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

PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES - STYLISH SUPPORT FOR AUTISM SPEAKS!

PSST...THERE'S A GIVEAWAY AT THE END.


Did you know that children on the autism spectrum experience color more intensely than we do?

With 1 in every 88 children today diagnosed with Autism, I am sure that all of us have been TOUCHED and INSPIRED by a child on the Autism spectrum. I am thrilled and honored to be able to help Autism Speaks with the gorgeous, limited edition Shine Bracelet ( http://bit.ly/shineforautismspeaks). Who knew supporting a great cause could be so pretty?! Stella & Dot has designed the Shine Bracelet to reflect the vibrant rainbow of colors that make up an autistic child's world. (oh my gosh, the symbolism of that is enough to bring anyone to tears!)

Pleas help shine the light on Autism by supporting Autism Research & Awareness, ­20% of the proceeds from the sale of the Shine bracelet. Additionally, to be sure that we are able to make as great of a contribution possible, 20% of the proceeds of the Sole, Revival and Toujours bracelets will be donated as well! I am sure you know plenty of people who would just love one of these gorgeous bracelets for their birthday, mother's day or just because they are so cute and supporting an incredibly worthy cause. Each bracelet arrives in less than a week and is beautifully packaged and ready to give. Just add a bow to the gorgeous box and you're done!

In October, together we raised $140,000 for the BCRF. I have no doubt that we can outSHINE those numbers for Autism Speaks.

My personal goal is to sell 100 bracelets. Please message me or go directly to http://bit.ly/shineforautismspeaks if you would like to make this the perfect gift for someone - or you!!

Want to make an even greater impact and score some FREE jewels?!

* Order (or collect orders for) 5 or more bracelets and you'll be gifted a piece from Stella & Dot's new summer capsule collection!

* Order (or collect orders for) 10 or more bracelets and go on a $75 Stella & Dot shopping spree on us!

Here's the giveaway:
For every bracelet you order, you will be entered to win a piece from Stella & Dot's gorgeous new Summer capsule collection to be debut on April 10th. Can't show you yet, but trust me, it's gorgeous!! Share this post on your FB page, twitter or blog and you'll receive additional entries for each.

Let's get together and show our support for this wonderful cause - and look great doing it!!!

EASTER/SPRING PRINTABLES - FREE DOWNLOAD!

As promised, I am back with a free template download for Easter! I love offering templates here, mostly because of the incredible response that I get from all of you. I cannot thank you enough for your kind comments, emails and notes of thanks each time I post a template.

So as an extra little thanks, I have made this Easter template multi-purposed! These fun little Easter-themed punch outs can be used as little favor or gift tags, cupcake picks or labels. I have done them in three colors for a bit of fun and to match all of your Easter needs. Simply download the template here and print! The template is designed for use with a 2.5 inch circle punch for perfect circles every time. And do you know the little trick when using punches? I'm sure you do, but just in case: flip your circle punch over and use it upside down. That way, you can line the circle up perfectly with the design before you punch. (see photo below)

Print the template on label sheets to make stickers for favors or gifts...

or on cardstock for tags and cupcakes picks...

Note: I did not photograph the actual Bunny Cupcake pick because I did not have a cupcake handy today. The photo above is very similar, but saved me the embarrassment of buying and eating a cupcake just for the photo. (not that I didn't consider it, believe me!)

If you have trouble with the download, please feel free to email me here. I'd love to hear how you're using the template, so drop me a line and let me know. Enjoy!

ST. PATRICK'S DAY LUCKY PENNY FREE PRINTABLE!

Living in the Boston area, St. Patrick's Day is a pretty big deal, so we always like to do a little something special to celebrate the day. An all-time favorite of ours since the preschool years (keep in mind that Pumpkin is now ten!) has been to hand out lucky pennies! This is honestly the simplest classroom handout you will ever do, but the kids get so excited that you would think you just handed them a nugget of gold.

The first step is to go to the bank and get some shiny new pennies. Over the years, my luck with the banks in my area have been mixed. Some years it's no problem at all, other years I have been told that they do not have any new pennies. No new pennies?!?!! How is this possible? I'm not sure, but if this happens to you as well, you can take the alternate route of cleaning some pennies yourself (go here for penny cleaning formula). If you clean them yourself, they will not be as shiny as if they were new, but the kids do not notice at all, so not to worry.

Once you have the pennies, you have already completed the most time-consuming part of this project! Simply download the design template here, print on the cardstock of your choice and cut as indicated. (Hint: the cards are 3X3 squares) Then attach the pennies to the cards using glue or double-sided tape and you're done! We usually put the cards in small glassine or cellophane envelopes to hand them out, but only because I tend to have those types of supplies on hand. The cards are perfectly fine to hand out as is.

Everyone can use a little extra luck now and again, so have fun with this quick and easy project and maybe as you're spreading some cheer, you'll find yourself a bit o' gold at the end of the rainbow this St. Patrick's Day.

Oh, and no shenanigans! OK, maybe a little...

St. Patrick's Day Lucky Penny Download.

JULY 4TH BIKE HANDLE STREAMERS

Check out these bike handle streamers from Alpha Mom! They look fun and easy to make and would be the perfect decor for your bike parade!

JULY 4TH BIKE PARADE!

