It's My Party by Ashlie

Colorful DIY Mobile

2010-04-30T10:53:00.000-05:00

I love this colorful do it yourself mobile found here. Great for hanging over a dinner table or as a hanging backdrop for a dessert table. Use it for your Cinco de Mayo party coming up! The colors are perfect.

Eat em' up!

2010-04-09T13:52:00.003-05:00

Crawfish...I always get so homesick around this time of year because it's the beginning of Crawfish season. If you've never been to a Crawfish boil it is definitely something you should experience at least once. It's a great excuse to have a party and get together with friends and family. Luckily I've actually found a place here in Chicago that has a huge boil every Memorial Day weekend. So, I get my fix then:) Below are some photos of what a Crawfish boil looks like and some cute invitations I found. I love the red and yellow/gold one. Great colors to incoporate into a party!

References: Photos
Invitations - Dancing Crawfish, Red and Gold, One Crawfish, Boil Pot

Bunny Biscuits for Easter Brunch

2010-03-31T14:06:00.000-05:00

How cute and yummy do these Bunny Biscuits look? Check out the recipe here. These would be perfect for an Easter brunch or tea party. Serve with Mimosas for brunch and a pretty flower center piece.

Centerpiece Reference: Martha Stewart

Last Minute Easter Tablescape Ideas

2010-03-29T15:47:00.000-05:00

Here are a few ideas for last minute Easter tablescapes from Southern Living. Also, feel free to check out my version of a Spring Tablescape I posted a couple of months ago. Use tons of fresh Sping flowers on the table. Fresh flowers make tables look bright and beautiful. You can't go wrong!

Party Inspiration: Polka Dots

2010-03-25T17:08:00.000-05:00

(Sigh)...I know, I already posted about polka dots a few days ago but I couldn't resist. So, let's say this is a follow up post with more polka dot inspirations. You can never have too many...of both. I found the below party on Project Wedding.
If you haven't noticed I love this website. I visit it a lot for inspirations. There are great DIY tips and projects that can be used not only for weddings but any and every party. Check it out! I love the cookies on sticks. So cute and budget friendly!

Oh, So Many Ways....

2010-03-24T17:48:00.002-05:00

to decorate Easter eggs! And so much fun. It was my favorite Easter tradition when I was a kid. Below are lots of different examples. Since I'm in the graphic design/advertising field I love the more designed ones. I really like the picture of the three colored dots. Reminds me of Pantone colors and the design with the letters which of course reminds me of fonts and copywriting. Can ya tell I'm writing this while I'm at work:) The egg is the perfect blank canvas to create pretty much anything and any design you want. Enjoy!
Reference: Martha Stewart

Spring Garland Ideas

2010-03-23T17:22:00.000-05:00

Don't you just love Spring decorations? Here are some Spring garland ideas from Etsy . My favorite are the colorful tissue pom poms. Garland can be used in so many different ways. Not only hanging on a mantle but strings of garland can hang from ceilings. This adds color and texture to ceilings. It can also be used as a colorful and textured background for a candy buffet or food table. Endless possibilities.

Friday Color Inspiration: Citrus Orange and Green

2010-03-19T15:31:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday! Here is a little color inspiration to brighten up your day. Depending on use, orange and green can either be playful or very elegant and is used a lot for summer weddings. Enjoy!

Polka Dot Inspirations

2010-03-18T17:54:00.000-05:00

Oh, polka dots! How could ya not love them? And using polka dots is one of the easiest party themes to incorporate. You can do so much.

