Happy 4th!!

It feels like I've blinked and its been over two weeks since the last post here - how does that happen?!? 

Our early summer days have been filled with crafts (some were hits, some haven't turned out like I pictured in my mind), time at the pool, boring home stuff like laundry, and lots of idea/inspiration gathering in preparation for painting and decorating the bedrooms.  I guess all that explains my lack of idea sharing here at Penguin's Gift! 

What are you doing this holiday weekend?  We have a busy few days planned that includes fireworks, pool, picnics, and a bike parade.  We are kicking off the holiday weekend by having a bunch of great friends over for a playdate.  While at the craft store we picked up a fun summer craft for all the kids to enjoy and last night I put together these sparkler favors:

The printable sparkler tags from Twig & Thistle - the fun printable includes sparkler cards, matchbook wrappers, and straw tags!

Have a safe and fun holiday weekend -- happy 4th everyone!!!!

{I promise to be back soon to share some of the great gifts that my daughter was lucky enough to received for her birthday!}

A Birthday Recap {Anna is 6}

As promised here is a little recap of my daughter's sixth birthday party!!

This is the sample invitation from Chickabug {I love Chickabug and all of Heather's party creations - you'll see more below}.  For the second year running there wasn't a party theme so my daughter picked two colors from Chickabug's Design It Yourself (DIY) color chart {plum and rose} and Heather created this fun invitation. 

A cute birthday banner to get the party started {from Chickabug}!

Since there wasn't a theme I decided color coordinated drinks were a must! ;)

Pink lemonade and grape kool-aide with polka dot straws from Hey YoYo on Etsy.

The girls snacked on alphabet pretzels in these adorable cups {another great find from Hey YoYo}

Party planning starts early in our house - like months and months before birthdays.  We talk about what kind of party they would like to have that year and what will fit in the budget.  Just after Christmas I was suggesting different kinds of spring parties and one of the ideas was a pottery painting party.  She *loved* the idea but waited a few more months until the decision was a definite and I contacted Kathy Fick Designs. 

Kathy is so sweet and great to work with - the girls enjoyed painting their cupcake plate and Kathy was very helpful and patient.  If you are in the Baltimore area I highly recommend Kathy Fick Designs for pottery and fused glass parties (its not just for the kids - Kathy does parties for all ages.  Girls Night In anyone??!??)

Yummy cupcakes {toppers from Chickabug}! 

I had matching purple and pink candles but they melted in the sun.  No worries, I was thankful to have a beautiful day to host an outside party so sacrificing coordinating candles was well worth it!

We ended the party with favors, of course {tags from Chickabug}.  Want to know whats inside the bag?  The birthday girl was very specific with the favors ... lip gloss, fun fashion rings, pony tail holders, three lolli pops and six Reese's peanut butter cups!!

Party Credits:

~Invitations, banner, cupcake toppers, and favor tags from Chickabug on Etsy's DIY collection in Polka Dots {also check out the Chickabug blog!!}

~Polka dot paper straws and polka dot baking/nut cups from Hey YoYo on Etsy

~Pottery and all the supplies from Kathy Fick Designs

Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops?

I saw this book in a recent issue of Real Simple and thought it would make a fun Father's Day gift idea.

Here is the product description (from Amazon):

If you owe a couple cavities to Marathon candy bars, learned your adverbs from Schoolhouse Rock!, and can still imitate the slo-mo bionic running sound of The Six Million Dollar Man, this book is for you.

Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? takes you back in time to the tastes, smells, and sounds of childhood in the '70s and '80s, when the Mystery Date board game didn't seem sexist, and exploding Pop Rocks was the epitome of candy science.

But what happened to the toys, tastes, and trends of our youth? Some vanished totally, like Freakies cereal. Some stayed around, but faded from the spotlight, like Sea-Monkeys and Shrinky Dinks. Some were yanked from the market, revised, and reintroduced...but you'll have to read the book to find out which ones.

So flip up the collar of that polo shirt and revisit with us the glory and the shame of those goofy decades only a native could love.

{love it!!}

Find Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops at Amazon for under $8.

Mitetees {20% off}

Mitetees is offering 20 % off all orders now through Sunday, June 17th.

Use promotion code FAN0611

Snag this 'my daddy rocks' t-shirt for less than $13! 

The quality of Mitetees t-shirts and onesies is amazing!!

USA Typography Map

I first saw this typography map a few months ago and quickly filed it away as a Father's Day gift idea. This is a beautiful map of the United States of America is made up of typography ... see the details of states and cities in this picture:

You can find this USA typography map here for $71 ($15 shipping), and also check out the other l lovely prints from Bold & Noble on Etsy.

Screen Printed Bicycle Pint Glasses

Two of my husband's favorite things are beer and bikes.  These Screen Printed Bicycle Pint Glasses (set of four, $31) from Vital Industries would make a perfect Father's Day gift for him and other guys that have the same passion for beer + bikes (not at the same time of course!).

Find more amazing screen printed products in Vital Industries Etsy shop, including these Turquoise Rocks Glasses ($20).