Hostess with the Mostess®

As someone that eats, sleeps, and dreams parties, I often find myself asking people the following question: “What would make your life easier/more fun when it comes to planning parties?”

The answer is almost always along the lines of “someone to make it easier for me!” or “someone to put it together for me!”. This is one of the reasons I’m super excited to tell you about this fun Party Box Giveaway and introduce you to the company that’s bringing it your way…

Lily Ng founded Eden Celebrations with the goal of minimizing some of the stress that comes with tracking down all those pretty little details that really do bring a beautiful party together. Their “party boxes” are well thought out, curated collections of chic party supplies that arrive all packaged up and ready to go in a beautiful keepsake box. For their customers, that means way less time spent shopping/surfing around and more time spent doing other things… like celebrating! ;)

And for one lucky HWTM reader, it also means a very nice boost to the party budget, because Lily is giving away a Party Box in the winner’s choice of theme! Enter to win at the bottom of this post. And ALL readers will also receive 10% off with the discount code HWTM10.

There are currently 4 signature themes, 2 of which are especially versatile (Pink Ombre and Tuxedo) and could be used for anything from baby and bridal showers to birthdays parties of all ages. And of course, Valentine’s Day is coming up quick!

Next up is a closer peek at the Tuxedo Party Box… which is actually my personal fav! The chic black, gold, and white combo serves as a great foundation for so. many. themes… just add bubbly for a champagne inspired bridal shower or glittery gold animals for a glam safari first birthday! See? Sky’s the limit! ;) (more…)

The weather may be cold outside on this mid-January day, but we’re bringing you a sweet dose of sunshine with this stunning Boho Chic Baby Shower! Jeanette Quintero of Candy Crush Shop styled the gorgeous, waterside event with the help & expertise of Petite Pomme Design. I am especially loving all of the custom made decor, like the beautiful floral invitation & chalkboard signs, yarn dream catchers & looms, plus so SO much more. Scroll through to see all of the stunning details and check out a video of the event here!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Beautiful waterfront venue & teepee lounge area + sequin tablecloths topped with gold animals
• Wooden photo board with eucalyptus wreath alongside a carnation-studded photo booth netting
• Feather & flower decorated cake pops, teepee cookies & flower adorned naked cake
• “Adventure Awaits” plant calligraphy & floral crown for mom + custom baby moccasins
• Fabulous yarn and feather bedecked “Baby Luca” dessert table backdrop

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During a recent football party brainstorming session, my husband and I came up with this fun idea for creating a giant Football Play Inspired Wall Backdrop made out of mylar balloon X’s and O’s!

I used the small 7″ mylar balloons and 8-player teams for this diagram to keep the design reasonably sized for a house party, but am already thinking it would be pretty darn cool to recreate this on a HUGE scale for a large event using the 16″ balloon letters too!

This backdrop would work well as a themed photo booth or behind a football party food/drink table, and the key elements are nice and simple: black fabric (I used an inexpensive shower curtain from Target), small letter balloons, and white label tape used to “draw” the “route” arrows & divider line. The diagram is flanked with two 18″ mylar football balloons filled with Balloon Time helium, who I partnered with to bring you this fun DIY!

Read on for full details and instructions below…

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Eagles and deer and bears and… GLITTER! With Lucinda & Juliet of The COOP, there’s no limit to their creative party ideas and executions. For Vivi’s 6th birthday party, they went WILD and designed a Glittery “California Wildlife” Inspired Birthday filled with bold patterns, sparkly animal & glam decorations.

The sparkly elephant and owl figurines, DIY animal stamped favor bags and charming handmade ribbon details will surely thrill an animal-lovin’ lady in your life!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Mini succulents in gold glitter trim pots + sparkly berry baskets and vases with bright pink florals
• Fondant bear paw print cupcake toppers and a party theme matching cake from Blue Cupcake
• Geometric plates and napkins on white furry table runners with gold glittered animal figurines
• Cute and custom blue chevron water bottle wrappers with a “V” for Vivi design
• Multicolor ribbon garland chairbacks and snack table backdrop + textured burlap party banners

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***Please note that the contest portion of this post closed on 1/26/16. Scroll to the bottom for winner info!***

When it comes to celebrating the big game, the first thing most people think of is the football, of course, but a very close second is…. THE FOOD! And I’m guessing that order may even be in reverse for a few hungry souls. ;) That’s why I’m excited to be teaming up with the Coca-Cola & NABISCO Home Bowl this year to bring you some tasty recipe ideas for your game day menu!

