Today’s Real Party feature is a Charming Backyard Birthday theme that Kay created for her adorable daughter – Raffaella – to celebrate her first birthday. This party has so many pretty details… from makeshift dessert platters embellished with moss to artificial butterflies and colorful tissue poms.

The party details are very appropriate for a first birthday party, but they’d actually also translate well to adult occasions & holidays like bridal showers, Easter or Mother’s Day too!

Read on for all the pretty details, as told by Kay…

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“We were so happy at how great the party turned out. Everything went according to plan. Her birthday party was one of the best days, we were surrounded by the people we love most and we have a little girl who is happy, beautiful, and healthy. Nothing could be better than that.

Centerpieces:
I bought lots of glass jars and vases from discount stores like Marshalls and TJ Maxx. They ranged from $10-20. I didn’t want to use cut flowers; I wanted them to last in the house for a while after the party, therefore, I went with plants like ferns and Orchids. I added mosses and artificial butterflies to make it more cutesy. Artificial butterflies were purchased online from Barnard Ltd.

Poms Poms:
Poms poms are all the rage these days, so I definitely had to incorporate them into her party! I bought tissue paper in various shades from Paper-Source. I made a total of 17! We literally were making them up until the very first guest arrived.

Dessert Bar:
For the dessert bar, I went with French pastries made by a local bakery, Patisserie Chantilly. We had Macarons in 7 different flavors, Eclairs and Madelienes. We used different plates/platters and propped them up with bowls and mugs for some whimsy. The canopies that draped over the table were from IKEA.

I also didn’t want to do the traditional cake or the ever-so-popular cupcakes and opted instead for cream puffs. I purchased moss from The Home Depot for the makeshift cake stand (pictured at top) that held the cream puffs.

Drinks:
We also served pitchers of Fuzzless Navel (Orange Juice & Peach Nectar) which is the non-alcoholic version of the Fuzzy Navel. Both the kids and adults loved it!

Present Table:
I made the birthday pennants myself (see banner pictured at top), using paper from Joann Fabrics that was on sale. It was a great deal at 5 sheets for $1! I stapled them to strands of green ribbon and attached printed letters with double sided tape.

I also had two types of party favors, one for the adults and one for the kids. For the kid favors, I used Chinese take-out boxes (purchased from Uline) and added some ribbon and a sticker that I stamped the word “merci”. The adult favor were Meringues purchased from Trader Joes, wrapped up and tied off with cute brown faux bois ribbon from Joann.

Cheese Platter:
The cheese platter is actually something I am the most proud of!

I picked out all French cheese, except for the chedder =), Brie, St. Agur Blue, Comte, and Bucheron. They looked beautiful set again a dark slate platter. I used broken pieces of terracotta and alphabet stamps to write out the names of the cheeses on them. (I picked this idea up from a Danny Seo book. It’s a great way to reuse broken terracotta pots!)

Sitting Area:
We created a sitting area for the kids and their parents under green and white stripe hammocks-turned-canopies, that I picked up on sale from IKEA. I put a large blanket in the center and added some square end tables to complete the area.

And of course, thanks to my friend and photographer Brian Khang for taking such awesome pictures and allowing for me to share with everyone!”

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Such a pretty party, Kay! Thanks for sharing! =)

Today’s Real Party feature has got to be one of the cutest and most creative ideas I’ve stumbled upon in a while!  This adorable “Mr. Man” Theme was created by Christina Brian of the Full House blog in order to celebrate the birthdays of her (super-cute) TRIPLET boys AND her brother! (Side note Christina has twin girls too!)

From a garland of ties to hilarious chocolate mustaches, this party is full of great inspiration for both birthday parties of all ages and boy baby showers…

Check out these fun pics – such a great idea for photo opps!

Read on for lots more pics & all the details, as told by Christina…

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“So the Mr. Man party was so much fun. The welcome sign read, “Come One, Come All or just COMB over (get it!)…..MR. MAN PARTY “featuring” ANDREW & The BOYS“.

