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!
"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…
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:
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:
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!
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.
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:
this refreshing cupcake made me so HAPPY
You know where to find the recipe for these little blue and yellow presents…Sugar Therapy!
a little burst of sunshine for your special day!
Who or what brings sunshine into your life?? Don’t be shy!
I’m back in action at the Event Blossom offices after a very lovely Memorial Day weekend. There was a lot of delicious food, great conversations, and perfect weather. It’s true, the Southern California weather is tough to beat. To the Event Blossom staff, 50 degrees is freezing and we can probably count the number of rainy days we experience per year on our hands and feet. So when the weather begins to heat up from our freezing winters, we know it…Especially in our offices, because it gets hot — really hot.
Yet, despite the rise in temperature, this little hint that Summer’s coming makes me so happy!
If you’re like me, Summer is your season. To me, Summer means beach, bonfires, and my birthday! It’s tough to beat that combo in my book. To Event Blossom, Summer means Wedding Season! It also means that we’re processing and shipping orders like crazy. In order to stay on top of all the great (and, at times, pretty witty and original) personalized orders, we make sure that we’ve got a proper stock of labels. Nothing makes our processing team happier than having shelves filled to the top with labels:
I remember this one trip that I took as a kid…I was on a raft in the middle of a crocodile infested river. Either side of the banks was a dark, dense jungle teeming with dangers I couldn’t wait to face. I was on a mission to get a picture of an elusive jungle cat found only in the darkest cave right in the heart of the jungle. As my partner and I made our way down the river, I scanned the banks ahead for a good place to go ashore while he kept a lookout for danger that may lurk beneath. Out of nowhere, there was a big BOOM! Before I knew it, I was scrambling beneath a layer of bubbles trying to reach for the surface of the water that would be my sanctuary! My partner, a dashing fellow who (if my childhood memory serves) had an uncanny resemblance to Harrison Ford, was grappling with a monstrous croc looking to turn us into a meal. After making a narrow escape, the grueling hours that followed were spent swinging from vines, running from wild animals, and scaling treacherous cliffs…
Sorry, I got a little lost in my memories.
If you didn’t already guess, that wasn’t a real memory. The reality of the situation was that I filled a backpack with the necessities (plastic binoculars, a hand drawn map, and a pb&j sandwich), piled other “supplies” on my raft made from couch cushions, and began my journey down the river at the faraway town called “My Living Room Floor.” As for my “dashing fellow” of a partner, now that I’m thinking about it, he had more of the teddy-bear-look than the Indiana Jones one. What can I say? I was a very imaginative child, just as I would expect every child to be if you let them. Which brings me to this week’s featured Mod Party Kit: Jungle Safari!
A safari themed party is cool at any age. What adult wouldn’t be ecstatic to transform their home into a jungle and invite all of their friends over to dance the night away to songs like “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and “Jungle Boogie?” I would totally do something like that! But since kids are so great at making an adventure out of anything, I wanted to focus on using these kits for a child’s birthday party. As soon as I realized my focus, I realized that I was totally stumped; with the entire contents of the mod party kit in front of me, I spent a good minute racking my brain for an idea of what to do with it. After I spent a couple of frustrating moments writing down ideas only to cross them out, I settled on a plan of action: I would take a trip to a couple of stores and walk the aisles until inspiration showed its face. It did! Even better — I felt like a kid again, outfitting myself for my next big adventure into the great unknown.
Here’s some of the loot that I picked up on my own shopping safari:
goodies, goodies, goodies!
It probably looks like another pile of random stuff. Well, that’s because it is a pile of random stuff! However, with a little creativity and some handy Mod Party Kit supplies, your future jungle guides will have all the necessary supplies to navigate their way through the deepest parts of any jungle:
Safari Pack Supplies:
Drawstring Style Bag – they’re festive, practical, and durable
Spyglasses for spotting those faraway creatures
Jungle Animals because no safari would be complete without them
Event Blossom Notebook to record all your findings in
Candy. Even the most seasoned explorers need sustenance
You can find all of these supplies at the craft store, party supply store, and of course, Event Blossom. The spyglasses came with a different label on them so I just wrapped them in wet paper towels and peeled the labels off. Then I used the mini decor stickers from the Mod Party Kit to re-decorate them.
Hand these out at the next kid’s party you throw, let them loose in the yard, and watch their adventures unfold right before your eyes. I even encourage you to join in on the fun! When your little explorers are ready for a snack break, give them some of these awesome Banana chocolate chip cupcakes.
the safari gang's all here!
