Everyday Party Magazine Volume 3, Issue 4 Winter 2015

Winter 2015 Volume 3, Issue 4

In This Issue: Christmas and Cocktails BLING in the New Year And

On the Cover Hot Cocoa Bar

by BellaGrey Designs

Vintage Party Inspiration

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Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

October 2015 Volume 3, Issue 4

Contents:

Features: On the cover: Hot Cocoa Bar Styled by BellaGrey Designs pg. 42

Bedtime Baby Shower Styled by Elegant Events pg. 66 Christmas Cocktails Styled by J. at Your Service pg. 58 Classic 1950’s Housewife - A Bridal Shower

by A Toast From the Host pg. 36

Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails..

by Mindy Alyse Celebrations pg. 8 Star Wars Under the Stars

by Fern and Maple pg. 24

Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

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Contents:

*pg. 8 ~Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails...

Mindy Alyse Celebrations *pg. 14 ~ Thanksgiving Open House Birthday Celebration Perfect Packages

*pg. 18 ~ Kids Thanksgiving Everyday Party Magazine *pg. 24~ Star Wars Under the Stars Fern & Maple

*pg. 52 ~ Retro Christmas Party Children’s Party Plus *pg. 58 ~ Christmas Cocktails J. at Your Service

*pg. 96 ~ Carter and Braxton’s Dinosaur Excavation Ashleigh Nicole Events

*pg. 62 ~ Happy Birthday Jesus Blessed Events - The Gift of Giving

*pg. 66 ~ Bedtime Baby Shower Elegant Events *pg. 72 ~ Bling into the New Year Cupcake Wishes and Birthday Dreams

*pg. 32 ~ Moose Camp Birthday Celebration Soiree by Ria and NF Designs

*pg. 78 ~ Vintage Soda Shop Everyday Party Magazine *pg 84 ~ Sweet Beats Birthday Bash The Party Designers Inc *pg. 36 ~ Classic 1950’s Housewife - A Bridal Shower Toast From the Host

*pg. 90 ~ Sophia’s Peacock Party I Have a Favor

*pg. 42 ~Hot Cocoa Bar BellaGrey Designs *pg. 46 ~ Candyland 1st Birthday Carmen Navarro Designs Page 4 Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

Letter from the Editor “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.� ~ Edith Sitwell We hope that you can take some time to spend it with the ones you love and celebrate the season.

We are currently accepting submissions for the Spring and Summer 2016 issues, as well as seasonally appropriate content for the blog, www.everydaypartymag.com.

~xo Jess and Stef

Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

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Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

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Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails, That’s What Little Boys are Made of

by Mindy Alyse Celebrations

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ho says a baby shower for a little boy can’t be soft and feminine? I have always loved the nursery rhyme, “What are Little Boys Made of?” and thought a vintage, shabby chic inspired shower would lend perfectly to the theme.

Alyssa from Just a Little Sparkle created the most adorable invite and coordinating printables for the shower. Isn’t the little boy silhouette pulling the wagon just the cutest?

Venue at the Grove was the perfect location. Nestled in a 2.5 acre pecan grove, the rustic barn and green trees really set the mood for a vintage feel. Guests were greeted by an entry table where they could write a wish down for the new mama and baby boy. Just a Little Sparkle created a darling coordinating banner and printable sign, and the Florette arranged a gorgeous rustic floral piece for the entry table as well.

Under the eaves of a barn, a long reclaimed wood table was set with vintage china and gold flatware from Vintage Rusticity for guests to sit at. Gorgeous neutral flowers in wooden boxes were provided by the very talented The Florette for the table, and a soap bar was placed on each plate as a favor.

The sweetest set up was the delicious desserts! Allison from Celebrating Sweets created some of the most delicious treats! Between the naked cake, oatmeal cream pies, coconut cupcakes, and mason jar trifles, guests had a lot to choose from! I love using vintage pieces like the scale and the ladder from Vintage Rusticity to display sweets. Alyssa also created coordinated cupcake toppers to complete the look. The Baked Equation knocked the custom cookies out of the park! She took the invitation and created one of a kind cookies to match. To complete the table, I created a simple shabby chic ruffled backdrop, and a doilie garland.

Finally, a small seating area using furniture from Vintage Rusticity was created for the mom to be to open gifts. I love the idea of using a fun chair and simple garland to create a backdrop for pictures. This set up could also double as a “photobooth” for guests to use.

This vintage inspired shower was the perfect way to celebrate a special mom and a little boy on the way.

Vendors Styling: Mindy Alyse Celebrations Facebook Photography: Dream Photography Studio Location: Venue at the Grove Vintage Rentals: Vintage Rusticity Florals: The Florette www.theflorette.com Sweets: Celebrating Sweets Fancy Cookies: The Baked Equation Paper products: Just A Little Sparkle Make up and Model: Mariana Marie Studio Models: The Love Designed Life Heidi Bartlett - Idieh Design

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Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

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Thanksgiving Open House Birthday Celebration by: Perfect Packages

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y husband and I often have a small joint birthday celebration together with our close friends. This year we wanted a simple soiree without a theme, just back-to-basics, inspired by the nature around us. Being the “Queen of Party Themes,” I was at first not sure how to execute such an event, but after a morning in the park with my daughter collecting acorns, conkers and leaves, I felt very much inspired and was ready to plan and decorate!