Yes my brother was so kind to share his birthday with my boys in which I am very grateful for….like he really had a choice in the matter! =)

This birthday meant that my boys were kind of a coming of age. When you hit 2 years old you’re kind of not a baby anymore so I had been a little sad to see this day come. That’s where the whole idea started unfolding in my head for a “Mr. Man Party”. If you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em.

Seriously it won’t be to long before they are wearing ties and carrying briefcases but hopefully not mustaches (unless they are chocolate ones on a stick). I promise to savor every last minute of these little tikes.

The cookies, especially the tie ones were so cute & tasty. Michelle makes very cute cakes as well…check her out.

The cupcakes were awesome because one of my favorite people came over and made them for me the day before the party. My Dad loved them so much that he even asked for the recipe. Perhaps I’ll post the recipe because they are sure to trick the pickiest of eaters. On second thought, I don’t know if I should because then my Dad would find out they were actually healthy & wouldn’t eat them again. They were made with agave nectar, whole grain spelt flour, coconut oil, pineapple and carrots.

The chocolate mustaches were a hit!

My Mom made the shirts (pictured below). The front had old ties sewed on with the back having their initial embroidered on it. Thank you Momma, they were perfect.

Don’t worry my brother got one too, except his said “The original Mr. Man” on the back. We really did call him Mr. Man when he was a little boy so it was very fitting!”

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So cute, Christina – thanks again for sharing!

I’m just now going through all the images from the Berry Sweet Baby Shower that I styled a couple weeks ago (see inspiration board here) and am planning to do a full recap soon, but I couldn’t resist posting a little sneak peek right now… so here goes!

{The images are courtesy of photographer Jillian Bisinger, who did a wonderful job capturing all the little details!}

This “Yummy Lollipop Display” featuring strawberry-flavored swirl pops was one of my favorite elements of the candy buffet (and super easy to put together!).

I also love this shot of mom-to-be Judy Reyes having fun with her guests…

More sweet things…

One of the 3 styles of table centerpieces…

Sparkling pomegranate signature drinks & another table centerpiece design:

Raspberry fruit jellies from the cupcake dessert bar, and the “big momma” of the 3 table centerpiece designs, used on the 2 largest rounds:

…that’s it for now – much more to come soon! =)

This gorgeous winery-inspired event by Beth Helmstetter features pretty florals in rich shades of burgandy/orange/coral, rustic elements like wooden wine boxes and barrels, and a mouth-watering spread of wines & cheeses (of course!)… all displayed in a gorgeous outdoor setting.

These images are great inspiration for a fall or winery-inspired wedding… and I also think the centerpieces would be lovely on a Thanksgiving table!

Read on for lots of pretty pics and party details, as told by Beth herself…

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“For this event we had over 150 people traveling from the east coast to Southern California. We decided to welcome them to the area by hosting a winery themed party with everything from a wine and cheese pairing during cocktail hour to a rustic family style dinner accompanied by classical guitars.

For the wine and cheese stations, we choose three regions from California including Central Coast, Sonoma and Napa. From there we selected a red and a white from each region and paired it with an appropriate cheese, crusty breads, spanish olives and dried fruits.

To add to the winery aesthetic we chose to serve the cheese in the full rounds rather than in bite sized pieces. This raw presentation was not only fun for the guests to dig into but it was also a beautiful way to add to the design of the event.

In lieu of traditional cocktail tables, we used wine barrels which were a hit!

For dinner everyone sat down to long, family style wood tables under a sky of raw Italian lights.

The centerpieces were created in wine boxes which I secured from the fine people at Costco and then had a carpenter cut them down to appropriate table sizes.

All in all, the event was meant to be a comfortable and approachable way to welcome guests all while introducing them to an experience that is regional to the state.”

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Gorgeous party, Beth! Thanks for sharing!

