Time To Stuff Those Stockings!

As the holidays approach, it's time to start thinking about stocking stuffers! Here are some of our favorites from the shop!

New Etsy Shop!

INTRODUCING PRETTI MINI PARTY GOODS! Click on the pic to go there!www.etsy.com/shop/prettimini

The Glama Pajama Party!

Recipe for one glamorous slumber party:

(7) great girls

(7) super cute matching tees

(1) "bed" table trimmed in hot pink, B&W, and zebra print

(1) karaoke machine w/fab "tween" pop tunes

(1) great mom to run the show!

Add some boas, feathers, tull pom poms, glow-in-the-dark bracelets, pizza, and cake

Mix together with giggles, fun, and games!

   (Recipe guaranteed to make one night of fabulous fun! Sleep optional.)

Wish I could have attended this one! This job was just a design and set up for me, as I was on vacation the date of the party.  So I set up the week before the party and photographed some of the details.  The birthday girl thanked me about 10 times and said it was going to be her best birthday ever. Can't ask for a better compliment than that!

Milk bottles get a kick with striped paper straws from Greenmunch. Ribbon wrapped napkins were personalized with cute stickers from Chickabug.

    Place setting.

Glama Pajama Party take home goodies! I had these tee shirts custom made by a great local place called ES Printwear. Thanks, Tricia, for such a great job!

Hand made tull pom pom and feather centerpieces adorned the table.

My inspiration for the bed table came from a few really cute ones I saw on Hostess With The Mostess. I just LOVE what they did and had to try it myself! Found this gorgeous twin head board and foot board at a local thrift store. Painted it, clamped it on my table, and TA-DA! Instant "bed".  A fun table setting for any pajama or slumber party!

Bought zebra and hot pink bedding to make table cloths and matching pillow.

            Zebra bunting and pom poms for the windows.

Continued the theme in the bedroom where the girls would be sleeping, too. I brought some extra pillow cases (some hot pink and some zebra) and zebra paper lanterns. I also set up a craft table in there with supplies to make their own pillow cases out of plain white pillow cases, stencils, & fabric markers.

 I understand the karaoke machine was a big hit! There were plenty of water bottles on hand in case the rock stars got thirsty!

Bean bag chairs were set out for the girls in the "audience".  Also made for a great chill-out area.

 To make the water bottle labels, I wrapped zebra duct tape around them, then added cute custom stickers made by Heather over at Chickabug. I can't take credit for this fab idea. Found it here on Creative Party Buzz. Such a great idea!

A fun and glamorous night for 7 awesome girls. I understand it was a rockin' good time! So glad it was a great party for you, Sophia! You deserve it, ROCK STAR!  :-)

Party Credits:

Party Design:  Pretti Mini Parties

Custom stickers:  Chickabug

Paper Straws:  Greenmunch

Custom Tees:  ES Printwear

The Vintage Tea Party

It was my great pleasure to do this Vintage-inspired tea party 2 weeks ago. The client wanted a classic tea party to celebrate the birthdays of both of her daughters (just a few weeks apart). I must say, it was one of my favorite parties to design! The room used for the party was gorgeous! A huge, European style finished basement. I knew I had to do something special to work all that pink into the design -without losing all the warmth and wood already in the room. Adding some warm tones - beiges and gold - to the pink gave it a vintage look that worked with the room and at the same time stayed with the theme. I was really happy with the way it turned out. A friend of mine, Susan Harrell, took photos of the set up for me. Thanks, Susan, for doing such a great job!

The 1st table set up was for crafting. Hats were placed at each table setting instead of a plate. Boas were draped on each chair. The flowers and butterflies to decorate the hats were scattered in front of them on the table. Boas were also used to make fabulously fluffy tea hats. Fun! An additional craft was done next. Hand painted, wooden tea cups and pots (in shades of pink) were passed around, along with lots of gems for decorating them.

 Later, the set up changed to tea service...including real china cups, saucers, and plates I've been collecting just for such an occasion.  The girls sipped pink fruit tea with cake.

The fun is in the details! Tulle pom poms, pearls, personalized bunting, flower cup cakes, custom water bottles, pink striped paper straws and feathers all made for a pretty mix.

 Tea cup towers, vintage inspired "blooming" cupcake display, lace tablecloths, and hand made napkin holders were a lot of fun to make! (See doily napkin holder tutorial in one of the posts below).

And now...a few pics I took the day of the party. Forgive the quality of the photos!

Clockwise: Hat, decorations, water bottles and tea cup/pot craft. I made the bunting & banner from both new and vintage fabrics and trimmed them all with vintage lace. (Pom poms, bunting, and hat were shot by Susan). Pretty sure you can tell the ones taken by me! :-)

Nail painting station. Added a dozen roses and brought a lamp from home to complete the look.

Don't like the look of those plastic table cloths? BUT, you still need to protect a nice table from polish or crafts? Just add lace underneath and tie up a few sections with pretty ribbon or lace!

Had to end the post with a nice shot Susan took. Hope you enjoyed seeing this party!