The evening itself was a “pop by for a glass of wine and a small bite to eat” event. Nothing too fancy. Certainly not a sit-down meal! We wanted it laid back and for people to say hi on their way back after work on a Friday. The menu was also kept simple — see below: THE MENU:

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• candy coating

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Home made carrot & pumpkin soup Fresh breads from the oven Cheese platter of Brie & Cheddar Tete-de-Moin Cheese Board Circle Hummus & veggies to dip Sliced figs (to compliment the cheeses) Cheese & Salt straws White chocolate Toblerone Mousse Pumpkin spiced cake pops with orange White wines (from the region of Zurich)

This would be a perfect Open House Thanksgiving celebration as well!

Party Printables & Event Styling by Perfect Packages

Kids Thanksgiving by: Everyday Party Magazine

We have a fairly large family, and everyone gathers at our home for holiday and birthday celebrations, which is exactly how we want it!

Large families means lots of kids. We have four boys, my sister has two kids, and our friends all have little ones too. With four boys, I know how completely unrealistic it is to expect them to sit still and eat a meal. So, I try to have small, little to no mess activities to keep them entertained, occupied, and out of trouble.

One of our favorite family Thanksgiving decorations is the turkey crayon holder we made several years ago, in fact, we have since made three or four more for the kids. I just give the kids pre printed coloring pages or blank pages and let them create their master pieces.

The boys all really enjoy being a part of any cooking and baking we do, but it is so hard to have them help when I am cooking for the whole family, so I let them make small no bake treats at their table. Hershey Kisses stuck to bite size Nutter Butter cookies with a dab of peanut butter is one of their favorite treats to make.

I also pull out one of their favorite toys and some easy reader books for them to play with quietly on the carpet with their cousins. We have had the Little People Mayflower for many, many years, but even my 11 year old will still lay on the floor and play with it with his brothers and cousins.

Just about the time the kiddos are all done coloring, playing, and making treats, its dinner time. The kids look forward to our Thanksgiving traditions each year, and I am so glad that they still get so much enjoyment from it!

Styling and photography: Everyday Party Magazine

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Star Wars Under the Stars by: Fern & Maple

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ne of Harrison’s favorite things to do is go to the movies, he loves the whole experience: big screen, big sound and yummy snacks.

Like many other boys around his age Star Wars is his favorite movie. So with his seventh birthday approaching, I knew an outdoor movie theatre screening his favorite movie was just the thing. Add in 12 kids sleeping over into the mix and keeping them outside was perfect!

We were lucky to have a beautiful San Francisco warm evening for the party. The kids joined the party through a special entrance where we had a 70’s Star Wars era style marquee cinema printable printed. Harrison’s own family name was used as the for the advertising of the film premiere.

Movie posters showing Star Wars and the other trilogy movies were used as billboards and we had a walk of fame with each of the children’s names.

The movie was scheduled to start at sunset so to keep the kids busy until then I created a droid and pod racer building station using an old lego table covered in a star table cover with star wars figures and a silver spray painted mountain glued onto it for them to race around. We provided a mountain of lego in an R2D2 chest that can be found at Michaels.

Inspired by Brit & Co: Remake 2015 a giant coloring wall with star wars coloring pages and graphics provided FUN! A photo booth with a starry night sky backdrop and hand stitched star garlands also kept the kids entertained. They chose either character props or their own light saber for the pictures and acted out some great battle scenes. My son was Hans Solo and a friend Chewbacca which made for some great action shots.

Before the movie started the kids had hot dogs on their own trays and loaded up the trays with hot popcorn and candy from the concessions stand for the movie. A few more light saber battles ensued before the

feature presentation….

Inspired by a movie “Feature Presentation” the desert table provided the main show. The sweets table included all sorts of themed treats such as Darth Vader & storm trooper cookies, Yoda, Storm trooper, Darth Vader and AT-AT’s, star wars colored jello cake, candy in character bowls and a battle scene cake. Characters were placed on vintage film reels and a Star Wars sign was placed centrally against a Star Wars fabric backdrop and bunting.

Flanking the table were 2 gorgeous blue Geronimo balloons with Prospect Goods classic tassels.

Once finished it was time for the movie, they got comfy in their big joe bean chairs backlit by cinema lights and settled in for Star Wars! The parents who wished to join us stayed up on the deck…in the VIP section complete with a bar and our own nibbles.

A fun night of Star Wars under the stars was had and then it was bed time, each child was given a favor box that had star wars toothbrushes and other overnight necessities. We tucked the candies and Jedi certificates into their bags for the morning…and then they slept! We wish!

Details to watch out for: • Giant APPLAUSE sign under the big screen which we could light up at the best bits of the movie • Aisle lighting by light saber with rows A-D marked out by vintage letters & Marquee lights showing the way to the movie • Family cinema signage • Glass vase centerpieces filled with popcorn kernels and a mix of movie night & star wars graphics • Movie poster billboards with vintage signage for “Now showing”, “Starts Sunday” & “Next Week” • A concessions stand complete with vintage popcorn maker and “ikea hack” of a television stand with glass doors added to make a candy display case

