wreath design for qvc

Today I have a fun project to share! I recently teamed up with QVC and Jill Bauer of "You're Home with Jill" to design a wreath using E.D. on Air Prelit Wreath by Ellen DeGeneres. I really had a great time letting my right brain run free - there were no rules, no requirements and no expectations. Here is what I came up with...

For the wreath design, I wanted to create a winter scene. I settled on a black and gold color scheme. To give the scene a backdrop, I used graphic gold and white wrapping paper. Adding a few faux trees, a miniature house and "chimney smoke" completed the winter scene I was after. Since it's a pretty peaceful setting, I added the "peace" word cutout.

Want more ideas!? Check out Jill's page here.
Jill Bauer, QVC’s Home-Savvy Hostess, hosts the network’s popular show, “You’re Home with Jill®” and provides fans with simple solutions for their busy lives through innovative products, a library of stress-free DIY projects and crowd-pleasing recipes. Fans can connect with Jill on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram @jillbauerqvc.

Disclosure: A E.D. on Air Prelit Wreath was provided by QVC to facilitate the making of this project. No further compensation was given and all designs/ideas are my own.

cake for badgley mishcka

Pinch me moment! I was recently asked to make a cake for the 25th anniversary celebration of Badgley Mischka. It was such an honor and I still can't really believe it! It was presented to the fashion icons by Naomi Campbell during their show this year at fashion week in NYC. Pretty cool, huh!? I couldn't have pulled it off without help. I have to give a shout out to Erica O'Brien Cake Design... Erica is a great friend and helped me pull this off in a very short time frame.

july 4th sweet treats :: better homes and gardens

With the 4th of July right around the corner, our friends over at Better Homes and Gardens sent over some delicious sweet treats they are sharing in the July issue. I just can't decide which one I am going to make. Which one looks good to you?

Go pick up your own copy of this month's issue and start cooking!

happy family :: cookie jar contest

I was recently invited to participate in a friendly design competition for the Happy Family company. The competition is between myself and three other talented bloggers. We were asked to design cookie jars for our little ones and one of their friends. We were all sent a package including two plain cookie jars and a couple of bags of Happy Family's newest product, Happy Tot Best Friends toddler cookies.  In addition to being allowed to use anything I already owned, I was also given a gift card to shop for additional decor, fabric and/or food to make the display complete.

My design process started with a memory. I remember having a best friends necklace when I was a child with one of my neighborhood playmates. The ones where two friends each get a half of a heart necklace bearing the words "Best Friends". Since this competition related to best friends and cookies, I thought why not use the same idea! I made a faux cookie (out of cork and mini chocolate chips), split it in half and used each half on the cookie jars. And, what pairs well with cookies? Well, milk, of course! So that got me thinking... "we go together like milk and cookies". Perfect!

My girls are the best of friends - What makes a better best friend than a sister!? Here are my little ones enjoying their new cookie jars and yummy cookies! And mom loves that the cookies are organic!

The other bloggers participating need no introduction - they are amazingly talented and I'm honored to be included in such great company - but just in case you don't know one of them, here is the list.

Jessica Wilcox, Modern Moments Designs

Lauren Borquez, Capes & Crowns

Toni Roberts, Design Dazzle

Okay, so go vote for your favorite design!

(Insert shameless plug here - I would love for you to vote for my design!)

Go Vote!

Right Here on Happy Family's Facebook Page

FTC disclaimer: I was not paid to participate, but did receive product on behalf of Happy Family.

{All design, styling and photography by A. Party Style, LLC}

feathers and fedoras :: wedding shower

My sister-in-law recently hosted a couples wedding shower with a perfect theme to encompass men and women - feathers and fedoras! Here are a few quick pictures from the day.

fore :: golf party

As I prepare for my daughter's birthday party in a couple of weeks, I realized I never posted her party we had last year - And it was one of my all time favorites!  Because she was turning four and we are a family who loves golf, we ran with that theme... FORE! For the invitation, I made mini pinwheels to attach to a miniature golf scene.

Green is obviously in any color scheme for a golf party, but since it was for my daughter we also incorporated pink (her favorite color). Then orange was added when I found a pair of pink and orange argyle socks - so perfect!  Those socks, a pink golf shirt, a visor and Aubrey's party outfit was complete.

We made our own putt-putt course in our backyard. I loved how it turned out. We created the "holes" by mowing the grass extra short. I bought plastic golf sets from Walmart and used the bag part for the hole signs. I am planning on doing another post about each hole and it's hazard - coming soon! My favorite hole was #2 - river bed of rocks and a popsicle stick bridge!

This was the "Pro-Shop".  Each guest picked up their own visor customized with their name, a ball, a tee, a club and their score card. My husband and I really enjoyed drawing the "course" on the score cards.

The dessert table included cake, rice crispy treats as "sand traps", blue jello cups as "water hazards", chocolate pudding cups with gummy worms as "worm burners", donut holes as a "bucket of balls" and cake pops with a "putting green" on top (hole #4 of course!).

The cake!

We made a version of Pin the tail on the Donkey for our party - "Get a Hole-in-One". Each guest got a paper golf ball to put on the board while they were blindfolded. The kids got smart and just started feeling for the "hole" cut out of the astroturf.

 What course would be complete without a 19th hole watering hole... ice "tee" and lemonade.

During course play, we took a break for ice cream. The guests piled on the toppings! For favors, I made little bags of golf related trinkets with a tag saying "Fore" you.

inspiration :: out and about

I always try to keep my eyes peeled for inspiration. Whether it's the season teaser (like here) or displaying merchandise, one place you are always sure to find some good eye candy is at department stores. 

