Pocket Full of Parties

Perfect for a Holiday Weekend: Home Made Ice Cream Cones!

2011-05-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

The following blog post was written by guest blogger, Sarah! Sarah is a cousin of mine who hails from St. Louis, MO. She has the crafty family gene and has been blowing me away lately with what she has been ccoming up with in the kitchen. With no further ado...

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Now that our cable company has added the Cooking Channel to our lineup, I can't get enough of Chuck Hughes from Chuck's Day Off. He spends each episode cooking food for his family (like his mother who makes the desserts found on his menu), friends (his tattoo artist), and staff (the bouncers at his Montreal restaurant). During a recent episode, Chuck made ice cream cones for his personal trainer and topped each one with a scoop of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

I wrote down each step as I watched (his steps are very easy to follow---it helps that he's incredibly down to earth and attractive!), but before I attempted the recipe, I checked my notes with the recipe on his site. Here is his website:

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/chucks-day-off/index.html

Here is the recipe:

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/ice-cream-cones-recipe/index.html

What I discovered after comparing my notes to the site is that his directions are slightly different. The directions (and some of my self-discoveries) will help anyone who is interested in making ice cream cones or bowls!

So here's my version of the recipe with hints and suggestions!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled (It's especially important to give the butter time to cool so it doesn't cook the egg whites.)
2 large or 3 medium egg whites
7 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used 3/4 teaspoon for extra flavor.)
pinch table salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter and cool it.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sugar and vanilla. Stir in the salt and half of the flour, then mix in the melted butter. Beat in the rest of the flour until smooth.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray (I used canola oil spray) and then line the baking sheet with parchment. The cooking spray holds the parchment in place!

Use the back of a big spoon to spread 2 level tablespoons of the batter into a circle 6 inches across. I filled about 3/4 of the spoon with batter, made two dollops on the baking sheet, and then used the back of the spoon to make two disks. I found that 7-inch disks worked much better than 6 inch disks. Try to get the circles as even and smooth as possible. The batter will yield about 6 cones/disks, but you can only make 2 at a time.

Put the baking sheet in the oven, and begin checking the cones after 8 minutes. They take between 8 and 15 minutes to bake. Chuck says the circles should be golden brown throughout, but I found that the disks that I allowed to turn golden throughout were not pliable. Instead, allow the disks to turn golden brown or brown around the edges (the inside looks creamy white) and then remove them from the oven.

Once you remove the baking sheet from the oven, you need to work quickly! Use a thin metal spatula (metal is absolutely necessary!) to loosen the disks from the baking sheet. Quickly flip over the disks and shape them. The dough hardens within seconds and is incredibly hot to the touch. I put a thin kitchen towel (like a flour sack) inbetween my fingers and the disks when working with them.

To make cones:

To shape the disks into cones you will need a cone form. Here are two products I found online:

http://www.amazon.com/Fox-Run-Cream-Horn-Molds/dp/B0000CFMSP/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1304304258&sr=8-2

http://www.amazon.com/Villaware-V455-Pizzelle-Cone-Roller/dp/B000AY82X8/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1304304258&sr=8-5

Press the seam firmly on the counter to close the cone and pinch the point at the bottom securely closed. You can use a spoon to press the opening closed. Let the cone cool slightly on the mold until it feels firm, then slide it off and stand it upright in a tall glass to cool.

Chuck created his own cone holder out of wood, but you can purchase them online. Here is a cute holder that would be perfect for a small get together:

http://www.amazon.com/Chefs-Choice-Cream-Cone-Holder/dp/B000095ZAI/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1304304651&sr=1-1

An idea I had to keep extra cones in your pantry for a few days....place a cone in a styrofoam or paper coffee cup...add a lid to seal it tight.

To make bowls:
Since I don't own a cone mold I decided to make cone bowls. My husband and I tried three different "molds," a tall drinking glass, a small cereal bowl, and a small metal mixing bowl. We placed the hot disks on the bottom of the molds. The small mixing bowl worked the best because of the gradual slope and size of the bowl. Helpful tip: While the batter cooks, spray a small amount of cooking spray on the bottom of the bowl so you can remove the bowls easily. Let the bowls cool slightly, then slide them off to cool completely. I stored my extra bowls in a large mixing bowl covered in plastic wrap.

Repeat the recipe, using the remaining batter.

My baby's going on THREE!

2011-04-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

This blog started when I discovered my love for party planning as I was planning my daughter's second birthday party. I feel as if I have come full circle now that I am planning a party for Kira again, this time for her third birthday!

I was waiting for that feeling of inspiration to hit me. Hoping a great party theme and color scheme would come to me at some time before August 2011. And, of course it happened, at the most unexpected time. I was in Target perusing the dollar section items. I saw a bin of pinwheels, and I began looking through them. I was thinking a few of them would look cute near the walkway to our home. Then, I found a pinwheel with a red with white polka dots print and a cheery yellow sun in the middle, and that is when INSPIRATION struck me. My mind began whirling: Red and white polka dots, accents of yellow, a summer-time sun theme...

The reason this is perfect: Kira loves the sun. She talks about the sun coming out when she wakes up in the morning and the sun going away when she goes to bed at night. She and I sing, "The Sun will Come Out Tomorrow" all the time (she has the Annie movie). "The sun will come out..." is my phrase to represent this party theme.

I would have never thought of this idea if it had not been for these pinwheels in Target.

