FALL UPDATE

With all the excitement and anticipation of back to school, I can't help but think about the cozy, warm styles of fall. And while I'd love to update my entire wardrobe the way I did this past spring, sadly, it's just not in the budget. But never fear! I'm confident that I can freshen up my fall outfits for pennies on the dollar with just a few key purchases.

The first item that caught my eye for fall is this tortoise patent-leather belt from J.Crew. At $39.50, it's not a steal, but it's a classic look and a fun accessory that can be worn again and again. Truth be told, I thought for sure I'd save myself some cash by finding a knock-off of this belt at Target, but alas, Target did not come through for me this time. I did, however, find this invisibelt. What the?

My second fall must-have is a fun scarf. You totally knew that was coming, didn't you? These scarves are everywhere. But let's face it, they're fun, they're easy and with just a flip of fabric, they make this mom-of-three feel a teensy fit fashionable. This burnout jersey version is on sale right now at Old Navy for just $10! 

Finally, it just wouldn't be fall without a new sweater or two. I picked up this pretty ruffle-tie cardigan in a beautiful shade of gray for just $12. Online, they only show pink available, but purchase in-store anyway as the sale prices are much better. 

Another in-store bargain at the Gap was this ruffle-front sweater in this unbelievably gorgeous shade of blue. Soooo pretty in person. Again, the sale price in-store much better than online.

Well, that's about it for me. This budget is tapped with a capital T! What about you? Any must-haves for fall?

FIRST TRIP AROUND THE SUN

Adorable time lapse of baby's first year. I couldn't resist. Found via thoughtfulday.

GUSSETED FAVOR BAG

An insert for this gusseted bag was designed to give the bag structure to hold the candy or treats and protect them from being squished. Card stock is used to give the bag extra weight. The design is printed on the card stock, which is then cut and folded to fit the inner dimensions of the bag. Once the insert is in place, the bag will stand on it's own even empty, which makes this a great idea for a candy or cookie bar where guests will fill their own bags.

{Back view}

To see the party for which these particular bags were designed, go here.

HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN FREE HOLIDAY CARDS!

You may remember that my good friend Sarah is participating in the Breast Cancer 3-day walk in Washington D.C. beginning on October 9th. Well, here is another chance for you to help in the fight against breast cancer and win a great prize! For every $5 donation you make to help in Sarah's fundraising efforts, you will receive one entry to win 100 Custom Photo Holiday Cards valued at over $150.

Between now and September 20th, make a donation to Sarah's fundraising efforts and you will be entered to win a 100 Custom Designed Photo Holiday Cards from Pumpkin Petunia! View a sampling of our designs here, with new designs added weekly between now and October 1st.

So click on over to Sarah's Bosum Buddies Facebook Page for full details and to help spread the word, then head directly to her 3-day fundraising page to make your donation (be sure to reference Pumpkin Petunia in the notes to be entered to win). I'll be waiting right here to work with the winner in creating holiday cards custom designed to suit their photo perfectly. And knowing that it's all because they made a donation to help in the fight against breast cancer will make it all the more special.

Don't forget to pass this along! You wouldn't want your friends to miss out on this opportunity to help and great chance to win!

PETIT PRESENT

chara*coco via mary ruffle

Inspired by this lovely photo, my petit present to you? Ten percent off your entire order for today only. Simply enter code PETIT at checkout to redeem your discount, through midnight EST.

{Hint: This may be a good time to order your personalized water bottles.}

A "Pretty Dress" Party

I think I may still be in a bit of denial, but it's official, my baby is three. And in true Peanut form, we celebrated in style! Having watched and listened to me plan countless parties, Peanut was not short on opinions when it came time for her big day. As much as I tried to sway her with my suggestions, Peanut knew just what she wanted for her birthday party - A Pretty Dress Party! Huh? In the middle of August? No pool party? How about mermaids? A luau?

Pretty Dress it was! Peanut was also sure that she wanted a picture of herself on the invitation, wearing a pretty dress, of course. Not wanting to use a photograph on the invite (I like to save that for the thank you notes), I decided to draw and digitally color an image of Peanut instead. Once that was approved by the birthday girl ("that's me mama! thank you, thank you!"), we decided on a color scheme of pink and yellow. Peanut wanted pink and I added the yellow because it's a fresh and pretty combination for summer. See, you can successfully collaborate with a soon-to-be three year old!

In our house, the decor for any party starts with tissue poms. At this point, I think my kids would be offended if these were not included in the party plan.

Another mainstay in party decor is a banner (or two!). We hang banners in this spot so often that my husband added nails painted the color of the wall permanently affixed on either side of this entry because he was tired of the little tack holes. 

Banner close-up.

The party was planned for outdoors, but the day was so oppressively hot that we brought all food and drink inside so that it all stayed cool. The beverage bar was a great way to highlight the pink and yellow color scheme!

