Monthly Archives: June 2012

wedding shower mod party kits

A Bit of Word Play Before the Big Day

A major part of planning a wedding is making decisions.  A Fall or Spring wedding?  Destination or local venue?  Should Sally or Sarah be my Maid of Honor?  Should we serve chicken or beef?  And that’s only a sampling of the questions you’ll have to answer.  Not to mention that it’s highly unlikely that every decision will only have two options to choose from.  The last thing you need to worry about is planning a wedding shower.  Even though the bride doesn’t typically plan her own shower, our Wedding Shower Mod Party Kit makes it simple for whomever may be throwing the party.

Don't forget matching favors too!

I’m loving the colors pink and gray together.  The neutrality of gray balances out the girly shades of pink — so having a co-ed bridal shower is definitely not out of the question.  After enjoying a stress-free bridal shower, you can move on to other important questions that need answering like: “should we write our own vows?”

Some feel very strongly towards one or the other.  So strongly, in fact, that it isn’t even a question.  Personally, I’m pretty torn between the two.  Traditional vows are timeless and meaningful no matter how often they’re used.  Self-authored vows are unique to you and your husband or wife-to-be.  It’s also very courageous if you ask me; it’s nerve wracking enough just getting up in front of everyone and speaking (even if you’re not speaking directly to them) let alone getting in front of everyone and saying something you wrote yourself.  As someone who enjoys writing, I get my fair share of anxiety when I give someone a copy of my work for review.  I can only imagine how nervous I’ll be if I have to actually read what I’ve written out loud to my future husband…at my wedding…in front of everyone.  It makes me nervous just thinking about it and I don’t even know who my future husband is yet!  On the other hand, I would thoroughly enjoy writing my own vows and being able to express myself in my own words.  I would also really like to hear what my hubby comes up with as well.  Like I said, torn.  Luckily, I think I still have plenty of time before I have to make that decision.

I’m also pretty fortunate to have a dependable support group to help me with those decisions when the time comes.  I also know that there are plenty of people in my life I can go to when I’m in search of some much needed advice.  What can I say?  I’m a lucky girl.  The problem arises when I have to recall these tidbits of tips from memory.  I drew inspiration from a bridal shower I attended a few years ago for a solution.    One of the activities we did, after we made toilet paper bridal gowns of course, was write down some words of wisdom for the bride.  Obviously, many of them were regarding love and marriage.  I’ve been seeing a lot of specialized wedding keepsakes that come with designer cards and holders for just this purpose.  Always a fan of things hand/homemade, I decided that I would create a custom little memory book that put the Mod Party Kit’s address labels to use in a different way.

wedding shower mod party kits

A Bridal Shower Keepsake!

Extra supplies (found at a craft store):

  • Small album (called a “brag book” where I found this one)
  • decorative stickers, paper, etc. (choose things you like, I kept it simple with pink, grey, and a light tan cardstock)
  • scissors (to cut down the cardstock to 4″ x 6″ blocks)
  • Sharpie Marker (these come in a bunch of cool colors, I suggest silver)

Have your friends and relatives write their words of wisdom on the address labels.  You can pre-cut the cardstock and stick the labels on ahead of time or save that part of the project for another day.  Don’t worry about not having enough cards to fill the album; just add your favorite pictures to fill in the empty slots!

Place these at the entrance to your shower where guests will see them.  It’ll be fun to read and share with everyone when the party’s winding down or to enjoy quietly to yourself after everyone’s gone home.

wedding shower mod party kits

Days, months, and years later, you and hubby can take a walk down memory lane with this special keepsake.  Another way to savor some good ‘ol memories is by whipping up the same treats you shared on that day.  And if you make these cupcakes by Sugar Therapy for your wedding shower, you’ll definitely want to make them again.

wedding shower mod party kits

Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes.  Yes, they’re just as delicious as they sound.

 wedding shower mod party kits

When you and your hubby are sharing some quality time on the couch looking through your memory book, these cupcakes are the perfect size to snack on and they go great with coffee.  How do I know that?  I had one for breakfast with my morning cup of coffee and I don’t regret it one bit!

colored paper fan

High Temperatures — I’m a Fan!

There was definitely a pun intended.

It also happens to be a true statement; I really enjoy the heat that comes with Summer.  I also enjoy wearing flip flops, reading at the beach, and drinking iced coffee.  Yes, I’ll admit that I do all of those things all year round.  However, one warm weather activity I don’t participate in all year long is using a handheld fan to keep myself cool.  “Wow, I really wish I had a fan right now,” would sound pretty ridiculous during a snowstorm, don’t you think?  At an outdoor event during a summer heatwave would be a more appropriate time to wish for such things.  For all those sporting events and casual outdoor festivals that take place during the warmest of seasons, a nifty battery operated fan that mists you with water at the same time works wonders.  However, no one wants to be that person at a wedding or a fancy outdoor event buzzing about with an electrical fan or accidentally spritzing a stranger with water.  Or maybe they do…  As for myself,  I’m more inclined to reach for one of these for those formal outdoor affairs:

colored paper fan

check out all the types of fans and colors you can choose from by clicking the image!