Since that moment, I have taken flight with my ideas for the party. Besides the darling pinwheels, I have purchased yellow watering cans, buckets, and vases (all from Target dollar section) to serve as serving items and decor on the main food/dessert table. I have big, round yellow plates (to represent the sun) and red and white polka dot napkins to bring this print into the children's table. I am imagining bunches of perfectly round yellow balloons, a sun-themed pinata, a sun-themed craft activity. Background music will incorporate sun-themed songs: The Sun will Come Out Tomorrow, Here Comes the Sun, You are my Sunshine, Don't Let the Sun go Down on Me, Good Day Sunshine, Island in the Sun, Pocket Full of Sunshine, Soak up the Sun, You are the Sunshine of my Life, Let the Sun Shine in, etc. Who knew there were so many sun songs?!

Here is my inspiration collage for this party:

Color Inspiration

2011-02-26T17:20:00.000-08:00

I was at Crazy 8 today (First time there for me...I love clothing shopping for Kira), and I was INSPIRED!! They had a collection of clothing in the color palette of navy blue, light blue, fuschia, and light green. Check out some of the adorable items and the colors:

I am in love! I CANNOT wait to do a party in this color scheme. I am definitely considering this for Kira's 3rd birthday (6 months away - a little early, aren't I?!). What theme might work along with this color palette? Please comment below with your ideas.

{Monday's Great Find} An New Bakery Business

2011-02-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

Monday's Great Find has been revived today! As I am in the busiest time of year in my day job, I cannot guarantee a regular appearance of Monday's Great Find, but I will keep it returning as time permits!

Today, I would like to introduce a business that is in it's very beginning stages. This is a very special feature to me, because it is my mom's bakery business: A Sweet Deal!!!

A Sweet Deal's creator, my mother Jeanette, is a homemaker extraordinaire, an amazing cook and baker, a cook book author (North Meets South), etc. It is her dream to start a bakery of her own. She has recently been taking cake baking and decorating classes in order to move closer to her dream. A Sweet Deal will begin as a small business offering a variety of cake and cupcake delights in the Bradenton/Sarasota region of FL. As Jeanette's daughter, I can attest to the perfection of her baked goods! She is famous amongst our family and friends for her yearly gourmet Christmas cookies assortment (she bakes hundreds every year). And, I am lucky to be the guinea pig who gets to taste many of the cake and frosting flavors that A Sweet Deal will be offering. Here are a few photos of recent works of baking art from Jeanette of A Sweet Deal:

Oreo Cookie Cake

(Dark chocolate cake with butter cream icing and Oreo cookie crumbles)

Red Velvet Cupcakes

(with the best cream cheese frosting I have ever tasted!)

Valentine's Cake Pops

Please stay tuned for further information about A Sweet Deal (menu, contact info, website, etc). If you are interested in ordering something now, you are welcome to make a contact through me or e-mail Jeanette at jconiglio52@gmail.com.

An {Under the Sea} Party!

2011-02-04T09:51:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, my family and I attended our next door neighbors' son's highly adorable 2nd birthday party. I knew it was going to be great because Mara is one creative and resourceful mama!

The birthday party theme was based on "Finding Nemo." The color scheme was a few different shades of blue, orange, and white/clear (e.g., clear balloons). Being the next door neighbor, I got to see a sneak peek of the set up prior to the start of the party at 3pm. From the moment my daughter and I woke up the morning of the party, we observed the happenings in their backyard, including the creation of several "activity stations" for the children! Mara also kindly invited us over to see the indoor decor. After the preview, Kira and I could barely contain ourselves and talked about going to the party all day!

When it was time to head over to the party, we decided to arrive at their front door. Normally, because we are such friendly neighbors, we use each other's back sliding doors. But, this day, I wanted to get the full experience of walking into the party through the front door.

As soon as I walked in, I was immediately struck by Mara's unique ideas!

The entry hallway was lined with blue paper to mimic the sea and to allow the children a fun place to color.

Blue crepe paper streamers were waving from the ceiling.

Blue cellophane (over the windows and doors and draped from the ceiling) added to the ocean-y feel.

Here are a few more of the interior party photos:

Outdoors, the children were able to "fish" at a table with fishing poles and bowls of plastic fish and sea creatures.

They also played at sand tables, collecting sea shells, making sand castles, etc.

The ultimate fun was the "Finding Nemo" themed bounce house, which pleased the children and adults alike. This was probably Kira's favorite activity. Of the four hours we were at the party, I would guess she spent about three of those hours in the bounce house. My wild and crazy girl! :)

There was, of course, a cute (and yummy) "Finding Nemo" cake.

The children looked adorable sitting around the table, engrossed in devouring their cake slice!

My favorite part of the party was the party favors because they were so different and fun! Each child took home a fish bag filled with water and two plastic fish bath toys "swimming" within.

A Crafty Kind of Day {Part 1}

2011-01-29T11:45:00.000-08:00

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:

Playing around with Mac Software

2011-01-24T23:24:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-01-24T16:59:00.000-08:00

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! :)

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

2011-01-17T15:16:00.000-08:00

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

Christmas Card 2011

2011-01-13T16:50:00.001-08:00

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.

New Year's Eve: Pocket Full of Parties Style

2011-01-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

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!!

Blush Printables Giveaway Winner!

2010-12-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

I just selected a giveaway winner for the Blush Printables New Year's Eve Set! The winner of the flags and labels is:

GENEVIVE LE BEL!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

I cannot wait to see pictures of your New Year's Eve party! Happy Holidays everyone!

SURPRISE! Another New Year's GIVEAWAY!

2010-12-21T13:47:00.000-08:00

I am tickled pinker (er...more pink?) than I have ever been to offer you this second New Year's Eve party printables giveaway!