Resources & Credits:
Photographer: Steve Steinhardt
Location: Westlake Village Inn
Florals: Holly Flora
Furniture: Town & Country Event Rentals

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P.S. Love this style? Check out our other real party features by Beth:
• Cowboy Themed Baby Shower
• Eclectic Baby Shower
• Natural & Organic Wedding Reception

Today’s Real Party feature looks like so much fun! It’s a “Wild Rumpus” Birthday that Kristen Gau created to celebrate the milestone first birthday of her (super adorable!) son Henry.

Inspired by the colors of autumn and the Where the Wild Things Are book & movie, this party is packed with creative ideas! Read on for lots more pics & all the details, as told by Kristen…

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“My husband and I love reading Where the Wild Things Are to our son Henry and are have been a bit overly excited about the movie. Months ago when we learned the movie would be released one week before Henry’s first birthday, we decided a Wild Rumpus would be the perfect party theme!

My first inclination was to do a jungle atmosphere incorporating Max and the Wild Things, but the beautiful autumn colors here in the Midwest and close proximity to Halloween inspired me to give the “jungle” an autumn twist.

I designed the invitations in an orange, yellow and black, then made a pennant banner and door sign to match.

I coordinated the orange color in the printed elements to Paper Source’s papaya envelopes and used a roll of papaya wrapping paper as a table runner for the food table.

I also used my large collection of Paper Source die cut leaves to decorate the “trees“, which were fallen limbs that I spray painted black.

To bring in more elements of the book I found Where The Wild Things Are plush dolls from Crocodile Creek and boxed puzzles for the kiddies at Mudpuppy.

Food:
We had fruit cups and cheese sticks for the little ones and “grown up” kid food for the adults such as mac and cheese, gourmet grilled cheeses and pb&j sandwiches, tomato soup, apple slices and popcorn balls.

For the table I found some cute, colorful first birthday plates at Target and ordered the BEAUTIFUL mini cake and cupcakes from a local shop, The Cakery.

Henry loved his cupcake and got icing all over himself as every one year old should.

Party Favors: Oh Henry Bars, orange fangs, and crowns!

Henry’s Wild Thing onesie and Max costume were handmade by sellers on Etsy and I sewed the crown and bib.

My husband designed and built “Max’s private boat” that fits over the top of Henry’s new red wagon. We plan to pull our little Wild Thing around in the boat for trick or treating.

We had a perfect day for the party and enjoyed celebrating our little man’s first birthday with our family and friends. Even though Henry will likely not remember his first birthday, I wanted to make it special and it will be a memory I will always treasure.”

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Everything turned out SO CUTE, Kristen! Thanks for the party inspiration!

I can’t tell you how many emails I’ve received lately asking about New Moon party ideas!  I’ve been working on the new movie quote designs and they’re coming tonight… it will be late-night though!

In the meantime, I wanted to share this email I recently received from Jackie Culmer about a Twilight/Breaking Dawn themed bachelorette party that she created for a close friend.

There are so many fun, clever details in here – from the invite wording to the mini first aid kits… and it’s always such a cool feeling to see my original Twilight quotes & labels in action at others’ parties! =)

Here’s the email from Jackie with more info on the party…

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“I just wanted to thank you for the Twilight theme inspiration and signs. I used them for a friend’s Bachelorette party. She is obsessed with Twilight (as we all are) so I called it the “Breaking Dawn Bachelorette – Party ’til the sun comes up.”

I got a life size cut out of Edward for pictures and “Twilighted” the room out with your quotes & drink labels, candles, red ribbon, and pictures of the bride to be.

I gave a way red satin wristlets that included a “note from Edward” (typed in the signature “Be Safe” font) that read “Thank you for coming to help Kat celebrate her last night as a human.”, along with “No Blood, No Foul” mini first aid kits for any clumsiness (one of Bella Swan’s key attributes) and “Vampires get headaches?” Ibuprofen packs for hangovers.

