Make it :: Top Your Cake

Since we started the no dye/artificial flavor thing in our house checking out sites like Pinterest make me shudder. Many of the party sites and images are flooded with brightly colored candies, goodies and drinks. It makes for a pretty picture but all I can think of is literally, go CRAZY colors. I want my kids to have a fun party like everyone else but sometimes a little visual marketing is all that a simple vanilla cupcake needs. I've started pinning ideas that look festive so there's lots of eye candy but the treats have very little crazy. We'll stick with the old fashioned stuff like butter and sugar. 

All links to the tutorials listed below.

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Honey Bear

It's been awhile since I've posted any parties but this shower is so cute. I love that the dessert table looks a little more organic, not just neat rows of candy soldiers. 

The invitations that they sent were perfection for this party and get this, you can get them too on Etsy!

{via A Beautiful Mess}

Neopolitan Cake

I would love to attend a party where I would be served this

and this.

By the way I'm going to have to totally try making that cake.

{images via pinterest, glitter guide}

Coming up :: Mother's Day

I just realized it's Mother's Day Sunday. Gulp. We usually host the Mother's Day festivities at our house and this year it isn't any different so I should probably call all the mother's huh? So for my present my husband called our former cleaning lady (when I worked) to give the current cleaning lady (moi) the week off. Yay. Yesterday I also did something I normally never do but I told the kids to tell Dad that I wanted cycling shoes for Mother's Day. Hehehe. I'm so tricky.

Also I think for this shindig I need some new table linens or something to brighten up the table. What do you think of this table by Eddie Ross as seen in In Style or the pop color in the napkins from Coco + Kelley? All I know is my linen closet is sucking right now and it needs some new things.

And what should we serve? Any wonderful ideas? Oh and for cocktails I think it's high time I actually try Lillet Blanc. (You know the drink that all the bloggers were gaga over like two summers ago? Yeah that one. I'm late to all the cool parties.)

Love it :: Liberty party

I'm mighty smitten with this summer party found at Once Wed. I love the paper fans she made from scanned images of Liberty prints.

I also dig how they repurposed old jars with a little colored chalkboard paint and used them for favors. (Confession: I save all of our old Trader Joe's preserve jars because they have a plain black lid just in case I need them.) I love that I could possibly use them for this purpose at some point. Nothing like having a couple ideas in the hopper to use at a party.

{Photography by Charlotte Jenks Lewis, images via Once Wed}

Love it :: Paper bouquets

I'm completely swooning over these paper bouquets and pomanders from Whether Paperworks at Etsy. They're handcrafted and can be made with keepsake paper from your favorite books or photos. So gorge right?

Love it :: Made By Girl

I don't know if I've told you but my little sister is engaged. She and her fiancee have been dating for years and now are planning their nuptials. I'm super excited, the only crummy part is she lives in Kansas City and I live here. So sadly I haven't been able to do the dress shopping or help with the event planning details. Which if you know me personally I love all that stuff. She's been wonderful and always emails me her stylish picks so I feel in the loop. She's getting married in a cathedral and having her reception at a very posh but traditional location so this print probably wouldn't work at the reception but I sure think a shower planned around it's hip color and style would be fun!

Picture it, Niki {hearts} Tom....swoon.

So party/shower planners take note you can find other colors here.