The Party Dress » centerpieces

Elegant Barn Party

Kelly — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:00:59 +0000

I came across this stunning engagement party styled shoot on Style Me Pretty today and just had to share it with all of you. It was supposed to be a casual party hosted on a chilly autumn day in the newly unveiled Pullman Barn on the grounds of the Chicago Botanic Gardens. (which just happens to be practically in my backyard) Captured by Averyhouse who partnered up with Bliss Weddings & Events to create this Engagement party extravaganza full of rustic details, mixed with formal accessories, rubber wellies mixed with crystal. The juxtaposition of items is enough to capture my heart!

A muddling bar, a S’mores roasting station, a “bobbing for bling in bubbly game”, as well as the gorgeous gift baskets at each place setting which held goodies for the perfect Sunday morning are some of the details that I fell in love with. For more details, click here.

A Muted Monday

Kelly — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:00:11 +0000

On this particular January Monday, I am relating {and loving} to the muted tones of these gorgeous flowers. The pale pink and muted peach are a stunning combination, and seem somewhat perfect for this time of year. Can’t you picture this as the inspiration for a bridal shower?

Image via Real Simple

TPD Magazine: Mix and Mingle

Kelly — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:00:57 +0000

I’m a sucker for a crisp black and white color palette, especially when accessorized with a pop of green and a touch of sparkle. When it came time to develop a new holiday party theme, I immediately drew inspiration from my Kate Spade china and her crisp, and preppy design aesthetic. An untraditional pairing for the holidays, our bold stripes and festive berry pattern make a stunning combination and are perfect for a cocktail or dinner party.

Designed around a party collection from WH Hostess, we set our table using a bold, green tablecloth. Black charger plates, our striped Kate Spade china, napkins made from our custom berry patterned fabric, and black-stemmed wine goblets are accessorized with striped paper goods – placecards and menu cards. Black urns ran down the center of the table holding floral pomander balls made of white carnations, very much resembling snowballs! Glass cloches held silver ornaments, and crystal compotes held glittering black beads and pearls.

When serving a fashionable crowd dessert, it is an absolute must to present it in a stunning manner. A dessert table that is crisp and festive is just the ticket! Carry over the color palette and patterns from your table- setting and paper goods, and have desserts made to coordinate. We suggest working closely with your sweets vendors to create designs that will compliment one another. Our table was set in a green tablecloth, and featured a tonal white patterned fabric backdrop. Silver, fluted-edge cake stands and a three-tier stand looked stunning paired with glass apothecary jars.

One of our FAVORITE desserts, were the striped mini cakes made out of fondant by Two Sugar Babies!

Desserts included a variety of bite size sweets so guests could try a few, and could also mix and mingle while enjoying them. Cupcakes were accessorized with coordinating cupcake toppers, Allyson Jane made bold-patterned cookies that matched our paper goods perfectly. Cake pops by Flour & Iced featured our black and white berry pattern with just a touch of green, and mini meringues melted in your mouth. Color-coordinated candy was placed in the apothecary jars, and each was embellished with a sweet candy jar tag. (our favorite were the “pearls”) The candy jar tags and food tent cards helped tie together the theme and made the table look very stylish!

A green cone-shaped tree sat atop a black urn (also seen on the dinner tablesetting). We added pearls into the center of each rosette on the tree for a touch of preppy elegance, and desserts were served on our black and white polka dot, Kate Spade tibit plates.

Guests were sent home with a small black box filled with cookies and sealed with a striped sticker.

Parties by WH Hostess: Mod Fish Baby Shower

Kelly — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:00:40 +0000

When it comes to baby showers, I prefer to cater to the Mom-to-be’s design aesthetic….not the babies! After all, the party is for her! It’s a great opportunity to pull in unique baby-friendly concepts, but perhaps modernize them to appeal to the adults in attendance. We get so many requests for fish/under the sea parties, that I decided that it was time to move that theme up to the top of my “to do list” and I partnered up with Charynn of Two Sugar Babies to create this modern, gender-neutral baby shower inspiration for the fall issue of The Party Dress Magazine.

We set the table with a crisp white tablecloth and topped it with paper placemats featuring our mod fish pattern, a green napkin and a coordinating blue striped placecard. The centerpiece was probably my FAVORITE part of this party….it literally cost me next to nothing to create, and I think mad a huge impact. I took basic glass cylinders that I had sitting around the house, and created white fish vinyl decals using my Silhouette machine. I filled them with water, and used gel food coloring to add the bold color. So simple, right?

We set up a “bubbles bar” with both punch and bottles of key lime Italian soda wrapped with fish labels. Blue balloons were attached to the wall behind the bar to create the look of bubbles floating away.

A bold polka dot grid patterned backdrop anchored our dessert table, and there were so many darling sweets. First off an AMAZING cake covered in cake balls by Velvet Cream Bakery (DIY tutorial coming later today!). I love the ombre effect of the shades of blue, as well as how it resembles little bubbles! The cake topper of fondant fish and bubbles was created by Two Sugar Babies, as were the darling cupcake toppers.

Color-coordinated candy and jumbo marshmallows were placed in candy jars with coordinating tags, and we used these fabulous new tilt bowls from Crate & Barrel for pearlized gumballs in blue and green. I made blue jello “shots” using my votive candle holders (also dressed them up with a fish vinyl decal), and stuck a cupcake topper in them for some visual interest.

Darling fish cookies by Allyson Jane were lined up to look like a little “school of fish” and cake pops by Velvet Cream Bakery stood up in a white pot full of gumballs and looked like they were floating!

