Mrs. Clay’s A Scrappy Dappy Pawty

Kent’s Birthday, a Missing-Presents Mystery,
and a Whole Lot of Orange

I know we can all agree that birthdays are just special!

Not because they have to be elaborate. Not because everything has to match or because there has to be some big production. I just believe everybody deserves one day when the people who love them stop for a little while and say, in a hundred different ways, we love you and are glad you are here. The pictures make this look more elaborate than it is. It was achieve with plastic tablecloths, balloons, and a few prints from Walgreens. The guest list? Eight, yes 8. My family. I did this just for us. It wasn’t to impress or do some big production. It was to make Kent feel special on HIS day!

This year, Kent wanted a Scrappy party. Scrappy is Kent’s Rat Terrier and best friend. Kent loves baseball, Toy Story, Yugioh, and so much more. But when it was time to celebrate his day, he wanted Scrappy to be the theme. Not only did he want it to be Scrappy, he did not want it to include Scooby-Doo.

Having six children and at one time seven dogs, I’ve done my fair share of dog-themed parties. So, when Kent asked for Scrappy, I didn’t want to just do a generic puppy party. I wanted it to feel like Scrappy, our Scrappy. Sort of like how you see shades of green and blocks and it leads your mind to think of Minecraft.

Ok, Kent. Challenge accepted! After all this was the same child who asked for a marshmallow party, a pickle party, and a whipped cream party over the years. I’ve been training for this. So I decided go big or go home! Let the planning begin!!

Scrappy has personality to spare. She has opinions about everything. She has somehow managed to convince an entire house full of people that she is in charge. She can look at you with one little side-eye and somehow make you feel judged. And she can back it up. This dog can do a handstand, yes, a handstand! I’m impressed!

Scrappy is the cutest thing. She is mostly white with patches in shades of brown. That makes for an interesting color scheme, but I do have one trick up my sleeve. In our family, everyone has a signature color. It was something I started when my oldest was just a baby. It made keeping things organized so much easier and with six children, it was often life saving. Kent’s color is orange. So, I knew I could incorporate that while staying true to Scrappy. And so, the color-scheme was set. An orange sea filled with pops of Scrappy. It would be a very orange, very Scrappy, very Kent birthday.

Since color is such a big deal in our family, I knew it would feel right. A sea of orange with pops of Scrappy. It was a visual representation of Kent holding his Scrappy. So the orange backdrop, balloons, plates, cups, streamers and little details were not simply party colors.

This would be how I would make it feel like a Scrappy party and not just a dog-themed party. Don’t get me wrong, I love a dog-themed party. I’ve done dog-themed parties and more than once. But Kent wanted a Scrappy party and I, well, I get a kick out of a challenge. Let’s do this!

And so I planned. With the theme chosen and the color scheme set, the next item on the agenda was the meal. On their birthdays, my children plan the menu. Almost anything goes. I can’t afford to fly them to Maine for lobster, but if you want your favorite pizza from the local shop with chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-A, I’ve got you! Kent chose his meal and his dessert and then he stated, he wanted Scrappy everywhere! I had already planned to use pictures, but I thought…..I can do that and I can do it on steroids!! Here we go!

That is probably what I loved most about this party.

Everything meant something.

The colors meant something.

The pictures meant something.

The food meant something.

Even the mystery meant something.

And by the time it was all put together, it felt less like a themed party and more like a room full of little pieces of Kent and who he is. A visual representation of Kent.

The Scrappy Dappy Pawty

I started with orange as the anchor color.

I used orange balloons for the main balloon garland and then added brown, caramel, cream and white because as you recall, Kent specifically wanted Scrappy’s coloring represented at the party too. It is amazing how much a balloon garland elevates a party and yet they are so simple to make and latex balloons are cheap!! We use a balloon pump to make the job easier. We blow two at a time and tie them together. Then blow two more and tie those together. Then just twist the two sets together to make a quad. We make two quads and twist a balloon from each quad together and now we have a really nice set of balloons. I use a photo backdrop stand, which I love, to put it all together. I hang inexpensive plastic tablecloths over the stand and staple them to themselves so they stay. Then I use the clamps that came with the stand to attach the balloon clusters. I use an uninflated 260 balloon with the ends tied together to make a circle and slip it over the balloon. Then I slip the 260 under the clamp and it holds the whole cluster in place. We had this entire backdrop with balloons up in less than 30 minutes.

These Scrappy-colored balloons helped pull those shades into the decorations without making the room feel too busy. My vision was little Scrappy patches here and there for the balloons.