BTW – if you’re not familiar with the Home Bowl yet, it’s a lineup of tasty game day party food & drinks that can be found at retailers nationwide right now. You can learn more about it here.

Bring on the BACON (appetizers!)
Bacon is always a crowd-pleaser in our circle, so we’ve utilized it quite a bit for various parties, including marinating it in Coca-Cola for a super tasty & slightly-caramelized twist!

And even though this Coke-Soaked Bacon is great on its own, Sonny & I thought it would be fun to incorporate it into a couple of our favorite bacon-y appetizers for game day this year. It added the perfect, subtle kick of sweetness to a Bacon Ranch Cheddar Football Cheese Ball and Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Tenders…

The results were super delicious! Both my parents and my little ones gobbled both of these dishes up, and when loved ones of all ages like the same thing, you know what that means…. SCORE! ;)

Read on for details on both recipes AND a #HomeBowlHeroContest where TWO lucky winners will receive “Home Bowl” Party Prize Packs worth $400! (more…)

With nearly a decade of sharing creative parties here at HWTM, we’ve seen our fair share of awesome chemistry-inspired birthday parties, but this is the first time a Chemistry Inspired Bridal Shower popped in my inbox, and I was instantly smitten!

This beautiful and outside-the-box celebration (for bride-to-be Adrienne) was hosted by loved ones and features clever decorative elements and lots of playful DIY decor, including the banner, guest games, table numbers, and more. The shower was sent in by Alaina Lewis – one of Adrienne’s friends and Maids of Honor that contributed to the shower, who explains that, “Though neither the bride nor groom are chemists professionally, they’re both self-declared nerds and the theme was a hit!” And from the looks of these images and all the happy guests, I’d venture to say that those positive results are conclusive! ;)

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• A “Concoct Your Own Bath Salts” favor station + keepsake serving tray “guest book”
• Erlenmeyer flask drinking glasses with blue stripey straws
• Test tube table centerpieces + periodic table inspired banners and table decor
• A clever DNA-inspired tier cake + glittery “Perfect Chemistry” topper!

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I am no stranger to the amazing parties that happen at LA-based party space the COOP, so when co-owner Lucinda sent over this “Sprinkle Dot Fun” Rainbow Birthday Blast, I knew it was going to be something really special — and boy, did she not disappoint! This party is absolutely exploding with DOTTED desserts and POPS of colorful confetti. It’s so hard to pick a favorite detail, but the candy dot marshmallows (handmade by Lucinda!) and the mini balloon drink stirrers are not to be missed. :)

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Custom krazy straws & dipped rice krispie place settings + beautiful pink & purple floral centerpieces
• Easy stick-on rainbow dots & clear balloon ‘bubble’ backdrop + sewn streamers of rainbow dots
• Circle cut tissue paper covered bottles (topped with doughnuts), party hats & champagne flutes
• Rainbow confetti topped cakes + amazing candy filled, meringue topped ice cream cones
• Sugar rimmed kid-friendly martinis + large inflatable doughnut & confetti popper photo booth

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‘Tis the season for so many wonderful things, but GIVING is definitely at the top of the list! And whether it’s bringing joy to loved ones via special celebrations and thoughtful gifts, or donating time and resources to those that are in need, a desire to give is at the heart of all of these things.

That’s why I’m so happy be partnering with Glad^® this month to help spread the word about their wonderful #GladtoGive initiative, which is all about inspiring the efforts of giving, as well as encouraging the sharing of that extra holiday food instead of wasting it!

And here’s a cool tidbit: when you share a picture of your holiday meal or leftovers with the hashtag #GladtoGive, Glad will donate $1 to Free The Children to provide a meal for those less fortunate. Imagine how many meals a simple social media share can provide when LOTS of people get involved!

And speaking of coming together… if you’re hosting a a holiday get-together, asking your guests to bring a small donation is another great way to give back. Last week, Sonny and I hosted a holiday dinner party with a few good friends and asked each family to bring a gently worn or new coat to donate to One Warm Coat.

