anne hitchins

we've moved to a new spot!

2011-11-04T13:55:00.000-04:00

The blog has moved to a new spot. You can now find us at www.annehitchins.com/blog
And while you're there, check out our new site!

Things I'm thankful for...

2010-11-23T17:54:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that we are already in the midst of Thanksgiving week. It doesn't help that it's 70 degrees outside and the mild weather does anything but make me feel that Turkey day is here and Christmas shopping is right around the corner. I have been reminded several times in the last couple of weeks how much I have to be thankful for. My mental list is long, but it seems like it all boils down to a few things:

1. Being able to do what I love, and love what I do, and do it all from home.

2. My supportive husband, our two smiling, happy children and the sweetest golden retriever puppy we could find. While they make my time at home certainly more chaotic, it's considerably more enjoyable with them around!

3. Unlimited long distance and email. Even though I'm far away from family and some of my best friends, it doesn't feel like so much time has passed between visits when you can communicate daily, hourly, even to quickly call back for the last thing you forgot tell, which then turns into another 30 minutes...

4. That we all have our health. After watching some friends and family as they battle cancer, some with small children at home, and others who have a sick or disabled child, I can't be more thankful for those in my life, and that we have our health.

5. A Thanksgiving at home. This will be our first Thanksgiving with just the 4 of us, and I'm looking forward to it. We are still planning on cooking a traditional dinner, but I've decided that we'll save the china for next year and Grady and I will decorate the table. We are doing pinecone turkey place card holders, crepe paper flowers for the centerpiece and may even attempt this Mayflower replica. Grady really wants to "do the boat!" I'm looking forward to working on it with him tomorrow. We'll see how it all turns out. Until then–

Happy Thanksgiving!

pinecone turkey place-card holder from Martha Stewart

paper flowers found on Sweet as a Peach

paper Mayflower replica centerpiece

Monster Mash, Birthday Bash!

2010-10-03T17:34:00.000-04:00

October is here and that means a whole month of pumpkins, cooler weather (hopefully) and spooky Halloween fever! Last year my nephew requested a spooky party to celebrate his late October birthday. Here is the invitation I did—

There are lots of suggestions out there for Halloween food, but honestly, alot of them are pretty unappealing looking. Leave it to Disney to balance gruesome with clever just enough to keep it cute. Here are a few ideas for what to serve to your hungry little goblins:

Witches cauldron with severed fingers
You can find little cauldrons here.

Apple smiles

Your Mummy's best snack mix

Spooky cupcakes seen on Peppers & Pollywogs

If you really want to go all out, how about this cake from PinkCakeBox.com?

And now if you are wondering how to entertain the cute little boys and ghouls, here are some classic Halloween games you can't go wrong with. Happy Haunting!

Donuts on a string

Pin the face on the pumpkin

Squash bowling

It's in the cards—

2010-09-08T17:43:00.000-04:00

I must say that while I have a pretty good memory, I am horrible about remembering people's names after the first meeting. It used to be that I would hone in on one detail like, "you know, the girl with the really pretty gold chandelier earrings?" or "the one with the cute leopard flats?" Details like that were always lost on my not-so-observant husband and really didn't do me much good when the next sighting their outfit had changed completely and I had no way of recognizing them. Now I find myself noticing their children instead rather than accessories, but I still can never remember the mother's name, leading to exchanges of "Hi, Jack's mom..." being commonplace in the nursery school parking lot.

If you have found yourself in the same boat, have no fear, there is a solution— the mommy card. One of my genius mom-friends, Emilie, asked me nearly five years ago to design one for her. She was new to town at the time and wanted a card with her contact information so she could arrange playdates, etc., with the other mom's she met at preschool, the park, etc. I thought it was a cute idea and happily obliged, but just didn't realize exactly how valuable it could be.

Here are a couple of examples:

These are cute, handy, and so much faster than digging around in your huge bag to find a scrap of paper and a pen to exchange email addresses in the school parking lot!

And for those of you whose "kids" happen to be the four-legged furry kind— How about these for the dog park? Puppies need playdates, too, right?

Sign me up!

2010-09-02T09:30:00.023-04:00

I just was looking over Whitney English's blog and saw her post on Boatman Geller's new product Carrie and Tuck. It's a perfect little stationery case with pockets for notecards and envelopes, a pen, and a clipboard to keep your list of who needs to be written. Sign. Me. Up. Between Grady's birthday and Frannie's arrival I have a list of at least 45 thank you notes to write, and I haven't even sent birth announcements out yet. And I try to stay on top of these things! People have been so kind with bringing us dinners, baby gifts and birthday gifts, and somehow, my list is not getting any shorter. I believe if this is not the solution to my problem, it certainly will be a nice way to accessorize it! I will most definitely order the kelly green and fill it with my own Anne Hitchins stationery, of course!

