Masquerade Daddy Daughter Harvest Ball

Masquerade Daddy Daughter Harvest Ball

Last year I helped accomplish a magical Daddy Daughter Date. It was a formal dinner, which we all dressed up in our Sunday best. I loved wearing my jeweled black dress and green mask! Each girl made a mask during Activity Days week prior to the evening. They also helped us make invitations, name cards, and napkin rings. Our goal was for it to sparkle that night by using lots of glitter, white lights, shimmery ribbons, and gems! We decorated the place in restaurant style each girl got their own table with their Father. We had servers (Young Women and Men from our ward) take their orders and serve them their food. We had a photographer take photos at a backdrop and provided some fun props. We asked a couple Young Women and Young men who were on the Ballroom team perform a couple routines for some entertainment. We then did three rotations of activities such as writing a letter to our missionaries, minute to win it games, and learn a waltz from the ballroom dancers. At the end, we did a group waltz dance all together. It was a fun night, which I hope the girls will never forget! 
The Invitations
We used 12X12 glitter scrapbook papers and embellished the invite with feathers, gems, ribbons, and black mask dye cuts (from silhouette machine). 

Close Up on the Invites
Credits: The Frames and graphics are from The Graphic's Fairy, the dancing couple from here and black paper is by Zoe Pearn and grey paper is by Shabby Princess. I used the following fonts: Francine Hmk, Old English Text MT, and Bergamot Ornaments.

The Table Setting
We cut some burlap fabric in squares, made name cards, napkin rings, masks (template here), menu, pumpkin party favor (filled with candy), spray painted pine cones, black lacy paper over glass container for tea light, and candelabras (silhouette machine which we spray painted them).

Another Table Setting

The Menu
We asked six Young Women and Men in our ward to be servers. They were dressed in black and white. Credits: Graphics and frames are from The Graphics Fairy, papers are by Zoe Pearn and I used Imperator, Goudy Old Style, Bergamot Ornaments, Old English Text MT, and Francine Hmk for the fonts.

The Place Mat (Activities to do while eating) 
Credits: I found misc games from doing a Google search Tick Tac Toe, Pumpkin Maze, and Dot Game. I typed out some ice breakers questions for them to talk about during dinner. The silhouette dance couple is from here. The oval frames and silhouette of girl are by Allison Kimbell Designs. The other Graphics are by The Graphic's Fairy. I got the silhouette dancing couple from here and the man silhouette here.

Photo Booth and Props
We used white lights over a white curtain and layered it with gold and cream material, bought a few pumpkins (put gold and cream ribbons on the stem) and balloons. I found the Photo Booth Props templates from here -----> Keepsakes Photo Props 

Banners and Pumpkins
As you can see we went with the color theme of black, orange, purple, gold, cream, and silver. When I planted my garden last year, I made sure we did pumpkins! I painted the pumpkins black, purple, white, etc. I used some glitter, ribbons, and masks to embellish them.  I was happy to decorate my front door with the colorful pumpkins after the event! I used gold and silver spray paint to make the pine cones (great for Christmas decorations, ha). As for the banner, I used the Goose Bumps kit from Shabby Princess, orange paper and alphas was from Zoe Pearn's Something Wicked Kit, and then I tied colorful ribbons on the banner.

More Pumpkins

Entertainment and Games 
We divided the guests into three groups and did three rotations. I made a map to show them where to go. We did Minute to Win it games, Learn a Waltz, and Missionary Letters to our current missionaries serving from our ward. Credits: Papers are by Zoe Pearn and Shabby Princess, graphics and frames are by The Graphics Fairy, compass is by Kate Hatfield from The Lily Pad, and the waltz dance couple silhouette is from here.

The Overview of Lights, Table, Chair Setting, and Disco Ball 
What a wonderful privilege to be apart of this magical night! I have the best church calling ever! 

Western Theme Daddy Daughter Date

Guess who recently got called to be an Activity Day leader and happily accepted? Yes, I was thrilled to join the Activity Day team for my new ward. During the months of August, September, and October, I helped planned and prepared for the annual daddy daughter date event.  I spent many hours designing paper decorations for picks, game signs, game map, watering hole sign, food cards, menu, etc.  I also designed the invitations, a fun activity place mat, and subway art.  Thankfully, we planned activities for the girls to help us out with cutting, assembling, coloring the backdrop, and putting other decorations together. On the day of the Hoedown, I was in charge of setting up the decorations, food prep, and was the photographer during the evening.  Since I had no cowgirl attire, I went shopping for some boots, hat, jeans, shirt, and belt. As for my belt buckle, I was honored to wear my great grandmother Ruby Coleman's belt buckle that was passed down to me.  It was fun to watch my husband and daughter interact with each other all evening! 

