FIRST COMMUNION USING A PRETTY SILHOUETTE

With all the First Communion photos that I'm starting to see posting to Facebook, I'm getting a little nostalgic for my beautiful Petunia's First Communion (and looking forward to Peanut's which is still a couple of years away) so I thought I'd repost the pretty little silhouette theme that we did for her, in purple, per her request!

This was a big day for her, so she was sure to be very specific about what she wanted for her party. It was requested that I do a silhouette of her with her hair in a bun (yes, she was that specific) and she would also wear her hair in a bun on the day of the communion. Oh, and the color scheme had to be purple.

We carried the use of silhouette into the party decor and added doilies to the banners to give them that extra girly touch.

And a party wouldn't be a party around here without a few tissue poms!

Unfortunately, I did not get a good shot of the cake, but it featured the same silhouette done in fondant (shown above), placed on the cake cameo style. I cut the silhouette out of the fondant myself and delivered it to the bakery for them to place on the cake. I had a premonition that if I brought in a template of the silhouette and asked them to create it for me, I would be promptly escorted from the premises and banned for life. I didn't want to risk it.

The highlight of the party turned out to be the candy bar that we set up for do-it-yourself party favors. I made up little bags for each guest to fill to their heart's content and everyone loved it - adults and children alike.

I had intended to fill the candy bar with all purple and white candy; however, when the time came, it just didn't make sense to spend the extra money on candy that perfectly matched the theme. Even now, it's hard for me to say that, but purple and white candy would have cost 10 times as much as the pastel display shown above. Yes, you read that correctly - 10X!! To be honest, as I was filling the jars I was a bit disappointed that I hadn't spent the extra money, but once I added the ribbons and labels to the jars I was really happy with how it looked. And of course, none of the guests even noticed. So my little budget lesson for the day: purple candy was absolutely not worth the cost for a small family party like this. Now, if it were a wedding or shower...

Speaking of showers, the classic style of the silhouette used for this party would be perfect for a bridal shower, birthday party (I'm thinking Sweet 16!) or graduation. Just change the color palette to match the style and sophistication of your event; the base decor is all very simple, classic and easily adaptable to suit whatever type of party you are planning.

For us, it was a First Communion and there's no denying that the girl of honor was thrilled with how it all turned out.

Edited to add: Photo Thank You Note

GRADUATION PARTY

It's almost that time again - graduations are just around the corner! Here is a recap of a party I designed for my niece and nephew a couple of years back (can't believe it - they're just home from their sophomore year of college!). You heard a bit about it here, and saw a bit of it here, but now is time for all the juicy details! This was a particularly fun party to put together because it was for two graduates, giving me a chance to have a bit of fun with the design. The two graduation caps on the invite are a good example of how we played off the fact that this was a party for both a boy and a girl graduate.

The graduate silhouettes used in the banner also played off this theme. I really loved this idea of using two silhouettes and the first invite that I designed played up this motif (seen below), but that design was vetoed by one of the graduates, making the double cap design next in line for consideration. It was their party, after all! (don't you just hate when the honorees have an opinion?!?) Luckily, I was able to sneak the silhouettes into other aspects of the party.

See. Cute, right?

If you haven't guessed, the graduates' school colors are blue and white which became the obvious palette for the decor. The dark blue and light blue worked well with the design for both a male and female graduate. I loved how the water bottles looked all lined up in the fridge.

Because the weather for the day was questionable, my sister decided to move the party indoors. This caused a few moments of panic as much of the decor planned for the tent would not work indoors, but a last minute banner and some other small details worked wonders to create the look we were hoping for indoors. The menu signs were very well received by the guests for their playful practicality.

For dessert, we served a cookie bar along with the cake and some fun, personalized M&M's. I just couldn't resist the idea of a sign that said 2 Smart Cookies!

The Class of 2009 whoopie pie flags were pretty darn cute too. Cellophane bags with coordinating labels were provided for the guests to take some treats home as well.