I’ll explain a little more about that below, but first let’s talk PARTY details for a bit while we’re on the subject, since this is HWTM after all! ;)

As I mentioned earlier, this was a small dinner party with a few good friends (3 other couples and their kids). The best thing about smaller get-togethers is that you get that really good conversation time with everyone, instead of trying to jump around for a few minutes between a zillion people. One of the families even brought their brand new 8-week-old puppy over! He was definitely the most popular guest of the night. ;)

•  •  •  •  •    T H E   T A B L E S C A P E   •  •  •  •  •

I was inspired by the giving theme to go with a “presents” sort of look for the table. I found the cutest rolls of gift wrap by Sugar Paper at Target and used those as a jumping off point for the table design… starting with cutting strips of paper to create a “gift wrapped” look for the chairs!

Wrapping paper was also used as the “table runner” and layered on top of black and white striped fabric from Ikea. I used the printables from my Red & Gold Holiday Glitz collection as napkin rings, which you can download below for free!

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This post is sponsored by Coca-Cola. Visit them on Pinterest for more creative ideas like these!

Game nights are fun by nature, but even MORE so with a little creative twist! And even the simplest ideas can pack a big, colorful punch. Speaking of which… life seems to be extra crazy busy for everyone these days, myself included, so I’m really trying to seek out more of those fun details that can be pulled off in a pinch. Each of these Game Night Ideas are simple and budget-friendly enough to work for anything from a big party with friends to a laid-back family game night at home with your closest loved ones.

Read on for the (easy!) project details and free printables below. Enjoy!

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Winnie the Pooh was one of my FAVORITE characters growing up, so I was thrilled when Disney Baby asked me to come up with some creative ideas for hosting a Winnie the Pooh BABY SHOWER! What a sweet-as-honey theme for celebrating with mom-to-be, right? ;)

THE INSPIRATION

Since Winnie has been around for quite a while, (Did you know he was inspired by a REAL bear from the early 1900’s?!), his look has changed a bit through the years. The current day Winnie sports a bright red t-shirt and modern look, while “Classic Pooh” has softer colors and a more vintage vibe. I really love the look of the both styles, as well as the woodsy feel of the famous “100 Acre Wood”, so my goal was to design a baby shower that encompassed all of these different elements in some way.

You’ll find lots of fun DIY ideas below, from painted-bath-toys-turned-table-figurines to “HUNNY Pot” parfaits with sugar bees and a playful Winnie the Pooh Diaper Cake. I also incorporated some sweet Winnie the Pooh toys & nursery items from DisneyBaby.com into the decor, which is one of my favorite ways to play up any theme at a baby shower because the items double as thoughtful gifts for mom when the party is over!

There’s a lot to take in here, so I’m breaking this post into “party sections” to help keep it organized for you. And speaking of sections, don’t miss the very last one with links to download all the FREE PRINTABLES from this theme. Enjoy! P.S. The free printables are available in a pink/yellow colorway now too!

WHAT YOU’LL FIND IN THIS POST:

1.Overall Look & Feel (Images 1-7)
2. Tablescape
3. Dessert Table
4. Accent Decor & Diaper Cake
5. Party Favors
6. Free Printables!

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I’m so excited to share this new project with you! I was recently asked to come up with a creative homemade gift idea for Ball’s 25 Days of Making & Giving campaign.

The pretty color of their Purple Heritage Collection Jars instantly make me think of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker Ballet, so I ran with that idea and designed this sparkly Sugar Plum Fairy Treat Jar. You can fill it with any sort of fun treat – from a favorite homemade recipe to colorful store-bought treats, like the purple, lavender and silver chocolates shown here.

And because my head always goes into party mode when I’m designing for some reason *wink* – I also created a smaller & simpler version of this project that would be perfect for party favors at a ballerina birthday! Read on for details on both projects + the free printables below.

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You may remember Misha Perritt of A Lovely Design from this Glittery Minnie Mouse Party, we featured not too long ago. Well, she’s back with some serious woodland style for her daughter’s Enchanted Four-est Tea Party Birthday, and we couldn’t be more delighted!

