can't wait for

THIS!

ahoy thar me matey

I had a friend dig up these pictures from a party we did 5 or 6 years ago (excuse the poor quality) so that I could share them with someone that was throwing a pirate party.  I decided to share them here as well because these centerpieces are one of my favorite ideas.

The centerpieces are simple with great visual impact.  All you  need to do is take black PVC or spray paint white PVC and make your mast (a simple cross design).  Add some tattered fabric for your sail and tie it all off with some rope.  The final touch a pirate flag centered on top. The whole thing is so sea worthy simple!

We used rental tables and tablecloths with holes in the center normally used for umbrellas. To add some more piratey goodness to the table we placed sand around the mast and added shells, candles and wooden treasure chests full of gold and  jewels.

Ye best be thinking about these tables me hardie for yer next pirate party!

yes, I know it's January but it's never to early for...

HALLOWEEN

How cool is this balloon?  I am so going to try this for Halloween this year.  I think a bunch of these web balloons mixed in with black balloons would look amazing.  I'm not much of a balloon kinda gal but I'm really loving these.

looking for a reason to celebrate

Think & Pink over at 2 Clever have been listing some fun "holidays" for the days of the month. If you are itching to throw a shindig stop over at 2 Clever and check out their list you may just decide to throw a Fritos party for National Corn Chip Day or what about throwing a Chocolate Cake party tomorrow after all the 27th is National Chocolate Cake Day.  

Aren't we all looking for some reasons to celebrate?!

I'm way late at posting this because of our upcoming move so my apologies.

Amy at Stem Parties and Jamee at Setting the Mood have picked Little Ant Design for the Blog LUV award!  How sweet are they? All you party loving' folks need to be sure to check out their blogs full of great ideas.  Thanks girls for the LUV! Now it’s my turn to blog it forward. Here are the rules and ten blogs that I LUV!  Run, don't walk and check out these other blogs for some fantastic party ideas as well as other day to day ideas and inspiration.

Honorees please follow these instructions and share the LUV!

Put the logo on your blog or post. (You can highlight the photo and text of this post and copy/paste wherever you need to…start your highlight from the bottom up to get the photo) 

Nominate at least 10 blogs which show GREAT ATTITUDE and/or GRATITUDE 

Be sure to link to your nominees within your post. 

Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog. 

Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received the award. 

1.  Most Likely Late
2.  Head of the Table
3.  A Life Made by Marcie
4.  Love Manor
5.  2 Clever
6.  Totally Tabletops
7.  At Home with Kim Vallee
8.  Tangarang
9.  Oh Happy Day
10. Celebrations at Home

it's my blog, so there

I realize that I may possibly be breaking some party blog oath that exists somewhere in the party world universe by posting pictures of my kids.  I mean after all what do my kids (cute kids, I might add) have to do with parties?  Not much I guess, although most of the parties I have thrown in my time have been for them.    They have also been incredibly understanding at those times when I turn into psychotic party planning mom you know the one that tends to scream and yell because of the party planning stress and forgets to make dinner for a couple nights in a row because she just has to have a bit more time to work out the centerpiece.  

In reality I just wanted to posts pictures of my kids because we just did a great shoot with some awesome photographers and I'm a proud momma.  Besides, with the abundance of work being undertaken at the moment because of the move I need a small moment of stress relief and wanted to post and I don't have a single party idea floating in my heard - well, that's not entirely true...I did think of a fun party that is a take off of an HGTV show - but I'm not taking the time to post it.

So if you are interested in taking a peek at my personal life and seeing the 4 little ones that I call mine you can visit Jay Reilly's site here or Ashlee Raubach's blog here.  There are pictures of a lot of kids - mine are the 2 older girls (plaid shirt and striped blue and yellow shirt) and the 2 boys (9 & 7 yrs old with short hair)

we temporarily interrupt this party for this...

We are moving (we as in me, the husband and my four kiddos)  We are trying to get our house on the market in the next week so I'm trying to do 2 - 3 months of work in a week.  Thank goodness for the woman that birthed me -  she flew in to help clean paint, decorate, etc. so that people will want to throw down more cash and buy my house.  Love ya mom!

I promise to get back to blogging as soon as possible - just a bit more cleaning and painting to go.

Can't wait to move into a bigger house and throw even bigger parties - yeah for the new party house!

totally rad baby shower, fer sure!

Run, don't walk over to Jessica Claire's blog  and check out her January 14th post.  Jessica is an amazing photographer and from the looks of the baby shower she put together for a friend she is an even better party girl.

