Whelp, I took the kids to North Carolina for a month in the summer and somehow a month hiatus turned into an endless house renovation and uh… 6 months of no blogging.

I’ve successfully missed some great party opportunities like Halloween and Christmas- my favorites. New Years 2014 has come and gone in all of its glittery brilliance. But I haven’t missed the Chinese New Year, so I say bring it on Year of the Horse!

“At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper, and give children “lucky money” in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. The fireworks that shower the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient custom. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would frighten evil spirits.”

This tablescape is certain to drive away any bad luck. {image: sistaco.com.au}

I’ve been looking for a good reason to make these festive fortune cookies. {image: cakeappreciationsociety.com}

Decorations

{From top: Good Luck coins, amazon.com; Year of the Horse party favors, luckybugpaperco.etsy.com; Chinese take-out boxes, webstaurantstore.com; Sparklers, topsmalibu.com; Chinese red envelopes, envelopes.com}