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

VALENTINE GUMBALL NECKLACES

How adorable are these gumball necklaces by One Charming Party? Such a perfect and special treat for Valentine's Day! They are so beautiful that I can hardly believe that they are made of gumballs. But they are - see, I'll prove it!


Here is a gumball being pierced with a skewer to create the necklace. Go here for the how-to!

For a similar look that will last a bit longer, check out these adorable designs from Stella & Dot. Each necklace arrives packaged in an adorable little tin for a lovely presentation and safe keeping. An adorable gift for a sweet little Valentine.

I LOVE A GIFT THAT GIVES TWICE!

(Full disclosure: I work for this company but do not profit from the sale of these bracelets. My commission goes directly back to the foundation.)

Have you noticed that back to school time also means birthday time? My kids have been back to school for less than a month and the birthday party invitations have been rolling in like crazy. After several moments of panic over gifts for all of these parties (some of these invites come last minute, have you noticed?), I decided to take control of the situation and plan ahead.


My daughter has this adorable foundation bracelet from Stella & Dot and wanted to give one to a good friend who had admired hers. So I decided to order a bunch and save them for all of the birthday parties that are sure to arise throughout the year. The best part? 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of the foundation bracelets go to support three charities that focus on creating positive change for women and girls. (buildOn, Girls, Inc. and ACCION USA) In only the first month of sales, enough money was raised to build an entire school through the buildOn organization! I think that's pretty amazing and something that I definitely want to be a part of.


The foundation bracelets are available for women, as well. (I have the pink with gold charms and it such a beautiful, warm combination of colors.) I may or may not have stocked up on a few of these as well, planning ahead for some holiday gift-giving. I wouldn't want to ruin any surprises, of course...

Along with the bracelet, which comes beautifully packaged in an adorable tin for girls or a chic and stylish box for women, I include a little note letting the recipient know that their beautiful bracelet represents a donation to the foundation that supports these three incredible charities. Like I said - I love a gift that gives twice!

Oh, and if you do get a last minute invitation - not to worry. Shipping is lightening quick; you will receive your order via priority mail in 3-4 business days. Love that!

MITETEES PERSONALIZED PRINCESS SHIRTS

Check out these adorable, personalized princess shirts from Mitetees. They are on sale for $14 (reg. $22) through Sunday, August 22nd! I absolutely adore all of Mitetees products, (cute, clever and impeccable quality), but I especially love this crown. A perfect gift.




For older princesses, I adore this sweet little sterling silver crown charm from Stella & Dot. Add it to one of their fashionable silk bases and you have yourself the perfect gift for princesses of all ages!

Speaking of gifts, I am sorting through photos of Peanut's Lilly Pulitzer-inspired party. I promise to share all the deets later this week!

STELLA & DOT GIVEAWAY

Check out this great Stella & Dot giveaway over at Penguin's Gift. She's giving away an adorable plaid and pearl bracelet from Stella & Dot's new fall Little Girl's Line. Perfect for back to school!!!

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?

GIFTS FROM THE HEART

Here's a peek at some of the homemade gifts that the kids and I are making this year. (Not to worry, none of the recipients read this blog!)

First is my absolute favorite, maybe of all time. Gorgeous felt holly corsages via Martha. The perfect example of how handmade can be beautiful, high quality and made by children. And there's still time for this one! We actually had all of the supplies for this on hand; bits of felt, ribbon scraps and random holiday baubles. If you don't have the pin backs on hand, alligator clips from discarded barrettes will also work.

Next up a recipe tin filled with stationery, including a variation of my Cheers! Notecards available for free download here, along with coordinating bookplates, notepads, a personalized pocket mirror, some pretty pens and a matching felt corsage.

My kids take great pride in making gifts for teachers and family and as they get older, they are able to complete these projects almost entirely on their own. The time spent is not out of control either, always a factor this time of year. Ten felt corsages took only about an hour to make. The stationery and such I took care of, but they helped to make the mirrors and package everything up. The thrill and satisfaction of giving a gift and being able to say "I made this just for you." is a feeling that I know they look forward to each year. The time that we spend together chatting and creating, that's my gift. But don't tell them, I want to see what they made me this year!

Next up: Peanut's first year of handmade gifts! (hint: she took the term "handmade" quite literally)

HOLIDAY SHOPPING GIVEAWAY WEEK: WINNER!

This is definitely the best part of Holiday Shopping Giveaway Week - announcing winners! And we have a winner in the drawing for two Personalized Silhouette prints! The winner was chosen at random using randomizer.org, where I entered the number of entries (12, can you say your odds are good?) and randomizer generated a number between 1 and 12. And the winner is...

Entry #9 - thatgirlblogs!!!

thatgirlblogs said: I like the tennis the best. Could your header be any cuter???

Congratulations! Email me at jcoe [at] pumpkinpetunia [dot] com and let me know which two prints you would like to receive! So many designs and colors to choose from - happy shopping! (Hint: for even more design options, check out the aluminum water bottle designs as well. The silhouettes you see there can also be made into prints.)

By the way, if you've never visited thatgirlblogs, drop everything and go there now. It's a MUST read! But before you go, don't forget to enter these other great giveaways still running through Friday night and Monday night, respectively:

Melissa and Doug Giveaway

Mitetees Family Christmas Tree Shirt Giveaway

MITETEES FAMILY {CHRISTMAS} TREE GIVEAWAY!

