set up a scavenger hunt through your house, yard, or neighborhood to find a treasure. This game can be as elaborate or simple as you’d like. Party guests can be broken into teams, or work together as one team if the party is small. Pick the number of “stations” for the hunt (i.e., a station could be a room in your house; a specific object like a painting, vase or identifiable plant; or a location in your neighborhood like a mailbox or street sign.) At each station provide a clue at to guide the kids to the next clue. At the end, have enough treasure to share, or leave each guest’s goodie bag.

Lost at Sea: Treasure Map
Instead of a scavenger hunt with clues, you could create a treasure map the kids need to follow to find the treasure. The map could be places in your house, yard or neighborhood. Have the final destination a place that is not easily identifiable, such that following the map is necessary.

Gaming Table: Cards and Dice
With months at sea, many pirates passed the time by playing card and dice games - of course, they played for money! Provide each guest with fake money, and let them take their chances playing a simple game like betting who gets the highest card (each player is dealt one card, highest card wins), or a dice game where kids bet if they will roll a pair or 3 of a kind or the likes (simplified version of Yahtzee.) The games can be more elaborate depending on the age of the guests.

Pirate Party Entertainment Ideas
Dress Up Box
No matter the age, dress ups are sure to please most guests. Here’s a list of items you can place in a plastic tub for all to enjoy:

• Eye Patches (see Art section for details)
• Vests (see Art section for details)
• Scarves- Head to the fabric store and pick up a couple yards of red and black polyester fabric. No sewing necessary, just cut into long strips and kids can use as a tie around their waist or around their head!
• Pirate Hats - Pick up a couple pirate hats online (www.orientaltrading.com) to add to the mix.
• Captain’s Blazer - Get out that old blue blazer or head to the second hand shop to pick up a Captain’s jacket. You can embellish with pins and colored tape stripes to make it more “authentic.”

Face Painting
What pirate wouldn’t like a skull and crossbones on his or her cheek? Hire a face painter, or ask an artist friend to help. The Klutz (www.klutz.com) Face Painting book has pirate face painting ideas, and is a great kit to own.

Read a Pirate Story
Dress up with a pirate hat, don a pirate accent and read a story or 2 to the crowd. There are many pirate books out there, some written for young folks, some for older – here are a few that might engage the crowd:

• “How I Became a Pirate” by Melinda Long
• “Pirates” by Dina Anastasio
• “Pirate Pete” by Kim Kennedy
• “Pirates” by John Matthews
• “Pirateology: The Pirate Hunter’s Companion” by William Captian Lubber

Hire a Pirate Actor or Actress
Give a call to your local high school theatre department and see if any kids would like to be a pirate for an afternoon! Perhaps they could do a skit or two to entertain the crowd.

Pirate Party Arts & Craft Ideas
Make an Eye Patch
Cut out eye patch shapes from black construction paper. Punch a hole in either side and tie a piece of yarn through each hole. Set out on a table with stickers, pretend gems, glue, gel pens and let the kids decorate.

Decorate a Pirate’s Vest
Gather several paper grocery bags for this project. Cut the center of one side, and a round “neck hole” from the bottom of the bag. On either side of the bag, cut a circle for the arm. Either set out crayons or pens, or washable paints, and let the kids decorate. You can punch holes on the edges of the cut sides, and string yarn through the holes to tie the vest closed.

Design a Treasure Map
Buy some brown paper gift wrap, and tear into letter size pieces. Crumple the paper to give it a worn, authentic look. Set out some pens and let the kids decorate! You can also print out some samples from the web to give examples for the kids to see. Type in “Treasure Map” into your favorite search site and find some images to print.

Pirate Coloring Pages
Many different websites offer coloring pages that you can print from your own computer. In your favorite search engine type in “pirate coloring pages”. Pick and choose your favorite pages to print. At the party, just set up a small art table with crayons, glitter glue and the coloring pages.

Pirate Party Food and Grog Ideas and Free Printable Pirate Menu

Restless Pirates Need Some Tasty Food and Grog at their Pirate Party!

The pirates are getting restless and are demanding some tasty food and grog at your authentic-style Pirate Party, now what to serve? Let’s just say, Pirates were not known for their table manners! The pirate feast below will be a delight to all the kids and adults alike... lots of finger foods, raucous laughter, and I’m sure, a few belches too. Below are some ideas of what to serve at your pirate feast including a free printable Pirate Menu Card.

Appetizers
• Bagel Chips or Pita Chips (could be thought of as a “hard tack” biscuit often ate by pirates)
• Cheese Cubes
• Hummus

Main Course - Lunch or Dinner
• Ribs or BBQ Chicken Wings
• Biscuits
• Vegetable Platter (to kids delight, vegetables were hard to come by on the ship, so no need to go overboard with your veggie selection!)
• Tropical Fruits - Pineapple, Mango, Passion Fruit

Drinks
• Rootbeer (if age appropriate, serve in the bottles)
• Cider
• Ginger Ale
• A “Virgin” Rum drink like a virgin Mai Tai.

To add to the mood: let the party know that beetles known as “weevils” often invaded the ship’s food supply. For your party, though, you’re tried to remove as many as possible!

Free Printable Authentic-Style Pirate Party Menu

Free Printable Authentic-Style Pirate Party Menu Card

Complete the look of your Pirate Party with these free printable authentic-style Pirate Party menu cards. The cards are blank, and perfect for you to add your own menu items to it. See below for details.

