This beautiful, bunny-inspired baby shower from A Good Affair Wedding & Event Production is just the picture of charm & elegance!

Darling plush bunnies and childhood classics like The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Pat the Bunny, added the perfect dose of baby sweetness to the gorgeous navy & white tablescapes, party decor, and menu at this baby shower. Some of my favorite details include the hand-crafted circle garlands and letters behind the dessert and drink stations, mini strawberry lemonade cream puffs (yum!), and the lovely Chinese Zodiac rabbit motif that adorned everything from the invitations and sugar cookie favors to one of the cakes!

Read on for more charming images & party details…

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PARTY DETAILS, as told by Natalie…

::
“
An elegant baby shower with draped tent and crystal chandelier, complemented with vintage children’s books and stuffed toy rabbits. The navy and gray linens created a sophisticated feel perfect for the adult guests but also celebrating the coming baby boy. The rabbit motif (inspired from the Chinese zodiac) was carried through by the invitations to the décor accents. Hand-cut circle garlands hung as backdrops, along with a clothesline of baby boy clothes. Hand-crafted letters spelled out ‘Sweet Baby’ behind the sweets station. Tables were set with full china, silverware and glassware – complete with a floral centerpieces of café au lait dahlias, hydrangea, dusty miller, blush lisianthus and tulips.

Guests nibbled on a Chinese Chicken Salad and a Pear and Walnut Salad accompanied by a Turkey and Avocado Croissant Sandwich, Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap, and Greek Chicken and Feta Wraps, followed by a dessert buffet of cakes, mini strawberry lemonade cream puffs, French macaroons, and blue heart-shaped sugar cookies dipped in white chocolate. They sipped on refreshing fruited water, lemonade and iced tea. Guests guessed the number of baby socks in a jar and played the ‘don’t say ‘Baby’ game during the shower. Guests took home delicious hand decorated sugar cookies with the lucky rabbit design.”

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VENDOR CREDITS & RESOURCES:

– 
Event Coordination & Design: A Good Affair Wedding & Event Production
– 
Photography: Luminaire Images
– 
Tenting, Chandelier, Tables, & Chairs: Create-A-Party Rentals
– 
Balloons: Balloons Sound Great
– 
Cakes & Desserts: Simply Sweet Cakery
– 
Catering: Jay’s Catering
– 
Linens: Santana’s Party Rentals
– 
Florals: A Good Affair Wedding & Event Production
– 
Additional Décor: A Good Affair Wedding & Event Production
– All Paper Goods: Darla Marie Designs
– Favors: Simply Sweet Cakery

Hostess with the Mostess®

Today we’re getting ready for Cupid’s holiday with a luscious Valentine’s Day dessert that will melt your heart!  Carrie Sellman here from Half Baked – excited to share my very first post as a new guest contributor on Hostess Blog!

Crème Brulee is one of those decadent desserts definitely worthy of a special occasion.  Most think it’s an indulgence only to be enjoyed at a fine restaurant, but it’s actually fairly simple to make at home.  It only has 4 ingredients!  Topped with a caramelized sugar heart, these mini crème brulees would have cupid himself swooning.  As your spoon cracks through the delicate sugar crust to reveal the silky smooth cream beneath, this is one heart you won’t mind breaking this Valentine’s Day.

Read on for this lovely Crème Brulee recipe…   

CUPID’S CREME BRULEE

Serves 12

REQUIRED SUPPLIES:
– Silicon Heart Baking Mold (Target Dollar Spot)
– 12 (3-ounce) Ramekins
– Baker’s Torch (optional)

INGREDIENTS:
– 1 quart heavy cream
– 1 vanilla bean
– 1/2 cup sugar
– 6 egg yolks

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FOR THE CUSTARD

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Using a knife, split vanilla bean in half lengthwise.  Scrape out all of the little seeds from the inside of the bean.  Heat cream, vanilla bean and seeds in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes.  Remove vanilla bean pod.

