Dessert Table

My kitchen is AMAZING for parties! Tons of counter space, bar top space, and space in general. One of the things that is going to be set up in the kitchen is the dessert table. I am using my round kitchen table and moving it to an empty corner in our eating area. Here is the general layout, which looks a little more boring then I know it is actually going to look in person!



I am jumping on the cupcake bandwagon and making cupcakes for Kira instead of a birthday cake. I am using Duff's (from Ace of Cakes) cake mix and buttercream icing, which I am SO excited to try!! The cake is a yellow cake mix. I am going to pipe the icing on in a swirl design (well, actually, my mother the baker is going to do this). Each cupcake is going to be sprinkled with colored sugar crystals (in colors matching the party).  The cupcakes at the top of the cupcake tree will have pink and purple lady bug candles.  And, then the cupcakes on the other layers of the tree will have purple, pink, and orange flower cupcake toppers.

 Candles

 Cupcake toppers

I have about 4-5 cupcake trees in my arsenal, and I still have not decided which one to use. However, I do know that the cupcake tree is going to be the centerpiece of the table.  Here is one of the ones I am considering using:

In a symmetrical pattern on either side of the cupcake tree, I will have tins filled with coordinating Jelly Belly beans.

Any advice on whether of not the jelly beans should be in their matching containers or if I should mismatch the beans and tins?  Cannot decide.

Finally, on a small display tray, I am ordered custom cookies from Abigail's Bake Shop.  They are going to super special, and I will save the cookie design as a surprise...will show them after I have party pictures.

First Collage

Here is the first collage I created with Picasa...it is an inspiartion board for Kira's party with mostly my own photos. I am pretty impressed with this feature of Picasa!!

 

Temporary Business Card

Got temporary business cards made; here is what they look like.

 

Picasa

Started playing around with Picasa on Google, hence this post. Here is one of my rough sketches of what I'd like the entry table to look like. It is way out of scale, especially because we bought a new sofa table from Ikea that is going to be used as the entry table. The new table is much longer and more narrow; It is also going to have a table runner going down the length of it (pink pin tuck design).

I hope th use this free Picasa software to create inspiration boards and collages without having to purchase expensive software to do this. Wish me luck!

Party guests

It is so very exciting to begin receiving RSVPs for my daughter's 2nd birthday on August 21.  So far, here is the guest count:

Adults: 19 (+ me and hubby)

Children: 6 (+ Kira)

I think it is shaping up to be a really nice-sized party!  There are still a couple of handfuls of people I have not heard from, so we will see how it goes.

Speaking of children's parties, I will be attending two in the same weekend (Aug 7th and 8th).  I am so very exited about both of them!  One is for our neighbors' son's 3rd birthday.  The theme is Peter Pan.  Three-year old is going to be dressed in a Peter Pan costume (so cute!), and all of the kids are going to get handmade Peter Pan hats.  Not to mention that my neighbor is making her very own pirate ship cake!  I saw the test one a few days ago, and it looked pretty darn good (and tasted great, too!).  I have been having fun running ideas back and forth with her and helping her figure out spacing and placement of party decorations.

The other party is for the daughter of one of my very favorite graphic designers and owner of a party printables shop.  I know she is not a party planner, but from what I have heard already, I think that this party is going to be just beautiful!!

In other news, this afternoon I am meeting with Grymes Cannon Designs to network and discuss flowers for Kira's party.  Also, I have a fashion date tomorrow with Raven Reda to do a fitting for the outfit I am going to wear for Kira's party. So, so, so thrilled - cannot wait!!!

So, needless to say, the next few weeks for me are going to be very busy!!  I like it that way!  :)

A few more sneaks...

I had so much fun yesterday and this morning making MORE items for Kira's birthday party.  Here is what I have done recently (tell me I need to stop!!):

Free printable from Lil Boo & Co.  Printed out the entire alphabet and hung on Kira's wall in her room. Then I just printed these letters for the party.  They are on the dining room wall where the kids' table is...it looks so darling!

Plastic ware for kids' table...napkin rings made of ribbon glued together in the back!

Oh, and a few more pictures for fun!!!

The Lil Boo & Co free alphabet printable I mentioned above.  This is in Kira's bedroom.  My new favorite thing in our house!!

My little girl began yesterday's nap in a basket of warm laundry - LOL!

