{fab finds} we're all a bit mad here. . .

In honor of my best friend & kindred spirit's little girl turning one this weekend, I am making this week's posts theme follow suit with her party: Madi Hatter in ONE-derland! 

{Here is the party post from Tootie's baby shower that I threw for Lil' Miss Madi Beth!}

I've always had a soft spot for tea parties & I love that Alice in Wonderland took the party scene by storm. Here is a mini-round up of ideas that would be wonderful & whimsical touches to any tea party, bright & colorful or shabby chic!



This paper rose tea cup topiary is just perfect! It is by Orchard House Creation on etsy, but is unfortunately already sold!

This could easily be recreated by using a teacup planter, Spanish moss as a filler, a dowel rod stem, and a Styrofoam ball covered in a multitude of roses made out of different, double-sided scrapbook pieces of paper. Embellish with a few glittered up butterflies!




Another etsy find, Ruffle cupcake toppers in a various shades of pink add a romantic touch of nostalgia to any spread of sweets. The variety set by Jean Knee comes with 10 dainty toppers for your soiree.




                                {MS image sources}

Martha always has ideas for every occasion!
Collect cups & saucers, stack them high (secured with museum wax), and place votive candles and flowers on each set for a graceful, inexpensive centerpiece.

Get the how-to on making these heart doilies that also resemble flowers! Make them in various shades & sizes to add interest to your table top. The "Queen" would prefer them RED not WHITE ;)



This is a truly WONDERful WONDERLAND party thrown by Kasey Buick for her daughter Lola. She used mainly items that she already had on hand for a BEAUTIFUL budget friendly soiree. Visit her site to check out even more details and breath-taking pictures. I especially love the wonderland banner in its circus font and range of colors, the kraft & polka dot pom, and of course the furniture!

I feel like these party beauties help set the tone for the rest that is yet to come this week!
 
Amanda

{party envy} sundae baby shower

I really enjoyed this Ice Cream Sundae baby shower by Jordan @ Polka Dot Prints featured via Bump Smitten.

The touches of natural and baby elements in the printed goods & decor definitely made this party summery & sweet!



The dessert table included lots & lots of toppings: cookie dough, marshmallows, nuts, and sprinkles - to name a few! Love the styling of the sprinkles in brown paper bags and presented in an Asian steamer.




I really like that the invitation has different images/patterns in each letter of baby shower - very whimsical & fun. The labels are attached with mini clothespins; a great touch for a baby shower.




Love the pink lemonade in glass bottles along with the wooden spoons. I'm really digging the galvanized touches to this party as well!

This frozen treat of a baby shower is delicious eye candy!
Great job Jordan!

*****Don't forget to enter the Flair Designery Giveaway this week*****

Enjoy!

Amanda

{party envy} ice cream party - printables!

We all scream for ice cream!

One Charming Party created such sweet party inspiration & included the printables too!





Get the party started with all the sweet party details with these pastel delight invitations!

Don't forget to let your guests know how much you appreciated them with the "cherry-on-top" thank you notes.




Of course we can't forget the cake! Want to add that extra special cool element to your cake? Add chocolate ganache, an ice cream cone, and of course sprinkles to make it look like melted ice cream. All the kids will love it!  :)



The guest of honor needs to stand out! This is a great spin on a party hat - ice cream style!

The tutorial is available by the girls of OCP.



Package their take home favors in an ice cream container filled with goodies & topped off with the FREE printable, and tied shut with ribbon & a spoon.

***Don't forget to enter the Flair Designery Giveaway this week***

Enjoy!

Amanda

{fab finds} ice cream inspiration

                                      Source

Ice Cream *  Ice Cream * Ice Cream

This has been such an inpiration point for me lately. It reminds me of the sweet, summer nights that are about to be here! It might also have to do with my major sweet tooth.
*Disclaimer: I love frozen yogurt & ice cream equally ;)

Here are a few of the ice cream bits & sprinkles that I am wanting on my sundae:



What an Amazing Party for her twins 1st birthday! I love the ruffled streamers & poms backdrop, and what a great idea to use wrapping paper as a tablecloth. Great job Anne @ Anne's Vinyl! She also gives you all the printables that she used at the party too, so sweet :)



This is part of a design project by Joe Stephenson via Design Work Life.

These ideas would be GREAT for a party: Ice Cream "toppers" with different sayings (start a new trend!), printed wooden spoons, pointed ice cream "bowls" or cone wraps.



The women @ 100 Layer Cake did an amazing job with their Ice Cream Parlor Wedding Shoot and give the tutorial on how to make this ice cream cone holder. A must for presenting your waffle cones!



Aren't these ice cream cups darling? I love how they are packaged in an ice cream truck!
This 12 pc kit is available at Shop Sweet LuLu!

This is just a preview of the SWEET inspiration, crafts, and parties to come your way this week!

*****Don't forget to enter the Flair Designery Giveaway this week*****

Enjoy!

Amanda

{party envy} classic school themed baby shower

Here's another beautiful school themed shower that I found featured by One Charming Party.



The invitation is modeled after a vintage flashcard, darling! The snippets to the right are FREE printables that you can use to throw your own school themed party.





The pretty pastel color scheme works so well with all of the classic books and shabby chic fabrics. The flashcard bunting is soooo cute.




Vintage school cards are held up by flower frogs to label the vegan party spread.




What a simple touch that just adds so much! I heart the baby pencil :)

Enjoy!

Amanda

{party envy} A+ teacher baby shower

Staying with the teacher theme, this baby shower by Whitney @ The Smith Family gets an A+!



The mom-to-be is a teacher and Whitney played off of that to create a breath taking baby shower.

Above is the invite *swoon*. Makes me think of flash cards and writing tablets

**This party was one of my first blog finds when I discovered the wonderul world of blogs last year**



Lunch consisted of salad, tomato bisque, and chicken salad sandwiches served true cafeteria style. The guests ate off cafeteria lunch trays - what a great touch!

Love Whitney's homemade bottle wraps and rickrack runner.




After a full day of school, everyone needs an after-school snack! Chalkboards were used to list out the goodies, and I really like that the snack included childhood classics such as PB&J and cookies.

PS - I hate using my handwriting as well! Chalkboards were waay worth it!



Covered books were stamped with different subjects and stacked as part of the party decor.



Favors: paper lunch snacks filled with hot tamales and a note from "mom"!

Party features that I really liked:
*Flashcards hung above the tablescape
*Giant chalkboard listing the "schedule" for the day
*Handwritten advice from the mom-to-be's students
*Personalized composition book to keep the party details in

Get the visual over at her blog!

Enjoy!

Amanda

{FREEday} easter goodness

This printable is not only great for Easter time. It could be used for a birthday invite as well! Thanks Sara @ One Charming Party for creating a bunny-ful printable :)



Jill @ Sandy Toes and Popsicles made this Easter banner for a magazine photoshoot and is oh-so-kind to share the Free Printable love!





Darling birds! Bird's Party has the how-to & pattern to make these sweet spring birds!



What an easy, little treat to give everyone!

Just package up mini or large marshmallows in a snack ziploc bag and use this darling topper by the "J" girls @ Eighteen25.



I love the simplicity of a silhouette! Hostess With the Mostess has the template from the "Silhouette Queen" Le Papier Studio to make this Easter plate.



Keeping up with the marshmallow trend, don't let your peeps go out without a cute top ;)

Beth @ It Is What It Is made this topper to share!



LOVE love LOVE the way those jellybeans are packaged in test tubes, so creative! These toppers are available from Nothing But County.

Also check out the Peep Toppers and  Earth Day Printables 1 & 2

Enjoy!

Amanda

{party envy} goldilocks and the three bears birthday party

I have had this breathtaking party starred in my Google Reader for far too long!!!!

The design concept behind the party by Paula @ Frog Prince Paperie was to make it feel & look like being at the bear family's house. You were a guest celebrating baby bear's birthday.
As Goldilocks would say, "This party is just right"



The dessert table definitely keeps up with the “bear” theme, everything is bear shaped or related to something that Goldilocks or a bear would eat.

Crates, trays and tiny dollhouse chairs displayed "bear-tastic" desserts: baked porridge topped with maple frosting and cinnamon, marzipan acorns, honey cupcakes, chocolate covered bear pops, bear sugar cookies, and all natural lollipops. Paula has graciously supplied the recipes for many of her sweets featured at the party.



Here's a close up of one of my favorite desserts at the party, marzipan acorns.

Look at that presentation!?!
Loving those mini chairs - it is hard to not love something when it's itty-bitty!


Perfect place to dine? A bed of course!

A twin, four-poster bed from Craigslist was converted to the perfect kid-sized table with a little paint and plywood. Ribbon and tulle was tied to the back of each chair with little bears that had each kid's names on them. A "sheet" tablecloth and wooden bears from goodwill dressed up the table even more.



Each guest had their own boxed lunch with a strong warning for Goldilocks to leave the lunches alone! Pre-packed lunches makes meal/snack time a breeze....