• Vintage popcorn machine and boxes • Vintage hot dog stay warm foils • Giant ice cream & ice cream container • Show “Special” R2D2 popcorn & drink holders • Vintage movie reel transport cases, reels and large tripod light • Basket of rolled blankets for if the night got cool • Coloring wall with Marquee lights spelling out “FUN” • Lego station & glow sticks for later in the evening • Star Wars cookies & cake pops • Star Wars characters battling amongst the silver wooden letters for “Harrison” on the dessert table • Giant Geronimo balloons for decoration • A photo booth with character photo props & lightsabers to take home • Favor boxes full of star wars goodies like a toothbrush, candy & stickers • Vintage railroad cart with “drink up” and “VIP” signage for the parents • Personalized plastic mason jars with straws • Yoda sayings • Walk of fame, a nod to movie premiers of the past with each child’s name Vendors: Event Styling: Fern & Maple Photography: Ike Shin Cake: Fern & Maple Cookies: The Green Apron Cake Pops: Let them eat pops

Giant Applause Sign: Acme Prop Rentals Graphic Printables (Personalized movie theatre sign, stars & movie poster signage): Elena at World Wide Party Graphic Printables (movie night): Pepper Avenue Graphic Printables (star wars banner, centerpieces, coloring wall & favor tags): Creative Little Stars Graphic Printables (jedi certificates & photo booth signage): Hello My Sweet Graphic Printables (yoda stayings): Jaclyn Rose Design Graphic Printables (photo booth props): Flair graphic design Geronimo balloons & tissue tassels: Prospect Goods Plastic Mason Jars: The Party Fairy Star Wars Sign: Caveman Signs Big Joe Bean Bag chairs: Walmart Hand stitched star garlands: Party Garnish Many of these props for a family movie night are now available to rent via The Renterie.

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Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

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Moose Camp Birthday Celebration

by: Soiree by Ria and NF Design Creations

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ur love for the outdoors was the inspiration for this party! We combined our favorite book, To Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff and our love of camping.

Do you remember camping when you were a kid? We remember s’mores, building a campfire, reading stories and being in the presence of wildlife.

Reminiscing on so many memories of camping really brought this party to life in a way that we haven’t previously seen. In combining products that we sell, with DIY elements, we’ve designed a camping themed party that is attainable for every level of party planner!

DIY Elements: -Campfire Kit: Pretzels, Mini Marshmallows, Candy Corn, Snack Size Zip Lock Bag, and printed bag label stapled to outside.

-Marshmallow S’mores: Jumbo marshmallows dipped in melted chocolate, then dipped in crushed graham crackers.

-Cake Stands: Clear plastic plate, clear plastic cup, gold spray paint and hot glue gun to attach both pieces.

-Birthday Cake bunting banner: Washi tape cut, then folded in half over paper twine. Cut to desired design. Attach to wood skewers.

Products available at Soirée by Ria: -Customizable Birthday Invitation by NF Design Creations -Customizable Menu Tents by NF Design Creations -Happy Birthday Banner by NF Design Creations -Cupcake Toppers by NF Design Creations -Campfire Kit Bag Label by NF Design Creations -French Plastic Bottles -DIY Confetti Balloon Kit -Chevron Napkins -Stripe Paper Plates -Stripe Paper Straws -Polka Dot Candy Cups -Chevron Wood Spoons -Gold Chevron Baking Cups -Polka Dot Paper Cups -Paper Twine Book Credit: “To Give a Moose a Muffin” by Laura Numeroff (1985) Styling and Design by: Soiree by Ria and NF Design Creations

Classic 1950’s Housewife A Bridal Shower by: Toast From the Host

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oast from the Host had the pleasure to create and style a classic, glamorous 1950s bridal shower. The bride oozes class and glamour!

What better way to celebrate with all the floral and feminine elements? A great way to welcome her into “housewife-hood”!

The delicious brunch spread was served by Tiny’s No. 5, a local eatery in the heart of West University.

Custom napkins by Timeless by Hazel and retro oven boxes were the perfect favors for the guests! Etsy.com was the go to for printables of the retro oven boxes filled with delicious donut holes.

A local chalk artist created the perfect backdrop to the event with a glamorous housewife checklist. Real life tips from the 50’s on how to be the perfect housewife.

Kourtnie’s (the bride) feedback: Perfection - I was speechless! I had no idea what the outcome would be and I am more than happy! She thought of the smallest details and my guests loved their party favors. It is so important to find a party planner that you connect with and Toast from the Host was my soul mate. She is my “go to” for parties!

Vendor Credits: Invitation: 3EggsDesign Retro Oven Boxes: Claudine Hellmuth Etsy Shop Catering: Tiny’s No. 5 Photography: Rachel Marie Photography Chalk Artist: Rachel Tieken Style and Design: Toast from the Host Custom Napkins: Timeless by Hazel

Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

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Hot Cocoa Bar by: BellaGrey Designs

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ith the weather getting cooler, we are starting to see all the winter items being stocked in the stores. I walked into Target a few weeks ago to find plaid prints all over the place. From Bedding to Kitchen items to Bar wear to pjs! I was immediately inspired to create this Simple Hot Cocoa Bar. I’m so happy with how it turned out!

We used the wonderful kraft ripple cups and added a simple embellishment of red twine, a little silver bell and a simple tag that says, “Enjoy” or “Hot Cocoa” stacked them on a mini wooden sled to bring the “cold” indoors.

The toppings were individual caramels, chocolate chips, red hot candies and an assortment of different flavored marshmallows along with pirouette cookies. Add mini scoops for your guests to serve themselves with the toppings.

Of course you can’t have a hot cocoa bar without candy canes {original and chocolate flavored} or large fluffy marshmallow hot cocoa mugs {DIY coming soon}. I only chose six toppings, but you can use as many different ones as you choose.

I designed some fancy glitter snowflake stir sticks to go along with this fun theme.

Place your invitation in a matching frame and set it out on the counter as part of the hot cocoa bar.

