May 22nd, 2013 |
One of the best parts of my job is getting to work with clients year after year, creating fun celebrations for their children’s birthdays. One of my favorite Houston clients asked me to create a girly picnic themed collection for Olivia’s 3rd birthday (remember her darling Barnyard theme party last year?), and we just love how it turned out! It’s now available in the shop HERE.
I used a color palette of pink, yellow, orange and turquoise for the paper goods and combined some festive patterns, including a chevron and bold floral pattern, to make everything look fun and whimsical. Since the event was a family affair, each child and their family was greeted to their own chevron picnic blanket laid out in the lawn for lunch. The families’ names were printed on signs identifying their blanket.
Each family had a picnic basket prepared with lunch. We printed up a menu card that was tied to the top of each basket, and bamboo cutlery was packaged in mini chevron paper bags tied with twine.
The bar and snow cone station were surrounded by balloon towers - aren’t they fabulous!? The turquoise accent color was carried thru the event with custom styrofoam cups.
Dessert consisted of delicious cupcakes topped with fondant ants. The perfect addition to the picnic theme!
 Birthday girl, Olivia, looks very excited to blow out her candles!
And her sister and guest look like they are enjoying the snow cones!
 Chevron paper bags were sealed with our bold floral sticker to package party favors.
I think this party has so many charming details that you can incorporate into any summer party, whether it’s a birthday party, a family picnic or special playdate!

May 2nd, 2013 |
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Back in March, I had the pleasure of helping my friend Vana, of Le Papier Studio, style her son’s first birthday bash. Vana asked me for some help pulling together four themes that her little guy (and she) loved: walks in the park, puppies, little men and John’s monthly silhouettes that Vana drew. A “Day at the Park” concept was formed and I’m so excited to share the darling details with you today.
Read on for more details from Vana….
The dessert table consisted of cupcakes, macaroons, powdered sugar donuts and cake pops, as well as sweet marshmallows. Preppy stripes and polka dots dots in shades of green, blue, and yellow formed the perfect looks for a Spring Day at the Park! A symmetrical dessert table design was flanked by two DIY topiary trees and we used all white vessels to pop on the navy blue tablecloth. The cake stands were topped with coordinating Cake Plate Clings, and white pots filled with wheat grass held the cake pops.
One of my favorite details was the silhouette banner hanging across the front of the dessert table. Vana drew John’s silhouette every month of his first year, so it was the perfect addition to this little man’s celebration. Silhouettes also played into signage throughout the party.
Vana crafted many of the details herself, including DIY Bow ties that were part of his attire, decorations, props and also served as party favors for the little guy friends and bow clips for the little lady friends.
As entertainment for the children in attendance, we set up an area on the floor with lots of blankets and pillows and a cute sign that said “Movie in the park. Grab a blanket and enjoy!” so the kids could get cozy watching a puppy movie.
How darling are these cake smash pictures of the birthday boy, John?! Didn’t he look dapper in his bowtie?!
This dessert table is a great way of showing you how you can combine icons from multiple themes into one cohesive design. As a recap, we had topiary trees and grass plants on the table as a reference to our “Day at the Park”, fondant bones on the cupcakes that referenced John’s love of puppies, bowties, haberdashery stripes and crisp polka dots to play into the “Little Man” theme, and of course, John’s silhouettes among the decorations.
Tip: If you are trying to incorporate different themes into one table, be consistant in your color palette, select a simple, symmetrical layout, and select one icon from each theme to use consistently throughout the party.
Congrats on a darling party, Vana and Happy, Happy 1st Birthday to my little friend, John!
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April 25th, 2013 |
The cake was just the beginning of the desserts offered to guests at Cameron’s Dapper Derby 1st Birthday Party. A full Derby-themed dessert table held center stage and featured delicious sweets all in our signature color palette of yellow, blue and green. The table was dressed in a blue floor-length tablecloth, creating a perfect base for white serving dishes that we embellished with Cake Plate Clings in coordinating patterns. A custom fabric backdrop featured our lattice pattern and colorful horse silhouettes.
 A pennant banner was draped across the front of the table, and a fabric-covered riser held 5 candy jars in the center of the table. Instead of traditional candy jar tags, we created “prize ribbon” tags to identify the type of candy.
 Colorful macarons, yellow cake pops and blue prize ribbon cookies were some of the favorite treats. Blueberry cupcakes topped with colorful, fondant bow ties and mini key lime pies sat front and center.
