Sugar Skull Cake & Cupcakes

For my Day of the Dead/Frida Kahlo themed birthday party in February my friend Amanda made me a carrot cake (my favorite cake flavor) in the shape of a sugar skull. She used a skull shaped pan. She also made the cupcakes and the flower tissue cupcake toppers. I commissioned my friend Debbie to make me some colorful sugar skull toppers. Everything tasted delicious and looked great!


My 31st birthday was a memorable one because I have great friends who were willing to use their
creativity and talent to help me celebrate another year of life, my way. It made me feel loved. I saved all the flower tissue cupcake toppers and the sugar skull toppers. I even dug some out of the trashcan to save. You can get your own sugar skull toppers (or holiday toppers) at Debbie’s Etsy shop, SnowBuddiesInk. Check out Amanda’s Etsy shop too, called ArtisticAmanda.

Today is the last day of Day of the Dead. Let’s not only celebrate and honor the lives of those who have passed away but remember to celebrate life with the ones you love everyday. Life is short. Enjoy it damn it!

Giveaway: How Well Do You Know Frida Kahlo?

(That's me with one of my birthday gifts. Thanks Amanda!)

Today is Frida Kahlo’s birthday and I'm having a giveaway in honor of my favorite artist's birthday! For my birthday this year I celebrated with a Frida Kahlo themed birthday party and had Frida Kahlo trivia for my guests. The winner received a Day of the Dead sugar skull picture holder.

None of my guests got all the questions correct but maybe you might know Frida Kahlo better? Let’s find out!

There will be 10 questions, 9 about Frida and the 10th about me. They’re all multiple choice and you can use any resources to find the correct answer. It’s like an open book test. Email me your answers at creativitylizette@yahoo.com by July 31 and leave me a comment below that you are entering this giveaway. The prize is a surprise fiesta (party) in a box. One winner will be randomly chosen from all entries with the most correct answers.

Frida Kahlo Trivia

1. According to Frida, she was born on
a) July 6, 1907
b) July 7, 1910, the beginning of the Mexican revolution
c) June 10, 1911
d) February 14, 1912

 2. Viva La Vida means what in English?
a) Welcome Friends
b) Celebrate Life
c) Long Live Life
d) Love Life

3. Frida was married to
a) Diego Rivera
b) Porfirio Diaz
c) Guillermo Calderon
d) Leon Trotsky

4. Which of these quotes is NOT Frida’s
a) “I was born a bitch. I was born a painter.”
b) “My brush is my pencil.”
c) “Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly.”
d) “I love you more than my own skin.”

 5. What type of artist is Frida considered, though she doesn’t agree?
a) Surrealism
b) Pop Artist
c) Minimalism
d) Realism

6. Frida’s paintings mostly depicted
a) Skulls
b) Herself
c) Flowers
d) Mexico

7. According to one of Frida’s quotes, which accident was by far the worst?
a) The trolley
b) Her husband
c) Mexico’s Revolution
d) Moving to New York

8. Who played Frida, in the biographical movie of the famous artist?
a) America Ferrera
b) Thalia
c) Salma Hayek
d) Eva Longoria

 9. Frida’s popular hand earrings were a gift from
a) Her husband
b) Her father
c) Pablo Picasso
d) She made them herself

10) Lizette shares her birth date with a Mexican artist named?
a) Frida Kahlo
b) Jose Guadalupe Posada
c) Andy Warhol
d) Roy Lichtenstein

I hope you all learn something new about Frida Kahlo as you search for the answers. You have until the end of the month to answer the questions and email them to me.

Feliz Cumpleaños Frida!

Mother’s Day Frame

Happy Mother’s Day to all you beautiful and wonderful mothers out there. I can’t wait to someday be among you and be called a Mama! Today, I’ll be spending some quality time with my mom and I can’t wait to see her reaction when she sees the gift I made for her.

