{REAL PARTY} Pink and Gray Dessert Table

This real party is a stunningly elegant and beautiful dessert table designed by Jenna at Eat Drink Pretty for its one year "blogiversary"- Amazing! The images say it all!

She matched the party to her blog's design using the colors gray and pink and the chandelier from her logo.

Obviously, a real chandelier was necessary.

I love the simplicity of the pink flowers resting in glass jars.

The colors and design were used all the way down to the individual desserts and labels!



Gorgeous cupcakes. She even included recipes for her desserts in her original post!

Now to start planning my one year blogiversary...

Custom Inspiration Board: Aqua and Cherry First Birthday!

Anna Rose of The How-to Gal contacted me a few weeks ago to help her with inspiration for her daughter's first birthday party. She liked the colors red and aqua, but was looking for a theme to tie it together. I submitted this inspiration board! Aqua and Cherry! Check out her feature on this inspiration here!

Sources: cherry print, cherry cupcakes, flowers arrangement, candy buffet, red paper lantern, cherry favors, mini cherry pies, invitations, hanging circles

Ever so talented, she went out and made the hanging circles! Don't they look great?

Other ideas:

• This theme sort of lends itself to being shabby-chic. It could also easily go vintage.
  
• I love the idea of using fresh cherries as cupcake toppers or favors, but these cupcake toppers are also really cute.
  
• Bakerella has a great post on adorable mini cherry pies. Follow the link from her site to the tutorial.
• I found these adorable napkins and matching tableware here
  

• Cherry party tags fond here.

Check off another fruit-themed celebration! I just love summer!

Bastille Day Inspiration

Sadly, it occurred to me too late that July 14th was Bastille Day - the national holiday of France, but, even fashionably late, I just have to feature some great French inspiration anyway!

Bastille Day Wedding courtesy of Snippet and Ink. Quelle magnifique!

A little off the beaten path, I found this absolutely stunning French Baby Shower!

The parasols! The lavender! The Eiffel Tower-embroidered onesie! The hanging flower rope letters! What an elegant entrance into the world for a baby girl! To see how this theme could be adapted for a wedding or adult party, see my Lovely Lavender post.

Do you like Egypt? Then get ready for my weekend post...

P.S. I've been featured! The talented Anna Rose of The How-To Gal featured my custom inspiration board for her daughter's birthday (which I'll give details on soon) and even demonstrated how to make one of the decor elements I included. Check out the post here! You'll love her blog!

Midsummer Celebration: Blueberries & Hydrangea

I'm back! Wow, what a week! I hope you all had a safe and wonderful 4th. I know I'm ready to jump back into my fun world of party-planning and I have just the thing for this half-way mark in the summer! Just a step away from red, white, and blue, I have some fun inspiration that I've been excited about for awhile. You know my love of color, and I'm also discovering a love of themes based on seasonal fruit, as evidenced by several of my latest posts! This one is all blue - blueberries to be exact!

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Sources: Blueberry cupcakes, navy polka dot pattern, blueberries in pail, blue hydrangea centerpiece, navy paper lantern, blueberry tart, blue stripe tablecloth, blue candies, navy polka dot invitation

What could be more cool on a hot, midsummer day than a blueberry celebration in a cool blue palette? I love the unique pattern combination of blue and white stripes and polka dots,while the soft blue of the hydrangea softens the stark navy of the rest of the palette. Not to mention the country style of the table setting and details like the mini galvanized pail for a blueberry container and the lovely summer porch which acts as the venue.

blueberry basket

Consider picking your own blueberries as an activity! You don't even have to have blueberry bushes to pick from, just hide a few decorated mini baskets or pails that guests must hunt for. They could keep the containers as favors.

What's great about this theme is that it could be fun and casual for a child's birthday or adapted for a more formal setting like an adult party or a wedding.

Of course, thanks to Martha Stewart for always having every recipe imaginable by fruit, like these blueberry desserts!

Boy, these summer inspirations always make me hungry!

Fourth of July Wedding Inspiration

Just in time for July 4th, I've rounded up some great, seasonal inspiration. Being such an avid fan of all holidays, I love a good seasonal wedding inspiration board! I can't tell you how much I love when elements of the season - colors, symbols, themes, traditions - are infused into a wedding. I can't promise that I won't post a seasonal wedding inspiration board for every holiday...in fact, I can promise that I will! Enjoy!

Two, truly patriotic weddings courtesy of Chrissy aka "The Color Queen" over at The Perfect Palette.

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Rustic Red, White, and Blue affair from Kelly Shiro Events

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Happy Fourth of July to all!