Two Infinity and Beyond - A Buzz Lightyear / Pizza Planet Second Birthday

Hey there princess!

My son recently turned two (how time flies!) and we threw him a super fun second birthday party. Right now, everything has been all about Toy Story, so "Two Infinity and Beyond seemed like the perfect theme!

I had my husband dress up like a Pizza Planet truck driver, and even bought custom boxes from Etsy so that it looked like he was bringing us pizza straight from the movie. In reality, he did a quick flip with some Dominos that he brought home, but this was such a fun way to connect the theme with the food. He was such a good sport!

I found these incredible balloons off of Etsy, and my mom sourced two Toy Story popcorn buckets (the alien is from Disney World and the vending machine one is from TokyoDisney). I think they were both really cool, and are also great keepsakes for Davy. 

She also got a M&M rocket vending machine from FAO Schwartz that was a huge hit! We have kept it in our kitchen, and it is safe to say that our M&M intake has really gone up. Paper plates, cups, and napkins all came from Amazon. 

Sometimes it's the simplest things that are the most fun! Pizza is such a crowd pleaser for everyone, and we had tons of fun just chatting and watching Toy Story on TV. I am so in love with these popcorn buckets that my mom found. I am using them as decoration in my son's room now and they are an endless source of joy! 

I got all of the tablecloths for this event from Target. The yellow and white ones are from three years ago, and the blue and green one is from this past summer. I made these watermelon jello cups with little google eyes glued to the outside of the cup so that they look like the green aliens from the movie. They were super cute! 

Can you tell I'm obsessed with the aliens? My mom made these amazing alien cookies using a Martha Stewart sugar cookie recipe from the late 80's. They were to die for!!! Also, if you look behind the cookie,   I put a bunch of green lanterns that I glued white eyeballs to in the background. They were all over the house! I loved them! 

I hope you enjoyed this peek at my little birthday celebration for my son. We had so much fun!

Sparkle on!

A Casual Tiki Birthday Dinner

Hey there princess!

Recently, I hosted a tiki-themed birthday dinner for my sister at my home. We had such a nice time cooking kabobs on the grill, and eating lots of fresh fruit! The weather cooperated beautifully, and we were able to eat in the backyard with all of the beautiful roses. 

I love having any opportunity to celebrate others, and if you remember my tiki party from 2020, you will see a lot of the same decoration used here! We added the monstera leaf tablecloth, some tiki straws, and toothpicks into the mix just to freshen things up. 

At the start of the party, every guest got a lai and a Pina colada mocktail with a little umbrella in it. The perfect thing for a hot day! I love immersing guests in the theme of the event, and giving them something fun to enjoy throughout the party. 

For the dinner setup, I used my absolute favorite dishes from Anthropologie along with some placemats from Hobby Lobby and the cutest tiki salt and pepper shakers, also from Hobby Lobby.

I just loved eating outside with my roses all in bloom! The evening air was just cooling things off, and even though you can't smell through the internet, trust me when I say that the grill was giving off the most mouth-watering aroma. I loved having my husband and brother manning the cooking duties - they did a great job!

Here is my little half-drunk virgin Pina colada. I absolutely love these glasses that I got from Amazon several years ago. They stay in my cabinet and I use them all the time! I always think it is smart to invest in things that bring you joy! 

Entertaining for family is always a highlight for me and I am so grateful to have opportunities to celebrate life with the people that I love. 

As far as party theming - what are y'all planning this summer? I would love any party ideas you may have!

Sparkle on!

 

Davy's First Rodeo - How the West Was One

 Hey there princess!

This past weekend, we held my little boy's first birthday party at our home. I started planning his first birthday party the second I knew I was having a little boy. Since we live in Texas, and my little boy's name is Davy (like Davy Crockett) I thought a rodeo theme would be absolutely perfect. We had such an amazing time, and I am so excited to be able to share all of the details!

