I’m in love…..Again…!!!
Beautiful Party filled with the sweetest yummiest treats.

Talk about a Cake with a Cherry on Top….
this one “takes the cake”.

Another beautiful party display using our Pink Dot Paper Straws…!!!      Yummy…wish I had one.. Love this….:)

And these beautiful Soda Fountain Cookies….LOVE these….!!  Just so amazed at the creativity and talent…Love how she used our Pink Dot Paper Straws

Need a “Spoonful of Sugar”……. Here you go…:) Pretty Spoon shaped Cookie complete with personalized  letter on it’s handle…..

For more fun ideas please visit Paige Reese on her blog. She owns a bakeshop and I’m sure will make some of her beautiful treats for YOU….!!!  http://www.paige-reese.blogspot.com/

Pink Polka Dot Paper Straws:
http://www.thesugardiva.com/item_571/Paper-Straws-…………-Bubble-Gum-Pink-Dots.htm
Until next time,
Cheers,

Your Creative Party Hostess
Dianne

One of my favorites….Bubble Gum Pink…..Paper Straws….!!! The perfect shade of pink. Oh so YUMMY..!!!

And you’re gonna  LOVE our new POLKA DOT PAPER STRAWS..!!!  Mix them with other colors and stripes. Perfect Party compliment…!!! FUN and CUTE…:)

I fell in LOVE with our YUMMY YELLOW Striped Paper Straw…It’s been a favorite with YOU too….!!!

And look at this Gorgeous Green…Perfect for the holidays…

Mix our Green Striped Paper Straws  with these pretty Red Striped Straws

And of course our RED POLKA DOT PAPER STRAWS…adorable…!!

Our pretty Blissful Blue Striped Paper Straws….In Stripes and Dots….

 Red White and Blue Striped Paper Straws….

Our Black Striped Paper Straws and Black Dots and Circles are great for weddings or other upscale events you may be planning.

Are you IN LOVE yet…!!! You’ll find these fun straws on our web site: www.thesugardiva.com
Be back soon to begin our Christmas Party Ideas…!!!
Your Creative Party Gal
Dianne

I am sure many of you are planning your own parties as well… Halloween is just so much fun! Here are some pics from last years party, with a sweet treats theme! Hopefully you can pull some planning inspiration of your own from these photos! Afterall, Halloween is all about the sweets!

You can find more party details here, within my feature on HWTM!

Have a great rest of your week… the Fall weather is on it’s way, I can just feel it!

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This party really captured my eye!  The colors are wonderful and all the details are just so perfect.  It’s simply lovely.

Enjoy…..

We had a magical evening of celebrating my mother’s birthday…full of laughter, fairies, butterflies, and a mischievous little puck. But…there was a great sigh of relief as we cut into the birthday cake, the work was over and we could all simply enjoy the moment.

Throwing this event was extra fun; we travelled to Virginia to where my family lives to put it on. As a result, the whole family got to be involved. My brother helped with the cooking, my father engineered signs and candleholders and anything else that needed built, my mother remained silent as I dismantled and redecorated her house, and she, my sister-in-law and a few old good friends helped craft many of the small details in the party. And probably most important, my dear husband wrangled the children while we put the finishing touches on everything. It was wonderful to have an event that brought us all together!

A few weeks before the party, invitations were sent out. They have a full craft paper brown enclosure tied with the ribbons that were used throughout the party, and were adorned with little fairies and some specially written prose. The fairies were a special touch just for my mother — they are silhouettes of her little pixie of a granddaughter and are seen throughout the party decor as well!

. As our guests arrived, we wanted to set the stage a bit…

White branches in teal-tinted metal buckets hung heavy with votives flanked the path to the door. Votives were placed up the walkway, with little fairies dancing up the steps.

Inside, fairies and butterflies fluttered amongst the sweets on the dessert table. Natural elements such as burlap, river rocks and long branches tied the beautiful gardens outside the windows into the room.

The items served on the dessert and appetizer table were specifically chosen because they were Mom’s favorites, although I admit I have a few new ones now myself, like the AMAZING strawberry meringues!

The artisan strawberry meringues were so pretty, we had to convince people they weren’t just decorations. And they tasted even better than they looked! Sweet Purrfection, a small artisanal confectionery out of Chicago, provided these light as air melt in your mouth treats. Perfect flavor, perfect texture, perfect custom color….they were just perfect! We’ve since tried their other flavors, and they are ALL fabulous. Erin’s Cake Creations provided the beautiful custom decoration for the carrot cake and fondant roses that reflected the paper flowers in the party decor. Girly Gatherings made the unique sugar cookies with graphics to match the invitation, a crested “G” and our little fuscia fairy. The live greenery was all contributed by my mother’s gardens…

Each letter of the birthday banner is unique typographic art taken from antique books and available in the public domain. Masterpiece Designs has a wealth of inexpensive imagery and is where I found the beautiful antique frames. They were perfect for holding Shakespearean quotes!