Colorful, practical, and a lifesaver for your guests who may be a little less than comfortable out in the summer heat instead of an air-conditioned room.  Take it a step further by choosing our Sandalwood Fans (which have a wonderful aroma) and you’ll have an event that indulges all the senses!  Here’s a list of a few creative ways to include fans at your next event:

  • As pictured, you can personalize pieces of paper for your special day and set them on chairs for your guests (a strip of paper no longer than 5″ and no wider than 1″ will do the trick)
  • Or, instead of having your name(s) on there, put your guests’ names on them and use them as place cards
  • Arrange them on baskets and  have them handed out while guests are mingling
  • For a wedding, brides and bridesmaids can use these as accessories and/or use them as a great prop for photos

I myself am a fan (pun intended…again) of using these as fashion accessories.  I think it adds mystery and intrigue to any ensemble and if I recall my childhood correctly, I had a blast fanning myself with paper fans and attempting to open them in one graceful swoosh.  It’s a work in progress but definitely a skill I still intend on perfecting — if you were wondering.  Our Silk Fans are better suited for this task than the paper ones, but I still love the fact that the color paper fans come in so many colors.

colored paper fans

a color to match any theme (or any outfit)!

So order some for yourself, for your friends, and for your guests.  If you experience heat in your part of the world similar (or worse) than ours, I promise that they will be appreciated.

Happy Fanning, Blossomers!

Kimi

pink baby mod party kit

For the Sweetest Kind of Bun in the Oven

“Sugar, and spice, and everything nice…”  You’ve heard all the stories.  You’ve digested all the well intentioned advice.  You’ve read all the books.  You’re as prepared as you’re ever going to get.  But since you discovered that your little bump is a baby girl things seem to have gotten even more hectic.   Between getting the nursery set up and buying an almost unreasonable amount of those adorable little dresses, it’s pretty easy to forget that you’ve got a baby shower to plan.  Now, your baby girl is weeks away from arrival and you have no idea how to pull together a party worthy of your Little Princess to be.  Don’t worry!  Style is in the little things, and our Pink Baby Mod Party Kit has all the details covered:

pink baby mod party kit

It probably comes as no surprise that pink is the classic go-to color for a girl’s baby shower.  The great thing about classics?  They never go out of style.  Just like the classic little nursery rhyme I mentioned at the start of this post.   For this party kit, I decided to keep it simple; add a dash of creativity to something simple and the stylish possibilities are endless.  If you haven’t checked out some of the personalized favors we offer to match these party kits, you should go do that right now!  Okay, finish reading this post and then go check them out… I decided to go with the personalized candy jars.  They’re one of our most popular items and the list of things you can do with them is a pretty long one.  While most will put in their favorite candies, I chose a more theme-fitting blend: cinnamon sugar mixed with a bit of nutmeg.  Just to “spice up” this simple little favor, I used only two added supplies: pink ribbon and the favor tags included in the party kit.

pink baby mod party kit

that is one dressed up little jar!

Being one of our most popular items, we also get a lot of questions about these jars.  There have been quite a few that I can think of, but I’d like to mention a couple of the immediate tips that come to mind.

  • You don’t have to fill them to the top, but as a reference: these jars can fit approximately 75 jelly-bean-sized candies or four liquid ounces.
  • Put the labels on after you’ve already filled and sealed the jars.  Otherwise, you might end up with upside down labels.

I also added a message at the back of the tag and a note of the jar’s contents, which I highly suggest for any edible gift if you aren’t sure about your guests’ food allergies:

pink baby mod party kit

You can keep these off to the side or set them up right in the middle of the action for a little added decor.  Since we’re going with the classics for this one, don’t forget to play some of those favorite baby shower games; guess how big mom’s belly is, what flavor is the baby food, and baby bingo to list a few.  When all the games are done and prizes won, move on to my personal favorite part of the festivities: dessert!  We’re all about pink for this mod party kit, and Kate over at Sugar Therapy made some great cupcakes to match.

pink baby mod party kit

Strawberry Shortcake...YUM!

Share some of your favorite baby shower stories in the comments!

Until we meet again,

Kimi

graduation suitcase tins

Here Come the Grads!

It seems to me that weddings steal the spotlight in the special event industry.  Granted, they are a pretty big deal –  even I have gotten caught up in the hype that is wedding season.  As much as I love weddings though, I would like to turn the attention to a different milestone.

GRADUATION!

Rows filled with people, flowing gowns, a familiar song.  Sounds almost like a wedding, right?  Also similar to a wedding, it marks the ending of one era and beginning of another.  Whether it’s from grade school, college, anything in between or beyond, graduation is the ultimate celebration of your efforts and hard work.  And that is a fabulous reason to throw a party.  As a matter of fact, Event Blossom’s very own Ashlee just graduated from college with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and she’s throwing a graduation party of her own.   “Graduation” is a party theme within itself, and a flexible one at that.  Ashlee is going with a simple theme featuring her school colors, but virtually any other theme could also work for a graduation party.  My personal favorite is a travel theme.