Whisk egg yolks and sugar until well blended.  It will be slightly lighter in color.  Using a ladle, add a small amount of the cream mixture to the eggs, stirring constantly.  Gradually add another ladle of cream while stirring.  Repeat until all of the cream has been added.  Pour mixture through a strainer into a large measuring cup to remove any unwanted pieces of egg.  Pour mixture into 12 (3-ounce) ramekins.  Set ramekins in a large roasting pan and place on oven shelf.  Pour hot water into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.  Bake until the custard is set but still still trembles in the center when shaken, 30 to 35 minutes.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate ramekins for 2 hours (or up to 3 days).

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FOR THE SUGAR HEARTS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place your silicon heart baking mold onto a cookie tray.  Fill each heart-shaped opening with 1 1/2 tsp of sugar.  Give the tray a shake to even out sugar.  Bake in oven for 13 to 14 minutes, rotating pan every 3 minutes, until sugar has completely melted and is a light amber color.  Watch carefully to prevent sugar from burning and getting too dark.  Remove from oven and cool completely.  Carefully, pop each sugar heart out of the mold.

Store finished sugar hearts in a single layer, in a ziplock bag, until ready to use.  These can be made several days in advance.

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TO ASSEMBLE:
Top each custard-filled ramekin with a sugar heart.  Sprinkle an additional 1/2 tsp of sugar over each ramekin.  Using a baker’s torch, melt the sugar to form a smooth, solid surface.  There is no need to caramelize the sugar much since the heart is already a nice amber color.  Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

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TIPS:
If you don’t have a baker’s torch, place the ramekins under a broiler to melt the sugar.  While not the same, a broiler will do the trick.  Placing the custard cups into the freezer for 15 minutes prior to broiling will help keep the final dish cold.  But really, a torch is way more fun!  Just be careful… it is fire!

*****

Hostess with the Mostess®

Here we go with the latest round of Party of 5 picks from our HWTM.com members! This round of parties ranges from the most adorable Rustic Valentine’s Day Cookie Decorating Party to a ridiculously cute & clever “Meet and Eat” Baby Shower (for those that want to kick the “Sip & See” idea up a notch!). Just click on a party title or collage to check out the full album & details…

1. A Rustic Valentine’s by Petite Social (pictured at top)

2. {Isn’t She Sweet} Meet & Eat Baby Shower by Million Dollar $mile Celebrations

3. Sweet Valentine’s Day Party by Bird’s Party

4. Picnic In Paris Baby Shower by Little Pear

5. BE MINE Valentine’s Day by Party On! Designs

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P.S. Are you a member of the new Social Community at HWTM.com yet?
Click here to sign up for your FREE membership and join the party today! Browse tons of party inspiration, bookmark/save your favorite ideas into organized sets, share photos, find vendors, connect with other creatives, and lots more. Hope to see you there! :)

Hostess with the Mostess®

The lovely Tori Tait from Thoughtfully Simple created such a bright, happy celebration for her sister-in-law’s engagement soirée! (Pretty lucky to get a party stylist for your sister-in-law, right?!) Everything about this party just looks like a blast… but let’s start with the fun signature drinks, shall we, which included a creative Champagne & ROCK CANDY cocktail and a bubbly Vodka Orange Club garnished with a cute stripey straw & jelly candy orange slice!

Aside from the fun fizzy drinks, some of my favorite elements from this party include the giant initials wrapped in yarn, cool chevron + polka dot paper elements, and the beautiful flowers that seem to be blossoming everywhere – from champagne flutes and table centerpieces to pretty mason jars hanging from shepherd hooks. I’m especially loving the dessert table though – it had such a clean, modern look and featured fabulous DIY Dessert Stands made from candlesticks + wood plaques + spray paint!

Read on for lots more fun party pictures + creative details & resources…

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PARTY DETAILS, as told by Tori...

::
“This engagement party was extra special (and fun!) to plan because it was celebrating the engagement of my sister in law and brother in law to-be (C+D)! The first step was coming up with a theme and a color palette. The bride to be wanted a classy, yet whimsical cocktail party and envisioned black with a ‘pop’ of orange and pink – so I ran with it!

Once I had the concept in my head, I turned to my favorite designer, Kori of Paper and Pigtails to create an invite that would incorporate a custom pattern which we could use not only on the invite, but throughout all of the paper elements at the party. She created a chevron with a polka dot ‘twist’ which I just loved! It was on the reverse side of the invite and was such a whimsical surprise – it really set the tone of the whole event.