My favorite project, by far, for my niece and nephew's graduation was definitely the photo montage dvd that was created using iPhoto, iTunes and iDVD. These applications worked beautifully together to make this project really easy to do and super fun. I loved going through all of the photos of the graduates and reminiscing about their lives and all of their wonderful accomplishments. The DVD was shown over and over throughout the day for family and friends and the guests of honor even enjoyed watching it time and again and playing it for their friends. I was just happy to have chosen songs that were not considered dorky and uncool by the high school crowd! (for your reference so you can be as hip as I, the songs were "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield and "Time of Your Life" by Just Jinger)

For favors for the girls, Petunia and I made up cute little flip flops using a similar technique to the tissue poms that we love to make so much. You'll never guess what we used to make the poms to insure they would be water proof. I'll post a tutorial later in the week to fill you in on all the details of this fun project. The flip flops were displayed in my nephew's wrestling gym bag just to play down the girly factor a bit. I loved the contrast of how they looked in this old, beat up bag.

Despite the sketchy forecast, the day turned out perfect. After a fabulous party and tons of fun, the final detail: thank you notes.

It was an absolute pleasure helping to put this party together for my adorable niece and nephew. I am so proud of all of their wonderful accomplishments but even more so of the incredible people they have become. Congratulations Philip and Kayla! XOXO

GRADUATION GIFTS

Following up on the graduation party ideas from yesterday, here are a few graduation gifts that I love to give!


What better thing to wish for a new grad than a charmed life! This sterling silver Charmed Life necklace from Stella & Dot makes the perfect gift for a new grad because it is trendy and beautiful and well, the name says it all!

Book of Money from Martha Stewart

When I think graduation gift, I usually think money - but it's a tad boring, right? (well, maybe not to the recipient). This book of money from Martha Stewart puts an end to that! The book pictured was done for the holidays, but what could be more perfect for the graduate? You could design the book cover as a yearbook, a journal or a mock self-help book entitled: "How to Make One Hundred Dollars in One Easy Step" then the inside page could read "Graduate!"

I have been obsessed with the Feed Your Soul project at indie fixx and when I saw this beautiful print by Valentina Ramos, I immediately fell in love. You Deserve to Have Your Dreams Come True is the perfect message with which to send a graduate off into the world. Placed in a simple frame, this would make a really personal and meaningful gift. And guess what? The print is free! Available in three color ways from the Feed Your Soul project, you can download this print (and many others) to print at home. How perfect is that?

GRADUATION PARTY (revisited)

(originally posted on July 7, 2009)

I finally have a moment to recap the graduation party we threw for my niece and nephew last month. You heard a bit about it here, and saw a bit of it here, but now is time for all the juicy details! This was a particularly fun party to put together because it was for two graduates, giving me a chance to have a bit of fun with the design. The two graduation caps on the invite are a good example of how we played off the fact that this was a party for both a boy and a girl graduate.

The graduate silhouettes used in the banner also played off this theme. I really loved this idea of using two silhouettes and the first invite that I designed played up this motif (seen below), but that design was vetoed by one of the graduates, making the double cap design next in line for consideration. It was their party, after all! (don't you just hate when the honorees have an opinion?!?) Luckily, I was able to sneak the silhouettes into other aspects of the party.

See. Cute, right?

If you haven't guessed, the graduates' school colors are blue and white which became the obvious palette for the decor. The dark blue and light blue worked well with the design for both a male and female graduate. I loved how the water bottles looked all lined up in the fridge.

Because the weather for the day was questionable, my sister decided to move the party indoors. This caused a few moments of panic as much of the decor planned for the tent would not work indoors, but a last minute banner and some other small details worked wonders to create the look we were hoping for indoors. The menu signs were very well received by the guests for their playful practicality.

For dessert, we served a cookie bar along with the cake and some fun, personalized M&M's. I just couldn't resist the idea of a sign that said 2 Smart Cookies!