References: Martha Stewart, Etsy, Polka dot design

Chalkboard Inspirations

2010-03-17T12:33:00.000-05:00

Here are a few very cute Chalkboard inspirations. My favorite is the plate charger. It can double as a table place card. I also like the napkin ring with the wood border around the chalkboard. Would be perfect for a Back to School or School house themed party. You can find lots of chalkboard items at Etsy seller Playing Grown Up. Check out the Etsy page. Great stuff. Oh, and Happy St. Patrick's! Have a very green day:)

Reference: Project Wedding

Color Inspiration: Pink and Green

2010-03-12T12:14:00.001-06:00

Happy Friday! Here's a Spring Color inspiration board of Pink and Green. It's finally starting to feel like Spring here in Chicago. Pink and Green together is so bright and cheerful and can be used for tons of parties. From bridal showers to first birthdays. Enjoy!

At the End of the Rainbow Cupcakes

2010-03-08T16:54:00.001-06:00

Saint Patrick's Day is such a fun Holiday....especially here in Chicago. There are huge celebrations here. It's that time of year when the weather is starting to be beautiful, outdoor seating at restaurants is a must and beer gardens are in full swing....ahhh, fun. It's the gold at the end of the rainbow! Here are some really cute Saint Patrick's Day cupcakes. Serve em' up with green beer at your Patty's day party!

Reference: Family Fun

UP, UP and Away

2010-03-04T17:46:00.000-06:00

I've noticed tons of postings recently referring to the Oscar nominated movie UP. As I was searching for something to post today I found these really cute and easy to make UP cupcakes. These would be great for an UP themed kid's birthday party. Or, how about an Oscar night cocktail and dessert party? Create different desserts that pertain to all of the Oscar nominated movies and set them out on an Oscar themed dessert table. So cute!

Reference: Family Fun

Last Minute Oscar Party

2010-03-03T16:19:00.003-06:00

Cute ideas for a last minute Oscar Party from Rachel Ray
Love the red and gold and the napkins made to look like winner envelopes.

Envelope, Please

1. Transform paper napkins into award-winning envelopes by drawing two diagonal lines and attaching a gold seal.

Walk This Way

2. Run a red tablecloth or wrapping paper across the table and sprinkle gold-star confetti to create a mini red carpet.

Winners' Circle

3. Distribute Oscar ballots and give prizes to guests who predict the most winners.

Reference: Everyday Rachel Ray

Oscar Party Signature Cocktails

2010-03-01T12:25:00.001-06:00

Here are a few ideas for signature cocktails for an Oscar Party. I love movie/awards theme parties. They are a lot of fun to put together and there are so many things you can do.
Using the Best Picture nominees as inspirations for signature cocktails is a good idea. Here are a few examples.

Avatar - Blue Angel

Ingredients:

1/2 oz. blue curaçao
1/2 oz. brandy
1/2 oz. cream
1/2 oz. crème de violette
1/2 oz. lemon juice

Mixing instructions:

Mix all ingredients with cracked ice in a shaker or blender and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The Blind Side - Sidecar

Ingredients:

3/4 oz. brandy
3/4 oz. Cointreau
1/2 oz. lime juice

Mixing instructions:

Shake all ingredients with ice in a shaker or blender. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Up in the Air - Air Mail

Ingredients:

3/4 oz. lime juice
1 1/2 oz. gold rum
1 tsp. honey
champagne

Mixing instructions: Shake all ingredients and strain into a highball glass. Fill with Champagne or sparkling wine.

These are just a few ideas. Or you can go with a general Red Carpet or traditional retro style cocktail such as a Manhattan or Red Carpet Fizz.

Oscar Manhattan

Ingredients:

1/4-1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
1 1/2 oz. blended whiskey
Dash Angostura bitters
Maraschino cherry

Mixing instructions:

Mix all ingredients with plenty of ice in a mixing glass or pitcher and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Amount of vermouth should be adjusted to individual taste.