A key to a gorgeous event is finding the right space and this venue was just stunning. A friend of the couple offered their home (thanks Chuck & Michelle!) and it was such a great backdrop to work with. We strung market lights which illuminated the outdoor space just beautifully at night.

The main décor element of the party were the florals that really ‘popped’ right off the all black tables. I ordered all of the flowers from our local farmers’ market (such a great way to support local growers and to save money!) and arranged them in black, square Blumeboxes. The flowers served as centerpieces on all the outdoor tables as well as indoors, in the entry way and also on the front door on a simple wreath I made.

For food, servers tray passed appetizers like Dirty Martini Skewers, Spinach and Feta Pastries, Caprese Meatballs, Sliders with Chipotle Mayo and Fries with Spicy Ketchup – all a huge hit! For drinks, the bartender mixed up signature sips like Champagne Cocktails (with hot pink rock candy) and 50/50 Bar Vodka Tonics (adorned with a candy orange slice of course).

The dessert table was filled with sweets that matched the party theme perfectly! The custom sugar cookies and the fondant cupcake toppers all incorporated our custom pattern. As well as the paper cones filled with Strawberry Jalapeno cotton candy (yum). My favorite dessert was the delicious cake (orange cake drizzled with Midori and filled with tangerine mouse – OH MY). All of the dessert stands were made with pieces of wood from Michael’s and candlestick holders of different sizes, spray painted a glossy black and attached with Glue Dots — so simple!”

*****

VENDOR CREDITS:

– Event Styling: Thoughtfully Simple
– Invitations & Paper Elements: Paper and Pigtails
– Party Rentals: Allies
– Vases for Centerpieces:  Blumebox
– Cupcake Toppers & Sugar Flowers:  Edible Details
– Sugar Cookies: Allyson Jane
– Candy: Candy Warehouse
– Gourmet Cotton Candy: Daily Grommet
– Cake: Jodees Bakery

Hostess with the Mostess®

Getting excited for the Super Bowl this weekend? Me too… and there’s so much to look forward to between the Big Game itself, the (hopefully very funny) commercials, Madonna’s half time show, and of course the yummy FOOD & drinks! And speaking of game-day-appropriate-deliciousness, Esther of Batch from Scratch is here with a festive beer & pretzel inspired brownie recipe, complete with homemade butterscotch ganache. Gotta love combos of salty & sweet!

GUINNESS STOUT BROWNIE PRETZEL BARS

By Esther Kang of Batch from Scratch

FOR THE BROWNIES:

Ingredients:
– 4 oz Bittersweet Chocolate
– 8 oz Butter
– 1 Egg
– 3/4 cup Sugar
– 
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
– 
1/4 cup Cocoa
– 1 1/4 cup Flour
– 1/2 tsp Salt
– 
2 tsp Vanilla
– 1 cup Guinness
– 
8 oz Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Instructions:
1.    melt 4 oz bittersweet chocolate & butter (in microwave or double boiler)
2.    beat egg, sugar and brown sugar for 3 minutes
3.    while eggs & sugar are mixing, mix dry ingredients: cocoa, flour, salt
4.    add melted chocolate to egg mixture
5.    mix in dry ingredients
6.    add vanilla and beer until incorporated
7.    pour into pan, then sprinkle semi-sweet chocolate on top of the batter
8.    bake at 350 for 35 minutes until knife comes out clean

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FOR THE BUTTERSCOTCH GANACHE:

Ingredients:
– 3.5 oz Butterscotch
– 
2.5 oz White Chocolate Chips
– 1.4 oz Heavy Cream

Instructions:
1.    combine butterscotch, white chocolate and heavy cream in a small bowl
2.    microwave in 30 second increments, stir until melted and smooth

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FOR THE TOPPING:

Ingredients:
– 1/3 cup Crushed Pretzels
– Flakey Sea Salt  (maldon salt works well)

Instructions:
1.    top baked stout brownies with ganache
2.    refrigerate until firm, cut and serve
3.    top each piece with crushed pretzels and flakey sea salt

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ENJOY!

Hostess with the Mostess®

I’m loving every delicious detail in this gorgeous OWL THEMED BABY SHOWER from Paiges of Style!

