Signature Soirées

{Cupcake Friday} Popcorn Cupcakes

2011-08-26T00:00:00.007-05:00

Happy Friday Everyone!

Friday's are movie nights in our house! Nothing like celebrating the weekend with a movie night out or usually in {as in our case}. Wouldn't these sweet little cakes be perfect for your next movie night?! I think so.

Source: cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: themoesfamilyintexas.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: kraftrecipes.com via Andrea on Pinterest

My fave movie; Miss Congeniality

What's your fave movie? Tell me in the comments below!

{Cupcake Friday} Rock Candy Cakes

2011-08-19T00:00:00.007-05:00

Did you eat rock candy as a kid?! I did, it was one of my faves. There's so much you can do today with that sweet little candy. One, is put it on your cupcakes. Why not!!

Here's a photo I found a couple weeks back and had to share it with you! Don't they look fun & Delicious?!

Source: cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Mason Jar Love

2011-08-15T00:00:00.007-05:00

Mason jars are timeless, I think.

They are simple yet beautiful that you can use them just about anywhere in all types of decor. Plus, they are affordable. You can find them just about anywhere from Wal Mart, Target and my personal fave garage sales and thrift stores.

Here's a few inspiring photos of uses for mason jars. You can really do just about anything with them.

Source: bowribbonsandpearls.tumblr.com via Andrea on Pinterest

This is really pretty and simple for your home;

Source: weddingwhimsy.tumblr.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Line them up and fill them with sand, rock, or whatever for your next party. Don't forget to add a tea light for some extra sparkle and glam!

Source: hgtv.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Andrea on Pinterest

What do you think of Mason jars? Do you love them as much as I do too?

{Cupcake Friday} Bee Cupcakes

2011-08-12T00:00:00.005-05:00

Happy Friday Everyone!

I found these cute little bee cakes with little fondant honey bees! Aren't they adorable!

Source: swankytablesblog.com via Andrea on Pinterest

They would be a perfect combination with the Tomkat Studio's bee party collection.

Happy Weekending!!

Hello, Peanut Butter Cup!

2011-08-08T00:00:00.003-05:00

Do you love peanut butter cups?

Do you love them on anything?

I'm not usually a peanut butter cup kinda girl, but these next few cakes and cupcakes have me drooling and dying to make one too!

Take a look;

Source: sixoneseven.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Have you ever made anything like this? If so, tell me in the comments below. I'd love to know your recipe.

{Cupcake Friday} Cupcakes for Kids

2011-08-05T00:00:00.009-05:00

Cupcakes are one of my favorite things to make for parties, and equally I think they are great for kids' parties. They are just the right size for little ones to take a hold of. Here's a few ideas for kids that I thought were just adorable, see if you agree:

Source: google.com via Andrea on Pinterest

These cute little "pie" cupcakes, look like they would be fun to make!

Source: ericasweettooth.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Cute little Mickey Mouse cakes! Simply adorable for a Disney themed party.

Source: goodhousekeeping.com via Andrea on Pinterest

These would be cute for a play day, or water themed party!

What cute ideas have you come up with for kids' parties?! Tell me in the comments below!

Lego Party Inspiration

2011-08-03T13:20:00.008-05:00

Does your boy love son love Lego's? I've been seeing a lot of Lego inspired parties floating around blog land, and there's just a few that I'm in love with.

Legos aren't just for boys you know, they are for girls and all kids. This also would be a great party for a joint birthday or gender neutral. {i think.}

Lego Cake:

Source: tumblr.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Cute table scape and favor ideas with these cute gift bags:

Source: partiesandholidays.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

And, seriously how cute is this Lego cupcake tower?

Source: bigfatcook.com via Andrea on Pinterest

What do you think of a Lego themed party? Tell me in the comments below.

{Real Weddings} Tiffany Blue Details

2011-08-01T00:00:00.018-05:00

I love when weddings are personal, when Brides and Grooms add things they love and make their day about celebrating them! Take this next wedding, the bride took her love of all things Tiffany's and added that signature color into her wedding day! The details are just amazing, and so much fun I wanted to share them with you. BIG thanks to Makenzie for letting me share some of the details from their Tiffany Blue winter wedding.

Little white boxes for favors, tied with blue ribbon.

Even the card box looks just like the giant cake. Cute huh?!!?

I also love the added touch of these simple yet beautiful centerpieces. With colors as your theme you can really do a lot and take it almost anywhere.

Thank you again for sharing your day with us!

What do you love about this wedding? How did you incorporate things that are special to your relationship into your day? Tell me in the comments below.

photo credits: MK Erickson.

{Cupcake Friday} Frost'em Perfectly

2011-07-29T00:00:00.007-05:00

Happy Friday Everyone!

I found a really great tutorial on how to best frost a cupcake! This one covers 4 different techniques as you can see below.

Source: decoratethis.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Click the picture to be taken to the tutorial, or click here. Kristen also has some other great and fun baking tutorials on her blog! Check her out!

Fairy Dust Party Favors

2011-07-27T00:00:00.002-05:00

Party favors are always a fun little way to say thank you to your guests for coming and celebrating with you. I love a good favor, there's so many different things you can give depending on your party. I found these really adorable little fairy dust favors the other day and wanted to share them with you:

Source: butterflycraze.com via Andrea on Pinterest

I've also seen little bottles like these at the dollar stores before, what a cute, simple and cost effective favor.

Who doesn't love a sprinkle of fairy dust!

{Real Parties} Movie Themed Party

2011-07-25T00:00:00.001-05:00

One Mom from Texas shared this party on her blog that I've been following for a really long time shared this party that she threw for her son! I loved it so much, and I thought it was a great take on a movie themed party. It's a great party idea for older kids. Invite a bunch of their friends over for a movie themed party.

Great job Krysta! Check out more of her party here.

Source: themoesfamilyintexas.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

These are really cute and fun favors to give out, and I always see these popcorn buckets in the dollar section at Target from time to time!

Source: themoesfamilyintexas.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

{Cupcake Friday} Cakes You Can Wear

2011-07-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

Why not wear a cupcake around your neck!! I love a little dainty cupcake around the neck, so whimsical and fun. Here's a few of my faves:

Source: flickr.com via Andrea on Pinterest

And, one with a little whisk...totally cute.

Source: etsy.com via Andrea on Pinterest

This one is from Forever 21 and is under $2 score!

Source: suchprettythings.typepad.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: therustedchain.bigcartel.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Do you have a cupcake necklace of sorts? Tell me where you got yours in the comments below.

Fall Inspired Cupcake Toppers

2011-07-20T00:00:00.003-05:00

I've been trying to get rid of some old scrap booking supplies, and so I decided to whip up some Fall Inspired Cupcake toppers!

Source: worleyhouseblog.com via Andrea on Pinterest

You can get the full tutorial here. They are super easy to make and a lot of fun!

{Decor Love} Gray and Yellow

2011-07-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

Gray and Yellow.

Need I say more? It's all the buzz these days when it comes to home decor, fashion and just about anything. These days people are loving this color combo paring, and I have to say I've totally jumped on this train! I'm currently re-doing my master bedroom in this combo!

Here's just a few ideas I found for your next party using this combo.

Source: hostessblog.com via Andrea on Pinterest

What's not to love about these mason jars filled with lemonade?