One of the great things about a Hot Cocoa Bar is the versatility of it. You can create one for a crowd large or small. As you can see you don’t need a lot of space for a Hot Cocoa Bar. I hope I have inspired you to put together your own Hot Cocoa Bar to have on hand whether it be for your family or for friends/neighbors that may drop by during the holidays.

Vendor Credits: Printables, styling, and photography: BellaGrey Designs

Candy Land 1st Birthday

by Carmen Navarro Designs

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esigning Mila’s candy table, I knew it had to be perfect, yet, whimsical at the same time. When discussing the table with mom (Beatriz) She had a vision for this table and I had to use her vision with my style. There was going to be plenty of kids at this party so making sure this table was kid friendly was absolutely necessary.

There was plenty of candy to go around, and boy did it all look tasty. Visually I needed to design something that was engaging to the guests of all ages. I was able to do this by using this bright color scheme. I found the most perfect flowers that were bright and colorful and some of them were even speckled with rainbow colors, it was as if they were made just for this day.There were plenty of handmade details in this table set up, such as stripped fabric backdrop. I created a one of a kind oversize wrapped candy garland which was a whimsical and a key feature for this table design. I made extra, large over sized wrapped candy that I implemented through out the table. Mila’s mom hand crafted the streamer backdrop and the “Mila’s Candy land” banner. It was such a great Idea to feature pictures from every month of Mila’s life. I just love when parents are hands on with D.I.Y. projects, it makes the party that much more special!

This cake was made specifically for Mila and fit in perfectly with the overall design. The Onesie and Bloomers were custom made by Mila’s Aunt Liz, who could not be there at the party, but sent her love from Georgia in the form of a great designed onesie & bloomers! I can’t get over the bloomers!

Styling, Floral & Props: Carmen Navarro Designs Photography: Bonnie Navarro Photography Cake: Designed by Carlos LiraMila’s Birthday Outfit: Onesie & Bloomers: Designed by Liz Medina Crown: Little Blue Olive Tutu: For My Princess Tutus

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Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

Personalize your table this holiday season with Create UR Plate.

Save 10%, now through the new year.

Use coupon code: EveryDayParty10.

www.createurplate.com Cannot be combined with other offers. Coupon expires Dec 31, 2015.

Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

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Retro Christmas Party

by Children’s Party P lus

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hen thinking of the holidays most people think of wreaths and Christmas trees, but, when I think of Christmas, I imagine bright colors and lots of yummy treats.

We decided we would take an out of the box, yet familiar, with touches of new and different approach to our Christmas celebrations.

Old Coca Cola with Santa ads inspired me, along with my favorite vintage cars. So, bringing that classic of Route 66 vibe was the perfect fit.

Traditional red was a must have, as I wanted some relation to the holidays to be evident, yet be overwhelmingly Christmassy.....is that even a word?! Since bright blue compliments red so well, I used blue with pops of black and white for a clean look.

There were a few things that I had to include to make my vision come to life; vintage cars, classic Santa and road signage.

Yummy desserts were the heart of this design. One of my favorite vendors, Queen Sweets, whipped up a variety of treats. The cake pops are an absolute favorite and complimented the cupcakes perfectly. Her signature whoopee pies were an absolute must, soft chocolate cookies filled with yummy homemade buttercream. She took it to another level when she made “HO, HO, HO” with covered Oreos, I was smitten. They added the right amount of fun and humor, while totally fitting in perfectly. What really blew my mind, though, were the candy dipped apples, not only were they delicious but the colors were stunning! Candy apples aren’t just for fall anymore.

Now, we know cupcakes are ordinary but the toppers that were made by PZ Concepts, literally made me giddy. The mix of the classic old school ornament was great, but the road sign with the “Santa X-ing” took me over the moon. They added the right amount of color and vintage to my cupcakes. PZ Concepts also designed our fun street inspired signs and the menu tags. The little details really popped.

The holidays are never complete without cookies. Of course we couldn’t have your average cookie! Divine party planning made the most stunning cookies, from the ornaments to the old school Santa. The cookies that made my heart skip a beat were the blue vintage car and red vintage pickup truck. That cookie just happens to be an exact copy of Santa’s vintage pickup truck, not only is the truck cool but it’s also toting some dessert shooters for our guests.

This look has really gotten me excited for the holiday season!

Vendor Credits: Styling/ Decor: Children’s Party Plus

Cupcake Toppers and Printables: PZ Concepts

Desserts: (cupcakes, whoopee pies, rice Krispy treats, candy apples) Queen Sweets

Tassels: Glitter Girlz Designs

Cookies: Divine Party Planning

Photography: Blugraphics

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Christmas Cocktails

by J. at Your Service!

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sometimes forgotten MUST have during the holidays are cocktails!

Yes! Every mama should have a good cocktail after she prepares the whole family for the festivities. For the adult Christmas parties, all you need are some easy yummy appetizers and a couple of festive drinks. Are you sensing a theme here?? Christmas and cocktails! Nothing too fancy and anyone can put it together.

Appetizers like cherry tomatoes and balls of mozzarella, drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil are super easy. Mini cups of tomato soup with a bite size grilled cheese sandwich is perfect for the winter weather and who doesn’t love a grilled cheese?? For a sweet bite, I love to put anything in mini martini glasses. On my table I have custard with creme filled wafer sticks for garnish. Frosted oatmeal cookies are quick and remind me of a snowy day.