Next up for Holiday Gift Giveaway Week is a fantastic prize from Mitetees! Mitetees is a wonderful little company that adds another dimension to personalized gift giving by offering cute, smart designs that celebrate family and this Family Christmas Tree Tee is no exception! Simply supply Mitetees with your family names, and they will create adorable, customized Family Tree shirts for your littles available in sizes from newborn to 6T.

You can win one of these adorable Family Christmas Tree shirts right here, right now! Simply go to the Mitetees website and browse their awesome selection of unique and personalized products. Be sure to check out the production onesies, which are the brainchild of Mitetees creator Cindy Hoeppner and a product exclusive to Mitetees. Then come back here and leave a comment letting us know your favorite Mitetees product!

Earn additional entries by becoming (or being!) a Facebook fan of Pumpkin Petunia, posting about this giveaway on Twitter or posting about this giveaway on your blog. Please leave a separate comment for each additional entry and include a link to your blog post or tweet. Giveaway ends on Monday, December 7th at midnight EST.

Oh, and don't forget to enter our Personalized Silhouette Print giveaway that runs through tonight at midnight EST and our Melissa and Doug giveaway that runs through Friday! All a part of Holiday Gift Giveaway Week at Pumpkin Petunia!

SILHOUETTE PRINT GIVEAWAY!

The next prize featured for our first ever Holiday Shopping Giveaway Week is a personalized silhouette print from our shoppe! The winner will receive TWO personalized silhouette prints. Choose from our huge selection of design and color options to customize a print that suits your gift-giving needs perfectly!

And just to make sure that everyone wins during giveaway week, I am extending our Cyber Monday special on these prints through today as well. Until midnight tonight PST, all personalized silhouette prints are only $10 each - that's a discount of $6!! From toddlers to teens, these prints are a truly personal and unique gift. If you place an order and then win the giveaway, not to worry, the purchase price and shipping charge for two prints will be will be refunded!

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know which print design is your favorite. You can earn additional entries by becoming (or being!) a Facebook fan of Pumpkin Petunia, posting about this giveaway on Twitter or posting about this giveaway on your blog. Please leave a separate comment for each additional entry and include a link to your blog post or tweet. Giveaway ends on Wednesday, December 2nd at midnight EST.

Oh, and don't forget to enter our Melissa and Doug giveaway that runs through Friday!

MELISSA AND DOUG GIVEAWAY!

Our first giveaway of the week is sponsored by CSN Stores which is not only a great source for all types of toys made to inspire imaginative play, but also a wonderful source for nursery furniture.

This is the perfect giveaway to fill in your holiday toy shopping! Everyone knows and loves Melissa and Doug products, a trusted name for quality toys that you can feel good about giving - no sounds, no gadgets or gimmicks, just really fantastic toys that stand the test of time.

Included in this giveaway are these four great Melissa and Doug products!

Melissa and Doug Wood Stringing Bead Craft Set

Melissa and Doug Train DYO Arts and Crafts Kit

Melissa and Doug Flowers DYO Flowers Dry Erase Board Arts and Crafts Kit

Melissa and Dough DYO Jigsaw Puzzles Arts and Crafts Kit

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post. You can earn additional entries by becoming (or being!) a Facebook fan of Pumpkin Petunia, posting about this giveaway on Twitter or posting about this giveaway on your blog. Please leave a separate comment for each additional entry and include a link to your blog post or tweet. Giveaway ends on Friday, December 5th at midnight EST. Prizes will ship directly to winner from CSN Stores.

Good luck!

For more great gifts, don't forget to take advantage of our Cyber Monday sale on personalized silhouette prints!

IT'S GIVEAWAY WEEK!

{Image via Fifi flowers. You must check out her beautiful work.}

To kick off the official start of the holiday season, it is giveaway week at Pumpkin Petunia! We'll be giving away great prizes all week long to help you get a jump start on (or finish up!) your holiday shopping. Check back Monday afternoon for the first giveaway and trust me, it's a good one!

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.

MOTHER'S DAY NOTECARDS - FREE DOWNLOAD

Behind on Mother's Day shopping? Me too. So I thought I'd help out my fellow procrastinators (read: other busy moms!) with a sweet little gift to give to all of the mothers and special women in your life. Simple little notecards that make a lovely gift and can be used for all kinds of correspondence. The graphics on these notecards have a vintage flair that will appeal to all ages.

Download the Mother's Day Notecard Template Here.

The set includes three designs and one download will render four copies of each design for a set of 12 notecards. The template is done with a blank background and brown graphic, so you choose the color palette for the notecards with the paper you choose for printing!

I recommend a textured cardstock (as shown); it will give the notecards a nice weight and added interest. Once you print the template onto your letter-sized cardstock, simply cut on the dotted line and you're done! Add some chocolate brown A2 envelopes (available here and also in Target's scrapbooking aisle), tie up the set with a pretty ribbon and you have yourself a lovely and thoughtful gift. Maybe Mom will even use her notecards to write you a note of appreciation! 

As always, if you have trouble downloading the template, feel free to email me here and I will be happy to send it along to you.