Source: iloveswmag.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: joannagoddard.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: thetomkatstudio.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: swankytablesblog.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Tell me, do you love this as much as I do? Or are you kinda over it? Leave me your thoughts in the comments below.

{Cupcake Friday} Rainbow Cupcakes

2011-07-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

I've been seeing some really awesome Rainbow party inspirations all over blog land. The idea of using rainbows as your jumping off point for a themed party can be taken so many different directions, there's a lot you can do with this theme.

I've found two awesome cupcakes that I love using this theme, take a look:

Source: None via Andrea on Pinterest

Simply amazing, the details are awesome.

Source: savethedate4cupcakes.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Again, very simple but make such a BIG impact for your party!

What do you think of the rainbow trend? Love it, hate it? Tell me in the comments below.

{Party Ideas} Book Exchange Party

2011-07-13T00:00:00.007-05:00

Here's a great party idea for the book lover, A Book Exchange Party!

Invite a bunch of your book worm lovin' friends over for a swap party! Everyone brings a wrapped book to exchange and everyone goes home {with hopefully} a brand new book to enjoy!

I found these really cute invites on Pinterest the other day, check them out isn't this such a cute idea:

Source: reidgirlshandmade.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

And for the inside:

Source: reidgirlshandmade.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Grab a bunch of your fave girls, and get your swap on!

Modern Bachelorette Party Ideas

2011-07-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Bachelorette parties are one of the party avenues that has yet to be really talked about and celebrated. I've thrown a few Bachelorette parties in my day, and each time I had a really fun time planning and making it special for the Bride to Be and our friends.

Today, I want to share with you some classy ideas for your next Bachelorette party. The Bride will thank you and feel oh, so special!

First off, I think there are so many color combo ideas you could do for this event. The possibilities are endless, each of these ideas could be adapted to whatever color ideas you have.

A fun party game idea,

Source: orangebeautiful.com via Andrea on Pinterest

I found this cute and free printable invite for a Bachelorette party, also known as a hen party to some. Which I think is such a cute idea too!

Source: ruffledblog.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Perk up your desert bar with these cuties:

Source: thenatos.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

And, I just thought this was plain funny.........

Source: urbanoutfitters.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Have you thrown a bachelorette party recently? What did you do, tell me in the comments below.

{Free Printables} Gift Tags

2011-07-08T00:00:00.010-05:00

Who doesn't love something for free? I do. There's lots and lots of free print ables all over the Internet to be found for your party needs, I'll round up a few of my faves and share them with you.

This week, it's all about the gifts! Here's some of my fave free gift tags that you can print at home for free and add them to your pretty packages. The receiver of the gift will be so impressed as well!

Happy Gift giving!

For Christmas:

Source: blushprintables.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

For Anytime:

Source: smittenblogdesignspartyprintables.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Party Fashion: What to Wear to Your Next Event?

2011-07-06T15:56:00.001-05:00

This isn't a fashion blog, and I don't claim to know anything about fashion. But, I know what I like. I know what fits me and makes me feel good.

I think, as much as we like to plan and scour stores for the best party decor and search the Internet for the best party ideas we also like to do this with our fashion too! Searching for the best party outfit is also very important to the party, right!

I think so too!

Truth be told, I search for weeks for the best outfits for our family photos. I knew what I was going to wear for this past 4th of July party. Clothes are just as important to our events as the party its self.

So here's my round ups for some perfect party wear a la some lovely photos I've been gathering on Pinterest. {ps- if you're not Pinning already, you're not winning! hit me up for an invite}

Source: polyvore.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: fashionunder100.net via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: kec-contentedme.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: polyvore.com via Andrea on Pinterest

What are your fave items to wear for a party? Tell me in the comments section.

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Happy 4th of July! I love everything about this holiday, Christmas is my fave but this one is a close second. I love that it's a celebration of our Independence and freedom! We have so much to be thankful for in this world and our freedom is one of those things.

Today while you're celebrating with family, watching the fire works, and eating yummy food remember what this day is about, say a prayer for those who are fighting right now for your freedom and be thankful for what you have! BIG thanks to all our military who unselfishly serve and fight for us.

We're celebrating today with our families in the Pacific- Northwest, but if I was at home here's the inspiration I would use to throw a fab 4th of July bash!

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

Source: hostessblog.com via Andrea on Pinterest

{Cupcake Friday} 4th of July Inspirations

2011-07-01T17:40:00.011-05:00

Happy July 1st! I can't believe it's already July! Crazy how fast summer seems to be going. With just a few days before the 4th of July I thought I'd share with you some fun cupcake ideas for the 4th! What BBQ would be complete with out them right?!!?

Source: thetomkatstudio.com via Kim - on Pinterest

And just in case you have some extra time on your hands you can make this:

Source: gordongossip.blogspot.com via Kim - on Pinterest

Or this:

Source: marthastewart.com via Kim - on Pinterest

What are you plans for the 4th? Big backyard bash? Low key party by the lake? I wanna hear about it, tell me in the comments below!

Happy Weekending & Happy 4th of July!!!

Glam Camping Party

2011-06-29T08:00:00.008-05:00

I found this awesome glam camping party online the other day, and I knew I just had to share it with you! My friend Ashley calls this "glamping" and I couldn't agree more! This would be a perfect idea for a girls night or Bachelorette party too!

Source: ritzybee.typepad.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Royal Wedding LOVE

2011-06-27T08:00:00.010-05:00

The Royal Wedding may be long over but that doesn't mean we can't relish still in its glory right! In the weeks to come there was tons of inspiration all over blog land about the royal wedding.

Here's just a few party things I found that I'm loving!

Source: flickr.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: partystartme.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: thetomkatstudio.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: thetomkatstudio.com via Andrea on Pinterest

What about you, did you have a Royal Wedding viewing party? Did you wake up and watch with everyone else and celebrate too?!! I'd love to hear your stories.

{Cupcake Friday} iCupcakes

2011-06-24T11:46:00.006-05:00

I'm so impressed and amazing at what people can do! The creativity is awesome. Check out these awesome cupcakes I like to call "iCupcakes." Aren't they amazing!!!!!

Source: imgfave.com via Andrea on Pinterest

This probably took a lot of work, I've never worked with fondant before but this kinda makes me wanna try it out. The attention to detail is amazing. These would be really awesome for a manly party, Father's Day, or a friend who's techie!

Happy Friday Friends! Hope you enjoy your weekend!

Food Fun: Kid's Lunches

2011-06-22T08:00:00.012-05:00

This has probably nothing to do with parties, except I think this would be fun for a play date! I've been finding some super cute images of kid friendly food I thought I'd share a few with you. It inspires me to make lunch time fun for Ava!

Source: cutestfood.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: meetthedubiens.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Pretty cute huh?!!

Hubby's Birthday Cake Inspiration

2011-06-20T08:00:00.007-05:00

I'm not usually a big cake person, I loved my wedding cake however it was the best cake I've ever tasted. I'm continually impressed with cake bakers and the amazing creations they come up with. Truly works of art I think.

I love to bake. One of our family traditions is that I always bake my husband a cake for his birthday. It's something he's come to look forward to and I enjoy finding a great recipe and trying something new. I've made him a cake for four years now. The first year it was a cheesecake, next was a red velvet cake, then a lemon cake and last year he requested apple pie. Not cake, but it was his birthday so I obliged him!

This year I'm having a "Manly Mustache" birthday party for him. It's been a while since I've thrown him a party and this year I decided to throw him one and chose this awesome theme. I'm pretty excited about it!