Most importantly, the drinks! Here are 2 delicious recipes that are perfect for the holidays or any day for that matter. Cheers!

Vendor Credits: Styling , printables, and photography: J. at Your Service

Coconut Bellinis:

What you need: - 1 bottle of prosecco - 16 ounces of a coconut juice blend or coconut pureed nectar For the rims: - Honey -Â 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Cosmos:

What you need: - .50oz Triple Sec - .50oz Sweet Lime juice - 1.oz Ketal One Vodka or your favorite brand - 1.oz Cranberry juice Garnish: Cranberries or Raspberries A sprig of Rosemary

Happy Birthday Jesus! by: Blessed Events- The Gift of Giving

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olidays are a time of celebration and seeing the joy and wonder on children’s faces. Susan of Blessed Events- The Gift of Giving did just that when she threw a Happy Birthday to Jesus party. The children were greeted by a splendid table of cream and gold with a chocolate cross at each place setting.

The dessert table high-lighted by a beautiful fabric ribbon and a sign that read Love, Born in a Stable offered many sweet choices for the children.

Food tents reminded the guests of the purpose for the party. Little Drummer Boy cake pops, Star of David sugar cookies, Heavenly cupcakes.and Stable sweets.

It wouldn’t be a birthday party without a birthday cake and this party was no exception. The children wished Jesus a Happy Birthday and blew out the candles which were placed atop the cake from Target.

As the children enjoyed the sweets at the party, Blessed Events pastors mother, Jo Keller read a fun story to them and shared the Birthday of Jesus with them.

Party Styling by Blessed Events-The Gift of Giving

Party Printables and Banner by Fmd Funky Monkey Designs

Photography by Photocreations by Deb

Cross Cupcake Toppers by Kima’s Konfections

Gold and Silver Tulle Pom Cupcake Toppers by Fizzy Party

Shephard Sticks by Pizzazzed Plus

Sugar Cookies by Denise Cooke

Cake in a Jar by Lovely Chic Occasions

Star of David Cookies and Little Drummer Boy Cake Pops by Petits Plaisirs Chocolata Treats

Gold and Silver Oreos and Rice Krispy Treats by Granny’s Party Goodies

Jesus Candy Dishes by Hoopla Events

Gold and Silver Sparkle Sticks by Made By A Princess

Gold and Silver Fabric Garland by Kristyn’s Kreations

Happy Birthday Jesus Banner by Lillypaul Designs

Happy Birthday Jesus Cake Topper by Pink Poppy Party Shoppe

Happy Birthday Jesus Cake, Cupcakes, Gold & Silver Straws by Target

Love Was Born In A Stable Wall Décor by Sawyer Leigh Boutique

Happy Birthday Jesus Door Sign by Michelle’s Party Plan It

Blessings Soap, Blessings Ceramic Cross Dish, Silver Picture Frame and Silver Cross Favors by Kate Aspen

Bedtime Baby Shower

by Elegant Events

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was recently contacted and asked to style a baby shower. The hostess said to “make it simple”. This baby shower was being given for her best friend that is an orthopedic surgeon and wanted something very plain but nice. I wanted to make certain that I personalized the shower to her liking so I asked about how the soon-to-be parents decorated the nursery. After that conversation, I knew that I would go with an accented bedtime theme, seeing as though the nursery decor consisted of stars and the moon. The invitations were my first task. I wanted to keep it very baby-like and contemporary. I contacted my graphic designer, Stacy Jones of Simply Creative Designing, and we came up with the idea to make a customized baby block with all the information for the shower printed on it. Always going the “extra mile,” Stacy even customized the box containing the invite. The cake was the next item on my list. I contacted my awesomely talented baker/friend at CAKED and I must say she nailed it! The cake, along with the most gorgeous desserts created

by Opops by Angie, confirmed that the bedtime themed baby shower was on its way. I told Angie that I wanted her to create cake pops that were made to look like baby books, rice crispy treats that were made to look like baby blocks, and clocks that were to be created using chocolate covered Oreos. I can truly say that Angie delivered (no pun intended!).

Next task was to create the baby elements. I made the backdrop from Styrofoam panels using the baby’s dresser. I decorated with flowers using different hues of blue, the royal blue glasses from Dollar Tree, milk and cookie shots, the baby blocks and of course a personalized diaper area to write a funny message to mom about the 3am diaper changes. I am all about focusing on details, and luckily, so is my graphic designer. I love the way she entertains all my crazy ideas. Our late night brainstorming allowed us to creatively come up with the idea to use a simplistic menu to focus on the miniature pillow accompanying it…how adorable is that?

We didn’t stop there though, take a look at the customized newspaper complete with its own comic section and crossword puzzle. I could go on and on about how much fun it was creating this baby shower, but as you can see for yourself in the pictures, this shower was simple yet fun!

Vendor Credits: Event Planner: Elegant Events Graphic Designer:Simply Creative Designing Florist: Tropical Elegance Inc. Cake: Artisitc Cake Desert Treats: OPOPS by Angie Photography: Paul Facyson Photography

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BLING in the New Year!

by Cupcake Wishes& Birthday Dreams

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LING in the new year with GLAM-TASTIC party decor that won’t break the bank and takes very little time to set up! I styled a New Year’s Eve celebration and sweets station all for under $50 and in very little time. Here’s how I did it. One great thing about planning parties and entertaining at home is that you eventually build up a pretty nice bit of inventory. Being able to shop at home saved me TONS for this set up and all that was left were a few discounted paper party goods and store bought sweets!