Pocket Full of Parties {Monday's Great Find}

Everyday, I discover new party planning websites, whether it be a blog, an etsy shop, a bakery, etc.  I have come across so many "great finds" that I would like to share them with my readers, just in case you have not yet made the same discoveries as me.  Each Monday, I will dedicate a blog post to  one of my favorites!!!

Today's "Great Find" is PaperGlitter: Print, Cut & Play.  I could not resist choosing PaperGlitter as my favorite site because of their wide array of party printables, both free printables and shop printables!  I could not resist downloading ALL of their free printables today, and I look forward to purchasing from their shop in the future.  Here are the links to their Etsy site, their FB page, and their blog. 

Please read, follow, like, comment, etc!!!  And, I would love to know what you think: both about my Monday's Great Find Idea and about PaperGlitter!!

What Comes Next?

So, I said my next post would be about next steps in my business plan.

This is where I am a little lost!  I do have to thank Lucky Life Parties for chatting with me on Facebook yesterday.  It was so nice to share ideas with someone just starting out, like I am! 

Next, realistically, I would like to have a brainstorming session, to think about all of the possible services that I could offer my clientele and narrow that list down into different party packages.  I am thinking that I would like to offer three (?) basic packages as well as a completely custom party design option.  I may start to do this after I finish this blog post, because Kira is napping right now (she fell asleep in my arms about an hour ago!).  If anyone can  help me here, please contact me (pocketfullofparties@gmail.com)

Unrealistically, I am dreaming of already having this done, having a few parties under my belt, and holding a launch party.  I cannot wait until I reach this moment!  I have dreams of a sophisticated cocktail party, with parents, friends, family members, and other locals in the industry.

Be thinking positive thoughts for me that I get to this point sometime!!

I am also very excited to see the ideas that my cousin Jeff (a graphic designer) has for my logo!  Once I have this, I feel I will really be able to advertise.  This is exciting and daunting as well!

Otherwise, yesterday I received a few more party supplies in the mail.  I found two very cheap and reliable online stores for wholesale party linens (CV Linens, Table Cloth Factory), and I got the chair covers and organza bows in the mail.  Unfortunately, the chair covers did not fit my dining room chairs, so I will have to save them for someone else's party.  The bows (pink) look adorable though.  I have to admit that it took me awhile to teach myself how to make a professional-looking bow

The party invites went out in the mail on Monday or Tuesday (cannot remember, my days are running together).  I have already received several RSVPs, which is a pleasure!

And, yesterday I received my custom water bottle labels in the mail (designed by Paper and Pigtails).  As much of a pre-planner as I am, of course I already had my water bottles purchased.  So, my task of the day was to adhere the custom labels on to the water bottles.  I got it all done, and boy, do they look great!  Check it out:

I will end this post with some of the latest "most adorable" pictures of my daughter (I am trying to lure you to my blog with her sweetness!).  She was wearing daddy's jogging headband this morning. 

(Anyone have any suggestions of how to break a toddler of her binky?)

It's all Coming Together

Today, as I write this, I am feeling so pleased with the work I have done at this point to begin my company, Pocket Full of Parties.  I am very new to this business thing, so I am following my instincts and intuition on what to work on, what to pursue, and when to pursue it.  The things I have focused on thus far include:

1.  Learning about and from the party planning community.  I am so amazed at how many talented professionals there are across the country!  It is through this professional community that I  am inspired every day!

2.  Building contacts and relationships in the Tampa Bay area community.  I am focusing on relationships that will be mutually beneficial...it reminds me of the phrase, "One hand washes the other."  The incredible thing is that along the way, I am also building amazing friendships that I would have never otherwise discovered

3. Using the internet (such as this blog, FB, and Twitter) to spread the word about Pocket Full of Parties and to expand my contacts beyond my immediate locale.  

4.  Planning Kira's 2nd birthday party to the standards that I would reach for every birthday party that I was involved in customizing and designing.  In doing this I hope to great great memories for our family and friends as well as to create a portfolio of my work so that Pocket Full of Parties becomes more than just a name.

In contacting and meeting with the various contacts around the Tampa Bay area, I have two very exciting new people/businesses to RAVE about!!

Grymes Cannon Designs (website): Grymes Cannon was recommended to me as a talented florist through Gary Kaplan.  I have been in contact with him over the phone and through e-mail and am thus far more than impressed with his presentation and business style.  I am hoping to work with him for Kira's party and also for future events.  For Kira's party, I would like just a few whimsical floral arrangements.  I am thinking a few arrangements for my back patio (which I am just thought about decorating) and accent pieces strategically place around my home would make a big impact.  I am so excited about hearing what Grymes Cannon Designs comes up with based on my requests!!