Source: love-the-day.com via Ashley on Pinterest

I want to do something like this with a mustache on top, probably not this big but something similar. I also am thinking cupcakes with little stashes on them too!

How cute! Who's with me on this?!

{Cupcake Friday} Decorating with Cupcake Liners

2011-06-17T08:00:00.009-05:00

Happy Friday! Cupcake liners aren't just for baking, they can also be used in some pretty awesome ways to decorate your home and your parties! And, since cupcake liners these days come in amazing patterns & colors the possibilities are endless.

Take a look, here's some of my fave ideas I rounded up:

Source: hiphiphoorayblog.com via Andrea on Pinterest

How cute is this garland for parties?!!

Source: our3cs.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

And this is my fave, what an awesome way to store them all & make some pretty decor on your kitchen counter top!

Source: flickr.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Cupcakes for Co Workers

2011-06-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I know today isn't Friday but I'm going to share with you today some cupcake stuff anyway! Every month we celebrate my co workers birthdays that happened that month. We usually have an extended staff meeting that day to celebrate, a couple weeks ago I decided to do something special for those who's birthdays we were celebrating. Something I like to call "Cupcakes for Co Workers."

If you have to work, you might as well make it fun right?!!

Here's what I came up with:

Source: worleyhouseblog.com via Andrea on Pinterest

I used some TomKat Studio cards that I just cut in half and used as toppers for the cupcakes. Helping to make them a little more personal and special.

Source: worleyhouseblog.com via Andrea on Pinterest

They were a big hit and very delicious!

Ava's Birthday Party Punch Recipe

2011-06-13T08:00:00.011-05:00

I got a few emails and questions about the punch we served at Ava's birthday party, and so I thought I'd answer them here. The #1 thing you wanted to know was what was the recipe I used? Well, it's super easy and I'm about to share all my fancy secrets with you!

Here's the "recipe" if you can call it that.
1 can pink lemonade drink mix {i use the frozen stuff}
1 liter lemon lime soda

Mix lemonade according to the directions, pour half into your container fill the rest with lemon lime soda, stir. Add more lemon lime soda to your taste and liking. Add ice.

That's it! Super simple & easy. I like easy and simple.

Source: worleyhouseblog.com via Andrea on Pinterest

#2 question: Where is the drink dispenser from?

World Market! They have tons of glass and plastic beverage containers available right now, I also picked up an oversized mason jar one. This one was $19!

There you have it, all my secrets are exposed!

{Cupcake Friday} Weekly Feature

2011-06-10T08:00:00.013-05:00

It's Friday! Happy Friday Everyone! Fridays are the beginning of your weekend, the start of family fun, and a celebration of a work week ended for me. I love Fridays because I get to be home with Ava and our weekend officially begins!

I wanted to start doing some weekly features here on the blog and cupcakes seemed like a great way to kick that off! You all know I love a good cupcake, so over the next few weeks I'll be showing you some of my fave little cupcakes I've been finding in blog land and on the Internet lately.

Couple reasons why I love cupcakes:
1. They are small, and anything miniture floats by boat!
2. I don't really like cake, but I love cupcakes because again they are small and you don't feel overwhlemed to have to eat a whole peice of cake!
3. There's so many fun and creative things you can do with a cupcake from colored liners, to frosting and fondant!

Kicking off my first Cupcake Friday feature, these little guys:

Source: cutestfood.com via Andrea on Pinterest

I think I've decided to do a bug themed party for Ava's next birthday party and these little guys are awesome inspiration! Don't they look more like art than food?!! I think so, almost to good to eat!

Outdoor Parties

2011-06-08T08:00:00.008-05:00

I've been drooling and dreaming over some awesome back yard and outdoor parities. First of all, I need to get myself a back yard and then I'll work on throwing an awesome party! For those of you that already have an awesome outdoor space to throw a party in I hope these pictures inspire you to plan your next party.

Oh ya, and I need this big tree too first!

Source: blog.katemillerevents.com via Andrea on Pinterest

I probably would keep this up all year round if it were my backyard.

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Source: janiegore.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

The ultimate back yard party:

Source: jordanferney.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Have you thrown a back yard party? I'd love to see your parties and inspiration! Leave your link in the comment section so I can visit!

Fun Party Foods

2011-06-06T16:38:00.000-05:00

One of the best things about any gathering is the food, right!!! I for one love coming up with new and fun ideas for my parties to wow my guests! I've been compiling a few ideas for future parties, I thought I'd show you some of my favorites that may just make it to your next party too!

First up, this is an awesome way to display fruit for your next party. Give them a fork and they can eat right out of the waffle cone! How clever is this:

Source: None via Andrea on Pinterest

I think putting fruit on a skewer is a genius idea! Especially in these fun rainbow colors. They totally give that almost too good to eat WOW factor!

Source: quick-dish.tablespoon.com via Andrea on Pinterest

These would be perfect for a movie night or a sports themed party! Heck, I wanna make them just for fun!

Source: penniesonaplatter.com via Andrea on Pinterest

And lastly, how awesome would these be to make for your next kid's birthday party or play date!!

Source: cutestfood.com via Andrea on Pinterest

What are your fave party foods to make?

Please Vote for Us:

2011-04-05T17:57:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!

Just wanted to see if you wouldn't mind voting for us this week until April 11th for this:

With your help I'd love to see this little party planning blog on the top of the list! You can vote once per day till the 11th!

Thanks in advance for your votes! And thank you for all the sweet comments on Ava's 1st Birthday Party!

{Ava's 1st Birthday} The Party

2011-03-27T14:50:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we had Ava's first birthday party here at our home pool side. We couldn't have asked for a better day, and for better family and friends to share it with. We celebrated with lunch, cake and gifts. Our baby girl has been taking steps all this week, she hasn't quite taken off but it was so cute to see her in her little birthday tutu taking small steps. She devoured her smash cake, and eventually went into a sugar induced nap.

The whole day was absolutely perfect. I still can't believe she's one, it's like over night she grew up and is now big. We are so blessed by her and love her so much.

Without further adieu here's the pictures from her party. It all started with this invitation I won from Jess at Party Box Design.

{click to enlarge}

{cake bunting flags printed off from the TomKat Studio and tied to lolly pops sticks}

{monthly pictures all hung on a ribbon}

{cupcake sugar cookie favors made with my Great Grandma's recipe}

{The dessert table. The Happy Birthday banner made in Publisher and printed off and strung with ribbon}

{simple coloring pages made with images found online and printed off on white paper. Buckets of crayons from Target}

{Our Birthday Girl}

{Our Happy Little Family}

Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated with us. Orion and feel very lucky to have friends and family who love our girl just as much as we do. To my Mom & Sister in Law I couldn't have pulled it off without your help! Thank you.

Here are some of the fabulous vendors I used to help me pull off this adorable party for Ava, party planning is a lot of fun and I love searching and finding awesome things to make it special.

TomKat Studio: favor tags, dessert table labels, cake bunting flags, tons of inspiration

Party Box Design: the invitations & inspiration

Little Monster Hugs: Cupcake liners & cupcake toppers

Giggles & Grins: Ava's Onesie

Zulily: Ava's tutu

Ava's Closet: Ava's headband

The coloring pages, birthday banner, all food & desserts, party favor cookies, monthly photo banner, punch, pom-poms and decor were all made myself with the help of my Mom & SIL.

