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LAURA'S little PARTY

As a wife, and busy mom of 4, I've always been excited to plan parties! DIY projects, crafting, and last minute trips to Disneyland, are a few other things I love to do!
I was voted Top 25 Party Planning Moms for 2012, and 2013, by Circle of Moms. I'm also a monthly party contributor for Catch My Party, and mygrafico.
I've had parties featured over at: Hostess with the mostess, Pizzazzerie, Catch my Party, and Kara's Party Ideas.
I love to pin, inspire others to throw fun parties, and definitely make family my priority.

Construction party!

It was really fun putting this Tonka party together. I love to scour places for fun party props. I borrowed real construction signs. There was a Detour sign, and a flagman sign – pretty neat. The coolest prop I got to use was an actual working digger! This was up at my sister & brother-in-law’s house. I was thrilled that they let me use it for my party! The digger served as the perfect construction party backdrop – and held up the “Happy Birthday” sign very nicely!
I created the party table with plastic saw horses from Lowes. {these were SO cool!} The neat part about this table was, I didn’t have to do anything fancy. I added a piece of plywood, and set it on top of the saw horses. I used tool boxes to display the treat bags, hostess cupcakes, along with some pretty cool looking chocolate covered Oreos! The detail on these delicious treats are just amazing!
The favor bags were filled with an assortment of candies, canvas tool pouches, and mini tape measures. I displayed them inside a mini tool box, found at the 99cent only store.
I filled a Tonka dump truck with party hats! The guests had their choice of Tonka themed cone hats, or plastic construction hats where I attached a fun “play zone” sticker. They’re actually t-shirt emblems, but I used them for the hats as well.
To quench the guest’s thirst, I served bottles of gatorade. And the large orange drink dispenser spoke “construction theme” to me! I added fun labels to the gatorade bottles by printing out digital paper from mygrafico.com – I also found really great construction themed clip art! I created mini signs for the table that said: “Party Zone”, and “Fueling Station”
And did you see that huge nut & bolt on the table? I had that from a previous party, and used it to hold one of the cupcakes. All the cupcakes were topped with a super cool dump truck topper! For added detail, I set out a roll of Caution tape, and a cool plastic level. The guest table was super fun to put together!
The construction themed table cover was topped with matching napkins, Tonka themed plates, matching Tonka cups, and yellow construction hats. I wrapped utensils inside the napkins, and wrapped with a napkin ring. These were also printed from digital paper. For seating, I set out tool boxes for the guests. They served as super sturdy seating, and continued with the construction theme. I sprinkled construction confetti on the table, and we were ready to party!
The guests also played along with a little construction game. Very similar to pin the tail on the donkey, but all construction themed. I attached the game onto a small poster board, and wrote the names of each guest on the caution cone stickers that were provided.
I had a great time constructing this Tonka themed party!
 

Toddler-Friendly Beach Bash

When I think of Summer fun, the beach automatically comes to mind! My toddler-friendly beach bash has easy treats, and fun favors! I wanted to make my beach party as simple as possible. That meant simple decor, and easy party props. I used 2 surfboards for my backdrop, brought collapsable tables, and even used my ice chest to transport the treats, and display them! My toddler-friendly bash called for toddler-friendly treats! Simple chocolate dipped marshmallows, and fish crackers. The marshmallow pops were a hit with my little guy. I found a really cute ice chest at the 99cent store.
I knew it would be perfect for the bash!
I embellished it with paper fringe, a small banner, and Kool-Aid drinks. I also found small beach totes filled with beach toys, and used them as party favors. Bubbles are always a party-must! I picked these up from Dollar Tree, and added some festive printables, from Whimsically Detailed. I filled snow cone cups with popcorn. Perfect for little fingers.
And look at the darling mini favor boxes that I purchased from Piggy Bank Parties. Beach pails, totes, flip-flops, and towels completed the decor! I hope you’ve enjoyed my toddler-friendly beach bash! And I hope I’ve inspired you to throw your own Summer Fun celebration!