I have been in touch with Jen of BLUSH PRINTABLES, and she has been generous enough to offer a small sampling of her New Year's Eve Party Printables to one very lucky winner.

Blush Printables provides stationery design services for the do-it-yourself party planner, with a specific focus on brides. The best phrase to describe Blush Printables is "designer, couture stationery." Every stationery need is met by the selections of printables they offer (custom stamps, save-the-dates, invites, monograms, address labels, favor boxes, etc)! What bride would not want stationery products such as these:

Fortunately for those of us who do not have a wedding to plan, Blush Printables also offers stationery for other occasions including baby showers, birth announcements, holidays, children's birthday parties, etc.

When I saw Blush Printables, New Year's Eve collection for this year, I was simply floored. Their designs are exquisite! They have print-ready options for a "blinged" out New Year's party and a typographic/stylish New Year's party.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
One winner will be selected on Thursday, December 23 at 2:00pm using random.org. The entry period is short to provide the winner with time to print and put together the printables they win from this giveaway, to order additional matching printables as necessary (Blush Printables), to mail New Year's Eve party invites, etc. before December 31!

GIVEAWAY ITEM:
The set includes NYE-themed flags (which can be used a straw flags, food picks, and champagne glass stem wraps)) and square labels (which can be used in square format or punched with a 2.5" circle punch; can be used as cupcake topppers, mini coasters/mini napkins, favor tags, etc.)

The giveaway winner will be e-mailed one of the following files (winner's choice):

GIVEAWAY ENTRY: (3 Ways to Enter!)
1. Visit Blush Printables. Return to this blog and comment regarding your favorite Blush Printables stationery item.

2. Become a fan of Pocket Full of Parties on Facebook. Click here. Return to this blog and comment that you have done so.

3. Become a fan of Blush Printables on Facebook. Click here. Return to this blog and comment that you have done so.

**Please be sure to include your first name and your e-mail address with each comment, so I know how to reach you when the giveaway ends on DECEMBER 23rd.**

Thank you so much for visiting! :) I cannot wait to see your comments and to find out who the lucky winner will be!!

Giveaway WINNER

2010-12-14T11:24:00.000-08:00

We have a giveaway winner. The lucky winner of DIY printable New Year's Eve invites and favor tags designed by Little Ladybug Designs is (drum roll please...)

THE SWEETEST THING!!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Please come back and share pictures of your fabulous NYE party!

Our First GIVEAWAY Ever!!!

2010-12-03T11:57:00.000-08:00

Pocket Full of Parties is excited to announce the commencement of OUR FIRST GIVEAWAY EVER!!

With the holiday season well on its way, I wanted to offer to my blog readers a unique set of items to win related to the time of year, as well as to help showcase and promote another party professional.

In brainstorming ideas for giveaways and searching party-related websites on the internet, I realized that there was a lack of New Year's Eve party printables. I decided I wanted to giveaway a small package of party printables for anyone planning or hoping to plan a fabulous New Year's Eve bash!

I have built a wonderful working relationship with Kim of Little Ladybug designs (website and blog), and I was pleased that she was on board to offer something for this giveway!!

Since I am in the children's party planning business, I asked Kim to design something with families in mind. So here you have it: a New Year's Eve family and friends party invitation and matching favor tags!

INVITE

FAVOR TAGS

(I recommend using a 2-inch circle punch)

At the end of this giveaway period (Monday, December 13th), the winner (generated by random.org) will be e-mailed the files for the DIY invitation and DIY favor tags.

HOW TO ENTER: (8 ways to enter!)

1. Post a comment here telling me about the New Year's Eve party you would plan with these invitations and favor tags.

2. Blog about this giveaway. Post a comment here that you have done so, and provide the link to your blog post!
3. Click below and share this post on your Facebook page! Come back here, and post a comment that you have done so.
4. Click below and share this post on Twitter! Come back here, and post a comment that you have done so.

5. Head over to Little Ladybug Designs' Facebook page and click "Like." Don't be afraid to give some love to Kim on this FB fan page! Come back here, and post a comment that you have done so.
6. Head over to Pocket Full of Parties' Facebook page and click "Like." Don't be afraid to give me some love over there!! Come back here, and post a comment that you have done so.
7. Post a comment sharing your favorite product from Little Ladybug Designs' website.
8. Become a follower of this Pocket Full of Parties blog, and post a comment here that you have done so.

**Please be sure to include your first name and your e-mail address with each comment, so I know how to reach you when the giveaway ends on DECEMBER 13th.**

Thank you so much for visiting! :) I cannot wait to see your comments and to find out who the lucky winner will be!!

Pocket Full of Parties {Monday's Great Find}

2010-11-29T19:42:00.000-08:00

This Monday evening, I would like to share an amazing resource in the candy and sweets world: Sweets Indeed!! Sweets Indeed specializes in custom, high-end dessert and candy displays. My favorite thing that they offer are the candy kabobs! You have to take a look at their website (candy kabobs) to see for yourself what they are, because my description alone cannot do them justice....did ya look yet?! Are you not AMAZED?!

I ordered 12 of them for Kira's August birthday party and used them as a centerpiece at the kids table. They were one of my favorite, whimsical, and delectable purchases for Kira's party.

I am telling you, if you want to add holiday magic to your Christmas celebration this year, you must reserve your holiday-themed Candy Kabobs ASAP!!! Follow this link: Reserve Candy Kabobs

I would love to hear your stories about your experiences with Sweets Indeed and their candy kabobs. Post/comment here!

A Pocket Full of Parties Thanksgiving!

