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A Mexican Fiesta is always fun to plan. Cinco de Mayo is next week, but this festive inspiration can be used all summer long.
1. Edible Flag for Cinco de Mayo - Family Fun 2. Festive table and menu - Everyday with Rachael Ray 3. Tissue paper flowers - Fresh and Vintage 4. & 5. Beautiful destination wedding in Sayulita Mexico, near Puerto Vallarta - Evrim Icoz Photography.
For inspiration, I used these blogs. They all had such cute ideas, and I tried to incorporate some of the best into my party plans.
1)http://www.hostessblog.com/2009/09/real-parties-baby-gender-reveal/Loved the presentation, the cohesive design, and the beautiful food!
2)
http://teammartinok.blogspot.com/2009/12/gender-reveal-party.htmlLoved the guests dressing up in their favorite pink or blue!
3)
http://staffordmoments.blogspot.com/2010/01/gender-party-reveal.htmlLoved the color scheme and the crisp, well-executed signs...
We asked guest to dress in pink or blue, depending on their guess for the baby.
happy wednesday everyone!
hope you are having a wonderful week so far...
one of the questions i am asked most often when it comes to party planning is
where do i begin?!?
here are a few quick tips to help you have a stress free event.
choose a theme
even if its a small get together, i always pick a theme.
whether its an italian dinner party
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an ice cream social
afternoon tea
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it helps me stream line my thoughts in regards to the look and feel of the party and the menu. when i go shopping for party supplies i'm not all over the place buying anything that's cute or on sale. each of the themes above have very distinct color palettes and menus that are appropriate for each theme.
the food & drink
based on how many people will be attending make sure you serve enough food to have satisfied tummies. there is nothing worse that running out of grub!
there are great online tools like food estimators and party checklist to make sure
this doesn't happen to you.
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did you know that you should have a pound, yes a POUND of ice per person at a party?!
if anyone calls and asks if they can bring something...tell them a bag of ice!
then there's the problem of where to store the ice until you need it.
two great ideas: a bath tub or the washing machine.
both will drain on their own and free up valuable freezer space.
here is a great idea if you are making your own beverages:
serve your concoctions out of repurposed wine bottles
set the mood
as the host, its your job to make sure your guests feel welcomed and included at your home.
put on a smile and let your guest know a good time will be had by all!
introduce your guest to each other as they arrive.
tell one interesting fact about them as you are making the introduction.
"bill just got back from an african safari!"
"mary is getting ready to move into her new home..."
it will help break the ice.
make sure you have back ground music playing.
it should be loud enough to hear but not too loud that people have to talk over it.
pandora and slacker have premade song list that fit any type of theme....and its free.
test the lighting in the room before hand to make
sure people can see each other and their food.
have a self serve beverage station set up in an easy to get to area.
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most importantly, enjoy your self!
it sets the tone for the whole party.
oh and remember to take lots of pictures of your shindig.
post them on a free photo sharing site like shutterfly.
when your friends see the pictures and remember the fun they had
everyone will be asking when's your next soiree!
until next wednesday!
In honor of Cinco De Mayo next week, I thought these tasty little treats would be a perfect party food. I hope you will try them out!
I loved painting and decorating this Pirate Ship Bedroom for my twin boys! I had been collecting pirate-like accessories since they were born. All of the design, painting and decoration was done by myself. Here are some of the photos:
Welcome to Isaiah and Cameron's Room!
A view from the crows nest!
Shadow box and pirate 'booty'.
One of my fab finds - an antique ship clock/lamp!
Check out Its My Party for more photos and details. Thanks for stopping by!
With Cinco de Mayo just around the corner, I thought I would share this easy DIY centerpiece. This is a festive DIY project that can be as inexpensive as one dollar! How great would these be to make for a Summer Mexican Fiesta or the up coming Cinco de Mayo. This is even something you could get your kids to help with.
All you need is a few glass cylinders or vases and a multi colored pack of tissue paper from the dollar store. I already owned the glass vases so my only cost was the tissue paper...a dollar!