Boatman Geller Carrie and Tuck

My monogrammed foldover notecards in kelly green & black.

One last thought: I am always trying to simplify my life and come up with a perfect go-to gift. I think I'll take Whitney English's lead and this would be a great shower gift for new moms and brides-to-be alike. A cute case stocked with personalized stationery—how could you go wrong? Now if I could only figure out how to order the Carrie & Tuck monogram online...

Back to School

2010-09-01T12:40:00.001-04:00

It's September 1st and time to get back to school! I love all that September brings: fresh routines, cooler temperatures, and new school supplies. Why not up the cute factor and make it personal with a new bag tag for your backpack, lunch bag or even ballet or sports bag? They're perfect for gifts, too!

backpack tag

lunch bag tag

My super-cute 3 year-old model, Grady, on his first day of school.

Excuses, excuses...

2010-08-03T15:10:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure if I even have any readers out there, but if I do, I apologize, again, for my lack of posts. I had a classic case of the over-achiever thinking that I should start a blog while I was pregnant, working, being a full-time mom, undergoing a renovation, decorating a nursery all while enduring the annoying trait of being a perfectionist (read: I make every thing and every decision 1,000 x more complicated and drawn out than a normal person would have it or than it really needs to be). And then of course I crossed "pregnant" off my list and replaced it with "newborn" and "sleepless nights". I'm still managing to work a little bit every day but somehow the blog keeps sliding to the bottom of my list and I haven't seemed to fit it in in the last 2 months. But I haven't given up! I have ideas and new things to post! I just need to find the time to do it. hmmm.... Bear with me and I will get this posting thing down to a science if it kills me!

Our little girl is precious, however. She is 7 weeks today. We've named her Frances Lynn Hitchins and are calling her Frannie. She's perfect and has red hair like me and looks just like her daddy. Grady has been an adorable big brother, so helpful and cute with her. It's been a fun summer. We leave at the end of the week for our family vacation, come home to Grady's 3rd birthday party and the first day of school. I have a feeling it's going to be Christmas before we know it!

Keep checking back. In the midst of my crazy life, I've managed to work on some great invitations and announcements this summer, and I hope to post it all in the next couple of months.

Inspiring Spaces

2010-05-28T16:31:00.001-04:00

I absolutely love to look at home studio photos, or really any creative office space. I love to see how they organized their materials and samples, what color palette people choose to go with— I could go on and on. I will preface the rest of this post by saying that about 6 months before we moved to Atlanta, we finished a basement renovation and I moved my office there to make room for our first child's nursery. The space was everything I wanted—organized, different from the rest of the house, there was a spot for everything.

Fast forward 3 years and we've just finished another renovation in our new house to make room for Baby Girl who is scheduled to make her debut in 3 weeks. I loved my Richmond studio so much that I just wanted to recreate the same space here, and luckily, it turned out even better! It's a little bit bigger and I've got some new additions to the room, but it turned out just how I wanted it and I love coming down here. I still have a little bit more of organizing to do, and the blank space on the white pegboard wall is where I plan to have a swivel mounted flat screen so it can be seen from the desk, the assembly area, or the kids can watch a show if they are at work with me.

Enjoy the pictures, and for those of you have been asking to see them, I apologize for the delay in this post. Somehow I misplaced the download cord to my camera in the process of moving all of my stuff and the replacement cord just came yesterday.

P.S. Excuse the poor quality of the photos— I'm still trying to figure our new camera out!

1. My desk and the pegboard wall for storage
2. Ribbon and hanging paper storage
3. The assembly area, view from the desk
4. Chair & bookshelf that separates the desk area and assembly area
5. Cutting table
6. These cheery binders sitting on the desk just make me happy. I guess I'm not that hard to please!
7. Hanging file storage and pens and pencils in pegboard racks
8. My co-worker. I think he might be shredding some paper in this pic, a favorite pastime of his. Not the best trait when you have an office full of paper products!

And after looking at these photos I realize I am not showing the black chalkboard-painted column in the middle of the room and my checkerboard Flor rug in front of the desk. I'll try to add another photo of that soon— Have a great holiday weekend!