Red Carpet Fizz

Ingredients:

1/3 oz. Orange liqueur
1/2 oz. pomegranate juice
1 750-ml. bottle champagne
fresh raspberries

Mixing instructions:

Mix Pomegranate Juice and Orange Liquor with plenty of ice in a mixing glass and strain into a chilled cocktail or champagne glass. Top with Moët & Chandon White Star Champagne. As seen on Oscars.org

Reference - That's the Spirit

Spring Champagne & Sweets Cocktail Party

2010-02-26T14:34:00.002-06:00

I love this idea for a Spring Champagne & Sweets Cocktail Party. This post was originally an idea for a wedding reception but I think this would be great for a Spring Cocktail party with friends. The simplicity is beautiful. You could also add more Spring colors too with flowers, etc. Turquoise anyone? My favorite parts are the champagne glass tags and the pink flags in the strawberries. Cute pink decorated mini cupcakes for a final touch would be perfect! Love!

Vintage Postcard Place Cards

2010-02-25T13:47:00.000-06:00

What a great idea for unique place cards that can also double as party favors. Postcards are so colorful. This would work great for an outdoor Spring party or wedding reception! Check out the tutorial here at Project Wedding, so easy to make. Hmmm....a Country Chic theme comes to mind.

Spring Party Dress Cupcakes Toppers

2010-02-23T12:00:00.000-06:00

Seriously, how cute are these? They would be perfect for a little girl's Spring Tea Party or a Spring Bridal Shower! You can find them here at this Etsy shop. Or it could be an easy DIY project. Okay, maybe not so easy but it would be worth a try:)

Spring Tablescape

2010-02-21T22:20:00.001-06:00

Here's a Spring Tablescape I created on Saturday. It was a pretty calm and lazy weekend. Oh, and very gloomy outside here in Chicago. So, why not make a colorful Spring tablescape to forget about the Winter weather. I also wanted to enter something into the Maddycakes Muse Tablescape Contest and didn't have an entry to submit:) Anyway, here is what I came up with.

Chair ties with gerbera daisy.

I hung ribbon and flowers over the table. Colors were lime green, coral pink and turquoise blue.

I found the cute glitter egg stickers at the Dollar Tree.

I was trying to get a pic of what the whole thing looked like together but it came out really dark. Also, there is too much going on in the background (bookshelves). I had lime green fabric for a background but for the life of me could not get it to stay up (sigh). Oh, well you kinda get it.

I used glue dots and glitter for the small votives and food coloring for the votives with the floating candles.

Ribbon on the tablecloth.

DIY Spring Votives

2010-02-19T12:44:00.002-06:00

This is a cute idea for a Spring table or to place around a party as part of the decor'. Gerber daisies come in so many different colors so you can definitely mix it up. See directions here. Happy Friday!

Spring Color Inspiration

2010-02-18T17:15:00.002-06:00

I love lime green, coral and turquoise together for a Spring look. I found a book of scrapbook paper with these colors incorporated into different patterns today at Home Goods. The patterns are from the Penny Lane Collection on www.mymindseye.com. Check out the website. There are some great paper patterns. A cute idea would be to make paper birdies out of the different patterns and colors and glue them onto white spray painted branches and put into a glass vase for a center piece look. Tie lime green, coral and turquoise ribbon around the vase to add detail.

Sigh...Thoughts of Spring Dancing in my Head

2010-02-17T12:41:00.000-06:00

I can't wait until Spring. The pastel colors, flowers blooming and trees becoming green again. Unfortunately in Chicago we won't see signs of Spring until late April or so....ugh. Oh well, I can dream for now. Below is a cute place setting for a Spring/Easter table from Better Homes and Gardens. I love the pink and blue and the monogrammed egg used as a place card. The napkin ring tag is made with vellum and an embosser is used to press a message into it. Very sweet....and there are so many Spring messages that can be used.

It's Fat Tuesday...

2010-02-16T11:36:00.000-06:00

Happy Mardi Gras everyone! If there were ever a holiday more appropriate for throwing parties and decorating with colorful glitz and glimmer it's Mardi Gras. Eat King Cake, gumbo, jambalaya and drink lots of hurricanes. "Laissez les bon temps rouler" (let the good times roll)!

centerpiece: prop factory

Pink and Orange Valentine's Day Inspiration

2010-02-12T11:49:00.000-06:00

Instead of the typical color pallette of red and pink try changing it up by having a pink and orange Valentine's Day for your sweetie!