Every party starts with some type of inspiration. Lately I’ve been drawn to black and white stripes, gold and hot pink. Knowing the direction I wanted to go with my decor was just half the battle. Next, was to start creating a space that wowed! I have yards and yards of fabric in my home that I use for backdrops. For this set up I used a black and white striped length of upholstery that I purchased from Ikea. Then, I grabbed a dark pink vanity from my daughter’s room that was initially used a prop piece for her Fashionista party. Typically she uses it to do her homework and to hold baskets of hair bows that she loves to wear So, it’s in great condition!

I keep plenty of platters, cake plates, trays and glassware in my party arsenal. So, I was able to easily find pieces that I needed to display sweets and drinks. Here’s a tip — make sure to keep bottles of wine or champagne on hand at all times. You don’t even have to purchase them all the time to build up a nice stock. If anyone ever asks me what they can bring to my home for a dinner party or small event, I always say wine or champagne, because it will ALWAYS come in handy! Eventually, you will end up with a nice stock of spirits to have at the ready. To serve my champagne, I repurposed gold brush painted wine glasses from my last year’s holiday table and placed them in a black wooden tray. The tray was then dressed up with a bit of gold metallic ric rac ribbon. Behind the glasses, I placed an acrylic cake pusher pops stand that I also already had from my party stash.

For the rest of the items, I went on a small shopping spree and collected decorative pieces that worked with my theme, but I gave myself one rule, they had to either be on sale, on clearance and IF they were not, I had to be able to apply a coupon where they could be purchased for less than $5! With my budget set I went shopping and found the perfect decorations. The other key to shopping for New Years is that you don’t necessarily have to have anything that says ‘HAPPY NEW YEAR’ You can work with colors and patterns and in my opinion if it’s shiny, sparkly or glittery, then it screams celebration and there’s no bigger celebration than a blinged out New Year’s Even party! I was lucky in that I found a cute fringe garland — on clearance, push pop confetti poppers — on clearance, small honeycomb balls — on clearance, pink foil party hats — on clearance, and glitter bows for $1 each! Other decorations like paper pinwheels and glittered mini clothespins were items I already owned. I created a custom banner using hot pink burlap pennant flags and vinyl stickers with the number 2016 on them.

These were my non-sale items, but because I used a coupon, I paid half price for them both — essentially getting one of them for free!

I wanted to keep the food and drink portion of this table very simple, so, I placed store bought cupcakes that I topped with pink shimmer gum balls and frosted cookies on a platter and small cake stand. Then, I added bows to the stems of the cake stand and to my wine glasses for a sweet and feminine touch!

The whole look was finished with a small bouquet of balloons that I added ribbon to. This whole display creates an area that catches the eye and makes guests say ‘wow’! What is even better is that when done the right way, setting up a similar party area will not cost a lot and will take very little time to set up! Now that’s how you celebrate and BLING in the new year glamorously!

Vendor Credits: Styling, printables, and photography: Cupcake Wishes and Birthday Dreams Keisha Sibert is Owner and Editor of Cupcake Wishes & Birthday Dreams an event planning service and blog based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Follow her on social media @cwbdparties.

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Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

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Vintage Soda Shop

by Everyday Party Magazine

E

arlier in the year, I worked with Minted to create a fun Vintage Soda Shop party for my boys after school. We had so much fun, my third son asked to have a Vintage Soda Shop Birthday Party. Obviously, I needed to make the birthday party a bigger ordeal than the after school party, but still reuse some of the elements from the first party, and I had a blast turning our great room into a Soda Shop!

I moved our dining room table out of the room, and got to work with an empty space. First, I took black indoor grade vinyl from Expressions Vinyl and stuck it right on top of my plain white ceramic tile. The floors looked so great! I have never been so happy to have builder’s grade white tile. Once the floors were done, I hung silver grey fabric over the walls and then I added a sheet of stainless steel for some rigidity to hold the sign from Minted and the black, white, and red bunting. I placed a large folding table in front of the fabric wall, and added our vintage style Coca Cola cooler on one side, and our vintage style candy machine on the other. I covered the table with a black linen table cloth and in an inexpensive plastic camping table cloth. Then, I added tons of delicious cookies, lollipops, cupcakes and sundae topping. Just in front of the dessert table I set up a counter for plates, soda jerk hats, and color changing spoons and straws from Michaels.

I blocked off one entrance to our kitchen with the Coca Cola cooler, and my oldest son and I were true soda jerks for the party. (We even wore Soda Jerk hats, t-shirts, and our favorite Chuck Taylor All Stars!) We served coney dogs, plain hot dogs, milk shakes, banana splits, ice cream cones, sundaes, and coke floats! The kids loved coming to the counter to “order” their food.

The guests enjoyed watching Grease in the background on TV, dancing to Willie and the Hand Jive and other fun soda shop style music, hula hooping, and even playing air hockey!

When the party was over, each guest took home a retro style juke box

favor box from Claudine Hellmuth Designs. I filled the boxes with vintage style candies, and an inflatable guitar.

Each guest also took home some fun sun glasses and a bottle of vintage style soda.

The week after the party, we made a simple thank you card to match the plates from Create Ur Plate and the Lollipics. The top of the card said, “Thank you for making my party crazy sweet!” , my son wrote a little note to each of his friends below it. We stuck a Lollipic and a crazy straw in the envelope and sent them out!

This party was a great deal of fun, and I am so happy with the way it turned out!

