Lost in Paradise Party
This post is dedicated to all the Covid brides out there 🤍 This weekend was supposed to be my (third back up) Bachelorette party weekend. Originally I was supposed to be going to Scottsdale in June, then possibly San Diego in July, which was pushed to this weekend. Needless to say, I am not anywhere near a pool sipping a piña colada right now 😆 My most commonly used phrase this year has become “it is what it is.” I'm not going to try to make anyone feel better if you've had your trip plans canceled too because it just flat out stinks. I'm really hopeful that next year will be an amazing year of travel for all of us. But I knew this weekend was going to come and instead of being sad about it, I took it as an opportunity to showcase an event theme that I haven't done before. So I give you...my bachelorette party theme!
I am quite the fan of flamingos and wanted a very tropical feel for the weekend. One of my favorite small shops LulaFlora creates the cutest mini pinata party favors and when I saw she made a flamingo one, I just knew it had to be the star of my setup!
*Party tip: Custom cakes can be very very expensive- one way around the cost is to order a cake with a simple design from your grocery store and add an inedible topper! You still get a super fun cake at a fraction of the price!
Another way to add affordable décor to your party is printables! Etsy has endless options that typically only cost a few bucks. You just need to buy the frames one time and can use them over and over again with new prints for future parties. I tied in the text of the “party like a pineapple” sign to the cupcake toppers for seamless custom look.
One of the biggest bangs for your buck can be balloons. Balloon garlands are super popular right now- they make a statement and can fill a space for pretty minimal cost. Don't be fooled though- they are harder to assemble than they look, it does take some practice. It can be worth investing in quality balloons that wont deflate quickly, so that you can work on the display 1-2 days in advance and not have to stress about it the day of the party.
“Add real decor” is the last tip I'll leave you with for this setup! I love big box stores like Party City for certain items, but a lot of their décor pieces can look cheap and cheesy. Instead of a 2D décor item (like a sign/cutout of palm trees), I opted for 3D objects like the green palms and feathers to add texture plus depth to the display.
Fingers crossed that I'll be looking at real palm trees next year and enjoying a trip that my bridesmaids decorated for me! 🍾
Cinco De Quarantino
With the stay at home order still going strong, it's looking like we won't be going out for tacos and margaritas anytime soon. But will that stop me from celebrating Cinco de Mayo? Definitely not! Bring on the chips and guac!
I'm attempting to make the best out of our situation with a little fiesta at home. It's certainly not Mexico, but it's colorful and the drinks are cheap 😆 I give you...Cinco De Quarantino!
Dressing up the bar cart was a must of course! This was my first time making a balloon garland out of only small balloons (all 5 inches). I love how all of the colors came together. The balloons I purchased from Shop Studio Pep and the adorable mini banners are from My Mind’s Eye. If you have some space to fill on your cart, you can always display fresh fruit, which can come in handy for extra drink garnished. Fresh flowers are always a good option too!
Margaritas were an obvious drink of choice for the occasion, but we never blend ours and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do so! I recommend making a pitcher for a group, these always seem to go down pretty quickly!
Food was setup buffet style (only apps and desserts shown here). Think of unusual and creative ways to serve the food to fit the theme, like how I have the tortilla chips in the sombrero! Colorful bowls for the guacamole, salsa, and queso fit in nicely as well.
The backdrop, which inspired the whole color theme, is from Oriental trading. It would look great on it’s own, but I love the layered look of the “fiesta” balloon overtop! The cake is actually from the grocery store- I added coordinating frosting on top and actually made the little tassel cake topper with two straws, string, and some tissue paper!
I’m hoping we’ll be able to celebrate outside the house (or maybe even somewhere warm) next year! But for now, salud my friends!
Bunny Bark
It all begins with an idea.
This year I made a cute and colorful little treat of candy bark with melting chocolates and some Easter candy! It was pretty simple and would be a great activity to do with kids. I lay out the process below and give tips on what I would do differently next time- enjoy!