I embroidered flower print scrapbook paper and glued it to a frame. I inserted a great picture of us my friend Amanda took at my Frida themed birthday party. The scrapbook paper does a good job blending in with the tissue paper flowers on the background of the picture.

When I get a chance, I’ll be making myself a frame too. That way we’ll both have a matching set.

Grab A Prop & Frida-style Yourself

The homemade Frida photo booth was a big hit with everyone at my “Celebrate Life Frida Kahlo Syle” birthday party. I showed you how we made the backdrop with flowers made of tissue paper. The props, mustaches, unibrows and thought bubbles on a stick, were made by friend Debbie and owner of Snow Buddies Ink on Etsy. The props were inspired by Frida’s signature unibrow and mustache. Frida didn’t have a very noticeable mustache like the ones made but I knew the kids would love them. I laminated the thought bubbles that way my guests could write on them as many times as they wanted with a dry marker. Another popular prop used was the sombrero I borrow from my work friend, Ms. Thayer.

Each guests had their photo taken with my mini Polaroid camera. Their pictures were hung by the fireplace, like a garland of happy, silly, and pretend to be drunken guests. The fireplace was decorated with Frida and Day of the Dead items. Most were gifts from family and friends throughout the years. Can you tell my guests’ enjoyed the photo booth? I can’t wait to scrapbook my mini Polaroid pictures and send out thank you cards to all my guests with a copy of their mini pictures.

The Flowers in Frida’s Hair

Bee Creative Swaps’ first swap was titled, “Artist Swap” where we made an art piece inspired by the artist our partner chose. My swap partner was Emily, co-founder of Bee Creative Swaps and blog owner of The Morose Bee, and her artist of choice was Frida Kahlo! Lucky me right? As a bow for Emily’s swap package, I made a tissue paper flower inspired by the flowers in Frida’s hair. I loved the way it turned out and had to include tissue paper flowers in my “Celebrate Life Frida Style” birthday party.

With the help of my friends, Amanda and Christi, we were able to make 23 beautiful tissue paper flowers of different colors. Click here for the flower tutorial. Thank you Amanda and Christi! The majority of the flowers were made out of recycled tissue paper I had been saving from the holidays and birthdays. Let’s admit it, we crafters are slight hoarders.

I was fascinated by the outcome of the flowers and the making process that I ended up staying up very late one night making more to use as garland. However, these were solid color and fluffed all the way around. Click here for tutorial used.

On the morning of my fiesta (party), Amanda came by to help me hang my decorations. My papel picado banner made of plastic was purchased at Amols.com and hung on my front porch. My Catrina on my front door held my flower garland. Amanda also helped me hang the rest of the tissue paper flowers with clear packing tape on one of the walls in my house, you notice when you first walk in. This wall became the photo backdrop for my guests. From all the decorations at my party, the photo backdrop still remains up.

Frida Kahlo Altar

To honor my favorite artist Frida Kahlo I made her an altar at my “Celebrate Life Frida Kahlo style” birthday party, which covered my dinning room table. My altar which is more like a shrine celebrates the life of Frida Kahlo, her pain, her love for Mexico, the flowers in her hair, the artist who expressed herself in her paintings. Many of the pieces making up my altar come from Mexico which my mom purchased for me during one of her visits, the books on Frida’s life come from the library, and the Mexican blanket everything lays on came from a thrift store (blankets are always on my list when thrifting). Most of the items on the altar are displayed in my home year round.

“There have been two great accidents in my life. One was the trolley, and the other was Diego. Diego was by far the worst.” – Frida Kahlo

“I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.”

- Frida Kahlo

“I tried to drown my sorrows, but the bastards learned how to swim, and now I am overwhelmed by this decent and good feeling.” – Frida Kahlo

“Painting completed my life.” – Frida Kahlo

“Nothing is worth more than laughter. It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light. Tragedy is the most ridiculous thing.” – Frida Kahlo

“I love you more than my own skin.” – Frida Kahlo

“I hope the exit is joyful and I hope never to return.” – Frida Kahlo

“I paint flowers so they will not die.” – Frida Kahlo

I’ve learned from Frida that life is raw, uncensored, and we must learn to live it to the fullest! On that note, I leave you with my favorite Frida quote…

 “At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.” 

