The Small Town Soiree

One of Our Own

2010-08-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

My little posse of peeps thru a dessert shower for our friend, Genny. She is obsessed with milk, so we did little strawberry and white milk shots. We had fun with super bright colors and milk glass! We also did it on a weeknight. Something to consider if weekends get filled up quick. We always love them because it's a little GNO!

A WILD Little First!

2010-07-30T06:11:00.001-07:00

This is a COLORFUL and precious entry I received for Kal-el's first birthday! His mama brought out all the animals and each details was perfect for a kid's dream!

I love the candy bar and how all of the colors are incorporated!

Looks like this party {and the smash cake} was a huge hit!!

Check out more details on their blog!

http://beingborquez.blogspot.com/2010/03/kal-els-first-birthday-party.html

Can You DIG It?

2010-07-12T07:17:00.001-07:00

LOVE. This. Party. Caryn did EVERYTHING so perfectly for this construction party! I am blown away by all of her details, she surely could have a future in professional parties if she wanted one!

I love this little area for the kids to dig!

She had a little workshop outside and it was truly just set up so perfectly for this party!

And the flowers gave a little extra touch, don't you think??

Holy cow! This party was just off the hook! Thanks SO much for the submission, Caryn! I bet this gives a lot of boy mama's out there some inspiration!!!!

Wagons Away!

2010-06-27T08:01:00.001-07:00

This 1st birthday was one of my FAVORITES! It was just so cute! My friend, Cari, put this together for her son and she made every detail so perfect! She collected wagons and used them as rides, serving pieces, drink coolers and decorations! It turned out to be the perfect party for a very warm, May day! Look at her beautiful banner! She made it! Also, you can't see it that well, but the burger toppings were in little wagons! Ahh!

Precious cupcake toppers!

I also loved the little cheerio favors in the wagon as favors! How age appropriate!!!

Such a fun and creative boy party!!!!

Thinking Outside of the {Party} Box!!

2010-06-20T14:38:00.001-07:00

These two parties epitomize what I mean when I talk about thinking outside of the box. When kids {especially boys} are old enough to have a strong opinion about their birthday parties, those of us who love to plan parties cringe a little inside. Only because they want such generic themes that come with cheesy decorations. HOWEVER, there is a way to have the best of both worlds without having to buy the "party in a box"! I love what these two moms have done to make two popular themes, "Batman" and "Cars", super fun and UNIQUE!!! This is my friend, Angie, who is a Martha-in-training, which bascially means she can do anything on the homefront. Her son is a die-hard Batman lover. He was overjoyed when his mama put this shindig together for him! And Angie looked like a rockstar for vamping up the comic book theme! Dipped marshmellows

Logo cupcakes

{my fave} popcorn cones

And for an activity, the kids all got their own sand pail to dig in the sand box!

And no party is like my friend, Brittney, who has endless creative juices flowing thru her body {Uh, did I mention that BOTH of these women are VERY pregnant?}! She took the most beloved boy cartoon of all time {CARS} and made it spectacular!!!

Yep. You are seeing this correctly. That's a REAL life Lightning McQueen.

I thought this was creative--she handed out little wallets with a stash of "cash" and the kids could "buy" their snacks! Fabulous! Kids love to do that!

The kids all got to sit and watch the movie on the big screen! Love this! I maybe doing something similar for my son's 4th party since he is OBSESSED with watching movies!

BRAVO! To these two mamas for showing us the way it should and can be done!!

Two Lovely Little Firsts!

2010-06-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

I know I am always harping on details, details, details. Let's be honest though, would there be all of this fabulousity out there if it weren't for the little details??? I wanted to share with you some precious girl first birthdays. And, yes, the details are what caught my eye!
My friend, Rebekah, put together her little's shindig all inspired by her daughter's favorite giraffe lovey! Of course, I am always lovin' me some picture banners!

And look at the cutesy sign!

All her sentiments were just so pretty and sweet. It really made me smile to think that she came up with all of this revolving around the lovey! That is always what I am talking about when I say make each party your own! Be creative with your child's likes whether it be a book, a favorite food or in this case a giraffe lovey!!!

And this mama went all out for her daughter, Audrey's first birthday! Holy cow!

This is such a good idea. Just wrapping the plastic ware makes it look so much more presh!

Little "a" cut outs everywhere!

Look at this spread. LOVE the paper mums! Not to mention, the manzita branch trees! The curtain in the back made the whole thing tres chic! Wow!

Framed pictures along the wall.

Who could resist this?

Thanks again, Nicole and Rebekah for sharing your wonderfully special parties with us!

SWAP Party!

2010-05-27T06:17:00.001-07:00

The SWAP party takes a Girls Night Out to a whole 'nother level! SUPER. FUN. You have to do one in your circle of friends! A few years ago I read about SWAP parties in a magazine. I thought it was a fab idea, but with a new baby, too much work! Then I found Christi of P is for Party and she hosted a beautifully done SWAP! I decided to host one and she was kind enough to walk me thru the guidelines of how to throw one! Thanks, Christi!! Here was the invitation that inspired the decor for the evening:
Hanging on the front door:

Here was the dessert pallet:

I set up the drinks in my kitchen. Everyone mingled there as they waited their turn to SWAP!