I added streamers in coordinating colors, paw prints, dog bones and Scrappy anywhere I could reasonably—or perhaps unreasonably—fit her.

My kitchen table is the main table. I love this table. I’ve had it 30 years. I remember buying it with my husband. It is a bit unusual because when you add the leaf, instead of becoming longer, it becomes a square. I fell in love with it. It is the only piece of furniture we bought at a really nice retail store rather than a discount place. I loved it that much. It has seen so many parties, Christmas dinners, and ordinary Tuesdays. I set the table with orange tablecloths topped with a single brown tablecloth in the middle. Then I repurposed a paw print runner from another party for the center. Years ago, I bought the kids’ names in wooden letters. They are fun to pull out from time to time. I decided to cut patch shapes out of brown tablecloth and put them under each letter so they weren’t lost in the paw-print runner. I repurposed an orange happy birthday sign from a previous party for the china cabinet. I try to save items that I can reuse. It’s coming together.

For really unusual party themes, I like to print a birthday banner. My local Walgreens does a great job printing them. I just create the image in Canva and upload it to their website. They often have a 40% off code to help with the price. I designed it on a 2′ x 8′ banner, but I didn’t use the entire length. I used the end to print a couple of images of Scrappy where I removed the background. I cut them off and got more bang for my buck. I also printed posters, food signs, favor bags, confetti and more. It’s coming together!

Was Scrappy everywhere?

Yes.

Was that the point?

Also yes.

The Custom Scrappy Plates

The plates were one of my favorite little projects.

I ordered orange and clear plates made by the same company so they were as identical as possible. Then I decided to have a little creative fun. I’ve never done this before but it worked and was a big hit. The kids loved it.

I made individual plate designs in a circle shape and printed them 6.5-inches wide. I cut them out and placed each one in the center of an orange plate. Then I topped it with a clear plate. I used a few little glue dots under the clear plate to keep it all attached though I probably didn’t have to do that.

That gave us the look of completely custom plates without actually ordering custom tableware. And because we were only making eight plates, I made eight different designs. Everybody at the table had their own Scrappy. It was fun to see them look at the different designs and pick their favorite.

For drinks, I found these orange paw-print cups.

I had seen some adorable dog-bone and paw-shaped cups while I was shopping, and if the kids had been younger I probably would have been terribly tempted. But novelty cups tend to hold about three swallows of drink, and nobody wants to refill a cup twelve times during dinner.

These were big enough to actually use and still carried the theme.

All Those Tiny Scrappys

One of the silliest details ended up being one of my favorites. I printed entire sheets filled with tiny pictures of Scrappy and ran them through my Brother ScanNCut. It worked like a charm. It was so fun to scatter the little Scrappys across the table like confetti. I also printed larger Scrappy cutouts for the gift table and throughout the room. This is exactly the sort of thing that no party actually requires….

Which is probably why I enjoyed it so much.

The Food for Our Scrappy Dappy Pawty

The decorations were fun and the mystery became a huge part of the party, but the meal itself still needed to be Kent food.

I never want a theme to take over so much that the birthday person ends up eating a meal chosen because it photographs well.

Kent asked for my Italian chicken, green beans, and mashed potatoes. He could eat his weight in mashed potatoes. Holy cow does he love them! So that was dinner. It still cracks me up that my children will ask for chicken and mashed potatoes over pizza and chicken nuggets. I’m a pizza gal and would definitely be ordering my favorite large pepperoni. Once the meal was planned, I let Scrappy take over the names and add a few fun extras.

We ended up with:

  • Tail-Waggin’ Italian Chicken
  • Pup-Tastic Mashed Potatoes
  • Green Bean Zoomies
  • Bone-Appétit Breadsticks
  • Puppy Chow
  • Paws Off the Brownies
  • Kent’s Orange Dreamsicle Punch

And then, of course, we needed Scrappy Snacks. I bought a brand-new dog bowl and filled it with graham-cracker dog bones. Completely unnecessary, but absolutely worth it.

Scrappy is a food nut, so giving her the title of Snack Inspector felt especially appropriate.

Bone-Appétit Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks

The breadsticks looked much more complicated than they actually were.

I used refrigerated Pillsbury pizza dough because this was party day and I had plenty of other things going on.

Ingredients

  • 1 tube refrigerated pizza dough
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced or grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons jarred grated Parmesan

How to Shape the Bones

Heat the oven to 425°F.

