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Personal Touch from 43
terrycloth bathrobes were hung around the ballroom. Novelty pillows with
well-known cereal box artwork (70% off at Kohl's) and backrests (90% off at
Meijer) became perfect dance floor prizes.
Poster Perfect
I purchased a huge piece of foam core to use over the dance floor (approxi-
mately $20 at Miller's Art Supply in Farmington Hills) and glued on big bubble
letters printed on colorful neon paper from Office Max.
Then I blew up clip art of bedroom furniture and accessories, and designed
a cartoon-like teen room on the sign. I had found poster-sized foam core on
sale for $1, and made signs to hang over the food stations and to place on
the memory book, place cards and kid's giveaway tables.
I also recycled eight 8x4-foot pieces of foam core we saved from Alanna's
bat mitzvah. On the bottom half of each poster, I glued on an image of a
sleeping Alissa nestled on cartoon pillows and tucked under a real fleece bed
sheet (purchased for 80% off and cut into eight pieces to fit the posters) with
a slogan that began with "Dreamin' about ..." and ended with "my mom, my
dad, my sister, my friends, my fam-
ily, fun times, my sports and growing
DO-IT-YOURSELF
up." Above Alissa's head were dream
bubbles containing collages of corre-
MONEY-SAVING TIPS
sponding photographs.
• Use your computer to create
your own place cards and
artwork
• Shop at dollar and discount
stores for props and party favors
• Recycle from home and borrow
theme-related items from friends
• Buy an inexpensive memory,
sign-in book and decorate it
with personal photographs and
craft items
• Consider serving non-alcoholic
beverages
• Select a party theme with
casual attire options
No pajama party is complete without
a tasty, tummy-filling breakfast, and
Jeanne Silva, Temple Israel's catering
director extraordinaire, worked closely
with me on a reasonably-priced, home
cooking-inspired menu for Alissa's
Saturday night soiree. From fun
appetizers like miniature breakfast
biscuits and small cups of assorted,
berry-topped yogurts and cereals to
such main course comfort foods as
made-to-order omelets, pancakes,
waffles, French toast, blintzes, kugel,
plus bagels and lox, it was a people-
pleasing feast.
I collected comforters, throw rugs,
stuffed animals, cereal boxes and American Girl Doll beds from home and
from friends, and Jeanne's staff transformed the sweet table area into a
messy teen bedroom scene (complete with a pink dresser from Value City
Furniture clearance-priced at $20).
We served s'mores, doughnuts, cookies, coffee cake, Pop Tarts and fresh
fruit skewered on toothbrushes instead of fancy flans and pastries, as well
as standard sleepover beverages like hot chocolate, juices, soft drinks, and
flavored coffees instead of liquor.
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O#e /. 11 a 111/17/0 11
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Our guests and Temple Israel's staff all wore pajamas. Our family found so
many fun, inexpensive pajama sets and matching slippers, we bought several
outfits each and changed clothes during the party!
Lovingly creating and coordinating every detail of Alissa's bat mitzvah
celebration and having our cherished family and closest friends share in our
immense joy still fills my heart. As I watched Alissa celebrate this personal
milestone in her life, it made those long hours and late nights toiling in my
basement bat mitzvah sweat shop well worth it!
I www.oneinamillionbridal.com
1224610
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celebrate! 2007
Breakfast, Anyone?