Camping/Marshmallow Party for Lucy!

 This cuteness pictured above is the reason I haven't sewed a stitch for myself in weeks. My kid's third birthday party was last weekend. And because we're always on a tight budget, we needed to throw a party (in the park; not our teeny apartment) on a shoestring, which meant making a bunch of stuff to make it special without spending money on anything but the pizza, drinks, and cake. Also, my in-laws have been visiting for six days, which means I have also ignored a bunch of legitimate writing work for the past week.

Dear creative little Lucy had requested a "Marshmallow Party," which I cleverly turned into a camping party because I thought her pals' parents wouldn't appreciate me stuffing their kids full of sugar and gelatin for two hours and then sending them home. (Note the "Camp Marshmallow" banner in the background, painted on a long piece of muslin at the last minute. Thanks to my neighbor for handing off a box of fabric paints; I knew they would come in handy eventually).

I already showed you the tents I made for the party, based on the A-Frame Tent pattern by Rubyellen at Cakies blog. But here they are all together, arranged around the "fire" in the Upper Manhattan park where we partied Saturday afternoon.

Lucy contemplating a carrot

  

I pillaged all the ideas for Lucy's camping party from other blogs. Like these hobo bindle goody bags  — which I stuffed with little boxes of cereal (those ones you take camping, naturally), binoculars, flashlights from Oriental Trading and Ring Pops. I don't know if hobos sucked on Ring Pops, but if offered, I bet they wouldn't turn them down. At some point in our party planning, my husband decided he liked the hobo aspect better than camping. He campaigned to turn it into a Boxcar Children party, but I wanted to serve S'mores, not canned beans, so...

S'mores on a stick!

 These S'mores Pops (recipe from the decorated cookie blog) were a huge hit. The kids gamely pretended to roast them over the "fire" (a pile of sticks they gathered) before chowing down.

Making S'mores during our sing-along

 But a Camping/Marshmallow Party needs more than one type of S'more. So I served these decadent S'mores cupcakes for the grande finale (recipe from bakerella.com). You divide the batter and make half chocolate, and the other half with graham cracker crumbs. Plus you put a marshmallow in the middle. Cook at 350 for 15 minutes, and then you have diabetes.

Lucy and her BFFs blowing out the candles

 In all, it was freaking great.Though I'm glad it is over. Did I mention I haven't had a moment to myself — let alone to all the work I have backed up — in a week? Until next year.