spanish baptism celebration

Given that I live in the South, where baptisms often involve ornate celebrations, I'm surprised how few baptism parties I've come across. I was thrilled when this beauty from Cristina arrived in my inbox all the way from Spain! For more beautiful pictures of this special celebration, check it out here, here, here and here.

more details from sharnel

It seems I'm not the only one in love with Sharnel's birthday party, so I asked her to divulge a couple more details then she initially shared with us. 

From Sharnel: 

"The inspiration for Olivia’s party came from a dessert buffet Amy Atlas created and an image I saw on flickr of some Martha Stewart pom pom decorations.We love to throw parties that parents can relax at and enjoy themselves, too.  So we searched for an entertainer that would keep the littlies mesmerised for a good while.  Princess Sharara filled that brief perfectly.  She is aprofessional belly dancer that also transforms children's parties into a magical Arabian fun fantasy.

When designing the Olivia’s cake, I knew I had to have one of Lollipop Workshops creations. Jen will custom make a whimsical topper just for you.

Jars and vessels for the dessert buffet where either sourced locally or my own.

I designed the labels for the buffet and the font I used is JBCursive from Dafont.com (lots of requests for the name of that font!)

One of the first things I completed for the party were the party favours.  I collected lots of different fabrics that complemented the colour scheme and sewed the favour bags.  Each one was filled with a polka dot notebook, pencils, eraser and sharpener. The gift tags are from La Papier Studio.  I wanted the guests to take away something that would remind them of their fun-filled day."

Thanks for sharing all of your great sources, Sharnel!

bird themed shower

I'm particularly fond of these baby shower invites I did for my dear friend, Catherine. We've got no less then seven of our close friends from college having babies within months of each other! (With almost all of them expecting girls- so fun!).

summer co-op party

Rebecca shared this super summer-y party thrown by the co-op board of her building. What a wonderful (and beautiful) way to bring neighbors together! Check out all the details right here. Rebecca also attended Sunday Suppers (styled by Amy Atlas) last week that has had the blog world abuzz...see her write-up of the event on her blog.

gen says...favorite launch party

Where or where, has our dear Gen been? Busy at work it seems, getting ready to re-launch the favorite brand of skirts. (For those of you unfamiliar with the short-lived, but very loved store, favorite- click here).

I attended Gen's launch party at her uber-stylish home last week, and was so impressed. I parked myself in the kitchen next to the cupcakes and watched as a parade of stylish women came in, tried on, and left with bags of skirts. I must admit, since I couldn't partake in the fun buying process (a 6 1/2 months pregnant woman doesn't belong in these super cute skirts), I comforted myself with no less then 3 cupcakes. Hey! No judgment please...I hadn't had dinner and I couldn't drink the champagne, either. I can't wait to see what Gen has in store for the future. I'm so happy it is back! 

More from Gen herself...

"favorite returns!

So many of you have told me how much you loved our Nashville store, favorite (and especially our line of skirts), so I am excited to share the news that favorite skirts have returned. We celebrated our relaunch last week with our first ever 'favorite skirt party'.

I am thrilled to say it was a huge success...we sold nearly all the inventory at the very first party. favorite is composed of simple, easy-to-wear styles in an assortment of great patterns. In addition to skirts I will continue to expand the line to include dresses, sweaters, and totes for fall. 

In the meantime, I've set up an Etsy store with our remaining inventory (at $38 a pop, they are hard to resist!). I've also included the favorite brand cosmetic bags, which friends have gone ga-ga over, and will continue to update my Etsy store as new pieces arrive. If you want to stay updated on all the favorite goings-on, friend us on facebook!"

favorite style ... etsy shop

favorite facebook fan page ... join here for updates

to host a favorite party in your town...contact gen at genifer_goodman@email.com

cake toppers

We've all been swooning over that cake topper Sharnel used for her daughter's birthday. At $60 a pop, they are definitely for a special occasion, but can be such a beautiful addition to any celebration. Made by Etsy's Lollipop Workshop...so many amazing creations to choose from, right here! 

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It's my husband's birthday today, and I must admit that I did not do anything picture-worthy for it. I learned looong ago (we've been together for 13 years, married for 6), that most of my thought-out efforts go unappreciated. Too often I've found a handmade card in the trash or spent hours making a cake that he doesn't like (even if he pretends to). So I make sure we do what HE wants on his birthday, which now involves hiring a babysitter, going out to a movie and a nice little dinner (plus 'letting' him go on a 4-day annual golf trip later in the summer). It's actually nice not to feel like I have the pressure of creating something to show him how much I love him. And it works for both of us.

pink birthday party

The uber-talented Australian Sharnel is at it again with an amazing party for her daughter Olivia's 5th birthday. Check out that cake! I'm hoping she'll give us more details soon (who did that amazing cake topper? was this a 'genie' theme party or bellydancing?). She names Amy Atlas as her inspiration for the table setup- love it! In the meantime, feast your eyes on all of these great images, taken by photographer Leanne Stamatellos. 

and speaking of ducks...

Yet another cute duck party right here! Two in one week, I can't handle it.

More party pix from Krystina here and here.

duck party

I must admit a 'duck theme' has never crossed my mind for a party, but these pictures from Suzi of Alannah Rose have given me pause. A strong color palette and thought-out details make this a winning combination for Ella's 3rd birthday. This theme could easily be translated to a baby shower as well.

cupcake liner favors

Beautiful and clever (cupcake liner) favor holders from zakka life.

via...kristin

reader question of the week #2

reader question of the week #2:

"I am hoping to host a party in honor of one of my favorite obscure Jewish holidays - the Day of Love. Here is a link explaining it. In Israel it has been the custom to have a party where everyone dresses in white. I think this would be buckets of fun, but I need some help with the details. I need to be fairly frugal, and not too fancy. I would like to serve white wine and cocktails (to minimize stains on white clothing). Any suggestions would be most appreciated! - Yael"

reader question of the week #1

My inbox is once again overflowing with reader questions, so I will post two this week as well. Thank you to all my amazing readers who contribute! You always inspire.

reader question of the week #1:

"We're throwing a Thanksgiving-themed party for my daughter's first birthday, and we desperately need help! Any guidance would be appreciated. -Casey"

'rad hatter' party

In the spirit of Alice in Wonderland, Melanie's Rad Hatter (a clever take on Mad Hatter) party is one you won't want to miss.

via...onecoolchick

alice in wonderland

I have not been able to move on from my MikoDesign obsession...still drooling over that Frida Kahlo party! I happily discovered that I had (accidentally) not yet shared her Alice in Wonderland party. Brilliant, but I expect nothing less of this creative genius.

sunday suppers

If you haven't seen the Sunday Suppers blog, you won't want to miss it. A very, very talented bunch.

via...thoughtful day (who gives a great description of the collaboration process)