Paige created this baby shower for a longtime friend and – in keeping the taste of the guest of honor in mind – noted that she was going for a “girly, vintage Anthropologie feel” with the design. I’d say she accomplished that vibe beautifully! From the cool vintage rentals (why hello, fabulous dresser pictured above!) and wonderfully eclectic mix of party decor to the beautifully styled food and paper details, the result was one very sweet & feminine celebration, adorned with some truly adorable little owls of course… like this one for example:

Read on for LOTS more pretty party pictures + complete creative details and resources…

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PARTY DETAILS, as told by Paige…

::
“A longtime girlfriend of mine, who is the epitome of all things girly, was expecting her own sweet little girl and I knew her shower had to be just perfect and prissy. I decided to mimic the nursery, which was centered around owls and the colors pink and green. She was so thrilled with the outcome – and with the addition of some of my darling owl finds to add to her nursery!

The vibe I was going for was a girly, vintage Anthropologie feel using ticking, lace, and lots of gorgeous flowers. The incredible vintage rentals from Melissa of Pow Wow Vintage Rentals coupled with furniture from my daughter’s room set the stage for a lovely lunch. My husband always had a good laugh at the amount of furniture that leaves our house for every party, or maybe it was a grunt :)

I wanted to create the feeling of a chandelier above the dining table to give it a more formal feel. We hung tissue poms in varying shades of pink from wreaths that my husband hung above the tables using heavy gauge fishing line. I sewed the individual burlap table runners and added the green pom pom trim to add texture and layered vintage dinnerware from Pow Wow Vintage Rentals with hot pink ticking stripe napkins that I sewed.

We kept the flowers simple by using only one type of flower per vase, this kept it easy and I didn’t have to pay a florist for expensive arrangements.

The food was light, simple and summery with the star being the chicken BLT sandwiches, yum! And the desserts were really the hit of the shower. The darling cake pops by Kris of KCreative were so sweet and perfectly matched the paper goods I created. They sat so sweetly in their little nests perched on the feather wreath. Other goodies were the individual peach cobblers, the sugar cookies by Baked and the sweet lemon cake topped with a sugar peony created by Modern Luxe Events.

Last but not least, the party favor of a beautiful headband was such a hit among everyone in attendance. My girlfriend is the owner of a beautiful headband and accessories company called True Birds and I knew every guest would love to own of these gems.”

*****

VENDOR CREDITS:

– Party Styling, Paper Goods, & Flowers: Paiges of Style
– Photograph: Nicole Benitez Photography
– Vintage Rentals: Pow Wow Vintage Rentals
– Cake Pops: KCreative
– Sugar Cookies: Baked
– Edible Peony: Modern Luxe Events

Hostess with the Mostess®

Hope you’re ready to get your sweet tooth on, because our SWEET SHOPPE Valentine’s Day Party is all about confection perfection!  Maureen Anders here (of Anders Ruff Custom Designs) – and I’m thrilled to be posting for the very first time as a guest contributor on the fabulous Hostess Blog!  I knew my first post had to be full of eye candy, and what sweeter occasion to start with than the one that’s right around the corner…

Valentine’s Day is meant to consist of all things sweet, and just so happens to be the perfect excuse to combine pretty parlor sweets + hearts + pink and red hues + precious kiddos… which is exactly what we did to come up with this festive, Sweet Shoppe themed Valentine celebration!

Some of my favorite elements from this theme include the Sweets Parlor Room adorned with a handmade scalloped awning for an authentic retro vibe, refurbished parlor chairs (heart shaped to boot!), boutique hat box displays with rik rak embellishment, and cotton candy waffle cones.  And for the icing on the cake: a fresh new Sweet Valentine’s Day printable collection!

Feeling that sweet tooth kick in yet? Good! Read on for more candylicious images + party details…

The Sweet Valentine’s Day printables shown throughout this party are available right here in the Anders Ruff etsy shop.  They are currently on sale and include over 35 pages of printable graphic sweetness for Valentine’s Day and throughout the year!

