Radio Flyer Baby Shower

When I discovered one of my besties was preggo I could not WAIT to throw a baby shower for her little bundle of joy. When I think of my friend Alexis two colors come to mind 1.) turqouise 2.) candy apple red. I knew that this event had to comprise those two colors. I started planning before I knew the sex of the baby, but as soon as I knew baby Violet was a “she” I had to throw in a little pink for good measure. I made the invites using Microsoft Word. I printed them on 4 by 6 photo paper, added a little white rhinestone sticker in the center of the red dots above the wagon and red rhinestone sticker  in the center of the wagon wheel to resemble the Radio Flyer. I mailed them off in candy apple red envelopes along with her registry info.

Let’s Get Crafty!

 

Guests could decorate onesies, headbands, or bibs for the mommy-to-be. I purchased buttons, bows, flowers, puffy paint and whatever else I could find to embellish these items to make them fun and festive. People could attach their items using a glue gun or a needle and thread.  I hung a ribbon in the backyard and added some wooden clips so the artists could display their work when they finished.  Everything turned out really cute!

The Menu

Appetizers

Caprese Bites: Tomato, Basil, Kalamata Olive, and Fresh Mozzarella skewers drizzled with EVOO,balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Walnuts and Gorgonzola: Slice sweet potatoes 1/4-1/2 inch thick, lay slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet, drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper, and chopped fresh rosemary. Bake in 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes). Remove from oven, add chopped up walnuts and a little bit of gorgonzola crumbles. Bake for another 3-5 minutes or until cheese slightly melts. Remove, cool, enjoy!

Cream Cheese, Jalapeno Crescent Poppers: Find recipe here

Strawberry and Blueberry Skewers with this amazing Chocolate Fruit Dip

Main Course

Croissant Sandwich fixins‘ (assorted meats, cheeses, tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, avocado, mustard, and mayo)

Asian Slaw with Ginger Peanut Dressing: Find recipe here

 

Drinks

Mimosa’s and Peach Iced Tea in Mason Jars

Decorations

I borrowed a Radio Flyer wagon from a neighbor. Score! I purchased the turquoise poof balls from Michaels they are from the Martha Stewart Collection. I bought flowers at Trader Joe’s and put them in Mason Jars and I purchased polka dot balloons on Amazon and at the TomKat Studio. Such a cute online shop!

Dessert

Candy Buffet, Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes, and Brown Sugar Cookies

 

I think the dessert table was by far my favorite part of this event! I found super cute polka dot bags at the TomKat Studio and some other cool party supplies including the paper red and white straws used for the drinks. I purchased all of the candy in bulk at Target, borrowed some of the candy buffet jars from a friend, improvised with other glass jars, and used the die cut at work to cut out the letters “SWEET BABY” (from cardstock), I then strung the letters on red and white twine. I purchased the block letters to spell out “Violet”from Michaels. They were pre-painted white, so I kept them as is.  I also found a cute square of polka dot pre-cut fabric at Jo-Ann’s. I layered a few boxes for height, added the fabric, and then put the cake tiers up that I bought for my own wedding at TJ Maxx Home Goods and placed the lemon and raspberry cupcakes that my mom made on top. We filled the little Radio Flyer that I purchased on Amazon with the brown sugar cookies my mom made.

Games

We played a few standard baby shower games and gave guests cute gift bags which included Starbucks gift cards and candles. Need help finding baby shower games? Head on over to Pinterest!

Beach Themed 30th Birthday

When my friend Amanda was turning 30, she and her sister asked for my hand in helping to throw a 30th birthday outdoor, beach themed shindig. Of course I couldn’t resist! The party was catered by a super yummy mexican food restaurant in Laguna Beach, CA. As soon as I get the name of the joint, I’ll update here! We had burritos, chimichangas, quesadillas, beans, rice, chips, and salsa.  It was delish!  Of course we also had homemade margaritas (thanks Brooke!), Sangria, and plenty of other bebidas alcoholicas to wet our whistle (and the shark’s!). Amanda’s brother in law Alex did a pretty awesome job on carving that shark if I do say so myself!

Food/Drink Labels

As I mentioned in another post, I ususally like to make a framed menu for my parties. This particular party warranted something a little different and a little less fancy but cute nonetheless.  The overall color scheme was turquoise, blues, greens, tan, and black. I used turquoise card stock, cut it into 4 in by 8 in  squares, folded it over and added cute beach themed stickers that I purchased at Michaels in the scrap booking aisle.

I used these cards to label the food and beverages:

Sand Bucket Food/Ice Storage

On Pinterest, I saw this cute idea! Use sand buckets for ice and food storage. I found a great deal at Michaels and bought approximately 3 turquoise and 3 blue buckets.  We filled them with chips and ice. It worked really well and looked cute and festive!

 

Tablescapes

Sadly, I never got around to taking pics of the tablescapes, but here is the type of netting I used. I purchased it at Michaels. I wanted the tables to look pretty and fun! I purchased fish netting, shells, glass candle holders, and sand. I covered the tables with a black tablecloth, cut the netting to size to layer in the center, added the glass candleholders filled with sand and a tea light, and tosssed a few shells on top of the netting. It looked cool and added a nice beachy element to the party.

 

Fun Straws, Baskets, and Napkins

I purchased the baskets and straws at Michaels. I love, love, love all of the fun new paper straws today! They add a super fun and festive touch to your party and can be purchased online or in party stores.  They are available in just about any pattern/color to match your theme. We used the baskets to hold napkins, plates, and silverwear. I thought Michelle, Amanda’s sister did a super fun job on rolling the napkins up, securing them with twine and a life saver!

Games

What’s a party without games? Amanda’s sister put together this cute board with pics of her growing up. People had to guess her age in the pictures. The winner with the most correct won a bottle of vino!