This charming party is bursting with shimmering golden acorns, bright floral printed details, plus soft moss and green velvet to add some lushness. Top it all off with adorable mini lace crowns and toadstool “thrones” and these little guests become Queens of the forest for a day! :)

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Hanging Fir branches + pink & green floral arrangements and fabric buntings
• Natural wooden pedestal centerpiece flanked by gold & moss topiaries & golden animal topped jars
• Birch bark painted cake + golden pearl topped cupcakes, chocolate berries & flower shaped tea sandwiches
• Bright & beautiful custom-made paper decor & invitation + custom printed animal pillows

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Sweet, soft colors and a subtle coastal theme make for one classy affair! Zoom Theory beautifully captured this Romantic & Neutral Beach House Wedding that has fantastic inspiration for the budget, DIY and elegant style bride! With fancied up paper decorations, a custom matching wedding cake, dreamy florals from Petals and Hedges and a gorgeous venue on the beach, I think I’m in LOVE! ;)

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Neutral floral centerpieces in rustic wood vases, silver mercury glass votives & simple framed table numbers
• Wine cork displayed place cards and jarred sugar scrub favors with jute bows
• Soft gray “Eat, Drink & Be Married” cocktail napkins + Custom “Evan and Blake” wedding cake
• Blush pink bridesmaid dresses, white bridal flower crown, and sweet pink peony and lambs ear bouquets

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Animals have always been one of my favorite types of party inspirations, but having kids has definitely given me a LOT more excuses to use them!

So… for my very first collaboration with Balloon Time, and given the fact that it’s December right now, I thought it would be fun to dream up some wintery balloon fun for all the pint-sized party animals out there. ;) And judging from the look on both of my daughters’ faces when they walked in and saw me working on this project, I’d say this one is kid-approved!

These DIY Penguin & Polar Bear Balloons would be such a fun accent for any winter themed birthday party or playdate, and the added bonus is that they’re super easy too! The animal faces are made from printables, so there’s no need for fancy art skills to recreate them – just cut, tape, and done! Read on for full details below…

YOU’LL NEED:

• Printable Polar Bear & Penguin Templates
• Black & White Balloons
• Balloon Time Helium Tank
• Double-stick tape
• Scissors
• Baker’s Twine (or other string/ribbon of choice)

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Muggles and magic and much more… it’s what you’ll find in this Modern & Magical Harry Potter Birthday Party crafted by Juliet and Lucinda of The COOP. A visit from Hedwig, Hogwarts inspired cupcakes and favor bags with a Harry silhouette are some of the brilliant wizardry that Bebe Jacobs captured from the day.

There are so many fun silhouette DIY aspects to the decor – golden snitches, Harry’s glasses, lightning bolts, etc. – which I LOVE (No Amortentia potion here! Ha!). When recreating a classic story, silhouettes are a great way to create recognition while reimagining it with your own creative flair, and Juliet and Lucinda did a *CHARMing* job! 

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Custom Blue Cupcake toppers: lightning bolt, book of spells, Gryffindor scarf & sorting hat!
• Smoking cauldrons and piles of spell books + dark hydrangeas and blood red coxcomb florals
• Creative(!) DIY golden snitch straw embellishments made with gold glitter and white feathers
• Harry Potter glasses and candied black marshmallows with gold lightning bolt toppers

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There’s nothing more exciting than planning a baby shower for a family member, especially when it’s for your own sister! Jamie Forsythe of Sweet Jelly Parties designed a Dreamcatcher Inspired “Be Brave Little One” Baby Shower to celebrate Baby Graysen’s Native American family history and the theme of her nursery.

A creative dreamcatcher mobile from Hippie by Viki and custom tee pee – later added to the nursery! – are just a couple of the many *dreamy* details that pulled together this party in the park, planned from 8 states away!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Playful painted terra cotta pot filled succulents, arrow props & a dream catcher mobile
• Beautiful tee pee (handmade by grandma!) with tambourines, drums & rain sticks for the kids to play music
• Bead wrapped mason jars + chevron straws and feather charms
• Ombre pink tribal cake, pink watercolor “Dream Big” sign and “Baby Graysen” custom napkins
• Tee pee trail mix and “Treats For The Tribe” printed baggies
• Dreamcatcher, tee pee, patterned onesie and “Be Brave” cookies from Sweets by Gigi

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Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone (can you believe it?!), it’s time to start the Christmas countdown! Krista O’Byrne of Hoopla Events is definitely getting us in the holiday spirit today with her 7 Steps To Throwing A Favorite Things Holiday Party. Take a peek at her tips and ideas for a fun, festive, and plaid-bedecked get together that will make you fall *deerly* in love with the most wonderful time of the year! ;)