2010-11-26T11:56:00.000-08:00

Pocket Full of Parties {Monday's Great Find}

2010-11-15T16:12:00.000-08:00

Life has been crazy for the past several months, so I have majorly slacked on taking time to give love to other professionals in the party planning business! But, today is a new day, and I am re-committing myself to posting a "Monday's Great Find" blog at least semi-regularly.

Today, I would like to feature someone who is a wonderful contact in the industry and who has become a great friend (even though we have not yet met!).

Her name is Kim, and she is the owner of Little Ladybug Designs (custom announcements, invitations, and more).

Little Ladybug designs has been in business for three years now, ever since Kim and her husband adopted their precious daughter.

Even with a quick glance on her boutique's website, you can see that Kim offers a plethora of products, from announcements, to invitations, to photo cards, to stationary (and much more). I especially would like to feature some of her newest items. While it is still the fall season, I am honored to show off her Pumpkin Patch printables set (available here):

The photography for this line is gorgeous and showcases it well! I love the colors in this set. My favorite printable items are the bunting banner (so cute!!) and the straw tags. This entire set would make for a wonderful fall-themed party or for Thanksgiving decor.

Additionally, I have fallen in love with Kim's die cut holiday photo cards (available here). I think these are the holiday cards I am going to send out this year!! I just have to decide which one to choose! Here they are, each one more unique than the next:

I must ask, which one would you order if you were me?!

Besides what is pictured in this blog, there is so much more to see! Please visit Kim and Little Ladybug Designs at her boutique's website, on her blog, and on Facebook.

Red and Green Holiday Party

2010-11-14T11:25:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my last post, the ideas for holiday parties are endless. Shown in this post is my sample inspiration collage for a traditional red and green themed party, with an emphasis on Christmas trees. You can purchase a similar inspiration collage, personalized to your own needs, for $25! E-mail me at pocketfullofparties@gmail.com to request your holiday party collage (with all sources).

Also, I wanted to mention that I am going to try to continue my "Mondays Great Find" tradition, which has been on hold since August. Due to my busy schedule as a working mom, I may not be able to do this every Monday, but I will do it as often as I can. Tomorrow, I have a feature coming up that I am very excited about! Come back tomorrow to find out what party planning business I will feature!! :)

SOURCES:

Tree with Printable Ornaments

Holiday Party Invitation

Red and Green Candy Corn Favor

Colored Paper Christmas Tree

Ribbon Wreath (makes a great craft activity for children)

Green Christmas Tree Centerpiece

Christmas Tree Cookies

Modern Christmas Tree Fondant Cupcake Topper

Candy Cane Platter

A Children's Winter Party Inspiration Collage

2010-11-12T10:57:00.000-08:00

Although I am currently dreaming up Thanksgiving party plans for my own family, winter and the holidays of December are on the back of my mind!

I decided to put together Winter Wonderland children's party collages to inspire myself as well as my readers. In my search for winter party ideas, I have found ENDLESS inspiration!! The current collage I put together was motivated by the themes of snowmen, snowflakes, and Santa and also by the colors of ice blue and red.

I will hopefully do an entire series of collages on winter holidays, so stay tuned! (And remember, you can have a custom inspiration collage for your own party for just $25!)

Candy Cane Arrangement

http://tomkatstudio.blogspot.com/

Holiday Tablescape

http://tomkatstudio.blogspot.com/

Holly Jolly Cupcake Toppers

http://koriclarkdesigns.wordpress.com/

Snowflake T-Shirt

http://www.etsy.com/shop/modernfrills

Snowman Cupcake

http://www.hellosugar.se/

Snowman Cupcake Tree with Large Topper

http://shindig-parties.com/

Snowman Tablescape

http://shindig-parties.com/

Snowman Craft

http://www.azlearningbug.com/workshops/crafts/

Santa Craft

http://www.trioeventskids.com/

Stacked Donuts

http://www.partystart.me/partystart/

Snowman and Snowflake Cookies

http://www.partystart.me/partystart/

Purple Psychic Party

2010-11-07T13:09:00.000-08:00

My cousin, best friend, and creative consultant for Pocket Full of Parties just held her 27th birthday party, inspired and designed by Pocket Full of Parties (although the business focuses on children, we cannot resist planning ANY great party!).

The theme was psychic readings/fortune telling, and the color scheme was purple, silver and gold. The best part of the party, of course, was the psychic who provided 30-minute readings to all interested party guests (and, let me tell you, based on Melissa's reading, this psychic was GOOD!!).

The party guests delighted over all of the little details: the amazing invite (designed by Melissa herself), a signature purple party cocktail (e-mail me for the recipe...it was a hit!), rooms illuminated by color-coordinated candles, an amazing selection of appetizers (fried ravioli being my favorite choice!), and the perfect sprinkling of purple desserts (lavender M & M's in purple bowls, a purple flowered ice cream cake, and brownies drizzled in purple frosting and presented in gold cupcake wrappers).

The mystical mood was enhanced by a combination of relaxing mood music (think yoga) and modern music with just the right flair (think Silversun Pickups, Muse, Metric, Incubus, Shiny Toy Guns, etc).

Additionally, guest entertainment and fortune-telling fun was enhanced by way of fortune cookies and Magic 8 Balls (so hip!). Also, a spiritual healer accompanied the psychic and kept the guests mesmerized between psychic readings.

This was one fabulous birthday party with a theme that tops my list of unique party ideas!

Fall is in the Air...

