Announcing our NEW partner for Printables- Party Monkey!

Posted by rene.bross on 14. March 2012 09:52

We are so excited to announce our new sister site on Etsy- Party Monkey. Party Monkey offers beautifully designed boutique style DIY Printable Party Invitations and Printable Party Kits. Now you can get a knock-their-socks-off party invitation at an affordable price. After Party Monkey customizes your invitation with your own party text, a downloadable file is sent to your in box within 24 hours. Take your newly downloaded .JPG file and print it on your own desktop printer, at your local Costco, Shutterfly or other print source. It's quick and easy-- and beautiful! Check out these amazing invitations and announcements...

For the love of Pink! It's a Girl! Pink Giraffe Baby Shower

Posted by rene.bross on 9. March 2012 08:57

We are so excited to share these photos of our Pink Giraffe Baby Shower! Taking inspiration from our Pink Giraffe Invitation, the dessert table is darling in soft pinks, white and a touch of golden yellow. Sweet treats abound with white and pink Jelly Bellies, salt water taffy, strawberry whoppers, delicious vanilla cupcakes, pink rock candy, pink popcorn, pink lemonade with sugared mason jars and the cutest baby giraffe cookies complete with pink spots. To be kind on the wallet, the beautiful glass apothacary jars were assembled with glass items found at the local Good Will store with these DIY instructions. The tissue pom poms were so fun to make with these easy instructions. We also want to share our delicious vanilla buttercream frosting recipe which was originally found here, but we adapted it a bit to have enough to frost cupcakes with a very generous swirl of frosting and so it's not too sticky sweet. We hope you enjoy these photos as much as we enjoyed taking them!

Photos by Rene' Bross
Pink Giraffe Party Invitation is also available as a DIY Printable Invitation on our sister site Party Monkey
Party Printables pictured above will be available soon on our sister site: Party Monkey

Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe
yields a generous amount of frosting for 20-24 cupcakes (depending on how generous you are)

Ingredients
1 cup butter - room temperature or softened in microwave for 10 sec at 90% power, then 7 sec on 90% power
1 cup Crisco (regular or butter flavored for extra buttery flavored frosting)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
5-6 cups confectioners’ sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)

Preparation
In a large bowl, cream butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add salt, vanilla, confectioners’ sugar. Beat well.

Note
This will make a thick frosting perfect for piping those beautiful swirls shown above. If you need a little thinner frosting, add a little mile to make desired consistency.

Yee Haw!! It's a Little Cowboy Birthday Party!

Posted by rene.bross on 5. March 2012 10:03

Round-up the gang and git on over to the ranch to celebrate your little cowboy's birthday. Your little buck-a-roo will have the time of his life celebrating his big day with his fellow cowboy and cowgirl friends. Gather up some old wagon wheels, bales of hay, railroad lanterns, old planks of wood for the table and plenty of bandanas for quick and easy cowboy decor. If a pony rental is in your budget, make sure to have a camera ready to take photos of all the little riders. The pony photos can even be used for custom thank you notes later! Rootin' Tootin' Root Beer floats or even Sassparilla makes for fun beverages. Straw cowboy hats make great goodie bag holders as well! Here's some fun inspiration ideas for the Wildest Birthday in the Wilderness!

Photo Credits clockwise from upper left: Cowboy party dessert table and Trail Mix Bags Kelly Addison Photography; Cowboy Cookies Oh Sugar! Events; Cowboy Birthday Table and Bandana Pendants Petit a Petit and Family; Wagon Wheels Dulce Design; Yee Haw Cowboy Party Invitation Party Monkey; Cowboy birthday cake Squidoo

Alice in Wonderland Party Ideas

Posted by rene.bross on 16. February 2012 22:46

Don't be late for this very important date!

Want to add some whimsy to your daughter’s birthday party?  Think Alice in Wonderland and see magical results.  Set the scene with a “Mad” Tea Party table using common items such as a deck of cards and tea cups.  Make labels reading “Eat Me” and “Drink Me” to add charm to nibbles and beverages, but beware if you have low ceilings!  Try Pinning the Grin on the Cheshire Cat sitting atop a mushroom using colored board or paper and see who gets a purrfect fit.  What about a follow the White Rabbit scavenger to discover what’s hidden in your garden?  Let your imagination rule as you create a fanciful dreamland for your “Alice”.  Don’t be caught unprepared this year by the Queen of Hearts, otherwise it will be “Off with your head”!

Photo credits clockwise from upper left: Alice in Wonderland Cake from Bobbette & Belle; Stacked teacups centerpiece from Etsy; Flamingos from Feathers & Cupcakes; Little Alice from Squidoo; Eat Me mini cookie jars from Design Dazzle; Alice in Wonderland Party Invitation from My Good Greetings; Flying cards from A Perfect Party; Heart tarts; Drink Me Teapot from Feathers & Cupcakes; Clock Table Decor from United with Love

Vroom..Vroom... Race Car Birthday Ideas for Your Little Speed Demon!

Posted by rene.bross on 24. January 2012 16:21

Start your Engines for Some Serious Birthday Fun!

Race car birthday themes are so popular right now thanks to the Disney "Cars" movies. This fun birthday party theme lends itself to countless ideas and super fun decorating. Red and black are popular colors, but any of the primary colors will work. A black and white checkered motif matches red, green, blue, orange-- just about anything. Use your toy raching track strips to set up a car racing game. line up tires and orange cones on the grass for a fun obstacle course. Tape a black dropcloth down with duct tape road stripes for a push-car race track. Stack up chocolate "tire" donuts on a dessert table. Matchbox race cars make great inexpensize goodie-bag fillers. If you're looking for a fun and hip Race Car Birthday Invitation click here. Hopefully these photos will help inspire your little racer's next birthday party. Be sure to visit the credit links for more inspiration!