Raven Reda:  Raven Reda is not just a fabulous business contact or one of Tampa's most talented fashion designers, she is also a wonderful friend and one of the most genuine people I have yet to meet in the Tampa Bay area.  From the moment I first met her when my husband introduced her and her boyfriend to me at a chance meeting in a local mall, I knew that Raven would play an important role in my life.  We clicked from that very moment.  Now that I have had an opportunity to get to know her personally and professionally, I feel like our relationship was destined to occur!  Raven creates a variety of pieces for men, children, and, mostly, women.  I would describe her style as edgy, rock and roll, cutting edge...I could go on and on.

I had the joy and pleasure of spending most of the evening yesterday (through the wee hours of the morning!) at Raven's loft in downtown Tampa.  The experience was amazing - full of fun, fashion, conversation, and creativity.  I was able to obtain some of her custom baby clothes (and feel honored to even have them in my home right now!).  I was also able to look through some of her clothing pieces from previous runway shows or that she is currently working on.  She took my measurements, and I am hopefully going to be able to purchase some of her pieces, altered to fit my own body.  Each piece that I am considering speaks to my sense of style and design.  They are pieces that I would wear to consultations with clients, to events, to my business launch party (TBA), etc.  When does this EVER happen to a "regular" wife and mom?!  I am so lucky and cannot wait to work with Raven further.  Being that she has planned numerous fashion events, I know that I will be able to learn from her, as well, about how to pull together a well-coordinated event!

Next blog post: Next steps in my business plan!  :)  I would love ideas and opinions on where you think I should go next or what you think I should focus on.

Some Sneak Peek Pictures!

I have some pictures of some of the the things that I have put together to decorate the children's table and room.

I am so excited to share these pictures, because I am so proud of the work and thought that went into the design of the room!

Part of the craft activity.  A bowl full of the flower and lady bug stickers.  Cute, huh?!  There will be four on the table for all of the children.

One of the picture frames that the children will decorate with stickers and ultimately have their own picture in.  I have then in pink, turquoise, and green for boys' and girls' preferences.
  (You can see the gorgeous plates and a little bit of the placemats, too, in this photo)

Arrangement on top of the dining room hutch

Ladybug flag banner which was part of my series of unfortunate events :)

A picture of one of the place settings

As for the rest of the children's table and room, you will have to wait until I post the professional pictures after the party!

One thing I also want to wanted to mention was my plans for the table centerpiece.  I bought a beautiful round glass bowl, similar to a fish bowl.  I am going to fill it with colored sand and arrange 12 candy kabobs from Sweets Indeed in the bowl.  The kabobs will be filled with color-coordinated candy and topped with a lady bug lollipop.  Of all things I have planned for the party, other than the party prinatables, this is my favorite!  I cannot wait to receive the kabobs in the mail to see how it will look!

I will end this post with some other momentous pictures.  Today, Kira started preschool summer camp, which she is going to attend three days a week until she starts preschool full time in August.  Here are some precious photos of her arrival to the school for the first time!

It was such a great day for her and for Chad (husband) and I.  We were so proud of how well she adjusted.  And, we were so happy to receive an art project when we picked her up!!  It is already on our refrigerator, likely soon to be framed and treated as a cherished piece of art :)

Up late!

I am on summer vacation from my day job, so I have become quite the night owl!  I need to go to bed so much earlier than I have been, but I am so excited about Pocket Full of Parties that I stay up late thinking about it, chatting about it, researching, and networking. 

All along, I have been having a hard time knowing when to "stop" planning and buying for Kira's second birthday party.  After several visits to Home Goods (an amazingly affordable place for all things, but especially for creative party decor), I am finally feeling like I have what I need to pull off a successful party.

I've already talked about the children's table.  So, how about my ideas for what the young guests will do during the party:

Craft: The craft that I have planned with Melissa, my creative consultant, is decorating picture frames.  I have a picture frame for each child that will be attending the party.  I found them in three colors to match the color scheme.  I bought scrapbooking stickers, which at the time that I bought them I did not know what to use them for.  But, I purchased them because they fit with everything - flowers and ladybugs! These stickers will be in beautiful pink bowls around the children's table and can be used to decorate the frames.  I will be taking pictures of each child and printing them out on photo paper on my home printer.  That way, each child will be able to leave the party with their own picture in a frame they decorated themselves.  I think this is a cute and fun idea and very easy to orchestrate for all ages (we will have a wide span of ages at the party).

