Moonbeams & Twilight Dreams

I was lucky enough to catch a spot in Etsy's Treasury last weekend (on my birthday-eve, no less) and created this beautiful compilation filled with some of my favorite colors. She never made it to the front page, and since they expire within 2 to 3 days of their creation, I decided to save a snapshot to share with you here as it was just too pretty to fade away. I hope you enjoy it!

Hold On :: A Pueblo Indian Prayer

Hold on to what is good,

even if it's a handful of earth.

Hold on to what you believe,

even if it's a tree that stands by itself.

Hold on to what you must do,

even if it's a long way from here.

Hold on to your life,

even if it's easier to let go.

Hold on to my hand,

even if I've gone away from you.

2009 ~ Time for a New Thing

Out with the old... and in with the new! I'm so excited to see 2009 ~ feeling very hopeful for progressive changes in my life. I'm closing my store online (www.Legacy925.com) that I've been operating for the past 10 years and liquidating my inventory so that I can start a brand, new adventure. Sometimes we get bogged down in something that no longer suits us - like clothes that no longer fit that we keep hanging in our closets, and this is how I see my business.

I've always loved to make things and jewelry is at the top of my creative list. I adore charm bracelets as they come in so many interesting forms. Charms can be made of silver, gold, resin, old game pieces, beads, photos, pictures... the list goes on. Charms are a fashion trend that never goes out of style.

I started my business in 1999 with the name "Charmed, I'm Sure!" and a passion for making sterling silver charm bracelets on playful themes. But soon the business grew to include other jewelry and gift items, and these things began to cloud and take over my vision. We also encountered some bumps in the road and changed our name in 2003 to "Legacy 925".

Somewhere in the midst of all this, I began making bridal earrings and fell absolutely in love with pearls! I've always loved pearls ~ used to wear them with jeans, and people always complimented me on wearing them in such a creative and 'casual' way. Soon, I was making bracelets and necklaces and found myself completely obsessed with beads, both gemstone and pearl, and now I find myself moving in an entirely different direction than where I began in 1999. So, it's time to move on to the next phase in my life ~ and Legacy 925 has to go.

I may still create charm bracelets, but possibly with a little more pizzazz... and lots of dazzling pearls and gemstones! I'll be posting my new designs at www.Legacy925.etsy.com, as well as my old charm inventory and jewelry supplies. I'm planning to list my jewelry displays and gift inventory on eBay or the likes... haven't quite got that one figured out yet.

So, check in often ~ I'll be posting updates here whenever possible and sharing ideas on this new path that I've found.

Happy New Year, and Welcome 2009 ~ a year of endless possibilities! This could be the year to see your dreams come true. I hope to see some of mine blossom this year. ;>)

Twilight Theme Party Ideas

Below are links to some great sites where I found my initial inspiration for the Twilight parties:

Squidoo: A Party Planning Guide for Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Fans
Squidoo: Twilight Party Food
Twilight Moms rock!: Twilight Moms Forums
This site is gorgeous: TwilightQuotes.com
Twilighters Anonymous - we used the Bella's Birthday Party Quiz

I think I visited a million more websites that I don't have links for. Just google "Twilight birthday party" or "Bella Birthday Party" and you'll find tons of sites with great party ideas, food, recipes, gift ideas, games, etc.

Best of luck in your search for the perfect Twilight/Bella theme party! Hope you have as much fun planning and enjoying your party as we did. This was definitely a party to remember.

Hasta la pasta! er, Mushroom Ravioli, that is...

This post was supposed to be published on Dec 13 ~ not sure what happened, but here it is! Happy New Year!

A Twilight Birthday ~ the Goods

The “VIP Vampire Pass” was found on eBay, but because of our time crunch, we had to make our own version, using the Twilight font we found online (have to get that link from my daughter). Thank you to the originator of the "backstage pass" idea. That was a gem!

Most of the supplies were purchased locally; and many can be found online if you have time to order in advance. I got the gorgeous mercury glass candlesticks from Pottery Barn online, and the mercury glass votive holders from Pier 1 locally. The pinecone lights and crackled glass bowl were found at Wal-Mart. The pink rose petals and 'sparkling ice' were a great surprise that jumped right out at me from the wedding aisle at WM. I would say most of the fun stuff just found me as I was looking for the fundamentals.

Basically, to do a party like Bella's, you want a table covered in a white tablecloth, glass plates, silver-wrapped gifts, lots of pink roses and pink candles. The Japanese lanterns would be really nice if you have time to get those. They're easy to find online, and you may even find them in a local shop. I embellished where I could to set the tone for an elegant 'pink and silver' party. And, apparently, it was a big hit.

I'll never forget, in the middle of dinner, hearing her friend yell, "Nova's birthday party ROCKS!" How much more fun does it get?

Here's wishing you a Happy Bella Birthday Party! This is the kind of thing that makes memories to last a lifetime.

A Twilight Birthday ~ the Menu

Although there was no dinner served at Bella’s Birthday Party in the book, we chose to serve a dinner much like the meal enjoyed by Edward and Bella at a local café.

The menu included Mushroom Ravioli with Red Sauce, Caesar Salad, and Garlic Breadsticks, along with Sparkling Cherry and Sparkling Strawberry juices which were a nice dark pink. The Pink Cake was decorated with roses and rosebuds.

For the treats, I used silver organza gift bags, filled with Eclipse Polar Ice Gum (for icy, cold Vampires), Wrigley’s 5 Flare Cinnamon Gum (for the Vampire's stinging bite), a huge Hershey’s Kiss (for Edward's comforting kiss on Bella's forehead when they arrived at the party), Baseball Chocolates (Vampires play awesome Baseball) and Gummy Teeth (need I say more?).

Each bag held a little jar of Sparkling Powder in White Icing for the guests and Lilac Frosting for the birthday girl – so the girls can sparkle like Vampires in the sunlight! The birthday girl also received a large bar of Ghirardelli Twilight Delight Intense Dark Chocolate. They were blown away by the gift bags and everyone enjoyed their goodies.

A Twilight Birthday ~ the Ambiance

Strands of glittering, white, pinecone lights hung from the ceiling like miniature Japanese lanterns. Sparkling icicles dripped from a small Christmas tree twinkling with little white lights near the dinner table along with a glass vase full of pale pink silk roses. This is where her shimmering silver birthday presents lay waiting to be unwrapped. Pink silk rose petals were scattered around the floor throughout the dining room and entryway.

Pink taper candles glowed above silvery, statuesque, mercury glass candlesticks. The mercury glass was chosen to emulate the silver, the crystal, and the broken glass. A nearby table held a crackled glass bowl on a black iron stand filled with floating pink rose candles.

The dinner table was covered in a white linen tablecloth, strewn with pink silk roses and the ‘pièce de résistance’ – ‘sparkling ice’ – an excellent likeness for shards of broken glass. Mercury glass votive holders in the center of the table softly glowed with pink votive candles. Clear glass dinner plates were placed on black, glitter-sparkled chargers. Silvery organza gift bags were placed above the plates for each guest, to be opened after dinner.

The birthday girl sat at the head of the table like a princess, and we waited on them as if they were VIPs in a fine dining establishment. They were blown away. My daughter is still gushing over the whole thing... "That was an awesome birthday party, Mama!" Even my friend, Kathy, who attended the movie with us and helped with the party, exclaimed, "You know how to put on a drop-dead party!" It was fun.