Rose Petal Cupcakes - Woman's Day

Flower Lollipop Cards with Names and Treat bags - Martha Stewart

I Heart these Mardi Gras Cupcakes...

2010-02-11T13:44:00.000-06:00

I love, love and love these Mardi Gras cupcakes I found here. These would be perfect on a Mardi Gras themed dessert/sweets table in the colors of purple, green and gold of course.

Conversation Piece

2010-02-10T09:56:00.000-06:00

Cute Valentine's Day arrangement. I love the pastel colors. So soft and pretty and tulips are one of my favorite flowers. Check out the instructions at Martha Stewart.

Throw Me Something Mister!

2010-02-03T16:02:00.000-06:00

One of the best things about Mardi Gras is all of the trinkets you can get by just going to one parade. The parades are put together by Krewes which are social groups that practice and celebrate all of the traditions of Mardi Gras. Every year a King and Queen is selected to reign over the Krewe for the parade and Mardi Gras ball.

A few things you can rack up on when you go to a parade are pictured above. Doubloons are aluminum coins with an imprint of the Krewe's logo or crest on them. These come in so many different colors and designs.

Cups are thrown from floats. These are also designed with the Krewe's logo on them or they come in different Mardi Gras colors. Another unique throw is painted coconuts. These are only thrown in New Orleans for the Krewe of Zulu parade. They're very creative

And of course Mardi Gras beads. There are so many different types of beads. They come in all shapes and sizes. If there is a certain theme you enjoy I'm sure there is a Mardi Gras bead that reflects that theme. Beads are the most prized possessions during Mardi Gras. The bigger and shinier, the better!

Mardi Gras Hurricane Cocktail Party

2010-02-01T14:51:00.000-06:00

The Hurricane cocktail is a signature drink of New Orleans and Mardi Gras. The drink was invented by Pat O'Brien's bar (great website) in New Orleans during World War II and was named after the shape of the hurricane lamp. It's also served in a glass that resembles the hurricane lamp. Pat O'Brien's is still open today in the French Quarter. It has an awesome courtyard. To make this cocktail you can use a Pat O'Brien's mix and just add rum and crushed ice or here are the ingredients.

Hurricane
Ingredients:
- 2 oz light rum
- 2 oz dark rum
- 2 oz passion fruit juice
- 1 oz orange juice
- 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp simple syrup
- 1 tbsp grenadine
- Garnish: orange slice and cherry

Shake all the ingredients into a hurricane glass with crushed ice and garnish with a cherry and an orange slice, umbrella and mardi gras beads.

It makes a pretty presentation to center a mardi gras party around. Love it! And they are so yummy too.

It's Mardi Gras Season!

2010-01-29T15:14:00.003-06:00

I've been to many'a Mardi Gras celebrations growing up in Louisiana. There is of course the huge New Orleans Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street, the Garden District and the suburbs surrounding the city. But there are also the Cajun and very traditional celebrations that take place in small "Cajun Country" towns such as Mamou and Coteau. I'll explain more about these later.

This will be the first of many posts about facts and history of Mardi Gras until the season is over. It's one of my favorite Holidays. Seriously...it's pretty much considered a religion in Louisiana. I was totally bummed when I moved to Chicago and realized we wouldn't have three days off for "Fat Tuesday":) First fact, Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday.

The colors of Mardi Gras are Purple, Green and Gold. These stand for Justice, Faith and Power (respectively). And of course there is the King Cake. A huge Mardi Gras tradition (see pics above). It's kinda like a rolled brioche or coffee cake topped with icing and sugar in the colors of Mardi Gras. Yum! They also come with different kinds of fillings such as cream cheese, praline, cherry and chocolate. My personal favorite is Cream Cheese..... Oh, and there is a plastic baby hidden inside the cake. Tradition is the person who gets the slice of cake with the baby inside has to buy a cake for next year's celebration.

