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

March 07, 2016

ST. PATRICK'S DAY RAINBOW FEATHER CROWN DIY

March 07, 2016/ MARLAN

I loved this St. Patrick's Day rainbow feather crown from last year so much I thought I'd share it with you again!

Obsessed with feather crowns over here! So why not make one for St. Patrick's Day? This DIY is pretty fast and easy but still packs a colorful punch.

Here's what you'll need: colored feathers, gold headband, gems, hot glue gun, scissors. To start, choose your feathers in a rainbow of your liking:

Trim the stems so that all the feathers are close to the same length:

Turn the headband inside out and glue the feathers with a hot glue gun to the inner middle of the band:

Choose your gems:

Turn headband right side out. Place gems below the headband to make sure you like the configuration first. Then glue them on band with hot glue gun:

And you're done! Now you can go chasing leprechauns and pots of gold.

September 18, 2015

CIAO BELLA FRANKIE BABY SHOWER

September 18, 2015/ Laurén

Photo by: Jenna Elliott of One Eleven Photography

My best friend Aubree is expecting her first baby, a little girl named Frankie -- due in just a few weeks! So last month we showered her with a "Girly California" themed-party, with tons of pinks and succulents. We were so thrilled to have the shower recently featured on Style Me Pretty Living. Today I wanted to share even more details of the event with you!

All photos by Jenna Elliott of One Eleven Photography.

We held the shower at the beautiful home of our friend, Paige Long. The shower ended up being on one of the hottest days of the year, so it was great that the guest-of-honor wanted an evening shower. We let the hot weather dictate the decor by minimizing florals and we opted out of making large arrangements (as we were afraid they would wilt too quickly). Instead, we used a ton of bud vases from our friends at Yummi Candles, mixed with Paige's stunning crystal cups, that she inherited from her grandmother. They added such a beautiful touch. I love having special items like that included in the decor! We used an abundance of succulents, which ended up being the crowd favorite and doubled as party favors! That's always a plus!

Because we decided to have the succulents be the main attraction, we focused on garden roses as the key flower. We used 4 colors (in the pink and coral families) of garden roses, and added peach stock and astilbe as accents.

Mary, one of the other hostesses, had a variety of beautiful wooden boxes that she had made for her wedding last year. So we repurposed them as decor this table scape, creating height and a cool earthy vibe.

We made the dip dye napkins by purchasing about 20 yards (we made 60 napkins!) of white gauze and pink dye from Joann Fabrics. To do this, cut gauze into 15" x 15" squares, bunch them up, fold them in half and dip only the first third of the napkin in the dye. Then place on some kind of plastic tarp (I used large garbage bags cut open). Allow to dry overnight and then wash on delicate. I washed these twice (on warm) as I wanted them to fade and bleed more. I loved the way they turned out!

The shower's youngest and cutest guest!

Dinner was a favorite of our group of friends -- ComidaLA's South American street eats. They made the most delicious summery, corn and avocado salad, special for us, as the perfect accompaniment to their gluten-free arepas. It was perfect summer party food.

I really wanted the bar to be a major showpiece. Because it was such a hot day, I knew a variety of ice cold drinks would be an important factor in our guests happiness. I was obsessed with these blush fleur de lis glasses that we rented from Town & Country. Again, we created height using wooden crates, and we put a "pink spin" on all of the beverages, to continue our girly theme.

We made cherry lemonade by puréeing fresh (de-pitted) cherries in the Vitamix and straining them. Then add the purée to your homemade lemonade and it's beyond yummy! The middle drink was strawberry-mint ice water and the right dispenser held the favorite of the night -- ror all of the non-pregnant guests -- a boozy watermelon aqua fesca, that was simply tons of watermelon blended with lime, a touch of fine sugar and water. Add fresh mint and vodka and you have got yourself a surefire hit! We also offered rosé procecco and sparkling water.

And then there's this. The dessert table. Whisk and Whittle killed it again with 4 cakes (gluten-free chocolate with cream cheese chocolate, lemon meringue, strawberry shortcake and carrot cake) and donuts. All more beautiful and delicious than the next.

A week prior the shower, some of us hostesses got together and had a "craft night" where we created 5 huge paper flowers (using a template from Tania Fischer). Not only did they turn out beautifully, but it was such a fun way to bond with friends when creating an event together.

To finish off the table we had to give a nod to baby girl Frankie! So we added this beautiful gold and silver acrylic bunting from our faves Meri Meri -- It read our evening’s hashtag #cioabellafrankie!

Sis and I would like to thank the other hostesses who helped to make this happen! Love you, Beth, Brandy, Brie, Jodi, Mary, Paige & Paige! We can't wait to meet you, Frankie!! xx

May 29, 2015

FAVORITE PARTY IDEAS

May 29, 2015/ MARLAN

I could just gaze at pretty party pics all day… sigh. But who has the time? So here are five our favorite party ideas to give a short, fun sample of inspiration.

I can safely say, I never wanted a bachelorette party until I saw what Geronimo Balloons created for this bash featured on 100 Layer Cake. The explosion of pink frill and gold balloons just makes me so happy. Now I need to have one!

I need this fiesta-inspired decor in my life, all day everyday. Beijos Events was at the helm of this gorgeous inspiration on Green Wedding Shoes.

The balloon arch to end all balloon arches. I mean, this just makes me want to cry. It's so incredible. Created by The House That Lars Built for BHLDN.

Here's one from our own moody spring dinner featured on My Domaine. Photo by One Eleven Photography.

These pretty donuts get me every time. So perfect for a baby shower. They're from a pink & gold sip n' see by Melissa Baum Events on 100 Layer Cakelet.