Hostess with the Mostess®

Winner Update – 2/10: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks so much to everyone that entered! And the lucky randomly chosen winners are… commenter #34 – Amanda, commenter #193 – Raphelle, and commenter #38 – Nancy. Congrats to all of you!

*****

Lisa Leonard Designs – a fabulous online shop specializing in lovely, handmade custom & inspirational jewelry – is back with another fabulous giveaway! This week at HWTM, Lisa is offering up $50 Gift Certificates to 3 lucky readers!

Since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, I thought it made sense to feature some of Lisa’s most Valentine-appropriate pieces today, but there are all kinds of different designs to choose from on her website – from custom necklaces & bracelets to “inspired” designs, key chains, and more…  very thoughtful gift ideas for everyone from mom to sis to BFF (or yourself, of course!).

Each sterling silver piece is hand-cut, hammered, antiqued and polished.

Pictured above: a few favorites from the Custom Designs category… Forever necklace, Banner necklace (can be customized with your name or message), Petite Family Crest necklace, and Itty Bitty Hearts necklace.

Pictured below: I’m especially loving this adorable Illuminate Necklace, which reads “sparkle…” and features a cool chandelier graphic and – (very appropriately!) – a sparkly crystal: Read More…

Lots more beautiful images & details to share with you from the “Oh How Tweet” baby shower today…

…from amazing rhinestone-studded invitations to a mouth-watering menu (served by dad-to-be & other family members acting as “waiters”!) and “sweet tweets” like mini chocolate bundt cakes topped with spun sugar nests!

Read on for a ton of pretty images and a continuation of Suzanne’s favorite party details (see Part 1 here), as described by the guest of honor herself… Read More…

So… I don’t think it’s possible to create a party that gets much more beautiful than this gorgeous “Oh How Tweet!” baby shower hosted in honor of Suzanne Johnson and her new baby twins, do you?!

This party looks like it stepped right off the pages of an Anthropologie catalog… such a fresh, chic vibe that’s overflowing with creative details. I’m thinking there’s also some fabulous inspiration for Easter parties and spring weddings or bridal showers to be discovered here too!

Because there are soooo many details and images to share, I’m going to break this feature into 2 parts. Tabletop & decor elements are featured here in Part 1, and Part 2 will cover everything else (invitations, menu, favors, and more).

Read on for LOTS of pretty pics and party details, as told by Suzanne… Read More…

In case you’re on the lookout for a new way to impress in the kitchen this Valentine’s Day – or aiming to wow a whole group of guests for any special occasion really – here’s one of my favorite “sweet tips” from Simple Stunning Parties, a fabulous book by entertaining expert Karen Bussen.

These cool “Chocolate Abstracts” will instantly dress up any sort of dessert – from ice cream to fancy cakes & custards… and despite their artistic, gourmet look, they’re actually surprisingly easy to make! All you need is chocolate chips (4 oz or more), a squeeze bottle, wax paper, and a microwave.

Here’s the detailed info: Read More…

Today’s Real Party baby shower feature is especially near & dear… it was actually my own!

The shower was hosted earlier this month by 4 of my close friends – Leslie, Sarah, Mimi, and Jen… and they did such a great job – I was totally blown away! It was so odd to be on the receiving end this time… and I sincerely hope that the people I host showers for feel as special & loved as they made me feel at this one – thanks again girls! =)

Knowing my love for tropical flowers/foliage and all things giraffe, the girls created a “Modern Menagerie” (a.k.a. “modern jungle”) theme for the baby shower, which also coordinated with the nursery and felt especially thoughtful. I about died when I saw the huge giraffe-print paper lanterns!

The color palette was a fabulous bright pink, brown, and kelly green (no baby pastels!). The pink hue coordinated with the color of the gorgeous protea featured in the centerpieces (along with papyrus, china mums, & ti leaves)… and I absolutely adored the little toy animal figurines that were spray-painted copper and even glued to some of the vases! Read More…

Here’s a sneak peek at some new invites I recently designed for an upcoming baby shower… featuring a new masquerade-inspired party theme that’s been so much fun to work on!

For extra “festivity”, the final invitations were embellished with adhesive craft rhinestones (on the butterfly antennae), Opal Stardream Envelopes, and hand-stamping on the front & back of the envelope (images of ornate birds & butterflies).

The “Festival Du Bebe” theme will incorporate a lot of the same elements/ideas as Cirque Du Bebe (gotta love it when you can reuse!), but will feature a more extensive color palette and some fun additions like gems, glittery butterflies, and mardi gras beads.

And because this theme could easily translate for a bridal shower or adult birthday/cocktail party, I’ll also be creating versions of both the invite & the theme that are tailored to those occasions as well…which brings me to another fun announcement that I’ve been excited to share for quite a while, but wanted to wait until we got a bit closer to being ready: Read More…