A little something for the mommy-to-be...

2010-05-27T17:51:00.001-04:00

For those of us that are expecting, it's so much fun to get little gifts for the impending arrival. But it's also so fun to get a little treat for yourself, too! I recently did some stationery for my friend Courtney who is expecting her first child. The inspiration was her need for thank you notes for shower gifts, baby gifts, etc. We looked at a few options but ultimately she decided to go with the first one with the pram, seeing as she can use them after her little one is here, too. They are so fun I think I'm going to make some for myself to tide me over until I can use our little one's monogramed notecards (that are yet to be made) after she arrives safe and sound.

I think these would make a great shower gift or just a little "thinking of you" something for a pregnant friend or for yourself if you are expecting. And practical, too!

Fajitas + Margaritas

2010-05-20T13:47:00.000-04:00

As you can tell from my last few posts, summer is the perfect time to host a gathering in my book. The colors are bright, attitudes are relaxed, the sun goes down later and most everyone's up for a good time.

One of my favorite invitations that I've done in the last couple of years is for a Fajita + Margarita couples shower. The invitation would translate perfectly in a few instances: for a couple honeymooning in Mexico, a neighborhood party, even a laid-back rehearsal dinner. And for a girls night out you could rename it to Senoritas + Margaritas. The possibilities are endless, and it sets the stage for an easy meal with appetizers of chips, salsa and guacamole, there's no guessing on the drinks, maybe just add some Corona or Dos Equis, and you can grill the meat and vegetables keeping everyone outside and you out of the kitchen and mingling with your guests.

Here are some images and links for inspiration:

mexican paper flags
guava margaritas
strawberry margaritas
bright and cheery centerpieces
utensils & napkins (this is shown for a Fall party, but switch up the colors and add a few bright flowers and it would be so cute)
seared spicy fajitas
grilled corn with chili powder and lime
tequila soaked fruit
Mexican ice cream sundaes with cinnamon chocolate sauce

And if you really want to get carried away with the theme:

mariachi band

Dinner Alfresco

2010-05-19T16:06:00.000-04:00

This week I also finished up invitations for a dinner alfresco, alfresco being Italian for "in the open air." The theme behind this affair is a casual pizza dinner where my client is having a chef come in and cook gourmet pizzas on a woodfire grill. She was hesitant to title the event a pizza dinner as she didn't want her guests to think they were ordering Papa John's for the group! So I was charged with coming up with phrasing and a design that conveyed both an Italian feel and the casual elegance of the evening. Enter the phrase "alfresco". It says, Italian, outdoors, and sounds a little sophisticated, right? I thought so, too.

To match the mood, I decided to go with a Tuscan look meant to mimic the pattern of a stone woodfire grill. Here's what they went with—

Here are the other options:

I'm assuming most don't have a gourmet kitchen or woodfire stove on their patio, so why not keep the theme and take the menu in another direction. For a complete menu meant to be served alfresco, take a look at this one courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis, of Food Network fame.

For decor, think rustic like terracotta pots that can be used to hold utensils if you are going buffet-style, or maybe breadsticks in the center of the table for an intimate seated dinner. I also like the idea of cork placecard holders for a seated dinner. You can buy them here, or make your own.

Here's an ideal setting for an outdoor Italian dinner, in my book.

And don't forget the wine! Buon appetito!

A Summer Fête

2010-05-18T23:23:00.001-04:00

Every once in a while I design an invitation that I absolutely fall in love with. Here is my most recent one, and I can say that I emphatically love this design. I'm not sure why, I think it's the colors and graphic pattern of the paisley— Anyhow, this just screams rooftop cocktails with paper lanterns to me. But, if you don't have rooftop terrace accessible, outdoor cocktails in almost any setting would work, too.

Here is the invitation setting the tone with color and mood:

To keep the mood light and festive, how about serving these colorful cocktails—

And for decor, you can't go wrong with these pretty paper lanterns.

For the table settings, I love these origami votive wraps.

To keep things simple in the way of food, keep things easy by having alot (quantity-wise) of a few make-ahead items, rather than getting too complex with multiple appetizers. Stick with things that don't need to be grilled or cooked, such as fruit skewers, cheese and crackers, etc. For more menu suggestions and tips, click here.

Doesn't this make you want to get out the tiki torches and invite a few friends over?

Where is the time going??