The Class of 2009 whoopie pie flags were pretty darn cute too. Cellophane bags with coordinating labels were provided for the guests to take some treats home as well.

My favorite project, by far, for my niece and nephew's graduation was definitely the photo montage dvd that was created using iPhoto, iTunes and iDVD. These applications worked beautifully together to make this project really easy to do and super fun. I loved going through all of the photos of the graduates and reminiscing about their lives and all of their wonderful accomplishments. The DVD was shown over and over throughout the day for family and friends and the guests of honor even enjoyed watching it time and again and playing it for their friends. I was just happy to have chosen songs that were not considered dorky and uncool by the high school crowd! (for your reference so you can be as hip as I, the songs were "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield and "Time of Your Life" by Just Jinger)

For favors for the girls, Petunia and I made up cute little flip flops using a similar technique to the tissue poms that we love to make so much. You'll never guess what we used to make the poms to insure they would be water proof. I'll post a tutorial later in the week to fill you in on all the details of this fun project. The flip flops were displayed in my nephew's wrestling gym bag just to play down the girly factor a bit. I loved the contrast of how they looked in this old, beat up bag.

Despite the sketchy forecast, the day turned out perfect. After a fabulous party and tons of fun, the final detail: thank you notes.

It was an absolute pleasure helping to put this party together for my adorable niece and nephew. I am so proud of all of their wonderful accomplishments but even more so of the incredible people they have become. Congratulations Philip and Kayla! XOXO

GRADUATION PARTY

I finally have a moment to recap the graduation party we threw for my niece and nephew last month. You heard a bit about it here, and saw a bit of it here, but now is time for all the juicy details! This was a particularly fun party to put together because it was for two graduates, giving me a chance to have a bit of fun with the design. The two graduation caps on the invite are a good example of how we played off the fact that this was a party for both a boy and a girl graduate.

The graduate silhouettes used in the banner also played off this theme. I really loved this idea of using two silhouettes and the first invite that I designed played up this motif (seen below), but that design was vetoed by one of the graduates, making the double cap design next in line for consideration. It was their party, after all! (don't you just hate when the honorees have an opinion?!?) Luckily, I was able to sneak the silhouettes into other aspects of the party.

See. Cute, right?

If you haven't guessed, the graduates' school colors are blue and white which became the obvious palette for the decor. The dark blue and light blue worked well with the design for both a male and female graduate. I loved how the water bottles looked all lined up in the fridge.

Because the weather for the day was questionable, my sister decided to move the party indoors. This caused a few moments of panic as much of the decor planned for the tent would not work indoors, but a last minute banner and some other small details worked wonders to create the look we were hoping for indoors. The menu signs were very well received by the guests for their playful practicality.

For dessert, we served a cookie bar along with the cake and some fun, personalized M&M's. I just couldn't resist the idea of a sign that said 2 Smart Cookies! 

The Class of 2009 whoopie pie flags were pretty darn cute too. Cellophane bags with coordinating labels were provided for the guests to take some treats home as well.

My favorite project, by far, for my niece and nephew's graduation was definitely the photo montage dvd that was created using iPhoto, iTunes and iDVD. These applications worked beautifully together to make this project really easy to do and super fun. I loved going through all of the photos of the graduates and reminiscing about their lives and all of their wonderful accomplishments. The DVD was shown over and over throughout the day for family and friends and the guests of honor even enjoyed watching it time and again and playing it for their friends. I was just happy to have chosen songs that were not considered dorky and uncool by the high school crowd! (for your reference so you can be as hip as I, the songs were "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield and "Time of Your Life" by Just Jinger)

For favors for the girls, Petunia and I made up cute little flip flops using a similar technique to the tissue poms that we love to make so much. You'll never guess what we used to make the poms to insure they would be water proof. I'll post a tutorial later in the week to fill you in on all the details of this fun project. The flip flops were displayed in my nephew's wrestling gym bag just to play down the girly factor a bit. I loved the contrast of how they looked in this old, beat up bag.

