Casino Party!

So.  I had a casino-themed party, complete with dance floor and card games, and oh, did I mention the cake pops?

Yep, dice cake pops.  I made over 150 for this party.  It's sort of sad.  Almost.

Needless to say, they were a hit.  I served them in styrofoam boxes decorated to look like really huge dice.

I also served Shrimp Louie Spread, which has quickly become a favorite amongst my family members, if not my friends.

I like it bests on water crackers, but Ritz and other buttery crackers work, too.  The worst part about the spread is that after chopping all that salad shrimp, you can't seem to get the smell off you.  Even after taking a ridiculously long shower.  (Personal experience :D)  So I recommend making the spread the day before.  And then airing out your kitchen.

But what's a party without decorations?

I made my own homemade dice decorations, and so can you with this simple how-to:

You will need: A pencil, a dry-erase marker/really dark, big Sharpie, white boxes, and something to trace around.  Shot glasses and quarters work well.

Trace circles around your glass/coin on the sides of the box.

Use a pencil first!

The circles don't have to be absolutely beautiful, don't worry.

Trace a fairly-smooth circle with your Expo marker or Sharpie...

And then fill it in.  And after a few of these circles, you'll have your very own dice boxes.

As for the rest of the house, I draped green cloths over the tables to make them look more Vegas-like...

Hung red lights adorned with old playing cards (from a not-as-full-as-I'd-like-it deck and hole-punched with a small amount of care)...

...and decorated the rooms with these awesome things.  I don't even know what to call them, but they're really cool.  And I have no idea where I got them.

It was a blast.  And so worth the hours of dipping cake pops.
-JJ