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

– White frosted cake with greenery accents, wood slice stand and a yarn figurine reindeer topper
– Plaid Christmas tree shaped cookies, antler cupcake toppers & holiday red macaron cookies
– “Hello, Deer” stationary + modern antler design invitation with matching gift labels
– Red and black plaid custom pillows & signature cranberry margaritas rimmed in gold sugar

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If you’re looking for a cute – and totally doable – way to whip up a little extra holiday magic for your loved ones, I’ve got just the thing! Inspired by the adorable penguin & polar bear Coca-Cola commercials from a while back, I thought it would be fun to make a playful “snowy” cake for the holidays and top it with penguins and polar bears that were getting along swimmingly. We’re talking holiday magic, after all!

One of the best things about this cake, though, is how EASY it is to make. I used a Coca-Cola cake recipe that only requires 5 ingredients, then covered it in “snowy peaks” of store-bought vanilla frosting. This is one of my favorite ways to frost a buttercream cake, and you don’t have to be a dessert pro – AT ALL – to make it look good. Plus, it requires you to be extra generous with the frosting, which is always a bonus in my book!

BAKE + CRAFT + PARTY
Read on for full details on… 1) the cake recipe, 2) the frosting technique, 3) the cake topper, and 4) a coordinating “snowy fun” tablescape design, should you want to extend this look beyond the cake plate. Oh ya… there are free printables too!

P.S. I’ve been working on creative content for Coca-Cola quite a bit this year, but this is the first time I’ve tried out their mini cans. They made such a fun addition to the matching party table! Why is everything so cute when it’s mini sized? ;)

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Fair warning: you’re going to want to grab some fluffy blankets & get toasty warm with a mug of luxuriously rich hot cocoa before scrolling through these gorgeous images. Tara Berger of One Stylish Party styled this Dreamy Mint & Metallic Hot Cocoa Stand Party for a very lucky group of kids. Set up in a Christmas tree farm (is there a more perfect place?!), Tara also supplied an entire BED for the kids to get cozy, jump around on and just be kids! What a lovely way to ring in the holiday season with some serious joy ;).

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

– Watercolored ‘Falala’ mugs & coordinating ‘magic of Christmas’ typographic sign
– Blush rose studded magnolia leaf garland + gold ‘Merry & Bright’ banner on the bed
– Clever DIY store-bought donut hole tree & frosted tree cookies + silver snowflake decorated Christmas trees
– Hot cocoa toppings bar with homemade vanilla marshmallows, coconut & white chocolate

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Merry Christmas and HAPPY BIRTHDAY! While the holidays are upon us, so are Abigail and Amelia’s birthdays (ages 3 and 1), along with a special visit from Santa and the goodies from Mrs. Claus’ kitchen. Those Santa belly cake pops and peppermint cookies look delicious and *oh what fun* does that ornament activity look like! See all the *ho-ho-holiday* cheer below in this special Peppermint & Plaid Christmas Themed Birthday Party from Abigail of Paper & Cake!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• “Ho ho ho” party banner with personalized Christmas stockings at each end + snowy dessert table backdrop
• Santa belt cake pops with Christmas light party flags + Santa face candy kabobs from Sweets Indeed
• Wrapped “gift” risers, mini Christmas tree centerpieces and hanging white tissue pom “snowflakes”
• Green plaid photo booth backdrop with winter pillows + snowman, Santa & seasonal treat props

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To celebrate the changing of the weather & the upcoming holidays, Be Inspired sent in this gorgeous Autumn Wedding Inspiration to share with us, which was dreamed up and produced by New Leaf Weddings & Events!

Nestled in the stunning landscape of the Virginia Piedmont are numerous beautiful, private, and historic estates that lend themselves perfectly to inspirational and romantic photo shoots. Inspired by the jaw-dropping art and unique architecture of the location, this styled shoot at Foxlease Farm was designed to capture a romantic love story and the elegance of a Virginia fall. Working with a predominantly gold and cream color palette, each vendor contributed pieces that accented the space and emphasized the warm and unique beauty of the location.