Success! Football Gumbo Party!

2010-01-23T21:31:00.007-06:00

Our Football Gumbo Party was a great success! We had a lot of fun with friends as we ate tons of Cajun Gumbo and drank lots of wine.

I didn't have a huge budget but I was still able to decorate the table and a few other things. I used a green paper table cloth on the table and added white ribbon as yard lines and stuck white numbers that I found at JoAnn's on the table cloth.

I found all of the small footballs online at Toomey's Mardi Gras for really cheap and used these to fill glass vases with. I placed the vases around the apartment and on the table.

I tied pennants to the chairs and made them look like green chalk boards with football plays written on them. They turned out really cute. I purchased the popcorn containers at Target for a dollar a piece and filled these with popcorn and roasted peanuts.

The football lanterns, football suckers and garland were purchased at Oriental Trading.

For the bar area I bought plastic trays at the Dollar Store and found football printed paper at JoAnn's that I stuck to the bottom of the trays. These were used to hold drink glasses. I also made cute glass tags (for the girls) similar to the pennants. I added green rhinestones for bling.

See photos above. Oh, and the football games were great too. The Saints won! Go Saints!!

My First Feature!

2010-01-07T12:42:00.002-06:00

My daisies, gingham and bbq co-ed bridal shower was featured on Creative Party Place! So exciting. I've never been featured before. Check it out here:
http://creativepartyplace.com/2009/12/31/co-ed-bridal-shower-bbq/
or you can check out my post from August 28th.

Now if I could just figure out how to add the feature button to my blog....hmmm.

Save the Date

2009-11-17T14:53:00.002-06:00

Here's the Save the Date invitation Neil and I are sending out for our Gumbo Football Party. I know it's kinda early to send this out but with the holidays coming up and everyone making plans (usually up until the Superbowl) we wanted to get this out. I'm going to send out diy invitations in the mail about three weeks before the party. Still thinking about a design for those. I have a few ideas. More to come!

Pigskin Party Fun!

2009-11-11T16:08:00.003-06:00

I am still planning a Gumbo Football Playoff party in January but I'm trying to decide if I want to theme the party with one of the playoff teams or just keep it a generic football party. My beloved New Orleans Saints are 8-0 right now....so proud! I'm hoping they keep it up and earn a place in the playoffs. If so, I might have to lean towards a Saints theme party which of course would tie in the whole Gumbo thing:)

Either way we're still going to have a football party and we're still going to center the party around a huge Cajun-style Gumbo. Can't wait! Here are a couple of things I'll probably have at the party.

I love these football lanterns from Oriental Trading. These will look great hanging over the appetizer table combined with other different colored and sized round lanterns (black and gold, maybe:) And some fun things hanging from the lanterns. Also, these individual football cakes from Baking Bites are adorable. They will be so cute on the table. Stay tuned for more!
Chocolate Football Cakes
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup coffee, warm
2 tsp vanilla extract

Fun Marshmallow Pilgrim Hats

2009-11-10T16:28:00.006-06:00

I found these marshmallow pilgrim hats on the Disney site. These are made similar to marshmallow pops except they are attached to fudge stripe cookies. Cute, fun and easy to make! This website has a lot of great crafty ideas.

Modern Rustic Thanksgiving

2009-11-05T16:31:00.004-06:00

A friend of ours is throwing a huge Thanksgiving feast at a VFW hall and I'm helping out by making the place feel more homey and decorating the food and dinner tables. I found this great pattern on istock photo. I love the colors and the modern/retro rustic (so many words to describe) look of the graphic. Since VFW halls have a natural nostalgic and rustic feel I thought this would be perfect. Oh, and I love apples! It will also add a hint of modernness to a bland hall.
I have a very small budget to work with so this will be a challenge but I think I'll be able to make it work! Check out the inspiration board above and stay tuned for more.