Music/Dancing: Because this is a relatively quick activity, Melissa and I were thinking that freeze dance would be another fun activity for the children.  We potentially may have a friend DJ the party!  This may be a little over the top, but I'd really like to display the creative talents of all of my friends at this event.  If so, we would have him lead the freeze dance activity.  For the little ones, who may not understand freeze dance, I have crepe paper streamers for them to wave around to the music.  I think it will make for a fun and colorful way to fill the time!  Even without a DJ, this would be easy to do with iTunes and a computer!  I would love ideas for hip modern songs that would be appropriate for a 2nd birthday party!!  I would love it if you would leave me a comment with your thoughts!

More planning ideas and pictures to come!

Blog Frog

Am having fun adding "widgets" to my blog page.  One of the most fun ones, in my opinion, that I just added is BlogFrog's Recent Visitors.  Please sign up with BlogFrog and you will have a great way to show me that you have stopped by!!

A little snafu

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had sketches of the three main stations/tables/areas I will have at Kira's party.  I still have not had a chance to re-sketch them (because Kira, my darling artist, scribbled on the originals) and rescan them.  But, I thought I would tell you about an incident I had with one of my tables this evening.  Bear with me because I am a story teller (quite loquacious when writing!).

The day started off beautifully.  I had a play date to meet some work friends at a local aquatic center for fun in the sun and water.  Kira and I had a blast, and I enjoyed hanging out with the girls and their beautiful children!

While Kira was napping, I had an amazing "texting" conversation with a fashion-designer friend of mine, Raven Reda.  She recently held a runway show in Tampa, FL that I attended.  Through this convo and previous e-mails, I learned that she was more than thrilled to lend me some of her pieces from the fashion show to wear to Kira's party (gotta look good when it is your first event, and, well, at all events!).  She also wants to style a complete look and my wardrobe for me.  I am such a a wannabe fashionista, so this sounds like so much fun and a dream come true!!  One day this coming week, her and I are going to have a fashion fiesta.  I already sent her my measurements, so we are going to pick out clothes, play dress up, rock out to music, etc.  So excited (Love you, Raven, if you are reading this!).

Unfortunately, my day went south after this.

Drove into the side of the garage with my car door (do not ask how - it was such a silly mistake!) and dented and scratched the heck out of it.  When you are a detail-oriented perfectionist like I am, something like this will grate on my nerves until I can get it fixed.

This brings me to the story of the tablescape disaster.  After being ruffled from the car "accident," I had more in store for me.

The dining room table in the dining room of my home is going to be the children's table for Kira's party.  I have already purchased all of the items that are going to be used to decorate this room (none of which I have yet shown here on this blog).  A few days ago, I got the brilliant idea to set up as much of the room as I could, to get a true picture of what the children's table would look like.  Boy, did things come together well when I did this!  Table runner, placemats, plates, glassware, craft activity set up - everything - looks wonderful!

Today, I got a shipment in the mail of more party decor, which included ladybug flag banners that I planned to hang from the ceiling of my dining room.  After I opened the box and oogled over everything, I got the bright idea to hang the flag banners already.  This is when the day went as south as it could go!

When I attempted to hang my first banner, I decided to stand on my dining room table.  My table does not have four legs, it has a base in the middle.  I chose to stand on the corner edge of the table.  Smart!  As clumsy as I am, I ended up tipping the entire massive dining room table over.   I fell off of it (did not get hurt, at this point), and my beautiful tablescape went sliding right off of the table with me!  Most of my glassware (cakes stands, plates, etc) broke into pieces everywhere.  It was unbelievable!

To make matters worse, when I was cleaning up all of the broken glass, I managed to slice my pinky toe on my right foot from top to bottom.  It is a pretty serious cut!  I have actually never seen that much blood at one time in my life!  Surprisingly, it did not hurt but boy did it make a mess.  So bad that my home looked like a crime scene.

Needless to say, I was in a pretty crappy mood for awhile after this!  After getting my head together and getting over the shock of it all, I quickly was able to get my spirits up and bounce back.  I actually felt lucky that this happened now and not on the day of the party!

