"Oh, The Places You'll Go" Baptism

Dr. Seuss' "Oh, the Places You'll Go" provides such a colorful and relevant theme for a graduation, birthday–and even baptism.  I love how event planner, Events by Design, Inc., played on the theme with international books and foods–keeping the decor sophisticated for a baptism celebration.  The book itself made the perfect guest book and keepsake from the blessed day.  Enjoy the photos, captured by LunahZon Photography.

 

 

 

 

Cake Designer: Got What it Cakes
Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Vintage Bridal Shower

Happy Friday friends! I am so happy to end this week with this very charming and thoughtful vintage-inspired bridal shower.

Since the upcoming May wedding is going to be very vintage-inspired, the bridesmaids wanted to throw the bride a shower that would complement the big day and fit her style.  With vintage pieces found at occasional shops in the area, along with borrowed items, the bridesmaids were able to pull off a lovely vintage tea.  (I swear I've seen some of these pieces in my mom's china cabinet!) Additionally, the color scheme, lace and doily touches all help to enhance the theme.  What a lucky bride!

The shower was captured by Karen Feder Photography, for the bride-to-be, Lindsay Davis.  Enjoy all the many quaint details.

Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Jello Aquariums

I gasped at this mini jello aquarium from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen!  What a great summer party favor.  I can see kids eating their way through the jell-o to get to the fish and candy rocks.  And it's definitely got a bit of wow factor.  You can use this for any Under the Sea/Mermaid/Nautical-themed party.  Get the full directions here.

Cinco de Mayo DIYs

Cinco de Mayo is just over a week away–and how great that it lands on a Saturday this year?!  Invite some friends over for a few Coronas and margs, and use these very simple ideas to turn your gathering into a fun fiesta.

Top:
Garland from Oh Happy Day; Umbrella Wreath at Everyday Celebrating

Bottom:
Sombrero Cookies from Family Fun; Tissue centerpiece at Oh My! Creative

Coffee Filter Flower Cup

These pretty flower cups made their appearance on Urban Comfort for Easter, but they are so perfect for any spring, summer occasion. They remind me of the coffee filter cups I made for my girls' Alice Tea Party last year, that you can see here.

These cups would make lovely favors for Mother's Day. Or use orange, red and blue colors, fill them with nuts or chips and use them for Cinco de Mayo!

Find the full tutorial here.

Merry Monday: Pottery Store Birthday

Just because you're not having a party at home shouldn't stop you from creating a lovely food or dessert station.  Here's a great example from photographer mom, Chelsy Cardin, of Cardin Creative Photography, for her daughter's 7th birthday.

Being as creative as her mom, Chelsy's daughter Kylei wanted an art party.  The Pottery Shop provided the perfect location: colorful, fun decor and lots of room to host the event.  Enjoy these photos that give you a great idea of how well everything went! And how Chelsy was able to design the dessert station into the party. The colorful details are as adorable as Kylei!

Vendors:
Reception Venue: The Pottery Shop
Sweets: Sugar and Spice

Submitted via Two Bright Lights 

TP Birthday Crowns

This Sunday, April 22nd is Earth Day. Since it falls on a Sunday, it's the perfect excuse to enjoy a little craft to honor the day. I hosted a playdate yesterday in honor of Earth Day, and we made these cute bird feeders I previously featured on the blog. Earth Day is also a good time to be reminded of ways we can repurpose everyday items; items that we would otherwise throw away. Check out this adoroable mini party crown from Creative Jewish Mom! Wouldn't these make darling placecard holders around a table? Or even something fun to wear to a party! Find the full tutorial here.

Burlap Flower Bouquets

When I think of burlap I usually associate it with the Fall months, mainly because of the texture. But, look at how sweet and Spring-y these burlap flowers look! They would be adorable as a table centerpiece. If you do want to add a pop of color, places like JoAnn's and Hobby Lobby do sell burlap in different colors. You can find the full tutorial at Morena's Corner.

Napkin Flower Centerpiece

This is one of those projects that I would try just to see if it comes out looking as pretty as the picture! The flowers are so soft and pretty... and they're made from napkins. Using napkins instead of crepe paper gives the centerpiece a softer, look–almost like watercolors. Perfect for a springtime brunch or shower. You can find the full tutorial at Homework.

Ice Cream Cupcakes

The perfect ending to any warm weather fiesta. This cupcake from a pumpkin and a princess is bottomed with cake mix and filled with ice cream. She lists the toppings as optional--but really, they seem like a total must to me! Find the full directions here.

Merry Monday: Movie Star Party

A couple of weeks ago, Renee and Siena went to a "movie star" themed party for their friend Claire. Yes--that's Claire in the above photo! She LOVES to get dressed up, and she is a natural model! Her mother trained her well–as she is a professional photographer. Mom is a good friend, Stephanie Stamos, and you can check out her stunning work here. Stephanie did a great job with the party–and really made the girls feel like movie stars!

When the girls arrived, they each got to "shop" at a table, picking out a ring, boa, earrings and other cute accessories. They each got their hair and make-up done to get ready for their shoots. Here is Siena ready for her close-up!

Little did they know, they'd be filming a "commercial." The girls were divided into four groups. Each group was given a short script and they filmed the commercial in Stephanie's home studio.

Once they finished with their acting roles, Claire presented each girl with her own award. And I have to say that Claire did an amazing job improvising each introduction!

No awards event is complete without some fancy dining! Stephanie set up a "Hollywood Cafe" in the backyard. Don't you love the feather accented glasses?? That's jello in the glasses. The girls certainly felt like celebs eating from those!

And here is one of my favorite photos: Renee and Claire chatting over their champagne jellos. Future ladies that lunch! Too funny!

And look at the cake that Stephanie made herself! A red velvet tiered cake with a fondant red carpet coming down each layer. Proves what you can do when you set your mind to it!

And finally, drumroll please... at the end of the party, the girls got to see their recorded commercials. They really got a kick out of seeing themselves on tv.

I think the main thing with any birthday party is making the birthday girl (or boy) feel special, and her guests... and I think this party did just that! Fun and different, I hope you find some inspiration to make your little star's day extra special!

Graduation Pops

Do you have a child or know someone who's graduating this year?! Say congrats with a bouquet of these adorable capped pops from Life in Wonderland. They'd also look great just as party of your celebration table. So clever of her to use bottle caps as the bottom part of the hat! For the full tutorial, visit here.

Fabric Scrap Ball

One of the first steps in trying to save money for a party is: Look at what you already have to use. This is a great example of how one resourceful party mama used leftover fabric scraps to create these fun colorful hanging balls. This would work with so many themes and occasions. You can find the full tutorial at Just Wanna Party.

Painted Flower Vase

When I saw this charming hand painted vase at Crafts by Amanda, it reminded me how easy it is to cutomize a plain old glass vase into something perfect for your party table, home or as a gift. This is also a perfect idea for Mother's Day or teacher. Find the full how-to here.

Today's Takeaway: Paint Your Own Cupcake Station

Retro and modern collide to create an inspiring mid-century wedding shoot at Ruffled, photographed by Red White and Green Photography. If you jump over there you'll see all the lovely handmade details, like the string art placecards and paint chip garland. But my favorite idea is the "Paint Your Own Cupcake" station. For this styled shoot, it looks like they used globs of frosting on an art palette that guests apply with paint brushes to fondant topped cupcakes. You could use edible markers, too. This is so perfect for any art-themed party, but also a fun way to let guests decorate their own take-home cupcake favor.