2010-10-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

Although I live in Florida, the state of eternal heat and humidity, I can definitely tell that fall is in the air. Our weather has been cooler (80 instead of 95, with 50s and 60s at night), Halloween decorations are adorning homes in our neighborhood, Guavaween (Tampa's Halloween festival) is weeks away, etc. I thought I would celebrate the coming of Fall, and all things related to Fall, with this blog post. I have a fall-themed party to present as well as a harvest-party inspiration collage that I put together.

My cousin and creative director, Melissa, lives on Long Island, NY, where I truly believe that celebrations have developed into an art form.

This weekend, she went to a fall-themed birthday/anniversary party that was so fabulous, I was jealous I could not attend (as I live in a completely different state, 1000 miles away). There was a decadent cocktail hour, a three course meal, a tiered cake, a dessert spread, and dancing all night long (to the actual band the Duprees, nonetheless!). These pictures provide just a taste of this fabulous fall event:

Fall also inspired me to put together this inspiration collage which reminds me of harvest-time, Halloween, and Thanksgiving goodness all combined into one. I hope this collage inspires you to plan such a warm and festive party!

Harvest Party Inspiration Collage

Sources

Favor Tags on Black and White Polka Dot Favor Box

http://www.etsy.com/shop/tomkatstudio

Orange and Black Lollipops

http://www.hammondscandies.com/index.php

Blue Check Cupcake Wrappers and Toppers

Harvest Invitation

http://celebrationshoppe.com/

Chocolate Dessert Platter

http://www.brownies.com/default.aspx

Harvest Paper Cones

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PoshPartyPretties

Autumn Dessert Table

www.pizzazzerie.com

Harvest Cake Bunting

http://www.etsy.com/shop/KikiLaRu

Harvest Favor Circles (For use as cupcake toppers, favor tags, etc.)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/papercupcakedesigns

Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Whoopie Pies

http://www.sweetjaneswhoopiepies.com/

Pumpkin Fondant Cupcake Topper

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TwoSugarBabies

Orange and Black Dessert Table

http://www.amyatlas.com/index.php/main/

Orange Fabric Flag Bunting

http://www.etsy.com/shop/giggleberry

Harvest Surprise Balls

http://www.acmepartybox.com/

A Remarkable Red and White Wedding...

2010-10-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

I just spent the weekend in St. Louis, MO for my youngest cousin's wedding. From the pre-party to the ceremony to the reception, everything was beautifully coordinated!

First, I have to give props to my cousin Jeffrey, who did the graphic design work (save-the-dates, invites, etc.) BTW, he is the one who designed the logos for Pocket Full of Parties! Second, I have to acknowledge the amazing and enchanted ceremony location that my cousin and her husband chose. I can see how this pavilion inspired the entire red and white whimsical theme.

The pre-party held on Friday night incorporated the red and white theme. What stood out to me were the yummy cupcakes with the red and white toppers that my cousin made! (Creativity and craftiness must run in the family!)

When I arrived at the ceremony on Saturday afternoon, I was immediately struck by the little details: popcorn and lemonade for the guests as this is a favorite of the couple, programs and table signs designed to match the save-the-dates and wedding invitations, etc.

The bridesmaids, groomsmen, and groom coordinated with simple outfits that complimented the theme. But, the icing on the cake for sure was the beautiful bride!! Her dress was modern and stunning, and her beauty truly popped with her to-die-for red shoes and red bouquet! These were first viewed as she arrived to the ceremony with her dad (my uncle) by horse and carriage.

The reception to follow was held in a microbrewery - how very cool and very St. Louis! As I walked up the stairs into the reception room, I was filled with anticipation regarding what further decor would greet me. I was not disappointed. There was absolutely perfect place card holders, darling favors, tastefully dressed tables, and a fabulous wedding cake (that was yummy, too).

I hope my cousin's wondrous red and white wedding provides some inspiration to you in planning your own affair!

Inspiration Collage for a Boys Party!

2010-09-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun researching for and creating this inspiration collage! I wanted to focus on young boys and what many of them love best: BUGS! Yuck! :) There are so many fun things that you can do with this theme. Here is my inspiration collage (Cost to purchase a similar inspiration collage with sources: $25):

Sources for the Boys Bug Party

Dragonfly Lights

http://www.oogalights.com

Spider Pinata
http://www.findgift.com

Bug T-Shirt

http://www.etsy.com/shop/appledonia

Hanging Blue Dragonfly (available in other “boy appropriate” colors)

http://www.bugs-n-blooms.com

Assorted Exotic 8” Dragonflies

http://www.partycheap.com

Bug Juice

http://hurrayic.blogspot.com

Gummy Bug Dessert

http://hurrayic.blogspot.com

Bug Antennae Headbands

http://www.theatrehouse.com

Bug Catchers

http://www.ebay.com

Printable Bug Coloring Sheet

http://familyfun.go.com/

Bug Party Printables

http://www.etsy.com/shop/chickabug

Simple Bug Invite

Bug Sweets Jars
Bug Cupcake Tree

http://ohgoodiedesigns.blogspot.com

Introducing Inspiration Collages

2010-09-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

Looking for a fun way to get inspiration on a party? Try one of our inspiration collages!

An Inspiration collage is perfect for the true Party Do-It-Yourself-er! If you need a little inspiration to get started on planning your child's party, a party inspiration collage provided by Pocket Full of Parties is the perfect fit! Your custom party inspiration collage will include 8-12 photos, along with the sources. The photos will include coordinated ideas for decorations, desserts, & party printables. The collage is digital and will be e-mailed to you. The cost is $25.

Inspiration for a Pink Party!!