If you've been following me and my parties, you'll know that my top tip is to recycle party themes year after year. Luckily for me, I hosted a homecoming party that had a rodeo theme about 6 or 7 years ago, and I also cohosted a bridal shower with a Texas theme about 5 years ago. I invested in some nice items for those parties, like mason jar drink dispensers, an ice bucket, a beverage tub, and several platters and trays. I used these items as a jumping off point for this first birthday party, and spent several months collecting new items to make this event special and unique. 

One of the new additions to my western collection was this table square that my mom made for the party. We found this incredibly cute fabric with little cowboys on it and paired it with a red gingham accent fabric. My mom graciously sewed the table square for me (since sewing is not my gift, but she is great at it!), and I think it really is such a show-stopper! Personal touches like these can really elevate a party, and now I have a beautiful piece with a sentimental story that I can use in future parties!

This table is where guests set their gifts, and it also held Davy's baby book that everyone could look through and enjoy all of the memories from our first year with him. 

The weather on the day of the party was a little chillier and windier than expected, so we brought all of the decor and lunch table inside and set up in our living room. I absolutely loved the banner that we attached to Davy's highchair. This was handmade by an Etsy seller, and is so adorable! I was incredibly impressed, and I was able to get a few windswept photos of Davy in the garden. 

Another one of my favorite decorations was a banner that I purchased off of Etsy (link here) where I was able to put all of the photos of Davy that I took each month together so that everyone could see how much he had grown over the year! It was amazing to see, and I am so grateful that I took those pictures even though it was super hard sometimes with a wiggly little baby. I plan on keeping the banner up all month so that I can enjoy it and the photos of my little boy.

Headed back to the kitchen table, I made Dr Pepper floats for everyone since they are always a crowd pleaser. It is also a little nod to our wedding reception which was held at the Dr Pepper museum in Waco and we served our guests floats from their soda fountain. To help these feel a little more festive, I added silly straws that I found on Amazon (link here) and also had these adorable western cocktail napkins from my mom. 

Also on this table, I put this really fun art print that I purchased from Etsy (link here) that I will be hanging in Davy's room later this week. I love the quote, I love that it is from Davy Crockett, and I love that it can hang in his room as a reminder of this fun day! Another fun piece of table decor is this kid's cowboy hat that I found on Amazon (link here). This was a fun thing to have Davy wear later in the day until he was totally over it. 

Now for the real focus of any party - the food! We had Rudy's cater meat, corn on the cob, and beans and I made macaroni and cheese, marshmallow popcorn, dip in a bread, Dr Pepper cake, cowboy cookies, and firecracker Cheez-its. I also purchased chips, watermelon, lemonade, Chicken Express sweet tea, and bottled drinks to supplement everything. Now, there weren't tons of people at this party, but I am a big believer in it being better to have too much than not enough.

Also, I have to call out a few of the serving pieces in the above photo, because I love them! The striped bowl is from Happy Everything by Coton Colors (linked here) and the Texas attachment is detachable (linked here). I received the bowl as a gift several years ago and it is one of the most used items in my home. I have different attachments for each season, and it is always out on my counter. Inside the bowl I have Mallow Magic popcorn - if you've never had it trust me... it is delicious - with cowboy sprinkles.

Peeking behind the bowl is a tiered galvanized metal stand that I borrowed from my mom (link here). On it, I stacked some firecracker Cheez-its that I whipped up (a family favorite), cowboy cookies, rice Krispy treats, star shaped cheese crackers, and Dr Pepper cake. Instead of having a single flavor of birthday cake, I thought it might be a nice change of pace to have a few different dessert options. If you're interested in recipes - let me know!

Next to all of the snack-esque items I had the sides for everyone to choose from as well as the barbecue. Rudy's is always a crowd pleaser, and it makes great leftovers! I also made baked macaroni and cheese for the first time from a Stovetop Kisses recipe that I found online (click for recipe). It was incredible! There was something for everyone with this meal, and I was so pleased with how it all turned out. 