From the enchanting couple pictures, to the sprawling landscape and old world table design, these images serve as fantastic inspiration for those looking to design a their own romantic, gold & white wedding…

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Here we go with Part 2 of our Rainbow Safari 1st Birthday Party – The Dessert Table! Bright colors, cute animals, and sweet homemade treats… can’t go wrong with that combo, right?! ;) My favorite part of this table is actually the backdrop though, and you can find the full tutorial for this Rainbow Safari Wall Tree over on the Fisher-Price website. But before you go, scroll down for lots of colorful inspiration for your own safari party sweets + free printables!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Zebra Cake Flower Pops on oversize rainbow straws with paper leaves
• Hippo Lagoon Parfaits: cute store-bought cookie hippos “swimming” in blue-tinted pudding!
• Printable Rainbow Safari HOORAY banner (Download it here.)
• Colorful Animal Cracker Cupcakes + Rainbow Trail Mix served in polka dot cups
• Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack toys and kitchen canisters used as makeshift “risers”

(Download all 3 of the 4×6 signs from this party right here. You can also find downloads for all of the other paper details shown here sprinkled throughout the captions in the Party Gallery over on the Fisher-Price website.) (more…)

Hi, guys! I’m so excited to FINALLY share a fun & super COLORFUL little party with you that I designed earlier this year. This Rainbow Safari First Birthday was created for Fisher-Price, and you can find my free printables + 7 different DIY tutorials on various elements from the party over on the their website.

MODERN SAFARI
I am a HUGE fan of cute animals and just loved working that element into the theme. However, I definitely struggled a bit at first with how to merge the “safari” portion of the theme – which is most commonly very rustic and earth toned – with the vibrant and modern look of the Fisher-Price toys. I’m really happy with how it came together in the end, though, and I hope you enjoy it too! A few of my favorite details from everything EXCEPT the dessert table are below… I’ll be sharing that table in a separate post, which is coming up next!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• “Elephant head” drink dispenser inspired by the Elephant Clicker Pal Toy
• “Jungle Juice” and “Safari Sips” kid drinks + birch straws with little paper leaves
• Homemade smash cake (pictured above) with giraffe toy + DIY Palm Tree topper
• Kid chairs embellished with printable animal ears (Lion, Giraffe, Zebra) inspired by the toys
• Rainbow jungle vines made from colorful tissue fringe garlands + paper leaves
• Rainbow Blocks Palm Tree Centerpiece made from toy stacking blocks + paper leaves

A simple “jungle vine” made from twine + folded paper leaves was all the high chair needed! My DIY printable party hat (which you can also download for free) is pictured above as well. :)

I use Ikea Tolsby frames a lot for party signage, and since they come in both red and white I just swapped the pieces to create “color blocked” versions for some of the 4×6 signs.

Here’s a peek at the Elephant Drink Dispenser… I was thrilled to find this blue acrylic dispenser at Party City, then added som paper ears, eyes, and a trunk! Check out the full DIY tutorial here. (more…)

Pancakes are a pretty big deal in our house, and sometimes I’m afraid to mess with the flavor too much because my girls usually just like the good ol’ fashioned buttermilk version, just as they are; they even prefer plain pancakes to the chocolate chip version! (I definitely didn’t see that one coming.) So imagine my surprise when they actually LOVED these Pumpkin Apple Spice Pancakes!

These are super easy to make using a muffin mix as the base – the Pumpkin Spice Supreme Muffin Mix by Krusteaz. (more…)

Baking on your birthday!? It’s what you do when you’re Julie of Blue Cupcake and your (own!) birthday party needs a cake and tasty macaron bar! Her Sparkly, Silver & Fabulous 40th Birthday Soirée was designed by Lucinda Gould of The COOP with simple, elegant and of course glittery details. Bebe Jacobs captured all the shimmer and shine that is actually timely inspiration for a glam holiday or New Years party…. I know, I can’t believe that holidays are around the corner already either!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Silver glitter dipped candle votives, mini potted succulents and cups with disco ball swizzle sticks
• Three tier cake with a sparkly silver base, matching “40” topper & a simple succulent detail
• “40 & Fabulous” letter balloons, silver sequin linens and silver party streamers
• Macaron bar with pistachio, hazelnut and more delicious flavors displayed in white milk glass dishes
• Sophisticated white floral arrangements with succulent accents in festive silver vases

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TGIF! It’s already 5 o’clock somewhere, right? So on that note, let’s talk COCKTAILS. ;) If you’re looking for a festive cocktail idea for Thanksgiving – or any fall celebration, really – here’s a fun Pumpkin Spice Mojito recipe that was sent in by Minibar. (If you’re not yet familiar with Minibar, they are a wine, beer, & spirits delivery company that’s available in major metropolitan areas across the country. Learn more about them here.)