I had 24 people total and we all drew numbers. I was seriously blown away by the amount of clothes and accessories people brought! There was so much, that next year I will limit the number to 4-5 things only!

Everyone put their loot in a bag!

Overall, I think it was a HUGE success! I will tweak a few things for it next year, but oh my, it was just a great night of gal pals and free fabulous clothes!!!

Photos all courtesy of my most talented bestie: Kimberly Polnick

Invites and stickers courtesy of the genius: B. Hood

Just Have a Ball!

2010-05-19T05:49:00.001-07:00

Oh May birthdays. I am so jealous of your options. Outside. Inside. Poolside. Not too hot and not too cool. Perfect! That's why I loved my friend's party she gave for her son's second birthday! It was a "ball" theme with the works. My favorite thing? She had these T-shirts made for all the kiddies to wear when they arrived! My son is still wearing his a year later! It was soooo cute!

Our local cookie lady, Ms. Crumpler made the cookies and the cake. She is everyone's go-to gal!

The backyard was fully loaded with stations of sports, but also sprinklers and little pools for the kids to go crazy in. And they surely did! It was lots of fun! And just a great party for a little boy!

A Love Soiree

2010-05-17T05:47:00.001-07:00

At my old{ish} age, my weekends these days are all about baby showers and kid's birthdays. However, my sister-in-law is getting married in July so I get to be reacquainted with the chic-ness that are wedding showers. This was the first of several I will be posting about so be ready! I have to say, I am a little overwhelmed at all of the wedding stuff that is out there. There is SO much you can do these days. I got married almost 8 years ago and I feel like aesthetically, it could have been 20 years ago! Wow. My favorite thing they have chosen is this monogram {apparently, this is a huge trend for the reception too--your monogram in lights--man, I missed out on that one}! This shower had the monogram throughout the house. Super cute! Happy couple!

And I love this. Shot glasses. They actually had milk shots with little cookies, but I took a picture before the milk was in them. Lovin'.

Beautiful spread

Favors were wrapped candy bars!

They had little bitty confetti that said, "mr. and mrs." I thought it was super sweet!

Oh and that's me and my other SIL! Testing out my new hipstamatic app on my i-phone! Lovin' that too! I KNOW I am behind on my posts, but I just had to post these! I am busy planning my SWAP party and a bazillion baby showers, but I promise to post a couple of cutie-pie parties this week so stayed tuned! Feel free to keep sending your parties too!!! I know summer is full of 'em! Can't wait to see what you all have done!

A Shoe-In!

2010-05-12T13:20:00.001-07:00

I am seriously busy helping to plan many showers and working on my very first SWAP party {details to come!!!} so I apologize for the blog absence! I have been wanting to feature this ADORABLE first birthday my friend, Brittney, threw her son. You REALLY must check out her blog{s} because she is truly a creative genius. Love all of her stuff! She had all the guests wear their coolest shoes and dispalyed all of her son's shoes! I LOVE the cake. Oh my. This is just too much!

I thought about doing a theme like this for my daughter's birthday, because she loves shoes soooo much! I like that Brittney went with this theme because it is out of the ordinary, which as you all know, I am a huge fan of! Thanks, Brittney! I will be posting her other parties soon!

Welcome to CANDY LAND!

2010-04-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

Leave it up to my friend, Angie , to pull off another hit of a party {seriously, she and her 2 sisters should FOR SURE go into business!!!} for her daughter's birthday. She took a classic favorite of every child and made you feel like you were actually inside of the game! Can't you just remember the magic and nostalgia of CANDY LAND when you see these pictures? Pretty, pretty details!

Here is my favorite decoration. Her daughter's birthday is around Christmas so she even did the tree up in CANDY fashion! Look at the wrapped rice lanterns! Who would have thought?!?! I LOVE that!!! I am hyperventilating a little just thinking about how great that is!

And the candy table was just perfect!

All you need is some bright table cloths and it goes so perfectly with the theme!

She even had all the kids decorate their own gingerbread houses! I love this because it gives the kids an activity when it is too cold to play outside, but you would also prefer to not have 30 kids running around inside either! Keep them busy and they love what they get to take home!

Thanks for sharing your sweet vision with us, Angie!

Cupcakes and Cocktails 30th

2010-04-24T06:59:00.000-07:00

Turning 30 is a huge milestone. You MUST do it in style! I LOVED this absolutely gorgeous and unique 30th, given in honor of my friend, Tiffany {you HAVE to read all the details on her blog}! Her party was in a boutique and was very chic best of all, captured the essence of who she is!

I loved the cupcake toppers and how they matched the invite!

Adorable drinks!

Her party favors were rolled like a cupcake!

And in lieu of confetti, her mom made these personalized petals!

Now THAT'S turning 30 in style!

BLOG BUTTON!!

2010-04-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

Hello my friends! Check out my new button to your right! Please grab it and put it on your blog if you are a fan of the site, AND if you have been featured on this blog, grab it and brag on yourself a little. Go on! You are a rock star party planner!

Nesting!