Currently, with a bandaged toe which probably needs stitches, I am viewing the day as an utterly comical series of events!  I've had some great days in this past week, so I was bound to have a bad one.  Such is life!

Lesson learned: Do not stand on furniture when decorating for a party.  Or at least delegate that task to someone less accident-prone! LOL!

Happy and Grateful!

I am so grateful to everyone who has signed up to follow my blog - friends, family, Kate Landers Events LLC, and Abigail's Bake Shop!  I hope that you enjoy reading :)

So much has happened so quickly in my worlds of planning Kira's party and launching Pocket Full of Parties (Want to know something funny? My hubby suggested that I use the word "launch" instead of "start" when referring to my new business...I laugh every time I use this word now!).

I mentioned that there was a potentially exciting opportunity!  And, it has come through beautifully!  I am very lucky that my social-butterfly (wait, that does not sound right for a man...firefly?) husband is so charming and has many valued and treasured friends.  One of these friends is Gary Kaplan, an acclaimed and incredibly gifted photographer, who is also a "fabulous friend" of Colin Cowie.  Yes, the Colin Cowie!!  Check out Gary's bio on Colin Cowie's website: http://www.colincowie.com/fab_friends/gary-kaplan

On a whim, I e-mailed Gary to see if he would be interested in photographing Kira's party.  Never expecting to hear from him, I assumed that I would be attempting photography on my own!  However, Gary was kind enough to reply.  After talking for several days (such an interesting man!), the whim became reality!  Although he has a wedding to shoot late that afternoon, he and his assistant are going to shoot the party! Wow!  Not only is he going to come the day before to do a photo shoot with Kira, but he is also going to come two hours before the party to take preparation photos.  His detail shots are gorgeous!  In my head I am singing a tune with the lyrics, "I have Gary Kaplan for two days - wow, wow, wow!"

I  am going to spend some time with Kira and cleaning my house now.

Thank you for visiting!

Hard work

I am so exhasuted!  I am so enthusiastic about launching my business and about Kira's party, that I am running myself ragged!  I have stayed up until at least 3am every night working on some aspect of Pocket Full of Parties.  Although I am tired, I am so psyched about the possibilities that lie ahead!

Hopefully tomorrow I will have more energy to post something more interesting!

Exciting things!

I must start this blog entry with huge thank yous to: my husband Chad, whose passion for his own work inspires me; my cousin Melissa, who is my creative consultant; my cousin Jeff, who is a graphic designer working on my logo; and to my mother who will potentially be a great resource for me regarding catering and baking!  I could not be where I am with my enthusiasm for and dedication to this business without each of you.

I have a couple of very thrilling potential opportunities and contacts for Pocket Full of Parties!  One of these things has the chance of being something really big!  I am not sure if it will work out, so I will share when I know for sure.

Once I have my logo, I will be ready for business cards, a fancier blog design, flyers, etc.  I am still thinking about what services I will offer, how I will offer them, and the pricing of my services.  I am planning to offer friends and/or family some free incentives to get Pocket Full of Parties started, to help build my portfolio, and to continue building contacts.  I have to think about what I could offer: a free dessert tablescape, children's tablescape...what else?  Any ideas would be appreciated!  Also, I am hoping to team up with other children's professionals to offer giveaways (this is my favorite feature of other party planners' blogs) on this blog.  If anyone reading is interested in doing a giveaway with me, please let me know.

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Regarding Kira's party, I have some wonderful ideas forming in my head!  Decor, tablescapes, children's activities, food, and sweet treats are all things I am continuing to plan. 

I will have three major tables set up around my home.  One is what I am calling the entry table.  The other is the children's table. The last will be the dessert table.  I have initial rough sketches of what these tables will look like, and I scanned them in to my computer post here, but I cannot upload the images...I will have to see if I can change the file type and re-scan them.  This will be my goal tomorrow.  (Actually, I will also have to redo my sketches, as Kira has decorated them with her very own creative designs!)

I will also have a beverage area and a food buffet.  We have this gorgeous hutch in our kitchen eating area, and it folds out to create an excellent serving space.  I have to think more about exactly what food to serve.  The party is from 1:00-4:00, so rather than serving a meal, I want to serve appetizers.

Here are a couple of the food serving items:

These baskets will be used to hold many things, one of which are these amazing veggie chips I am going to use as one of the snacks

Serving platter (for crackers and cheese, perhaps?) and coasters

The beverage area will be on my kitchen counter.  Of course, I will have beer for any guests who want to indulge, but what I am most proud of is my selection of beverages that color coordinate with the party color scheme!

