Some things work…some things don’t!

So a few months ago I submitted a party tablescape to Pizzazzerie.com for their Summer Stripes Contest.  I am sharing today because there are not a lot of parties online geared toward the Tween/Teen age group. I styled this party two different ways one was a little more formal and the other was a practical table scape for a real pool party. I think it’s interesting to see how a party can look entirely different with just a few details.

For a more formal look I went with a white linen tablecloth. That really made the bright colors pop! I used some dollar store crepe paper and ran it down the middle to add some color.

I got to thinking about all of the paper elements on this table and thought if this was for a real pool party the kids would be sitting down at the table all wet…wet and paper don’t mix! Soooo I thought how cool would it be to use something water proof to lay across the table. I grabbed a $3 vinyl shower curtain from Target and actually placed all of the paper elements on the table and then covered it with the shower curtain to protect them from being destroyed by dripping party guest! Groovy! I didn’t like the wrinkles in the shower curtain and had I had more time I would have let it hang in a steamy bathroom for a while.

I did follow a tip on the internet and placed it in the dryer for a few minutes…ummm…not a good idea…lol…it melted all into itself and I had to send my sister on a 911 run to Target..oops!

Now I’m thinking maybe the white tablecloth with the clear vinyl over top would be the way to go as long as you could get most of the wrinkles out. Then you could have the best of both worlds!

For the first shoot (the vinyl tablecloth) I also tried to make some really cool layered rainbow Jell-o desserts in martini glasses. They actually turned out pretty cool…except…they don’t transport well. Photo shoot was at my sisters house and I tried to take them in the car…yikes!! Not a good idea.

Thank goodness for can whip cream and sprinkles…you couldn’t even tell in the photos…lol.

For the second photo shoot(white tablecloth) I opted for single color Jell-O in champagne flutes and used the martini glasses for candy dishes. Much cuter I think!

So as you can see…it’s a learning experience! Some things work and some don’t but don’t be afraid to try!! You never know what you may come up with. Here are some more pics from both shoots. Curious to know which one you like better the White table cloth set up  or the Vinyl plastic table cloth set up. What says you?

Totally LOVE this idea for conversation starters. Come up with some short questions and sprinkle your table. Great way to get the conversation started!

Which one?

Celebrate Life!

Candy

Make no mistake…It’s MINE!

What is it about seeing our names on something that is so exciting? Remember when you were younger and you went shopping and came across those stands or racks that had pencils, mugs, notepads or license plates that were personalized with your name. I would run up to those stands and anxiously spin them around or scan them until I found the C’s and then I would nervously and carefully read through the names Connie, Charles, Cheryl, Caitlin… not seeing it….Dana, Drew….wait I’m in the D’s already….drats! No Candy!! Yep years and years of disappointment. I used to get so mad at my mom for naming me Candy…lol…why oh why had she done that to me? On rare occasion I would find something with my name and oh my what a glorious day that was! I would beg and beg to have it. I MUST have it….it has my name on it!

Perhaps that’s  why I started a business providing personalized party items…hmmm.  So the other night I was creating a treasury list on Etsy and decided I would look for personalized items. I created my treasury and shared a bit of my story and hit submit to sent it on it’s way. To my delight I awoke in the morning with a sweet message from the owner of one of the shops I featured. Rita with Beach House Living makes these amazing personalized forks! Her Mr. and Mrs. forks have been featured in several Bridal Magazines and are just adorable! She wanted my address so she could send me a fork with my name on it! NO WAY!!! I was pretty excited to say the least.

My beautiful fork arrived in the mail this weekend and I felt like a kid at Christmas! I frantically ripped open my package to reveal a beautifully wrapped fork…with MY name on it! Yep make no mistake about it…it’s MINE!..lol. I paraded around my house proudly showing everyone my fork. Rita included a sweet little note reminding me that no toy license plate ever come wrapped in organza. Yea…that’s right…MY fork ROCKS!

