Another Derby Party Idea!

I saw this picture today in Garden & Gun Magazine. A frozen version of the classic mint julep that's offered at Tipsey Parson in New York.

Wouldn't this be fun for the upcoming Kentucky Derby?

Kentucky Derby Party

The Kentucky Derby is May 1st and it's a great excuse to throw a "southern affair."

I helped a good friend throw a Derby party last year for her husband's 40th birthday. There is so much tradition and it makes for a wonderful

time with friends and family! All the ladies wore beautiful hats for the race and red roses were everywhere! (The Derby is frequently referred to as "the Run for the Roses" because a garland of red roses is awarded to the Kentucky Derby winner each year.)

There was great food and, of course, mint juleps were served in beautiful silver mint julep cups.

Here are a few pictures from the party last May. Hopefully, it will inspire you to have your own "Day at the Races!"

Decorating the Baby's Nursery!

Well, my third little baby girl will be here soon. I am nesting in a big way! I'm working on her nursery. My first two baby girls had the same nursery at our old house, but we recently moved, so Baby #3 gets some improvements!

This is a picture of the the first nursery. We didn't find out the sex of our first baby, but I absolutely love blue and decided I could make it work as long as the overall feel of the nursery was light and calming. I used a beautiful pale blue and cream silk check as my main fabric. I used the solid blue silk on the bumper and drapery tie-backs. All the fabric came from Forsyth Fabrics. The glider was recovered in cream and piped in the blue and cream silk check. I found the adorable antique toy chest at Boxwoods (one of my favorite stores!). The chest (which I also used as a changing table) is from Art for Kids.

Now it's time to get the new nursery ready! We know we are having another girl and I know I will be using a few things from the old nursery. I'm working on it now and will post pictures soon!

Ladybug Birthday!

OK....I am a huge Tori & Dean fan. That's where I got the idea to do the ladybug theme for Olivia's 2nd birthday. This party was actually last September, but I'm just now sharing it with you because I'm pregnant and let's face it...things are crazy.

Anyway...who doesn't love ladybugs? A friend introduced me to a wonderful baker in Alpharetta and her cakes taste as good as they look! Her company is Cookie Smith. I e-mailed her a picture of a ladybug cake I found online and she created her own version.

Isn't it adorable?

The backyard was filled with "ladybug balloons" (I painted the black dots on the red balloons with a black permanent marker). I couldn't stop with the dots! I also used mini chocolate chips on halved strawberries to make little edible ladybugs. The kids loved them!

Our sweet little ladybug had a great time and to show our appreciation to her friends who came to the party, each guest

left with a favor. It was a small hardcover book called "Five Little Ladybugs" based on the classic book "Ten Little Ladybugs."

Princess Party!

I recently threw my 4 year old a "Royal Celebration." She is all about anything "princess!"

Here are a few pictures from her 4th birthday.

The cake came from Publix. I just told the bakery what I wanted and they did not disappoint!

I found the tiara topper at Toys R Us. The little princess guests had a great time decorating the sugar cookie wands I baked and Party City had adorable little silver wands that I used in a centerpiece of white fluffy marshmellows! The girls enjoyed them as much as the cake! It was a great day and one I know my 4 year old will cherish. The smile on her face that day is something I will always remember!

Baby's 1st Birthday!

I have a lot of friends who call me when it's time to throw a party. I absolutely love planning parties and I am always willing to lend suggestions.

My sweet Olivia turned one back in September and I thought I would share some of the fun! The theme was hot pink and yellow. The decor included rented tables covered in white tablecloths and the centerpieces were a mix of yellow spray roses and hot pink gerber daisies.

I also put hot pink, yellow and white balloons throughout the backyard. The color theme didn't stop there! I served pink lemonade and classic yellow lemonade in white styrofoam cups with lids and the kids had pink and yellow curly straws! They loved it!

A great party food for kids is popcorn. I put popcorn into a big serving bowl with a scoop and let the kids scoop the popcorn into mini pink paper bags. The cake came from an Atlanta

bakery called ChocolatePink. You can see from the picture, it too was pink and yellow! :)

I hope this inspires you when planning your next party!

Christmas Cards Remembered

It's Christmas time in the city!  I absolutely love receiving all the Christmas cards from friends and family.  I actually can't wait to check the mail each day!  I know that everyone puts a lot of time and love into their Christmas cards.  It is something that will be cherished for years as you look back and realize how much you've changed or how much your kids have grown.  

Why not have your Christmas card scanned and shrunken to fit in an ornament sized frame for your Christmas tree?  Not only will you have a new ornament for your tree, but it's a wonderful way to showcase your cards year after year!