A Carnival Wedding ~ pt. 2 ~ The Reception

The Wedding Reception was held in a glorious old brick building (complete with the original tin stamped ceiling) not too far north of downtown Denver.

The building at one time had a dance hall upstairs and the current owners are restoring the building, including the dance hall, to its former glory. The venue is called The Savoy at Curtis Park. The location of the venue had a special connection for the Bride and Groom - they met at a bar that's located just around the corner.

Instead of wedding favors, the Bride and Groom had a candy buffet. Guests were invited to take a bag (or two) of candy home with them. And yes, the candy was in the Bride's colors - red, white and shades of turquoise blue.

The wedding cake reflected the carnival theme.

There was dancing and celebrating until the wee hours of the night.

A Carnival Wedding ~ pt. 1 ~ The Ceremony

Last week went by in a blur. It was consumed by grocery shopping, cake baking, decorations to be made, clothes to be altered, cake decorating, and lists to be double-checked. But seeing the glow on the Bride and Grooms faces on Wedding Day was oh so worth all the work, all the worry, and all the late nights. 

Wedding day started off hot and we were all bracing ourselves for a hot, sweaty afternoon at the amusement park where the ceremony and dinner were going to take place.

But the day quickly turned cloudy and by the time I left with my granddaughter (flower girl) for Lakeside Amusement Park, a heavy rain was falling. Hubby was loading every tarp we owned into his truck in case they were needed. The ceremony was planned for outside but the dinner was to be in a covered pavilion. If necessary we were going to cover the openings in the pavilion so the ceremony could take place there. But The Universe saw fit to have the sun back out and shining an hour before the ceremony. 

The Bride was gorgeous. Her colors were turquoise blue (from the 50's), carnival red, and white.

The Bridesmaids carried bouquets of real cotton candy which 'melted' slightly because of the humidity in the air. I ran out of time to make the artificial bouquets.

The Bridesmaids wore 50's style sun dresses, black with white polka dots, a turquoise sash and red tulle petticoat.

The Groom was quite dapper, the Groomsmen were dashing in their black shirts and vests with turquoise ties! According to Hubby, they looked like the local Mafia. 


The theme was Carnival. The setting was Lakeside Amusement Park in Denver, Colorado. (Read about Lakeside here!) 

It was wonderful! And incredibly, the whole affair went off without a glitch! Thankfully! Because the weeks leading up to the event were stressful. Last minute cancellation by the photographer - and scrambling to find another to fit in the budget. Frustration because of the lack of communication by the Amusement Park company. 

The Groom's Niece was the Flower Girl and the Couple's Son was the ringbearer.
The rings were tied to a Coke bottle.

But it all worked out in the end. In fact, Lakeside was wonderful! They roped off the Pavilion for our use; had the fountain in the Central Park area operating; even had men to help with the unloading and loading of all our stuff.

I'll share pictures of the reception on Thursday. So stay tuned!

Cat Tales ~ Garden Shots

Mommy said she'd be here tomorrow with photos of the wedding. So until then here's a few garden photos for your enjoyment. 

Oh.... And beginning today, Me is going to have a Pumpkin update every Monday on Me's post.

So, first the garden photos, then the Pumpkin photos.

(And remember to click on a photo to enlarge it)

Angel's Trumpet

Red Yarrow

Black-eyed Susans

Angel Trumpet's with Pumpkin in Background

Red Morning Glory

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Photo taken June 17, 2012

The wee little Pumpkin Plant that many people pondered over, has quickly grown into a behemoth.

It has grown across the front sidewalk and into the other flower bed. Mommy has kept the leaves trimmed back so people can get up and down the steps. Mommy found a pair of kid's socks amongst the leaves the other day..... I hear mutterings in the house about "having to keep an eye on That Plant....." and "should the postman go missing.....". But Me knows that The Pumpkin is a strong young plant that only wants to claim enough area to raise a family.

So far there is only one baby. And what a BIG baby it is! This nice looking Jack is only three weeks old and is slightly larger than a basketball. Mommy says it may grow as big as the front step. Maybe I can talk Mommy into measuring Jack before next Monday so We can see how much The Pumpkin grows in a week.

Cat Tales ~ Wedding Hoorah!

Mommy is going to be MIA for the next week and a few days. She told Me that She is going to be very busy helping with stuff for the "Wedding Thing"!   
Hhrrmmp!   Doesn't Mommy know that Me is more important than any Wedding Shmedding Thing! 

But Mommy did promise to spend some extra special time with Me after the whole mess is over. And She promised Me a new Catnip plant or two.
So until then, there is going to be a whole lot of this going on......

And this.......

So stay tuned! Mommy will be back soon with lots of pictures! 

Purz and Catnip Dreams ....... Gomez

Brief July Update~Faeries, Pumpkins and a Wedding

July is flying by! I've been busy with house guests, grandchildren, Faery goodness, and Wedding plans. Hubby's brother and his family came out for a brief visit over the July 4th holiday. It was great fun seeing them.
With Summer Vacation going on, all the grandchildren have been around more than normal. We've been busy baking cherry fruit pies, making mud pies in the sandbox, and generally just trying to enjoy ourselves despite the Summer Heat.

Image Source

Most of the wildfires which were consuming our State have been brought under control. Thank You to everyone for helping to send the much needed rain our way. The desolation and despair which was left in the wildfires' wakes will linger for years. But Mother Nature has a way of healing that which has been ravaged. Wildflowers and Aspen Trees will come to grace many of the barren areas.
With my next show a week away, I have been busy creating more Fae goodness. A Fae house is nearing completion and some wee little gnomes are in the works. (Pics soon to come!)
The Wedding is rapidly approaching. Two Weeks from today! Many of the details have changed and evolved over time. There was some last minute scrambling to find another photographer. The joy of finding the perfect wedding dress - that fit! And numerous cake designs to ponder over. My blog will probably be inundated with photos over the next few weeks.

And the Free Range Pumpkin which took up residence in our yard has decided to lay claim to the front stoop. I have had to trim some of the leaves so we could find the first step.

And in retaliation, the Pumpkin is now growing towards the door. The Pumpkin and I are going to have to come to some kind of agreement.....

The Bees are as busy as ever around The Pumpkin's Blossoms in the morning hours. I don't blame them a bit - the blossoms are gorgeous in the bright morning sunshine. And we are all on Baby Watch. No little round bundles of Halloween-ness can be seen just yet. But I know it won't be long before one or (hopefully) more can be found on the vines.

A Dye Job

The Cotton Candy bouquets need to be blue. I thought about using food coloring but wasn't sure if the fiberfill would 'hold' the color so I decided to use fabric dye, aka RIT. My first attempt at coloring the fiberfill was with straight RIT. Unfortunately the color washed right out. So I decided to try 'cooking' the fiberfill in a solution of 1/2 water and 1/2 RIT.

I layed the fiberfill sheets in the dye solution, brought it to a boil and simmered the concoction for about 5 minutes. This worked out well. Not only did the color stay in the fiberfill but it also stayed in the handle of my wooden spoon as well as my hands.

But the finished product is a pretty blue. 

I then reassembled the Cotton Candy using heavier paper for the center of the Candy as well as for the cone which holds the Cotton Candy. I trimmed the upper edge of the fiberfill after I took this picture to give it a more rough look. Personally, I think I need to add another layer or two of fiberfill to make the candy part a bit 'fluffier' (I think the fiberfill compacted a bit during the cooking process) but I shall let the bride make the final decision. I'll keep you posted.....

Making (fake) Cotton Candy

With a Carnival theme for the July wedding, the Bride-to-Be wants her Bridesmaids to carry Cotton Candy bouquets. While real cotton candy would have been the simplest solution, it wouldn't have been practical. There was a good chance that by the end of the ceremony (remember! it will be  July!), the cotton candy would have begun to melt. And what a mess that would be!
So I undertook the task of learning how to make fake Cotton Candy. I went to the Web to see what I could find, unfortunately it wasn't much. The instructions/videos that I found all utilized cotton balls - the end result was a tad bit more 'rustic' than I cared for. So I dug a bit deeper and discovered some basic info on a HALLOWEEN FORUM ! Bless those who love to HAUNT their homes for HALLOWEEN!

I decided to use fiberfill sheets used for quilts.

The fiberfill sheet would hold together better than regular fiberfill that a person would use in stuffing a doll. And I could cut the sheet to the width I wanted.

I decided to quarter the sheet of fiberfill. I then separated that quarter section into layers. This would give me a lighter and airier look.  

 

Real cotton candy is wrapped around itself with a paper cone at the center. I needed to use something at the core to give the many layers of fiberfill support. So I made a cone out of a sheet of paper and then taped the edge of a fiberfill layer to the cone. (Because this was just a 'prototype' I didn't use any adhesives when putting this all together.)

Next, I wrapped the fiberfill sheets around the cone making adjustments as I went so that the finished product had the same shape as real cotton candy.

Once I was satisfied with the look, I made another cone from heavier brown paper and placed the cotton candy into the second cone.
Here is the finished product.....

The Bride was pleased, but the 'cotton candy' had to be colored. Check out tomorrow's post about my dye job.

The Reception

Last week I wrote about my Son's upcoming wedding at Lakeside Amusement Park. (Read about it here!) My son and his fiance didn't want to have the Reception at the Amusement Park, they wanted a place that was just a tad bit 'classier'. Some place that could be decorated in the 50's style (think Atomic Ranch or Rockabilly) that they both like so well.
Tracy, my soon to be DIL, invited me to go along with her while viewing several locations that were available on their chosen date and within the wedding budget. Some were immediate NO's, others went on the Maybe list. But one place (the last one we looked at) stood out. The Savoy at Curtis Park.
The Savoy at Curtis Park is located in an old brick building not far from downtown Denver. The upper floor is available for rentals - bands, dance classes and receptions!
Upon opening the doors to ascend the stairs to the second floor, a person is enveloped with the aura of bygone days ~ the presences of men in pinstripe suits and spats escorting their flapper girlfriends for a "night out on the town"!

The dance area has the original tin ceiling and numerous windows where the Denver skyline can be seen. And yes, it does come with a disco ball!

This is going to be such a lovely place for the reception. I can hardly wait to see it all "Dolled Up"!

Brief History of Lakeside Amusement Park

The only history of Lakeside Amusement Park that I could find on the web was on Wikipedia. So I thought I would share the info here for those who've expressed an interest.

Lakeside Amusement Park is a family-owned amusement park in Lakeside, Colorado near Denver. Originally named White City, it was opened in 1908 as a popular amusement resort adjacent to Lake Rhoda spearheaded by prominent Denver brewer Adolph Zang. Eventually the name was changed to Lakeside Amusement Park, but the local populace kept referring to it by its original name for its glittering original display of over 100,000 lights. Today it is one of the oldest amusement parks in the United States, and the oldest in Colorado in its original location. The park, comprising nearly half of the Town of Lakeside that it was responsible for creating in 1907, features the landmark Tower of Jewels.

The lone remaining American amusement park to have had the name White City, the park was originally built in the Exposition and White City architectural styles. Following its acquisition by Ben Krasner in the 1930s, Lakeside underwent a period of major renovations and incorporated many new features in the Art Deco style. Architect Richard L. Crowther designed much of Lakeside's Deco and Modern features and included a great deal of neon lighting in his work.

There are many examples of architectural salvage to be found throughout the park. Inside the main restaurant is a marble and mirror backbar which was saved from the Denver Union Station, one of the picnic pavilions is created from a retired center column of a ride, and the pool for the current Skoota Boats ride is an adaptive reuse of the original Shoot-the-Chutes ride.

The main office features a functioning manual telephone switchboard that is still in use.

A nominal admission fee is charged for each person, over the age of two, entering the park. A coupon is issued to each person paying admission that can be redeemed for a ride coupon or be used towards the purchase of an unlimited ride pass. 

At one time, each ride was priced individually and had its own separate ticket booth. Most of these booths were of the standalone type. One notable exception was the Cyclone coaster, which had a built-in ticket booth between the entrance and exit ramps. Eventually, ride coupons were implemented with a fixed amount for each coupon, and each ride required from one to five coupons. Many of the original ticket booths are still in place and are used for storage.

The Cyclone is by far the most popular ride at the park. Built in 1940, it is an ACE Coaster Classic and Coaster Landmark.

Original rides in the park which are no longer around include the Shoot-The-Chutes (a splash-down water ramp ride) at the park's south center, the Scenic Railway at its southern end (an elevated track over a mile long), the lofty Velvet Coaster, the StarShip 2000, Flight to Mars, a Coney Island Tickler, the Double-Whirl, a Ferris wheel and the Circle Wave. W.H. Labb of Indianapolis designed the Shoot-The-Chutes and Velvet Coaster, the latter he intended to be a combination of the Foster coaster at Chicago's White City and a type of figure-8, with framework 1,200 feet long and with dips and turns a total 3,600 lineal feet. The Scenic Railway, the Glide and other attractions were destroyed by a fire on November 15, 1911. The skeletal remains of the Staride, a former Ferris wheel-type ride on the north side of the park, still stand. The sign for the old Speed Boats attraction, plus the pier for boarding, also stands vacant with a rope to keep trespassers away.

From the late 1930s through 1988, Lakeside Amusement Park operated Lakeside Speedway on the park grounds. The auto racetrack was a 1/5 mile oval and featured races of three car classes sponsored by CARC: stock, limited modified and fully modified. The race track was built on the site of the park's original baseball diamond and incorporated the original stands into the new use. The degrading track remains today.

Through 1985, there was a Funhouse located on the site now occupied by the Dragon. The Funhouse featured an animated Fat Lady mannequin (Laffing Sal, also known as Laughing Sal) that signaled the opening of the Funhouse and the main park in the evening by loud laughter. Inside, there were slides, moving floors, spinning discs, rolling barrels, and catwalks.

While not considered a ride per se, there was a Casino Theater just south of the Tower of Jewels. Concerts, plays and dance marathons were held there while it was in operation. The building is still in place and is used for storage. Also still in place is the old Riviera ballroom.

Lakeside Amusement Park is a setting included in the video games Silent Hill & Silent Hill 3 by Konami.

The (almost) Bride and Groom

I've written about the soon to be Bride and Groom before ~ check out these links  Click here!  Click Here! 

But here is a recent picture of the two of them. It was taken not too long before the Holidays. The happy couple was on their way to a WWII style Ball.