Happy May 1st! Cinco de Mayo is this weekend and we have rounded up some awesome ideas for party decor, food, drinks and activities!
Top 10 Party Tips and Behind the Scenes
February 14, 2013 By 12 Comments
Here’s the behind the scenes from Boo’s party and some of my tips for preparing a similar party….or any party for that matter! You can see the full original Party Post with all the pretty photos here.
The decor was actually pretty simple.
I like to set up one main food and treat table that is the backdrop of the party…..hanging different types of poms. I bought the pink tissue poms this year but the rest of the poms are from past parties. The lanterns are great because they are large and fold flat easily. I just recycle them all and repaint them if necessary. Spray paint is a great way to get all decor to match perfectly!
I have a sun problem on our patio for early parties….so last year I bought 2 bolts of 108″ muslin to cover the entire patio and block out the sun! We hang it from the roof (a few gallon jugs filled with water are great to keep it in place if you have a flat patio…..other wise a few nails can keep it up)….it folds up easily for storage too. The best part is that I can pin bunting and other party decor to it…..and you can create a great backdrop for photos.
I always buy generic type items that can be reused year after year. I also look for items that can be packed away easily in a large bin. I just re-spraypaint items to match the new theme. I have large white bowls and platters that can be used with any theme. I use large paper mache nesting boxes and hat boxes to add height to the tables (just re-spraypaint them!)
A Beauty Salon Glam Birthday Party with Mini Doll Salon
February 13, 2013 By 25 Comments
I can’t believe Boo is six years old!!! First off, I want to put a disclaimer on this post to admit that this party is just a little over the top. I’m not really a party planner…..I don’t entertain a lot…..so Boo’s yearly birthday party is something I really love putting energy into. Boo knows that while the party is centered around her…..it’s also about bringing our friends together, entertaining them and sending them home with some fun handmade swag. She also knows that I reserve the right at any time to decide not to throw a party, serve $5 pizza and stick a candle in it! I love coming up with cute ideas and sharing them with you…..and there are many ways to make a wonderful fun party with only a few elements from this post!
Boo wanted an American Girl themed party (shocker) so we talked about doing something interactive with lots of activities that her friends of all ages would enjoy and came up with the Beauty Salon theme….complete with American Girl-sized doll salon. I always borrow, recycle and improvise for parties and all of that will come in the “behind the scenes” post to follow this one. I will say one thing about this party…..the doll salon was a TOTAL hit. I was actually surprised…..but the girls had so much fun putting capes on their dolls and primping and fixing their hair. It was totally adorable and definitely something I’ll put together more often for playdates!
So here we go! I had a vision of what I wanted in my head for the graphics and Stephanie Corfee brought it all to life with her graphic design! It turned out so amazingly cute that I convinced her to offer it to everyone as a printable in the shop complete with extra graphics to make it fully “do-it-yourself” customizable.
Just a note: we called it a “DOLL” salon party…..and invited Boo’s friends to bring any favorite doll for the salon…..because not everyone has an American Girl (Boo’s only had one for 2 months). A few friends brought extra American Girl dolls too for those girls that didn’t have one.
Oh my….the day before the party the wind in the desert was over 30 miles an hour! I couldn’t set anything up until the morning of the party!
How to Make a Doll Sized Salon Cape
February 9, 2013 By 4 Comments
This morning was Boo’s 6th birthday party! Before I do the big reveal, I’ll be posting about a few of the things I made for the party. Here’s the first…..salon capes to fit American Girl or other similar sized 18″ dolls! We have two of the 18″ doll salon chairs….and borrowed one from a friend…..so I made three salon cutting capes to accompany them.
To make your own, you’ll need the following for each cape:
Kid Friendly Super Bowl Party Ideas
January 30, 2013 By 4 Comments
Kid Friendly New Year’s Eve Ideas
December 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Here are some last minute kid friendly New Year’s Eve ideas!
Click “continue reading” below to see the gallery and links:
DIY Halloween Trick or Treat Bags | a Free Printable
October 25, 2012 By 8 Comments
Planning for Halloween at the last minute? These Halloween Trick or Treat graphics are great for trick or treat totes, favor bags and even t-shirts. The free printable is available for download at the end of the post! So many ways to use them: CONTINUE READING
How To Make Resin Pendants
October 24, 2012 By 16 Comments
Here’s a fun, easy way to make resin jewelry without the scary chemical mixing! First I bought these silver plated bezels: CONTINUE READING
Lil Blue Boo Digital
August 20, 2012 By 10 Comments
I’m so excited to finally launch this. My big dream was to open up a new digital shop where I could use Lil Blue Boo’s reach to promote other artists, photographers and designers. My dream was a shop where I could:
……curate a unique collection of talent.
……test each and every item and come up with new and unique ways to use them.
……challenge artists to go outside their comfort zone.
…..work with artists to turn ideas into reality.
…….offer products that encourage creativity.
……spread my passion for DIY.
I’ve been working with some amazing artists over the last few months to create exclusive digital items for you. The first two artists I am introducing to you, even though you probably already know them, are Stephanie Corfee and Jessica Swift. They’ve created some beautiful items for the shop launch. Each artist has created works that are exclusive to Lil Blue Boo. From party packages to artwork to digital photo overlays and more….you are sure to find amazing, artistic resources to inspire your next project, gift or event.
Other benefits of the new shop will include:
:: Customer accounts where you can view all of your orders in one place as well as order status.
:: Access to your downloads on an unlimited basis for 6 weeks.
:: Better order tracking.
:: Easy customer service interaction as well as simplified returns and exchanges.
:: Gift certificates and store credit availability.
This is something I’m so proud of and I hope you like it! So many great things to come. I’m working with illustrators, artists, photographers, pattern designers and graphic designers to fill the shop with amazing digital items. We’d love to see your work if you fit into one of those categories! Click here to see our opportunities page!
Thank you Lisa and Paul for all the hard work putting the shop together. And thank you Stephanie and Jessica for all your amazing creations and taking a chance on me!
Not sure what a party printable is? Make sure to visit our new Party Printables page where we’ll be adding tips and links for planning the perfect party!
How to Make Chalkboard Tags
August 1, 2012 By 13 Comments
Isn’t this little gift tag cute? And because it’s a chalkboard it can be used over and over again. It’s like a gift on a gift!
I ordered a bunch of different shaped wood cut-outs to keep on hand. (My source was Casey’s Wood Products.) CONTINUE READING