2010-05-05T17:12:00.000-04:00

Well, if I have any readers left out there since there has been nothing to read as of late, I sincerely apologize for my horrible blogging lately. I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since my last post, it feels like it was just yesterday—

To fill you in, things have been hectic here with my new studio office renovation (which now is complete, thankfully!), moving the ridiculous amounts of stuff that I have into this new space, and getting it all pretty and organized thanks to the relentless and tireless efforts of my multi-talented and positively wonderful mother (and hell-bent to finish a project so she can see the end result before getting back on a plane home) who came in for the weekend to help me. We worked into the wee-hours of the morning for 3 days, and managed to get the studio 95% done, the other unfinished side of the basement completely organized and cleaned out & up, and still managed to have some fun with my son and puppy while my husband had his own fun on a trip with his brother to New Orleans for JazzFest. I joked with Mom that she will start telling her friends that she's going on a mission trip rather than visiting her daughter next time she comes!

I am almost finished putting the space together, however, and promise to do a post complete with pictures in the next few days since all of the pattern and color inspire me! I've also been inspired to do several other posts and have a list of ideas to share with you forming so hopefully I'll get back into the routine very soon! Between lack of sleep, being very pregnant, two (well, soon to be two) new rooms in the house, and a few other things I am bubbling over with new ideas of things I want to try and will share with you. Taking inventory of all of my paper samples, swatchbooks, and wedding magazines inspired me as well!

Ok, enough rambling for now— I have 2 of 3 jobs packaged up and ready for UPS and need to finish the 3rd before naptime (for my 2 yr old and puppy!) is over!

Thanks again for your patience and I promise for better posts soon!

I still love animal prints...

2010-04-15T08:36:00.000-04:00

I'm wearing my Old Navy zebra ballet flats for the first time today (even though I got them back in the winter) and it reminded me how much I love animal prints. There are tons of ways to use them now in non-traditional colors that make them definitely fun, and add a little twist. It also reminded me of a few things I've done in the past. I could probably go on with million samples and ideas on the subject, but my 2 yr old is already calling for me to come and get him from his room so time is of the essence, and I'll make this quick—

The shoes:

Stationery for a younger girl (I think this would be cute with a monogram, too, for adults):

A first birthday party (this is from a couple of years ago, so I think I would change it up a bit now, but I still like the general idea):

And a moving announcement (Fort Worth is also know as "Cow Town"):

OK, the soft morning jibberish is now closer to yelling which is causing the dog to start barking— Apparently my quiet time is over, so that's all for this post....

Yes, I'm still alive!

2010-04-08T14:40:00.001-04:00

I whole-heartedly apologize for the lack of posting in recent weeks. I can't believe it's actually been 3 weeks since my last post! I would ask, where has the time gone? but I know exactly where! I have been crazy-busy with work! (and a two-year old, and a puppy, and being exhausted from being 7 months pregnant, and having my best college friends in town, and traveling for a long Easter weekend...) but mainly work!

I think the chaos started a few weeks ago when in the same week I was fortunate enough to gain an incredible (and well-known!) new client (but I will resist in bragging about who) and I also was awarded another project from one of my favorite clients, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, for an upcoming exhibit opening with some incredible lenders (read: more famous people) that are involved with the Opening and invitation approval. So, after I shed a few holy-sh*t-I'm-so-overwhelmed-that-famous-people-will-be-judging-my-work tears, I pulled it together and got back to work. In the last few weeks I have crossed a ton of jobs off my list, which is always SO satisfying:

• 2 large weddings (and programs, welcome booklets, dinner menus, placecards, and a few other things to go along with them...)
• birth announcements
• 2 baby shower invitations
• a wedding save-the-date
• a pre-wedding BBQ invitation
• a bridesmaids' poolside luncheon invitation
• a Garden Day party invitation
• a rehearsal dinner invitation, menus & placecards

and that's not even including my corporate clients, with the exhibit opening invite, a print ad, a brochure and a few other things... Goodness! No wonder I haven't posted in a few weeks!

I've enjoyed doing it all and am posting a few of the invites so you can see what I've been up to. I promise to get back to regular posting soon! Thanks for reading and for being patient with me :)

Hippity, hoppity, Easter's on it's way...

2010-03-17T19:16:00.003-04:00

Between Martha Stewart and Pottery Barn, I think I could go nuts decorating for Easter. Unfortunately, I am not hosting this year, so I won't get to put all of these great decorations to use, but I can still ooh and aah over the thought of it, right?

For those hosting Easter lunch or dinner for family or friends, here are some great images that I've found...