Graduations are usually celebrated in the Spring or Summer seasons.  I don’t know about anyone else, but these seasons make me think of great places I would love to travel to.  Places like tropical islands… Hawaii, anyone??  Aside from actual locations around the globe, travel can also refer to this journey we call life.  The completion of an education (of any kind) widens your horizons and can lead you to many exciting destinations.
So invite your closest relatives and friends to celebrate these exciting openings and opportunities to come.  A great way to thank your guests for their support?  Packing a suitcase for them!

graduation favors

"Oh, the places you'll go..." Dr. Suess

Going for a simpler theme for your grad party?  Don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of other graduation favors for you to choose from.  Find one that suits your style, and make it all your own — another thing graduation has in common with a wedding: it’s all about the celebrant, as in you.

So let’s hear it one more time for Ashlee and all new graduates…

Congratulations, Class of 2012!

Kimi

 

Something blue mod party kit

A Welcomed Ray of Sunshine

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

That is the first thing that popped into my head when I saw these classic mod party kits:

Something Blue Mod Party Kit

After daydreaming about beautiful diamond rings and New York City for a good minute, the next thing that came to mind was that little phrase:

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

Sound familiar?  Well, that’s probably because I’ve already mentioned it in a previous post…Or, maybe it’s because this is a pretty popular phrase around weddings.  Who knows?  Either way, this phrase inspired the name for this week’s featured mod party kit.  As for this week’s project, I was inspired by Pinterest.  I could go on for days about Pinterest, so I’ll save all of that for another post.  Long story short: it’s addicting fun, has the potential to be a very good business tool, and it’s a great place to find/share creative ideas.  I also watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s during the brainstorming period of this project to try and spark some ideas.  It’s one of my favorite movies and favorite theme idea for everything from special events to home decor.  How could I not watch it?  It wouldn’t be fair to say that I didn’t get any ideas at all, but oddly enough that lightbulb over my head never went on while immersed in the world of Holly Golightly.

The funny thing about that little lightbulb is that no matter how hard you try, it just won’t turn on until it’s good and ready.  That time came at 6:30 am one sunshine-y morning while I was relaxing before I got out of my PJ’s.  Recently, “me-time” has become my morning ritual.  Sometimes I read, sometimes I write, and sometimes I’ll even clean or do laundry.  On this particular morning, I decided to spend my coveted completely-alone-time on Pinterest.  Believe it or not, this precious little poster that a friend had pinned was the switch to my lightbulb:

something blue mod party kit

After I saw this, the image I had in my mind became clearer and clearer and all of the ideas I had gathered came together.

The diamond ring in the party kit.  The ending scene from Breakfast at Tiffany’s.  I won’t ruin it for those who haven’t seen it, but I will tell you that in this particular scene it’s raining.  Rain falls from sky.  Sun is in the sky.  Sky is blue.  Party kit is blue.  Sun is yellow.  Yellow would go great with blue.  So on and so forth…

Now, the moment you have been waiting for.  The final result of all my brainstorming:

something blue mod party kit

Here’s how I incorporated all of those elements I mentioned into these bright, yet simple centerpieces perfect for your upcoming engagement party or bridal shower:

I wanted the yellow to stand out (easy) but not overwhelm (not always very easy), so I picked out about five full yellow flowers to create a sun-shaped bundle at the top.  I am not a florist and have no idea what I’m doing as far as real flowers go, so forgive me for not knowing the names of these fake flowers.  I added in the smaller white blooms to accent the bouquet and to make it look a little fuller.  Also, don’t forget the party icon from the mod party kit!

something blue mod party kit

Using florist tape, I taped the stems and the party icon together then wrapped it in a strand of fake pearls allowing the excess to hang freely.  Before putting the bouquet in the vase, I put in a couple of our medium sized diamond paperweights and added water for effect.

something blue mod party kit

The paperweights aren’t as visible as I would have liked them to be, so I would suggest either a lightly tinted vase or having some colored linen underneath the centerpiece.  The final touch was the aqua blue bow around the vase and placing some extra white blossoms at the base.  *Note: tie the bow before you put anything in the vase.  All supplies not Event Blossom brand were purchased at the local craft store, except for the vase.  The vase was borrowed from my home.

This sky, rain, and sunshine combo also comes to mind when I think about weddings and marriage.  At the risk of sounding totally cheesy, allow me to express one little tidbit I have on the people we choose to marry.  I’ll sum it up in this one question: Shouldn’t this person be there for you through all the stormy weather and be the sunshine that comes after?  The short version of my complicated answer is absolutely, yes.  Call me a hopeless romantic, that’s just me.  But the people who are the sunshine in your life aren’t limited to spouses or significant others.  Family, friends, pets, that stranger who smiled at you, the neighbor who wished you a good morning — any of these folks can bring those warm, fuzzy rays into your life that make it just a little brighter even if only for a few seconds.  You know what else can brighten up your day?  A cupcake.  Especially this cupcake:

something blue mod party kits

this refreshing cupcake made me so HAPPY

 You know where to find the recipe for these little blue and yellow presents…Sugar Therapy!

Something blue mod party kit

a little burst of sunshine for your special day!

Who or what brings sunshine into your life??  Don’t be shy!

Until next week,

Kimi