Inspiration Collage Sources:

Pink Cupcake Tree

http://www.amyatlas.com/index.php/main/

Pink Striped Backdrop with Flag Banner

http://blog.amyatlas.com/

Pink Rock Candy

http://katelandersevents.blogspot.com/

Pink Cloth Napkins

http://katelandersevents.blogspot.com

Pink Tissue Poms

http://katelandersevents.blogspot.com

Pink Tablescape

http://katelandersevents.blogspot.com

Gingham Pink Party Hat

http://katelandersevents.blogspot.com

Pink Favor Idea with Printable Pink Party Circles

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaperandPigtails

Pink Party Invitations

http://www.thecelebrationshoppe.com/

Promotional Video

2010-09-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

My brilliant Creative Consultant, Melissa, created a promotional video for Pocket Full of Parties. I am in love with it! Check it out and let me know what you think. :o)

Oh, and I wanted to provide an explanation for why I have not done Monday's Great Find since about a month ago. Besides Kira's party distracting me, I have been putting a lot of work into the developement of the Pocket Full of Parties Business (developing packages and pricing, designing a brochure, putting together policies and a contract, advertisement, etc.) Once I feel as if I have a handle on this, I will again return to my usual Monday feature! I think it is so important for all party professionals to support and appreciate one another!

Children's Party Network

2010-09-20T17:46:00.001-07:00

I have been lucky enough to have had my daughter's second birthday party featured on a variety of amazing party planning websites and blogs. I am finally posting some pictures from the party here on my blog!!

What is most exciting is that I was able to include this slide show here through a new website, the Children's Party Network. It is an online community of, well, children's party planners like myself. I am so excited to be a part of this community and to enjoy interacting with other party professionals! I hope you check this website out and that you enjoy the pictures of Kira's party!!

Find more photos like this on Children's Party Network

New Logo!!

2010-09-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

I have a cousin, Jeff, who is a talented graphic designer. Since July, we have been working together to develop a logo for Pocket Full of Parties. As of last week, we came up with two logo designs that I am thrilled about. I have decided to use both of them for different applications (business cards, letter head, etc.)

Here they are:

I am now officially ready to have permanent business cards:

Front:

Back

And other things I am considering ordering, such as a small car magnet and address labels:

In case you are interested, I developed the business advertising materials at Vistaprint.com

A fantastic feature!!!

2010-09-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

This was actually the first feature I obtained for Kira's party; although, it was published three days after Kate Landers featured the party. I am please, proud, elated, etc. to announce that Kira's party has been featured on Pizzazzarie.com on Monday, September 6. Courtney Dial, founder of Pizzazzerie is one of the sweetest people I have encountered in the entertaining world :) And, Crista, contributing writer, who put together this feature, did a beautiful job and was wonderful to collaborate with. So please, check out both my feature as well as Pizzazzarie's incredibly informative and stylish website!

I feel so lucky and tickled pink to be recognized by both Courtney Dial and Kate Landers. They are two of the best in the business!!

My First Party Feature

2010-09-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

I have been working on submitting photos of Kira's party to be featured on party websites. I am excited to announce that I have been honored with a feature on Kate Landers' blog, Stylish Children's Parties!! Check out the link to see the pictures and read Kate's account of Kira's 2nd birthday. :) :) :)

Party's Over!

2010-08-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

So, Kira's 2nd birthday party is over! Someone asked me today how it feels, and I said that I feel relieved. But, truly, I do not feel like it is over yet because there is more to look forward to! I cannot wait to get the photographer's photos, to start my quest of trying to be featured on party planning blogs, and finally to post photos here!

From Kira's party, I definitely learned the importance of being organized for a party far in advance. In fact, because it was held in my own home, I was able to slowly set things up over the weeks before the party (which proved to be invaluable!). Therefore, on the morning of the party, the only major thing I had to do was food preparation. I wonder how this is going to translate into planning parties for others? How do I set up a party at another location when I do not have access to it weeks and months before the party? I would love to hear advice from other party planners!

Believe it or not, the food prep was actually the most stressful part of the day. I did not think I had too much planned, especially since I was just having appetizers, but it sure did take up the entire morning and afternoon (even with the help of my mother and husband). I was disappointed, because we did not even get to make everything that we had planned, and all of the food was not displayed by the time guests started to arrive. I don't think I could have done anything differently, though. I started at 6:00am, baking cupcakes, and my mother and I never stopped until the last items were done. Perhaps, I could have prepped a few things the day before? I don't know. Anyway, in my professional business, I am not planning on providing food service myself, so I guess I do not have to worry about that. And, the food was a big hit, even if it was not all served at the exact time I wanted it to be.

Biggest hits with the children: ladybug coloring sheets, bug- and flower-related silly bands, party hats, craft activity, and bounce house my husband rented at the last minute (they are so much fun!)

Biggest hits with the adults: decor, dessert table, quiche and other foods, Kira's darling party dress, the DJ!!

I am off to bed for now - so tired!!

Not-so-Brief Update

2010-08-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

Since Kira's birthday party is coming up this Saturday, my life has been so busy and my head is spinning! Thus, I have decided to skip my Monday's Great Finds feature today and next Monday.

I am excited, nervous, anxious, thrilled (and any other like adjective that you can think of) about Kira's birthday party. I am feeling pretty confident about the decor and layout of the party. That is definitely my area of strength. I even feel pretty good about the scheduling of events during the party. My creative consultant, Melissa, the queen of planning and organizing, helped me to set up an exact schedule to follow so that all things I have planned for the party will fit into the three-hour time frame.