2010-04-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

I first want to say that my inbox is flooded with GORGEOUS parties of all kinds! PLEASE keep reading and I will post them as I get to them! I am working on having a button made so you can post it to your blog when you are featured so stay tuned! Now, on to the post...

Nest type things with owls and birds are very prominent lately. I love the look, it sort of brings a fun and antique take on a classic. My friend, Sara, made this mobile in honor of her friend's upcoming birth of twins! I thought it turned out beautifully. The cookies were by our Waco favorite, Cecile Crumpler! If you ever come thru, you should call her for a cookie or two!

She also made this cute little cage topper. You can find the DIY template on her blog!

These owls were hanging over the the gifts! GREAT shower!

This birthday party was done by my, oh-so-crafty friend, Laura. Her daughter was getting this bedding for her birthday, so she went ahead with the "Hoot" Theme!

Laura is the one who is always urging me to get a Cricut and I will say, she almost has me sold! Her banners are always so cute!

She made this little picture collage.

And paper mache trees!

LOVE these suckers! How precious?!?

And here was the hit of the par-tay. Cake pops on pretzel sticks posing as trees! YUMMY! If you haven't tried to make cake balls, you should. You look like a rock star fo rmaking them, kids and adults love 'em and they are so easy to make!

And what's a birthday party without cupcakes and toppers? Another HOOT of a party!! Keep all of your parties comin'!!! xoxo

Puppy Party

2010-04-12T10:49:00.001-07:00

This is an adorable party from Caryn who just gives the most PRECIOUS kid's parties! I love all of her parties because she pays close attention to the little details and EVERYTHING is personalized! Many of you have mentioned to me wanting to do a Dog or Puppy party, so I thought this would inspire you! The thing I love most and tried to highlight was that she worked on labeling everything to make it perfect!

Park benches lined up and all the doggy bowls had the names of guests!

Again, love the picture element! Just makes it so special!

Thanks Caryn for sharing your super cute party with us!!

Antique Sip and See

2010-04-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the best soirees I have seen, and it is from my hometown! I wish I could take some credit for it, but it was done by my friends for my friend, Katy. This is hands down my favorite Sip & See as far as decorations go. It was simply beautiful. Every detail was perfect and a lot of time and love was put into it! It does not hurt that one of the hostesses owns this perfect little paper shop! I just loooooved looking at all the intricate details--look at the old toys and books!

This is a favorite at showers in Waco, use glass baby bottles to drink out of. You know, it is ALWAYS sure to be a crowd pleaser! You can find glass bottles at most baby stores and on-line. Very inexpensive and fun.

Our local cookie lady, Ms. Crumpler {isn't that the perfect cookie lady name?!?!?} made these and as always they were cute and yummy.

Again, this was a big winner in my book of many soirees! Well done, ladies! Well done!

You Got Questions? I Got Answers!

2010-04-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

Hey all! I got a WONDERFUL response to the Q&A idea! Lots and lots of emails! I thought these answers through and hope they help! ANYONE else can chime in in the comments if you have anything to add to these questions! You bloggers are so great! All I can say is keep doing what you're doin' my sistas!!!

Q: I love your blog website. You are very creative!! I am hoping that you can help me out with some ideas for a Pony Party. My daughter wants one of them and her birthday is in July. I need ideas for food, decorations.
A: It all depends on if you are doing a cowboy "themed" party or having a party and ponies are there for entertainment. I think finding a great cupcake or cookie place in your area {or better yet--if you are talented and can make them!} to do some colorful cookies or cupcakes are always a hit for kiddos. Maybe stick to a couple of colors so not to get too out there. Since it is summer, the sky is the limit! Serve watermelon, lemonade, icecream with lots of different toppings. Summer parties are so fun because you can honestly do whatever! If you plan to serve lunch or dinner, I would consider grilling hamburgers or hotdogs and fruit.

As far as decor goes, I would definitely make a banner! You can DIY or buy one from ETSY! Start ahead of time though, because these things are getting super popular and are in high demand! I am envisioning a pink gingham table cloth with pink lemonade and accents of yellow {this is a random vision--you don't have to go with it!}! A big yellow galvanized tub of Pink lemonade drinks. A plate full of watermelon, lots of cupcakes {pink and yellow} and another table with burgers and fixin's. Not sure if that helps you at all--I would first decide what time of day you would like the party to take place! Email me if you want to brainstorm some more! xoxo

Q: What is a realistic amount of money to expect to spend to throw a party for a two year old?!? Pretty simple, but with a theme. Making things myself too - decor, invites, and food. But it's still adding up! What do you think??
A: Ah. This is a toughy. It does all add up, doesn't it??? Here is the thing, the more peeps you invite, the more $$ it costs. You have to factor that in. If you are NOT feeding dinner or lunch, doing your own invites, etc. I think you can pull it off around $200ish. The most expensive thing for me is ALWAYS decor though. And I do it all myself. You have to sort of reign that in if it is a costly area for you! That may seem like too much, but invites, stamps, cake, etc. all add up! xoxo