Many thanks to Martha Stewart for placing my July 4th Bike Parade as #3 on her list of the top 21 Things to do this Summer! (psst...check back tomorrow for a free printable version of the invite)

One of our favorite party traditions is our annual bike parade to celebrate Independence Day. This tradition started one year when Pumpkin was in preschool. He was so distraught that we had to miss our town's celebration that we decided to plan our own. It was such a success that we held this event each year until Pumpkin and Petunia thought that they were too "old" to play. The good news is that Peanut will be riding a bike soon, so we can pick up our annual bike parades right where we left off. I am SO excited.

The photos used here are from our 2005 Bike Parade just because the kids are so little and cute and I love seeing photos of them as preschoolers. Of course, I was just snapping photos for memory's sake at the time so the party isn't documented perfectly, but I think you'll get a good sense of the spirit of the occasion and I'll get a chance to walk down memory lane.

The invitation for the bike parade really sets the tone for the event. We live on a small, quiet street, so we always hold the parade right at home, but a local park would be the perfect location for this celebration. I like to note on the invite that we will provide streamers and balloons and such to decorate the bikes but parents usually arrive with decorations of their own to share as well.

This particular year, one parent brought crown templates that she cut out of card stock large enough to fit around the children's helmets! I absolutely loved this idea and we used it every year after.

Once all the children arrive, we get right to embellishing the bikes in preparation for the big parade. As you can see, the moms enjoy this part just as much as the kids! Supplies to have on hand are red, white and blue streamers and ribbons, foam letters and stars to attach to card stock license plates, mini flags, balloons, shiny star garlands and some tape. Just take care to insure that the streamers and ribbons are attached firmly to the bike and do not hang down to interfere with pedals and wheel spokes and such.

Once the bikes are all decked out, it's time for lunch! We just spread out a few tablecloths on the lawn and have one big picnic.

Food for this event is beyond easy. I provide an assortment of star-shaped sandwiches and skewers of red, white and blue fruit kabobs (strawberries, apples, bananas and blueberries are perfect) and the other moms usually bring a few snacks to share as well.

After lunch, it's time for the main event. The bike parade!

The children put on their decked out helmets...

Jump on their patriotically adorned bikes...

And hit the road!

But I haven't told you the best part yet.

What would a parade be without music? And not just any music. That's right, we break out the bagpipes for this event!

No, not actual bagpipes played live at the parade (although, how cool would that be?). We fire up the ipod and speakers and blast the pipes as the children ride in formation up and down the street, neighbors on their doorsteps clapping and cheering as the procession passes. (Oh how I wish I had video of the big ride that could be uploaded here. You just don't get the full fabulous effect with a photo!)

After several laps up and down the street, the bikes are parked and red, white and blue rocket pops are enjoyed by all as they pose for one final photo in front of the flag. (The same photo in the same spot was taken year after year. I now feel the urge to display all these photos together this year as part of our July 4th decorations. I'll post back with what I come up with.)

I think I'll get Peanut on her tricycle tomorrow. Maybe we can beef up the pedals so she can reach - just in time for the 4th!

Note: The top photo is a shot of some indoor decorations that we always hang just in case party guests need to go inside. An abundance of these folded stars make a big impact and are easy as pie to make. Simple instructions found here.

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

ROBOT BIRTHDAY PARTY!

Head on over to chicabug today to see this awesome Robot Birthday Party put on by Domenica of Proudest Monkey Photography. This is the same incredible Mom and beautiful photographer who put on this Rockin' Party, so it's sure to be amazing!

FABRIC SCRAP NECKLACES (AND GARLAND!)

Remember these fabric scrap necklaces that I did as a part of the art camp I held for my daughter and her friends? Well, since then I've been dreaming of making these en masse to use as a garland on my Christmas tree. This year, I'm finally taking this on and the time to start is now! I'll keep you all posted on my progress.

For a complete tutorial, go to Cakies and then gather up all those scraps. I have a feeling that once you start making these, you won't want to stop.

MARSHMALLOW GOBLINS

Originally posted on October 30, 2009.

Remember these? Well, here they are all packaged up and ready to be delivered. I love the way they look in groups of three. Each little marshmallow personality shines right through when presented this way.

Don't you think?

Now if I could somehow successfully photograph cellophane packaging, that would really be a trick!

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!

FREE HALLOWEEN PRINTABLES FOR EARLY BIRDS!

Originally posted on October 22, 2009.

I was going to title this post: Download at Your Own Risk, but I thought that may be a little too scary! On a whim of procrastination, I whipped up some halloween downloads just for you. With children ranging in age from almost 11 to just-turned 3, I need to walk a very fine line between creepy enough for the big brother, but cute and fun enough for the baby. I think this set does just that.

Eat at Your Own Risk

First up are cupcake picks! Print on cardstock and cut with a 2 1/4" circle punch. Attach lollipop sticks or coffee stirrers and you're done! I was going to bake cupcakes and take pictures for this post, but realized that Halloween is just nine days away. You don't have time to wait for such nonsense. You need these now! (my waistline thanks you for that). Download the Halloween Cupcake Picks here.

Read at Your Own Risk

Next up are cute Halloween Note Sheets. Just print, cut down the middle (at 5 1/2 inches) and start jotting down all those Halloween reminders. Print up a set of 6 or 10 and attach a pencil for a sweet little Halloween treat. (maybe in your Boo bag? - just a thought!) Download your Halloween Note Sheets here.

Open at Your Own Risk

Finally, bag up all your Halloween treats in a lunch bag embellished with this scary/sweet sticker. Simply print out the sticker on a label sheet, cut around the circle and stick to the bag. Download your Halloween sticker here.

I really enjoy sharing these Halloween treats with you, but please remember that they are for personal use only.