"What Will It Be?" Baby Gender Reveal Party

(Photo by The Nature of Grace)

How CUTE is this party?? Check out The Nature of Grace blog for a bee-utiful baby gender reveal party concept. Click here to go directly to the blog post and read about the wonderful DIY projects that brought this concept together.

Fun Giveaway from Hostess with the Mostess

Hostess with the Mostess posted a fun giveaway. Hurry, enter to win on her blog! These fun Persona gift pail kits make great gifts, party favors or take-home party favors. Check out Persona Gift Pails here.

Eco-Friendly Grad Party Inspiration

I was browsing through MarthaStewart.com to find inspiration for spring and summer celebrations. I came across an Eco-Friendly Graduation Party concept from Martha Stewart Living's editorial food director Lucinda Scala Quinn, who coordinated this party to celebrate her son's graduation from the University of Vermont. Below are some photos (credits: MarthaStewart.com) to pique your interest. Click here to see the party details and more enticing photos of this event!

 

Inspiration to the 50th Degree

I recently completed a fundraising auction/dinner for a non-profit organization. It was a fun event because the organization was celebrating a significant milestone of 50 years of service to the community. I thought I would share with you some of the elements of this event.

Concept

This year was the organization's 29th annual auction, but since they were celebrating the 50th anniversary, we decided to ditch the traditional Irish theme of the event (it is held in March every year) in lieu of incorporating elements of a "golden" anniversary. We traded the green decor for black, gold, and cranberry. The whimsical was elevated to classy, and party beads were exchanged for gold and glitz.

Champagne flutes featured a custom 50th anniversary logo; guests who purchased a glass were entered into a drawing to win a beautiful diamond bracelet.

We also had chocolates on the tables and gorgeous rose centerpieces with gold floral accents.

In a fun twist, the desserts even color-coordinated with the colors of our event!

This was an all-around inspirational event that reconnected donors to the mission of the organization. The hard work of dozens upon dozens of volunteers helped make this event possible!

Oh! The Places You'll Go!

My favorite Mermaids recently asked if I would write another article for their e-zine, Mermaids of the Lake. This time they asked for a graduation party concept. My inspiration came from Dr. Seuss' book, Oh! The Places You'll Go!. Check out the article here.

Happy 2nd birthday to the Mermaids on the Lake! :-)

Have an Egg-cellent Easter!

This post is just a quickie today to wish all of my readers a wonderful Easter!

Annnnnnnnd, since I can't wait to share this with you, here's a peek at what I made to bring to a potluck Easter dinner tonight.  These Rice Krispies egg-treats are fun for kids and adults alike.  They were super-easy and fun to make!  Check out the Rice Krispies website for fun and creative ideas.

Before:

After:

Spring Update

Oh, where have I been?? The first four months of the year are usually difficult for me to maintain regular blog postings because that is my busiest season of the year at my day job. One major event down, two more to go! I recently completed a successful fundraising auction/anniversary celebration dinner, so I will post a recap of that event and pictures about in the coming weeks.

In addition, I'm working on getting some real life wedding stories to recap for you as well. I'll keep you posted on those.

Seeing as Easter is RIGHT around the corner, and if you're as busy as I am, it might have snuck up on you! I will be posting a couple of creative Easter ideas as well as some Spring decor and entertaining ideas for you.

First up: Eggshell Votives!

Photo courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

I saw the above photo and thought this was a festive idea as yet another way to incorporate eggs into our Easter celebration. Follow the link here to get instructions on how to make these votive candles. Quick tip: hot glue your wick to the bottom of the shell before filling the shell with wax (this will prevent the wick from floating in the wax).

Next Up: Chocolate Eggs!

Photo courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

This one's for the die-hard chocoholic! Warning: this project is somewhat labor- and time-intensive... but HOW can you resist the charm and beauty of your own chocolate eggs inside a REAL egg shell?? Follow this link to get the how-to from Martha. The instructions tell you how to create a chocolate shell within the egg shell so you can fill the shell with ganache (recipe provided). Be sure to read the comments for the instructions to get some good feedback and tips on how to make this project a little bit smoother the first time around.

**Both of these ideas can pull double-duty as table decor and favors. Consider making these as nice take-home gifts for family and friends by wrapping each in colored cellophane and a brightly colored ribbon.**

More ideas to come!