Also, I had these paper napkins custom made on Etsy, and they turned out so cute (link here)!! I was so thrilled with this entire spread, and it was a big crowd pleaser. 

It isn't a party without a nice drink set-up. In my family, sweet tea is an absolute requirement. Typically, I would make the sweet tea myself, but in the interest of saving time and reducing stress, I bought a couple of gallons of tea from Chicken Express. If I'm totally honest, I think their tea is the absolute best, and it has been such a treat to drink it throughout the week in the afternoons. 

Both of the drink dispensers are from Target, as is the beverage tub. I purchased them probably about six years ago, but I am sure that there is something similar available now! Below the drink dispensers I put down some red and white gingham wax paper that I found on Amazon for a pop of color (link here). The bucking bronco kitchen towel is from Etsy and I absolutely love the retro-look of the image (link here).

The big plus side of eating in the living room was that we could keep watching the Davy Crockett movie while we ate. The napkin rings are from Arthur Court and were a Christmas gift from my husband along with the cowboy napkins. The plates that I used are enamelware from Amazon and they were so fun and western-feeling (link here). There in the middle of the table is my family's favorite guilty-pleasure treat - dip in a bread. I am not sure if this is a popular dish for other people, but if you're interested in the recipe, please let me know and I will share it!

Here is an up-close look at the table, and my most favorite little detail! Instead of placards, I had custom bandanas made with everyone's name embroidered on them. I thought these made such great party favors, and was so incredibly pleased with how they came out (link here)!

After everyone had their fill of lunch, we made our way to the backyard where thankfully things had warmed up and it was time for cake! My mom had the cutest custom cake topper made and I bought a classic sprinkle cake from HEB for Davy to smash and enjoy. We changed him out of his nice clothes and put him into an oversized shirt that my parents got him on a recent trip to the Alamo and he dug in!

At first, he wasn't totally sure about what to do with the cake, but once he got started he loved it! 

My heart is totally bursting! These are such happy and cherished memories and I am so grateful for my sweet one year old boy!

At the end of the day, the most important thing to keep in mind when hosting a party is the people that you are hosting it for. From the music to the food to the entertainment, everything should be catered to the people on your guest list. For me, this party was the perfect blend of casual and creative. Not every moment will be Pinterest perfect. Naps will be thrown off and messes will be made, but at the end of the day everyone had a great time and that is what is most important! 

Sparkle on!

Pink and Orange - This Summer's Ultimate Color Combination

Hey there princess!

Spring is in full swing, and I am loving seeing all of the new items hit the fashion scene. One trend that I have been so happy to see is the return of the pink/orange color combo. 

I remember when I first went to a 6 week camp in Pennsylvania away from my home here in Texas when I was about 15 I decorated my whole dorm room in pink and orange and it was a huge source of joy! When I went off to college in 2008, I once again decked my dorm room out in pink and orange and loved hanging out in all of my colorful fabulousness. 

Below are some of the fun things that I have spotted online in this fun and bright combination. Please enjoy and share where you are finding great summer finds in the comment section! The brighter the better!

 

Lilly Pulitzer Sleeveless Floral Shift from Belk $198.00

Gianni Bini x Venita Aspen Amena Sandals $118 

Trina Turk Coco Sleveless Dress $248

Brandon Maxwell dress from Neiman Marcus $6,995

Malibu Mindset Midi Dress $108

J. McLaughlin Dorte Dress in Parisian Pergola $228

J. Crew Button-up Beach Shirt $110

Brandon Maxwell Ombre Dress from Neiman Marcus $2,295

52seven Women's Elbow Sleeve Shirtdress from Belk $94

Maggy London Donna Morgan Constance Dress $98

Gianni Bini x Venita Aspen Aria Crepe Dress $209

Dhaka Print Metallic Trim Dress from Tuckernut $430

Rickie Freeman for Teri Jon Pleated Shirtdress from Neiman Marcus $610

Jeffrey Campbell Sandals from Anthropologie $130 

Ronny Kobo Sabra Sleveless Dress from Neiman Marcus $498

No Time To Siesta - It's a Baby Shower Fiesta!