Vendor Credits: Styling and Photography: Everyday Party Magazine Printables: Minted Fondant: Harriet’s House of Cakes Cookies: Creating Awesomeneccity Plates: Create Ur Plate Lollipops: Lollipics Chocolate Cookies and Lollipops: Rosebud Chocolates Vinyl for the floors: Expressions Vinyl Favor boxes: Claudine Hellmuth Designs Paper napkins, plates, and stopped bowls: Soiree by Ria Art for the Plates, Soda Jerk Hats, and Lollipics: Eli Illustrator

Sweet Beats Birthday Bash

by The Party Designers Inc

I

love Rock n Roll! This 3rd birthday party was a sweet combination of rock n roll and girly fun!

The birthday girl loves Pop music and dancing. Her favorites include Taylor Swift & Pit Bull.

We wanted to incorporate her love of music and dance into a sweet feminine party.

We enlisted the help of a wonderful DJ, Stephanie Rivkin from Royal Beats. She entertained the children with games, karaoke, dance offs and more. The guests played musical chairs and musical Simon Says.

Other entertainment included a fun craft table. Guests were able to make their own dance fairy rings by tying colored ribbon to a brass ring. They used these as a fun dancing prop. They also decorated their own microphones with markers, stickers and foam letters. There was also a face painter available.

The party took place in the party girl’s backyard on a beautiful September afternoon. Under a peak tent were tables and chairs along with the DJ and dance floor.

Throughout the yard, there were other lawn games available for guests to play. Jumbo bowling, soccer, bubbles, ring toss and bean toss to name a few.

The décor consisted of light pink, mint and gold. The main décor items were large balloons staked in the ground with color coordinating tassels.

We also added large GEMMA gold foil balloon letters with mint balloon bases.

The guests also enjoyed a delicious dessert table, dressed with a tulle table skirt. The cake was a main focal point of the table. The birthday girl wanted to incorporate Octonauts in her cake design, so they made a special appearance as the edible cake topper. Other deserts included microphone cookies, mini cupcakes, jelly beans, marshmallow pops, chocolates and rock candy.

The children had a rocking good time dancing the afternoon away!

Vendor Credits: Planning & Styling: The Party Designers Dj: Royal Beats Cake & Cookies: Sugar Bakery Mini Cupcakes: Eat Your Art Out Photography Jordan Imperati Balloons: Connecticut Balloon Creations Rentals: Taylor Rental

Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

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Sophia’s Peacock Party

by I Have a Favor

I

had so much fun turning my Little Princess into a Pretty Little Peacock for her 8th birthday! This party is full of DIYs and is easy to replicate on your own.

The birthday girl wore a lime, turquoise and purple tutu that I made myself. With a few yards of coordinating tulle and a crochet tube, it was a fun project that even my 8 year old could lend a hand in.

Using a white backdrop really made the vibrant colors lime, pink, turquoise and purple pop on the dessert table! We had a ton of goodies including these adorable peacock cupcakes! Another found DIY! I simply made cupcakes and iced them with blue icing. I cut the tails off of blue chick Peeps (ordered at Peeps.com) and pushed them into the icing.

I made Peacock tails with blue Candy Melts adding dragees while the chocolate was still wet.

The adorable Peacock candy wands and tassel garland were made by Lisa Frank Parties and added such a festive touch to the table!

My daughter found the prettiest little Peacock Cake online and asked me to make it for her. I make all of my children’s birthday cakes, it’s one of my special gifts to them! The cake was adorned with a custom cake topper by Paper and Pop. Such a special touch!

Each child was given their very own Personalized Peacock cup to use during the party which also served as a party favor! The coordinating straws were from Hoopla Events.

Activities included making a Peacock Mask and applying Flash tattoos!

I used my Silhouette to cut masks out of heavy card stock. I added a strand of sequins ahead of time since it required a glue gun. Each child decorated their mask with feathers and pretty gems! We attached adorable straws to use as a handle. The straws are from Hoopla Events as well.

Vendor Credis: Party styling - I Have A Favor Party favor cups and utensil tin - I Have A Favor Peacock Invitation - Everyday Party Magazine Tassel garland and Peacock Candy Wands - Lisa Frank Parties Cake topper - Paper and Pop Paper straws - Hoopla Events

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Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

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Everyday Party Magazine Winter 2015

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Carter & Braxton’s Dinosaur Excavation

by Ashleigh Nicole Events

I

styled and designed this Dinosaur party for my two little boys, Carter and Braxton! They absolutely love dinosaurs so I went to work planning a rustic dinosaur party!

I used a color pallet of navy blue, lime green and antique tan.

InvitationsInvites set the tone for the party right? Well, I decided to go with boxed dinosaur egg invites!

I used plastic Easter eggs, painted them eggshell white and speckled brown paint for a more realistic look. The actual invite with party details were placed inside the dinosaur egg.

Each egg was placed in a brown craft box, on a bed of loose moss. It also had a “crack me” sticker on the inside lid.

The boxes where dressed with a custom “You’re Invited” label and navy blue ribbon.

Table/place setting detailsI had a blast styling this table, well, the whole party really!

I covered both tables with white linen. I purchased two burlap table runners then cut them to size and placed them vertically along the table. The moss placemats were one of my favorite little details from the party. They were made out of 14x48 inch moss table runners found at Joann’s Fabric.

