Day 14: More Sweetness to Come!

So, just when you thought there wouldn't be any more sugar added to this party...

Instead of a traditional birthday cake, the candy bar buffet is such a cute way to continue the carnival theme. Buy candy in bulk, and then display it in glass containers.

Set out bags for guests to fill as they'd like. The candy buffet can be the prizes for the games, and also a tasty favor to take with them. Enjoy the sweetness for days to come!

Catch up on all the 31 Day Posts!

Day 1: 31 Days to an Artful Event

Day 2: The Haves and the Have Nots

Day 3: A Few of My Favorite Things

Day 4: Thinking Outside of the (Berry) Box

Day 5: It's the Little Things

Day 6: Layering is a Good Thing

Day 7: Allowing it to Be

Day 8: The Finished Product

Day 9: Indulging on a Sunday

Day 10: The Greatest Show on Earth

Day 11: Come One, Come All!

Day 12: Could it Get Any Better?

Day 13: Drink & Be Merry!

Yellow and Gray Pretties

Events by Design was asked to create some embellishments for an out of town Bridesmaid's luncheon, and we couldn't have been more pleased with how they turned out. The inspiration was a great color theme of yellow and gray...and the style being a little bit vintage and whole lot chic.

Because I'm super functional, I like everything that I make to also serve a purpose (and yes, besides just sittin' pretty). So, both the place cards and the name badges became favors for guests to also take home.

This is what we came up with for place card holders

(calligraphy written place cards would be tied around the top of the jar)

And for a really elegant and fashionable way to showcase name tags, we made these cute rosettes that would also double later as cute accessories.

using my kitchen island as my workspace this week

They all turned out so great, I think!

Linking up with In the Studio.

The Sweetest Sip and See

A couple weekends ago, I helped with a Sip & See. We had such a sweet time. With this pretty little baby girl being the third in her family, it was fun to have a shower that she could attend!

Originally, we were going to have the party in the garden, but with the rain approaching, we knew we had to find another option. Instead of going inside, I suggested we enjoy the wrap around porch for our festivities. It was such a hit!

party entrance

We loved being out there, despite the spring rain pouring down. We stayed dry, and still enjoyed the outdoor atmosphere...not to mention the absolutely adorable front porch!

a pretty setting with potted mint in tea cups for favors

baby's first bouquet

that each guest brought a flower for

refreshing limeade with sprigs of mint

yummy treats for our tea time

If you have a shower or party coming up, why not set it up on your porch?! It gives a definite Southern Living feel to any occasion.

linking up with In the Studio today.

Ooh, la la!

One fun way to make your wedding or event more personable is to make Do It Yourself favors. It's also a great way to save a few dollars in your budget. There are so many fun DIY favors out there, but these are a few that would be cute this wedding season.

Homemade Jam to go!

Vintage Cookies

So fun for weddings, showers...

or even for Easter!!

DIY Sparkling Water Favors

DIY Yummy Wedding Favors

Handmade Tins

DIY Coffee Bag Favors

Sneak a Peek!

This last week, I designed a beautiful Southern wedding. The two main fabrics were burlap (big surprise if you know me at all) and lace. The signature drink was Sweet Tea served in mason jars. There is so much to tell you about that, I don't know where to begin, and I don't have pics yet to tell you all about it. But I do have a sneak peek.

any guesses on what these are?

This couple had a pretty tight budget. So, we used what we could to make things memorable without making them expensive.

yes, there are my hands, and there is my my studio (a.k.a. my dining room table)

When I was meeting with the bride and groom about 2 weeks before the wedding, the groom said how he wanted the guests to have "the BEST hotel bags EVER!". With "AWESOME stuff" in them. But remember, we only had a few dollars to spend on each bag. It's ok, I was up for the challenge.

I tried to think about the age of most of the guests coming from out of town, the time that they would be at the hotel, and the things that would be enjoyed the most. Here's what I came up with...

2 granola bars

1 pack of Skittles or Starburst

a handful of Hershey's assorted mini chocolates (reeses, kisses, krackles, etc.)

2 small bags of either fritos, cheetos, sunchips, or doritos

biscotti

2 bottles of water

Using white paper bags, they were super cheap to package up, then I just threw in some colorful tissue paper to make them look like they stepped out of a boutique. Slapped a label on them, and Voila!

Ok, so I didn't just "slap" them on...I was a bit anal about the labels being centered. My husband thought it was funny apparently.

A really funny sidenote is that our hotel had a small kitchen fire on Friday night (that's not the funny part). So, while we were all standing out in the middle of the parking lot at 3am (still not the funny part), one of the groomsmen was munching on some candy, talking about how the welcome bags were "Awesome" and how he had already eaten most of his!

As I eavesdropped, I thought to myself..."Mission accomplished!"

Each of us creates in such a unique way, similar to how each of us is uniquely created. What a great idea, to show where we create, and how we create. I'm looking forward to linking up to Sneak Peek Fridays and celebrating our creative more sides! Thanks, Jennifer!