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PARTY DETAILS…

::
TABLE DECOR
With our fresh new printable collection being “sweet” themed, we immediately knew that we had to set up a mock parlor for the styled photo shoot.  I had been wanting to use a parlor awning for a long time.  Morgan (Made by Morgan) is our seamstress for many of of our shoots, and sewed up the perfect combo of pink stripes for the awning over the dessert table.

To give the table a parlor / boutique feel, we displayed all of our desserts on upside down hat boxes on top of red cake stands (remember these from our Christmas Cookie Exchange shoot?).  To make it even more appealing to the eyes, we lined the trim of each of the hat boxes with light pink rik rak to give the illusion of cupcake wrappers.

The focal point was the fabulous and whimsical over-sized cupcake cake (courtesy of Got What It Cakes), which is an exact replica of our graphics   The cupcake cake was placed on a tiered stack of the red hat boxes with the rik rak trim (which gave the illusion of a massive cake).  Parlor glassware (various sizes), and ice cream/waffle cones were used to hold sweets and kept with the sweet shoppe parlor feel.  We used floral styrofoam inside the hat boxes as an anchor to stick the treats into.  The vessels were then filled with floral foam balls that are decorative and gave the feel of  a pool of sprinkles. Chocolate bars were wrapped in pink tissue (instead of being kept in their dark brown wrapper) and then adorned with our printable chocolate bar wrapper.  Our flat party labels adorned the fronts of the hat boxes with custom text to denote the sweet.  The front of the table rocked a “Sweet Love” banner in a scallop shape from the printable collection.

The children’s table was a vintage bistro table with heart backed parlor chairs that we refurbished (spray painted).  The parlor table was embellished with many printable graphics which included: printable coloring page placemats, cootie-catchers, soda pops with label and paper straw, cupcake sundaes with label and wooden spoon, and bowls of various chocolate (M&M’S, Hershey’s KISSES and mini candy bars).  The parlor table had a centerpiece of cupcakes and favors.  Mini cupcakes (Cupcrazed Cakery) were displayed along with the printable heart favor box in the center.

The children wrote out their valentines using the printables from the collection and colored their placemats.  They had a blast playing with the cootie catcher (a hit from last year’s “I Heart Valentine’s Day” collection).  An ice cream container favor box (Polka Dot Market) was dressed up with a tissue pom (Nashville Wraps), printable label and rik rak scallopy trim.  Again, we kept the major elements consistent throughout the entire party.

FASHION
Fashion was a must and Made by Morgan rocked our vision by creating an over sized tie and seersucker pans for her son, Ari, and an adorable dress with over sized bow for Bella.  Bella wore a bracelet from Maggie Kate.

DESSERTS
We wanted the desserts to still look like parlor treats while being seasonally appropriate.  What better way than to mock them up using other confections?!

Got What it Cakes made ice cream cake balls displayed in both ice cream cones and waffle bowls.  Cupcrazed Cakery created layered giant cupcake milkshakes in parlor glasses with fondant hearts and sprinkles. Chocolate heart shaped custom lollipops (Firefly Confections) with printable labels were stuck into red hat boxes along with cupcake pops in the shape of cupcakes from (Pop-a-razzi).  All of our treats were embellished with printable logos, labels and tags to dress them up and keep with the theme.

The cupcake cookies were custom designed to match our printable graphics perfectly (Firefly Confections). They were too pretty to just set on a plate so we displayed then sticking out of ice cream parlor glassware with a cotton candy or M&M base to keep them upright for the perfect viewing.

We created the illusion of double scoop mock ice cream cones by using cotton candy in waffle cones.  Fondant hearts finished off the top of the “ice cream” and ribbon with printable party logo on front of cone.

Regular candy bars were wrapped in pink tissue paper (Nashville Wraps), and then with our printable wrapper.  Rewrapping the chocolate bars in pink tissue helped keep the colors consistent instead of using the dark brown chocolate bar wrapper that comes standard.  The chocolate bars were lined up on table on either side of the cake (tip: we used meringue cookies behind each chocolate bar to prop them up for better angles)

On the bistro table, we layered M&M’S in a glass sundae bowl and topped it off with Hershey’s KISSES (labeled with circular labels at the bottom) and  Hershey’s mini chocolate bars (with printable candy bar wrappers).  Drink wraps were used to embellish vintage soda bottles (My Little Love) filled with red soda pop.  Red/white striped paper straws (My Little Love) were stuck into the red soda bottles and cupcake milkshakes with a printable flag embellishment and rik rak decor to hold the spoon beside the glass.