{Details} Graduation Party

2011-03-03T15:09:00.000-06:00

Going through my archives of photos and parties I came across my little brother's graduation photos and thought I'd share them with you.

Grad parties are focused on a celebration for the graduate and their families. Most of the time there a way to showcase what the Senior has done throughout his or her life, mostly decorated in school colors and what represents that individual well. This party was so different.

My brother loves cars, tools and mechanics. The party was held in the body shop that my family owns.

These cakes were done by Andrea Rouse. One is a wrentch, and the other just have the school monogram on them.

Card table and Senior photos taken by yours truly.

{Real Moms, Real Parties}: Inspiration & Eye Candy

2011-03-03T10:51:00.000-06:00

There's a ton of inspiration in blog land from some amazing Moms! These ladies seriously impress me, and inspire me to plan great parties! Today, I want to high light some amazing parties that I've found over the last couple weeks from some real Moms making things special for their kiddos! So here we go, I hope this fills your mind with wonder and inspiration and helps you dream ideas up for your next party!

Destiny threw an adorable "Cherry on Top" 1st Birthday party for her daughter, click here to see it. She also threw a pretty fun Super Hero party for her sons' combined party, click here to see it!

Amy hosted a "Bake Shop" party for her little girl Ava (isn't that name cute) simply adorable! Click here to see it.

Vicky threw a "Glamorous" dual birthday party for her girls. It's pretty cute & chic, click here to see all the details!

*****

So what is this fun loving party girl up to next? Well, I'm busy planning all the details of my girl's 1st birthday party! Last night I worked on a project that I will share soon as part of the "1st Birthday" series, and a couple other things I've been working on.

Spring is definitely in the air here! I've got a baby shower coming up this month and one of my friend's just told me she's having a baby in the Fall so I'm already dreaming of ideas for hosting the perfect baby shower! Stay tuned lots and lots of parties and ideas to share soon!

{Ava's 1st Birthday} The Outfit

2011-03-02T21:15:00.000-06:00

For Ava's birthday I knew I wanted something special and unique for her to wear for her special day. I'd ordered fromGiggles & Grins before and seen these adorable birthday outfits she makes. So that's where I first turned to when looking for Ava's perfect outfit. Here's what we came up with Robyn's help, she's so awesome to work with. She had great suggestions for me on the look and has great pricing. Here's what I ordered:

Front

Back

I also knew that I wanted a tutu or petti skirt to complete the look. I debated about making one or ordering one from some where but in the end I found a really cute one that was what I was looking for. Have you heard of Zulily? They have really awesome clothing, toys, gifts and stuff for Mom and baby at this site all for 40-70% off retail prices! Weekly I get emails on their daily deals, and today I found "thee" perfect tutu addition for Ava's outfit I just couldn't resist getting it.

I can't wait for her party! She's going to be so cute.

images: Giggles & Grins

Zulily

{Ava's 1st Birthday} Cupcake Liners & Toppers

2011-02-06T15:11:00.000-06:00

There's so many awesome things out there to make parties personal and special, it makes it really fun to plan a birthday party. One of my favorite sites is Etsy. You can search pretty much anything you like and find really handmade unique things. So, in keeping with my color and cupcake theme I've been searching these last couple weeks for some cute things to jazz up her cupcakes for the party. So today, I finally ordered these two little items.

cupcake themed toppers

cupcake liners

I'm excited, I think they'll make a perfect addition to making this party special for my little one. These items are from a little shop called Little Monster Hugs, you can see more of her stuff here. She has some really cute things for parties, and some some fun cupcake kits that come with liners and matching toppers. Check them out, you'll fall in love too.

{Ava's 1st Birthday} The Invites

2011-01-11T18:57:00.000-06:00

I thought it would be fun to do a series of posts on Ava's first birthday, little tid bits on preparing for a celebration of our baby girl. I knew I wanted to do something with cupcakes for her first birthday party.

For me it all started with the invites from Party Box Designs, I won a blog contest a few months back and got to pick a custom invite for free, the theme and colors have all been made around this invite:

(click to enlarge)

I really wanted something different than her nursery theme and colors, which was done for all my baby showers and as much as I love it I wanted her birthday to be different. I really like the pattern, and the colors and how it incorporates the cupcake into the invite as well.

Jessica at Party Box Designs sent me the hi res file and I was able to upload it and print it out which ever way I liked. I decided to do post cards to mail out to family and friends (cheaper postage). I'm excited about how they turned out. I printed them at home on some heavy card stock.

I've got a lot more ideas brewing that I'm excited to share with you, so stay tuned and see how it all comes together!

{Parties}: Christmas Ornament Exchange

2010-12-12T21:59:00.002-06:00

{party favors}

On Dec. 4th I hosted a ladies ornament exchange party at my home for the women of our church. We had a great time of food, hanging out and of coarse everyone went home with an ornament for their tree.

Here's a few details from the party, I love throwing parties and entertaining in my home. I haven't done a holiday party in a while so this was really fun for me.

The cupcake stand, this is a party must have for me. I love cupcakes, I added some ribbon on the side of my stand to help it be a little more festive for the holiday season.

{red velvet cupcakes}

{snowflake picks from World Market}

{lemon water}

{Me & My Party Girl}

The dessert and drink stations, yummy cupcakes, coffee, and punch.

{I made these cute little cards to label everything}

Have you planned any fun holiday parties lately?

{Fave Stores} : World Market

2010-11-14T13:22:00.000-06:00

[Tiered Pastry Stand]

[6 Quart Water Tank with Stand]

[Autumn Leaf Wreath]

[Ombre Tea Light]

I'm a pretty firm believer that you aren't allowed to skip over Holidays like they aren't on the calendar! I'm not one of those people who skips holidays and starts decorating & planning for Christmas before Thanksgiving. Truth is, for me I think there's something to be celebrated in each season or holiday. I don't love Halloween, but I will celebrate the Harvest season.

With that in mind, I rounded up some of my fave items from one of my fave stores: World Market! Have you been there before? They always have some really nice stuff, and great sales, deals and coupons to help your shopping experience even better.

Here's some things I rounded up with the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday in mind! Enjoy!

photos: World Market

Vendor Spotlight: The TomKat Studio

2010-08-28T15:08:00.002-05:00

I'd like to introduce everyone to one of my favorite party planning gals: Kim from the TomKat Studio!

She's busy mom of two; Katie & Tommy. Owner of party planning products Etsy shop. Kim's party planning love comes from her desire to throw her children some super sweet amazing birthday parties. Taking her love of all things party, DIY and fabulousness, affectionately named after her kids Tommy & Katie thus TomKat Studio was born!

Kim and her family reside locally in Chandler, Arizona.

What I love about the idea behind Kim's business is that she has made it easy and affordable for everyone to create awesome themed parties they can be proud of.

Her Esty shop is where she sells all of her custom designed party digs! She's got everything from banners, invitations to printable favor tags and more!

You can easily go to her shop and customize your order and then print them off at home, on your own time and at your leisure. She has taken the guess work out of all of it. The hardest part I think will be deciding which party theme you're going to have first!

Kim also offers a wide range of other themed parties besides birthdays. Like her Back to School Collection for example, that's especially made for teachers and teacher gifts to give.

Her blog, offers a first hand look at what she's currently planning and working on. Also a sneak peek into some of her most famous events that she's done.

