I am Loving: Glass Ikea Plates

 Oppen Plate

I have to thank my friend Megan and her family for this fabulous idea. 

These glass plates from Ikea are my newest must-have item for hosting parties.

Megan and several members of her family each have a set of these plates, so whenever one of them is hosting a large gathering they pool their resources. 

Some of my other friends and I have decided to copy this idea. We each purchased 20 of these plates each and now loan them to each other.  Genius!  They match any color scheme and are cheaper than renting plates. And at $.99 each, if one breaks -- who cares?! 

Hurry up and grab some yourself!

See how great they looked at my most recent shower?

I am Loving: Chalkboard Speech Bubbles

How fun is this?!

I was so excited to learn about these adorable chalkboards speech bubbles.  They even have a handle on the back, making it the perfect photo booth accessory! 

One of my fellow bridesmaids for an upcoming wedding has a few of these and I can't wait to use them in the photo booth at the bridal shower we are planning! 

You can buy them here. (And all photos from their site also!)

Aren't they fun?
So much better than the lame white board I used here and here. Oh well! :)

Speaking of this upcoming bridal shower...I have to apologize.  I have been MIA lately.  My excuse is that I am in the midst of planning for 4 different events in a 2 week period and have been coordinating and crafting every spare minute! Thank you for your patience.  And I'll just tell you now that between these 4 events I will have lots of fun stuff to share over the next month or so, so please stay with me!

I am Loving: Paper Garlands

I am in full shower planning mode & I love it!   

I have a bridal and baby shower in the works for the spring. 

I am loving all the different paper garlands in blog land, and plan to incorporate one or more into these showers. 

Here's some of the inspiration I have gathered:

Image via Style Me Pretty
These simple paper chains are reminiscent of elementary school crafts.  The metallic paper steps the glam up a notch in this picture.  And could it be any simpler to put together?  Paper chains are definitely a front runner for my spring shower decor. 

Image via Project Wedding

Isn't this dainty doily garland sweet?  DIY instructions are here. 

On a related note, have you see the beautiful painted doily garland that Meg from Whatever (one of my favorite new crafty stops on the web) created with her kids.  Its beautiful! Check it out here.  It's definitely not dainty! Amazing what a little color can do! 

Image via Project Wedding

I love these velum mobiles.  Aren't the colors amazing?  DIY details are here.  

Image via Project Nursery

This simple circle garland from Kim at TomKat Studio is too cute.  It allows for fun papers to be mixed and matched.  I love this one so much that I've used it at a party before -- see here! Find Kim's DIY instructions here. 

image via Colour Lovers

This coffee filter garland is stunning.  It was inspired by this wedding featured on Martha Stewart Weddings.  Two great DIY instruction posts can be found here and here.  From what I've read, these are easier to create than the traditional party pom's. 

Hope you are inspired!

I am Loving: Reese's Minis

I have a few friends who are currently attending the CES conference in Vegas.  

So I have second-hand knowledge about an exciting product that was launched there...

Reese's Minis

Unwrapped and the smallest size ever made.  I read they were the size of a dime. 

I think these are crying out to be put in a chocolate chip cookie, don't you? Yum!

You can read the press release about the launch here. 

I was not compensated to write about this product...I just really love chocolate & peanut butter. :)

I am Loving: Non-Traditional Holiday Colors

Lots of my favorite blogs have gotten creative with color when it comes to holiday parties and decorating this year. And I love it! 

Here's a few highlights: 

My bloggy BFF Jackie Fo styled the most adorable pink and green cookie exchange.  Check it out here.  Lots of fun details in one of my favorite color combinations!

TomKat Studio and Save the Date for Cupcakes collaborated on this adorable party inspiration in bright pink and aqua.  Too cute!  (And bonus: the printables are for sale here!)

 

Love red, black, and white for a modern look, like this table by Jesi Haack Weddings, spotted at Hostess with the Mostess.  

Did you see the fun gift wrapping party that Birthday Girl shared? I thought the subtle color scheme of blue, green, rose and silver was lovely and sophisticated. 

If you are new around here, you may have missed my Colors of Christmas series that I did last year featuring some of my favorite alternative color combos for the holidays. 

Click to check out the fun inspirations boards: 

Aqua & Green

Purple & Silver

Gold & Silver

Pink & Gold

I am Loving: Confetti System

I am completely in love.  These are the most beautiful party decor items I've come across in a long time. Sure, you could make something along these lines yourself, but I'd argue that the the artistry of Confetti Systems would be difficult to recreate. 

Pinatas

Garlands

Amazing for a shimmery holiday party (or wedding!), no?

Do yourself a favor and click here to see some of this gorgeousness in action. 

I am Loving: Etsy Trick or Treat Bowls

We don't get many trick-or-treaters at our house, but I still think its important to have a cute bowl for candy.  I've been keeping my eye out in stores, but haven't seen anything that I loved. 

Of course when I turned to Etsy, I found lots of cute ones! 

Image credits & shopping guide: 

Orange & Black Felted Boo Bowl, Shabby Chic Wooden Bowl, Orange Fabric Bowl, Smiling Jack-O-Lantern Gourd Bowl, Black & White Felted Boo Bowl

I am Loving: White Pumpkins for Fall

Most of my favorite blogs have been full of Halloween-inspired posts lately.  And most stores are covered with Halloween decorations. Eek!  I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that its fall already. 

With the slightly cooler weather we had this weekend, I'm starting to get ready to think about decorating for fall.  I'm loving white pumpkins this year!  They might have to be incorporated into my decor. 