Paula made "3 bears" themed art as decor for the party. Chairs, porridge, bear silhouettes, and of course you can't forget Goldilocks made the perfect subject matter for this party!



What's a party now-a-days with out a photo booth?!?

Photo props included: papa bear’s bowler hat and big floppy tie, bear ears, mama bear’s apron, and a chalkboard to write sweet notes to the birthday boy. This was a great activity for kids and grown ups!



Of course you can't forget the parents! The last little detail of decor outside was “Just Right” for mama bears and papa bears.

Bear labeled beer & wine fit in with the scheme perfectly - if I do say so myself!
This post is just a sample of all the "beary good" inspiration and tons of visual yummy-ness found at this party. Take a look at posts I, II, III, IV, and V for more deets and resources.

Enjoy! (I sure did)

Amanda

{instant love} vintage baby nursery

The title of this nursery is "Days of White" and this nursery captures and displays beautifully the memorable "white days" in one's life.

The nursery design is by the creative Brooke @ All Things Thrifty.

The color palette and soft details of this shabby chic nursery are on point! My mom would absolutely die over this room. I could envision this in her cabin.

Love the homemade, whitewashed wooden door in the background. Made for $12 bucks, what a steal! White wash and the door tutorial are lovingly provided. Thanks!

Such delicate bedding... All those lace ruffles are made out of a $25 thrift store wedding dress!

Other room details:

Like the mobile?!? It is made out of thrift store foam Christmas ornaments!

The floral arrangement in the shadow box is actually her dried out wedding bouquet.


Lesson learned: Want beautiful, unique accessories?!? Hit up the local thrift store.

Great Job!!!

Enjoy!

Amanda

{party envy} night owl party

Crushing on owls lately? Anj @ SnowyBliss created this creative & gorgeous night owl party for her daughters 6th birthday.

***I adore that is it not only owl themed but that its set at night since that is an owl's prime time!

Inspired by the feature @ Hostess with the Mostess, she used that concept to create a fantasy filled party that I am sure her daughter will never forget.




Look at that table?!? What is better than a bed for a night themed party? Anj says that she can draw. Boy! Can she ever?!? The style of drawing fondly reminds me of classic Winnie-The-Pooh.




Here's a close up of the headboard and faux window that was also drawn. Great use of a digital pack to make the graphics for "outside". Need a tablecloth for a faux bed? Just use a sheet! That is exactly what Anj did.

You can probably also spot those adorable little owls that are clipped to the sodas. They were one of the fabulous favors: hair clips.




More owls! Anj used the tutorial from Dawn @ Not Just A Mommy! to create a whimsical mobile.




If you are not already in Owl Heaven, you are about to be! She created a different owl for each guest! How cute are these? I want one for myself :)

Each owl had a story and adoption papers for each girl to sign and pick out a name. It is so apparent how much thought went in to this party.

Anj is also freakin' awesome for giving the all the poems for all the different owls in her party post. Thanks for sharing!





Here's a close up of the literature that accompanied each owl.

Sigh*** Feel inspired yet? I do!

Enjoy!

Amanda

**I found this party via Living Locurto

{party envy} back to school birthday bash

Sorry I have been so AWOL! I have been incredibly busy this past week with work, and getting ready to go to our market in Orlando, FL next week which will be followed by a *much deserved* tiny vacay to Walt Disney World!

I am uber excited I have never been to Disney World and I am looking forward to fufilling a childhood dream. Teacups, here I come!!!



Anywho....I have found a darling birthday party on the ever-so-fabulous-&-talented Amy Atlas' blog. Leoni @ Just Call Me Martha created this party for her daughter's 4th birthday. I am beginning to think that Australia is PACKED FULL of talented people. I always spot great parties and ideas from down under....

Look at that tablescaping!!! Clean with great details. I really like that all the surfaces are essentially one giant chalk board. GREAT idea to use flash cards as a banner, fits the theme perfectly!

Using books as stands, writing in chalk, using pencils in place of popsicle sticks in the candy apples = love. PS - All of the items are edible. Those crayons on the far right? Yep, those too...Leoni has a tutorial showing you how to make them.

Custom hats & napkins as well as library bags which are hanging on the back of the seats. They each contain a book about apples, perfect touches!

What's a party without goody bags?!? Edible crayons are my favorite take-home-goodie from this party.


Great job Leoni! You have created a fantastic birthday party that is easily transitional into a party for back-2-school, teacher's appreciation, or even a college graduation (education major of course!)

Enjoy!

Amanda

PS ***Happy Birthday to My Wonderful Mother :)