If you are looking for fresh and creative ideas for party planning The TomKat Studio is the way to go! I invite all of you to jump on over to The TomKat Studio's blog and see what Kim is working on, drool over her awesome parties, be inspired, and start working on your own party with custom party supplies by The TomKat Studio.

All photos: The TomKat Studio

{Details} Bridal Shower

2010-07-16T17:32:00.002-05:00

I wanted to share with you some details from a bridal shower I helped throw for a friend's upcoming wedding. The shower was last weekend July 10, 2010.

The entire shower details were completely DIY by myself and the Maid of Honor, Julie. Who is also the Brides Sister in Law.

We went for a pink, brown, peach theme for colors. With a mix of shades of purple throughout.

First up, these adorable favors made from little cocktail glasses that were bought at Michael's and then filled with flavored jelly beans.

The tissue paper pom poms I've been raving about to you were a big hit with the party guests as well. We hung these up all around the ceiling of the restaurant. They added a little something special, especially since we couldn't get around some of the decor at the restaurant.

Julie, added some touches with fresh flowers throughout the head table.

Cupcakes were the dessert center piece. I made two kinds Chai Latte & Rasberry Chocolate. They were delish let me tell you!

We decided these lovelies were too pretty to just throw away, so we saved them and are going to add the

to the getaway car at the wedding next month.

A completely DIY and affordable bridal shower for about 40 people!

We had a ton of fun!

Are You Throwing A Party?

2010-07-08T14:02:00.001-05:00

Are you throwing a party anytime soon? I love throwing parties [obviously] and entertaining in my home. Any chance that I can do it, I'll jump at hosting an event or a party for family and friends.

There's a few things that I love for throwing your own parties, a few little tips and tricks you can do to make sure your next party is fabulous and a hit with everyone.

At every party you're going to have refreshments, here's my solution to a chic and contemporary alternative for serving drinks:

A Frosted Beverage Dispenser:

This gem is unbreakable, and have a fill able ice core that's re movable. I've seen these pretty much everywhere, [JC Penny, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Anna's Linens] just to name a few. But you can pick yours up here at amazon.com if you want.

Next up is the food, at any party there's always going to be food of some sort.

White Platters in any size or shape:

These are great ways to display food and desserts. They are clean, simple and always in style.

My fave places to find these are thrift stores and garage sales. But you can find these at any home or kitchen store in a variety of sizes and shapes.

Every party needs to have some sort or type of decor to go along with.

Martha Stewart Pom Poms:

These are my new fave way to decorate for any type of party. They are a bit whimsical and fancy but super simple to make. All you need is tissue paper, string or twine, scissors, and patience. And you can make these lovelies for your next party.

I'm making some of these for a bridal shower this weekend, here's a tutorial below you can follow:

Last but not least, the dessert table:

Wilton Cupcake Stand:

This is an affordable option at $20 for displaying your cupcakes and desserts. I love how simple this is, and you can dress up with stand if you like with your colors to your party, or add words to each tier.

This stand can also hold small desserts such as brownies and mini cheesecakes just to name a few.

There you have it some easy and affordable options for throwing your next party. Don't these items just make you wanna have an excuse to have people over?

I do.

What's your next party coming up?

Mine is this weekend, I'm helping host a bridal shower for a friend! Pics and details to come, stay tuned!

{Details} Winter Wedding

2010-06-09T20:42:00.002-05:00

My little brother got married this past January, I got to go back home for the wedding and help them celebrate their special day.

Winter weddings I think are so romantic. There's something special about the snow that glitters that makes it magical. Here's some details:

The stage for their wedding:

The Bride and Her Mom took branches from their own back yard and spray painted them white and glued crystals to them. Then they put them into these buckets weighted down with rock and wrapped silk blue fabric around them to finish the look.

Don't they look amazing? And so chich & affordable too.

Once again my family used Andrea Rouse in Nevada, IA for the cake and grooms cake. Here's a shot of the grooms cake, my Brother is in the Airforce.

Simple candle center pieces floating in water with crystals.

This tule was wrapped on the stage platform, and the snow flakes are actually ornaments purchased after Christmas and hung on the tule with lights.

You can really do a lot with your decor if you shop after the holidays.

The wedding cake, by Andrea Rouse.

What do you think? Doesn't it all make you want to get married in this special season?!!

{Details} Little Girls Baby Shower Pt. 3

2010-06-09T20:32:00.001-05:00

Here's some details from the baby shower that was thrown for me in Minnesota this past January. I loved all the pink, and there's some super affordable things that you can do from this shower.

I think cupcakes are one of the most affordable cake options you can do yourself, and jazz them up and make them special with sprinkles and frosting.

A diaper cake is a great thing to make for a Mommy to Be, I loved mine. For instructions on how to make your own, click here.

Pink forks & plates that too matched her nursery theme from Target.

{Details} Little Girls Baby Shower Pt. 2

2010-06-09T19:16:00.001-05:00

More details from my baby shower in Iowa. My sister planned this shower for me. She thought of everything, she even used the same gal that made my wedding cake to make my shower cake. She too held to the pink, black and white room theme of the nursery and weaved it throughout with these details.

This cake is by Andrea Rouse from Nevada, IA. She's amazing, she did my wedding cake. If you'd like to check out her other creations click here.

Her name, made by my sweet sister:

{Details} Little Girls Baby Shower

2010-06-09T19:04:00.001-05:00

These are some details from some baby showers that were thrown for me this past Spring, in honor of my sweet baby girl.

I had three different showers, and I'm gonna high light the best details from each, here's Part 1: From my shower here in Phoenix with the ladies from my church. Hosted by my friends Jessica & Beverly.

I love this cake!

A fun game we played with baby food tasting, I didn't do so well at this.

They followed through with the theme of her nursery with this printed napkin.

Cake is from A.J.'s Fine Foods in Phoenix.

Custom Invitation Resources::

2010-02-04T14:50:00.003-06:00

Here's a few great sites that I've found for invitations, baby announcements, and more custom printing needs:

Tiny Prints- love this site especially for baby announcements. Right now you can get 15% off too!

Shutterfly- great photo site for making custom announcements & invites. They too run great specials like Free shipping, and discounts on a regular basis.

Snapfish- another great photo sharing site.

Vistaprint- they print everything, and run tons of FREE specials daily!

Check out these great sites, and let me know what you think! I promise you won't be disappointed!

Wedding Design & Inspiration::

2010-02-04T14:43:00.004-06:00

Couple of my favorite websites/ blogs for wedding design & inspiration:

The Wedding Chicks

Ruffled

The Knot

These sites are great resources for all Brides to Be for design inspiration and details. You can also find great resources for all of your other vendors ie: photographers, d.j.s, caterers, etc.

Happy Wedding Planning Y'all!

Great Idea for Showers & Parties

2010-01-20T01:01:00.004-06:00

This is a great idea for Bridal & Baby Showers as well as any type of party you might want to host or throw.

If you're hosting a shower of some sort it's a great idea to pick up a box of thank you notes to pass along to the person who the shower is for.

Recently I attended a baby shower where the hostess bought thank you cards, and had all the guests self address an envelope upon arrival. Later, the hostess gave these envelopes and thank you cards to the Mama to Be to write her thank you notes for the gifts she received.