The children had a blast and were interested in every little detail of the party.  Our printable collection shown is available in our shop here.  The collection includes Valentine’s specific graphics as well as more general designs so that they could be used year round.  Stay tuned for the birthday “sweet shop” version of this sweet collection.

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VENDOR CREDITS:
– Production & Event Styling: Anders Ruff
– Printable Graphic Decor Collection: Anders Ruff
– Photography: Becca Bond Photography
– Handmade Dress, Pants & Tie: Made by Morgan
– Bracelet: Maggie Kate
– Ice Cream Containers: Polka Dot Market
– Glass Beverage Bottles: Shop Sweet Lulu
– Red & White Paper Straws: My Little Love
– Label Material for Printables: OnlineLabels.com
– Tissue Paper and Trims: Nashville Wraps
– Cake, Ice Cream Cone Cake Pops, Cruffles: Got What It Cakes
– Cupcake Sundaes & Mini Cupcakes: Cupcrazed Cakery
– Cupcake Cake Pops: Pop-a-razzi
– Sugar Cookies & Chocolate Heart Lollis: Firefly Confections
– Lollipops: Candy Warehouse

Hostess with the Mostess®

So………I’m LIKE, totally so excited to share this RAD dessert table with you! *wink* All pun aside though, this Saved by the Bell inspired Bayside High School “Detention Desserts” Table from Million Dollar $mile Celebrations really IS pretty dang awesome!

Gotta love a clever & creative theme, and from Kelly “Kup”owski cupcakes to Screech on a Stick marshmallow pops, this one definitely fits the bill “bell“. Don’t miss the strategically placed AC Slater dumbbell, sneaker sugar cookies, or $15 retro television “cupcake stand” either! P.S. Apparently the candy push pops are “so excited” too… and I’m pretty stoked on how they’re displayed in textbooks! See below ;)

For more totally awesome pics and complete party details from Nicole check out the full Saved by the Bell Dessert Table album on hwtm.com. It’s too much fun! ;)

Hostess with the Mostess®

If you have a special little girl in your life that loves to dress up and is already showing a flair for fashion, this new surprise giveaway is especially for you!

Kari from Style Paige is generously offering up one of her company’s super cute & creative Shailie® Starter Kits, which retails at $129.99 and comes with everything you need to DESIGN YOUR OWN FASHIONS (sized for girls ages 6-13), including a Life Size Dress Form, Shailie Base Skirt and Top , Shailie Closet, and Shailie Starter Dress. What girl wouldn’t love designing and playing in her own dress-up creations, right?!  This would actually be a fun party activity too!

About Shailie®
Shailie was created when Kari couldn’t find toys for her daughter that inspired the same creative energy for girls that her sons’ toys did for boys.  Shailie includes dress-up components for girls to design, create, wear… and then switch it up and do it again!  Girls can mix and match to create endless looks on their very own life size designer dress form – no sewing required!

Added bonus for ALL readers: get 30% OFF your entire order at www.shailie.com – now through February 5th – with the coupon code HOSTESS 30.

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HOW TO ENTER:

::• Post a comment below, mentioning who you’d love to gift the Shailie Starter Kit to, or which Shailie product you like best!

• Giveaway ends Monday, February 6th at midnight PST. The winner will be chosen RANDOMLY and announced here after they’ve been notified and accepted the prize. Good luck! :)

Hostess with the Mostess®

“Bee” prepared to be wowed by the BEE-utiful details of this charming Honey & Bee themed 2nd birthday party styled by Liz Archard from The Papered Nest!  The yellow, white and gray color palette of this super sweet party works wonderfully to convey the delightful innocence of a two-year old while adding an enchanting vintage vibe.

Liz was certainly a busy little bee preparing for this party. She used an abundant amount of handmade decorations including gorgeous homemade paper rosettes, decorative paper fans, hand-dyed doilies, DIY wooden cupcake stands and more. (Don’t miss the patterned cake pop sticks too…LOVE them!)

