Style Lush

Personal Birthday Photos

By Jennie

When I began thinking of my husband's birthday a few months ago, I pinned this photo on Pinterest. I liked it, but I had compiled a bunch of photos into a slideshow for his 30th birthday. I wanted to do something a little more different.

Then, I thought of the friends who couldn't make it to Mike's party, and I wondered: wouldn't it be fabulous to incorporate those friends into the photo idea?

So, about two months ago, I emailed our friends and family and asked them to take a picture of themselves with a "Happy birthday, Mike!" sign. They could get creative or they could just jot a quick note on a piece of printer paper. I wanted it to be thoughtful but easy, in the hopes a lot of people would participate.

We had about 20 photos total--which I was thrilled about!--from friends we haven't seen in years, from friends who were at the party, and many in between.

A couple examples:

Then, I printed all the photos out and (with the help of a lovely friend) hung them on the wall in a 3-5.

When I revealed it to Mike, he was so touched. Really, this guy who rarely gets emotional got a little emotional. And the entire thing cost $2 total, to print the photos at Walgreens (I can always find a coupon code for a percentage off their 4x6 prints).

Maybe do something similar for your next favorite person's birthday?

Welcome to the World Shower

By Janet

I am head-over-heels for this "Welcome to the World" baby shower. Full of map and globe themed details, the shower seems like such a lovely way to welcome a baby into the world.

Wouldn't it be fun to scour vintage shops for old globes, maps, and atlases? The atlases could be dismantled and used to make napkin rings, bunting, wrapping paper, and other fun crafts.

Speaking of welcoming babies to the world, the traditional baby shower concept is apparently being replaced (or added to) with parties that occur a couple weeks after the baby is born. These events are known as welcome-to-the-world parties (wouldn't the map and globe theme fit perfectly!) or sip-and-sees (as in: sip Champagne, see the new baby). 

(Photos from: You Are My Fave)

Easy DIY Bunting

by Megan

We recently threw an Under the Sea party for my kids, and my favorite decoration was this super simple and inexpensive bunting, made by me.

Desssert table before the arrival of the cupcakes

Supplies

12 x 12 Scrapbook Paper*

Ribbon (I used 3/8" grosgrain)

Scissors

Hole punch

Cut your paper in half, and then cut triangles from each half. The first triangle takes a bit of measuring and or guesswork, but once you have that one cut, you can use that as a guide for the rest. My cuts are not perfect, and as far as I can tell that wasn't noticable.

Once you've cut your triangles use your hole punch to punch holes in the upper corners of each triangle. Again, perfection is unnecessary, just try to keep them at essentially the same place on each triangle. Then string your ribbon through each hole and you're finished! You can space your bunting however you would like. If your paper is slipping around on the ribbon you can secure each piece in place with a bit of tape on the back.

 

Assuming you have a hole punch and scissors on hand, you could make this entire craft for under $2. Michael's frequently has sales on scrapbook paper, making them 4 for $1, and there is always a bin of $1 paper whenever I walk in the door.

*This is a very versatile project. The amount of paper you'll  need depends on how long you want your bunting to be. I used three sheets of paper, which yielded 24 triangles, which was enough to hang the bunting in front of the fireplace, over the mirror above the dessert table, and across the tray of my daughter's highchair.

{Photo credits: by me}

Petting Zoo Party

by Christina

When reader Sam asked for our help to make her son's birthday "cute" I had to jump. Theo is one of those boys who you want to put in your pocket so helping with his party is an absolute pleasure. The party is at a petting zoo so the theme is set. Here's what I've found to dress up a little barn and ensure a little 4 year-old style fun. First up, this great custom set to set the theme and colors in a sweet vintage vibe.

Next up, a little barn decor that screams "party." I'd make a balloon strand in the same three colors, yellow, red and navy and string it up, over a set of windows or if possible, near the table with the cupcakes.I'd also get a helium balloon for each of the kids chairs in the same colors. To add a little color in the air and then each child can take their balloon home.

And with this age you have to have fun and silly things.These animal hands are my favorite part of this party!

And how about one of these? Inflatable beach balls to send home with each kid.

And a box of animal crackers. And everyone goes home happy!

I hope this fits the bill and makes Theo's day.

(images via etsy, pinterest and amazon)

Easy & Awesome Party Favors

By Jennie

I recently co-hosted a baby shower for Natalie, my best friend and fellow Lush writer. She's due with her first baby in just a couple weeks, and it was so nice to celebrate her baby boy with friends and family.

One task I was in charge of for the shower was the favors. I was inspired by something I saw on Pinterest (of course), but I put my own spin on these favor jars.

I bought some mini mason jars from Amazon (24 total).

Then, I removed just the flat lid and spraypainted it with chalkboard paint. Super easy!

You could put anything in the jars themselves. I thought about blueberry jam but finally settled on salted caramels. (I used a recipe found on Holly's blog.)

I cut and wrapped the caramels in kraft parchment paper and wrapped a ribbon around the jar. Then, for a final touch, I used a chalkboard pen to write "oh boy!" on the lid, but you could write any message (the date, the baby's initials, "thanks!", etc.) or leave it blank.

I was so happy with how they turned out, especially since they weren't hard at all.

Make a variation for your next shower!

Oscar Party Kit

By Janet

Will you be watching the Academy Awards on Sunday? I'm looking forward to finding out the winners because I have, for once, seen quite a few of the films! My favorites include The Descendants, The Help, Moneyball, and Midnight in Paris.

If you will be watching, do you have any fun plans for making a whole event out of the evening? I've found some Oscar Party Printables, as well as Oscar Bingo and Ballots, that would help make the night extra stylish.

Oscar Party Printables (and more here) from Hostess Blog

Oscar Bingo and Ballot from How About Orange

What are your favorites this year?

Birthday Confetti

By Janet

Today is my birthday and I can think of no better way to celebrate than by sharing some DIY confetti projects. Okay, well I can maybe think of some better ways to celebrate--ways involving chamagne and thick slices of chocolate cake--but as far as partying on the Internet goes, DIY confetti it is! 

Let's face it: confetti is about the simplest project ever. You don't have to know any fancy crafting skills. You don't have to watch a tutorial on You Tube. You simply cut up some crepe paper with scissors or you go to town with a paper punch (or, easier yet, you open up the three-hole punch at your office that hasn't been emptied in three years). Voilà! Instant party! 

Watercolor Confetti from Oh Happy Day

Bowls of Confetti for Tossing

White Chocolate Confetti Popcorn

Confetti Shooters

Friends, go spread some confetti and drink some champagne! I'm sure you have something to celebrate!

Valentine's Day for pre-schoolers

by Christina

I am so super excited about Valentine's Day for my 4 year-old, it's kind of silly. I was in the valentine section of Target this past week and was wondering -- do they make the tiny cards like they used to? I didn't see any. I looked around and really didn't see anything I'd love to send to school with him for his party that wasn't candy as he goes to a  lame candy-free school. Then I remembered something I'd pinned ages ago! I know the day is a good three weeks out but since these will be cut and sewn by hand, I figured I should share them with you now.

I mean, couldn't you just die? These images are from pinterest via Katie Did- I am so glad I found this, I can't wait to send him to school with these.

Dinosaur Birthday Party

by Elizabeth

Well, I've got an almost five year old around here who is just crazy about dinosaurs, which means that we will be having a dinosaur birthday party at our house in just about a month. 

I'm trying not to go totally overboard, because honestly my 5 year old doesn't care at all about the plates matching the cups and the napkins, but I do love to party plan, so you know I've got a dinosaur party Pinterest board going. Here are some of my favorite ideas so far:

The invitations. I found these on Etsy after an exhaustive search for cute modern fun invitions that didn't cost an arm and a leg, that I didn't have to print myself, and that didn't promise everyone a "Dino-Mite" good time or a fossil dig. Nichole even altered the invite to match the colors I want to use at the party (orange and blue). 

(I'll mail out-of-town guests their invites with some dinosaur stamps I bought on Ebay.)

The banner. I bet I could make one of these pretty easily, but I don't know. By the time I order supplies and find the time to make one, ordering this adorable one seems like it might be easier. 