The wristlets were only $1 at Target (purchased a while ago), and I paid $0.97 for the mini first aid kits (also at Target). The ibuprofen packs were little tubes that came with 3 tubes per pack (about $4.95 at CVS).

Since it was a bachelorette party, we wanted the bride-to-be to stand out (sans the typical bachelorette gear) so I had all the girls wear black while the bachelorette wore white. I also gave her a white flower clip with feathers – only $5.95 at H&M.

Also, our jello shooters were dark cherry flavored so they looked like “Blood Shots” which also worked nicely for our Halloween party!”

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More party shots:

The Invitation:

Note: Check out the ultra-creative wording on the invite – she incorporated the bachelorette party message perfectly into the key quote from the Twilight book jacket! I especially love the modified parts about “thirsting for one last night out” and being “unconditionally and irrevocably happy for them“. So clever!

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Looks like such a fun bachelorette party, Jackie! Thanks for sharing! =)

Kara from Kara’s Party Ideas hosted a “Chic Halloween Dinner” party last weekend that looks like so much fun! I’m especially loving the black & orange drip candles, shimmery accents, black crows, and wine glasses rimmed with orange sparkle gel.

Read on for lots more images and details, as told by Kara…

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“I hosted my Chic Halloween Dinner last week, which had a ‘black damask’ theme along with the obvious color palette of orange and black. I also added accents of shimmer and chandeliers.

I found the perfect Elegant Black Damask printable party pack on Paper & Cake {place cards, napkin rings, cupcake toppers, etc}!

I topped the glasses with orange sparkle gel icing and added spider rings to the bottoms:

I love this black shimmery candelabra…

{Also pictured above: licorice wheels that were hung above the dessert table, as inspired by Amy Atlas}

More shimmery party decor…

Drinks: I put orange Jones Soda in a black cauldron filled with ice and set Monster energy drinks out {in the “Khaos” flavor that matched the black and orange theme perfectly}. The crow on top was inspired by Hostess with the Mostess…

The Dessert Table:

The cute cupcake toppers were part of the Paper & Cake printables. I also made this chocolate pistachio ganache cake {recipe found in Celebrate magazine..it’s the cake that’s on the front cover}. It turned out really good & tasty!

I added masks to the little figures on the cookies…

The Oreos were rolled in orange and black sprinkles..

And last but not least, the party favors were my homemade caramel apples and/or cute little boxes {paper & cake} filled with candy corn.”

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Fabulous Halloween party, Kara! Thanks for sharing it!

Welcome to Part 2 of our “Wicked Bling” Halloween feature… Angela from Fantasy Celebrations is back with some creative ideas on how to incorporate this theme into a spooktacular dinner party tablescape!

Here are all the DIY details, as told by Angela:

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“Just for fun, I repurposed some of the elements used for the Wicked Bling Cocktail Party to design a tablescape with the same theme.

For the place settings, I used the same plates from last year’s Halloween tablescape, but added pizzazz with fab silver charger plates from Z Gallerie. The skeletons attached to the place cards were actually part of a string of skeletons garland from Michaels.

I used the bendable silver tree (ZGallerie) as decor for the client’s piano over the weekend, and it was the perfect centerpiece for my tablescape. I kept the black web, but instead of foam skulls as ornaments, I used “crystal” Christmas ornaments from Hobby Lobby.

The candlesticks for the skulls had started out gold, but having only spent about $13 ea. on them (from HomeGoods), I didn’t feel too bad about spray-painting them silver. The frame was another great HomeGoods find for under $10!”

{silver skeleton hand from Z Gallerie; shown with votive candle and glittery spider}

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For more on this Wicked Bling Halloween party theme, be sure to check out Part 1, posted earlier today!

I’m so excited to share this next Real Party with you… and there’s so much to share that it’s coming in a double-dose! (Part 2 coming later today.) This glitzy Halloween party is a sparkly, adult-oriented “Wicked Bling” bash created by the always-fabulous Angela of Fantasy Celebrations.