Q: I have been SEARCHING the internet for ideas for a 1940s-50s vintage football party for my 3 yr old. I found an adorable invitation, but that is it! If you have any ideas, I would LOVE to see them! Also, great idea about q&a post about parties, I think it is going to be very popular! You have some amazing parties posted! THANKS=)
A: I am so bummed. I did a shower like this in January. My camera was stolen a few days later without the pics being uploaded. It was adorable. I bought almost EVERYTHING for it at Hobby Lobby!!! You can also google 'vintage football' and some sites pull up. I did a vintage helmet on a stand {the one thing I did not get at HL--my friend found it on a website} as the centerpiece, put all the food on silver platters and put out all the HL figurines around the food table. It was precious. You could assemble all the party attendants in their jerseys and take an old school football photo and then change the color to sepia, print it at your favorite photo shop and send the pic as a thank-you! If you have a Hobby Lobby near you, check there. And also google, google, google!! xoxo

Q: I am getting ready to start planning my daugther, Cayden's second birthday. i was thinking of doing a "you are my sunshine" theme..any fun thoughts or ideas? We live in FL and her b-day is at the end of May, so it is warm, i am doing it outside..any suggestions would be great!
A: CUTE! Ok, here is my random vision {again, ignore it if it sounds hideous!} Lucky you to be in FL and have a May birthday! Outside is a must! First, pick your colors {I think for sure Yellow is the main color!--maybe white and another accent of your choice}. For some reason yellow umbrellas everywhere is popping into my head!!! A pretty dessert table with lots of yellow lemonheads in jars. Along with cupcakes with toppers {go to etsy!}, and other candies that fit your color pallet. Little drinks with umbrellas! And little tables with sunglasses for the place settings with the child's name monogrammed on them! You can have little cheap pools filled with plastic balls for them to jump in. The sky is the limit for an outdoor party for kids! xoxo

Q: How can you "spice up" a party-in-a-box type birthday. That's all my son wants is a CARS party. How can I add to that so it doesn't look so generic?
A: The key here is to put the special touch on everything. If you have cupcakes, make little toppers. Have napkins and /or cups monogrammed. Put pictures of your child throughout the venue in fun ways. Have a creative centerpiece on the tables, or do do a treat bar with your colors. Also, I think simple stuff like cutesie labels speak volumes and draw the eye in. Don't rely on the "party box" to be the focal point! xoxo

Q: What is one tip you would give for planning on a budget {and not being super crafty/creative}? Not all of us can throw these ELABORATE parties, but we still want them to be memorable!
A: OF COURSE not everyone can go all out! Sometimes as I peruse these sites, I start to second guess myself! Certainly, some are waaaaay elaborate. I want to speak to that. Do what your child LOVES and they will love the party. You do not have to get carried away by a price! They will take notice at the details you bring to the table, and love it regardless. Just make a sweet memory! As far as doing one thing...I think personalize. Whether it be making one banner, or monogramming napkins I think making something personal is the best advice I have. Print out pictures of you and your child and string them around the house! Take some of their baby clothes to current clothes and display them on a clothing line along the mantle. Something like that doesn't cost a thing :) My mom used to make ALL OF MY CAKES. She would slave for hours and present the most perfect {in my eyes cake}. She was not a baker, and it was always so precious to me even as a small child. A little love goes a long way! xoxo

If you have questions, please email them to smalltownsoiree@yahoo.com

The Haute Hatter

2010-04-06T12:36:00.001-07:00

Ok, I am waaaay behind on my posts {thanks to the NCAA tournament and Easter, etc.} and I have some ADORABLE parties that you all have given me so keep reading! I just had to throw this site out to all of you who have itty bitties! Check out The Haute Hatter
Her stuff is amazing! This little number right here is a HAIR BOW!!! She also has party hats and more. SUPER FUN!!! Just thought I'd share! Q&A post coming very very soon! xoxo

Yo Gabba Gabba!

2010-03-31T10:25:00.001-07:00

I have to admit, I do not get the appeal of this show. BUT kids LOVE it and it makes for a cute and brightly colored birthday party! My friend gave this party and I loved the invitation! SO cute! She also made this cake! I love it when people make their own cakes. I am just not that talented! I listed the website at the bottom of the post.

She also did all the plates and balloon!

And these party favors!

And this cut-out was ordered from Etsy for the perfet photo-op! PRECIOUS PARTY! Details below...

Made the cake following these directions. http://www.gabbafriends.com/courtneys-brobee-cake-recipeI Decorated the balloons with construction paper, glue, and markers. Same with the plates. The party favors are 1. wrapped in streamer paper 2. then mod podge on top 3. then decorated with black marker and whiteout. Inside the tall ones were glow sticks; in the small ones there was a car, a sticker, candy, and a little rubber toy. I got the stand- up cut outs on etsy.

A Lovely Little Sip and See

2010-03-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I had the honor of hostessing a shower for these two lovely ladies {my beautiful SIL, Kendra and scrumptious niece, Alana}. I truly love sip and sees because the focus of the party is the baby! The whole event is centered around the guest of honor so all the other details are simple and always chic. The hostesses decided we would use all fine china and silver. We also had a coffee bar, so the tea cups were a visual focus.

I found this sweet little teapot at Marshalls and fell in love!

Here was the centerpiece for the table.