Isn't that a great idea?!! You can do this for Brides as well, with the same idea. It's a great way to get a jump start on your thank yous to all your guests. Plus, it's very thoughtful and creative too. Your Bride or Mom to Be will be thanking you for it!

Creative Wedding Idea

2009-11-07T12:12:00.007-06:00

One of the best parts about going to weddings is seeing all the creative and personal touches Brides & Grooms add to their special day. There's so many ways you can do this to reflect your personalities and who you are as a couple.

I love this idea that came from one of my readers, who recently was a in her friend's Iowa wedding:

The Bride picked out individual and different broaches for her bridesmaids to accent the belts on their dresses. And gave them as gifts.

How awesome is that?!! Such a creative and very chic idea.

What are some of your favorite personal touches from your wedding or someone Else's?

photo credit: Jessica Bormann

Scottsdale, Arizona Wedding Venue

2009-11-02T16:29:00.007-06:00

Isn't this stunningly beautiful?

So pretty and romantic!

Sassi Restaurant in Scottsdale, AZ is the perfect backdrop for your outdoor wedding. If I was going to get married all over again and have a different theme for my wedding this place would be my choice. It's my new pick for the 'Best Wedding Venue' here in The Valley.

Here's a few things that make this place so great:

* Great views of the mountains make your ceremony extra special and romantic

* Tons of great picture perfect opportunities are here with its unique architecture

* You can have your ceremony and reception in the same place, very convenient.

Check out their website, where you can find all kinds of planning information, sample menus and a Wedding request form. They even have an online photo gallery so you can preview previous weddings at Sassi! Just a taste of what your event could be.

Happy Planning!

Updated: Voted 2009 Best Outdoor Wedding Venus

Best Outdoor Seating & Best Date Spot

photo credit: Sassi website

Tips for Buying Baby Shower Gifts

2009-10-29T16:50:00.004-05:00

I love a great baby shower, I've planned a few and attended many! It's such a fun and exciting time in a woman's life. Baby showers are a time to celebrate Mom to Be and baby! Here's a few of my tips for buying gifts when going to showers:

A Hostess Gift: If you are hosting a shower with some friends, it's a great idea as the Hostesses to all go in on a gift together. There are always those "big" items on a registry that Mom to Be really wants/needs and this is a great way to afford getting her something she'll really love and want! Get all the Hostesses together and decide on a gift for the Mom to Be and present it to her as the Hostess gift at a shower. I've seen this done many times at showers and it's a great way to get that one big gift and reveal it at the end of the shower!

Stick to the Registry: Here's the deal...... there's a reason why Mom's to Be register, because it's the stuff they really want. So, I can't stress enough to stick to the registry and buy them something they will really want or need. There's nothing worse than getting a gift that you didn't register for and trying to figure out where to take it back. If showers are all about the Mom to Be and her baby buy her something she'll really want off her registry.

Remember the gift receipt: There's always a chance she'll want a different size of something, or a different color. Make sure to get a gift receipt and stick in inside the card or bag for her so she can exchange it if need be. It doesn't mean it's a bad gift or she doesn't want it, it's just a great gesture to give when giving a gift.

Happy Gift Giving!

Hostess Gifts

2009-06-06T07:53:00.006-05:00

To give a gift or not? That is the major question. When do you know it's right to bring a hostess gift? And, do you always have to bring one? What types of parties do you bring hostess gifts to?

These are all really great questions, and hopefully I can help shed some light on a subject that seems lost in translation.

[Hostess gifts; are small gifts to express thanks to your host of a party or event. They can be big or small. But they are at the heart, a gesture of thanks!]

When to bring a hostess gift? When is it appropriate?
Generally, when you've been invited to a dinner party, housewarming party, or any other small personal type event it is ok to bring a hostess gift. Big events where you don't know the host personally need not apply.

Do I always have to bring a gift?
Generally speaking, no. My two rules are; dinner parties & housewarming parties. Or if someone if hosting a holiday and you're invited; bring a hostess gift.

What types of gifts makes great hostess gifts?
This is a great question. They don't have to be big or grand, just something small and thoughtful is the best key. Flowers or potted plants make great gifts to bring. Scented candles also make great gifts. You can find great gifts anywhere. Places like Michael's Craft stores, T.J. Maxx, Marshall's all are great places to find inexpensive gifts.

Here's my tips:
1. Stock up- when going to the stores mentioned about stock up on inexpensive gifts when you find them. I keep a closet full of gifts for when I need one fast, and don't have time to shop. This also saves you time and money since you'll already have one on hand.
2. Make it thoughtful and personal- attach a card saying "Thanks" to every gift. Put a little thought into it, even if it's flowers.
3. Don't Stress- don't stress over what to get someone, it takes the fun out of giving. Make it fun, and simple. People will be grateful no matter what, because no one really expects a gift. It's just a nice gesture.

Happy Giving!

Turnin' One is Fun!

2009-05-26T10:26:00.009-05:00

We attended my nephew's 1st birthday over the weekend. My sister worked with a simple theme of primary colors and used a lot of store bought items such as pre designed plates, and hats.

Here's a look at a few details from the party.

A fun idea for food:

A little reminder of things that you can do yourself on a simple budget, to make a party great! My Sister followed my simple rules of picking primary colors for the theme and centering things around that idea! Simple makes a great party!

Vendor Spotlight: Litin's Party & Paper Supply

2009-05-23T09:44:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite party stores of all time has to be Litins, here in Minneapolis. If you live in the Twin Cities area this is your one stop place for everything party. I found this little gem warehouse place when I was planning and preparing for my wedding day. Since then it's become my staple place to go whenever I need party stuff.

Here's what I love about going to Litins; they have everything! They have plates, napkins, cups in every single color you can imagine. You can mix and match, and you're sure to find the colors that you're desiring here! They also have a ton of themed stuff to, if you're throwing a bash for Oscar night at your home they have all the movie style decos you could need!

Reason #2 I love Litins; they always have sales going on. A couple times a year they have a "Dock Sale" and you can fill bags limitless to the top and pay $5 for everything in your bag. Also if you go to their website, you can print off your own coupons for 10% off in store that day you go. Seriously, who doesn't love sales & coupons?

My Mom is here this weekend, and she's planning a party for my Brother's engagement! Where do you think we're headed today? That's right!

Added bonus, Litins is right next door to the Minneapolis Farmers Market. So you can stop on over while you're there and pick of fresh foods & flowers for your parties as well!!

Happy Planning!

Parties during a Recession

2009-05-21T23:04:00.004-05:00

During hard economic times like these, I think the last thing on people's minds are throwing parties! I've noticed that when times get tough financially the first thing to go is people's social lives. There's something in our make-up that tells us we can't possible have social lives when we don't have money. We always equate social things with money. Why is that?

Now, I think that is partially true and on the flip side I think not true. Here's why;

On one hand, you can't be spending money you don't really have just to be social. That is not smart to drive yourself into debt just because you want to throw a party, or go to an event.

On the flip side a recession forces us to be more creative, and more intentional in our social lives. This in turn can add to the over all health of your friendships and relationships!

Being creative is what true event planning and social gatherings are all about. Now, they may not look like you think but I'm here to tell you that just because times are tough and you may not always have the money to do everything you want, there are somethings that you can do on a low budget or with hardly no money at all.

Trust me. I've lived this. I am currently living this.

