Retro bridal shower Mood Board

The retro bridal shower is getting closer and closer, so I of course have a to-do list and a checklist that is about a mile long. First on the list was to create a mood board to keep myself of track and to confirm the feeling of the party with the hostess. I wanted to keep things young and fresh with retro touches for the 21 year old bride-to-be. She is not as much into pink so I have tried to focus my attention on bringing out more of the green elements of the color pallet I am working with. Enjoy the mood board! 

Love is in Bloom : A Springtime Bridal Shower

These are some pictures from a bridal shower that my cousin Ashley threw for me a couple years ago. She wanted to create a "garden" atmosphere with the food and decoration selections she made. I enjoyed an afternoon with friends and family sipping tea and celebrating the marriage soon to take place. Thank you for this beautiful shower Ashley!....Enjoy the pictures everyone!

The words in the picture (below) read:

Roses are red, violets are blue

Matt popped the question, and Sara said "I do!"

Please take a "Love is in bloom" favor

Picture (below) of the "Love is in bloom" favors

Orla Kiely for Target.....fruity and cute!

I nearly gasped when I walked by the display at Target of the new fruity collection of dinnerware designed by Orla Kiely. Much to my surprise and delight I found more of her lovely designs when I went into the housewares department. I am love love loving this collection! I find myself wanting it ALL. Flowers or apples? Apples or pears? APPLES OR PEARS?! I cant' decide. I hope you have better luck than me. Happy shopping and happy Friday!

Cute Birthday Boy Invitations from paperbuzz.com

Planning a birthday party for a little boy? (or a big one?!) paperbuzz.com has got the cutest invitations for boys!I especially like that the giraffe invite works well as an invitation to a baby shower too! Check it out!

TOM'S SHOES

"Be The Change" is a new category that I am glad to introduce. I want to highlight some of the wonderful ways that people on our planet are choosing to help and support each other. Blake Mycoskie is the founder of Toms shoes, a company that is commited to being the change to children around the world. This company has a powerful missions statement: "For each item you purchase, Toms will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for one. Toms has already given away over 200,000 pairs of shoes to children in need, and the numbers are still climbing. Toms shoes are argentine style shoes that come in a variety of colors and fabrics. When you purchase a pair of Toms, you are not just providing for your own need but also for the need of another. I love this cause! Changing a life begins with a single step. Toms....shoes for tomorrow.

Bridal Shower with a Retro Vibe

I am currently brain storming about a bridal shower that I am going to be designing for the spring. I am planning the event with the bride's sister, I have never met the bride and I am trying to get a good idea of what she likes. She is 21 so I would like to keep things fun and traditional at the same time. Her sister says that she is not very prissy or fussy so I don't want to bombard her with lace and pearls. I'm thinking that a retro inspired, but not too kitchy shower with lots of bright colors may be just the ticket! I would love to take some traditional elements ( like the tissue paper bells ) and put a modern spin on them. For instance, maybe with the bells... hang them in clusters the way you more commonly see these days with paper lanterns, from colorful fabric ribbons?Here are some images that have inspired me so far! Please chime in if you have any ideas!

Pink and Green Party Pictures Are Here!

The party was a hit! All of Naomi's (the birthday girl) friends arrived at her house and found themselves in a pink and green wonderland! The first thing the party guests did was take silly pictures in front of a pink and green backdrop. While they played "Jonas Brothers Trivia" and "All About Naomi" we uploaded the pictures to a computer and sent them off to be developed at a local drug store. The kids were starting to get pretty hungry by this time so next it was hot dogs, buffalo wings, and chips. Let me tell you, 12 year olds sure can eat! After lunch , the girls decorated picture frames ( a popular activity ) and before we knew it, it was time to sing Happy Birthday ( in front of a pink and green cake of course ) and open presents. Naomi's birthday guests left with marabou trimmed favor buckets, and picture frames (that they decorated) with a photo of them and the Naomi!...What a blast!  Enjoy the pictures!

Pink and  green gatorade were served alongside water bottles with lime green labels.

Pink and green bandanas were used throughout the party space!

I painted a paper mache "N" that I got  from a craft store with lime green paint, and then used decoupage glue to attach pieces of a photo-copied hot pink bandana.

The pink and green candy buffet was VERY popular!

I used a cupcake stand to hold paper cups filled with green M&Ms.

Pink plastic shot glasses were re-purposed to hold pink and white nerds!

I trimmed pink and green buckets found at Target with marabou!

All the guests went home with lots of goodies and fun memories!