I love the idea of stacked teacups with flowers on the top. I saw it on Hostess Blog and they had their teacups stacked up very high! However, our little bone china would not allow that kind of height! I was still pleased with the way it turned out.

We served different types of coffee from a coffee bar. I made the arrangements out of a mason jar filled with coffee beans. I put a skinny vase in the center and stuck hydrangeas inside. I saw this idea on Head of the Table but used hydrangeas instead of carnations.

We displayed all of the cups and saucers and coffee fixin's on the kitchen table. I felt like it was beckoning all of the guests to drink the coffee!

I made the little covers for the water bottles! So easy! Cut strips of scrapbook paper, use an embosser and a stamp and voila! Instant cuteness!

These cupcakes were done by a local woman who owns, La Cupcake. Yum.

And gorgeous too.

And this was the little guest of honor. She made the whole thing extra beautiful!

May The Force Be With You

2010-03-20T12:11:00.001-07:00

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... My friend, Angie, gave her son an incredible STAR WARS party!

I thought it would be great to see a post for older boys. There is soooo much out there for little girls and baby boys, but after a certain age...things sort of evolve into "themes" for boys. I think that is because boys fall in love with certain characters and want a Batman, CARS, or whatever sort of party. Well, Angie did what I LOVE to see moms do! She created a personal, creative, and unique take on a "theme" party! All the details were well thought out--it definitely was NOT a party-in-a-box!

Look at the details! Like glowsticks as favors!

And the signs {all done in Star Wars font!} made it just that much more creative and memorable.

And this is my fave...YODA SODA!

Well done, Angie! May the force be with you again for the next party!!!

NEED SOME HELP?!?!

2010-03-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

Do you have a kid's party coming up? Do you need some real advice on where to start, where to look for invitations, creating a timeline or how to throw a fab party on a mini-budget? I am not a professional, but I am a mama who has planned and helped with a few parties! If you have a question, feel free to comment it in this post OR you can email me smalltownsoiree@yahoo.com. Don't be shy now, ask away!!!!

I will compile all of the questions and do a post on it! You can post anonymously too :)

If You Give a Pig a Pancake Party

2010-03-16T19:01:00.001-07:00

This feature party was so cute! My friend, Elizabeth, needed something for both her son and daughter's birthday, so a book theme was perfect! I don't know about you, but I am in love with the 'IF YOU GIVE...'series of books! I think books are just a fun way to incorporate a theme. You can always use the book to read to the kids and she even gave each child attending their own copy! I encourage mamas out there to pick their kiddos favorite book and run with the theme! The sky is the limit with a book party {think Fancy Nancy, Olivia, Dr. Seuss, etc.}! The pancake theme was super fun for breakfast! Her son also has food allergies, so all of the food she served was non-dairy, egg-free and peanut-free. I was glad she brought this up, because it is ALWAYS nice to ask if the children you are inviting have food allergies. Elizabeth is a master at allergy friendly cooking and baking!

Love these cupcakes!

She also found their t-shirts at CafePress. They have just about anything you are looking for!

And little Clarey had a sweet little piggy bow from etsy {what mama doesn't love stuff from etsy?!?}

Thanks for sharing this precious party with us!!

Carnival Extraordinaire!

2010-03-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am a wee-bit biased about this party, but I don't think anyone could deny that it was top-notch style and fun! It was a joint 3rd birthday celebration for these two muffins {my nephew, Colton and my son's BFF, Creighton!} Their birthdays are about 6 weeks apart and they are best of friends, so their mommies decided to throw a double Carnival bash! Well, it paid off! Seriously, no detail went unnoticed! There was SO much color and every last thing was picture perfect. It was outside and I think the kids all had such a fun time playing the games and running around!

They rented a popcorn machine! I think big details like that are so fun! The popcorn machine alone sort of pulled the whole thought together! Most of the carnival supplies were purchased at Hobby Lobby! They will often have great themed party supplies that don't look cheesy and outdated. And look at the picture print-outs on the popcorn of the two buddies. To die for.

There was a mini rollercoaster that probably was the kids favorite part! Ok...it was the all of the dad's favorite part!

There were even little game stations set up for everyone to enjoy!!

The gift table was adorned with pictures of the two friends together. Of course, the pictures are always my favorite part of a good party. They are a must when it comes to making the whole thing personal!

This party truly was one of my favorites of all time. So well put together and even more importantly, it made you really feel like it WAS indeed a carnival! A crowd pleaser for sure! I TOLD YOU I had waaaay talented friends!

Flattered AGAIN!!

2010-03-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

HOW COOL??? Tristan's Choo-Choo party was featured as a winner on the wonderful Kara's Party Ideas! Thank you, Kara, for the kind mention! Your blog is an inspiration!

FLATTERED!

2010-03-11T18:53:00.000-08:00

Well, I am SO VERY flattered! Kacey's cupcake party was featured on a big-time blog, Simply Creative Insanity! Wow! Feels good to know that people are reading and taking notice! Make sure that if you are reading, you become a follower too!

Monster Mash!

2010-03-10T12:28:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, when I was a guest on Momeez talk radio, a caller asked me for advice on doing a Monster-inspired party for her child's October birthday without being to Halloween-y, if that makes sense. Well, leave it to the ever so talented Kara at Kara's Party Ideas to do such a party as this! It is sooooooo cute! Makes me want to have an October birthday too! Check out her blog for more inspiration!

