How to Throw a Chic Kids' Party

There is no formula to throwing an incredibly chic party for your little ones' special day. I do have a few little tricks that are sure to make your childrens' party the most chic on the block!

 

Don't be tempted to buy the character plates & cups if you are having a character inspired party. More often than not, this can make the party, despite your best efforts, look cheap & ordinary.

 

Use little props to dress up the tables & space. Is your angel having a Cinderella inspired party? Place little pumpkins & large spools of thread on the dessert table & buffet.

 

Decorate tables using Threes. Three cake plates or three large centerpieces on a banquet tables is more visually appealing & creates more balance than two or four (that's a little interior designers' tip).

 

Have at least one framed picture of the birthday boy or girl displayed proudly for all the guests to see. You can even step it up & do a photo banner with pictures from each month.

 

Think of the event space as a triangle. The two focal points should be parallel on the sides of the space & the main focal point should be the first thing you see, directly in front of you. The main focal point is typically the dessert table.

 

Pay special attention to the menu. Go beyond ordering pizza & a sheet cake. Get creative with miniature pizzas & cake pops.

 

Be sure to add height to your tables. An easy way to add height is so stack cake plates, or stack things on gift-wrapped boxes. Height is much more visually appealing.

 

Backdrops behind a focal point can really take your party to the next level. Hang table cloths or wrapping paper on the wall, behind the dessert table or buffet & your childs' party just became beyond chic!

 

Paper products tie it all together. Birthday banners, cupcake toppers, water bottle labels, straw wrappers, etc. really tie the entire event together & give it a cohesive feel. There are many shops on www.etsy.com that do customized party packages. Click HERE & browse some pre-made themes or send a message for a customized party with a theme of your choice.

 

I hope this helps! Have fun; your little birthday boy or girl is sure to!

 



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Who Pays For What At A Wedding?

 

Want to know who pays for what on the huge list of expenses for your wedding day? I've provided a list, traditionally speaking of who pays for what. These days, statistics say that over 75% of couples pay their own way. However, if you are one of the traditional brides, I hope this list helps you!

 

 

Bride & Groom:

-Attendants' & Parents' Gifts

-Rings

-Bridesmaid Luncheon

-Bachelors' Dinner

 

Bride's Parents:

-Engagement Party

-All Stationary

-Ceremony Venue

-Ceremony Musician

-Ceremony Flower Arrangements

-Bride's Gown & Accessories

-Bouquets For Flower Girls, Bridesmaids & Corsages

-Reception Venue

-Reception Flower Arrangements

-Photography

-Transportation

-Caterer & Cake

-Musician or DJ

-Additional Reception Decor

 

Groom's Parents:

-Host an Additional Engagement Party(totally optional)

-Marriage License

-Officiant's Fee

-Groom's Outfit

-Bride's Bouquet, Boutonnieres For Men, & Corsages For Mothers' & Grandmothers'
-Bar Fees For Cocktail Hour & Reception

-Honeymoon

-Rehearsal Dinner

 

Attendants' & Friends:

-Host an Additional Engagement Party(totally optional)

-Their Own Outfits & Shoes

-Bridal Shower

-Bachelorette Celebration

-Bachelor Celebration



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Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Make sure to tell your friends and family you are thankful for them!





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Spiderman Birthday Party

 

The day before Rylie's actual birthday, we threw an impromptu Spiderman inspired birthday party. She loves super heroes, but Spiderman is her favorite. We had thrown her a Snow White party (HERE) the week before, a few hours away from home. She wanted some of our more local friends and family to celebrate with her as well. She also had the crazy idea in her head (among many crazy ideas) that she was going to have two parties all along. I caved, not wanting to break her enthusiastic spirits. So with a weeks time, I scrambled together & came up with this small Spiderman party.

 

 

 

 

 

I kept lunch very simple since we were only feeding about 10 people. I baked some macaroni & cheese, ordered some popcorn chicken from the deli & served french fries.

 

 

We enjoyed some homemade cupcakes while the girls decorated their own star- shaped sugar cookies.

 

We rented The Amazing Spiderman & ate popcorn.

