Favorite Finds Friday. Summer Soiree's!

This week I did some shopping for the the perfect Summer Soiree. I was on a mission for bold, chic, trendy, fun, sophisticated finds. I was so inspired by some of the color pallets out this year. I cant wait to host my fist summer shin-dig!

My favorites include:

Oh Joy! This is one of my favorite collections this year. Oh Joy for Target is just what you need for the ultimate summer affair. From party decor to playful props, this collection will meet all your party needs. Trendy, chic and affordable, this collection will have your guest beaming with 'Joy'. 

Whose ready for summer! These bold and vibrant placemats and napkins are essential for summer hosting. Bed Bath and Beyond is offering these summer sets for only $9.99!

Colorful. Dazzling. Utterly irresistible. This hand painted Tiki Drinkware collection from Pier 1 is breathtaking. At $7.95 each, you would be foolish to pass on this deal.

Joss and Main is offering such a deal on this 3-piece Pub Beverage Dispenser Set. These barrel inspired silhouettes were originally $83, now marked down to $32! I couldn't help but order my set right away.

This Weeks Merchants:

-Oh Joy

-Bed, Bath and Beyond

-Pier 1 Imports

-Joss and Main

I hope this weeks favorite finds gave you as much inspiration as they gave me. Happy Shopping! Thanks for stopping by.

Not your typical office party!

2013 was the year of weddings and babies! I was so overjoyed with all the little ones that were about to enter the world (and my life!). In particular, two of my staff members were about to enter the world of motherhood. These ladies are the kinds of employee's you dream and hope for as a supervisor. Because of this, it was extremely important to me that I throw the best "office shower" possible. For those of you who have ever experienced having to organize an office party, you know it is not an easy task-specifically because of the venue and decor options alone.  If this doesn't test your event planning skills, I'm not sure what will...




The first thing I needed to do was come up with a theme. Since both women were not finding out the sex of the baby, I needed something neutral--so Ducklings it was! Again, working on a budget and now in an office environment, I opted for an E-card. Simple, Easy, and Free!



Instead of a cake, I opted for cupcakes. They are much easier to serve for this particular type of party (finger foods tend to work best with large groups). I was fortunate to have another staff member whose sister just started up her own cupcake business. I told her my vision and she created it with ease. I couldn't be more happy with the way they turned out.

To add that 'little extra touch' I included duckling signage, confetti and special water bottle labels.

For table decor, I went simple. Yellow table cloths, balloons and fish bowls filled with decorative blue stones and tiny baby ducks. 

 

 

 

One of the games we played included staff guessing the due date of each baby. This was a real conversation starter and everyone enjoyed participating. I ordered the tiny feet stamps online and printed the calendars and signage.

Favorite Finds

• Water labels (Michael's)
• Feet stamp (Etsy)
• Plastic mini-ducklings (similar here)

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Theme Baby Shower

This past summer, I was fortunate enough to host my younger sisters baby shower! I was so excited to be welcoming the first baby of the family, my niece,  Dakota Moon. I knew right away what theme I was going to choose. Both me and my sister are avid readers and it was extremely important to us that the new little peanut (my nieces nick name-I don't think I've called her Dakota yet!) enjoy reading as much as we do. I had so many ideas, many of which were very costly, but I managed to take my Martha Stewart side to whole new level. I knew what I wanted and I was going to make it happen, even on a tight budget!

During the planning process, I discovered that favors could probably be one of the most costly items you have to purchase, and most of the time, the guests forget them, or just get rid of them when they get home (let's face it, who wants another candle that says "So & So's shower 2014"!) So, since my sister is a huge animal lover and donates every chance she gets, I figured that a donation to her favorite charity would be the best favor I could do for her and the guests. I donated $1.00 for each guest who came and the ASPCA sent me the above donation cards for free. Each guest received a card stating that a donation was made in their name!

I didn't want the traditional 'Baby Book', so I chose one of my favorite books for guests to sign-"On the Night You Were Born". If you know someone expecting, this is a book that needs to be gifted! The sign to guests read: "Every Child is a Story Yet to be Told, Please Sign". I printed the sign myself and bought the wooden frames for $0.49 at Michaels, along with the $1.00 plate stand!

On her invitations, I asked that each guest bring a book in lieu of a card to start the babies library. I am happy to say, she now has a fully stocked book shelf and I can't wait to start reading to her!

On my book hunt, I came across another favorite book of mine-"Guess How Much I Love You". I knew I just had to incorporate this into my plan. I decided to use it for one of the games. I cut hearts out of paper and found a small box I had around the house (added some ribbon on the edges to make it look pretty) and grabbed and old mason jar and filled it with kisses. Each guest had to write their name on the heart along with their guess and put it in the box. At the end of the shower, the person who guessed correctly won the jar of kisses! Inexpensive and fun. Everyone loved guessing-most of them were WAY off:-)

For centerpieces I decided to pick some of my all time favorite children's books and stack them in the middle of each table with a mason jar full of sunflowers and greenery. I added some burlap and ribbon to the jars to give them that sophisticated rustic look. These were a HUGE hit. We ended up giving them away at the end of the shower-the ladies were practically fighting over them! Note: Simple flower arrangements can really help when wanting to create that 'Wow' factor. You don't have to spend a lot either, picking one accent flower (sunflower $2.50 each) and adding some simple greenery can go such a long way.

OK-so, I'm not going to lie....one of the reasons I was on such a strict budget was because I had to have these cupcakes! No, I did not make them myself, I wish I could have. I ordered these works of art from Sugar Bakery in CT. They are the winners of the TV show Cupcake Wars. Amazing!!! They helped me create the perfect cupcake for my event (yes-the books were edible..yum!)

Adding simple decor to the Mimosa Bar gave it that extra personal touch that everyone swooned over. I added some yellow daisy's to mason jars and purchased chevron straws from a local craft store for $2.00; adding some more ribbon and burlap to finish them off. Something as simple as arranging the glasses in a more organized fashion can make the whole table more appealing to the eye.

Last but not least, was the candy bar!  This was one of my favorite ideas. Most of the jars I had around the house, and some I borrowed, so all I had to do was purchase the burlap and ribbon, along with candy scoops. The labels I made myself and the banner I purchased from Michaels and added letter stickers to create the 'Babies Are Sweet" slogan.

Favorite Finds

- Cupcakes found at Sugar Bakery

- Donation Cards from ASPCA

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

You're never to old for a theme party!

Happy Tuesday Everyone! This past weekend, I decided to host a Wine and Cheese Tasting Party for a small group of my closest friends. I wanted my layout to be sophisticated with a rustic wine feel.

I decided on 5 wine pairings (2 white, 2 red & 1 rose). Each wine had 1 cheese pairing and 1 other pairing (fruit, nuts, chocolate, etc..)

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To add to my theme,I purchased some mini chalkboard signs and serving plates to incorporate with some of my other appetizers. They were a big hit! My guests loved them. This little touch went a long way.

To obtain that 'sophisticated' look I was going for, I added some rustic tiered servers from Pier 1 Imports. They made my standard white dinner plates stand out and added that little touch of rustic sophistication I was looking for.

                                                                    Favorite Finds

• Chalkboard contact paper ($10 Amazon.com)
• Chalkboard food signs ($5.99 Michael's Craft Store)
• Chalkboard serving plates ($5.99 TJMaxx)
• Pier 1 serving trays (Gifted) 

Remember, hosting an event like this does not need to break the bank, you can find an abundance of inexpensive tasting wines at your local liquor store and top notch artisan cheeses can also be found at your local grocery store. Happy Tasting!