Okay… let’s take a look at what you’ll need to *shake up* this fun drink:

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Many of the art party ideas that come our way are rainbow colored and for younger kids, so I’m super happy to share an Orange & Gold Museum Inspired Art Gallery Party that is more of an “art with history, sophistication, and beauty” take for bigger kids with a true growing passion!

Bobbi Hammonds of JoElle Elise Design LLC designed the party for Arwyn’s 10th birthday with creative art gallery display ideas, artist mannequin inspired activities and an amazing cake by Piece of Cake Bakery modeled after the work of Monet & Van Gogh. The whole party is literally “a work of art” so grab your sketchbooks and take notes on all the *ARTistic* details!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Paintings displayed in ornate gold frames with labels featuring each artist’s name
• Gold mason jars storing colored pencils & orange stripe straws with paintbrush decorated party flags
• Individual easels, painter palettes, colorful aprons and canvases for each budding artist
• Master’s molding clay in individual gold tubs + gold sprayed mannequins for dressing and drawing
• Amazing cake featuring Claude Monet’s Fields of Poppy and Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers

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Ashleigh Goodwin of Ashleigh Nicole Events styled a party so DINO-MITE you’ll want to sink your teeth into it! To celebrate both of her sons’ birthdays, mom expertly created this Dinosaur Excavation Birthday Party with tons of natural elements like grass, burlap and wood; plus some adorable, toy-inspired DIYs!

Everything started with an awesome ‘crack-the-egg’ invitation (Easter eggs that Ashleigh painted) and ended with the cutest little ‘Adopt a Dinosaur’ party favor activity. Keep scrolling to see all of the roarin’ details…

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• DIY dinosaur terrarium centerpieces + round moss place mats, burlap runners & dino shaped sandwiches
• Toy dinosaurs strung into a banner, glued on trail mix jars & turned into dessert trays
• Simple, dinosaur topped birthday cake + dinosaur bone cookies, key lime cheesecakes & donut stacks
• Custom ‘about’ signs for both birthday boys, matching birthday shirts & a live reptiles show

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Get a head start on holiday decorating – and celebrating! – with this super festive inspiration from Maureen of Party a la Mo. In her crafty Holiday Prep Party, she shares stylish decorating ideas like a “Merry and Bright” canvas studded with tiny white twinkle lights, balloon-dipped drinkware (one of my own favorites!), and DIY folded paper Christmas trees.

Best of all, this is a party that’s fun AND productive… I mean, what better way to start crossing things off your seasonal to-do list (holiday cards, gift wrapping, advent calendars, ornament decorating and more!) than with a few close friends and some yummy winter treats, right?!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

– “Happy Holidays” envelope cookies, hot chocolate bar with sprinkle rimmed cups & gold glitter donuts
– “Make Spirits Bright” custom canvas tote bag chair back and party favor!
– Warm holiday florals with gold painted succulents + fun red and green circle garlands
– Confetti cookie place cards and matching plate decorations, gold chargers & burlap linens
– “Merry & Bright” decorated mantel, gift wrapping station, letter writing table & food display
– Pom pom ornament craft, advent calendar activity and “Letters From Santa”

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Captain Barnacles and crew have a fun party for you! From underwater inspired centerpieces to fancied-up favor bags, Juliet Boydston and Lucinda Lent of The COOP transformed their party space into a spectacular and bright OCTONAUTS Birthday Party that was beautifully captured by Bebe Jacobs. Their playful take on this cute kids show is filled with lots of bubbly fun and bright ideas, so *Sound the Octo-alert* because I’m diving right in!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Awesome Octonauts submarine birthday cake by Cake Divas
• Character water bottle wraps featuring Professor Inkling Octopus, Tweak, and more
• Sparkly “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” letters, character explorers in vase “aquariums” & simple hydrangea florals
• Glittery blue placemats, green polka dot napkins & felt Octonauts face masks from MyWonderlandBoutique
  
• Touch tank activity, glitter paint tattoos, party bubbles & a shark mouth photo booth!
• Adorable fondant cupcake toppers of Peso Penguin, Kwazii Kitten, and Captain Barnacles

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