 

 

 

 

It was such a fun day & I am so glad the birthday girl persuaded us to throw this together.

 

I created all the printables & designed the event: www.Astylishaffairbyjessie.com
 

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Happy Birthday My Sweet Rylie!

Happy birthday to my amazing little girl. I can't believe you are 3 today. I think of the moment we met & it melts my heart. You changed your mommy forever. The very moment our eyes locked, I knew I would never be the same. You have brought so much joy & love to your daddy & me. I watch you now, playing dress up, teasing your cat & listening to your imaginative stories & I feel so very full. I feel so full of love & purpose. Some days, I look at you in a bittersweet sort-of -way that feels like you are growing up too fast. Today, I look at you & feel so joyful at who you are. You are such a funny little girl. You are three and you are such an individual. You make up you own jokes, you tell your own stories & you sing your own songs.  You are my most precious gift, sweet little girl. Happy third birthday Rylie!





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Wrist Corsages Are Making A Comeback!

There was a time, not so long ago, that wrist corsages were very outdated. Good news; they are so back in! People are getting very creative with their corsages. Some couples opt. to have corsage-wearers even don a floral purse!

 

 

Floral Design: www.astylishaffairbyjessie.com





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Fabulous Wedding Dresses under $1000

Wedding dresses can range from several hundred dollars to thousands and thousands of dollars. I'm more and more impressed with what designers are coming up with for a bride on a budget. I've composed a list of the Top 10 Dresses Under 1k

 

 

10. nordstrom.com

Alberto Makali/$754.90

 

 

9. wtoo.com

$955

 

 

8. Alfredangelo.com

Alfred Angelo/$990

 

 

7. dessy.com

$660

 

 

6. davidsbridal.com

David's Bridal Collection/$449

 

 

5. davidsbridal.com

Vera Wang/$724.99

 

 

4. davidsbridal.com

Galina Signature/$750

 

 

3.davidsbridal.com

David's Bridal Collection/$499

 

 

2. davidsbridal.com

Oleg Cassini/$750

 

 

1. davidsbridal.com

Vera Wang/$949.99

 

With these dresses, it'll be a breeze to stay on budget & look fabulous!



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Unique Centerpieces

Get creative with your centerpieces! Here are a few alternatives to floral centerpieces:

 

• Fruits/Vegetables
• Photographs
• Cakes or Cupcake Trees
• Succulents! (such a fun trend that is popping up everywhere!)
• Potted Plants(these can double as favors which saves on waste)
• Table Lamps
• Manzanita Branches
• Tea Pots
• Birdcages
• Lanterns
• Wheat Grass

I hope this inspires you to get creative!

 

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Snow White Themed Birthday Party

For Rylie's third birthday, she made it abundantly clear what she wanted. She was adamant for months that she was having a fancy Snow White birthday party. She wanted it to look like the Julia Roberts movie Mirror Mirror & the Disney classic Snow White. She was very involved in the entire process; from the menu to the design of her party. I think this may be my favorite party I've ever done.

 

 

For the games, we kept it simple. We had a bobbing for apples game for the older kids & a bean bag toss for the younger (and older) kids.

 

 

We set up a velour blanket & pillow for the girls to get manis & pedis. This station was specially requested by the princess herself(months ago!).

 

 

We thought it would be fun for the favors, to set up a candy bar. All the candy dishes were made from dollar store candle sticks & vases! I will ALWAYS love the dollar store!! :)

 

 

 

 

The birthday girl didn't want to buy her outfit on Etsy this year. She decided I would make her dress; a task I have never taken on before. Needless to say, I was nervous to start. I was given 2 instructions; "sososososo poofy" & strapless. I did add little straps (sorry honey, you're three), but she didn't seem to mind.

 

 

For lunch we served nutella sandwiches, chicken salad sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, apples slices & carrot sticks.

 

 

For dessert, we served vanilla cake pops, miniature blueberry pies & miniature apple pies.

 

 

I'm very pleased with how the day came together & I think the birthday girl was too!

I love you so much Rylie!

 

Event Coordination & Design: www.astylishaffairbyjessie.com

All Printables: www.weddingchicks.com


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