January 17, 2018

MOMMY AND TODDLER VALENTINE PARTY

January 17, 2018/ MARLAN

One of our favorites: Mommy and Toddler Valentine Party! Here are the details on our design -- filled with pink, hearts, flowers and balloons -- and photos by One Eleven Photography.

Photo: Jenna Elliott, One Eleven Photography

Lets take a moment for Mila's outfit before we get to the party details. She's wearing a Wovenplay gold sunsuit, Tutu Du Monde cape via Shop Belle and headband via Thumbeline.

The neon pink “KISS” party favor bags by Meri Meri via Paper Source sent me into a tizzy, so I incorporated them into the tablescape to hold the “VALNTN” balloons from Shop Sweet Lulu.

You may recognize the “HAPPY” piñata letters from Mila's 2nd Birthday Party. I DIYed them from an Oh Happy Day! tutorial.

Twink saved hundreds of dollars on our party budget by making the three layer naked cake herself. It’s a Pamela’s Vanilla Gluten-Free Cake Mix. And then I decorated it with peonies, anemones and ranunculus in pink, coral and magenta.

Heirloom LA did gluten-free pizzas with a choice of cured meats or vegetables. They also did a delicious crudité platter with homemade ranch and spinach dip.

"I love you more than pizza."

Twink made the fresh fruit tray with organic, seasonal finds from a local farmer’s market and melons from Whole Foods.

Twink made organic strawberry water and raspberry lemonade from scratch.

For the crafting station, I wanted something that wouldn’t intimidate non-crafters, so I opted for a simple feather mobile. I pre-painted the feathers in six different colors for guests to choose from, supplied driftwood, thread and twine, and voila!, moms and kids crafting together!

Twink and Brixton even got in on the balloon pit fun. And by the way, the gold balloon pit is just a cheap drugstore kiddie pool covered in gold duct tape.

The giant inflatable hearts and party favors are from Oriental Trading.

You can also see more fun stuff on Style Me Pretty Living.

Happy Valentine's Day!!! XOXO

January 29, 2016

STRAWBERRY PINATA BASKET DIY

January 29, 2016/ MARLAN

I mean, really, when you think about it, who doesn't need a strawberry piñata basket in their lives? It's perfect for a trip to the farmers' market, picking strawberries from the field or just accessorizing your Valentine outfit. So here's the DIY!

You'll need: heart template (we used a heart instead of a strawberry template for a less literal look), three sheets of cover weight paper, scissors, fringe scissors (or you can cut the fringe with regular scissors), glue, green satin ribbon, shiny gold paper (or gold glitter paper), red and hot pink crepe paper.

To start, print heart template and cut it out.

Trace heart on each of your three pieces of card stock and cut them out.

Place heart bottoms together, laying flat and tape.

Bring the first heart over to the third heart so you form a 3D heart/cone shape and then tape those edges.

Continue to tape each of the three seams up to the top of what is now the base of your heart basket.

Cut three lengths of green ribbon, appx. 12 inches each.

Tape one end of the first ribbon to one inner heart center.

Tape the other end of the first ribbon to the second heart center.

Repeat with second and third ribbons.

Cut a length of crepe paper.

Stretch it out by laying it on the table, placing your hands on each end and pulling.

Fold it in half lengthwise.

Cut fringe for the length of the crepe paper, leaving about 1/3 uncut at the top.

Draw a line of glue at the bottom of the heart.

Cut fringe to appropriate width.

Glue fringe.

Repeat all the way up to the top of the heart, alternating between red and hot pink.

Repeat on side two and three.

Let dry.

Cut appx. 30 free-hand "seeds" from your gold paper. Glue about 10 onto each of the three sides.

May 20, 2015

PARTYING WITH SURPRISE BALLS

May 20, 2015/ MARLAN

Have you tried a surprise ball yet? They're so fun -- stickers, miniature animals and other little treasures wrapped in crepe paper to resemble a ball. They're made in the form of everything from fruit to flowers. We fell in love with Robert Mahar's bright beauties at Crafting Community in Palm Springs. They're perfect for holidays, keep the kids entertained at a party and can even be DIY'ed, if you're so inclined. Here are some of our favorites.

Pomegranate by Anandamayi Arnold exclusively at Tail of the Yak in Berkeley.

Garden Vegetables from TOPS Malibu.

Christmas DIY from HonestlyWTF.

You may remember these Meri Meri Easter bunnies from our party.

This guy would have been a perfect addition to our Swan Guide.

May 04, 2015

CRAFTING COMMUNITY FAMILY RETREAT

May 04, 2015/ MARLAN

Crafting Community calls their annual event at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs "an unforgettable weekend retreat designed to inspire," and it really is. Karen Kimmel and Stacy Bernstein have created a truly incredible experience. Here are some of our highlights from their May 2015 retreat.