 Nicely said Frida!

DIY Mini Piñata Candy Jar

The weather was going to be cold outside; it wasn’t a kid’s party though others can say otherwise, and I wanted Mexican candy for my “Celebrate Life Frida Kahlo style” birthday party and making mini piñata candy jars instead of purchasing a big piñata was the perfect solution.

Save a piñata and make a candy jar. The piñata will be glad, for other reasons, and so will you!

Supplies: Empty sauce jars, green scrubber sponge, spray paint, cardstock/cereal box, masking tape, craft glue, paintbrush, scissors, pencil, assortment of colorful tissue paper, glue gun, and candy of your choice.

Dale 1 (Dale means hit in English. Dale comes from the Mexican song the crowd sings while someone is hitting the piñata): Wash the sauce jars out and use a green scrubber sponge to remove the sticking glue left on the jar from the jar label.

Dale 2: Spray paint the lids. My firefighter spray-painted mine. I’m a bad spray painter.

Dale 3: Make your mini piñatas. I can’t take credit for this step. I used CampFire Chic blog and Oh Happy Day blog to help me make the mini piñatas. Make your piñatas your own. I added googly eyes and a hemp saddle to my donkeys.

Dale 4: Glue mini piñata onto jar lid with your hot glue gun.

Dale 5: Put candy in jars. You know you’ll have a candy while stuffing the jars. I did.

Mini piñata candy jars also make great centerpieces and the perfect party in a jar to give as a birthday gift with the recipient's favorite candy.

DIY Viva La Vida Watermelon Invitations

(source) 

Frida Kahlo’s still life painting of watermelons inspired my birthday party invitations. Incorporating as many Frida and Mexican aspects to my party was my goal. Many beautiful objects made in Mexico are colorful and hand embroidered, I decided to take the embroidered part for my party invitations and embroider Viva La Vida on watermelon slice note cards.

Supplies: watermelon slice note cards (got mine at Target), seam ripper, pencil, cutting board (or thick card board), white embroidery thread and needle.

Slice 1: Open the card and write VIVA LA VIDA in all caps with your pencil on the front of watermelon note card.

Slice 2: Place card on cutting board and use your seam ripper to punch holes were each letter connects or curves.

Slice 3: Using four strands, connect the dots with your embroidery thread and needle.  When you get to the i make a French Knot for the dot. First knot goes inside the card, stitch your words, and the last knot is also tied inside.

Slice 4 (Optional if not too full): Draw glove holding ribbon inspired by a self-portrait of Frida. Write guests name in ribbon. Behind each envelope write a quote by Frida. Seal envelopes with fruit stickers.

Slice 5: Enjoy (not that way, it’s not edible) mailing out the invitations or personally handing them out and seeing your guests’ reactions when they see how deliciously cool the invitations look.

I’m Getting Ready For My Party

 (source)

I really am getting ready for my party today, with a unibrow and all. My “Celebrate Life Frida Kahlo style” party that is! I’ve been wanting to through this party for a very long time. I wanted to have it for my 30th birthday last year but since I was taking a fulltime Phlebotomy class I couldn’t. The whole planning process has been very enjoyable and I can’t wait to celebrate with family and family with some Mexican food, Margaritas, Mexican Bingo, painting, a Frida Kahlo costume contest, and mucho mucho mas (lots more)!

And you’re invited to the party too! Well, more like an after party. I’ll be posting tutorials, recipes, links to helpful websites and blogs, and pictures of the party throughout this week. Hopefully, it will make you feel like you were there celebrating with me. To spice things up, I’ll have a contest too. You’ll need to freshen up on your Frida Kahlo though.

Off I go. My guests are due to arrive soon!