Tiffany & Co. Themed Baby Shower!

Hello everyone!

You may (or may not, because you also have been busy) be wondering why I have been absent from my blog lately. Well, I started working full-time in the Private Events Department at Porter Valley Country Club this summer, so I have been quite busy there while still planning events for my own company, but mainly I have been blogging so much for the Club I haven't given my own blog much attention. You can keep up with my musings the last few months by following http://www.portervalleyprivateevents.blogspot.com/ but I do hope to spend more time with you all on my personal blog from now on because, well, I can be more personal here :)

So let's start back with this wonderful little baby shower I designed for my coworker, Stacy, who is having her baby boy in a few short weeks... The shower was hosted by our club so we had a fabulous catered lunch & yummy cake from La Creme, one of our favorite preferred vendors because they never make the cake too sweet. But the decor & games were all left up to me, so here's what I came up with using her Tiffany & Co. (or in this case, Stacy & Co.) theme...Hope you like!

For the favors, I thought, what better treat for Stacy's guests than homemade sugar cookies (pregnant women love sugar right?) with teal frosting & marshmallow fondant bows, which I managed to make the night before & had to finish in the wee hours of the morning because I was out for my best friend's bachelorette (which I was also coordinating) that night. It was definitely difficult to do after a night out, but I managed to finish in the nick of time & still got 30 mins. of sleep! Phew! But totally worth it to see this smile from Stacy...

Next, for the decor of the tables, we used white linen with a teal napkin in the center & teal napkins faned out in the water glasses.

I also made these centerpieces to resemble a Tiffany's box using teal wrapping paper I found at Target which I wrapped a square vase in & some white ribbon from Michaels that I taped to the sides, plus the "bow" on top was white hydrangeas that I placed in the vases, & wala! You have a Tiffany's inspired centerpiece!


My good friend, Mars, from Flowers on Mars, stopped by to provide his lighting skills & uplit the entire room with teal lighting as well as spotlighting the cake to make it stand out. I cannot stress enough how important lighting is for events. There is no easier way to transform a room & add a lot of bang for your buck than with lighting effects.


That was pretty much it on the design side, simple but chic. For the games, we played a little Baby Scrabble, Guess the Size of Mommy's Belly (with yarn), & Figure Out How Many Kisses (Hershey's) In the Baby Bottle...Nothing too crazy, because we had a mix of ages of women & I didn't want to grose anyone out with the Guess What's In the Diaper type games. ;) It was definitely a fun time & yes, Stacy, made out really well with tons of useful things on her registry plus a lot of cute clothes! Now, I can't wait to help her plan the 1st Birthday! If only, that little baby would hurry up & be born already! Hehe. Oh well, it's almost time for his grand entrance & I am sure we will enjoy many more parties before his first.

Until the next party, have a fabulous day!

Event Design Inspiration

2. PopFlowers (Handmade synthetic flower arrangments)

So you are planning an event but you or a guest is allergic to flowers? Do you ditch using flowers in your centerpieces? If you love flowers, I say no! Check out PopFlowers with their colorful, synthetic bouquets that are dirt resistant, hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, and have easy to mold wire stems for molding into varying arrangements they are the perfect subsitute for the real thing. I'd recommend this choice for a no-fuss wedding or event where you don't want to worry about the flowers wilting in the sun. They can even be raffled off or given away to one guest at each table at the end of your event for an extra surprise. They add a whimsical feel to your event and can be reused for a future celebration.

Beautiful Iris and Lili mix bouquet: $52.oo, Pink baby green mix: $32.00 (great for a new born baby gift too for hospitals where they don't allow fresh flowers), Poinsettias in a silver pail: $36.00 (Use them at your Christmas dinner or as a hostess gift)

Try these adorable Make-Your-Own kits for a fun birthday party activity at your child's next spring or summer time birthdays. ($22.95/$17.50 each)

www.popflowershop.com/

Event Design Inspiration

1. Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Inspiration for your next party can be found anywhere you go. Check out these whimsical floral designs created by the expert horticulturalists at the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Las Vegas. I was there this weekend just before they finished the installation of their summer exhibit for a sneak peak. It is free and open to the public, so I would recommend you see the gardens for yourself to get some ideas for your summer or spring wedding or special event. Go to their website for more details: http://www.bellagio.com/amenities/botanical-garden.aspx

But if you can't get to Vegas, here are the highlights...

Here I am taking a stroll by the Ferris wheel that had seats filled with sunflowers!

The hot air balloons soaring over the greenhouse were just as impressive. Can you just imagine saying your "I do's" flying over a sea of flowers in the spring time? How romantic!

Nothing says summer like a cold glass of lemonade! Make your guests a tall pitcher served from a lemonade stand to keep them cool during your summer ceremony before you arrive for your walk down the aisle.

This cute as a button bear wearing a bright vest of flowers brought up memories from my youth of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. You can give your guests a similar sense of childhood wonder by incorporating story tale characters that fit your party's theme in to your decor.

Although live birds may not suit every event, imagine using a bird cage full of colorful parrots as the center of an exotic flower arrangement at a tropical themed party? Your event planner can find animal trainers to rent them from who will make sure they are comfortable while your guests admire their beauty.

Borrowing one element for your floral arrangements, such as the adorable ladybugs, below, created out of bright red roses nestled amongst a garden of beautiful purple hydrangeas in full bloom, will surely make your party the talk of the town!

If your floral budget doesn't allow you to go as big in scale as these magnificent Bellagio Botanical Garden creations you can ask your florist to incorporate a fun touch such as a small lady bug perched amongst your centerpieces or go for the same ideas as these but substitute in less expensive flowers. Your florist may be able to come up with a completely unique idea that will be even more spectacular and fit better in your budget, so be open to their suggestions and have fun getting creative with your arrangements!