Fashionista Party Dress Box Favor with Sizzix - Video Tutorial

It's that time of year again!

The Mini Diva is turning the BIG 1-0!  Double digits ya'll!!!!  I don't know whether to clap or cry!   
This year, we're getting geared up for her FASHIONISTA themed birthday party and I'll be sharing a series of videos with you full of ideas on all the fun elements we're incorporating into her fancy celebration. 

I also have some exciting news! I've partnered up with Sizzix and am sharing how to use their eClips 2 cutting machine to make all party decor for her big day!

Here's the first video in the FASHIONISTA party series - an adorable Party Dress favor box!

Can ya believe that was my first every video tutorial?!!!  How'd I do?  This was also my first time working with the Sizzix eClips 2 Electronic Cutter and I fell absolutely in love with it and the eCal Software (essentially Sure Cuts a Lot) that you use to create and setup all your images. 

I have other cutting machines and I must say, that this machine superseded my expectations by leaps and bounds.  Dare I say, I'm in LOVE with it?  The precision of the cuts are amazing, the software itself is so intuitive, so much so, that it didn't take me much time to figure out how to use many of the features. Now, if you don't own a cutting machine, don't fret!  You can use the ideas I'm sharing and find a way that best works for your own party! 

I'll be sharing lots more on the Sizzix eClips 2 Electronic Cutter and more ideas for hosting a super fab FASHIONISTA party!



I was provided with Sizzix Products to review for this post - all opinions are fully my own.

{Party Recap} Part One: Nikki's Bubble-Riffic Birthday

Heeeeey!

This party mama is pooped!  We had so much fun over the (CRAZY) weekend celebrating and eating lots of gum, and blowing LOTS of bubbles.  I have so many photos to go through but I did want to post a few pics from the party.  I'll post more later in the week with details to boot!

Roller Disco and Down the Bayou Sneak Peeks

I am always humbled, shocked and elated when I get emails from readers who contact me and write how much they enjoy reading my blog.  So, when they ask me to help them plan parties for their kids - but they live miles away from me OR in one case, overseas - I just cannot resist and absolutely honored to work with them.

For the last few weeks I have been working with two separate online clients to design custom invites and decorations for their daughter's upcoming parties this month. 

Here is a sample of the collection I did for one of my clients.  Her daughter is going to have a Roller Disco Skate Party - how fun! 

I went with fun bright colors and tried to create a retro feel while still keeping a contemporary look.  I also made a centerpiece for the birthday girl's table - but forgot to take pictures before I mailed it (dang).  I made up signs for the individual guest tables with 70's themed words to identify where people would sit, like 'Way Cool Cats', 'Platform Players', 'Disco Ballers' and 'Foxy Mamas'!

I had another client who reached out to me from overseas back in June after she came across pictures from my daughter's Princess and The Frog party and this other princess party that I did.  However, she put a cool spin on the idea and choose to do a Bayou theme with a touch of elegance.  After corresponding over the course of five months we are finally finished with all the details.  Here is a look at what we came up with:

BTW - I created that damask pattern myself - using PowerPoint, of course and I also did the other patterns.  That damask pattern was a bitch - but I gotterdone!  I am really considering doing some type of video tutorial on creating graphics using PowerPoint - I don't see that many out there and I have had to learn so much by trial and error.  I will put that in my ideas to bank on file.

Overall, both parties and clients have been such fun to work with; I cannot wait to see pictures of how everything turns out!

Party Recaps: Superman and Another Princess and The Frog Themed Party

Let me just say that I've been trying to access my blog for two whole days with little success - until now.  I am so excited to share the photos from the last two parties I did --- and the fact that my lovely husband got me a new camera for Mother's Day!!!!!  FINALLY!  LOL.  It's not a Nikon D60 like I was campaigning for, but considering we'd need a bailout for that purchase, I'll be content with my wonderful present - plus, it beats that hot mess of a camera I had before.  I got a cute Kodak EZ Share Z915 - and it has a button on it that will upload my pictures straight to Facebook and my picture gallery - but I don't know how to exactly do that yet - I just think it is too cool. 

So, onto business, two weekends ago I created a handful of items for a Superman themed party for an adorable 7 year old.  In addition, I made a full sheet cake for the party - which was  fun for me since I typically stick to cupcakes.  Here are photos from that party:

Door sign

Circle banner – love doing these!

Found simple paper bags and added tags and labels to them for guests to take home goodies.

Someone with little hands, I’m sure,  got to my party table before a  good picture was taken :(

I made a centerpiece from a plastic container, balloon weights, a Mylar balloon and some foil sizzle and just added custom tags and stars!