Free Printable Authentic- Style Pirate Party 5"x7" Menu Cards from B.Nute productions

Tips for Creating and Printing Your Menu Card

If you plan to hand write the menu:
1. Select link above, and print out image from your browser. Print on card stock to give menu some weight.
2. Once printed, cut out, fill out and hand out at party!

If you'd like to have your menu typed on to the menu card, just follow these few steps:
1. Select link above. Go to your browsers File Menu and select "Save As". Save image to your local computer.
2. Open an image editing program, and use the type tool to add your menu items. Create one list, then copy and paste this to the other two. Now print out file, and cut cards.
3. Or, if you prefer, open a desktop publishing program, import the saved jpg, and add type on top of the menu card. Now print out file, and cut cards.
4. Another option is to first print out the menu card (blank) and cut out each card (they are appx. 5"x7" inch size.) In MS Word, create a 5"x7" document. Leave a large enough margin at the bottom and sides as to not print on top of the image. Type menu. Feed printed menu card through your printer and print out the MS Word document on top.

Printable items are copyright protected, and provided free of charge by B.Nute productions for personal use only. B.Nute's printables can not be sold, altered, or provided for download on any other site. For questions or inquiries, please contact B.Nute productions.

Notes from the Studio: A Little More of Me

Pinboard in My Studio

Yesterday I spent some time on this blog doing some housework of updating links and organizing some content that had been buried deep in the chronology of past posts. I soon realized it was time for a little sprucing up. Not visually, per say, but in regards to breathing a little life into my regular content. Giving my posts some more personality.

Vintage Boy Scout Photo - Personality Bubbling from those Faces

It's similar to my current goal of sprucing up some rooms in my house. My cute throw pillows in my family room from 3 years ago have lost their pizzaz. The wonderful wall color of latte in my dining room needs some brightening up. And, perhaps my blog, which has been chugging along happily for over 6 years, needs a little bit more of me in it too!

I Couldn't Believe my Find - A Betsy Button!

It's ironic to look back, because when I started blogging, I intentionally kept the "blog" button hidden on my website. Can you imagine? Hidden, you say? What type of marketing faux-pas is that? Well, at the time, I wasn't quite sure that the world wanted a blog from me-- let alone anyone. Although blogging had been bubbling slowly in the tech world and with some crafty folks, it hadn't yet hit mainstream websites. Well, that sure changed quickly!

I'm Always Inspired by Type

Blogs are the bomb. Everyone needs one, and everyone needs to pump it daily with tantalizing pics, fabulous freebies and creative content. But what really makes me love certain blogs over others is when I get a little sense of who the gal or guy is behind the "wow." Reading posts where I realize, they are human like me. They too have some good days and some rough ones, some creative days, and some where nothing comes out. Some days they want to run away from it all, and some days they want to snuggle up with their family and just stay put. Blog posts like these put the person behind the pictures and makes me know it's actually created by an individual, not some factory that's sole job is to churn out pictures of steaming mugs of lattes with heart shaped foam.

No, This is Not Me - But Wouldn't It Be Fun to Be a Mermaid for the Day?

So back to my little "party place", B.Nute productions' blog. I'm ready to add that sparkle, and touch of me, that occasionally comes and goes, but stays pretty well hidden. I hope it adds a bit more to my designs, and gives you a little better sense of the "B." or Betsy behind B.Nute productions.

An Authentic Pirate Party: Invitations and Ideas

An Authentic-Style Pirate Party Invitation from B.Nute productions on Zazzle

Captain's Diary 1791

We left port 9 months ago with high hopes to find riches. The crew was eager and brave to face the perils at sea. Since our departure, the conditions have deteriorated considerably. Too much grog and mayhem among the pirates and no treasure in sight. Alas, a holler arrived from the crow's nest... 

"Land ho me'mateys!"

And the adventure began....

Throw an authentic-style Pirate Party for your swashbuckling guy on his day and set the scene with this vintage Pirate Party invitation sure to get the crew ready to seek their treasures and fun. My Pirate Party invitation has a realistic flair, with a weathered treasure map background and a letter to the recipient requesting he/she join the crew. The letter reads:

"Are you brave and fearless? Our wicked ship sets sail to far away destinations in search of riches and treasures. The seas are dangerous and mighty, but the handsome reward is worthy."

What adventure-loving pirate would decline this invitation?!

Set the Scene: Pirate Party Decoration Ideas

Create a Pirate Ship in Your Party Space

Designate an area of your yard (perhaps a jungle gym or lawn area) as the pirate ship. If you have a climbing structure, hang a large pirate flag at the top, then string rope from the top to the edges to simulate the ropes on the mast of a boat. The tanbark area surrounding the structure is a perfect ocean. No jungle gym? Inflate a kiddie wading pool and call it a boat (just don't add any water in it!) Place garden stakes around the pool and hang pirate flags from them. The lawn will make a perfect ocean. 

If your party is indoors, then just bring the wading pool inside (remember, it has no water in it) and hang a flag above from the ceiling. Lay sheets (preferably blue) around the "boat" to act as the ocean.

Create a Treasure Island in Your Party Space

Your patio area, garage, or if indoors, a room, can make the perfect deserted island. Pick up a few luau decorations such as bamboo garland, sea shells, fish nets, coconuts, and palm fronds to decorate the space. Empty the space out of furniture and only leave behind a few props like a treasure chest and a pretend pirate ship (see above.) The treasure chest could contain treasures, of course, or dress ups to get the crew in costume.

Stay tuned for more authentic-style pirate party ideas in future blog posts.