 Hey there princess!

If you couldn't already tell - we throw a lot of fiestas in my family! It's always an easy party theme, and who doesn't like Mexican food? Plus, by this time we have tons of decor to go around! 

This past March, my family threw me the absolute best couple's baby shower. This is my first child, and the first grandchild for my parents, and anticipating his arrival was such a fun time in my life. Pregnancy was absolutely awful, and with the end in sight I really enjoyed this party with all of my most favorite people!

If you know me, you know I was absolutely thrilled when I opened up my mail and saw this invitation! It is absolutely gorgeous, and came from Sweet Caroline Design. Caroline's invitations and Christmas cards have been a staple in my life and I love her use of color. This baby shower was held at one of my favorite restaurants, Escalante's, which is also conveniently located right next to my church! Even with my crazy pregnancy nausea, I was able to enjoy my fajitas. 

The shower was held in the party room in the back of the restaurant and our service was incredible. My family brought all of their fiesta decor, and they filled the room with colorful flowers and brightly painted vases. My mom even brought the party piñata that has been sort of the mascot at many of our fiestas over the years. 

One of the best gifts I received from my family was a baby book full of gorgeous illustrations from Over the Moon Gift (you can see it here). We had everyone who attended the shower sign the book so that we could keep the memory for our little boy. I also love this sleeping ceramic man that doubles as a planter/vase. My mom filled it with gorgeous roses that all of the female guests got to take home with them. Now, the sleeping man sits in my kitchen snoozing away in all of his cuteness!

Speaking of gifts, my mom also got these adorable honey pots with dippers and custom labels for guests to take home with them. These are not only precious to look at, but they are super practical! Everyone loves honey and it makes the perfect topping for sopapillas. You can find something similar on Etsy by clicking here.  When selecting a gift to give your guests at the conclusion of your event, I always prefer something that is practical. Either something edible or something that is useful for their daily lives! 

My favorite detail from the event was the tower of hand painted macaroons. These were absolutely gorgeous, and were created by the ever-talented Treney from Indulge Gourmet Desserts (click here for her info). Treney has created beautiful desserts for several of the parties that I have thrown over the years, and I have to say that these are my absolute favorite! During my pregnancy, I was incredibly sick, and one of the few things that would settle my stomach was Sonic's Cherry Limeade. Treney knew about this and created special macaroons that tasted just like them! I couldn't get enough!

Here is an up-close look at these gorgeous macaroons. Treney used inspiration from the shower invitation to decorate them and they absolutely stole the show! They were also a huge hit with my guests who thought they were delicious. 

Here is a photo of part of the party room (and a sneaky peek of my little brother helping with set-up). The room was absolutely perfect, and all of the little pops of color that my family added were just the right touch.

Here is a close-up of one of the floral arrangements that my mom put together for the table. This little donkey is also proudly prancing around my kitchen now! I love being surrounded by things that bring back happy and cherished memories. 

I had tons of fun at this shower, and with only about a month left in my pregnancy it really was the best way to wrap the pre-kid era of my life. I was so happy to spend the afternoon with the most important people in my life and enjoying everyone's company (and enjoying fajitas as well). 

When planning any party, the most important thing is always to keep your guests in the forefront of your mind. We all love events were we can talk, relax, and eat! Don't overthink things, or overcomplicate what is bound to be a fun and fabulous time. 

Also, my top party-planning tip is to keep your theming consistent from party to party. Try to purchase decor that you can reuse and invest in quality pieces. While some people might want to stray away from theming that feels repetitive, I promise that the creative hostess can introduce new elements each time to help things feel creative and new. 

Sparkle on!