 The table was branded with coordinating paper elements from WH Hostess, such as haberdashery stripe food tent cards, the prize ribbon candy jar tags and coordinating Cake Plate Clings. As a nod to the southern theme, pie pops stood in mint julep cups adorned with bow ties. Blue-striped paper bags held our #1 prize ribbon stickers, and were available for guests to fill with candy to bring home with them.
 Stay tuned for more details from Cameron’s Dapper Derby 1st Birthday Party later today!
Paper Goods, Fabric Backdrop & Dessert Table Plan by WH Hostess | Images by Ellenzilla Photography | Cupcakes and Prize Ribbon Cookies by A Fare Extraordinaire | Bow Tie Cupcake Toppers by Sugartown Bake Shop | Candy from Candy Warehouse | Cake Pops by Angie’s Cakes | Pie Pops by Cakewalk Desserts
April 24th, 2013 |
In addition to the lunch buffet, the dining room also held a special table for the adorable 3-tier cake from Cakes by Gina. They were able to duplicate our haberdashery stripe and pony lattice patterns in fondant onto the tiers, and topped it with Cameron’s very own silver trophy cup.
The table was dressed in a topper made from our haberdashery stripe fabric, edged with white pom pom trim. And Cameron had his very own little smash cake, which he attacked in front of the prize ribbon backdrop!
This is just the start of the {sweet} details of Cameron’s Dapper Derby 1st Birthday Party….stay tuned tomorrow for the dessert table details!
Custom Fabric by WH Hostess | Photography by Ellenzilla Photography | Cake by Cakes by Gina
April 24th, 2013 |
I’m back today with more details of Cameron’s Dapper Derby 1st Birthday Party, with some classic ideas that you can replicate for your upcoming Derby party. The lunch buffet was set up in the dining, featuring three gorgeous flower arrangements from Blooming Gallery in modern white trophy cup urns from Z Gallerie.
A Fare Extraordinaire created a perfectly southern assortment of tasty bites, including fried chicken, lettuce cups, macaroni and cheese, and mini pigs in a blanket for the kids. Silverware was rolled in a Caspari lattice-patterned napkin and our coordinating napkin ties, making it simple for guests to grab along with their plates.
The bar was set up along the kitchen’s long island, featuring drinks served in mason jars, julep cups, and sticker-embellished cups for the kids. Drink dispensers labeled with custom tags held Arnold Palmers, Sweet Tea and Lemonade.
Mint Juleps were served to the adults, and water bottles with our horse race label were placed in wicker baskets for an easy grab-on-the-go during a bounce house break.
 Stay tuned for more {sweet} ideas from Cameron’s Dapper Derby 1st Birthday Party! Up later today….the CAKE!
Paper Goods by WH Hostess | Photography by Ellenzilla Photography | Food & Tables by A Fare Extraordinaire | Flower Arrangements by Blooming Gallery | Plates and Napkins from Caspari | White Trophy Cup Urns from Z Gallerie
April 23rd, 2013 |
Nothing screams a Derby party like a horse race! So entertain the kiddos at your Derby party with this idea from Cameron’s Dapper Derby 1st Birthday Party: Horse-on-a-stick races! Custom stick ponies were made by The Teepee Guy in the party’s signature color palette, and the kids had fun racing to the finish line!
Set up a long, narrow patch of grass for the kids to run along and create a finish line by tying a piece of paper streamer across the end.
 Stay tuned for more images and ideas from Cameron’s Dapper Derby Party this week!
Photography by Ellenzilla
April 23rd, 2013 |
Cameron’s Dapper Derby 1st Birthday party was so much fun to design, it truly has me itching to plan a Derby party of my own! If you are hosting one where kiddos will be in attendance, here are some darling ideas on how to set a theme appropriate table, just for them.
Mini versions of white Chivari chairs sat around the kids’ table. A custom table runner made from WH Hostess’s exclusive pony lattice fabric was edged with grosgrain ribbon and white tassel garland, and sat atop a crisp white tablecloth.
Three bucket centerpieces held grass plants surrounded by roses, and coordinating centerpiece sticks featuring a trophy cup, horse and lucky horse shoe. Each placesetting had a prize ribbon coloring page, along with a cello bag of crayons (the topper read “jockey crayons”), and a drink in a covered mason jar.
 More details of Cameron’s Dapper Derby 1st Birthday Party are still to come this week! Keep check back for ideas for your own Derby party.