For the table top, I love the idea of fresh cut spring flowers and ceramic bunnies. If you want a more casual, rustic approach, think terracotta pots, galvanized tin and earthy materials like linen napkins tied with twine for napkin rings.

Table top inspiration from Pottery Barn

Easter egg table runner

Ceramic bunnies

Galanized metal serving pieces

Terracotta pots

Birdsnest bowl

My mom always did an Easter tree for us, with hanging egg and bunny ornaments, and I loved it. I have all of the ornaments now, and have yet to do a tree since I've had them in my possession. There's always next year, right? Pottery Barn now sells an Easter tree or for those of you that are the crafty type, directions on how to make your own can be found here.

But don't forget the kids on Easter, either. While an adult table can be fun to decorate, you could go crazy with a kids table. I would start with a paper table cloth and crayons in a small tin or terracotta pot. To balance out all of the candy, how about a basket of "bunny food"? You could use a grapevine or other nature-inspired basket that I'm sure you could find at Michaels , or line the above birdsnest planter with lettuce leaves and fill it with baby carrots, celery, broccoli, grape tomatoes and a light dip. You could even drip some gummy worms over the edges and bury a few in the vegetables to make it seem more garden-like. The below shots aren't for an Easter table per se, but it gives a good idea of what you could do with a paper flower and grass approach.

And for favors for the kiddos, I love these grass baskets and envelope bunnies.

And you really can't plan an affair like this and not send out an invitation, right?

Cupcakes + champagne

2010-03-12T17:26:00.001-05:00

Last week I got an email from my friend Maggie over at Sweet William, announcing her new personalized cupcake bands from The Paper Menu. How adorable are these?

Knowing that she loves all things colorful, cute and monogrammed, I immediately forwarded the email to my sister who promptly responded that this confirmed her need to host a Cupcakes & Champagne party (two of her favorite things). With the opening of many cupcake boutiques around the country, I think most have caught on by now that cupcakes are not just for birthdays anymore. And it turns out that cupcakes & champagne is a popular combination that is very now with even the likes of Kenneth Cole and Kate Spade serving it at events including her holiday party in Nashville. The best part is, there's no need to fret over what to serve, the menu's all ready decided for you! Throw in some chocolate covered strawberries and you are set—

Here's an idea for the invitation:

You could go ultra-girly or modern chic with this party, whatever strikes your mood. Here are a few ideas for displaying the cupcakes as seen on Wedding Bells Online.

And another simple tablescape from Mango on an Apple:

Think lots of flavors, tent cards describing what's what and cake stands in varying heights. This last pic looks like it was from a larger event, but nonetheless it will give you an idea of how to set the scene.

What a simple idea for a girls' night out party, bridal shower or just something fun to do!

Yellow + A Spring Wedding = True Love

2010-03-05T19:36:00.001-05:00

Let me preface this post by saying that I have been having technical difficulties with adding pictures for days now, so I apologize for it taking me all week to get this up! And of course the last one that I need to add and can't is the invitation. I'm going to go ahead and post since it's been all week and I can't seem to get this to work and I will add the invitation next week. Until then, I'll let your imagination run wild as to what type of invitation we could do. I'll give you a hint that this event screams letterpress on beautiful, soft Italian paper...

I feel like I'm seeing alot of yellow in weddings lately and I absolutely love it! While looking through my Martha Stewart Weddings 15th anniversary edition, I came across this perfect cake and I couldn't help thinking of all the fabulous things you could do with a mainly yellow color palette and an outdoor wedding.

So the cake inspired this invitation, but really I just wanted something to set the tone for an outdoor wedding with an old-fashioned glass lemonade jug. How can you resist this?

And you're wondering where you set a lemonade jug? This looks like the perfect spot to me:

The next pictures speak for themselves so I'll just post them as some inspirational eye candy:

Daisy hor d'oeurves toothpicks
Icy vodka in fruit
Packets of sunscreen for outdoor weddings
Raffia fans to cool the guests down
A beautiful outdoor setting as seen here
A more intimate table
Menu card set inside the plate
More yellow inspiration

And if the cake that inspired me is a bit modern for your taste, how about one of these?

Lemon cake

Eyelet cake

I love the idea of an eyelet cake with these adorable eyelet bridesmaids dresses. Well, really an eyelet dress you could have all your bridesmaids wear.

And if the group is hesitant to wear yellow as most women are, how about eyelet in another color from my absolute favorite bridesmaid dress line, Aria Dress...

And for your grand exit:

Babies and now puppies?

2010-03-02T12:35:00.002-05:00

I know, it's a little trite. I keep talking about babies, baby showers, etc, and now I'm moving on to puppies. But, I have good reason! Meet Hutch, our new golden retriever puppy that we got last week. He's an adorable, and quirky 13 week old ball of love. These pics show both him being adorable and quirky, since he eats laying down. Do you think we need to get a doggy bowl table?

For those of you thinking I'm crazy right now, with a two-year old, a business and a baby due in less than 4 months, do not worry, I have thought through every detail of what a puppy brings and this is a calculated move! Just ask my sister, I think of every detail before entering into something like this and fortunately for me (unfortunately for her) I will review every angle at length over the course of multiple phone calls to her before concluding that my gut instinct was right in the first place. It's an exhausting process, but no stone goes left unturned. Ask her. She'll tell you...

So the whole point of this long intro is that I have been reminded by Hutch that a puppy (or dog) is really just another member of your family. Our first dog that we sadly had to put down in December was our first child, and I like to think I'm not alone in thinking of pets like kids. So if you fall into that category, this post is for you— a doggie birthday party (or even just a pet playdate!) Here's what I'm thinking...

Set the scene with these pawprint ballons, party hats and doggie kerchiefs.

Think a backyard picnic with galvanized tubs for chilled water, treat bowls, and open space for them to play. I'd supply a stack of frisbees and a bucket of tennis balls. For the adults you can do a "dog bar" with hot dogs, chili dogs, and corn dogs with all the fixins and for our canine friends look at these treat recipes I've found:

Pupcakes

and a cake for the guest of honor.

Sounds messy to me, so you'll need something to wipe your paws on—

And for a take-home "doggie bag," how about the cute treats in a pawprint carry out box?

Luck O' the Irish...

2010-02-22T18:57:00.002-05:00

St. Patrick's Day allows me to indulge in a few of my favorite things: an excuse to throw a party, anything green, and a theme. It helps, too, that my dining room is already painted apple green so what sets a better stage for a St. Patty's day party? I guess a kelly green dining room?

This year it falls on a Wednesday so maybe a small dinner party would go over better than a big bash. Here's an idea for the invitation— simple, clean and green...

Let's start off with a fun appetizer of these Shamrock green peppers. They'd be great served with a simple dip and you can also add celery stalks and spinach & artichoke dip (Whole Foods has the best one and it's very green in color!) I'm not sure what appetizer is shown in this pic I found at Party Perfect but it inspires me to go ahead and put the spinach dip on little baguette rounds or great crackers.

Serve the apps with green Jones Soda, or some good old Irish beer like Guiness or Harp, and these shamrock patterned napkins.

I love these Kate Spade dishes for the dinner table, and they'd be so cute year round, too! And the shamrock napkin rings couldn't be more perfect!

Looking for something to serve your corned beef & cabbage on? How about this tray? I love it for summer picnics to or even to infuse a bright green on your Christmas buffet.

An arrangement like this vase of green hydrangeas, euphorbias, and bells of Ireland (available almost year-round through florists) seen on Martha Stewart or this bouquet of Green Lady's Slipper Orchids paired with white-and-green parrot tulips, protea, and cestrum from Real Simple will tie the lime and kelly greens together and let you cover the gamut with tons of shades of green, and not limit you to all kelly green.

"So that's dinner, but now what about dessert?" you ask... Try Paulette macaroons in Sicilian pistachio or a simple cupcake in a green wrapper.

And if you need to add a little green to your outfit? How cute are these?

I so want to have this party now...

Hellooo, kitty!

2010-02-18T19:57:00.000-05:00

I was just browsing through my bookmarked blogs and came across this adorable Hello Kitty party posted on Party Perfect. It's perfect timing given that I just delivered some super cute Hello Kitty birthday invitations earlier this week. So, here is my instant post!

Here are the invitation options I showed, and with the winning pick and a matching thank you note shown last:

And now onto the cute party pics originally seen on Amelie's House. While these images are more red & white & valentine-y, they can easily transition into the hot spring colors that I've used on the invitations.

I found these fun plates at Party America that are in keeping with the colors that I went with. And what little girl can resist a new pair of glam shades? There is so much Hello Kitty swag out there, you are bound to have a goody bag overflowing with great stuff!

If you're looking for more cake options that look a little less intimidating to make, check out this one and several others from www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com.

And one more idea to add to the theme— how about a game of "Pin the bow on the Kitty"?

Baby on the brain...

2010-02-15T15:45:00.002-05:00

For those of you who don't know me (or know our latest news), my husband and I are expecting our second child in June. And it's a girl! So I apologize for 2 baby shower posts in a row, but I guess I have baby on the brain these days. So— onto the post!

I was flipping through my Stationery Trends magazine last week and saw these adorable cupcake wrappers from Paper Orchid.

This reminded me a baby shower invitation I did a couple of years ago with my friend Totty from Boots & Totty. As you can tell by reading her blog, Totty is ridiculously creative, hip and has tons of cute, out-of-the-box ideas. She had seen a "modern nest" baby shower theme over at Hostess with the Mostess and passed the idea onto me to design the invitation. It's such a fun theme and definitely on the unexpected side for a baby shower, but anyone that has had a baby or is about to knows that nesting is all part of the process!

Here are some inspirational pictures to give you an idea of how great this party could look:

Check out the full post here, with all of the great details. And back to the cupcake wrapper, wouldn't it be the perfect nest for this adorable cupcake from Martha Stewart?

So tying this all together, here is the invitation we came up with along with the stickers to go in the books for the baby's library...

And a few other birdie invites to look at, too...

And if you're not planning a baby shower anytime soon, I think the cupcakes and wrappers would be so cute for Easter, too!

March Madness

2010-02-12T16:14:00.003-05:00

My friend Lindsay recently told me that her friend Kelly is pregnant with their 2nd girl and is due at the end of March. So to "man it up a bit" Kelly's husband put together a name-guessing March Madness bracket. They got a blank NCAA bracket and added a bunch of girls names to it (one of them is the name they've actually picked). All their friends put in 5 bucks, and each week the names will go head-to-head and whoever guesses the final name wins.

I think this is such a cute idea! That, coupled with the fact that my 2 year-old son refers to my pregnant belly as "Mommy's basketball" led me to thinking of ideas for a March Madness couples baby shower. As I was telling my husband about my ideas for the theme he wanted me to hold off on the post so we could actually host the party ourselves. Umm, hosting a party yourself in honor of your unborn baby girl? What would Emily Post say about that? I thought so, so I opted for the post.

If you are planning a Jack & Jill baby shower in March, I think this would be so cute. And of course you could have the games on in the background.

Here's what I'm thinking for the invite:

Of course you could do the baby name brackets. And if it's a "sex unknown" shower, even better, with boy names on one side, girl names on the other. You could either send these out with the invitations and have it lead up to announcing the winner at the shower, or if the couple is keeping the final name hush hush, have people fill them in when they arrive and the winner can be announced when the baby is born.

On to decorations. I love these colorful pennants from Martha Stewart.

I think they would be a great start in laying the groundwork for decorating a sports-themed party. I'm thinking to have them around the room in vases filled with colorful candies, sort or like this seen on Hostess with the Mostess.

You can read her full post here. You could easily do this with a smaller bud vase though, so the pennants aren't swimming in the candy.

Speaking of candy, what's a sporting event without a concession stand? I love the thought of turning a candy buffet into a "concession stand buffet" with all sorts of colorful candy, candy bars, popcorn, pretzels, colorful soda bottles, and all of that would go great with hot dogs for dinner, right?

I found this pic on hubpages.com— How yummy does this look? I LOVE the colors, too.

I'm not really big on games at baby showers, but it is fun to have something to remember it by as the guest of honor. So why not have everyone autograph a basketball with a fun message for the parents to be? This pink ball would be perfect for a baby girl. And you could stick with the pink and orange color scheme!

If the concession buffet didn't cure your sweet tooth, how about a basketball cake? You can find the mold from Wilton here.

And before you send them on there way, how about a "Hope You Had a Ball" tag tied onto this yummy basketball cookie from our friends over at Icing on the Cookie?

Sounds to me like this shower would be a slam dunk! (Sorry, I couldn't resist...)

The ants go marching one by one...

2010-02-10T17:25:00.006-05:00

Let me start by saying I hate ants. As in, I despise them. I am really not fond of any insect, but ants are on top of my hatred list. So guess what I've been battling with since we moved to Georgia? That's right, year-round ants. In our house. And in random places! The coat closet, my office wall (they taunt me with one or two running up the wall right in front of my desk), the coffee table... the list goes on. Most recently they are congregating near our 2-year old's toy bins in the family room. I've washed all of the toys, and the bins, and called our quarterly exterminator (twice recently) to have them exterminate these tortuous creatures and guess what? They just moved to the other side of the room. Ugh. I could go on for paragraphs about this and how it's bringing my neurosis to an all-time high, but I will instead try to make lemons out of lemonade and let these little guys be my inspiration. That leads me to ideas for picnic invitations...

