{Real Parties} A Bowling Party!

My friend, Lili of Swanky Chic Fete, did a fantastic job of styling this bowling party! Lucky for her (and us Houstonians!), 300 is a chic bowling alley that lends a trendy palette to begin with. But for those who are not blessed with a stylish bowling alley, Lili shows you how you can make this theme one to remember!

Kelly of WH Hostess and The Party Dress created the perfect paper goods for the party! She designed the centerpiece sticks, favor bag toppers, trophy labels and trophy cup stickers which all stemmed from her Rugby Collection. I am a lover of paper goods because they create a cohesive feel at any event.

The cake is ADORABLE and I love how Lilli used polka dot cupcake liners (perfect for this theme!) to dress up simple cupcakes!

The polka dot balloons from Blooming Babies Market was another perfect addition!

Centerpiece sticks are the perfect solution to centerpieces for children's parties. Here Lili placed the sticks in white ceramic pots from Ikea and filled them with crinkle paper.

Inexpensive flowers like these gerber daisies and carnations add the perfect punch and when placed in modern containers such as these, look like they are worth so much more.

Here is another simple way to add a inexpensive, yet custom touch to your party...cup stickers! Kelly's circle labels were placed on plain white cups to dress them up. And who doesn't love paper straws?!

Red gumballs were the take home favors! Such a cute idea since they resemble bowling balls!

If you do not know Swanky Chic Fete, head over to Lili's blog right now! She styles great parties, pays close attention to detail and I love all of her creative posts!

Sources:

Photography - Loven, the birthday girl's Dad!

Bowling alley - 300 Houston

Centerpiece sticks, favor bag toppers, trophy labels and stickers - WH Hostess

Polka dot ballons - Blooming Babies Market {Etsy}

Striped straws - Pebbles in My Pocket {Etsy}

Cupcake toppers and dotted cups - Little Monster Hugs {Etsy}

Gumballs in dotted bags - Polka Dot Market

Red dotted scrap book paper - Michael's

Mini trophies - Oriental Trading

Mini vases and white pots - Ikea

{Real Parties} A Breakfast Birthday Party on a Budget

My friend Casey and her husband are uber creative. She is a talented artist and he is a photographer. They were on a tight budget this year for their son's second birthday celebration, but that didn't mean they couldn't celebrate in style! For Aidan's party, they threw a breakfast party in style....

Casey put together a cereal bar full of childhood treats! On the menu were cereals such as Cap'n Crunch and Trix and sweet add ins like yogurt covered pretzels and Oreos.

Of course cake had to be served! Casey created the cutest mason jar cupcakes with Oreos!

Personalized favor bags, at a nice price I might add, make each guest feel special. These muslin bags by Perideau Designs make the perfect favor bag! I recently used these for Nick's Safari Party.

Since Casey is an artist and so passionate about art, painting had to be involved! All of the little guests were able to paint on a blank canvas which will serve as a keepsake for Aidan.

Here is sweet Aidan LOVING the attention he received while everyone sang Happy Birthday to him! Casey said that when the song was finished, Aidan did the baby sign language for "more". Absolutely precious!

I just love every detail of this heartfelt party. And it goes to show you that you can create a special party on a strict budget! Thank you Casey for sharing this party! For a daily does of creativity and positive posts, visit Casey's blog.

Sources

Invitation and decor: MF Creative Designs

Banner: My Creative Side

Muslin favor bags: Perideau Designs

Photography: Chris Weigand Photography

If you are in the market for a custom piece of art, be sure to check out Casey's modern pieces! I am about to have a piece commissioned and can't wait!

Today is an exciting day for Kelly of The Party Dress and P is for Party as well! Kelly has produced the first issue of an e-glossy magazine full of eye candy! I was thrilled to be a part of the occasion! In the first issue of the magazine, you will see the debut of Nick's safari party along with a DIY moss cake stand tutorial.

Congratulations Kelly and thank you for allowing me to be a part of this amazing issue!

{St. Patrick's Day} Lucky Charms Take Me Back

{image via eighteen25}

When I saw this I knew I had to do this for the boys and their friends for St. Patrick's Day! Lucky Charms take me back to my childhood days and not to mention this project is super easy! If you are looking for a last minute idea, visit eighteen25 for the details!

{Real Parties} Come Heart With Me

I am head over heels for this party! Completely smitten! The theme, the details, the colors and the photography are stunning! Catherine Clay is a fantastic photographer in the Dallas area and she recently hosted a stylish birthday party for her daughter, Annabelle.

The party took place in Catherine's studio which provided a perfectly clean palette for the decor. 20 little girls were invited to the studio for a Valentine's themed art party to celebrate Annabelle's 5th birthday.

After working on their project - making hearts out of clay and then placing the clay on a canvas that they painted with pastels - they headed upstairs for snacks and cake.

Catherine and a friend made most of the decor which included personalized aprons and a take home art kid for the girls!

Do you see what I mean?! This party is beautiful on so many levels...simple, sweet, stylish and kiddish!

Sources:

Invitation, penants, birthday hats, aprons & art kits - Catherine Clay

Art kit containers - The Container Store

Cake & Cookies - Sweet Bakes

Annabelle's chevron dress - The Measure (Etsy)