Paper Goods & Fabric by WH Hostess | Photography by Ellenzilla | Flowers by Blooming Gallery
April 23rd, 2013 |

When it came time to help one of my favorite Houston clients plan her son’s first birthday party, we tossed around quite a few classic boy themes. After much deliberation, a “Dapper Derby” theme was born and guests were invited to “Derby Day at the Addison Downs”.
With a crisp color palette of blue, yellow and green, it was a perfect theme where we could combine “dapper” elements from a little man theme (bow ties and haberdashery stripes), #1 prize ribbons from a horse race theme, and southern traditions such as mint juleps and trophy cups from the classic Kentucky Derby. I’m sharing the gorgeous images from Ellenzilla Photography with you all week long to 1) share this amazing party with you, but also B) to inspire you with ideas for your very own Derby party.
Yesterday, I shared two big ideas that could easily be replicated: a prize ribbon back drop for a “photo booth” and trophy cup centerpieces. Today, I’m back with the decor details!

This party contains the perfect combination of southern charm and playful, preppy decor, appealing to both the adults and children in attendance. And I believe there are tons of inspiring ideas that you could use to host your own Derby party to celebrate the race on May 3-4th. WH Hostess designed all of the coordinating paper goods, fabric and Cake Plate Clings, giving the party a cohesive look.
Upon arriving at the party, guests were greeted with a balloon-lined path. The balloons were custom-printed with our horse silhouette, and a coordinating welcome sign hung at the front door. A luscious arrangement of yellow and white blooms stood grandly in the foyer, arranged in a white “trophy cup” urn. The floral arrangement was surrounded by photos of Cameron’s first year. Blue, yellow and green poms hung off the chandelier above.
Guests made their way into the great room, where tables were set up with white Chivari chairs, layered green and yellow tablecloths, and gorgeous flower arrangements in silver trophy cups. View a detail of the centerpieces here. The kids table had so many darling details, I’m saving them for their own post later today….so check back around lunchtime!

Colorful poms hung from the chandelier in the great room, and the fireplace was adorned with julep cup floral arrangements, and a custom garland of braided ribbons and an oversized “prize ribbon”.
 These decorations were repeated in the outdoor living room, along with the addition of throw pillows made from our custom pony lattice and haberdashery stripe fabrics. A “trough” of wheat grass sat on the coffee table, along with mini toy horses that we spray-painted in our pop colors of yellow, blue and green.
 The kids were entertained with pony rides, a bounce house and an old-fashioned horse race. (more details on that later this afternoon!) And one of my favorite decor details of this party was the custom-printed balloons featuring my horse silhouette.
Check back often today for more posts about Cameron’s Dapper Derby 1st Birthday Party!
Paper Goods & Fabric by WH Hostess | Photography by Ellenzilla Photography | Flowers by Blooming Gallery | Tables & Linens by A Fare Extraordinaire | Balloons by Balloon Masters | White and Silver Trophy Cup Urns from ZGallerie
April 22nd, 2013 |
A simple way to carry out the Derby theme for your party is to recreate these gorgeous centerpieces from Cameron’s Dapper Derby 1st Birthday Party. Blooming Gallery create these luscious arrangements of yellow, white and green blooms. Placed in a silver trophy cup from ZGallerie, they were the perfect addition to the tables.
 Stay tuned for more details from Cameron’s Dapper Derby 1st Birthday Party!
Photography by Ellenzilla
April 22nd, 2013 |
I recently had the pleasure of working with one of my favorite clients to design her son’s first birthday. To incorporate all things preppy, a touch of southern hospitality to celebrate her little man, we set a “Dapper Derby” theme with a crisp blue, yellow and green color palette. I’m so excited to share all of the images and ideas with you, and since the Kentucky Derby just around the corner, I’m going to be breaking down the party ideas all week long so you can replicate some into your own Derby celebration.
The first idea is to create a “photo booth” with a prize ribbon backdrop. Photo booths are a great activity at any party, guests young and old will enjoy posing with fun props to take pictures to remember the day. I created this back drop by making individual paper “prize ribbons”. (this was quite a project and even more interesting in how I folded it up to ship it down to Houston….but that story is for another day!) You could easily recreate this look by using scrapbook paper and ribbon in whatever color palette you choose.
Felt bowties by The Bridal Prop Shop were on-hand for guests to pose with, and when it came time for Cameron’s smash cake, his high chair was placed in front of the backdrop, framing his cute little face perfectly!
Stay tuned for more details of Cameron’s Dapper Derby First Birthday Party!
Photography by Ellenzilla
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