Yes, Kate over at Sugar Therapy has done it again, click the pics for the recipe!
Deliciousness of ELEPHANTINE proportions!
Don’t forget to save a cupcake for yourself. If you forget to eat it, don’t worry — being an adult means you can have cupcakes for breakfast, and these are perfect for breakfast.
Yes, I ate one for breakfast. I won’t tell if you don’t!
Having a fun Girl’s Night with your closest girlfriends is a great way to accomplish this. And sometimes, that involves making a spontaneous trip to Paris!
Unrealistic? Yes, but I can dream…
A mere four hour drive away, Las Vegas will just have to do — Paris Hotel and Casino is close enough, right? So, buckle up and let’s get this party started!
Now when I say “girl’s night,” I’m thinking about the ultimate Girl’s Night Out: a Bachelorette Party. I have to admit, I have always imagined my future Bachelorette Party being celebrated in Las Vegas. Don’t get me wrong, Paris would be amazing; but like I said, unrealistic. So instead, I will settle for a replica over the real Eiffel Tower. And with the help of one of these kits, I’ll be able to imagine the real thing no matter where I choose to throw a party:
Can't go to Paris? Bring Paris to you!
I love the look of this Parisian theme. It’s classy and feminine: everything a girl could want for her bachelorette party, birthday party, or just another girl’s night. Decorate your hotel room (or wherever you are), put on your party dress, and what classy affair would be complete without cupcakes? Are you surprised that on of my party necessities would be cupcakes? No? You know me so well! And as you also know, our Mod Party Kits come with cupcake wrappers and toppers so that even your sweet treats can get dressed up for a fun night too.
Another great thing these party kits can help you dress up? Water bottles! I know what you’re thinking, water bottle labels for water bottles…very creative, Kimi, very creative. Don’t worry, I haven’t run out of new ideas to share. As a matter of fact, I went into my little workshop and managed to dress up even the dullest of party supplies: plain white, plastic cups! See for yourself:
add a little excitement to any drink!
A couple of notes to keep in mind when putting the labels on cups:
The shape of the label is not meant to accommodate the shape of a cup. You have to apply the labels at a slight angle for them to stick flat. I found that the best technique for this was to take an unpeeled label, stick the center flat onto the middle of the cup (sticking down the icon part of the label worked perfectly), and then guide the label down on each side individually, following the natural curve of the cup.
These labels will only cover a certain circumference, therefore I used small cups — they were about 4 inches tall.
Another result of the label shape is that there will be a little triangle shaped gap in the back, but I just put one of our satin bows to cover it up a little bit
black and pink satin bows make everything prettier!
Fill these cups with your favorite drinks and enjoy with these scrumptious Fruit Tart Cupcakes straight from the Sugar Therapy kitchen:
these moist cupcakes will melt in your mouth!!
Now please excuse me while I enjoy the start of a great weekend with yet another cupcake. Follow my lead: grab a party kit, whip up some refreshments, and tell the girls to come spend an evening with you in Paris!
How do you celebrate your “Joie de Vivre,” Event Blossomers? Inquiring minds (aka, yours truly) want to know!
There’s a lot of buzz going on in the stationery world about a particular event taking place very soon. As a matter of fact, Stationery Trends Magazine‘s most recent issue dedicated an entire issue to it:
More on that later, but right now let’s focus on another feature in the Spring issue:
can you spot the EB products???
We are always so honored to be recognized as part of a hot trend, especially in such a big name in the stationery industry. If you want to stay on top of the most current trends, Stationery Trends Magazine is the place to find them. Now, back to this major event going on…
It’s the National Stationery Show! New York City’s Javits Center will be filled with booths showing off some great stuff in the world of stationery and gifts, and Event Blossom is going to be a part of it. For those of you attending, make sure you mosey on down to Booth #2668 and say hi to us over at Event Blossom. For those of you who won’t be able to make it, don’t be sad — Our team will keep you in the loop from right in the middle of all the action via mini blog posts! They fly out at the end of the week so keep an eye out for updates Live from the Show!
In the words of my favorite New Yorker,
“It’s going to be legen…wait for it…dary!” – Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother
So you found out that your little bun in the oven will soon be a bouncing baby boy and you can finally place that order for the Blue Baby Shower Mod Party Kit! It’s got everything you need to decorate your baby shower in style and that brilliant brain of yours is bursting with creative ways to use it.
click here for more info about this mod party kit!
