Brennan Turns Eight with a Mustache Bash, AKA the MAN Party

If I could work on one skill for fun right now, it would be "party styling".  I am not great at this, and there are so many great blogs doing awesome jobs of making all of the other mother's jealous of their parties.  We all know that if you throw the kids some cake and kool aid, they will be happy campers, but still...those pictures of perfectly fashioned parties make me swoon from time to time...so, without further ado, here is my very weak (and cheapish) version of a "stylized birthday party" without all the talent, money, and resources to use.

Brennan had a MAN party...Mustaches are such a big deal right now that I played on that.  We had a "photo booth" (READ:  Fabric I bought to make ties out of for my etsy shop tacked to the wall, mustaches I cut with my Silhouette, and dowels I used for another project.  The glasses came from the Dollar Spot at Target).  Total cost for Photo Booth (Not including fabric b/c I already had it and you can use anything you have, even a sheet or quilt):  $1.50 (1 piece of paper, glasses)

Like E's shirt?  I made it using a freezer paper stencil and fabric paints I had left from last year's party.

Brennan did not think his friends would like the photo booth.  He thought it was going to be "too babyish"...he was VERY wrong.  They had a blast (Well, 3/5 did, the other 2 are very shy and didn't want to).  The boys kept coming back asking to take more pictures!  I emailed the cute ones to their parents.

Brennan dug out some fun accessories to use as well.  In the above picture he said he is Mario shooting a fireball.

Even Bart got in on the action ;)

Silveware holder I fashioned.  I used a plastic cup...because after all, the party was for 8 year old boys and I did NOT want them breaking my cool square vase.  Total cost (including ribbon):  fifty cents, lol.  I got a BIG sheet of vinyl for VERY cheap from a great scrapbooking friend (Hi Amber!)
Cups:  Cheap-o clear cups from Walmart with vinyl mustaches on them that I cut.

Goodie bags:  I am not a huge fan of a goodie bag full of just candy (though I won't refuse it, either, lol).  I started out with BIG dreams for these bags:  neck ties, hair gel, etc, etc.  It ended up as a tie tack (mustache shaped) made out of shrinky dink, trial sized bottle of Dove Men body wash, and sample spray of Hugo Boss (Ebay, $6 for 6).  Total cost:  $12 for 5, plus we have a cologne sample for Brennan.

Games: Well, I went into the morning having no clue about games, other then "pin the mustache on the man" which I drew ghetto style on our peeling siding (getting new siding Thursday!) with chalk.
As I was in the basement I saw the walker from last summer.  (They probably want it back but it was rented for as long as we need it.  I am scared to give it back, fearing if I do, he will need it again)
And that walker gave me a great idea:  We'd play MAN games.  First, we played baby basketball...because even as babies, the boys were men deep down ;).  Then we did pin the mustache on the man, with Brennan in charge of the spinning ;)  Like our blind fold?  See, KIDS play pin the tail on the donkey.

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After that the kids played basketball, like COOL teenagers and college kids (they actually said COOL teenagers played Bball, lol).  While some were doing that, we played OLD MAN GOLF.  Funniest thing ever.  Here is what you do:  Get a walker, golf club, baseball.  Instruct boy to push walker and play "golf", trying to hit the ball into a target you drew on the ground.  Why a baseball and why not a hole?  1.  OLD MEN have vision lose so they need a BIG ball to see it.  2.  No hole...well, I didn't want to dig one in my yard and also, it would be a lot harder for an OLD man to hit a TINY hole, so they need a BIG target to hit instead.  Just ask the boys ;)  They absolutely LOVED it.

The food:  Simple, grilled cheese, cheetos, string cheese, and strawberry kool aid.  All picked by Brennan.  No veggies or fruit in sight.  The desserts were cupcakes, chocolate covered mini pretzel rods, and mustache cookies.  Cupcakes and pretzels had homemade gumpaste mustaches cut with the Silhouette and green sugar sprinkles I made using sugar and food coloring.  The mustache cookie cutter is from Urban outfitter.  Order in their store for free shipping.
Food total cost:  $18.  Plus $10 for the cookie cutter that I just had to have...it was life or death after all. The cupcakes.  It's a shame that Brennan did not want a CAKE...I mean, that is what I do, kwim?  But the cupcakes were very easy so I didn't mind.

Real men eat their lunch while watching t.v.  In this case, Phineas and Ferb.

All the kids, happy, full of sugar, and ready to be sent home to their mothers.

The birthday boy and his mama.

I can't believe Brennan is EIGHT years old.  To some, eight is just another birthday, nothing too special.  But to an LDS family, EIGHT is the time of choices.  Of baptism.  Of responsibility. 
Brennan has decided to get baptized in Natchez, MS, where I was baptized as an eight year old, along with my brothers and sister (I think they were all baptized there?).  My youngest brother's wedding reception will be July 16 and he will be baptized the next day after church, surrounded by family who loves him dearly...and friends who my family has known since I was a child. 

It's so exciting for me to see Brennan growing up.  I have these moments of AHHHHHHHHHH why is he being so _____________ (naughty, smart mouthed, argumentative, etc)  But then there are moments of  Ahh, this is why we had children...to enjoy them and love them and get to have the honor of being their parents, helping them learn and grow, mature and develop and grow into wonderful people.