My brother and I had such a good time in the kitchen together preparing the appetizers…apricot brie puffs, spinach and feta purses, herb crusted pork loin rolls, black bean cakes with spicy sweet potato sauce and cilantro cream, honey minted fruit and marinated cheese. In the spirit of being  a good southern hostess, I’ll be sharing the recipes for everything in posts to follow.

We mixed up a signature drink for the night – Love Potion No. 9, otherwise known as a white russian (mom’s favorite). We’re happy to report Puck’s potion only turned one of our guests into a lovable donkey.

On the outside deck, fairy lights were strung on the arbors and trees for atmosphere, and there were many candles flickering out in the gardens to make for a little fairy magic. There was  liberal sprinkling of candles, votives and butterflies through the rooms inside where the party circulated. Fuscia paper lanterns and paper roses added pops of color.

A party can be thrown without a tissue pouf, but I don’t think I can ever give up the fun of the photo booth. The grandchildren, dressed as Puck and Titania, posed for the camera while the adults were able to play dress up for a moment.

As the guests left, we treated them to a few party favors. Again, one of mom’s favorites was selected to thank our guest for coming–chocolate covered oreos. What we wanted to bring to our guests at mom’s birthday was a little feeling of magic, a little whimsy, and something the children attending the party would find some wonder in as well as the adults. The Midsummer’s Night Dream underlying theme and deeper color hues made using fairies for an adult party work, and made the party planning a little more fun.

Thank you to SandS Photography out of Hampton, Virginia for the party pictures.

***

Colors/Patterns: Blue, Orange, Green, White, Polka Dots and Stripes.
Center Pieces: Tall Cylinder Vases with Goldfish, Sand and Seaweed.
Party Favors: Take Home Goldfish in Glass Bowls with Signature Tags, allowing the children to name their fish! You may also want to attach a baggie filled with fish food and a small net.

A sea of cupcakes galore, shades of blue for sure! With cute toppers, wishing the birthday boy a happy one… which wouldn’t be complete without an awesome banner hanging over the dessert table!

Oh a signature cocktail you say… for sure! Would you care for a fabulous glass of Under the Sea Sangria?!?

Activties: So many fun outdoor activities… a pool filled with pretend fish, and poles for each child. Place magents on the fish and the pole so that the children may go “fishing”! Sand castle building contest, water balloons, a bubble machine, an octopus sprinkler… honestly I could go on and on!

Have a crazy great week everyone!

P.S. You may find the invites and party decor at Party Box Design!

You can find many more pics here on my blog!

All the party decor etc. may be found at Party Box Design.

Vendor List and reviews may be found here!

Hopefully you are able to pull some inspiration from this party. Have a crazy fabulous day everyone!

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I’m lovin’ this party.  You have to check out the picture where they put a HUGE rocket going up the stairs to make it look like it was blasting off!  What a fantabulous idea!  There are just so many cute details.  Love the rocket pop cookies too!

Enjoy Brittany’s Rocket Party…..

My boo is two!  I can hardly believe it! I thought this party was never going to happen! I had to reschedule it from his actual birthday until two weeks later because we were moving in the midst of all this fun!  The theme was inspired by this cute Michael Miller fabric, “Rocket Rascals” fabric. It had a fun, retro-vibe to it. I got the fabric off Etsy, from BellePepper Couture.

Isn’t he the cutest boy?

His shirt was custom monogrammed from my friend Mollie, who runs an embroidery business out of her house.

I need a big impact item for the front entrance of our house, since it is all stairs, so I went with a rocket blasting up the stairs. This picture does not do the size justice. I cut the shape out of a huge cardboard box and then covered it with butcher paper and painted it . The “flames” are cellophane.

Since it was an afternoon party, I went with a sweets display. We had candy, cookies, cupcakes, etc. To say that I have tons left over is an understatement!

I found the rocket birdhouses on either side of the buffet at Michael’s and hand painted them to match the theme.

The adorable cupcake toppers are from the lovely CiaoBambino on Etsy! She also did the favor tags for me.

A close-up of the tags. They had little astronauts and rockets and said “Greyson’s 2nd Birthday.”

I handmade all the cupcakes and icing from Martha Stewart’s recipe for buttercream and dyed the icing myself. I am a control freak to the nth degree.

The rocket cookies were custom designed and baked for me by Laurie at Whimsy Cookie Co. She is local in Memphis, but she ships!  Check her out, she was awesome to work with and she can do anything!

