{real parties} a black, white and daylight celebration

I hope you're enjoying our week full of DEPOSITS! Some of you may be wondering... "Why are you featuring Halloween and New Year's Eve parties in the middle of winter?

I believe you can be inspired by any party! Some of my greatest party ideas were inspired by an out-of-season event or holiday celebration. If I start receiving hundreds of DEPOSITS a day {a piggy can dream!}, maybe that will change. For now, I'll feature your out-of-season parties so keep them comin'!

It's time to open our PIGGY BANK for another DEPOSIT sent to us by Staci of...

Staci's blog serves up daily inspiration, she's inspired by her kids--the Lizard and Ladybug--and she's a DIY queen! I love reading how excited she gets when she designs a new printable which she freely shares with her followers. Here's what Staci had to say about her party...

I wanted to share some of our "during the day" New Year's Eve party. I chose the theme "black, white and daylight." Pretty simple. Here are some of the highlights...

The table before the "real" food. I had a branch already painted from Halloween that I added black and white poms to (thanks to Kristy, The Purple Pug for that idea). I used a cake stand to hold the paper fortune cookies we made (idea from Home Confetti).

Oreos baked inside brownies = "Black and White Brownies"

My "Countdown Cupcakes." I used black card stock and metallic pen. Dipped a marshmallow in clear sprinkles for a sparkly effect and added it all to a lollipop stick. The cupcakes are Funfetti, of course!

Donut holes were "Champagne Bubbles" (thanks to Kim of Party Frosting!).

I used my New Year's printable attached to card stock & a dowel as centerpieces. They were displayed in jars of black eyed peas.

A can of Rotel and black eyed peas became our "Lucky Salsa."

The pasta was festive because I used bowties and curly noodles.

A little bubbly. I punched 2" circles of silver card stock then used a 1" punch. The cheapo plastic glasses came apart so I could add the "bling."

The kids LOVED counting down and yelling, "HAPPY NEW YEAR." They loved it even more when the saw their bubbly! Kiddie Cocktails were made with Cherry CapriSuns with a few cherries.

I can't have people leave without something. Some reNEWing hand scrub for the girls, chocolate bars for the guys and some snazzy sunglasses since we were whooping it up during the day.

Everyone had a fun time. The weather was great..the company was great...and it was early enough for everyone to get the heck out so I could get to bed early. :) Cheers to a fabulous 2011!!

I love a celebration on a budget especially when it includes Countdown Cupcakes, Oreo-filled Brownies and any drink with a cherry! I also love the simple black and white food labels and the clock tag on the hand scrub.

I wanted to get to know Staci a bit better. Here's my lil' interview with her...

Do you do this as a full- or part-time job or is it just for fun? I would love to turn my love for planning parties into a business...right now, it's just for fun.

How did you get started? I have always loved planning a party. It really became an obsession when I had my son almost 5 years ago. Now that I have a daughter, I can't get enough of planning.

What penny pinching ideas/tips went into your event? Most of my parties are DIY. I like the challenge of using ordinary things in unexpected ways. If it's inexpensive--even better!

I used store bought foods and gave them fancy names. I also made the decorations myself. Card stock is HUGE in all of my parties! With Microsoft Word and some card stock, I created my centerpiece stakes which were displayed in recycled coffee drink jars with dried beans.

I hope your INSPIRED by Staci's party. I can't wait to bake Black & White Brownies!

Off to buy sparkling grape juice, grenadine and a jar of cherries!

Stay tuned to Oink! for more inspiration...