Pumpkins and Candy, Oh My!

2009-10-29T12:18:00.002-05:00

I love candy buffets. They are so fun and colorful. What better time to create one then for Halloween of course. Here are a few photos from Marthastewart.com of inspiring Halloween candy displays. One of my favorite parts about candy buffets are the clean symmetrical lines you can create. It's great "eye candy".
And depending on the theme of your Halloween candy buffet add decorated pumpkins like these. Paint them silver, glitter them up, create candle holders or lanterns out of them or if you want to go for a more country style create yarn and twine pumpkins....very cute!

Black and White Halloween

2009-10-27T14:50:00.002-05:00

I love this Ichabod pumpkin found on bhg.com. One of my favorite parts of Halloween has always been the Legend of Sleepy Hollow story. We watched the cartoon movie every year when I was in grade school.

This pumpkin would go great with a black and white themed Halloween party. Have people come dressed in Victorian era clothing just like the story. Create a gloomy look by layering things with spider webs and putting creepy things like black spiders and eyeballs in apothecary jars. And don't forget about the Headless Horseman costume!

Whimsical Ranch Wedding

2009-10-26T15:27:00.004-05:00

Earlier this month my brother got married on a ranch about an hour north of Dallas in a town called Whitesboro. The bride wanted the decor to have a very whimsical feeling. The wedding was held outdoors under a tent (because it rained). The original plan was to have the ceremony in front of one of several ponds on the property. Everything still turned out beautiful.

The colors were purple and green. The flower arrangements and table linens were gorgeous. Even the flower girls dresses had little wings attached for a whimsical feel...so cute. Check out photos above. It was a night to remember. I wish I had more photos to share but I didn't take a lot of pictures. It was a busy weekend, especially being part of the wedding party. Oh and I love the mossy accents here and there.

Oktoberfest Celebration!

2009-10-11T19:45:00.008-05:00

Last night was the long awaited Oktoberfest party. I had so much fun making and putting out all of the decorations. See photos above. The Bavarian flag was the inspiration. I purchased the flag pattern and the illustrations I used for the Welcome sign and Toilette sign from a stock photography website.

I bought the branches used for the centerpiece from the Home Goods store and spray painted them white. Then hot glued the pinwheels I made to them. Very simple to make and it turned out so cute! Even the mini kegs matched the decor'.

Everyone had a great time eating traditional German food, drinking German Oktoberfest beer and listening to German music. The party was a huge success!

Lederhosen Time!

2009-10-08T17:16:00.003-05:00

So, this is the weekend of my friend's Oktoberfest Party! Very exciting. I'm putting the final touches on all of the blue and white decorations. It's going to be fabulous. We're going to have bratwursts, sauerkraut and spatzle to eat and German beer to drink. We had originally discussed purchasing a regular sized beer keg. We figured out a way to cut down on costs and left over beer. We're going to purchase a couple of mini kegs of German beer. These will also go great with the decor'!

Halloween Wine and Gift Tags

2009-10-07T12:31:00.002-05:00

These Halloween gift tags from Bunco Betty's on Etsy look great on wine bottles. They would be great to put on wine or liquor bottles to give to a hostess of a Halloween party. Very cute!

Football Coasters

2009-10-06T12:30:00.002-05:00

These cute football coasters from Martha Stewart will be perfect for my Football Gumbo Party in January. Can't wait! They're really easy to make.

Football Gumbo Party

2009-09-30T15:36:00.002-05:00

Being from Louisiana, I love sharing my culture with all of my friends here in Chicago. Part of that sharing is cooking a huge pot of Cajun style gumbo every year.....Yum! This year we've (Neil and I) have decided to have a Football Gumbo Party in January when the playoffs start. I've started to look around for football inspirations and I found these deviled eggs made to look like footballs from let's entertain.....very cute. More later. I'm off to my brother's wedding in Dallas. I'll post pictures when I return.