To make fringe...
Add tea light candles and you have instant and festive lighting for any Mexican Theme Party! Of course make sure that the candle flame can not come in contact with the tissue paper - you don't want a fire. 
Another inexpensive centerpiece idea - I bought these hats last year at Dollar Tree and placed a few flowering potted plants inside. I tucked in a few sheets of colorful tissue paper around the pots. It doesn't get any easier than this! 
See additional photos of this tablescape here.
Hello!
I am so excited to be writing for createmyevent.com! I am new to the blogging world, but not events. I started my blog, eventlucky, about 3 months ago, but I have stage managed theatre, opera and dance, managed over 1,000 events for a major entertainment company, and organized non-profit events and balls. I hope you will find my posts full of style, useful and beautiful.
Finding a theme not only streamlines the event planning process, it can also make it more fun. Whether planning a birthday party, a shower, or a wedding a theme can be a daunting task. There are so many choices and people creating new ones everyday!
I've put together the top 5 here to narrow the list. I hope this will help make this task more manageable.
Without further ado.... the top 5 party themes!
1. Movies and Characters
Depending on what is in the theater this category can vary. Right now Where the Wild Things Are and Alice in Wonderland/ Mad Hatter Tea Parties are both crazy popular. Lost and Glee weekly viewing parties might also fit in this category.
For the full details on a great Where the Wild Things Are party for kids, check out armelle. Too cute.
And for a fantastic Alice in Wonderland/ Mad Hatter Party, start with these awesome invites.
2. Style
I lend toward a clean, white modern look. One of my friends love shabby chic-- and I could throw a great party for her. I have even seen a preppy wedding. Is this fashionable choice right for your event?
Well, how about a Miami style pool party?
Or this rustic, elegant wedding? Any of these would be a beautiful party!
3. Time of Year
Seasonal parties give tons of options-- from a summer BBQ to an Oscar event. Take a look at a calendar to give you an excuse to plan a gathering!
I loved this Kentucky Derby party put together by a fellow createmyevent blogger.
And Cinco de Mayo is right behind it!
4. Color
I love color. Nothing ties a party together better or easier than coordinating the color of the napkins, plates, drinks and tablecloths. Varying the shade can keep it from being too matchy. To take it to the next level, pick a color then chose a style (#2). Too chic.
This place setting from Martha uses preppy style and green. So eye catching.
5. Activity
In addition to sporting events (Super Bowl, play offs), the activity category can dictate the decor for the event. From a fishing themed party, a murder game party, or simply loving to bike ride and using a penny-fathering on your invites, this choice can be cute way to reflect an active person.
This homemade fishing game is cute. (or check out my inspiration board for a full fishing party!)
And these bike themed invites are too cute.
I hope this list is helpful in picking the theme for your next party! What's your favorite-- on this list or not?
Start the day with some classic games--croquet, bocce ball, badminton and horseshoes. If you're fortunate to have a large enough park or backyard these can be played simultaneously. Otherwise, you can cycle through activities. The best part is, all of these require minimal set up and tear down. If your crowd is competitive, break into family teams and assign points to each game. Reward the winning family with movie tickets or an outdoor game set of their own.
a & b. { Source } c. { Source }
Have plenty of high energy grab-n-go snacks on hand for the gamers and sideline viewers. Homemade granola, sliced fruit and veggies and premade pb&j. Refresh with a cool lemonade bar offering a variety of flavors--peach, raspberry, mint and lavendar are our favorites.
d. { Source } e. { Source } f. { Source }
Transition into the evening with a dinner or BBQ. Use your surroundings for decor. Hang lights, bottles and jars, fill them with wildflowers or stems from your own garden.
g, h & i { Source } j. { Source } k. { Source }
Mix a summery cocktail for adults and relax while the kiddos make treats by the fire. Set out a basket of goodies with smore's ingredients. Throw in a few untraditional items--believe it or not Starbursts are delicious when roasted and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are a fantastic substitue for plain chocolate squares!
l. { Source } m. { Source }
If you throw a successful summer soiree, let us know! We'd love to hear about it!
