Hostess with the Mostess®

Get ready for a serious dose of adorable!

Sarah from a Very Story Photography created this whimsical, dress-up “Vintage-Inspired Tea Party” for her daughter Emma’s birthday… and fans of the vintage-eclectic style of Amy Butler, Liberty of London, and Anthropologie should especially love this one!

From pink lemonade served in mason jars and handkerchief “napkins” to tea sandwiches and colorful paper flowers, the attention to detail here is fantastic! This is also a party that “girls” of all ages can appreciate – it’s full of lovely inspiration for occasions like bridal & baby showers too… or even a Mother’s Day brunch.

Read on for lots more pretty pictures and all the party details, as told by Sarah… Read More…

We have a new Surprise Giveaway for you that I think you’re going to LOVE! This one comes from LilyGirl – a fabulous jewelry design company founded by sisters Lori and Denise – who just happen to create their gorgeous, handmade pieces right here in San Diego County. =)

This week at HWTM, a $100 LilyGirl SHOPPING SPREE is up for grabs for a lucky reader! The shopping spree is good towards anything on www.shoplilygirl.com.

And there is LOTS to choose from…starting with their newest collection: A Bit Bohemian, which is full of intricate metal detailing mixed in with bright splashes of color (examples pictured above and below).

Next up: a few examples from the Celebration Series and Celebrate Love collections: Read More…

Waiter, there’s an ant on my cupcake!” That was one of the comments I got on twitter last night after posting these “Ants on a Picnic” cupcakes from What’s New, Cupcake?. =)

But wait… these are the kind of bugs that you actually WANT at your party! You know… the kind that are made from chocolate covered almonds and dark chocolate frosting and that aren’t really bugs at all! Added bonus… they come bearing CANDY FRUIT.

I love the idea of serving these up as a sweet, creative ending to your family picnic, summer BBQ, or a fun “bug themed” birthday party!

And if the picnic ants are feeling a little lonely as the only bug at the party, you can give them some company with this adorable Busy Bee Hive, which is also perfect for Bee or Garden-themed baby showers:    Read More…

Here’s a different kind of bridal shower centerpiece or accent decor idea that is cute, quick & easy, and can be customized to your own theme in so many ways…

I found this cute set of round red nesting boxes at IKEA for $9.99, stacked them, and wrapped each tier with a band of decorative paper that coordinated with the rest of the party.  For the “cake topper” – a framed print featuring a photo of the happy couple. This particular frame is double-sided and also from Ikea… and at only 99¢ you can’t beat the price! Read More…

Oh my goodness… this dinosaur-themed party by Kim from The Celebration Shoppe is SO amazing! Such a fun theme for a birthday boy too! Absolutely loving it…from the happy colors and treats to the kids photo booth. Read on for tons of great photos and party details below, as told by Kim.

(Added bonus: to make things especially easy if you want to recreate this party for your own little one – you can purchase a lot of these party details!)

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“Well, it is official. My youngest son is four… FOUR. And of course we celebrated in true dino-ROAR style, his absolute favorite. I shopped for just the right fabric, props, gifts, favors and activities for months and here are a few of the things I came up with. Let’s start at the candy table, the kids’ favorite… and maybe a few parents’ favorite too.

I found this beautiful fabric in the early planning stages and it made me think of the undergrowth of an overgrown forest. Use your imagination a little and you’ll be able to see it. Let’s face it, my T-Rex is blue so why can’t my forest be elegant with a splash of whimsy. {wink}

So starting with the cake tier – the centerpiece for my candy table – I made a T-Rex and a Stegosaurus topper, both inspired by a fabulous tutorial at A Baked Creation.

The table was teaming with treats, like salt water taffy, Read More…

I have TWO fun things to share with you today, (both courtesy of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!®)… a fabulous Summer Grilling Kit Giveaway for HWTM readers and a special Twitter Event coming up this Monday that I’ll be co-hosting!

Here are the details for both:

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BBQ TASTE & TWEET – Monday, July 26th:
With summer here, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® wants to help you get ready for grilling season with a fun Taste & Tweet Twitter event. We hope you will join us for a great evening of eating, Tweeting and sharing grilling and summer entertaining tips with @ICBINotButter, @HWTM_Jenn and @GrillCompanion.

The Taste & Tweet will take place on Monday, July 26th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm CST. Your first tweet including the hashtag for the event: #ICBINotButterBBQ, will automatically be entered in a sweepstakes to win one of two grand prizes. (Note – this sweepstakes is separate from the giveaway featured in this post.) Read More…