We thought we needed a creative party favor….you know, besides the candy! So we filled up small bottles full of bubble bath, wrapped them with a custom label, and tied on a coordinating gift tag. Darling….and useful! The mod fish collection by WH Hostess is one of my favorites, and (although just added to the shop recently) is quickly becoming one of our most popular. It’s perfect for a baby shower or kids birthday party! You can see the complete collection in our shop.

Make sure to head back later today to view the DIY cake pop cake tutorial by Charynn of Two Sugar Babies.

Parties by WH Hostess: Baking Party {Part 1}

Kelly — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:00:16 +0000

When planning a birthday party for a bunch of little girls,what could be more fun than a baking party full of sweet treats and activities?! I partnered up with my fav baking pro, Charynn of Two Sugar Babies to create a whimsical event full of charm for the latest issue of The Party Dress Magazine.
A custom collection of paper goods from WH Hostess set the color palette for the party, and we played off the polka dot and cherry patterns for decorations. The tables were set with a custom table runner made out of our cherry pattern fabric, polka dot placemats and silverware “pockets” made from oilcloth, and each girl had her name on a miniature rolling pin (a very simple DIY project using my trusty Silhouette machine). The centerpieces consisted of apothecary jars stacked full of baking liners.

Cookie and cupcake decorating served as an activity, and the main attraction was the bake shoppe dessert table. You will have to head back this afternoon for all of the sweet details!

Parties by WH Hostess: Sunflower Soiree {Part 1}

Kelly — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:00:53 +0000

One of my favorite articles in the latest issue of TPD Magazine is the Sunflower Soiree. With summer quickly vanishing and a lot to celebrate, my family gathered friends and family to celebrate the end of the season, an upcoming wedding and my mother’s 60th birthday in style with a “Sunflower Soiree”. With crisp black and white patterns, mixed with a bold yellow chevron and sunflowers everywhere you could see, this party took on a festive vibe that we will never forget.

Guests received a black box full of chocolate-covered sunflower seeds and custom invitation from WH Hostess, tied with a gingham ribbon and sunflower as their invite to the party. We decorated the patio and yard with small cocktail tables, dressed with tablecloths made from our custom fabric, and sunflower centerpieces in mini black urns.

A lemonade and iced tea bar took center stage, dressed in a white box pleat tablecloth trimmed in striped ribbon and pom pom trim. My parents love mixing the two to create “Arnold Palmers”, so it was the perfect addition to this summer party. Drink dispensers held the lemonades and iced tea, and we had buckets of wine, beer and water bottles dressed up with coordinating labels.

A large sunflower centerpiece in a gorgeous, white urn stood in the middle of the table, and coordinating signage and food tent cards on all ofthe tables and bar helped brand the party.

We served a variety of bite-size appetizers, including individual taco dips, mini crab cakes, beef tenderloin crostini, shrimp cocktail, meatballs in a variety of sauces, and more.

Stay tuned this afternoon for the details on our delicious dessert table (as recently seen on Amy Atlas!).

Decorate to Welcome Fall

Kelly — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:00:27 +0000

I hope you all had a fabulous Labor Day weekend! I can’t believe how quickly the summer passed us by…..we have been so busy over here, I feel like I blinked and it was suddenly 60 degrees and Fall. Don’t get me wrong, Fall is my favorite season! And I am always looking for creative ways to decorate for the change of seasons.

Better Homes and Gardens has a fabulous collection of unique ideas that range from simple to extravagant. Perfect to welcome Fall into your home, or to serve as a centerpiece for a Fall party.

Mini pumpkins, gourds and foliage are my go-to items when creating Fall decor. These simple ideas can add a touch of warmth to your home. And if you are really looking to add a touch of drama, try hanging them from ribbons from the chandelier over your table!

Project Nursery: Sweet Shoppe

Kelly — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:37:24 +0000

Sweet Shoppe birthday parties are all the rage right now….they fit in perfectly with the dessert table trend. I am sharing ideas and inspiration for a candy-themed birthday party over at Project Nursery this week. Check it out!

Images: sweet shoppe party invitation (tinyprints.com), paisley curtain panel (laylagrayce.com), lollipop decorations (hwtm.com), daisy pomander ball centerpiece (countryliving.com), gumball party favors (Little Beans Boutique)

Party Ideas for Kelly

Kelly — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:00:29 +0000

Since we are celebrating MY birthday today, I asked our contributor, Charynn of Two Sugar Babies, to put together an inspiration board as if she was planning a party for ME! Fun, right?! Boy, does she know me well! Take a look at what she came up with……

Although Kelly is in Chicago, and I’m in Pittsburgh, we’ve been able to form a great friendship through our love for parties, design, handbags, and steak frites, not to mention the projects we get ourselves into. She is truly an inspiration to my daily work, and if I were closer, I would throw her a *darling* birthday party full of the colors kelly green, black, white, sweets (gluten free, of course) and simple, modern, design. Happy Birthday, Kelly! Here’s to many more years of great stationery, parties, and shopping (i mean, work) trips!

Images: cake/cake stand (www.etsy.com), cookies (smittenkitchen.com), plate (katespade.com), necklace (vstyleblog.com), flowers (opulentcreationsevents.com), cupcakes (anglefoodltd.com), invites (whhostess.com)

The Height of Style

Kelly — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 09:00:43 +0000

I’m typically not one for tall, elaborate centerpieces….but oh, how I L-O-V-E this look! Classic and modern all rolled into one.

Image via Michelle Rago