See you next week for a special wedding fashion round-up.
{ jacqueline, rissa, tara, traci }
Happy Friday to you all! I wanted to share with you a recent baby shower that my dear friend and I threw for another precious friend, Molly. We really wanted to cater the shower to Molly's tastes: modern, natural, with a little whimsy. When she showed us the main fabric she was using for her nursery (Alexander Henry's It's a Hoot! in Brown), we knew it was the perfect inspiration!
(picture courtesy of here)
For our Whimsical Woodland Baby Shower, we refined our color scheme to browns, creams, pear green, and pops of coral/hot pink.
birds of a feather...flock together: The invitations set the stage for the event! We ordered invitations from etsy.com
(Like it? Order some here)
earthy decor: We collected vases, pea gravel, and sticks from around our house (and yard), and used coordinating scrap-booking paper to wrap the vases, and create some other decorations that are featured below. (all photos taken by the incredibly talented Cindy Isom of Memphis, TN. Check out her website here!)
The guest book was a wrapped canvas with a picture of a painted tree. The baby's name is a secret, so the only initial we knew was the last name, "P." Once the baby is born, we'll be able to fill in her first and middle initial! We had two shade of ink, and guests were asked to "leaf a print" and sign their name on the fingerprint. It was a huge hit and Molly loved it, but make sure you have baby wipes for guest to wipe their fingers after they are done!
flora, fauna, and food! For the main food table, we secured four curly willow sticks in four vases, and wove the sticks through the chandelier. We hung a big green moss ball from the center and attached faux orchids and butterflies (from a local craft store) to the branches. The shower was in the evening (Girls Night!), so we had cheese fondue, sausage, chicken, granny smith apples, homemade bread, fruit salad, bruschetta, and a variety of mouth-watering dips lovingly prepared by several friends.
The cake was the hit of the evening...we supplied our wonderful friend with a few inspiration photos, and she came up with the perfect dessert to tie into the theme!
no ruffled feather here! it's all about the details: We found this cute paper owl family from mibo (wise guys collection). The curly willow branches came from the Memphis Botanic Gardens, and the paper cutouts which we taped on the wall of our "tree" were made with leftover scrapbook paper.
branching out: So that guests could easily see each adorable piece of baby girl clothing, we created a paper "tree" in the living room. We simply cut out a tree from a roll of brown craft paper, used double sided tape on the walls, and taped leaves and birds to the tree to our hearts' content. We hung a twine rope along the length of the branch, and as Molly opened her gifts, we used clothespins to hang each special item. By the end of the shower, her "tree" was full of precious baby clothes and linens!
whooooo's at the bar: Since a girls' night is never complete without wine or chocolate, we had both. We also had several nonalcoholic beverages, including a delicious punch, as there were several expecting women at the party. The owl favors were milk, dark, and mint chocolate candies shaped from an owl mold. We wrapped the owls in cellophane, tied them with ribbons, and secured them in a bowl filled with split peas. Because we have been to many parties where people forgot their favors, we handed out the suckers during gift opening time. Many guests enjoyed their tasty gifts while Molly opened hers!
designer diaper cake: One tradition in our group of friends is that we always have a diaper cake for the mother that complements her nursery theme. For a diaper cake tutorial, go here and for other diaper cake inspiration, go here. Each layer was wrapped in a blanket, burp cloth or bib, and was decorated with useful baby toys. The icing on the cake was that adorable pink and brown hounds-tooth owl!
chirpin' away: all talk of food and decorations aside, the best part of the evening was truly the company. Our group of girls have been through so much together, and we always welcome the opportunity to celebrate another tiny addition to the group! We love you, Molly!
Hope you enjoyed the party...we sure did! If you have any questions about sources, techniques, etc., please let me a comment and I will answer you promptly!
Fairies, feathers, and friends,
Show the world your art!> 
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