An Unexpected Party - Part 2 - Food Fit for a Hobbit

Last September my cousin, Josh, turned 9, and he is a huge fan of The Hobbit. So he wanted to have a Lord Of The Rings themed birthday party!! [see part 1 here]

You can follow Grace's pinterest board to see where many of the ideas came from! Links below to other blogs where the Lembas Bread recipe and templets came from...

The food and drink was one of the most fun parts! [And certainly the most important part, if you ask any decent hobbit]. I'll let the food speak for itself...

"It comes in pints?? I'm getting me one!"

Get the Leaf Wrapper Template and Lembas Bread Recipe 

[Grace used green cardstock tied with string instead of the craft foam they suggest].

"One small bite can fill a grown mans stomach"

Drum roll please.....

Surly there was something among these to tantalize your taste buds!! Leave a comment below if we left something out! What are your Middle Earth Food Favorites??

Blessings - Kerry

**Up next? Peoples of Middle Earth! Check back soon!**

An Unexpected Party - Part 1 - Invitation and Decor

Last September my cousin, Josh, turned 9, and he is a huge fan of The Hobbit [book, and movies] and is nearly completed his first read through The Lord Of the Rings. 

He wanted to have a Hobbit/LOTR themed party, and that is just what we did! Grace [Josh's big sister] made these incredibly cute invitations to look like Bilbo's door, at Bagend!

[back of the invite]

We used reclaimed white newsprint paper [like the kind used as packing material] and made a tree shape in a corner to be The White Tree of Gondor. [This was an idea from Pinterest, I believe, but it was a jungle tree, or some other theme, with brown and green paper]

The little girl wanted her picture by the White Tree...

Such tourists! [Couldn't NOT share these smiles!]

--> The Birthday Boy dressed up like Bilbo Baggins! Here he is eating second breakfast [an apple] standing outside of Bagend. [Grace set up a dome tent and covered it with a sheet, then drew the door out of more packing paper, and added greenery around]

Here is Bilbo in Shelob's Layer! Look out behind you!!!

They made a large banner [just like in the movie] to wish a happy birthday to Josh.

The Black Arrow. This was a game, I think Grace thought up. She drew the picture of Smaug, including his missing scale, and taped it to a cardboard box. Then they had a couple bows and arrows and everyone got a chance to try and slay the dragon! This was a LOT of fun!!

Another fun game [and more appropriate for the younger hobbits in attendance] was Mount Doom Ring Toss! The target was a picture of the top of the Mount Doom volcano, and each contestant got to toss The Ring into the burning depths! [they were actually small washers] :^) 

A welcome for the front door of the house. 

The Mark Gandalf leaves on Bilbo's door so the Dwarves know they are at the right house when they arrive to seek Bilbo's services as a burglar.  

There were fun goodie bags/party favors for everyone to take home! 

Paper and yarn bunting completed the look on the porch. [get a printable template here!]

This is Part 1 of at least 3... Stay tuned!!

Blessings - Kerry

Dryad - Narnia Costume Profile

I was invited to a super fun birthday party the last week of January. The invitation stated; Please come as one of your favorite characters from one of these books: The Chronicles of Narnia, Inheritance Cycle, The Wingfeather Saga, The Hobbit, Dragons in Our Midst, Lord of the Rings, The Mysterious Benedict Society, or Viking Quest.

Woah. What a fun collection of choices! It was a hard decision, but I've always loved the dryads in the Narnia books and have been looking for an excuse to make this costume anyways. :^)  

I made this waist cincher a week or two ago, with no real plan or purpose for it. But once I began sketching out my ideas for my dryad costume, I KNEW I had to include this lovely to the design.  

I used a metallic gold look leather purse to trim the edges of the front of the cincher, and added little leaf shapes to add interest. 

Seamstress Confession: I use a hot glue gun in my sewing a LOT more than I ever thought I should. [Not, of course for Historical garments]. But I stuck these little leather leaflets in place with hot glue, and then stitched them in permanent place. It can gum up your machine needle if you get to much right along the edge you are sewing, but just tack it in the center if your stitching the edge, and you can avoid this. It keeps it secure better than pins at this point, cause all the thick layers, the pins don't do a whole lot. [or they bend and then are completely useless!]. I've also hot glued patches in place on stretchy fashion fabric or on leather vests/jackets, where it's hard to keep pins straight. 

Here I am below with the birthday girl, who was Bonnie, a Dragon/Human from the books Dragons In Our Midst. 

I just wore the one shoulder 'dress' over a green long sleeved tee and green leggins. 

Here I am with Hope, a Miniature Tauriel, from the new Hobbit movies. [Grace, aka Bonnie, made the Taurial costume!!] 

I made some hair decorations to match the dress and cincher. [ahem; More hot glueness]  

I did some fun viney/leafy paint designs on my face and chest with acrylic paint. 

I added little strips of the same colors of fabric in the dress and leaves and braided them in to my hair, just pinned them to be flowing and twisted them to other sections. 

Thanks for stopping by!!

-Kerry-