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Saturday, January 29, 2011

A Crafty Kind of Day {Part 1}

So, I have had the materials to begin a craft project for Kira's preschool classmates for Valentine's day, and I have been dying to begin crafting.  After Kira's gymnastics class and before heading to a birthday party, I decided to begin my craft project.

What I decided to do is use the red and pink tin mailboxes from Target (dollar section; adorable; they come in white, too) to create a more personalized Valentine's note collector for each of the children.

All of my supplies came from the Dollar General store or the dollar section from Target.  Today, I used foam letters to put each child's name on the mailboxes.


I also used shiny Valentine's stickers to decorate each end of the mailbox.  I have more plans to come for these special treats (so stay tuned), but here is what I have so far:







I cannot wait to finish them!

Oh, and since I had 700+ foam letters and numbers, I decided to make the birthday gift for our party this afternoon more special:




Monday, January 24, 2011

Playing around with Mac Software

I have no idea what I am doing, but I was playing around with free Mac software downloads and stayed up til 2:30am creating this button.  Nothing I am going to use...just having fun!!


Whaddya think?!

Several minutes later: I commented below that I could use this as a button for party professionals I have featured...




Now, whaddya think?!  I think I like it :)

I have a Button!

Funny title for someone not in the blogging world, I imagine!

Thanks to my Creative Consultant, the ever beautiful and talented Melissa, I now have a button (shown below).  To officially "grab it," right click on the button at the top right of this blog site, and save it to your computer.  Then post it on your blog!  Please?!?  :-)

I love how my business is growing!  :)

Monday, January 17, 2011

A Recap of My Little Ladybug's 2nd Birthday Party!

In looking back through my blog, I realized that I talked a lot about the preparations for Kira's 2nd birthday party, and I reviewed the sites on which the party was featured, but I never did my own blog post to feature the party.  That is what I hope to accomplish with this blog post!

 My Little Ladybug

Kira's birthday colors were pink, purple, and lime green with hints of orange and turquoise (wonderful color combination for a summer birthday party!).  The scheme was Little Ladybug.


I began planning Kira's birthday party FOUR MONTHS before the actual date!  At this time, I knew I loved party planning, but I did not know I had a knack for it nor that it was something I actually had time to do and do well!  I went through a few trials and tribulations, recognizing that I did not want a pre-packaged party from a party store, contacting a party planner thinking I could never do this myself, communicating with an old friend who had just started a party printables business on Etsy (Kori of Paper and Pigtails Party), and seeking advice from one of the best in the business (Kate Landers Events, LLC).  In going through this process, I gained the confidence to DIY this party completely!  On top of that, I launched my children's party planning business, Pocket Full of Parties.

Here are some photos and a brief account of the party:

1.  Entry table: We had the perfect piece of furniture (a long console table) at the entry of our home, and I decided to make this the "introduction" to the party.  The backdrop was three photoboards (picked up in the dollar section of Target!) with pictures of Kira from birth to age 2.  On the table was some of the key items of decor that set the tone for the party: light, fun, and child-centered.  And to make the table pop, I hung three tissue poms.  Many on of the items on this table came from Target, from local stores, and from wonderful artisans on Etsy.


2. Children' Table and Activities:  There were three areas specifically designated for the young guests of the party.  I set up a children's activity table with crayons, ladybug-themed color sheets, crepe paper streamers for children to dance with (we had a friend DJ the party, which sparks another of my party planning recommendations: use friends who have skills, such as baking or photography, to save money!), bug and flower-themed silly bands, etc.


There was also a children's dining table, where the children could feel special eating their food, cupcakes, and candy, and completing their craft activity.


The craft activity was decorating picture frames with ladybug and flower stickers.  I took a photo of each child during the party, and they left the party with (amongst other things) completed picture frames with a picture of themselves to put it in them!  This craft activity was a success!



Finally, my husband organized and supervised a bounce house in our back yard.  My input was, of course, to make sure the colors of the bounce house matched the party colors!  LOL!


3.  Food Buffet: Even my food buffet was artfully displayed.  I chose an array of food to be children and adult friendly: veggies and dip, crackers and cheese, fruit salad (watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew to match the party colors), veggies chips and dip, bagel pizzas, and quiche).  I have to give credit to my mother for doing the majority of the food preparation and cooking!


And my favorite...

4. The Dessert Table:  The dessert table was the most fun, and probably the most affordable, display to design for Kira's party.  I decided on cupcakes because I knew they would be easier for my daughter's little hands to manage.  I also made them myself using Duff's yellow cake mix and butter cream icing (which I highly recommend!).  The cupcake tree was purchased at Target along with the tin containers that displayed the color-coordinated Jelly Belly beans.  I also found some amazing things at Home Goods, including a beautiful pink and purple hanging chandelier/wind chime.


Some More of My Favorite Photos:





























My Resources:

Party Invitations and Printables: Paper and Pigtails Party
Party Favors: Happy Little Art on Etsy
Party Door Signs: Party Pops
Tissue Poms: Pom Love
Candy Kabobs: Sweets Indeed
Custom Decorated Sugar Cookies: Abigail's Bake Shop




Thursday, January 13, 2011

Christmas Card 2011

I am a little early, but I could not help but create my Christmas card for next year already!
Family Wall Red Christmas Card
Click here to browse hundreds of Christmas card designs.
View the entire collection of cards.

Friday, January 7, 2011

New Year's Eve: Pocket Full of Parties Style



A week before New Year's Eve, I decided to throw a 'Pocket Full of Parties' family-centered event at my house with my friends and their children. After considering many themes and colors schemes, I ultimately went for black and white damask with red accents. This has been my favorite color combination since I was a very little girl :)



I collaborated with Little Ladybug Designs, www.littleladybugdesigns.com, who created all of the DIY printables for me. Thank you Kim!

Once I chose this theme, the rest was easy! I love party design, and I love shopping for and/or crafting party decor. With the "help" of my two year old (who pretended to craft things while I was doing so), the party was put together with class and style in 5 days! :)



My party guests were so thankful to be invited to a kid-friendly New Year's party and raved about the decor, desserts, and food. Such a proud moment for me and my family!



I could not have done it without Target, Michaels, TJ Maxx, Walmart, Publix, my local party supply store, Kim of Little Ladybug Designs, Melissa of Island Girl Cakes, Deanne of Captured by Dee Photography, Lizard and Ladybug (New Year's subway art), and my creative consultant Melissa!!