100th Post - Shameless Self Promotion!

HELLO READERS!!!

I was getting ready to post a shameless self promoting post (hence the title) when lo and behold this happens to be my 100th post! So with all the congratulations in order (seeing as I've wasted enough time to post 100 times...) on to the self promoting....

For anyone that has followed this blog for a while you know that I have an Etsy shop. (If you didn't know go there now!} I've been doing a lot of updating to it recently and have come up with a few new designs that are being featured along with some older ones. Here is a taste of what you can find in my shop.

So if you're having a baby or just had a baby or are shopping for a baby check me out on Etsy!

It's not rocket science...

While I was at my parent's house decorating & setting up my sister's baby shower my mom made a comment to me about how she had picked up some tips from me about party planning and how easy it actually is. Her exact quote was that 'it's not rocket science' and the truth is that it really is very simple if you keep a few things in mind. As I was pondering this conversation on my way back home I found myself writing down the following tips on the back of a KFC drive through bag (yes, I'm guilty of using the drive through...and writing while driving...). Hopefully you'll be able to use some of these to help plan your next event.

• Plan ahead and be specific: Once you know that you are going to be hosting an event start planning. Obviously start with your pillar info, who, what, when, and where. In each catagory be as specific as possible. Example: Where: My parent's house: living room & dining room. Start to envision the overall event. Set a realistic timeline.
• Don't be afraid of using a theme: I have never really understood this, and still don't, but so many people are afraid of using a 'theme'. Using a theme DOES NOT mean that you have to perfect match every detail to a color swatch or have huge puffy bows everywhere, theme simply means the overall mood/tone of the event. Sometimes this is very specific (The Wizard of Oz), sometimes it is more general (pink & green), or sometimes it is elusive (Natural Elegance, Backyard BBQ). No matter what you're going for you need a theme so that you have a place to start.
• Set a realistic budget: Good events aren't about how much money you spend, but about how you spend the money you have. Find out how much you realistically can spend on your event and then prioritize your budget to reflect the things that are most important to you (food, decor, invites, etc).
• Research & Gather Information: Once you've got your basic details & theme start digging around. Google image your theme idea and see what comes up. Look at event websites & blogs and see what other people have done for similar events. Collect images/ideas of things that you like. Start finding resources for products you'd like to buy or rent. Start gathering addresses for invites/thank you's.
• Stay Organized: People make fun of me because I keep a file for each event that I am planning. In it I keep lists of ideas, photographs, vendor information, pricing information, and other things that I'll need on hand. This is a great resource that I highly recommend.
• Don't use 'matchy-matchy' decor: I'm not sure if this should be it's own bullet point or if it should be in with the theme catagory but don't try and perfectly match all of the things. You want your event decor to coordinate but you don't want it to look like you bought all together. The best events feature decor that has a collected, homey look to them. As a general rule it is always better to use cloth over paper whenever possible.
• Enlist help & utlize friends/relatives: Don't be afraid to ask for help! If you've got a friend who is a good photographer then ask them to take the photos, if you've got a relative that is a great baker ask them to help with cakes, etc. If you need shear man power to decorate or staff your event - ask for help. You'd be surprised at how often people want to help but are afraid to ask because they don't think they've got something to contribute.
• HAVE FUN!: Don't loose focus of why your hosting your event. No matter what type of party you're planning you're probably there to celebrate & have a good time. Most of the time if something goes wrong you'll be the only one to notice, so brush it off and have a good time.

Wizard of Oz Baby Shower Pictures

Here are some of the photos from this past weekends baby shower. The shower theme was the Wizard of Oz and I mainly used blue & white gingham with red & white polka dots to tie everything together. Overall I was pretty pleased with the outcome. The following photos are mostly of the event details, I hope to post some of my lesser quality shots (once I find my camera) that show the overall view of the shower. All of the following photos were taken by my good friend Sarah.

Follow the yellow brick road... into the Land of Oz!

Don't forget to visit the Lollipop Stand!

To make it feel more homey we used cloth napkins & chinaPolka dot cakeCandyland & lollipopsYou can't see it in this photo but the vase held a large branch that had note cards featuring Dorthy & Toto, the Tin Man, the Lion, and the Scarecrow with the words Happy Home, Heart, Courage, & Brain on them. Each guest was asked to right a well wish or parenting advice to the new parents.

You can see the wishing tree a little better in this photo.

All of the well wishes & advice were stored in this album which was given to the parents to be at the end of the shower.
Sunflower pens and notecards We had the shower in my parents home which has a very open floor plan. One of the obstacles in hosting the shower there was the layout of the home because the kitchen was in plain view. Luckily as we were decorating my mom had the ingenius idea of hanging up some of our excess fabric as kind of an awning which helped seperate the kitchen from the rest of the space and also helped tie in all the different spaces. I also framed several Wizard of Oz images that I had found online in garage sale frames painted white. These frames were used in various places around the shower. This frame is hanging above our drink station. My parents have a 12ish foot long mantel in their living room. I used red glittery chargers as a backdrop, made 2 sunflower topiaries, and draped the mantel with the blue & white gingham fabric. Next to each topiary are blue wooden stars with white star dots on them. We played the movie, the Wizard of Oz throughout the shower. At each end of the mantel are photos of my sister & her husband as babies. Just a sign with the baby's nameThe two end tables were decorated with blue fabric with a white linen overlay that featured a scene from the movie and lollipops!We gave sunflower & african daisy flower seed packs as favors.Baby Shower Bingo & gift bags My sister, on the left, and my cousin, on the right, are both pregnant, so Sarah shot this adorable picture of them.

Me, my grandma, my sister, & my mom

I hope you enjoyed the photos and feel inspired for your next event!

Sneak peek...

Here's a photo from the Wizard of Oz baby shower on Saturday. I'll be posting more photos in the next few days, but want to wait until I've got the DVD so I can pick out my favorites. In the mean time say hello to Toto (aka my adorable dog Tink)!
Many thanks to Sarah for taking the time to come to the shower and photograph every possible angle as well as some non-sense shots like the one above.

A little outdoor eye candy

As I was google searching the other day for gingham table clothes I came across this photo from Country Living. I liked it so much that I thought I'd share!

Wizard of Oz Baby Shower Inspiration Post

The time has finally arrived - my sister's baby shower is in less than 1 week! For the shower I decided to do a Wizard of Oz theme. Here is the inspiration board for the party: Obviously her shower won't be an exact replica of the above but the overall scheme of the party will be blue & white gingham with red & white polka dots & sunflowers. Here are some great resources if you're throwing a Wizard of Oz party of your own:



Red & White polka dot plates from Plum Party
Blue Gingham Tableclothes from Guardian Eco StoreSunflower Centerpieces from Costco

Lollipops from Sweet Factory

Don't forget to serve lots of fresh fruit & home baked goodness!


Stay tuned for real party pics next week!

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If you've come across this post for your own inspiration, check out this one for pictures of the actual party.  You can also read more about it on the Stem Fabulous Parties blog here and get help with planning your own themed event here.  Thanks for stopping by!