Unroll the dough and divide it into pieces. Roll each piece into a short rope. Take a small section and wrap the end. I swear they look just like the chew bones. These were my son’s idea. I was trying to make a cartoon looking bone and failing miserably. I was very impressed with his creativity. Do not make the center too thin or it will cook faster than the ends. Arrange the bones on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake for about 10 to 13 minutes, until lightly golden.

While they are baking, combine the melted butter, garlic, garlic salt and parsley.

As soon as the breadsticks come out of the oven, brush them generously with the garlic butter and immediately sprinkle with Parmesan.

That was it.

They looked like little bones, went perfectly with the Italian chicken, and did not require me to make homemade bread on party day.

I call that a win.

Want to save this recipe? You can find the standalone Bone-Appétit Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks recipe here.

The Cake – I mean, Brownies

Kent requested my homemade brownies. My kids love cake, but brownies reign supreme. I briefly considered cutting them into dog bones or paw prints with cookie cutters. Then common sense returned. My brownies are delicate, and my family loves them exactly the way they are. I knew there was a very real possibility that I would turn a perfectly good pan of brownies into a tray of chocolate rubble in the name of party decor.

So the brownies stayed brownies.

Instead, I used these paw-print molds to make little chocolate paws and bones for the table. Since they are safe up to 400 degrees, I tossed in a little brownie batter and baked a pawful of brownies and bones just for extra fun.

That gave us the dog theme without sacrificing the main brownies. Much better plan.

Puppy Chow

Puppy chow practically named itself for this party.

Ingredients

  • 9 cups Rice Chex or Corn Chex
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • Small pinch of salt

Instructions

Place the cereal in a very large bowl.

Combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each one, until completely smooth.

Stir in the vanilla and a small pinch of salt.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal and gently fold until everything is evenly coated.

Transfer the mixture to a large zip-top bag or a container with a lid.

Add the powdered sugar and shake until every piece is coated.

Spread the puppy chow onto parchment or waxed paper and allow it to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

You can make this a day or two ahead, which is always helpful when you are decorating half your house with pictures of a rat terrier.

Want to save this recipe? You can find the standalone Puppy Chow recipe here.

Kent’s Orange Dreamsicle Punch

This one was specifically for Kent.

He loves orange creamsicle flavor, so there was no reason to serve ordinary punch when we could make something that tasted like one of his favorite treats.

The orange color fitting the party perfectly was just a bonus.

This is sweet, creamy, citrusy and very easy to make. It tastes a little like an orange creamsicle melted into a punch bowl, which is exactly what I was hoping for. I thrifted this punch bowl. I found that the ladle was broken when I got it home and opened it. So one of my old and well-loved soup ladles had to do the heavy lifting at the last minute.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 gallon orange sherbet
  • 2-liter bottle orange soda, well chilled
  • 2 cups pineapple juice, chilled
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Optional: several scoops vanilla ice cream

Instructions

Put about half of the orange sherbet into a punch bowl in large scoops.

Pour in the pineapple juice and orange soda.

In a separate cup, stir together the half-and-half and vanilla.

Slowly pour that mixture into the punch while stirring gently.

Add the remaining sherbet in scoops so some of it floats on top.

For an even richer creamsicle flavor, add several scoops of vanilla ice cream just before serving.

I added the dairy slowly so it blended smoothly into the cold soda rather than separating.

If you have an orange-creamsicle person in your house, this one is worth making even if you have absolutely no plans to throw a Scrappy Dappy Pawty.

Want to save this recipe? You can find the standalone Kent’s Orange Dreamsicle Punch recipe here.

The Case of the Missing Birthday Presents

This was the part I was most excited about. Before the party started, Kent’s presents were sitting on the gift table exactly where they belonged. Everybody gathered for the usual opening pictures. Then I sent them all to get a drink. While they were gone, the presents disappeared.

Every last one.

In their place was a file folder from the Scrappy Dappy Detective Agency.

I said absolutely nothing.

We ate dinner. We sang Happy Birthday. And eventually we had an uh-oh moment. Kent’s birthday presents were missing.

The case file identified:

Chief Investigator: Scrappy
Lead Detective: Kent
Special Agents: Our Family

And then the investigation began.

I knew from the beginning that I did not want this to be a simple scavenger hunt where every piece of paper said something like, “Now go look under the couch.”

I wanted them to actually have to solve something to discover the next location.

So every stage used a different kind of puzzle.

The First Puzzle

The original clue led them to another clue hidden under the table.

That one contained a numeric alphabet code.

A = 1
B = 2
C = 3

and so on.