The cake is amazing - love the garbage pail kids & the people pics are to die for - you just have to see them.  For some the pictures will take you back to that time that we all thought we were super stylish - what were any of us 80's kids thinking?!?!?

tonight we're going to party like it's 1958

Check out this party that Kim, from Head of the Table, threw for New Years Eve...

The picture above looks like it came right of my grandparents yellowed photo album - love it.

Kim used Mad Men as her theme.  It's a show I'm not familiar with but it must be set in the 50's or early 60's. Instead of ushering in 2009 with Dick Clark (or is it Ryan Seacrest now) she and her guests slicked back their hair, threw on some red lipstick and pearls and welcomed 1958.

Kim had every detail covered transforming her home back a few decades.

Her guests didn't disappoint either.  From the pictures it looks like everyone ran with the theme.  Willing party guests always make for a better party.  These girls look great.

Great party Kim.  I'm filing the idea away so that I can steal it sometime and posting it here so that others can steal it too.

You don't have to be a Mad Men fan to throw this shindig.  Next New Years Eve usher in any ol' year you want - 1958, 1985, 1932 or how about 2045 and welcome the future.  

Maybe you like going with a TV show theme but Mad Men just isn't your thing - pick another show.  I'm still dying to throw a Lost party - why can't they be a New Years theme?  It's the beauty of throwing a party - anything goes, just have fun with it.

yes you can...

have an inaugural party. 

Are you planning on ushering the new President with a little presidential party?  The creative powers that be over at Tangarang have made it a little easier for you to celebrate Obama's big day.

They are offering a free download of cupcake picks and bag toppers - all of them perfect for your Inauguration party.

time to hit the pillow

Maybe you're planning an intimate Valentines party for two or may be you're like me and you'll be up so late the night before Valentines helping kids make handmade Valentines (because that's what moms are supposed to do, right?) that you will be way too tired to think about a romantic dinner for two with a perfectly set table.  Even the most enthusiastic party girls can be slackers at times.

As much as I'd like to put together a Valentines shindig for me & the husband I already know that I'll be too tired thanks to the kids mentioned above - love them but they (and their Valentines) wear me out sometimes.  So here is a cute easy way to say I love you without setting a table.

I found these pillows today with the most adorable "love" graphics at Bold Loft.  This I can handle...put pillows on bed - write a heartfelt love note - place on husbands pillow - a Happy Valentines Day!

There are a lot more pillows over at Bold Loft as well as some darling t-shirts.  Head on over there - you may find something for your Valentine this year.

typography & chocolate - does it get any better?

So I'm a geek when it comes to typography - letters and their multitude of fonts makes me happy.  So do old letter presses and anything related.  Imagine my abundance of joy when I ran across these chocolates that pay tribute to typesetting.

Thanks to Totally Tabletops for sharing this great find.  These chocolate letters of wonder come from Typolade.  

The entertaining possibilities with these are endless - place cards, table assignments, hostess gift, thank you gift, labeling a dessert bar - how cute would that be?

blog it forward

Let’s Eat Cake, an amazing fundraiser hosted by the equally amazing Melissa Margarita-DiStefano, is coming up quick: Tuesday, February 17th at the Plaza Paramount Hotel! Let’s Eat Cake is a cake decorating competition with all proceeds going to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Learn more about the fundraiser right here.

In an effort to make sure we get the word out to everyone (and raise money), we are starting this chain-blog (Ok, not sure if that is correct terminology. But it’s like a chain letter so let’s just go with it, shall we?)

Here’s what we need you to do…Repost this post (or create your own new version) on your blog and ask others to post it on their blogs. Melissa will donate one dollar to the fundraiser for EVERY BLOG that posts on Let’s Eat Cake this week! With the power of the blogosphere, that can QUICKLY add up! Let’s make Melissa Pay! Once you have reposted it, leave a comment letting us know that you posted it along with the url to the blog. It’s for a great cause and it will be fun to see how far it will go! So lets do it… Lets blog it forward and raise money for a great cause!!!

**Kudos to Unique Designs for creating this fun chain-blog effort!**

P.S. Ok, Melissa… time to kick in another $1! 

vintage vinyl

I ran across these great coasters while looking for incredibly stupid gifts at stupid.com to exchange with my stupid friends.  I'm joking...my friends are far from stupid but they do appreciate stupid gifts but hey I'm getting way off topic.

These coasters would be a great addition to your next guitar hero party or equally rocking bash.  They are a bit pricey at $22 for 4 so they may be best used for a small intimate gathering. Price aside - I want these so they are definitely going on my party wish list.

For more fun, unique and dare I say stupid ideas for gifts and  parties take some time to look around at stupid.com - you won't believe what you find.