Here's some of my favorite white pumpkin inspiration from around the web: 

Images via here, here, and here

images via here

Images via here

I am Loving: Homemade Photo Booths

I've been seeing a lot of this trend lately in the blogosphere.  And while I love the fancy, professional photo booths that print out strips of photos (like I talked about here), today I am loving homemade versions. 

 I haven't had an opportunity to do this at a party yet, but I will have to soon! 

Here's some of my favorites from around the web: 

This adorable booth is from a Circus Party by Tori of Thoughtfully Simple. It's made from a refrigerator box, fabric, and paint.  There was a box of props for guests to pose with too. 

This one is from the Gingham Birthday Brunch thrown by Kellie at This Blessed Nest.  Kellie's DIY instructions are here.

This one is also from This Blessed Nest, from the recent Cute as a Bug Party.  I LOVE this! It couldn't be any cuter!

Jenn from Hostess with the Mostess always has great photo booths at her parties. Hers are more like a "photo area" with room for many models and lots of fun props to match the theme. 

From her Something Blue Bridal Shower.

From her Sunshine & Love Bridal Shower. 

I love the idea of having these at a bridal shower.  It serves many purposes, but mainly as a fun activity for guests and a great keepsake for the bride-to-be. 

You can also keep it very simple and still end up with cute photo-ops for your party. 

It doesn't get more simple than these: 

Christy of P is for Party used an adorable Ikea frame as a mobile photo booth at her son's It's a Wonderful Life birthday party. 

 Just a quilt hung as a backdrop, but isn't the cutest?  They had lots of props too at this Lumber Jack & Jill Engagement Party by Frilly Milly Events. 

Love this simple take on the photo booth by Victoria of City Cradle Design.  DIY instructions are here. This is from her Sherbert & Spice Birthday Party.

Martha Stewart Weddings has this graphic available for free download here.  They suggest getting it printed on large paper at a copy center and using it at a wedding reception. 

Now, do yourself a favor and hurry and check out all the parties I've linked to here if you haven't already! With photo booths this creative, you know there are many other details worth clicking over for!

I am Loving: Crochet Graffiti

Quick disclaimer: This post has nothing to do with parties. 

I know many of my readers are crafty, so I thought this was appropriate to share here. 

A few weeks ago we did a weekend trip to Denver with friends.  We had so much fun exploring the city.  

In the middle of downtown was a huge construction site, surrounded by chain linked fence. In other words, it was very ugly. 

But, the 100 yards of fence was completely covered with crocheted flowers.  

It was absolutely beautiful! 

It was mind-boggling how long the display was. 

There were even lady bugs, bumblebees, and other critters worked into the design.  

I did a little research on Google and discovered the display was put together by the Ladies Fancywork Society , at the request of the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs.  It will be up for about 6 months while the Union Station is redone.  The news story is here.  

Bravo Denver!  Love the creative and crafty solution to a potential eye sore! 

I am Loving: Summer Party Play List

image via

We all know that perfectly planned parties require great music.  

This is a detail I have been known to overlook. 

Luckily I can count on Martha in this department! Her summer party playlist is great! 

Check it out here.  I am loving this list for barbeques and other summery shindigs! 

Are you as surprised as I am that Martha's list includes Guns N' Roses?  I guess even Martha likes to rock out in the summer sun!

Now go get your Ipod and get outside! :)

I am Loving: Chelsea's Wedding Dress

image via

Could I love her Vera Wang dress any more? 

I don't think so. 

All those romantic swirling layers are to die for. 

Nice work Chelsea, nice work.

I am Loving: Ice Cream Sandwiches

It has definitely been ice cream eating weather around here! 

We made some of these a few weeks ago for a barbeque.  Yum! 

They are especially cute if you roll them in sprinkles.

image via

We used "break & bake" cookie dough to make ours. Delicious & easy!

image via

I've always made these with chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream, but next time I think I will get a little more creative.  Here's a little inspiration: 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Sandwiches by Paula Dean. Recipe is here. 

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches by Martha. Recipe is here.

Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream Sandwiches by About.com.  Recipe is here. 

Which to try first? 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Its a good one! 
Entries accepted through Friday!

I am Loving: Paper Lantern Vase

I've been browsing for ideas for simple centerpieces for the 4th of July, and I came across this cutie:

image via

A paper lantern as a vase!  Festive & simple.  Perfect for a backyard barbeque. 

I think this would be pretty easy to recreate in red, white, and blue. 

I might hit up the dollar store to see if they have any lanterns. 

Has anyone tried this? Have any tips to share? 

I am Loving: Dessert in a Jar

My mother in law recently gave me a bunch of Mason jars.  (Which I love!!)  I've been using them to hold candles and flowers. 

When I saw the newest issue of Nesting Newbies I realized that I need to start using them hold dessert!

Yummy & Cute-- One of my favorite combinations! ;)

There's lots of ideas in the magazine for what to put in the jars....my favorite involves chocolate pudding, peanut butter mousse, graham cracker crumbs, and toasted marshmallows.  Yes, please! 

Check out the the 3rd issue of Nesting Newbies for more delicious ideas.

We've all seen Bakerella's adorable Cowgirl Cookies in a jar. These make such a cute gift.  A friend of mine received four different types of cookies in jars at her bridal shower with other cookie-making supplies.  It was such a thoughtful gift. (Don't you love themed gifts?!)

I think I need this book: