Help! Ideas Needed for 50th B'day book!

[robynsteiner]

OK, my trusty Craftster pals....I need your collective brains and crafty powers to help me! 

I bought a little address book at the Dollar Store to modify and use at my sister's 50th birthday party as a guest / memory book. 

It has a hard cover and a multiple ring binder (like a traditional 3 ring binder) so I can remove the pages.
The inside....(with the pages that came with it)

 
The outside....(soon to be recovered, but it's still pretty cute so I had to show it!)

I plan on recovering the book with paper that matches the theme of the party (Tiki Hut/Luau - lame, I know), but I'm at loss as to what to include on the new pages to make for the book! 

Here's what I would like to do: Have a place for each guest to sign their names and then a place for them to write something (hopefully nice) about my sister.  But what do I call that section? Favorite memory of the birthday girl? Something funny?

Help! We're trying to keep this party on the light side and forego the traditional black balloons over the hill route.  She's had a pretty difficult time lately and we just want her to have fun!

Any ideas or suggestions will be soooooooo greatly appreciated!!! Thanks bunches!!!

[Patti M]

On pages framed with tiki gods, palm trees, monkeys, etc... leave the center (large enough space for writing) of each page open and call it "Tiki Tales" or something that includes your sister's name- like "Patti's Place" or whatever. Have a few friends, or family members, you have given instructions to start the book off with their recollections so the rest of the guests have an idea of what to put in the book. Include some captioned photos from her past and she'll love the results I am sure.

[sactownsue]

If you give the pages to the participants ahead of time they can glue pics or write stories or draw pics. One page for each person or family. Then they can enjoy the party rather than worry about what to write. Have lots of extra sheets at the party just in case. I would use card stock. You could preprint something like the previous suggestion to start them off.

[robynsteiner]

On pages framed with tiki gods, palm trees, monkeys, etc... leave the center (large enough space for writing) of each page open and call it "Tiki Tales" or something that includes your sister's name- like "Patti's Place" or whatever. Have a few friends, or family members, you have given instructions to start the book off with their recollections so the rest of the guests have an idea of what to put in the book. Include some captioned photos from her past and she'll love the results I am sure.

Thanks for the suggestion! I have been collecting tiki/tropical photoshop brushes to do that very thing! I think it will be a nice momento and I know she will love it.  I was thinking of using these beauties by crafty_dame as inspiration:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j121/nightvixen23/swap028-1.jpg

If you give the pages to the participants ahead of time they can glue pics or write stories or draw pics. One page for each person or family. Then they can enjoy the party rather than worry about what to write. Have lots of extra sheets at the party just in case. I would use card stock. You could preprint something like the previous suggestion to start them off.

This was a last minute thing, so no time to distribute before the party!  I've gotta churn that thing out by Friday, so I'd better get crack-a-lackin'!

 I'll post the end result. Thanks again for the help and use of your brain powers! Wish me luck....

[robynsteiner]

OK - What I decided to do was to print cards that party guests could fill out while milling about. The completed cards go in a very cute wicker/rattan box that I found for cheap.  After the party, I plan on assembling the cards plus pictures from the party into a memory book for my sister.  It will fit inside the box, so she can display it and it won't scream "BIRTHDAY PARTY".  Here's what the cards look like - they're approx. 8 x 5. 

The cards....


I did them in Photoshop - and I'm still working all that business out! I'm not really satisfied with the top section.

Suggestions on what I can do to make them not quite so vanilla would be great!

Thanks!

[sactownsue]

Are you old enough to remember Hawaii 5-0?
At some point you could add some color markers or glitter stuff. Maybe have some supplies sitting on the table for the adults to play?
How about having them tell their story at the party? Take their pic with her while they tell their story. Kinda like a roast of the birthday girl. Or a luau? I started to say pig roast but decided that might come off wrong...
She is one very lucky sister. In case she didn't know that.

[sugarm0mma]

You could always put a saucy hula girl pinup on the pages or a little graphic of greg brady with the cursed tiki. Personally I like the scene on the surf board.

[robynsteiner]

Are you old enough to remember Hawaii 5-0?
At some point you could add some color markers or glitter stuff. Maybe have some supplies sitting on the table for the adults to play?
How about having them tell their story at the party? Take their pic with her while they tell their story. Kinda like a roast of the birthday girl. Or a luau? I started to say pig roast but decided that might come off wrong...
She is one very lucky sister. In case she didn't know that.

Yes, I am indeed old enough to remember that! I was little bitty at the time, but I would put on my bitsy bathing suit, get a blanket and lie in front of the TV when it came on! Yes, I was a dork then - still a dork now!

My sister's had a rough time lately, so I decided to spare her the black balloons treatment and keep things light.  The theme is Tiki/Luau - hence the little tiki heads on the cards. We have a tropical back drop, so we (and by we, I totally mean ME!) will be taking real pictures along with the candids. I'm sure she'll get roasted some anyway - she's got some rowdy friends!

I can probably spice things up a bit when I put the book together.  I've got some colorful papers and with all the decorations and leis, the pics will have alot of color, too.

Thanks for your input. Your comments made my day! Feel free to give me more suggestions!

You could always put a saucy hula girl pinup on the pages or a little graphic of greg brady with the cursed tiki. Personally I like the scene on the surf board.

OMG - I love the Greg Brady thing! My sister would crap her pants if I reminded her about that darned cursed tiki! The hula girl is a good idea....I'll see what I can find! Thanks for your help!

[sactownsue]

Yes, I am indeed old enough to remember that! I was little bitty at the time, but I would put on my bitsy bathing suit, get a blanket and lie in front of the TV when it came on! Yes, I was a dork then - still a dork now!

My sister's had a rough time lately, so I decided to spare her the black balloons treatment and keep things light.  The theme is Tiki/Luau - hence the little tiki heads on the cards. We have a tropical back drop, so we (and by we, I totally mean ME!) will be taking real pictures along with the candids. I'm sure she'll get roasted some anyway - she's got some rowdy friends!

I can probably spice things up a bit when I put the book together.  I've got some colorful papers and with all the decorations and leis, the pics will have alot of color, too.

Thanks for your input. Your comments made my day! Feel free to give me more suggestions!

You could always put a saucy hula girl pinup on the pages or a little graphic of greg brady with the cursed tiki. Personally I like the scene on the surf board.

OMG - I love the Greg Brady thing! My sister would crap her pants if I reminded her about that darned cursed tiki! The hula girl is a good idea....I'll see what I can find! Thanks for your help!

If you have a pic of you in your swimsuit and all that would be fun.
I forgot about the needed lightness...
If you wanted to play a game you could have like a Hawaiian version of pin the tail on the donkey. If there are kids there you could have a pinata.

It sounds like you are going to have a great party and great fun. Hope to see some of the scrapbook.
I don't remember the cursed tiki. It sounds like fun. Maybe you could give her one to destroy. Symbolic of getting past the rough time she's been through.

[robynsteiner]

I added a pinup girl at the bottom. What do you think? Should I axe the tiki heads at the top?