Here is one featuring the little ants:

Since I have the cliche ants on a picnic invite, I opted to go a different route with the colors, which could lead to some really cute decor.

And if ants creep you out as they do me, here are some invites I've done in the past that are also great options for picnics and summery outdoor affairs, and most with the more traditional red and white color scheme.

To warm up your thinking and move from snowy days into warm summer nights, here is a little inspiration...

Bandanas as napkins are so cute. And they don't have to be red. You can get bandanas in pink & green, too, if you want to go with a preppy watermelon theme. Or pink and orange for just a fun summer feel.

I love this vinyl pillow idea from Martha Stewart.

Directions on how to make these sand candle centerpieces can be found here.

The parasols add a nice touch. You can find directions on how to make them here. But if you are more the buying-type, than the crafting-type, you can easily get printed drink parasols here.

And lastly, what is a picnic without an ice cream sundae? I adore these holders for sundae toppings, and you can make them with any patterned scrapbook paper so it's easy to have them match the rest of your color scheme, whatever that may be!

And if you just can't wait until summer, why not cure the mid-winter blues with a red hot indoor barbeque or picnic? You can do all of the same decor ideas, maybe hang some chinese lanterns over the buffet table and keep it light and festive. And you can add *flip flops required* to the invitation!

Whatever season you choose, I highly recommend making Paula Dean's Texas Style Potato Salad as a side. Not only does it have bacon in it, the potatoes are boiled with bacon grease in the water. I know, not really for those dieting, or even thinking of dieting, but it sure is tasty!

I heart birthday parties...

2010-02-08T17:34:00.000-05:00

If you know me at all, you know that I love a theme and things that come full circle. And if you think I love a theme, you should meet my sister! So with that in mind, she and I recently did an adorable party for my 8 year old niece, Caroline. Liney's birthday is a few days before Christmas, so she usually opts to do a party some other time of year which means you can do any theme you want!

This year, we did a Valentine's theme for a party last Saturday, February 6th. So with Valentines day being our inspiration, we ended up moving in the direction of 8 Things I Love... It turned out so cute and the invitation set the tone for the whole party. Check out the pictures below:

Here is the invite, showing the cover and inside. I also lined the turquoise blue envelopes with a red & pink heart pattern.

For 8-year old girls, crafts is a big part of a birthday party. The main project was making this candy necklace:

This was such a cute necklace made from hard candies, saran wrap and ribbon. You can find the directions here. I think they may be right on the "1 hour" time needed, as she said it took some of the girls a little bit to get the hang of it, but having everything prepared at each craft spot helped to speed up the process.

We also had a "Things I *Heart*..." journal for every girl. Each book was personalized with the girl's monogram initial. The pages all had a little prompt written in such as, My favorite food is... My favorite singer is... etc. We found the books in the $1 bin at Target, and the blinged-up letters are stickers from Michaels.

The craft table with all of the supplies set out. You can find directions for the crepe paper flowers in the center of the table and the fun pom-poms in the next picture here. The flowers are just mini versions with pipe cleaners for stems.

The lunch table was adorable, and she also used the Wilton cupcake tree that I gave her last year. It's one of my favorite birthday party accessories...

After Shirley Temples and pizza for lunch, it was time to go home. Each girl left with this gift bag, bringing everything back full circle, with the colors, peace signs, and using an "8" in the message!

I think this same idea could easily be translated into an adult Valentine's celebration, too. Of course you'd have to take a more sophisticated approach, but it could still be fun and full of whimsy. If I were doing a Girls Night Out for Valentine's Day, I think my list would have to include: Anything pink and red with hearts, Pink Shadys (without the vodka), a mani/pedi, George Clooney, entertaining... You can just see how this girls night out would shape up, can't you?

P.S. Doesn't it look like my sister painted her house just for this party? I promise she didn't, but it sure did make everything look uber-coordinated!

Let the blogging begin!

2010-02-08T16:34:00.000-05:00

After months of thinking about doing a blog, I've finally designed a header, come up with some post ideas, and registered a blogspot! So here goes— I hope to inspire you with event and party ideas, showcase some of my latest designs and give you a little insight into the things that inspire me. Check back tomorrow for the first full post.

Thanks so much for reading!