They decoded the message:

YOU ARE SPECIAL

That led them to You Are Special by Max Lucado. This was probably my favorite clue.

I read You Are Special to my children often when they were little. It has always been one of my favorite children’s books. So this was not simply a convenient title that worked for a puzzle. It meant something to us. They knew the book. Inside it was the next clue.

The Ottendorf Cipher

Inside You Are Special, they found a clue that had to be solved using an Ottendorf cipher.

An Ottendorf cipher uses a book as the key. Numbers direct the person solving it to particular locations in the text—usually a page, line and word.

That meant they could not simply read the clue.

They needed the book itself to decode it.

When they solved the cipher, it led them to the next part of the mystery.

The Puzzle

The next stage was an actual jigsaw puzzle. I had assembled the puzzle ahead of time and written a message across the back. Then I broke the puzzle apart again. They had to sit down together and put the entire thing together before they could flip it over and read the clue.

I loved this part because it changed the pace. They were not simply running from one place to another. They had to stop.

Look.

Work together.

And solve something.

The message on the back led them to their chairs.

Everybody Had a Piece

In our family room, everyone has their own little cocoon. They each have a theater chair and side table. I did this years ago and really love it. So it was natural to include them. At each chair was one piece of the next clue.

Nobody had the entire answer. They had to gather everyone’s pieces and assemble them correctly before they could figure out where to go next. I especially loved this one.

Everybody had something necessary.

Nobody could solve it alone.

The clue was not complete until everyone brought their piece.

Once assembled, it sent them to the sugar jar.

The Final Color Code

Inside the sugar jar was another puzzle. This one used colors. And because colors are such a big thing in our family, that felt especially appropriate. The letters were written in different colors.

They had to notice that only the orange letters mattered.

Those letters spelled:

SHOWER

There was probably a brief moment when they thought surely I would not have hidden all of Kent’s birthday presents in the shower.

I absolutely had.

Every last one.

Case closed.

Want to Recreate the Mystery?

What made this game work so well was the variety.

Each puzzle required them to do something different.

You could easily adapt the same structure for another birthday, holiday or family party.

A sequence like this works beautifully:

  1. Numeric alphabet
  2. Book clue
  3. Ottendorf cipher
  4. Jigsaw puzzle
  5. Clue pieces divided among several people
  6. Color-code puzzle
  7. Final reveal

You really do not need anything fancy.

A file folder, printer paper, envelopes, a favorite book, an inexpensive puzzle, markers, scissors and a few hiding places around the house are enough.

The biggest thing I would recommend is this:

Make some of the clues personal.

The clues do not necessarily need to be hard.

The ones everyone remembers will probably be the ones that mean something.

A childhood book.

A family color.

A shared joke.

A familiar hiding place.

A clue that requires everybody to bring their piece.

That is what turns it from a game anyone could buy into something that belongs to your family.

The Little Details

Some of my favorite parts of the party were the things that were never actually necessary.

The custom plates.

The Scrappy confetti.

The food signs.

The favor bags.

The cutout Scrappys.

The posters around the room.

None of those things made the party happen.

But together, they made it feel like Kent’s party.

The little Scrappy circles scattered across the table may have been one of the most ridiculous things I made.

And I loved every single one.

A Few Things I Used

If you want to borrow a few ideas for your own party, these are some of the things that helped me put ours together:

Everything Had a Reason

Looking back at the pictures, I think that is what I love most about this party.

Nothing was there simply because it matched.

Orange is Kent’s color.

Scrappy was the theme because Kent chose her.

His favorite foods were on the table.

The dreamsicle punch was there because he loves orange creamsicle.

The mystery used our family colors.

One clue led to You Are Special, the book I once read to these same children when they were little.

Another clue could only be solved when everybody brought their piece together.

Even the silliness had meaning.

And maybe that is why this one felt so special to me.

I love decorating.

I love making things.

I can apparently spend far too much time deciding whether a tiny picture of Scrappy should be two inches or two and a half inches tall.

But the decorations are never really the point.

The point is the person.

Birthdays are one small chance to stop ordinary life for a few hours and make sure someone knows:

I see you.

I know the things you love.

I remember the things that matter to you.

And I am so glad you are here.

This one was for Kent.

A whole lot of orange.

A ridiculous little rat terrier.

A missing-present mystery.

A table full of his favorite food.

And a family gathered around him. Exactly as it should be.

Happy Birthday, Kent!

We love you!

Some links in this post are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through one of them, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only share things I actually use, love, or genuinely think might make your own project a little easier.

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