Everyday Celebrating

Hot dog cookies!

Super cute hot dog COOKIES! 

Perfect for your next BBQ, a great back to school treat or fun at the tailgate!  Children would really get a kick out of these!

Visit The Garden of Yum for the full photo tutorial how to. 

Everyday events: A french lavender and damask birthday

Are you coming over from Hob Nob Murfreesboro?  Welcome to Everyday Celebrating!  This blog will show you amazing parties and wonderful ideas to celebrate every day!  I plan parties in the Murfreesboro/Nashville area and I invite you to contact me for your own parties and special events.  I'd love to be involved!

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What little girl wouldn't be thrilled with this birthday party!?  Inspired by Paris, lavender and some beautiful damask thrown in, this party is striking and has incredible details!

Click on the photos to see the details up close.

The main table featured a candy buffet.  I'll go on record as saying, as I have many times, that the overall look is enhanced 100 times by adding a matching backdrop.  Use paper, fabric, a sheet.. something that ties in your color scheme because let's face it, most people do not have a wall that matches their party concept.

This party, by Autumn, features this beautiful Eiffel Tower replica that she MADE by using dowel rods. Wow.  I love the silhouette of her daughter and the Eiffel Tower suckers in the milk glass.

handmade cupcake toppers featuring the Eiffel Tower & chandelier images along with her daughter's name and age, plus her daughter was given the top cake to enjoy by herself.

Lavender cotton candy via Kroger.  As Autumn warns, cotton candy melts quickly in open air, but wow, is it beautiful on the table before doing so!

Moving on to the drink table featuring custom straw flags and water bottle labels



The straw flags say "quench" in french



And beautifully monogrammed cookies! 

Head over to Autumn's blog to see more.  She has great tips and tutorials on how she put together this beautiful soiree'!

DIY: Colored numbered rice crispy dessert

photo credit:  Inspired Ideas 

Turn an average rice crispy treat into something fun and colorful!   Use the normal rice crispy treat recipe and throw in food coloring of your choice.  Cover your hands in greased sandwich bags and shape the dessert into numbers.

This would also be a great idea for monograms or create an easy dessert in your team colors for tailgating!

  
 

Puppy cupcakes!

Ok, cupcake lovers... how about THAT?  Too CUTE!

Stef over at Girl. Inspired. made these adorable cupcakes for a birthday party and gives the 411 on how to create them.  See?  They are TWO cupcakes..

 

And look at the main mini cake!   Adorable!

 

 

Everyday Events: Milk and Cookie Birthday

I'm thrilled to show you another Milk and Cookies themed birthday.  Why?  Well, my friend Dianne of Colorblind Productions threw the first Milk and Cookies themed birthday a few years ago and since then, the theme has REALLY taken off.  She and I both smile every time we see another party featuring the theme.  And this one is super adorable!

This party added a twist.  This was a milk and cookies and BEDTIME STORIES theme!  Check out the cute invitation from Tiny Prints.

 
of course.. there was a cookie buffet

Strawberry, chocolate and white milk...

rainbow swirl cookies

  

The children were asked to wear their jammies.  The parents cleared out their playroom and set up a mini theatre complete with movie snacks:



And finally... LOOK at this CAKE!  The chocolate chip cookie cake! Yep, it's a CAKE!
 


Visit Heather's blog for more photos of favors and other details!  

Party activity DIY: Marshmallow guns

That's my son, Keaton, who recently had an AMAZING time at a birthday party when my friend pulled out marshmallow guns for all the boys.  (And yes, I know, there are some people who will read this and be horrified that guns and fighting were included in a children's party.  oh well.)

Talk about a super fun and really inexpensive activity!   My friend said the pvc parts cost about $1/gun.

Buy bags of marshmallows and safety goggles at the Dollar Tree and you're set!

These guns shoot the mini marshmallows and are easy to put together.  You can have the guns already put together for the children or you can make an activity out of the construction.

The Idea Room has fabulous photos that show how to construct your own guns.  As you can see, my son's gun was a bit longer than her diagram, but that's the beauty... create any type of gun you'd like!

At the party we attended, my friend went all out for the boys.  They each were given bandanas which would represent which team they were on.  She built blinds out of huge boxes (a la paintball wars) and each boy was given a pouch to wear to carry extra "ammo".  

The boys all got to take everything home!

My 3.5 year old son was thrilled to be playing with the big boys!  See?  We'll be putting this idea away for one of Keaton's future parties. 

Everyday Events: Carnival First Birthday

A super fun carnival first birthday to kick off a Monday!  Submitted by Adriana.

I'm always a fan of balloon kites! 



Prize tent!



Love the centerpieces with the flowers as "popcorn"

favors!


Lots of sweets!


Check out Adriana's blog to see lots more photos of this huge party!  Lots of details AND guests!        

Everyday Events: A reader's version of the damask shower

One of the most rewarding aspects of this blog is receiving emails from readers who have taken an idea they saw here and ran with it.  I received a great email last week from Jill saying the following:

 Hi there.
I found your website on google a few months ago while searching for centerpiece ideas for my sister's engagement party, themed black damask and green apples. I used your ideas and love following your blog for other creative ideas from birthday parties to baby showers. I wanted to share some pictures with you from the event and say thank you for the wonderful ideas that helped inspire the most beautiful and memorable event. I have shared you blog with other friends and we all just love it up in Virginia! Can't wait to keep following your ideas! 

Thanks again. 
Jill 

Jill took her inspiration from my black/white damask shower and I'm thrilled to share some of the fabulous details from Jill's damask and apple green shower!

Beautiful table featuring a photo montage of the couple attached to a wonderful damask type piece of ironwork

Jill cored apples to hold tea lights and used the flourish scrapbook stickers from Target.  She also used decorative initials to the cake plate and as background.

Her table before the food was added.  I love the greenery around the white platters.  She also used sliced green apples in the vase and damask wrapping paper.



I love this.  A simple continuation of the theme and color


A great chocolate fountain!  Love the use of height and she made the candy initials!  More use of greenery and wrapping paper to add more damask.

     
Thanks to Jill for sharing an Everyday Celebrating inspired gathering!

Need invitations, favors, cones, etc in the damask theme?  Hop over to my etsy shop to make things easy! 

Need damask paper products?  Visit my blog sponsor, Plates and Napkins!  

DIY: Baking cup flowers

A beautiful embellishment for a gift made by using baking cups and pipe cleaners!   Let Melanie of Pretties and Posies show you how.  VERY easy!

For an added touch, she dips some in glitter.  Sparkly!

 

 

Adorable matchbox favors

I recently happened upon these absolutely precious matchbox favors from Ivy Lane Designs.  Check them out:

Ladybug design with recycled ladybug crayon inside!

similar design featuring train

adorable pink with heart shaped chocolates inside

love these birthday party favors with the child's age in crayon

All of her products are are eco friendly and recycled.  Check out Ivy Lane Designs!