Now take a moment and visualize this scenario with me:
There’s a knock at the door…You open it and discover that your Mod Party Kit has finally arrived! You tear open the box and dump its entire contents onto the floor before you. As you excitedly go through all of your shiny new toys, you pick up the invitations… After those first few seconds of thinking, “Ohmygosh, these are so cute!” one tiny, little detail begins creeping into your head: “how am I supposed to print anything on these?”
Does this sound familiar? I have to admit, this has happened to me…a lot. Not necessarily with our party kits, but I can’t even begin to count the number of times that I have bought labels or custom designed paper only to realize that I have no idea how to print them out. Addresses would print out halfway on one label and the other half on the label next to it; my message would print out on the border of a decorated sheet of paper; or my printer ate it (I swear, the printer was out to get me!). That being said, I completely empathize with those of you who have been inquiring about how to print your invitations. Here’s what I did:
Open up Microsoft Word
Go to File > Page Setup
Under the Margins tab, input the following measurements: top: 2.75″, bottom: 1.25″, left: 1.25″, right: 1.25″
Under the Paper tab, change the paper size to: width: 5″ height: 7″ orientation: portrait
Press OK
Type your message, my example is aligned in the center
When you’re ready to print, go to the print menu (File > Print)
Click Properties
Change the paper size (either to 5″x7″ or just “custom size”)
Press OK
Print! (make sure you know which way to feed the invitations — this varies amongst printers)
And then…
Ta-da! Custom printed invitations!
These directions were created using Microsoft Word 2003, however they should be easily translated to fit newer versions of Word as well as other word processors. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a few tries to get right, and definitely do not hesitate to comment with any questions you may have.
Sometimes I Fail...
I know that you have a limited supply of these per kit, so here’s a simple technique to avoid wasting all of your invitations:
Take a plain sheet of cardstock (regular paper will work just fine too)
Trace an invitation onto the cardstock (you can fit two of them per 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet)
Mark off where the borders are located (approx. 2″ from the top and 1.25″ from the bottom)
Cut out and use as “test invitations”
No need to use up more invitations than you need to!
Now that you’ve got the invites out, it’s time to dig into the rest of the party kit supplies and get creative. I know that Kate over at Sugar Therapy sure did and members of our Event Blossom Team were the lucky guinea pigs for these treats:
SO Good.
Click on either of these images to check out the full recipe for these Cinnamon Sugar Cupcakes on Sugar Therapy!
Boys are allowed to be sweet too!
Check back next Friday for a new Mod Party Kit post! Until then, I’m always up for some fun conversation — leave your comments below!
There has been A LOT of new and exciting things in the works over here — a couple of the newest and most exciting things being the launch of our Mod Party Kits and the launch of our blog. Soon after the arrival of our Mod Party Kits, we decided that we wanted to do a special blog series about each of these great new products. As we were checking out all the goodies each kit held (and being the cupcake lover that I am), I got especially excited about the adorable cupcake wrappers and toppers. Then, a brilliant idea came to me.
But first, a mini history lesson:
The phrase “Let them eat cake,” is the English translation of the French quote: “Qui’ils mangent de la brioche.” This was a quote supposedly uttered by Queen Marie Antoinette when she was made aware that the peasants did not have any bread. Although there is no actual record of her speaking these words, it was meant to capture the queen’s obliviousness to the current struggles of the very people she ruled over. Nowadays, it’s just a fun phrase to say when it’s time for dessert. Or maybe that’s just me. Now I really want a cupcake…What were we talking about?
Oh, right, blog series:
I’m so happy to announce that for this fun project, we have collaborated with fellow blog Sugar Therapy in order to bring you wonderful Blossomers a very delicious treat! Our delightful friend over at Sugar Therapy is one baking genius and we’re so thrilled to be working with her. Just take a look at one of her creations:
Doesn't this look AMAZING?!
While we give you some fun ideas about how to use each kit, this brilliant baker gal is whipping up special recipes to go with each Party Kit Theme. It’s going to be one creative, tasty adventure and we want you along for the ride!
Click on the image below to Vote for our Blue Baby and Parisian Party Mod Party Kits in the Baby and Bridal Categories of this year’s Stationary Trends Magazine Awards! Round One voting is open until March 19th.