Vintage Inspired Wine Charms

2009-09-28T12:33:00.002-05:00

These vintage Halloween wine charms are so cute. Check them out at Tartx's Shop on Etsy. This shop offers several mixed media pieces but I especially love the wine charms. They're feminine and funky at the same time. You can also buy suction cups to attach to the charms for the beer lovers.

Martinis and Mayhem

2009-09-22T11:12:00.003-05:00

Get your girlfriends together and have a Martinis and Mayhem party! Check out this cute invitation from the Celebration Shoppe. Perfect for a girl's Halloween martini party. Create your own Halloween cocktails or you can find great recipes online. I especially love this eyeball martini, so cute.

Another fun idea would be to incorporate a Roaring 20's theme. All of your girlfriends dress in there best flapper wear. This would make it easier on guests. They wouldn't have to come up with their own costume ideas. You've already done that for them. Have guests bring nostalgic martini recipes from the 1920's and recreate them. Play 1920's music and give out feather boas as party favors. Make it as girly as possible and use lots of bling and feathers, especially on the martini glasses. Endless possibilities!

Creepy Crawlies

2009-09-18T14:08:00.004-05:00

These glittered bugs from Martha Stewart for Grandinroad are perfect for parties and would make a great DIY project. Plastic bugs are especially easy to find right now because of the Halloween season. Just add glue and roll in orange, black, green and purple glitter and you'll have your own glittery crawlers.

These would be great for table decor'. Attach these to purple, orange, green and black scrapbook paper strips and use as napkin rings. Add colored ribbon around votive candle holders and attach the glittery bugs to them. Or hot glue these to wine glasses, martini glasses and drinkware for a cute and fancy touch. Have a great weekend!

Beach Pool Party

2009-09-17T09:21:00.003-05:00

Check out this really cute beach pool party by Kara's Party Ideas. It already feels like fall here in Chicago. So, here's one last warm post to remind us of how great summer is. Great ideas and so colorful. I especially love the beach ball sippers!

Goolish Lanterns

2009-09-16T11:08:00.002-05:00

I love paper lanterns! They add so much to parties (color, depth, texture). I found cute Halloween paper lanterns at Bayberry Cove. My favorite are the white skeleton ones. Any of these would be perfect for an outdoor goolish Halloween Party.

Prost!

2009-09-11T16:36:00.003-05:00

Cheers and Happy Friday! What's an Oktoberfest Celebration without beer steins? Planning a party on a budget is always challenging but fun. Searching around to find the best deals is what makes it fun. You can find the most unexpected things at the most unexpected places. I found nice and sturdy glass beer mugs for a dollar a piece at the Dollar Tree store. Perfect for my friend's Oktoberfest party and right on budget!

Boston the Canine

2009-09-10T17:21:00.003-05:00

Boston and I are participating in Chicago Canine Rescue's Mutt Strut on Saturday. It's a mile and a half walk to support homeless pets in Chicago. We're walking with our friends Andrea and Baxter. It should be a lot of fun and it's for a great cause. Can't wait!

Doggie Celebrations

2009-09-10T17:15:00.002-05:00

Three Dog Bakery in Chicago make the cutest celebration cakes for dogs. They use all natural ingredients. I think Boston will deserve one after our mile and a half walk on Saturday! We can celebrate the money we raised for homeless pets in Chicago.

Art Inspirations

2009-09-09T10:21:00.006-05:00

I love the MoMA store. The website has so many awesome things created by artists and inspired by modern art. These Frank Lloyd Wright's Coonley Playhouse printed glasses, cocktail napkins, playing cards and bookmarks are great. The colors and designs are wonderful for a Contemporary/Mondern Art inspired party. One idea would be to hang blue, green, yellow, red and orange round paper lanterns from a ceiling. Using different sized lanterns (small, medium and large) would give texture.