KEEP READING, honey…You’ll be buzzing for weeks when you see all of the bee-licious details Liz used to transform her yard into a stunning paradise for any bee lover. Warning: You may experience a breakout of hives from all of the sticky-sweet charm.

*****

PARTY DETAILS, as told by Liz…

INSPIRATION
I chose a Honey & Bee theme for my daughter’s 2nd birthday because ‘bee’ was one of her first words (other than names!). I decided on a Yellow, Grey and white color theme because I felt these color gave the party a soft vintage feel. After the 2 hardest (but fun!) decisions were made I started collecting goodies for months before the party!

DECOR
It was a hot summer’s day so we set the party up outside. By using Honey & Bee elements I transformed our front yard into a Bees’ paradise! I tried to look at the yard as a whole as well as make features out of the food tables. Using compostable hexagon plates which I painted yellow, white and left some natural, I made a honey comb pattern that climbed the boundary walls. I also made bees from kraft circles and dyed doiles with trails made from stickers which I placed amoungst the honeycomb backdrop. I framed 3 of these behind the savoury food table to highlight the theme.

FOOD
I set up 3 tables, sweets, savouries & drinks. On the savoury table we had a honey tasting station as well as some honey and cheese pairings – there were a variety of ‘vesels’ to consume the honey along with kid friendly snacks, like fruit, popcorn & bite sized cheese. I anchored the back of this table with a vintage window I have had for years, decorated with some paper fans and handmade paper rosettes.

DESSERTS
I used the hutch from my daughter’s room on the sweets table to help display all the yummy treats. Where possible I tied the food together by sticking to either the honey/bee theme or the color scheme. Some treats included chocolate covered oreos with a honeycomb pattern, choc covered honeycomb, honey flavored rock candy, coconut cupcakes with honeycomb fondant toppers and sugar bees. My Mum helped me bake the beehive birthday cake and we topped it with a filagree number 2 lollipop. I displayed some of the cupcakes on mini wooden cupcake stands and dotted them around the table. I found wooden letters to spell out ‘honey bee’ and a vintage honey sign in the months before the party, so used these to help set the dessert table. I used more of the handmade paper rosettes and doilies to decorate this table also.

BEVERAGES
I kept the drink table simple by just displaying all the glasses beside a beehive beverage dispenser. I used square Mason Jars with pewter stamped lids for the kids and the larger ball glasses for the adults. I decorated them with drink kits from our Etsy store (ThePaperedNest). In keeping with the Honey & Bee theme we served a Bees Kness cocktail and an assortment of Honey beers.

ACTIVITIES
Because this was a party for a 2 year old and her friends I wanted some specifically kid only areas – the little ones seem to love that! So I used our umbrella with a misquito net to create a hive like area for the kids, where they could find toys, an easel and a bench wth activities. Each child got a bucket with a felt bee hat and activity inside. The activity was a wooden beehive cut-out which I painted yellow and sheets of stickers to decorate with – stickers seem to be an easy and entertaining activity for 2 year olds! The kids loved buzzing around in their bee hats! I also used these same cut-outs with the food labels on the tables.

PARTY FAVORS
There were favors for the Children and adults, the kids got a wooden honey pot and dipper along with some honeysticks, while the adults got a beeswax candle in place of the wooden honeypot. I used the kraft favor bag kits from our store which I decorated with a honeycomb patterned paper.

We all had a great day/night celebrating with family and friends & I had such a great time during the planning!

VENDOR CREDITS
- Photography: Lynn Wilson of It Just Clicks Photography
- Paper straws, twine, tags, food labels, ribbon, hand dyed doilies, favor bags, drinking jars & lids, patterned cake pop sticks, cupcake liners, cupcake toppers & the mini wooden cupcake stands: The Papered Nest
- Chocolate covered Oreos: The Chocolate Box
- Sugar bees: Baker’s Bling 
- Honeycomb Fondant Toppers: TwoSugarBabies
- Number 2 filagree lollipop: Vintage Confections 
- Bee Raw Jars of Honey: Baker & Olive
- Wooden Beehive cutouts: Craft Parts
- Honey Sticks: HoneyRunFarm

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Hostess with the Mostess®