Read on for all the spooky-chic details, as told by Angela herself…

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This past weekend, Fantasy Celebrations styled an event for a client’s annual Halloween party, which has become a tradition among her friends who look forward to a spirited event, sans the children. This year, she asked me if I could provide a little style for an always-fun party.

While deciding the theme, I became obsessed with blinged-out skulls … so “Wicked Bling” it was! All of our sparkly skulls were purchased at HomeGoods for about $7 each. I accented with black and white damask print for the tags and labels for a touch of trendy sophistication.

The Candy Bar was stocked with orange saltwater taffy , rock candy and gum balls from Bulk Candy Store, chocolate kisses, Tootsie Pops, candy bars, bakery-fresh cupcakes and chocolate-covered apples.

The Tootsie Pops were covered with black tissue and embellished with acrylic gems a la The Hostess! I love how this little expensive trick can be used with a candy bar of any color palette.

We also wrapped chocolate bars in black tissue accented with the customized labels. All labels and tags were designed for us by Laura at Tickled Plum.

Laura’s awesome labels also added polish to inexpensive orange soda and root beer.

The rhinestone embellished chargers for the cupcakes, the tray for the chocolate-covered apples, and the silver skeleton hand holding the votive all were purchased at Z Gallerie.

For the Candy Bar’s décor, we used skeleton heads propped up on old, repurposed candle sticks and a plaster column. Silver sequin fabric from Hobby Lobby added some sparkle. All of the candy containers were purchased at HomeGoods for less than $15 each.

The handrail of the stairs was draped with yards of black tulle, silver garland (Christmas garland from Michaels) and spiders painted silver.

The stairs led guests to the bar area. When I first saw the client’s cozy game room, I knew it would be a great little area for chatting and sipping cocktails! The barstools and taller tables we rented gave the space a clubby feel, and the skulls , sequin accents and votives detailed with acrylic gems added our bling.

We gave the skulls height using pillar candleholders and accented with bits of feathered boa.

We had so much fun with our wicked bling Halloween theme!”

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Such a cool Halloween party, Angela – thanks so much for sharing!

Like this look? Stay tuned for Part 2 – the Wicked Bling Tablescape… coming later today!

This fabulous new Real Party feature comes from Jessica of Party Box Design.

From spiked cider served in mason jars to the “caution!” candy buffet and “boo-licious” DIY cupcake & caramel apple tower, this party is loaded with tons of spooky-sweet inspiration for Halloween!

Read on for all the details, as told by Jessica herself…

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“I love throwing parties, I live for it! I also LOVE the fall, and just couldn’t resist the opportunity to throw a Sunday Funday Halloween Party with cocktails & “harvesty” beer.

I believe every party deserves a cocktail, and every cocktail deserves a tag! For this event I went with a mix of cider, grand marnier, and rum for the signature cocktail… simple but SO fantastic!

I also created fun drink labels so the adults could easily distinguish between the spiked “cautious cider” and the non-alcoholic “spooky cider“.

Mason jars served as glasses for the cider. They added warmth and character to the party – and best of all, are seriously inexpensive! I made tags to go around the rim of each jar.

Cupcakes are a must… and caramel apples too! (All made by me, and yes – sleep is overrated!) The cupcakes were carrot cake flavored with cream cheese icing.

My mother and I created a tower to display the cupcakes & caramel apples and decorated it with simple satin ribbon.

Candy Bars/Buffets are another must at every party – LOVE! I think they are adored by both kids and adults alike…

Homemade caramel pop corn was layered with candy corn to add color to the large glass vase. The other glass jars of varying heights held Reece’s Pieces and candy corn. The Caution Tape is by Martha Stewart Crafts and was purchased at Michaels. For the goody bags I purchased “Skeleton Hands” at The Dollar Store – yes, The Dollar Store!!!

I love mixing brown and black, so it fit perfectly together with the different shades of orange. When planning a party/event – I almost always choose my colors first. It helps me layer out the event.”

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Thanks for the inspiration, Jessica!