So Rita thank you so much for making the little girl in me smile and the big girl in me gush! If you are looking for a really fun and unique gift check her out. She has some really neat stuff. Tell her Candy sent you!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeachHouseLiving

Celebrate Life!

Candy

***Back To School*** Now Available

Just finished the Back To School set! There is one thing I have learned with three kids….if I’m not organized in the mornings for school I run around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to fill out lunch money envelopes, writing excuses and notes to the teacher and packing snacks! So with this set I am not only including some basic party items but also items to make your school year a breeze!

Set includes Cupcake Toppers, Personalized invitation, Teacher note cards, Lunch box notes, lunch bag stickers, snack bag toppers, Personalized school money envelopes and Personalized excuse notes.

These envelopes and excuse notes have made my life sooooo much easier!! Just grab one and fill them out! It’s a breeze and you can even store some in the car for those last minute needs!

Let them know your thinking of them! Lunch box notes are perfect to slip into their lunches! Lunch bag stickers are great for those day’s when they brown bag it or for field trip lunches!

All of this for only $10.00!

I’m off to print some for myself!

Celebrate Life!

Candy

****Sneak Peak**** Back To School

I can’t believe it’s almost time to head back to school!! My kids only have one and a half weeks left of summer. How can that be? We never started school this early! We never started school before Labor Day…like NEVER! Perhaps I’m in more denial than usual since I’m sending my “baby” off to Kindergarten this year…yikes…that was hard just to type! Nevertheless that first day of school will come, quickly I might add, and I will sit in the parking lot blubbering like a fool! Which is funny because how many times have I day dreamed about those days when I would have time to do all the errands and maybe meet the girls for lunch and not have to cart a little body around with me. Now I’m not sure I’m ready…**sigh**.

Anyways, that leads me to my ***sneak peak***. Finishing up my Back To School set that I think you guys are really going to like. It will include some party elements along with some practical items for everyday school use. I should have it ready to go by the end of the weekend!

So for all you moms sending off little ones to Kindergarten, Middle School, High School or College have your tissues on hand and stay STRONG!

Oh and don’t forget to Celebrate those milestones either! You deserve it! It’s hard work raising these little ones!

Celebrate Life!

Candy

Not “Martha”? No worries…now offering ready made!

Soooo it dawned me a few weeks ago as I was talking to a potential party client that the DIY printables are great IF you are crafty and have all types of paper cutting supplies at your disposal as well as access to a good printer that doesn’t suck your ink dry every 15 minutes AND if you have a lot of time on your hands to devote to crafting the “perfect” party. Yikes!! I want to make sure our designs are available for EVERYONE, sooooo, I am so excited to announce that I have added a few items to my Etsy shop that are already made for you and ready to order. Yea!!

I am starting with my most popular sets to see how this goes over. I have introduced ready made Banners, Invitations, Cupcake Toppers, Favor Tags and NEW Printed Favor Treat Bags! (love these!) for my Big Top Circus/Carnival, Rock Star and Princess Party Sets. If I see enough interest in my ready made products I will be adding more and more. If you are interested in something ready made that you do not see listed yet let me know. I will be happy to custom list a set just for you!
Here are some pics to check out. Visit my Etsy shop to see all of the new products!




Celebrate Life!
Candy

It’s HOT!!

It’s HOT here today!! We are under a heat advisory for the next 48 hours with the heat index expected to reach 110 degrees…eeek. There is only one place to be on a day like today…a POOL! So today I’m checking out some cool pool party ideas.

I LOVE this idea for a simple way to dress up your silverware wraps! So cute!

Check out these awesome ice cube trays I found on www.perpetualkid.com LOVE the shark fins!

If your feeling really creative you have got to check out his tutorial from Sun Scholars. Is this not the cutest thing ever!! Who wouldn’t want to eat their fruit if it was served up like this…lol! Click the picture to view the entire tutorial.

I love this idea from http://alittleloveliness.blogspot.com This one is SUPER easy but how cute!!

Stay Cool!

Candy