Badger Red

2009-09-08T10:30:00.006-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I was in Madison, Wisconsin for the weekend and went to a Badger football game. It was a lot of fun. There were tons of party inspirations everywhere. The colors, for one are great.....red, white and black. So much you can do with those. As with every college, you can pretty much find anything with the school's logo and mascot on them.

So, why not have a fun pep rally/tailgate college team party! Invite friends over to watch a game. Decorate with school colors, serve food from the grill and play the school's fight song in the background. I found cute handmade serving dishes with red and black polka dots on them. A good idea would be to incorporate a polka dot theme into the decor'. Use red and black puffy pom poms, red and black polka dot ribbon, and vases filled with chocolate foil covered football candy as decorations. GO BADGERS!

Blue and White

2009-09-02T16:47:00.003-05:00

I love these Bavarian flag paper decorations. They will definitely be incorporated into the Oktoberfest party decor'!

Football Madness!

2009-09-01T14:18:00.006-05:00

I was just thinking about how excited I am about the fall season....because football starts with it! What better excuse to have a party? My football season will start this weekend in Wisconsin to watch the Badgers in their first home game.....so excited to hang out, stroll State Street and eat, eat, eat.
I recently got back from browsing the Home Goods store. There's so much good stuff. It's insane. It was hard to only browse and not buy but I found the perfect party trays and condiment holders for a fun football party. They're so cute. Add these to a table with a DIY football field tablecloth, green plates, brown napkins, pigs in a blanket, pizza, chips, dips...etc. I could go on and on. Even add your favorite team colors to the decor'. There are so many fun ideas.

Ein Prosit!

2009-08-31T12:41:00.002-05:00

It's almost fall and time to celebrate with a traditional German Oktoberfest party. Here's a sneak peek at a party I'm helping my German friend Andrea plan. I can already smell the brats and sauerkraut! Yum....stay tuned!

Puck Party

2009-08-30T20:07:00.004-05:00

Way back in March I planned a small get together for my boyfriend's 40th Birthday. He is a huge Chicago Blackhawks hockey fan so I decided to incorporate a small hockey puck theme into the party. I emailed pdf invitations, gave out hockey pucks as favors and had a cake made in the shape of a hockey puck. The cake was amazing! It was made by Luscious Layers Bakery and the party was held at Club Lucky restaurant. It was a lot of fun with family and friends.

Bar-be-que, Daisies and Gingham

2009-08-28T15:23:00.007-05:00

My brother is getting married in October and my mom decided to give the happy couple a shower. I of course was totally all over it and asked if I could give her some ideas. She wanted the party to be a casual bar-be-que. So, I came up with a daisy, red gingham and lemon decor' theme. I had so much fun making the invitations, all of the banners, bride and groom nametags and setting up the table centerpieces and other decor' around the house.

I got the party favors idea from the hwtm website. Instead of using the jars as drinking glasses we filled them with lemon slice candies and put raffia ribbon around them and a tag with the couple's names and date of the wedding. So cute! And the party was a huge success.

Hula Hoopla!

2009-08-27T09:31:00.000-05:00

My friend Sara, who lives all the way down in Louisiana is having a Luau party for her daughter Kiah. Since I can't be there and because I'm obsessed with party planning she asked me for ideas. How could I resist? I found this DIY hula hoop skirt invitation on the Better Homes and Gardens website www.bhg.com. It's sooo cute and totally easy to make.

New and Excited

2009-08-26T14:44:00.000-05:00

I am really excited about starting this blog. I absolutely love planning parties for friends and family. I'm hoping to one day become a full time event planner. In the meantime, my head is full of ideas that I want to share with everyone! Above is an inspiration board I created for a recent couples' shower I helped out with and decorated. This is just a glimpse......a lot more to come. Stay tuned.