***

Here's somethings you can do with friends/family that don't cost a ton, Here's my 3 tips for parties, planning and keeping your social life through a recession! (keeping in mind being creative and changing the surroundings)

1. Change the location

Instead of going out somewhere to a restaurant or a movie theatre, doing stuff

in your own is way more cost effective during hard times. And, bonus it makes

your party way more personal!

2. Think out of the box

Bring the movie experience to your home. Invite friends over, rent a movie from the

$1 Redbox, you pop the corn and have friends bring their favorite drinks/snacks. You're

saving money by having people bring things they like too. It's a win-win! Do a dinner party

in your home with the same idea, do it potluck style and you provide the main dish and have

friends bring the rest. Also, search your city for free deals, and events. Take advantage of

your cities parks and go for a picnic with your Hubby or friends for a low cost fun thing

to do.

3. Find the Deals

Like I mentioned above search your city and find the things that you can do for free, or almost

free. Trust me whatever city you live in there's bound to be something free you can do.

Parks you can play at, Museums you can tour for free, Farmers Markets you can visit with

free entertainment. If you put in the effort and search you will come up with something fun to

do. Remember the Redbox? Go to www.redbox.com and sign of for weekly FREE movies

that you can get! Who doesn't love a free movie?

SS: Vendors

2009-04-10T00:18:00.006-05:00

Vendors: People or companies that provides a useful service in assisting you with your event.

No matter what the event; you will use vendors! Depending on the size of your event will determine how many vendors you may use. If you're planning a wedding you're going to be using lots of vendors, but if you're planning a bridal shower you may only use one or two vendors.

Vendors, are important in planning events, finding the right one is more important! Here's my top rules for using vendors for any event:

1. Know what you want

If you don't take the time to figure out what you want first for your event, walking into any vendor meeting they will ultimately run the show. Know what you want, so you can stay on budget. Don't ever walk into a meeting with a vendor having no clue!

2. Do your research

This goes right along with knowing what you want, once you know what you want you can begin to do the research on finding out which vendor will fit your specific needs for your event. For example: If you're planning a wedding and you want to start looking for a Florists, it's a good idea to first look through all the magazines and websites you can find in order to determine what you like and don't. That way when you go to look for a Florists, you already have an idea of what you want, it'll make getting that so much easier when you've done your homework ahead of time.

3. Stay on budget

It's important to stick to the budget. Once you go away from it, it's mass chaos from there! You start compromising and making so many excuses for why you "need" this or that for your event that weren't in the budget to begin with. Be up front right away with all your potential vendors about what you're budget is. For example: if your flower budget for a wedding is $700 tell your Florists that, and ask he/she to only show you arrangements within that price range. That way you'll stay on task and budget, and you won't feel like you're missing out. This is also where knowing what you want comes into play again.

4. If you find someone you LOVE, use them again and again!

Great vendors are hard to come by sometimes, so when you find someone you trust and love keep using them. The woman that did my wedding cake has such passion for what she does, and because of this she's a joy to work with. She helped me stay on budget, and gave me options within that. To this day, I use her for all my bakery needs. For my Mom's 5oth, I used her to make the cakes, for my brothers graduation she made the cakes. When you build this kind of relationship with your vendors, it's sweet for all involved.

****

Finding vendors can seem overwhelming at times, but if you follow these simple rules you'll be headache free and thankful in the end.

Free: Is in your Budget!

2009-04-08T08:05:00.005-05:00

Ok, I admit nothing in this photo is FREE, but isn't it a great shot! I was up early this morning and found it, I just had to share it with you.

Anything you can get for FREE these days, take it! I'm a big believer in getting stuff for cheap, if not for free. I think when planning events you have to look outside the box, and sometimes outside that box is a whole slew of things for free.

Tap all your resources; people, websites, vendors, etc. To find the best deals out there for your event. There's no shame in asking for help, or asking something for free.

I once saw this news story of this Bride from Arizona who got her entire wedding paid for because she told local vendors they could advertise and have booths at her wedding, in exchange for their services for FREE! Do you think she was shy? I think not!

When it comes to planning a wedding, talk to everyone you know who can possibly help you plan your wedding. If you have a friend who takes great photos or is in business see if he/she will give you a deal. If your Aunt loves doing florals see if she can help you. People want to help, let them.

Use the Internet as your best tool to find out when things go on sale, or where the best deals are in your area. Weddings on Fridays & Sundays are cheaper for just about everything from venues to limo rentals!

If you can get anything for free, it will help you put that extra money towards something else, or will help cushion your budget.

This morning, while I was up Twittering and checking my emails I came across 2 FREE things you may or may not want to get your hands on....

Wedding invitations

They can be costly, and very expensive depending on what you do, what paper you use, etc. I did my own invitations when I got married and saved a ton! I recommend this route to any Bride wanting to save money and be cost effective. And the myth is, that they can't be classy or cool but that's not true. You just have to be savvy, and know where to look. Many stores like Michael's, Target, Staples, etc have DIY invites and many other things. And when you combine it with a store coupon, you can save bundles!

If you head on over to the site http://www.weddingchicks.com/ and click on the "DIY" archives you'll find 2 FREE wedding invitation templates, you can download and change the colors for free! They are pretty cute I might add!

Now, you might be thinking "I am not planning a wedding anytime soon, what else can I get for free?"

If you're planning a birthday party, shower or any other event there are still deals you can get for free everywhere you just have to know where to look.

If you went to a party a few weeks back and loved the decos they used, ask the host if she's going to keep them, if not ask if you can have them and use them at your next event. Also, if you've had an event in the past and didn't use all the napkins, plates, etc. keep them for your next event. That way next time you won't have to buy paper products, and those savings are like FREE! I have a whole closet of left over paper products I've been using till they are gone.

If you're hosting a big party, ask a few guests to bring a drink, ice, or a side dish to help out with the food expenses. That is a big help, and always free.

My two new favorite sites for planning:
http://www.weddingchicks.com/

http://www.onewed.com/

The Hip Hostess!

2009-04-06T11:54:00.003-05:00

I came across this wonderful little site, of this Mother-Daughter duo that sells and makes chic stylish aprons! Who wouldn't want to entertain wearing one of these aprons! I for one, love wearing a really cute apron when I'm cooking an entertaining! Take a look at these awesome creations, and let me know if you don't think they are simply adorable! Plus, they make really cute ones for the little diva in your home who likes to cook to! How cute is that. If I had a daughter I'm pretty sure I'd get matchy Mommie & Me aprons! Check out their link below, and sign up for their newsletter and get $5 off your order! How can you beat that?!!

The Hip Hostess - A Hip Collection of Seriously Stylish Aprons!

Happy Hosting!

SS: The Art of the Thank You note!

2009-03-31T19:05:00.009-05:00

The Art of Thank you notes

In today's world of Facebook, Twitter, IMs, and emails writing a Thank you note can seem lost in all of this. Writing a good ole fashion, hand written thank you is one of the most important things you can do after an event, shower, or party. It shows your guests that you care, and value you them. But most importantly it shows that you are appreciative of their love and support.

I personally, love writing cards so this comes very naturally for me. I love sending people special notes in the mail, there's nothing else like receiving a personal note from someone, and knowing they took the time to sit down to write it and send off.

Thank you notes don't have to be sappy, or long, or even well written or poetic. But, they do have to be sincere and from the heart. When writing a thank you remember to thank the person and be sincere about it, if they got you a gift mention what the gift was and say thank you. If they attended your wedding make, let them know how much it meant to you. If they threw you a baby shower, let them know how much you appreciate their friendship. These touches will make your note very personal, and genuine. When writing a thank you, don't be generic in your wording, make it personal to that person. These ideas will go along way in saying "Thanks."