The Invitation
 I designed this invite using digital scrap book supplies, buttons, red thread, needle, glue sticks, and 3d foam adhesive stickers. The girls assembled the invite, stitched together the pockets, and placed the invite inside the pocket. 

Credits: I used The Happy Trails kit and other misc supplies by Shabby Princess and the wood and denim supplies are by Gina Cabrera. For the fonts, I used Hoedown, IFC Los Banitos, Three Dates One Night, Duality, Bergamot Ornaments, and WM Western1. 

The Decorations
Here are some examples of the decorations: food cards, picks, the invites, the DIY cow print cups the girls cut out from their own design using sticky black vinyl, the paper flowers wrapped around the mason jars, lots of raffia tied on things, rope, bandannas, denim and checkered table cloths. The Templates  Credits are the following: Sheriff Badge, Cowboy Hat, Boot Template, Napkin Template, Wagon Wheel, and Horse Shoe.
Another amazingly creative talented activity leader brought a fence to display other decorations (cow boy hats, rope, signs, boots, etc), she designed the vintage posters, made some picks, wanted posters, name cards, square hay bales center pieces, etc. She also helped the girls hammer a design in a soup can then spray painted them red, which we placed a light in the can, there were mustache and lip cutouts pulled through straws, and she designed the awesome napkin rings.

My Cowboy Subway Art: I downloaded several fonts from all over the internet. I found most of them off Pinterest, which had direct links!

The Photo Booth and Props: First, I took pictures of them while country music was playing in the background. As for the backdrop, cowboy/cowgirl hats, lips, mustaches, signs, sheriff badge, cowboy lingo, and robber eye mask were made by the other talented leader!  She also drew the backdrop which the girls colored with chalk for the photo shoot. I made the shooting booth sign red taped on the table.

The Menu: We tried to keep it simple...  We made BBQ Pulled Pork, bought Rolls, Baked Potatoes, Potato Fixin's, Salad Ranch, Broccoli and Cheese, water, and lemonade. For dessert: Root Beer floats and Smoky S'more Pops. The girls and their Dads enjoyed the cowboy table place mat games!  After they all ate their grub, we had somebody from our ward read a cowboy poem and a "real cowboy" did a demonstration on how to saddle up a horse, etc.

The Games:  Next, they played a few games. We split them in four groups. These are the game signs that I designed, which were hung on the doors. We had wheel barrow races, three legged races around a fake fire, potato sack races with a twist they had to dress up in random cowboy gear, pin the tail on the donkey, and they learned a western line dance.  Lastly, we had them gather together in the gym and do the country line dance that they learned and served root beer floats.  We sent the girls home with their wanted poster, name cards, etc. 

Yee-haw, what a rootin' tootin' night! It was a huge success because of the team work of the incredible activity leaders as well as other volunteers from our ward who helped us!

Young Women "Armour of God" Evening in Excellence

October 2, 2012 was my daughter's Evening in Excellence night.  She had to give a talk about how personal progress is her "Armour of God".  Robert D. Hales said, The "helmet of salvation" guards our reasoning, intellect, and thoughts. The "breastplate of righteousness" helps us to have the Spirit with us always, guarding our heart and soul. Having our "lions girt about with truth" gives us the foundation to build on faith and develop our testimony. The "sword of the Spirit" is the word of God to pierce the darkness so that we may have light and truth to guide our way in life. The "shield of faith" helps us withstand the fiery darts of the adversary. Having our "feet shod with preparation of the gospel of peace" by reading and studying the scriptures helps us be obedient to the laws, ordinances, commandments, and covenants of God. My daughter shared a couple experiences in her life when she was tempted to do the wrong choice but made the right choice of not following the crowd. I admire her strength and desire to do what is right especially in a world filled with chaos!   She did a fantastic job and didn't seem nervous at all speaking in front of many people! She also brought things and pictures for a display table that she has been working on for personal progress this year such as developing talents in cooking, singing in choir, taking photographs, and reading The Book of Mormon.  We watched a slide show of the young women wearing  a body armour costume!  After several talks we got to see the display tables and ate red velvet cake.  It was a wonderful evening and great way to start October!  I hope my daughter will always remember the importance of staying true to her young woman values by always defending herself when she is faced with evil temptations from the world!