Here are some picture of some other things I have purchased or created to use as decor around my home on this special birthday party day:

I got this hurricane lantern for a steal at Pier One Imports

I am thinking of using this white tin bowl to hold fruit salad.

The candles will be placed together where I see fit as I am decorating.

(Bowl and candles from Target)

I made this beautiful "Celebrate" banner from a free printable on The TomKat Studio blog.

 It was fun and easy to make!

I am SO proud of this flower arrangement I made for the party (with flowers on clearance at Pier One)

It matches the color scheme of Kira's room, so it is currently on her dresser waiting to be used for the party and then returned to her room.

Bugs-N-Blooms
Bugs-n-Blooms is responsible for this party purchase!

I have so many other things, but I have decided I will leave them as a surprise for the "after-party reveal!"  I cannot wait to see how it all comes together!!

We have a name!

One of my visions for this blog is to share my planning of Kira's party and my journey into learning about party planning.  The overall goal, though, is to develop my own children's party planning business.  I hope to specialize in parties for children 12 and under (Experienced party planners, please let me know if I should not be so specific; I chose this age range because I cannot envision myself planning for teens).

I enlisted my cousin Melissa to help me come up with a business name.  She is always so very creative with words.  She suggested nearly 15-20 names before "the one" finally hit me: Pocket Full of Parties.  I am so excited to have a business name!  And, I think it is perfect.  It is whimsical.  I love that it is a play off lyrics from a children's song.  And, I think it makes it clear that it is a business centered around children's parties.

Mmmm, I am happy :)  Now, off to bed with me!

More details and other stuff

So, Kira is watching Nightmare Before Christmas right now.  For some reason, she LOVES Tim Burton movies.  Her other favorite is Coraline (which I love, too).  Contemplating buying her The Corpse Bride DVD.  My little one has a dark side - LOL!

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I left off earlier today with pictures of the party printables from Paper and Pigtails.  I also ordered a party sign from Party Pops on Etsy.  It just arrived today (much earlier than expected), and I was so excited to open it and check it out!

This is going to be hanging on our front door the day of Kira's party.  It is just the right size.  Isn't it cute?

I cannot believe that I existed without Etsy a few months ago.  There are some amazing handmade items on this site (not just for parties).  Actually, I just ordered a take-your-breath-away Halloween costume for Kira from Adisten's Closet, who also has an Etsy shop (Adisten's Closet on Etsy).   In case you are curious, she is going to make Kira the monarch butterfly costume.  I'd recommend these sites to ANYONE with a little girl.

I'm skipping ahead a little, but there are so many stores that have made party planning a breeze for me.  So far, the best actual stores for anything you can dream into party decor, in my opinion, are Target, WalMart, Michael's, Pier One Imports, and Ikea.

And, my honorable mentions for online party supplies and related party things (cakes, candies, gifts, etc) are (in no particular order; I am sure this list will grow as I discover more party professionals and plan more parties):

1.   Paper and Pigtails
2.   Party Pops on Etsy
3.   Tweedle Dee Designs
4.   Hammond's
5.   Kate Landers Events
6.   The TomKat Studio Etsy Shop
7.   Two Sugar Babies on Etsy
8.   Happy Little Art on Etsy
9.   Bugs-n-Blooms
10. Sweets Indeed on Etsy (check out the candy kabobs - spectacular!)
11. Grandma's Candy Kitchen (a local bakery that has the best butter cream icing I have ever had!)
12. The Cupcake Spot (South Tampa's yummy cupcake bakery)
13. Birthday Direct
14. Layla Grace (I just ordered the most adorable monogrammed and personalized t-shirt and tutu for a friend's upcoming new baby girl)

I will mention some fun planning sites another time (although most of them that I have found are in my side bar to the right).

Sorry I got sidetracked from the initial reason for my post.  I will come by again soon to continue showing off Kira's birthday decor :)

BTW, now we are watching Finding Nemo.  This is such a FUNNY movie! Dorie cracks me up!

Kira's 2nd Birthday Party: Details

I am so pleased with the luck I have had finding things to coordinate with my party theme (ladybug) and color scheme (pink, purple, green with hints of turquoise and orange).

I already showed you the party dress.  Here is Kira's "outfit change" for when she wants to play and get dirty:

Believe it or not, I found this adorable pink and green ladybug outfit at the Cracker Barrel store.