We also randomly had a magician show up! How funny right? It worked perfectly. You would have thought I planned it. I’ll never tell!

Someone also brought corn hole and a life size version of Jenga. Nonetheless peeps had a good time. Check this out if you need ideas on fun summer lawn games!

30 BLOWS

This was Michelle’s idea, which I am sure originated from Pinterest, but it was super cute. Personally, 30 was pretty awesome, but for some people the thought of turning 30 blows. Just fill a basket with Blow Pops, attach a sign, and you are good to go! They made for a good late night snack.

 

Jello Shots!

Looking for a beach themed jello shot? Make these! Use berry blue jello and add swedish fish. Pretty cute eh? Not sure how to make jello shots? Check this out: Jello Shot Recipes

 

Dessert

For dessert we had vanilla cupcakes dusted with crushed nilla wafers (to make it look like sand), topped with an umbrella (so cute right?) and Nutter Butters made to look like flip flops.  Just use a little decorative frosting and add a cute colorful sprinkle at the “toe”. I purchased the frosting and sprinkles  at Michaels.

 

English High Tea Bridal Shower

On May 23, 2010, my mom and I threw a beautiful English High Tea bridal shower for my sister-in-law Ali. Hopefully, you can get some ideas for your next high tea. Cheerio.

The Menu

When I throw a party, I almost always make a menu for guests. Just use colorful computer paper, or card stock, get crafty on MS Word, print it out and stick it in a clear document holder or a frame, and you are good to go!

Silver Tea Service

I absolutely adore this silver tea service that my mom received which was passed down from her mom (my grandma Peggy). It has been in the family a long time! As soon as I learn more about the history of this beautiful set, I will post more! It was the perfect addition to our fancy tea party.

California Salad and Citrus Asparagus Spears

I first tried this delightful salad while attending my friend Jessica’s beautiful wedding at The Turnip Rose. This wedding venue is located in Costa Mesa and has a delightful charm about it. The buildings are very CA mission style! Check it out: The Turnip Rose Wedding and Event Venue

The recipe is directly from the Turnip Rose catering menu. It’s called the California Salad.  It seemed like a perfect salad to pair with this event. Here are the items you’ll need to make this yummy salad…

-Sliced Avocado, Mandarin Orange Wedges, Sliced Almonds, Bibb Lettuce, Wonton Strips (I added this for extra crunch and flavor!), and finally, Poppy Seed Dressing (purchased at Albertson’s)

We also served Citrus Asparagus Spears as a side dish…

Ingredients
-Large bunch of asparagus
-2/3 cup of fresh lemon juice
-1 Tbl lemon rind
-1-2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
-1/2 cup of grated parmesan
-2-3 Tbls EVOO
-salt/pepper to taste

Directions
1. Steam a large bunch of asparagus
2. As soon as the asparagus is steamed, give em an ice bath. Brrr!
3. Place in a plastic bag, add EVOO, lemon juice, lemon rind, garlic, salt pepper and let sit and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
4. Serve cold and sprinkle with parmesan…enjoy!

Tea Sandwiches 

You can’t host a high tea party without tea sandwiches! These cute, little bite sized yumminess morsels are a perfect party food! You can also make tons of different types of sandwiches. Whatever suits your fancy. We made ham, egg salad, dill cream cheese and cucumber, and a raisin bread with a cream cheese and raisin spread. See below for some great recipes!
50 Tea Sandwich Recipes

Grandma Lucy’s China

                          

When throwing a high tea, you simply can’t scrimp on the server wear. These beautiful dishes were passed down to me from my grandma Lucy. Ask your family if you are in need of fine china to host a fabulous tea party, as your grandparents may have some of these beauties cooped up in a box in the garage or the attic gathering dust somewhere! Pull them out and host a fancy party. You can also purchase fine china fairly cheap at local thrift stores. They don’t have to match either! Pair the beautiful dishes with some fresh lavender for your floral centerpieces and voila…a beautiful, and great smelling table awaits your guests!

DIY Lavender Sachets  

Pair the place settings with a DIY lavender sachet…
-We used clear screen fabric, cut into squares, filled with lavender scented room freshener.
-We used this room freshener and scooped about 2 Tbls onto each square along with some freshly dried lavender bits from my garden: WillowBrook Lavender Sachets 
-We then tied the sachets closed with ribbon, added a fresh sprig of lavender from my garden and a silver tag purchased at Michaels

Scones with Currants

A high tea is certainly not complete without a tried and true scone! My mom made these scrumptious scones. We added some clotted cream, butter, and jam to the mix. For the recipe, click on the link:  Cream and Currant Scones

Lemon Berry Trifle

Trifle is always a great addition to a tea-themed party. This yummy dessert is perfect when you have access to plump, sweet, seasonal berries. With a hint of lemon, this is a sure hit. Either a clear glass bowl or a trifle bowl will do. It’s so pretty, it has to be displayed! Click on the link below for a great recipe!
Lemon Berry Trifle

Red Velvet Cupcakes

My mom made red velvet cupcakes to compliment the dessert table.  Check out the link below for a great recipe:
Red Velvet Cupcakes

Lemon Water and Drink Tags

It’s always nice to have lemon water on hand for an event. It looks pretty and keeps guests hydrated!

I made drink tags to tie on to wine glasses by cutting rectangular strips of scrapbook paper, hole punching, and looping ribbon through the hole. Place them in a bowl with a pen and you are good to go! Guests can mark their own drinks. I like using glassware as much as possible versus plastic at events.

Mimosa Bar

Now that I am a huge Pinterest fan, I would have made this mimosa bar a lot cooler,but that was in 2010, and I am much older and wiser now! Here is a fun link to some tips and tricks on hosting a great mimosa bar!
How to Make a Mimosa Bar!