I also love the idea for these dinosaur footprints from Desert Parties. I'm thinking some of these leading up to our house and a big inflatable T Rex in our front yard would be pretty cute. 

  

The cups, plates, and napkins from Meri Meri are pretty cute, but I think I might mix in some plain solid colored ones from Target just to save costs on something that's just going to get thrown out anyway. 

Meri Meri also makes really cute favor bags, although I'm not entirely sure how I feel about party favor bags.  I usually throw all the stuff out when I get home and lament the waste.  If I change my mind and do favors, I think I'll just give everyone one or two small plastic dinosaurs and a package of gummy dinos. 

My son LOVES pinatas, though, and I think we can all agree that this T Rex pinata is an absolute must. 

Now, for food.

There are a ton of cute dinosaur food ideas out there. My favorites are these dinosaur cheese sandwiches (cut them out with a cookie cutter and make the spikes from chips) from Lisa Storms.

 the dinosaur watermelon head from watermelon.org,

And the cake topper that is motion activited so a dinosaur head jumps out over and over again. 

Melon, cheese sandwiches, and cake sounds about right to me. Maybe I'll punch some cheese pizza into dinosaur shapes as well, throw a veggie tray out there with some ranch, and call it good. 

{Photo credits: oliveandstar@Etsy.com, sassyphotocreations@Etsy.com, desertpartiesblog.com, amazon.com, lisastormstypepad.com, watermelon.org}

Casual and fun: A gingerbread house-decorating party

By Lauren

Last Saturday some dear friends of ours invited three couples (and a toddler and a baby) over to their house for lunch and an afternoon of gingerbread house-decorating. I have never actually decorated a gingerbread house before, but it was so much fun that my husband and I are already talking about how we can't wait to do it again next year.

Our completed house.

The key, I think, was that it was basically a party. Instead of trying to decorate a house at home by myself or with my toddler (where I would have had plenty of time to either beat myself up for not getting it just right or to freak out about the mess my child was making), I was surrounded by a close group of friends. And wine, which makes everything nicer. The houses were an excuse to get together and gave us something to do, but the real point of it was just being together during an otherwise hectic time of year.

It's the perfect low-key gathering for the Advent season, or for the twelve days of Christmas, when most everyone is packing decorations away as I struggle to maintain my festive spirit all the way through January 6th. (And I'd bet the house kits are super cheap after the 25th!)

Our friends were such wonderful hosts, and here are some of the things they did to make the party such a success:

• Keep it small. We had four couples, and I think ten people still would have been great. Twelve might be pushing it a little bit, depending on your setup. It was key that we were all able to sit around their big dining room table and share the bowls of decorating goodies.
• Keep the food simple. Our friends ordered delidious takeout from a local restaurant that we all love, but a big pot of soup would work just as well. The key is not to stress out with planning a meal. The beauty of this gathering was how casual and easy it felt.
• Assemble the houses ahead of time. The decorating is the fun part, after all, and it's best if the icing "glue" sets up overnight so the houses are sturdier as candy is added to them. And although we didn't need it, I noticed that our hosts had thoughtfully prepared an extra house, in case of disaster. Your guests will want to bring their creations home, so assemble the houses on inexpensive platters, or cover some cardboard circles with aluminum foil for the bases.
• Forget about the candy that comes in the kit . . . or at least be prepared to supplement it. Our hosts provided jelly beans, gum drops, frosted mini shredded wheat cereal, pretzel sticks, chocolate nonpareils, Life Savers, Spree, gummy "trees", Werther's originals, mini gumballs, and other goodies. This is where you can totally recruit your guests, though, by asking everyone to bring a few ingredients to share. And we've already decided that, next year, each couple gets to bring one "secret weapon" ingredient that only they can use. Keeping it interesting!
• Make sure everyone has a seat at the table. I don't think this would have been nearly as much fun if we'd all been standing around.
• Provide boxes or bags for the excess candy. You don't really want all that sugar lingering in your house with all the other holiday goodies, do you?

I really can't say enough how much fun this was. I think it's always wonderful to have friends over for an activity that still allows for conversation. In our little group of friends, a new holiday tradition has definitely been born.

{Image credit: Maureen Petron. You can check out her blog for more photos from the party!}