Here is a link to the website where I am going to get some basic party supplies, such as napkins, plates, balloons, etc.  It will take you directly to the set I have picked out: Birthday Direct Little Ladybug Supplies

Perhaps the next most important key (and certainly my favorite) to my party theme is the party printables from Paper and Pigtails.   I ordered invitations, address labels, water bottle labels, and signs.  Kori customized the design for each of these based on the Tea Party invites she had available in Spring.  Here is a sneak peak of some of these things (I have removed my personal address for privacy purposes, so the invites and address labels look a little weird):

 

You will have to wait to see the water bottle labels until I have them printed, and I get them on the water bottles.

And, I will have to go for now because the little lady Kira is requesting some of my time and attention.  I have LOTS more details to share, so I will be back soon!

First Post!

Today marks the day of my first post on this site.  How very exciting for me (and I hope eventually for others as well)!

I have created this blog to commemorate my journey into the world of children's party planning.  A few months ago, I had no idea this is where I wanted to be heading!  Here's how it all started:

It was spring time, perhaps April.  I was in Gymboree indulging in clothing shopping for my beautiful daughter Kira.  The sale at the store that day was particularly amazing.  I found several dresses that I loved for Kira, but then I found THE ONE!  I did not even know I was looking for it, but I found it:   the dress that Kira would wear for her 2nd birthday party.  Last year, I had a big first birthday event for Kira in Saratoga Springs, NY, and this year I planned to have just as big of a party, but this time at our home in the Tampa Bay area.  Back to the dress...white trimmed with ribbon in light pink, brighter pink, and green.  Full, full skirt.  Precious!

It was not surprising that I was drawn to this dress...these colors are some of the colors that are my signature ones for Kira.  Her bedroom is decorated in pink, green, and yellow.  Her 1st birthday party was themed in pink, green, and yellow.

This dress lead me to search for a coordinating party theme.  At the time, I was not seriously involved in party planning nor did I know anything about the possibilities out there.  I initially started looking on a typical party supplies website.  I found a really nice themed set of party supplies with the theme of Little Lady Bug and the color scheme of pink, purple, green, and turquoise.  I was ready to settle for ordering all of these things and to plan a typical children's party.

Then, somehow, something changed.  I cannot remember the exact moment.  It was actually a slow process of discovery over the past few months.  It started with a friend of mine who started a wonderful party printables business on Etsy (Paper and Pigtails) right around the same time that I began thinking about Kira's party.  I hope she does not mind me mentioning her shop on my blog!  This is when I began to realize there was a universe of unique and wonderful ways to plan for and put together a children's party.  I then "discovered" Paper and Pigtail's other designer from Bella Grace Party Designs.  My first visit to her blog was momentous.  There were AMAZING things that could be done with children's parties!!

At this point, despite a background of interest in art, crafts, and interior design, I did not think that I could ever do anything like that myself.  So I contacted Bella Grace Party Designs for assistance with party planning.  The owner was amazing in communicating with me through e-mail about the range of possibilities for party planning.  I was contemplating what party package I was going to choose when I coincidentally stopped in Michael's.  That is when the Do-It-Yourself fever set in for me!  Looking at all of the arts and crafts supplies in this store awakened my inner creative instincts.  It was at this point that I decided to take on Kira's party mostly by myself.

Party planning mode set in, and all of the sudden, I saw the world in a different way.  Everywhere I went, I was inspired by things that reminded me of my dream for Kira's birthday party.  Every store I went in, I began hunting for things for the event.  Anything in the ladybug gendre and/or pink, purple, green, turquoise (and I added orange) became fair game for potential party supplies.  My creativity began soaring, and I became so driven, focused, and enthusiastic.

As this passion was building, I was also exploring party planning on the internet.  Through Bella Grace Party Designs' website and exploration on Etsy, Twitter, and Facebook, I found some of the most premiere and fantastic party planners, crafters, bakers, etc (see my list of Websites and Blogs) I ever knew existed.  At the same time as inspiring ideas for Kira's party, these amazing professionals inspired in me the wish to become a part of this community.

To make a long story shorter, I am in the beginning stages of exploring the possibilities for me in children's party planing.  I am going to use this blog as a means to document Kira's 2nd birthday, to share my experiences as I learn, and to hopefully begin to network and build cherished relationships with other party professionals (if they would ever do me the honor!).

Thank you for reading!