Tags were made to coordinate with the invites and attached with ribbon.

The tags also served to distinguish the adult beverages from the children.

Target Dollar Spot straws were embellished with polka dot flags.

The birthday girl used a personalized aluminum water bottle that coordinated perfectly with her party, of course.

Even the sandwich platter wore a pretty dress! I attached long bath poufs (another dollar spot item!) that looked just like skirt ruffles to cardboard platter rounds and stacked them to form a leveled platter.

Party favors were displayed in cardstock boxes. I had planned to design boxes to coordinate with the invites, but when I saw these from Style Me Pretty, I thought that the varied designs would be even better! I downloaded them here, then just adjusted the colors slightly to match.

Inside the boxes, these adorable rings for the girls made from beautiful cabachons that I found (score!) and saltwater taffy for the boys.

Here is the birthday girl modeling her rings.

She how hot it was outside? Empty chairs!

The cake got all dressed up for the occasion as well!

At the end of the day, the birthday girl could not have been happier.

But all this excitement can be exhausting!

This party was so much fun to put together because it was a true collaboration with my little birthday girl who truly loved and appreciated every last detail. The pink and yellow color scheme is absolutely one of my favorite combinations. It is fresh and pretty, making the elements of the party easily adaptable for a bridal shower, baby shower, adult birthday or wedding.

THE DAY AFTER

Coming soon! A recap of Peanut's "Pretty Dress" Birthday Party.

CIRCUS PARTY!

Check out our circus water bottle labels featured as part of this awesome Circus Party thrown by Kara for her two boys. Kara's party is a finalist in the Hostess with the Mostess Summer Entertaining Contest on Facebook. If you have a Facebook account, be sure to go vote!

To see full details on Kara's incredible party, go here. Believe me, you do not want to miss it.

 

To order our Circus Party Package at a special package price, go here.

Water Bottle Label, Cupcake Pick and Thank You Notes

Now don't forget to vote. Good Luck Kara!!!

IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY (for a huge discount!)

Are you busy enjoying the last bits of summer? Us too! While at the beach, be sure to bring your camera along because it's a great time to snap that Christmas card photo! Yes, I said Christmas, but I'm not trying to rush things - I promise. It's just that the beach is the perfect setting for a photo of your family. 

Think about it: the beautiful open sky, fresh happy faces from the salty ocean air, everyone is relaxed and content. 

Or, have you already taken your family vacation? Well you just may have the perfect shot to make a beautiful holiday card that will also let your family and friends know what you've been up to this year. Sort through all those vacation photos now and look at them with a critical eye. Remember that cropping and touch-ups can be a quick and easy way to turn a great family memory into a beautiful card. But don't worry about the touch ups yourself, we take care of all of that for you!

So start thinking about that holiday card photo now and you'll be able to kick back relaxed and satisfied that you've already got one holiday task crossed off that list. A major stress completely eliminated - Woot!

{one of my favorites from Holiday 2008}

And the best part? (other than avoiding at least a bit of the holiday insanity) If you order your cards on or before September 15th, you'll receive 50% off your entire holiday card order! (offer cannot be combined with quantity discounts, but never fear, the quantity discounts cannot compare to this offer!) We have never before offered a discount of this magnitude; you definitely do not want to miss it. Simply email me here before ordering and a custom order will be set up in the shop reflecting your discount.

To view a small sampling of our holiday card selection, go here. Tons of new designs will be added during the course of this promotion so if you don't see anything that suits your style, not to worry. I'll be happy to give you an advance preview of all designs. In fact, many cards will be custom designed around the photos submitted by early birds like yourself!

SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN SWEET...

...NOW SHE'S SIXTEEN!

(more details to come on a totally sah-weet! 16th birthday)

PEACE

Customer Request. Aluminum Water Bottle Design.

BEACH REPORT

Reporting from the beaches of New England. Air Temp: 88-92 degrees. Humidity: Moderate to High. Water Temp: A balmy 65 degrees - refreshing once your body goes completely numb!

Sand: Perfect texture for castles, just add water.

LAZY DAYS OF SUMMER

Please excuse the intermittent posting while we kick back and enjoy the summer before it slips away...

FARMHOUSE WARES

I've been coveting these individual cupcake stands from Farmhouse Wares for quite some time now. Frankly, I'm not quite sure how I've been able to resist. Currently out of stock (obviously others do not have my willpower - lucky ducks!),  so I can rest easy from temptation for a bit. Fingers crossed that they're back in stock in time for my birthday.

P.S. Have you noticed that I've been posting some client proofs here? It has proven to be a quick and easy reference for all involved. Please let me know if it becomes too much of a bother and I'll stop.

TODDLER WATER BOTTLE DESIGNS

A Couple of additional aluminum water bottle designs for toddlers.