I cut 12 inch circles for each place setting. On top of the moss placemats were lunch boxes for all the little herbivores and carnivores! Inside each lunch box were dinosaur shaped sandwich, grapes, pretzels and carrots; each with carnivore/herbivore labels. The no-sew burlap utensil holders were made out of wired burlap ribbon and a tad of hot glue down the edges. I placed napkins, wooden spoons, knives and forks in each one.

Then, I tied colored twine around the entire utensil holder and adorned with name tags of each of the party guest. I found a ton of dinosaur toys at the Dollar Store in which I lightly spray painted each to match the color scheme. I thought adding party hats on a few of the dinosaurs was super cute and my boys thought it was hilarious!

Each place setting also had bottles with custom labeling and lime green paper straws with a custom navy “ROAR” flag. Now, for the fun part, the Dinosaur Terrarium centerpieces!!! I love terrariums and I thought it would be a perfect “home” for our little dinosaur friends. I used all artificial plants in these terrariums. Sand, rocks and moss were all found at the Dollar Store. The glass bubble bowls were purchased from Michaels. I simply layered sand, rocks, moss, artificial succulents, ferns and moss rocks. Finally, I added little dinosaur toys! The wood slice and stump are from Michaels as well.

Dessert tableLet’s start for the bottom and make our way up! The burlap table-skirt was the perfect base to continue the rustic look. The printed banner that was hung across the table read “Happy Birthday”. It was hung by using twine and green painted clothes pins. I served chocolate and vanilla macaroons, key lime cheesecake, Oreo chocolate pudding, layered jello, chocolate covered Oreos, chocolate glazed donuts and personalized cookies! Yummy! I also served Hershey chocolate bars and Hershey Chocolate nuggets, both with custom labeling. I wanted the cake design to be very simple. I decided on a two tier 8”/5” classic vanilla/vanilla cake decorated with a custom banner and dinosaur toys holding candles! Each dinosaur represented the birthday boys. Carter, who was turning 5 and Braxton, who was turning 2! The cake sat on a wood slice, moss mat, white cake stand and a 1/2 size wooden crate purchased from Joann’s Fabric. The crate was stained with chestnut colored wood stain from Home Depot.

Another one of my favorites little details were the dinosaur platters! I used large dinosaur toys in which I cut off the heads, sounds horrible, I know. I centered a light weight plate and reattached the head using hot glue. Finally, I spray painted them to coordinate with the color scheme.

All materials were purchased from the dollar store! Three stands totaled just $4!(Not including the cost of spray paint) ** Parchment paper was placed on top of the spray painted plates for food safety.** Finally, the 4x6 foot vinyl backdrop printed by Drop Place featured the graphic design created by Heather Nelson Designs. The backdrop reads “Carter and Braxton’s Dinosaur Excavation” and has a rustic/vintage map back-

ground.

Birthday Boy Outfits- I always like to get personalized shirts for the boys’ birthday. This year I ordered the navy blue and green dinosaur skeleton shirts with their name and age from Etsy. Super cute!

Party FavorsWe gave small toy dinosaurs, custom coloring books, handmade dinosaur shaped crayons and white chocolate pretzels acting as “dinosaur bones” for party favors. The coloring books were placed in clear plastic self-seal envelopes and the dinosaur crayons were placed in small brown craft boxes on top of shredded packing paper. Each box was dressed with custom tags attached with twine. The homemade dinosaur crayons were made using a silicon mold I found on Amazon. I placed broken crayons in the mold and melted them down in the oven. They popped out of the silicone mold perfectly each time! The “dinosaur bones” were white chocolate pretzels placed in clear treat bags with custom labeling tags. The “Adopt a Dinosaur” section included small toy dinosaurs for the guest to choose from and an Adoption Certificate card!

The party favors where displayed on a 4ft table with white linen, tassel garland and a “thank you for making my birthday Dino-mite” sign. The birthday information boards and the “thank you...” party sign were created by Heather Nelson Designs. The favor table also had a bamboo backdrop with a photo banner of the birthday boys. Navy bags were used to carry home all of the dinosaur treats!

MenuI decided to go really easy on the menu. I was 3 weeks postpartum with our third baby, and I didn’t want a lot of food prep.

So, to the grocery store I went for pre-made selections. The menu included an assorted deli sub tray and a deli wrap tray. We also had a fruit tray and veggie tray that my mother assembled. All food items were served on white platters.

On a separate table, we also served iced tea in a silver pedestal drink dispenser and assorted fruit flavored lemonades. Regular lemonade, limeade, and raspberry lemonade. Lastly, we provided water with costume labeling, assorted juice boxes and soda for our guest. The beverage table was dressed with hanging

tassel garland and a bamboo backdrop with a dinosaur toy and triangle garland.

We also had a Trail Mix Bar! The DIY trail mix bar included peanuts, almonds, raisins, craisins, pretzels, m&ms and sunflower seeds.

Party Activities We decided to hire “The Kids Reptile Parties” company to entertain our guest. He was fantastic at keeping the crowd engaged and he had a great sense of humor. He presented an array of reptiles and all the kids had the opportunity to touch them. He was awesome! We also had a dinosaur piñata and photo booth!

Resources and Vendor Credits -Design and styling - Ashleigh Nicole Events Facebook -Graphic Design& Printables- Heather Nelson Design -Photography- Shuttergram Portraits & Ashleigh Nicole Events -Reptile Show- Kids Reptile Parties -Cake- Commissary - Camp Pendleton -Personalized cookies- CREEative Cookies -Macaroons- Trader Joes

In the next issue Available Spring 2016