Photo Credits clockwise from top left: Race Car Entrance Mat JollyMom.com, Race car placesetting Juicy Bits... , Drink Fuel Station Juicy Bits..., Cupcake Race Track Display  , Race Car Birthday Invitation from My Good Greetings, Race Car tablescape

Pink Palooza Princess Party!

Posted by rene.bross on 18. January 2012 11:57

I think every little girl.. and even the big girls... deserves a full-blown Princess Party. Pink, glitter, toulle, pink, satin, pink, tiaras... Did I mention pink? Every girl deserves to be treated like a Queen at least once in her life and when better than at her very own birthday party. Spa treatments with mani-pedi's for those wee little piggies may be in order. Tiaras and royal wands must definitely be at the ready. And pink and more pink should be everywhere. Here are a few photos for inspiration for your little princess' special day!

Photo credits clockwise from top left: Royal Princess Birthday Invitation from My Good Greetings, Pink Popcorn ErinCooks.com, 4-tiered Princess Cake Butterfly Sweets, Dancing Tutu's Bird's Party, Pink Boa ehow.com, Pink dotted Balloons TSJ Photography, Princess Party Decor CupKate's Event Design, Tutu Cupcake Stand Tip Junkie

Retro Red and Blue Holiday Party Ideas with a Vintage Flair

Posted by rene.bross on 28. October 2011 12:22

Looking for a really fun and sweet Holiday Party theme this year? Try a retro or vintage Holiday Party theme in festive reds and blues. Reds and blues give a hip twist to traditional reds and greens and is even perfect for a Holiday Baby Shower! These party photo ideas are here to inspire your next Holiday gathering!

Photo credits clockwise from left to right: Vintage Celebration Invitation: My Good Greetings, Dessert Tablescape: The Party Dress, Wine Bottle Wraps: Pizzazzerie, Candy Cane Candle Holders: Pizzazzerie, Candy Wraps: Pizzazzerie; Present Favors: Pizzazzerie

Eco Friendly Green Baby Shower Ideas

Posted by rene.bross on 24. June 2011 08:46

Introducing your newborn to an eco-friendly lifestyle starts well before they are actually born. And hosting a green baby shower doesn't have to be daunting. It can actually be very fun and creative with many fun decorating ideas drawn from mother earth. Start with a party invitation printed on 100% recycled paper with 100% recycled envelopes such as the Eco Friendly Garden Shower Invite from My Good Greetings. Be sure to add a note asking guests to forego traditional gift wrap.

Think as green as possible for party decorations utilizing recycled papers and greenery from the yard. Forget the disposable plates and utensils and break out your good china instead. Don't have a china set? Don't worry, think about borrowing pieces from friends or other hosts. Mix and matched china can make a unique and beautiful tablescape. Use potted flowers as table decorations and then give them away as party favors. Tree sapplings potted in reusable glass jars with a name tag make for great place settings and each guest can plant them later in babies name. Sachets of burlap tied with raffia and filled with wildflower seeds also make great favors. Encourage cloth diapers as gifts or collect donations for a month or two of diaper service.

Buy local produce and ingredients as much as possible. A visit to your local farmer's market may inspire more green ideas as well. Be sure to talk with the vendors- they often have wonderful ideas. And when the festivities are over be sure to recycle as much as possible and compost the food scraps. Set up easy to spot recycle bins for guests to use. We hope the following collage board inspires your next green party event. Be sure to read the photo credits which will lead to more wonderful ideas.

Photo Credits clockwise from upper left: Diaper Cake: A Birdie Told Me, Eco Friendly Garden Baby Shower Invitation: My Good Greetings, Green Cupcakes: Baby Shower Food, Footprint Hand-held Fan with Seed Circle: Good Day Asheville, Mason Jar Greenery: Hey Now Whoa Now

New Invitation of the Week- Hawaiian Luau Party!

Posted by rene.bross on 21. June 2011 09:53

Looking for a guaranteed fun Summer Party theme? Consider a Summer Luau Party- complete with coconut drink cups, pineapple, grass skirts and lots of hibiscus flowers. Our new Hawaiian Luau Party Invitation will start your party theme off perfectly and it's eco-friendly too printed on 100% recycled, FSC certified, matte card stock and comes with 100% recycled white envelopes. Aloha!

Red Love Birds- The New Ultra Romantic Wedding Theme!

Posted by rene.bross on 11. June 2011 09:09

Looking for a beautiful and incredibly romantic wedding theme? The Red Love Birds theme can range from cute and outdoorsy to stylishly sophisticated. Red, Gray and white make this theme simply stunning. Think of using bird cages and red rose petals as decorations, along with tiny birds nests and bright red origami birds. Guests can throw bird seed instead of rice to complete the theme! Take a look at these beautiful photos to start your inspiration...

Photo Credits clockwise from upper left: Red Love Birds Cake: Bridal Beauty, Birds Nest Sachets: Palindrome Bride, Bird Cage Dessert Table: Seakettle, Red Bird Origami Tablescape: Lotushaus, Red Love Bird Wedding Invitations: My Good Greetings, Red Hanging Lanterns: Polka Dot Bride, Rose Bouquet: Manolo Brides, Red Shoes: Elizabeth Messina Photography, Wedding Couple with Rose petals: The Knot