Lil Buckaroo Baby Shower Theme

Planning this baby shower for my 4th child was bittersweet. This would be the very last baby shower to be held in my honor. I carefully considered a theme, and started collecting items for what would be a “lil’ buckaroo” themed celebration! I love to bargain hunt, so I was very pleased to find a lot of my items at discount prices. I refurbished furniture from my local goodwill, and even items from yard sales. I’m a very hands-on party planner, so I was anxious to make some party decor of my own! I rented 8 bales of hay from my local feed store. They added the perfect amount of authenticity to my theme.
I had some fabulous party vendors contribute to what I think was the best baby shower I’ve ever had! The desserts were amazing, and the menu was filled with delicious, home-cooked food by my Grandmother! There were so many personal touches that made my shower a very special one. It was definitely a family affair, as I received lots of help from friends, family, and most-importantly, my other children. While it was a lot of work planning, and setting up, we all had a fabulous time, and are so grateful for all who came to help us celebrate baby #4.
The menu consisted of BBQ pulled pork sandwiches with rolls, baked beans, coleslaw, corn on the cob, macaroni & cheese, and fresh fruit. I loved the idea that all the food was served from antique porcelain dishes. It made everything look even more authentic for my western theme. Everyone ate from real pie tins, along with wooden utensils that were wrapped inside real bandanna napkins. I chose to display all the delicious food on top of a burlap covered table. Claudia from Tini Posh sent me an adorable material garland to use. I attached it to the front of the food table, and it looked perfect. I created a backdrop using a free wooden pallet that I picked up from work. I covered it with chicken wire, and spray painted a light coat of brown. I then attached paper fans, tissue fans, and a cute banner that I created from bandanna printed material, burlap, and twine.
The guests had their choice of bottled water, and Sarsaparilla. I displayed bottles inside of an antique wash tub. There was also lemonade served inside of glass bottles, and the iced tea being dispensed from a large Mason jar. The guests drank out of Mason jars that had paper straws tied with tulle, and a little cowboy themed embellishment. My drink station was set on top of an old wooden tool box, and bales of hay.
My dessert station was displayed on an old-fashioned hutch that I found at a yard sale. I fell in love with the chicken wired windows on the cupboard doors. It was originally an unfinished wood grain, that I quickly painted in a shade of red. The transformation was perfect for the lil’ buckaroo themed shower! I added more porcelain dishes, old tin cans, and antique boxes. I found a mini wooden trough from Home Goods, and knew it would work perfectly to display the darling horse cookies from Arlene at She Wears The Crown. I also set out some of her cookies inside of a hutch drawer, on top of crinkle paper. I displayed rock candy inside of a small Mason jar, as well as ropes of red licorice. Mini blueberry, and apple pies were put on a small pie holder that I set inside of one of the hutch drawers, along with a galvanized pail, that held the cutest horse cake pops, from Roni’s Sugar Creations. She also provided rice krispie treats attached with little cowboy hats. I thought it would be a nice change of pace for my guests to enjoy cupcakes, instead of cake. Blanca from Creativities Galore created some darling paper printables for the cupcakes.
Other cupcakes had beautiful fondant toppers from She Wears The Crown. A cactus, cowboy boot, rope, bandanna, cowboy hat, and a sheriff’s badge were perfect, and truly delicious!
The tables were covered with red, and blue bandanna material. I added 2 small black lanterns as centerpieces. I found these at IKEA. I had fun decorating them with burlap, ribbon, and twine. Each plastic chair was decorated with strips of burlap. With clothespins, I attached adorable brown mustaches that Ana from Divine Functions created for me.
It’s always a great time when your party has a photo booth, and fun props! I ordered a small cardboard fence from Oriental Trading Co. and set it out in front of bales of hay, and a red bandanna backdrop. Ana from Divine Functions provided all the fabulous props: A “wanted” sign, mustaches & lips on sticks, cowboy hats, guns, and bandannas.
The gift table was set up on bales of hay. I set out a darling western themed diaper cake that I created, and served as the centerpiece. A few of my guests got super creative with their gift wrapping. It was so fun to see how they embellished their gifts with twine, plastic horses, raffia, and printables.
Each shower guest went home with a little wooden horseshoe with a good luck message attached. They were a hit. Just a little something to thank our guests for coming.
It was a perfect day, spent with family & friends. I loved everything about my shower, and am so thankful for all the help, and generosity from vendors, friends, and family.

Ties or Tutus Gender Reveal Party

I was lucky to have some wonderful party girls/friends help me plan my ‘ties or tutus’ gender reveal party! Since this will be our last kiddo, I thought it would be fun to do something that I’ve never done with our other 3 children. I knew right away that I wanted to style this party using the colors yellow & gray! Our 20+ guests indulged in yummy desserts, tasty appetizers, and 3 different fruit spritzers. Drinks were served in milk bottles, and yummy mixed greens were eaten out of Mason jars. Our beautiful cake announced the gender of our 4th baby! We were so excited to finally tell our family & close friends that we are expecting another boy! Cupcakes, cookies, marshmallow pops, chocolate covered pretzels, and cake pops were among the several delicious desserts offered! I created a simple backdrop of yellow, white, and gray paper fans, and refurbished an old dresser I purchased from goodwill, and made it our dessert table! I collected empty wine bottles from my girlfriends, and turned them into simple centerpieces. I had so much fun styling & shooting my party! I worked with a great team of party/dessert vendors – I can’t thank them enough for all their beautiful talent, and delicious creations!