Recently I was in NYC to celebrate my mom's birthday and we did some shopping. While at the original Macy's on 34th, I noticed this cute display for simple trays. I loved the idea of turning these trays into mobile concessions. I snapped a couple pictures for selfish reasons. My daughter wants a circus/carnival party and I thought this would be a perfect way to walk around and serve treats in the middle of the party. Look how simple the construction is - they just hot glued the ribbon! 

During the same trip, we went into FAO Schwarz so my aunt, who had never been to NYC, could experience it. That store makes us all want to be a kid again. In the candy department, I spotted these fun topiaries made out of Peeps. I think they are so cool! They would be perfect for a candy party or an Easter display. 

And lastly, this window display treasure from my local babyGap.  Again, selfishly I was thinking about my daughter's party, but this simple and cheap display could be used for so many themes. I know it's hard to tell from the cell phone photo, but it is simply paper cups embellished with paper straws and paper lemon cut-outs attached to a white display board. So clever! Hello, future backdrop!

baptism + first communion cakes

Whew! I almost forgot how to post, it's been so long. Not that any of you are waiting with bated breath for my ramblings, but I just thought I should at least acknowledge my absence. Things have been moving right along here at A. Party Style, which is awesome, it just means less time for posting. The good part in all of this, I have a line up of great stuff to share!

First off, I've put together a few cake photos I've done this spring. With spring, comes all the religious celebrations for little ones - Baptisms and First Communions. I thank all the parents of these children for letting me create something for their special day.

 

nautical wedding :: rope details

Last fall, I helped style a wedding with a nautical theme. The event was held at the Boston Harbor Hotel, which is located right on and overlooks the Boston harbor. (My thoughts and prayers continue to be with the amazing Bostonian community.) The bride picked a navy and coral color scheme and we incorporated a monkey fist knot graphic thought out the wedding. This graphic became the wedding "logo", if you will. The following are the invitations, seating chart and a few shots of the other wedding elements we designed. 

Rope details have long been a staple of nautical design inspiration and decor. Pottery Barn's new summer collection has some great examples of this.  You can view all of the rope items here. Some of my favorites are below...

Pottery Barn Rope Products

Disclaimer: I was not paid/compensated in any form for writing this post.  Pottery Barn representatives directed me to the products which reminded me of an event I worked on. 

race car party :: invitations

You all know, I love to set the tone of a party with a fun invitation. My oldest daughter recently turned eight. (Hand me a tissue, please.) I'm working on the photos for the party post, but in the meantime, here's the invitation.

After seeing a cake a year ago that was shaped in a figure-eight race track design, my daughter told me that's what she wanted for her 8th birthday cake. We ran with the theme and her party was a race car party. Wanting to do something different, we switched up a typical color scheme of black and red and used her favorite color - Blue.  Needing another color to complete the whole package, she picked orange because it's blue's complimentary counterpart. 

italian / pizza themed desserts

I recently had a dessert order for a little girl's pizza party. I made little pizzas atop cake pops, as well as jello, cups mimicking the Italian flag.

The cake pop "pizzas" were made using a peanut butter candy melt turned upside down and placed on top of the cake pop while the chocolate was still warm. Then, I piped on more white chocolate to look like cheese. For the finishing touch, I scattered red and green sprinkles to look like pepperoni and veggies.

For the jello cups, I used Glorious Treats' rainbow jello cups post for the how-to.  Obviously, the red and green are just regular jello, but the "white" is Cool Whip mixed with some jello to make it solidify. I will add, make sure you get the white to touch all sides of your cup. If not, it will float to the top. Spoken from experience, they don't resemble the Italian flag after that. Oops! 

coffee + dessert party

We were recently invited to a party at a neighbors house - it was unbelievable! For her husbands birthday, my friend Jenni, created a delicious spread and I just had to share it with you all. And yes, I know it was delicious because I tried every. single. item. 

It was an afternoon gathering, so Jenni decided on a coffee + sweets theme. Just look at this invitation she made... that's a coffee filter folks! The actual invite fits into the filter. Perfection. 

All of the tags for the food were attached to their serving pieces using simple clothesline clips. Now get this, she dyed them all red to match her decor. Genius!

For drinks, guests (both old and young) could choose between milk or coffee - both included several options to be your own barista. Everyone made their beverage perfect for their own taste buds.  Strawberry milk? Or how about cream and raw sugar in your coffee? 

Now, please excuse my novice photography skills... Jenni used the same coffee cups (notice the custom labels on each) to create a birthday banner, which was a perfect backdrop for the coffee station. 

click the photo to see the cups better

What a "sweet" party! 

Thanks for inviting us Hopper Family! Great job, Jenni!

easter cake

I was just downloading photos from my daughter's birthday party last weekend and guess what I found!? The cake I made to take with us to friends house for Easter. I'm so out of date! I thought about posting it next year around Easter... yeah, if I don't post it now, I'll definitely forget.  

deviled egg "holder"

With Easter one week from today, the ever popular deviled eggs will be making it's annual appearance in abundance. Yum! I always have a problem serving deviled eggs though. They slip and slide all over the plate (and when they fall, they leave your pastel pallet Easter dress looking a little yuck.) Some people have the luxury of owning one of those fancy platters especially for holding deviled eggs. If you are like me though, don't fret.... here is a solution!

Awhile back we were eating at Blue Smoke in NYC, I snapped a quick picture of how they handle the annoying egg-sliding problem. (I'm sure they don't want their servers dumping deviled eggs on any one's Easter bonnet, now do they!?) While piping in the yolk mixture, you also pipe a dollop on the plate and then place the egg on top. Genius, right?!