A time line for sending Thank You notes:

When sending notes, you must be timely. Trust me, it matters.

Here's a few guides to remember,

Baby & Bridal Showers: 3-5 days after the event

Birthday & Other Parties: 1-3 days after the event

Weddings: Up to 1 year to send a Thank you note to your guests

Remember, it doesn't have to be super fancy or expensive either. Some of my favorite places to buy thank you notes, and paper on at Wal-Mart & Target. Look for clearance stuff, you can get a whole bunch of things for very inexpensive. Besides, it's what's written on the inside that counts, not how much the paper was you wrote it on!

Along with writing a Thank you note, and sending in in the mail, also remember to publicly thank your guests for coming at an event.

Happy Writing!

A Dual Baby Shower

2009-03-29T21:48:00.008-05:00

One of my most recent events I planned was a dual baby shower for two girlfriends of mine, who happen to be having girls one week apart from each other. Following my 3 rules of:

1. Make a budget- we had a $100 Budget for everything and spent $65 total!

2. Decide on a Venue- we had the shower at Becky's house, saved on costs for a venue since it was free!

3. Put together a team- Becky & Myself

We made it happen! I'd never been to, or threw a dual shower before. And when I "Googled" dual baby showers, all I came up with was showers for twins. Since these ladies were good friends we planned the baby shower around this theme. Here's a few things that we encountered while hosting a "dual" shower, and how we solved them.

1. How do you develop a guest list for a shower for two people?

We mulled over this for a while, before deciding to make it the easiest on guest and the women of the day we'd only invite mutual friends of our two ladies. That way everyone would know the two Moms to Be, and hopefully no one would feel awkward or out of place. That is the last thing you want.

2. How do you divide tasks when two people are throwing the shower and may have different tastes?

Becky and I were the hosts. We made a list of everything that we needed to accomplish, and split the tasks up between who felt comfortable doing what. This was pretty easy, and we opted to do a few things together to make it more fun so both of us can be involved. And the key to hosting when you have different tastes, or a different "vision" is compromise. You have to each be willing to give a little, and remember that this day is about the women we're honoring, and less about napkin colors.

3. What kind of games do you play at a dual shower?

Well, truth be told I really hate all kinds of games at most types of showers. So I really try to do something different. Since Becky is a mother herself she came up with a list of questions for each Mom to Be to answer. Which was really fun to listen to them talk about fears, what they are looking forward to, etc.

How we did it:

Invitations: I made these on my own and bought that paper from Wal-Mart and printed them on my own, ended up being about $1/invite

Food: We each made 3 different appetizers for the party

Decos: We went to a local party store with a coupon and bought napkins, plates and forks and balloons.

The guests of Honor: Eunice & Sara

Here's a few details from the shower:

I topped the cupcakes with these whimsical beauties I found in the craft asile in Wal-Mart.

We weiged down the ballon boquets with these gift bags that I filled with my friend's son's matchbox cars. You can't even tell unless you look inside!

Here's a pic of all of us together! My college roomies, I love these girls!

SS: Getting Started!

2009-03-26T09:35:00.003-05:00

How to: Get Started!

Getting started on any event is half the battle! Here's a few easy tips to help get you moving on your next event and how to make it fabulous!

1. Make a budget.

This should be the first thing you do before anything else. As it's your guide for the whole event. Planning a budget helps to stay focused, and on track, and makes sure you don't go over board and in debt on your event. Some things to consider in planning your budget:

- Food & Drink

- Decorations

- Invites

- Venue costs

2. Pick a venue.

The type of party you're having will determine this. If your having a birthday party or shower pick someones home or community center. If you're planning an anniversary party or wedding your venue will be much larger. Remember to pick your venue on what you've already accounted for in your budget, not the other way around. Picking a venue size will also allow you to start your guest list, depending on the size of place you choose.

3. Pick a team.

Don't try to do the whole event alone, pick a team of people you can trust to help you and delegate tasks to them. If you're planning a bridal shower have some of the other bridesmaids help out in the planning process. Doing this gives people ownership, and makes them feel apart of the event. Which all leads to good things for you as the host.

My Ten Event Tips

2009-03-26T08:37:00.001-05:00

I try to make sure that every event I plan, host or help out with has all of these in it. Here's some tips to help you in your next event.

1. Never break the bank on an event.
You should never go into debt, or spend more on an event than you need to. First thing when planning an event; make your budget. Decide just how much you can spend on the event, and try to stick to this as much as possible.

2. Be Simple. Be classy.
Don't go over board on events. Remember keep it simple (decorations, invites, etc.) and Keep it classy, don't be cheesy (unless it's a 5 year olds birthday party) Your guests want to feel comfortable.

3. Have a theme that runs throughout your event.
Have a central theme or idea that runs throughout your event. This does not have to be BIG, or cheesy it can be subtle but effective. For example, a bold color that you carry out in your decos, and invites.

4. Be creative in every detail.
Try to be as creative as possible, this gives events your signature and makes them memorable for your guests. Be creative in your menu choices, invites, and decorations. Don't be afraid to be daring and different.

5. Build a team to help you, never do it "all" alone.
Never do it all alone. Once you've planned a budget, get a team of people to help and delegate the tasks. This will help the event to be stress free.

6. Plan ahead.
I can't stress this enough, plan ahead! Give your self plenty of time to accomplish all that you want to. There's nothing worse than just throwing something together, and people can tell if you do!

7. Set the mood.
Make sure your guest feel comfortable, no matter the venue you choose. Simple candle light and music can go along way in this.

8. Guests=conversation.
If you're having a party or an event you want your guests to feel free to mingle and start conversation, even if they don't all know each other. If you're hosting a dinner party come up with some simple "starter" questions and put them on tables to get people talking. This way you don't have to babysit and make sure everyone is getting along.

9. Don't forget the children.
At any event there is bound to be children, so don't forget them. No parent wants to feel like they can't come because of their child. So make your events and parties kid friendly. Have some coloring books, or small toys on hand they can play with. And a few menu options "just for kids."

10. Be thrifty.
Look around for the best deals on decos, menu items, favors, and invites. Don't just buy the first thing you see. It will take a little extra time, but it will save you money and help you stay on budget! And that, makes your event signature and fabulous!

Signature Soirées

2009-03-26T08:09:00.000-05:00

Celebrate. We'll do the rest.

It's my personal stamp on every event that I plan! I want to create events where the guests feel comfortable and fabulous. It should be personal down to every detail, and have my ultimate "signature" on everything!

There's a few things I love in life, and events and planning are one of them. In my life, I love being creative. I love to create things, make people feel special, and do things with class. The three areas in my life where creativity flows are:

1. My writing

2. My photography

3. My events

I wanted to start a blog talking about event planning and entertaining. Tips and tricks on how to plan the best events possible. Whether they are big events like a wedding, or small events like showers and birthday parties, they should always be special. Be simple, be classy. Thus the name: Signature Soirées (SS)

Here you will find articles, tips, tricks, vendors, and websites to help make your event a success! My goal is to make them easy, budget friendly, and fabulous! Join me on putting your "signature" on every event that comes out of your home, or that you have a chance to be apart of!

Happy Planning!