Custom party hat and you can’t see them so good in the pail, but I made napkin rings as well.

Here is the cake I made for the party – it was a confetti cake with vanilla buttercream frosting! 

So, about a month ago, I received a call from a super nice mom who read about my daughter’s The Princess and The Frog themed party and was looking for a planner to coordinate a birthday party for her twin girls because they love Princess Tiana.  So she and I sat down and exchanged ideas and I coordinated a custom party for her lovely little Princesses.  Here are some photos from that party:

Princess Tiana cake topper that was used for decoration for a cupcake stand.

We set up a dress up area for the girls.  The boys wore gold crowns and purple satin capes that I got from Sew Plain Jane who I found on Etsy – Dawn was awesome to work with and her items are really adorable – check her out when you have a chance!

The accessories table – tiaras, necklaces and rings were available for the girls to make them feel extra special.

Fancy little shoes to complete their looks!

 

Table settings – I created tissue paper topiaries for the centerpieces

 

I topped each topiary with a glitter Monogram for the girls’ names and added a crown and butterflies

Here is the birthday banner – we had a time trying to get this hung - it was windy, the banner was long and I’d never made one with more than one name!  LOL

Door sign!

Girls created picture frame castles for their craft activity and the  boys made mosaic frogs – but let me note that the frog project was a bit complex for excited four year old boys to complete – so no pictures of the frogs!  LOL

There was a prize basket for the girls to choose from….

….and one for the boys!

Here are the birthday girls on the left and in the center greeting our Princess Tiana (you know how I feel about showing faces - sorry - they're very adorable, however)

One of our prince’s playing Pin the kiss on the frog game.

Here are some custom party hats and treats the kids took home. Girls got satin purses filled with hair accessories, lip gloss, ring pops, The Princess and The Frog mini sticker albums, swirly pops and marshmallow poles.  We filled customized gable boxes with swirly pops, marshmallow poles, Hershey kisses, a frog paddle ball game, and noisemakers for the boys.

I created Lily Pad cupcakes and topped them with custom toppers!

So after having done 3 parties back to back, this Do-It-All Party Diva is partied out – for now!  I’ll be working on some items in the next few weeks to put on Etsy – because I’ve been saying for the longest that I need my own shop.  Time to get to work!!!  I will keep you updated on that project in the next few posts!

First Birthdays!

Yesterday my daughter came to me and made a request for yet another, item on her Princess Party wish list for her birthday. After her request I reminded her that her birthday isn't until April and she will have to wait a long time for a lot of the 'really fun' things she wants for her party. I did tell her though, that it would not be a problem to make 'beautiful pink cupcakes with strawberries' in the very near future. So, this weekend, that is what I and the Mini Diva will be baking in the lab. Be sure to check back next week to see how that went.

Since both of my children have already celebrated their birthdays this year (the Mini Diva turned 4 and my son is 1), I thought I would share with you some of the fun I had decorating for both of their first birthdays.

I think the most favorite part of my daughter's 'Baby Diva' themed 1st birthday party was the adorable hot pink high chair swag and pink carpet that we rolled out just for her. At the time, she was just barely walking, but as Divas do, she sat plopped on her 'thrown' and munched on hors d’ oeurves the whole time. She ate it up (the attention - well, and the food too).

Here's a picture of the Diva in her high chair - swag and all:


I took a different approach for my son. It was around the time of his birthday when I decided I'd start my CWBD business. I was loving all the inspiration I was seeing on all the different blogs. Coming off the heels of my daughter's Dinosaur party I knew I didn't want a 'theme' for him, so I just kind of went with some fun neutral colors. I chose red, white & baby blue for the decorations I threw in some fun polka dot dangles, streamers and red balloons. A small gathering with just family were on the guest list with some light finger foods and cupcakes! It was perfect. Check out his spread:




Looking back at these pictures I am excited about what I did and what more I plan to do with my creativity. Above any party I do, the parties for my kids are by far the most fun and rewarding. A friend once told me that she thought I really threw the parties for myself, and the kids just get to participate. That is partly true. Either way, I say, thank God for my kids. They give me inspiration to create, imagine and make-believe. Without them, I wouldn't be able to begin to do what I love - and moreover have fun doing it with them and for them.

Here are a few more pictures from the kids'First Birthdays.


My 1st circle birthday banner - part of it, at least


Here is the other part of the banner with my son's name


Yummy cupcakes!


Birthday Diva's tablescape


Lots of fun pink & purple to go around


Take note of the hot pink carpet - fit for a true Mini Diva