Here is the schedule (FYI: Meliss, I edited it just a tiny bit from the night we worked on it):

11:00 am Photographer arrives (I have a great story about this...will share later)

12:00 pm DJ arrives (Yes, I know it is over-the-top to have a DJ for a 2nd birthday party, but we happen to have a friend who is an amazing DJ and will be able to mix children's music with hip, modern and appropriate adult music)

1:00 -1:30 pm Guests arrive; Chad (hubby) will be responsible for taking a photograph of each child as soon as they enter our home

Hot and cold foods will be artfully on display on my gorgeous kitchen buffet. Will "model" eating for the guests to get everyone started :)

1:45 Craft activity with children (parents encouraged to help younger ones). They will be decorating picture frames with lady bug and flower stickers, and my hubby will be personalizing them with their names (he is awesome at lettering)

2:05 Children's time to get wild and have fun. We will have a bounce house in the back yard (I know, over-the-top as well, but my hubby is very excited about this, so I am pleased for his contribution).

For those who prefer to stay indoors (the FL heat can be unbearable!), there will be party dancing indoors. I will have a basket full of 2 ft long streamers for the children to dance with and wave around. Freeze dance is the Plan B activity to keep the dancing and fun going.

While this is going on, someone (likely my brother - surprise, if you are reading this!) will be printing the photos of each child that Chad took when they arrived.

There will also be ladybug coloring sheets and bowls full of crayons for children to color with during this time or any other time they need to be occupied.

3:05-3:15 Singing Happy Birthday to Kira and devouring the yummy cupcakes and desserts that everyone will sure to be eyeing up the entire time!

3:15 Gift opening. Move this quickly so it does not bore people. Eating, dancing, bounce house, etc can go on during this time for those that do not enjoy sitting and watching someone open gifts (I personally LOVE this, but I am not sure about others).

3:50-4:00 Pass out goody bags and completed picture frames (with photo inserted) to each child. Give away floral arrangements to adults (PLEASE: CAN SOMEONE HELP ME COME UP WITH A CREATIVE IDEA FOR HOW TO DO THIS? I'D LOVE TO DO SOME TYPE OF CONTEST, BUT I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING REALLY UNIQUE!)

Guests go home and we are left with - ugh - clean up! :)

--

Photographer Story: My photographer, Gary Kaplan, called me on Friday and informed me that he will be bringing along with him his good friend, who just happens to be Colin Cowie's official photographer, to the photo shoots. Seriously! The Colin Cowie. The photographer of Colin Cowie. Photographing MY party. I am hyperventilating just thinking about it. Cannot speak (er, type) in complete sentences. Oh - my - goodness. I do not know how this has happened to me, but I am thrilled!!!!!

In addition to shooting the party, they will be coming on Friday to do an individual photo shoot with Kira (and I am hoping they could potentially get some head shots of me!). I have three outfits planned for Kira to wear for this. One is the lady bug outfit that she will wear the next day when she is ready to get down and dirty and change out of her party dress. The other is an adorable black, red, and white poppy dress (from Gymboree). Kira looks amazing in red, so this is a perfect outfit choice. Finally, the last ensemble is the AMAZING monarch butterfly costume that I purchased from Adisten's Closet. It arrived in the mail last week and is stunning (this will also be her Halloween costume in October). The only thing I am panicked about is that I am quite certain that Kira will not want to wear the hat or the wings that go with the costume. And, these are the best, KEY features of the outfit. "Just breath Andrea - she will wear it, she will wear it," I tell myself in mantra fashion. :)

That is all for now, although I know I have more to say. The hyperventilating over Colin Cowie has caused short-term memory loss - LOL!

Giveaways...

2010-08-12T23:19:00.000-07:00

Check out some of the amazing giveaways at Fabulous Fun Finds' blog!

Pocket Full of Parties {Monday's Great Find}

2010-08-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

So, I thought I would be too busy today to blog about another of my favorite party planning businesses. But, I decided I cannot skip a Monday! It is one of my favorite things to do - giving love to amazing people, businesses, and artisans!

Today's "Great Find" may likely be one that you are already familiar with (especially if you have read through all of my blog). But I am featuring it anyway, because the designer's work blows me away everytime I see something new from her! And, hopefully, I may spread the word to a few people who do not already know about this business.

Monday's Great Find is....Paper and Pigtails (check out Etsy Shop and Blog).

Kori, the owner and designer, is a lovely friend of mine with an amazing spirit and a beautiful family. I remember when I first met Kori and her husband (then fiance). Chad and I had just moved into our first house, the neighborhood was new, and we did not know many people. We were walking our Brussels Griffon, Baxter Blackbeard, and Kori and her husband were just getting out of their car in front of the home they were building (Are you feeling nostalgic Kori? I know you must now that you will be passing that home on to someone else!). Kori showed love to Baxter, and both of them were so friendly and warm. We left that first meeting excited that we would have such cool neighbors. And, they did grow into great friends during the time we lived in that neighborhood. We had some fun pre-children times :) Chad and I moved out of that house a little under two years after first meeting Kori. We lost touch for a couple of years, but I found her again through Facebook, this time post-children on both of our ends:) I have since discovered her amazing artistic talent!

Paper and Pigtails' Etsy shop is a DIY party printables shop. Kori designs all of the graphics. You can find anything from invitations to cupcake toppers to snack cups. She has many lovely designs and themes available, but the best thing about Paper and Pigtails is that she is able to do custom orders in whatever theme you can dream up. And, she can do pretty much any type of DIY party printable that you can imagine. For Kira's party, I ordered invitations, address labels, water bottle labels, favor tags, food and drink labels, etc.

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I attended Kori's daughter's third birthday party this weekend. It was amazingly designed and planned! Everything I thought it would be and more! I know she will post her own pictures, and I do not want to spoil that for her, but here is a "sneak peek" picture that I took (excuse the fact that I am NOT a professional photographer!!).