You'll need to start with your supplies of:
Candy Melts (I used white as my base + pink, blue & purple)
4 small bowls
4 spatulas or something to stir with
Parchment paper
A "drying surface" *
Toppings of your choice
*I decided to go with a baking sheet instead of the cutting board to avoid spill over
First, microwave your candy melts until they are nice and smooth. You'll want to do this in small increments- I started with about 1 minute and 30 seconds for the first round, then every round after that did only about 45 seconds at a time. Make sure to remove your bowls of candy melts from the microwave each time, stirring the coating chocolate around to avoid any hot spots- it's a pretty tedious process, but works well!
Second, cover your drying surface with parchment paper then pour out your "base" color. This is the part where I would do things differently- I melted only my white candy coat first, poured it out, then microwaved my other colors after that. The final look turned out fine, but if you want more of that "swirl" look, I would recommend heating up all of the chocolates and one time.
As you can see, I have more of a layered look because by the time my other colors were melted, the white base was already hardened (whoops). Next, while the chocolate is still melty, add on your toppings. I chose to go with two types of sprinkles and pastel colored M&MS 😋
And here's the final product!
Lastly, after the bark has completely set, just break it apart in pieces and serve! It's a tad sweet for me all on its own (I'm sure kiddos would love it) so I might break it into small pieces and mix it up with some salty pretzels or popcorn!
Let me know if you give this festive treat a try!
#GALS | Galentines Brunch
It all begins with an idea.
Valentines Day is generally associated with romance; flowers, chocolates, candlelit dinners… And trust me, I love all of those things! But I love my girl friends too and the idea of a “Galentines” party with copious amounts of pink was just way too good to pass up! 💖
Speaking of all things pink- it started with the wine! Rosé might be great for summer time, but it’s also perfect for a super girly party too! Simply garnish each glass by cutting a slit into a strawberry for a tasty embellishment!
The food had to be fun and girly too of course! Everything on the buffet was super simple, but elevated to feel fancy and festive. Ham and cheese sandwiches were cut into hearts, yogurt parfaits were served in individual dishes with tiny spoons, and the desserts were displayed on a tiered tray, garnished with edible flowers. 🌸
I love when events offer guests some sort of activity so I thought it would be fun for the girls and I to do a little Valentines themed art project. We each decorated a heart on canvas (that I bought in bulk from Michaels) with crafting items I already had on hand: glitter, washi tape, paints, flower sitckers, etc. It was a fun to see how different everyones turned out!
One of the best aspects of hosting a party during a holiday, is that my house is already decorated! My mantel was all ready to serve as a great backdrop for pictures. Before we started our craft, I had the table set with coordinating tableware and cookie “name plates” for everyone to take home as a favor. ☺️
This is one of my favorite parties I’ve ever styled and I hope it gave you some inspiration! Now on to the next holiday!
NYE 2020
It all begins with an idea.
How is it already New Years Eve tomorrow night?! I swear every year feels like it goes by faster than the last! It’s been a pretty great year overall, but I’m so excited to ring in a new year- it’s going to be a big one! It’ll be our wedding year and I’m so so excited for that! We have about 80% of the planning done, but still need to book our honeymoon and wrap up some smaller details. It seems like everyone has a lot they are looking forward to. We have several friends who will be having babies, getting married, possibly buying houses. Do you have a lot you’re looking forward to?
We contemplated staying in this year, but have decided to go to a friends house for a little party. I made some festive Champagne cupcakes to take with us 😊. I’m a big fan of Champagne, so I love that it’s the popular drink for this holiday celebration!
If you’re a Champagne fan too, but want to jazz things up, try a French 75! It’s bubbly and refreshing! Here’s the recipe:
2 ounces dry gin
3/4 fresh lemon juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
2 ounces Champagne
Spiral lemon twist for garnish
I’m normally not a gin person, but the lemon juice and simple syrup really mellow out the harsh flavor. 🥂
Whatever you are doing to celebrate tomorrow night, I hope it’s a safe and memorable evening! See you in the new year!