Credits:  

Party styling & design: Jen, Pretti Mini Parties

Photography: Susan Harrell

Paper Straws: The Sugar Diva

Summer Entertaining With A Kick of Color!

Summer is here! Okay, at least in my mind it is. School's out, wonderful smells are coming from my herb garden, and flowers are blooming all over the place - showing off glorious pops of color. I just love it!  Entertaining friends and family at home is always a pleasure, especially at summer's leisurely pace. Here's a nice idea for sprucing up the backyard for summer: a bright new piece of furniture!

So I had a bit of a clutter problem on the back patio that always bothered me. I also really needed a solution for serving during those bigger parties. Fixed both problems with one fun DIY project. I can't wait to serve brunch or dinner off my new outdoor buffet! I found a nice old dresser at my local thrift shop. I knew I wanted a bold color, but wasn't sure which one until I saw this fab example at Decorating Insanity. 

 Isn't it gorgeous? This piece was used as a bathroom vanity. My piece will be used outdoors - as a buffet, potting area, and much needed storage. Buh-bye bubbles, toys, and grill/garden tools. No more cluttering up my outdoors. Now you have a pretty new home!

I love this idea, too! On the look out for either a mirror or dresser shelf for pots. Not sure what I want yet, but I'm sure I will know when I see it!

So this is my "before". Actually, it started out with drawers and handles, too! I was so excited to get started, I forgot to get a picture of it.

First, I sanded the heck out of it.

 Next I painted it with Rust-Oleum's spray paint. The color is called "Eden".

I highly recommend this little gadget for big spray painting projects!

The next step was to take a dark wood stain and wipe on and off. I left mine on a little longer than the example above for a darker and more antiqued look. Then I coated with 2 coats of polyurethane to help it last outdoors. Love the shine it gives, too!

Vwa la! In one day it went from drab to magnificent!  I just love it. Hmmm...what else can I paint?

Vintage Tea Napkin Holders DIY

My inspiration for this project came from two places. The 1st,  a vintage tea party I am working on. I am just loving all the pretty pinks and lace and wanted to continue that theme with the napkins. The 2nd (and real inspiration) came while kicking around the net one night. I found these gorgeous paper cones (below) made by Cristen of Events by Tiffany & Cristen and Kate Landers of Kate Landers Events. This was too pretty not to try! (See Cristen's blog for more on this beautiful Vintage Silhouette Party!) I love love love the silhouette. These ladies sure know how to throw a gorgeous party!

So here is what you need to make my version of them:

 Pink and tan card stock, glue, doilies, napkins, cutlery, scalloping scissors or scalloped cut out.

I found a pretty vintage tea pot image online and made place card hang tags first. Printed on tan card stock and used a stamp to cut into tags. Tied them on with twine.

Found most of the mix and match (kid sized) tea cups, saucers, and plates at flea markets. Such wonderful finds! I just adore them!

Fold doily and glue bottom together. Print out your image on card stock and cut in a circle or oval. On pink paper cut with scalloping craft scissors. Glue together, glue on your cone, then let dry.

And that's it! Stuff with napkins and cutlery and your done. 

So pretty and super easy!

The Enchanted Spa Party

What a beautiful day it was! The room my client chose for her daughter's party was just perfect. A blank canvas with big windows, allowing the sun light in. My lilac tree was in full bloom, so I cut a bunch that morning and brought with me. The room SMELLED like a spa. I was so happy.

I make a custom welcome sign for each party and custom water bottle labels on request.

  Hand made personalized birthday banner/bunting.

 Tulle pom poms are my favorite way to dress up a room.

Spa towel wraps hung in the entry way. Each girl was given one to change into as she arrived.

I worked on them for a month so it was so exciting for me to see them all hanging there...ready to be worn! The girls loved them...especially when they realized they were a take home gift also!

The craft table was next. Each girl could decorate her own flip flops with ribbon, gems, & fabric strips.

  I love how creative they were!

                                                                        Next up was the pedicure station.

   Followed by mani's!

    Sweet girls waiting for their nails to dry.

                                                                              The main event... FACIALS!!!

 Beautiful birthday girl, Emma, ready for her facial. Each girl got a goodie bag that included a hair wrap and mini mani/pedi kits to take with them to each station and then take home.

                                                              Face masks and cucumbers produced a lot of smiles!

                                                                                         So much fun!

Girls and moms dined on flip flop and spa mask sandwiches, along with fruit, veggies, & a few of my signature sweets.

My signature flavored popcorn and adorable spa cookies from A Cookie Jar. 

                                                                                 The sweets table.

  My home made marshmallows and buffet cards.

Marshmallow pops

Purple lemonade with sweet retro straws by The Sugar Diva.

A beautiful and fun day with a great group of girls!

Big thanks to Jen of JE Portraits for the incredible photos! Stunning!

Credits:

Party Design: Pretti Mini Parties

Photography: JE Portraits

Spa Cookies: A Cookie Jar

Paper Straws: The Sugar Diva

Spa Party Clip Art: Zenware Designs