Lots of stuff from Target and {my fave} Oriental Trading Co.! Just click on this link and it will lead you to all things monsters!!! LOVE IT!

Simply Chic Sip & See

2010-03-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

A Sip and See is a wonderful way to honor mom and baby. Especially when it is a subsequent child. What I LOVE about S&S is that the guest of honor is the best decor of all. When you are as adorable as this little one, you can keep everything else simple and chic. Generally, a S&S is a come and go type affair. We chose this one to be a brunch food spread. The flowers were hydrageas along with potted plants in silver cups.

We got printed pictures of baby Bennett and displayed them over the table.

Written adjectives describing Bennett on scrap book paper. So precious! Monogrammed Sunny D!

My bestie, Kimberly, makes these to die for butter rolls. Goregeous, but even more divine when eating one!

Our sweet friend Sally {top left} and her mom and sister. It was an honor to celebrate you two!

Two AMAZING First Birthdays!

2010-03-05T06:20:00.001-08:00

I have two friends who threw such cute parties for their little ONE year olds! I love the details on both and wanted to show them off because one is for a girl and the other a boy. Each party "theme" incorporated cute and fun little elements that made them both adorable!

Party #1: Lila's Cupcake Party!
Ok, first off, aren't BOTH of these ladies just beautiful??? I LOVED her welcome table! And right now, I am a huge fan of all things books, so gotta love the "If You Give a Cat a Cupcake" book to sign! Also, check out the whisks tied with ribbon! Ahh! Too cute!

Birthday banner and look at the mantle. It has an antique looking whisk and a muffin baking tin. How chic??????

Cupcake table

This is my favorite! Muffin tin lunch for the kiddos! How precious!

And one happy little Lila! She will love looking back at what a great party her mama gave her!

Party #2: Sawyer's Bug Birthday!

This is my friend, Jennifer, who is a former school teacher. Her son's party was so cute! She decorated it around "bug" books and it turned out precious. She found the cutest bug recipes at www.bettycrocker.com and made labels for all of the food!

The labels are the little touches I am always talking about! So much more fun to think you are eating a "bug bagel"!

And the pictures of Sawyer hung over the food!

She also had a craft for the older kids {the white haired kiddo is mine!} They decorated little insect houses with rubber insects! My son thought it was a super fun little goody! Such a great job! Hope you enjoyed these as much as I did!

Welcoming With Onesies!

2010-03-04T05:58:00.000-08:00

When Christy sent me this shower her friends threw for her, I had to post it right away! It was her second boy and as most of us know, there is not a huge need for a lot of clothes when you have the same gender, so they brought diapers and made adorable onesies!!!
They had a little western theme to it for decorations. Again, I just looooove little details like banners and monogrammed water bottles! So fun and you can really DIY if you just take a little bit of extra time.

{onesie cookies...love!}

And as favors...Donuts for Duncan! Again, the little play-on-words note on the box, makes it all the more special. Anyone can do this!

The onesies before...

They set out a craft table for everyone to pick out what they wanted to decorate with. Looks like they had fabrics to cut out along with fabric markers.

After the cutting, they could iron on the design!

Voila! Look how cute! Each one is simply ADORABLE! And the fabric flag banner makes them pop!

They also set out a tie-dye station outside {for obvious reasons}

Look how precious!

I just love this idea! I am not big on shower "games" per say, but I think an activity like this that has meaning and a use is perfect! Great job, hostesses!

Pink Pony Party: Every Little Girl's Dream!

2010-03-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

My friend Libby threw her daughter an over-the-top 2nd Birthday! She not only had a pony party, but look what color the pony was...PINK! Of course, every good southern girl has to have a matching smocked dress! I love to coordinate kid's clothes the day of with the theme! Just a fun way to capture the moment in pictures!

She also had a petting zoo and let me tell you, it was a hit! All the kids loved it, even the ones who were too afraid to ride the pony would play with the smaller, gentler little animals. She rented her pony and petting zoo from One Of A Kind Pony Party. She also hosted the party at a local park which was fun because it was a gorgeous and very warm day for the kiddos to run wild!

We have a local cake lady here in town who we all adore! She always makes the cakes to go along with the invites, but more importanly, the cake is heavenly!

And little farm animal cookies adorned the tables.

Always a favorite of mine, getting napkins monogrammed! It just adds a little sumthin' special to the whole event!

The Small Town Soiree is on Blog Radio!

2010-03-01T12:40:00.000-08:00

Hey all! Tonight I will be a guest on the Blog Radio Talk Show Momeez tonight at 9pm {central time}! Click on the link and listen in for some fun tips and trends for birthdays!

Choo Choo! Tristan's Train Depot!

2010-02-18T12:13:00.001-08:00

This Train party was for my son's 3rd birthday! It was the first birthday he was really able to give me input about what he wanted so it was super fun to plan and anticipate! {invites by Creative Blank}

Here is my little man excited to claim himself "3"!

I made a train out of some square storage boxes I had and put snack food in the "cars"! Muffin tins and construction paper made the wheels and the steam can be cotton!