Please visit Paper and Pigtails Etsy shop and order away for all of your party needs! You will not be disappointed!

A Weekend Full of Parties :)

2010-08-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

I am so very excited for it to be Friday, Aug 6th right now! I have a weekend of parties to attend, and I cannot wait!

This evening, my husband and I will be going to a party together with friends. It is a bit "rock and roll," so we have amazing outfits planned (my dress was custom-designed by couture fashion designer Raven Reda of Tampa, FL). Will post pics later!

Saturday morning, my daughter and I have the honor of attending the 3rd birthday party of Kori's daughter (of Paper and Pigtails). While Kori has mentioned that she is not a party planner (I recommend you read her blog: http://koriclarkdesigns.wordpress.com/), I am confident that this party is going to be amazing and beautiful! How can it not be, when Kori is so very artistic! If she okays it, I will post pictures from this party as well!

Saturday afternoon, I will be going to my neighbors house, to help her decorate for her son's 3rd birthday party, which will be on Sunday morning. The party is Peter Pan themed, and I think it is going to be a precious event! I hope I will be of at least a little help to her in figuring out where all of her decorations and party things should go.

So, then obviously Sunday morning is the neighbor's Peter Pan party. My husband will be able to come with me to this party because he is not working. I am so excited to see this event unfold! My neighbor has put so much work and love into her planning, so I know it is going to be fabulous fun!

And, this weekend puts us at the two-week countdown to Kira's 2nd birthday party and my first custom-designed children's party!

Can life get any better?! :)

Pocket Full of Parties {Monday's Great Find}

2010-08-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

I have an endless list of favorite party-related websites so I think I will be doing "Monday's Great Find" for months and months to come! If you have not been featured yet and would like to be, just comment here or e-mail me at pocketfullofparties@gmail.com

This week's great find is (drum roll please)...Giggleberry Creations

Giggleberry Creations makes the most beautiful fabric bunting I have yet to come across. I cannot wait to order bunting for a future event or decorating need (I have already gone WAY overboard for Kira's party and her room is already too full of decor, so these options are currently out). Here is a wonderful bio about the business and its owner Amy:

My name is Amy, I am a WAHM mum of 3 busy bees and I just love to create! Giggleberry Creations was started after I wanted to find a unique item to decorate my daughters bedroom that I could also match to her new quilt handmade by my mum. I had a play around with the left over fabrics from the quilt and came up with the very first Giggleberry bunting. After making sets for my nieces and nephews I had family and friends asking for buntings to match their decor or party themes and before I knew it I was taking regular order from all over the world.

Giggleberry's fabric bunting banners add character to any space. Lovingly handmade with care, each flag is double sided so can be hung across a room without hems or 'wrong side' of fabric showing. Every Giggleberry banner is professionally finished with a fabric tag and heat sealed grosgrain ribbon.

Our banners have been made for bedrooms, cubby houses, parties, play rooms, weddings, nurseries, market stalls, shop fronts, holidays, even caravans!

If this has not won you over yet, here are some beautiful photos of her bunting creations:

Look how amazing the bunting looks as part of everyday decor!

Please check out Giggleberry Creations on any of the following websites: http://www.etsy.com/shop/giggleberry or http://giggleberrycreations.blogspot.com or http://www.facebook.com/giggleberrycreations

Dessert Table

2010-07-31T10:54:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-28T16:28:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

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

Picasa

2010-07-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-28T07:55:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-07-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

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}

2010-07-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-07-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-19T01:06:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-16T23:21:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-13T23:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-13T00:28:00.000-07:00

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.

--

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!

2010-07-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

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!

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

2010-07-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-10T15:32:00.000-07:00

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!

Pocket Full of Parties

Perfect for a Holiday Weekend: Home Made Ice Cream Cones!

My baby's going on THREE!

Color Inspiration

{Monday's Great Find} An New Bakery Business

An {Under the Sea} Party!

A Crafty Kind of Day {Part 1}

Playing around with Mac Software

I have a Button!

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

Christmas Card 2011

New Year's Eve: Pocket Full of Parties Style

Blush Printables Giveaway Winner!

SURPRISE! Another New Year's **GIVEAWAY!**

**Giveaway WINNER**

Our First **GIVEAWAY** Ever!!!

Pocket Full of Parties {Monday's Great Find}

A Pocket Full of Parties Thanksgiving!

Pocket Full of Parties {Monday's Great Find}

Red and Green Holiday Party

A Children's Winter Party Inspiration Collage

Purple Psychic Party

Fall is in the Air...

A Remarkable Red and White Wedding...

Inspiration Collage for a Boys Party!

Introducing Inspiration Collages

Promotional Video

Children's Party Network

New Logo!!

A fantastic feature!!!

My First Party Feature

Party's Over!

Not-so-Brief Update

Giveaways...

Pocket Full of Parties {Monday's Great Find}

A Weekend Full of Parties :)

Pocket Full of Parties {Monday's Great Find}

Dessert Table

First Collage

Temporary Business Card

Picasa

Party guests

A few more sneaks...

Pocket Full of Parties {Monday's Great Find}

What Comes Next?

It's all Coming Together

Some Sneak Peek Pictures!

Up late!

Blog Frog

A little snafu

Happy and Grateful!

Hard work

Exciting things!

We have a name!

More details and other stuff

Kira's 2nd Birthday Party: Details

First Post!

SURPRISE! Another New Year's GIVEAWAY!

Giveaway WINNER

Our First GIVEAWAY Ever!!!