Despite the sketchy forecast, the day turned out perfect. After a fabulous party and tons of fun, the final detail: thank you notes.

It was an absolute pleasure helping to put this party together for my adorable niece and nephew. I am so proud of all of their wonderful accomplishments but even more so of the incredible people they have become. Congratulations Philip and Kayla! XOXO

GRADUATION ROUND UP

Graduation Cupcakes from Hello Cupcake

We know we have the invitations and party accessories under control, but there's more to life than party decor. And by more, I mean food and gifts! So here is a quick round up of some fun ideas from around the web, starting with these fun cupcakes from Hello Cupcake.

Candy Cup Graduation Caps from Bakerella

Bakerella never fails to come up with something fun and fabulous. Added bonus, these candy cup caps appear to be quick and easy to make!

These mortar board and tassel place settings from  Craftparty were done for a Kindergarten graduation (how cute is that?!), but would be great for a family graduation dinner for graduates of all ages!

NOW ON TO GIFTS!

Book of Money from Martha Stewart

When I think graduation gift, I usually think money - but it's a tad boring, right? (well, maybe not to the recipient).  This book of money from Martha Stewart puts an end to that! The book pictured was done for the holidays, but what could be more perfect for the graduate? You could design the book cover as a yearbook, a journal or a mock self-help book entitled: "How to Make One Hundred Dollars in One Easy Step" then the inside page could read "Graduate!" Come to think of it, that's a great idea for my nephew. Shhhhh.....don't tell. I'm fairly certain he doesn't read this blog. ; )

Flower and Bead necklace by JodiL

This necklace by JodiL is reminiscent of the wooden bead necklaces your graduate surely made all those years ago in preschool updated in a playful and chic way. A really fun and thoughtful gift to remind the graduate how far she has come and where she is going as she takes this next leap. Plus, it's really cute!

I have been obsessed with the Feed Your Soul project at indie fixx and when I saw this beautiful print by Valentina Ramos, I immediately fell in love.  You Deserve to Have Your Dreams Come True is the perfect message with which to send a graduate off into the world. Placed in a simple frame, this would make a really personal and meaningful gift. And guess what? The print is free! Available in three color ways from the Feed Your Soul project, you can download this print (and many others) to print at home. How perfect is that?

I happen to have two big graduations in my life this year and I've been going all out! Next week I'll give you a peek of what I've been working on.

SCHOOL SPIRIT

There's an excitement in the air as graduation season approaches, don't you think? So many young men and women getting ready to embark on the next chapter in their lives and their enthusiasm is contagious! Or am I just easily excitable? (actually, don't answer that.) Nevertheless, I thought I'd share my excitement by showing you some of our graduation party designs.

Our ever-popular silhouette design is available in male, female or any combination of sibling silhouettes custom printed to match your school colors or party theme. Limited school mascot graphics are also available (see paw above for example).

Cupcake picks, favor tags and bags, water bottle labels, candy and cookie bar signs and accessories and thank you notes are also available to match any party theme. 

Highlight your graduate's special interests or talents with our sports and activity invitations and accessories, also available in your school colors. There are tons of styles available including football, hockey (male and female), cheerleading, guitar, figure skating, martial arts, baseball and more. For a more complete list of available themes, check out our silhouette prints here. Don't see what you're looking for? Just ask and we'll do our best to accommodate your request.

{Sample Water Bottle Label. For more details go here.}

Finally, the classic monogram is always a great choice and thank you notecards can be ordered in abundance for the graduate to use for all types of correspondence as they embark on a new world of possibilities. Monogram designs are available in block, fancy and varsity lettering and are custom printed with the graduate's monogram or school initials (see below).

For our complete line of graduation invitations, thank you notes and accessories, visit the graduation section of the shoppe. I'll be back with tons of great graduation party ideas later in the week, so don't forget to check back!