I found the little wooden trains at a craft store. It was a fun way to spruce up the little things and add some detail!

I made all of the cupcake toppers myself! I found a wonderful tiny train embosser by Martha Stewart! It was the jackpot!!!!

I ordered all of the candy from Oh Nuts! They were super quick and had all the candy I wanted! I tried to keep with the blue, green and red scheme which made it easy.

I set out little chinese take-out boxes at the candy buffet and people filled them up as they left as the party favors {I am not big on little toys as favors}.

I also ordered these train conductor hats as favors and put them on the kid's seat! I got them from Oriental Trading Company for a really good price!

We even had a little barrel train pull the kids around the yard! It was freeeezing, but they had fun!

And there you have it! I had SUCH a wonderful time planning this party! I think my little guy had fun too!!!!

Cookies and Milk!

2010-02-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

When I was thinking about ideas for my little girl's first birthday, I wanted something different from the pink, pink, pink cupcake party. It just didn't seem to fit her personality. So, I decided to do a Cookies and Milk party! I LOVED this party! To be honest, I thought I was totally original, but as it turns out, it has been done before, and in fabulous fashion! I thought I would give you a look at 3 different spins of the theme! {This is my lil' cookie!} I got all different flavors of organic milk and put it all on ice in these galvanized buckets I found at a fabric store.

I also wanted to use brown and yellow as opposed to pink. I did add a few pink accents in there though! A girls gotta have her pink!!

I made all the cookies and labels so I felt like they were made with love. To add a little extra color, I did yellow and brown candy in jars. I thought it turned out cutie pie!

Party favors were bags of the cookies from the party with a sticker of Reese with chocolate all over her face! It said, "Thanks for celebrating with me!" I had them made at shutterfly.

I also did little cutouts from her invitation and put them on the kids tables! I put rose buds in a salt shaker...soooo easy! This was such a fun party for me to give my daughter! I think she loved it too!

The next party was given my a friend of mine from college, Jessica. She has some super cute parties that I cannot wait to show you! I love her party because it is catered towards tots who are a little older, so they could have activities!

Love these bags!!! Anytime you can personalize...you should!

Again, here is the cookie decorating theme...LOVE it! Keeps the tots active and makes for yummy take home treats! Thanks, Jessica!!!!

Last, but most definitely NOT least...this was a finalist in the "Adorable Party" contest on the Creative Hostess blog and as you can see...it was a BEAUTIFUL party!! Wow! Love all the crazy details! Who doesn't love a COOKIE????

Touch Down! Adorable 1st Birthday!

2010-02-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

In honor of the last official day of football season, I HAD to post this amazing party done by my friend, Sharee , in honor of her son's first birthday! There is a lot of stuff out there you can buy for a sports theme. However, I like that Sharee put a lot of thought into it and made it unique, fun {for all the boys and dads} and still cutesie {for all the moms}!

Love this simple idea of a month-to-month display! Such a must at all of my parties too!

On a major side note...LOVE that they are Michigan State fans! Love me some Tom Izzo {even though this is a football party}!

Tristan had a smash cake and all the guests ate the "dirt" dessert! Daddy grilled outside for everyone while the kiddos played!

LOOK at the table!

Ok, and these...take the cake! She made "helmets" out of milk cartons!!! She made them all unique to all the little guests!

And a little "game day" face!

Thanks Sharee for sharing this party that I am sure is going to be a hit for everyone!!!!!

I Scream, You Scream!

2010-02-06T06:14:00.000-08:00

{All Together Now...} WE ALL SCREAM FOR IcEcReAm!!

Ice cream is such an easy and inexpensive way to add to any party! I am also a firm believer that you can have ice cream at any time of year...not just summer! No matter how or when you serve it, it is ALWAYS a huge hit!

This was a shower I helped host for my friend Holly. We used these fun, bright colors and used sherbet in these fun ice cream dishes {my MIL bought glasses for me one year at Wal-Mart!! They are a hit and I always loan them out if you need them}! The sherbet on it's own was a great treat for the guests and we passed them out while everyone was mingling! You can read more about that shower here.

My friend Cari sent these to me of a super fun couples shower! Everything was purchased at a grocery store which made it super simple, but yummy! Of course, toppings of all kinds are a must!! I think a kid's party would be great using M&M's or any topping matching the color theme along with vanilla ice cream, set it out on a table and voila!

And if you REALLY want to impress...add a little floral flare! You know what I love? Carnations are really "in" right now!!! Awesome! I think carnations are fabulous anyway, the Chi Omega, flower! This absolutely adorable arrangement I found at Celebrations at Home. Chris Nease is

amazing, she found this arrangement from The Bliss Tree.

And I thought these were super cute, from the Hostess Blog where these designs were by Todd Olham. I think you can make these on your own with a little search for a cutesie vase!

Here's to your next party!

If You Give a Kid a Cookie...

