Thanks to Disney Junior for sponsoring this post. They planned a whole Jake and the Never Land Pirates party, so I did my take on the invitations. I also talked like a pirate the whole time I was putting them together. I think you can really tell in the finished product. Have a look in the video below for more ideas. Matey.

Ugh. You guys, I haven’t had nearly enough time with my glue gun lately. There’s so much stuff to encrust, and I’m just sitting here, not covering a single thing with sea glass.

Anyway, I made these mod pixie dust invitations for a grown-up party, but I think they’d be even sweeter for a kid’s birthday.

Fancy invitations make your party so much more difficult to pass up. And making them in front of the TV counts as multitasking.

Man. You could not be more efficient right now.

Here’s what I did:

- Hand-wrote “pixie dust” on some rectangular Avery labels and affixed to the glitter bottles, which come prepackaged like that in adorable corked bottles. Hooray for not having to search for tiny bottles into which you can decant glitter, which you will then find on the cat and between your toes for years to come!

- Folded tissue to fit the boxes and lid interiors of 8″x2 7/8″ matte white necklace boxes, and secured the tissue with double sided tape. (Fit the paper first, apply tape to the box and then secure the paper carefully. If you try to tape the paper, which anyone would, it will wrinkle and tear.)

- Secured the pixie dust in the box with a couple glue dots on the back.

- Punched the decorative hole in a plain bookmark, saved the confetti bitlet for later use.

- Wrote out the party info on the back of the bookmark, and then hot-glued a little ribbon tag at the bottom so the mark would lift out easily.

- Lightly secured just the top of the bookmark to the box with a glue dot.

- Secured the confetti bitlet on the opposite side. (Glue dots are magic!)

So pretty, right? Right.

As you can see, the glitter comes in lots of colors, so you can choose your palette. It think the colorful glitter is better for a kid shindig.

If you want, you can affix a label to the outside and tie with a little ribbon. You can hand-deliver, but the box is sturdy enough to mail in a regular manilla envelope, or you can do a padded one if you’re feeling cautious.

Boom! Best party invites ever.

Here’s where you can get everything:

Martha Stewart Glitter in colors and metallics (search around, you can get almost any color combo you want), Martha Stewart Craft punch (mine is old, but she has a whole line of stuff like what I linked to), Glue dots, plain bookmarks and bookmarks with holes so you don’t have to bust out the glue gun to affix the ribbon, Jewelry boxes. You know where to get ribbons and Avery labels right? I trust your judgement.

And if you just so happen to be planning a whole Jake and the Never Land Pirates theme party (I’m on to you search engine traffic), there are a ton more ideas in this video, so have a look:

You’ll find Jake and the Never Land Pirates every morning on Disney Junior, on the Disney Channel. Wear an eye patch while you watch. Maybe a kicky striped shirt.

“Cynicism is not wisdom. Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but cynicism is a self-imposed blindness. You put the blinders on yourself to protect yourself from a world that you think might hurt you or disappoint you. Be a fool. Believe things will be good. Better to be hurt.”

I heard Stephen Colbert say this on Oprah’s Next Chapter, and found it striking. I agree, but “better to be hurt” is so rough to put into practice. Do you think cynicism can be a function of wisdom? Where do you find yourself on the jaded spectrum?

(Photo by Mark Seliger)

My friend Steph Dub is asking people to make audio gratitude journals by recording something they’re thankful for every day. I have that thing where I don’t like the sound of my own recorded voice, so I’m a little cringe-y posting this, but here’s my first one:

Cool idea, right? You can record yours right here at the Appreciation Engine, which is part of SoundCloud’s Community Fellowship Program.

Ben Franklin’s Daily Routine

Lately I’ve tried, and failed, to impose a daily routine on myself. This morning, I’ve been pouring over Daily Routines and it’s making me feel a little better. My proposed daily schedule is militaristic compared to Winston Churchill’s:

“Despite all this activity Churchill’s daily routine changed little during these years. He awoke about 7:30 a.m. and remained in bed for a substantial breakfast and reading of mail and all the national newspapers. For the next couple of hours, still in bed, he worked, dictating to his secretaries.

Dinner was the focal-point and highlight of Churchill’s day. Table talk, dominated by Churchill, was as important as the meal. Sometimes, depending on the company, drinks and cigars extended the event well past midnight. The guests retired, Churchill returned to his study for another hour or so of work.”

In conclusion, I need more whiskey sodas in my day. I also need a social secretary, and a wife.

Are you good with routine? Will you marry me?

Were you ever watching So You Think You Can Dance, when you thought to yourself, “I need a signature cocktail to get me through this Bollywood routine.” Friend, I’ve got your back.

Sassy Lassi serves 3
• 6 oz mangos
• ½ cup coconut water
• 4 ice cubes
• 6 oz plain yogurt
• 3 shots Kraken rum
• Pistachios to garnish (These are good and crunchy. Do not skip them.)

Put everything in a blender except the pistachios and mix it up. Garnish and enjoy.

AB Chao is still in town, so here’s to Louisiana Iced Coffee in the sun, dancing around in your swimsuit, and sneaking smokes. What are you toasting this week?

This cocktail is so easy, but the type of rum matters. You want Kraken because it has a strong vanilla profile that softens the drink, and also because the cephalopod label makes your bar look so 2005-Brooklyn-Tattoo.

All you need is:

• A shot of Kraken Rum
• Coconut water to taste

Pour over ice, swizzle, and add an optional cherry garnish. Simple? Perfect. You’re on vacation, you shouldn’t have to work too hard for your drink.

Here’s to staying up all night talking on the porch, tubing on the river, sand in the car. What are you toasting this week?

I know. I know it sounds weird, maybe even terrible. It is not. It is the most delicious thing you have ever tasted, plus bourbon. Put this in your blender, and then put it in your mouth. Trust.

Avocado Bourbon Shake serves 4
• 2 small, ripe Haas avocado (½ cup or so)
• 3 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup coconut water
• 4 shots Bulleit bourbon

Here’s to the wind off the lake that tangles your hair, warm deck planks and bare feet, one milkshake and two straws.

What are you toasting this week?