The marshmallow pops were the world’s easiest thing to make and the kids LOVED them. They had red all over their faces.

I made all the food tags on my printer with paint.net and photo paper. I thought they turned out super cute!  We also had Airheads as well. I got almost all the candy at Wayne’s Candy Company in downtown Memphis. We have one of the best bulk candy stores right in our backyard!

I don’t normally like working with fondant, but I took a chance this time and tried to make his cake myself. I accidentally put flour in the blue fondant instead of cornstartch and it looked crazy!  But, he didn’t care!

The beverage station was a combination of bottled water with custom tags, “Rocket Fuel” (Crystal Light), and soft drinks.

I got this cute dispenser at Target after mine sprung a leak at my last party!

The cute galvanized pail is from the Etsy seller, BrodyandMa. I didn’t even have her do this custom!  She already offered it in the fabric that I loved!

Since we just moved in, we don’t have a lot of stuff on the walls, so I painted this banner to put alongside the food table.

The favors were PopRocks and Milky Ways for the Adults, and Elmo Rocket books ($1 spot at Target) and the candy for the kiddos.

Again, the favor tags were from CiaoBambino.

I got this rocket tent on walmart.com for $20!!!!  Insane deal. This was also his present from us.

My sweet birthday boy!

He did NOT cooperate for presents!

Keepin’ it real.

Enjoy this Minnie Mouse party…..

We celebrated with Minnie, but all these ideas could easily be changed to fit any theme. I fell in love with the red polka dots and minnie ears and used them on everything.

Including the cake!

We have ears, say cheers!

A birthday outfit is a small touch that can make anyone feel extra special. Kate cried when it was pried off to go in the wash.

Mouse hands were made for the kids to wear while hitting the pinata.
Such Joy!
Of course we needed goodie bags for all the loot.

It was a great party, thanks for coming!

With my businesses, I help my clients with their event planning needs while staying on budget. Since the majority of my clients are from the Pacific Northwest, being environmentally friendly is an important factor when planning their events. Their main concerns are what kind of impact will their celebration make on the earth once it has ended. Will the decorations, tableware and wrappings all make their way to the trash? Will the remnants from a moment of fun will end up in the landfill. How do you stay on budget and be eco-friendly at the same time? Here are some tips get your started!

1) Use rewashable plates and utensils. In addition to second hand stores and vintage shops, Ikea has the most affordable tableware around. Buy a set of dessert plates and bring them out for every event. If you want disposable, find sugarcane, bamboo or corn based products that will easily breakdown within a month. These one-time use options are surprisingly affordable and are as sturdy as the paper/plastic options.

2) Reduce decorations.Use colors that are timeless, making your decorations reusable. If you are planning a theme, paper decorations can be removed and tossed in the recycling box. If you want to be more green, use fabric based decorations, that you can for another event. Steps to an easy diy pennant banner is just a click away. Also, consider branches, seasonal foliage and flowers for decor.

{curly willow and mini paper poms; paper pom place settings and alstroemerias in mini beakers}

3) Encourage your guests to carpool. Going to the same place? Why not hitch a ride with a friend. Reduce your emissions and enjoy great company.

4) Give edible favors. Who doesn’t like a sweet treat? Admittedly, I’ve given favors that lost its appeal a few days later, but my clients and I have always been a fan of edible goodies. My favorite websites for ideas (to inspire or purchase) are Bakerella and Etsy. Bakerella has an unbelievable talent for making the most delectable looking desserts. If you are on a time crunch, peruse the shops at Etsy for their baked goodies.

5) Pick foods that are seasonal and local. Hit up your local farmer’s market or shop at your local grocery to showcase your region’s finest produce. Choose a menu centered around these elements for a feast your guests will not forget.

{fresh melons from a local farmer’s market}

There are many more ways you can do your part. This is just a few. However, it can seem daunting to do all at once, but just take one step at a time. What do you like to do to be eco-friendly?? Please share your favorite green tip with us! Happy party planning!

We are in that funny time of year – some days it’s snowing and feels very much “winter” – and other days, it’s hitting 60 degrees, the sun is shining and my Spring fever is definitely blooming!  I start to crave fresh flowers, and colorful decorations – and I look for creative ways to make my house look festive (even if there is still snow on the ground!).

Today, I am going to show you a darling do-it-yourself project from The Purl Bee.  These colorful garlands are simple to make, easy to customize to any party theme/color palette, and are a fresh addition to any party!

Head over to The Purl Bee for the full instructions on how to create these colorful garlands.  It’s amazing how some colorful circles can end up looking like this:

Darling, right?!  And here’s a thought…..instead of using felt circles, you could cut out ovals and make the garland look like colorful eggs for an upcoming Easter brunch!