2010-02-04T18:07:00.000-08:00

...chances are, they're going to want to decorate it!
I LOVE this party idea! It is great for birthdays, playgroups, or just because! My friend, Angie {who happens to be a big city gal--and is a mini-Martha Stewart!}, put on this cookie decorating party for 12 of her son's little friends! The premise is SO easy and you can make it as elaborate or low-key as you want!
Start with some sugar cookies--she did this at Christmas, but it would be perfect for any holiday!!! Add some flair! I love the color scheme and the little boxes for the kids to take home and enjoy their masterpieces!

She had everyone bring sprinkles to share. And let the kids sit and decorate while she served hot chocolate in the cute matching cups!

So fun and a huge hit for the kiddos!

The Buck-a-roo Turned 2!

2010-02-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

The Cowboy theme has soooooo many cutie-pie ideas out there via the world wide web! I bet you can even ask any of your friends and at some point, they have done a Cowboy/Western themed birthday! Since my son's birthday is in February in the great state of Texas, you never know what you are gonna get! Literally, the day before his birthday party this particular year, it was a whopping, balmy 85 degrees. The very next day {party day}...45 degrees. I was braved it anyway, we called a great pony rental place to have pony rides! So, all the kids came and brought their coats. As you can imagine, the party was a HUGE success!!!!

My mom and I made this 'WANTED' poster ourselves. SO easy. Butcher paper and computer letter cut-outs. We burned the edges. This was on the front door. My grandaddy happened to have a real horse saddle so we displayed it along with some hay out front. You can buy hay at local feed stores, we got ours at a Keith's hardware store.

Invites done by SWAK notes I love them because the prices are UNBEATABLE!

I wish I had a picture of the table when all of the food was out, but this was all I got. I handmade this banner that said, "Get Yer Grub On!"

Most of the decorations I found at Oriental Trading Company

Under this sign, was a red wagon with Sheriff badges and Cowboy hats. Also from Oriental Trading Co.!

When the ponies arrived it was madness! All the kids were in heaven. A lot of people think pony rides are super expensive, but honestly, they were not that bad!!! I found it to be very reasonable and a large part of the cost was the gas from Austin to our house!

This party is going to be hard to top! My only suggestion is just that...maybe wait on it for a 5th or 6th birthday! My son thought we owned the ponies and wants all his parties to have them there now! Oh well...on to this year's party...TRAINS! Crossing my fingers for some warmth!

Frilly Galore--It's the Little Things!

2010-02-02T12:14:00.000-08:00

The mode I had been in with my first boy was just that. All boy. Outdoors. Sports. Clothes that looked like little men {although super adorable} and dirty everything. The switch in gears when I found out I was having a girl was very welcomed! I wanted the frilliest, dilliest things out there! My friends put on this shower for me and as usual...they REALLY outdid themselves on this one! For me, the key to throwing any shower, birthday party or whatever, is to do something special to make the guest of honor feel...well...special! I was so thrilled! Here they are! My sistas. THESE WOMEN ARE THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS BLOG. Each of them brings something to the table. Some photographers, artists, cooks, seamstresses, florists, hostesses with the mostesses in their own right. Love. These. Women. XOXO! Oh and that round lady in the front and center...that's me!

I am super sentimental, so when I saw everything...I cried.

Having something monogrammed is a super easy way to make any party that much more special!

Speaking of the little things, they had an 8x8 scrapbook monogrammed and put little cards for guests to write a blessing, verse, story or advice on. Each guest took a picture with me and was placed in the book with their written card! How GREAT?!?!?!

Along with this invitation, they ordered me matching Thank-You notes. As guests came in, they had them fill out the envelope to the thank-you card with their address to save me some time when I wrote my thank-you notes! Sounds so simple, but it is always a huge blessing!!!

This old bassinet was actually my friend's when she was a baby! They used it to hold the presents!

Probably my favorite gesture was using my old baby dresses and toys as decorations! It just made it so much more sentimental and thoughtful and my mom was a huge fan, of course!!

I loved this shower. I have the coolest friends! You will be seeing more of them on this blog because they all inspire me!

A Dog-Gone First Birthday!

2010-02-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

Here my little muffin man was at 1! Wow! Time flies! He started it all! My inspiration for a new chapter of motherhood...Birthday party planning! My desire is for all of my children's birthday parties to be unforgettable! If I had one tip to give parents planning parties: Do something your child loves! It does not have to be over-the-top. Or expensive. Make it from the heart! Use what you have and make it great! But do something they will adore and talk about later on! We chose a doggy-themed first birthday for my son. At the time, he could barely talk, but oh he loved ALL dogs so! {Photo by my oh-so-talented bestie, Kimberly} Again, I so wish I had a better camera at this point in time. My little point and shoot camera does noto so any of it justice! I found some cute blow-up dogs at Oriental Trading Company and placed them on the tables with a dog bowls {purchased at a pet store} full of goldfish and "puffs"!

Again, from Oriental Trading Company, I found these hats! They were the party favors, along with a cookie shaped like a bone...I am not big on huge "goody bags". I tend to do one big thing along with a sweet treat.

I made the banner that said, "Puppy Chow"

Pictures throughout the year are a must! I displayed them on this rusty wire frame I borrowed from a friend.

I also handmade this Happy Birthday banner. I now know you can use computer graphics! heehee!

I so wish I had more and better pictures of this party. It will always hold a very special place in my heart!!!!