One party which always has “wowed” me was a Mystical Mermaid party by the lovely Kate of Kate Landers Events in the USA.
It was beautiful, unique and so detailed. I am a big fan of her work and I am thrilled to share an interview with her today where she talks about some styling tips as well as party planning tips for mum’s. So much useful advice in this interview – I hope you enjoy it!
My favourite party styled by you is the Mystical mermaid party. How do you plan and dream up such a beautiful event? Do you tackle one area at a time (eg: first stationery, then decorations etc) or brainstorm all the ideas together?
Thank you so much Tanya!
Sometimes a single item serves as a source of inspiration (like a vintage tarnished candelabra), other times it is a color-scheme, flower, creature…in the event of the Mystical Mermaid Party, it was working off of a wish list from a mom who wanted a mermaid party that was non-traditional.
I knew she wanted something free-spirited, magical, soft, feminine, fanciful. I instantly thought of a shabby-chic inspired look with vintage treasures you would find at the bottom of the ocean. I loved the idea of creating a space where the guests would feel like mermaids.
Thus, a low-table and chair cushions on sand on the “sea floor” as mermaids would possibly dine. Draped tulle above to give that feeling of being under the ocean.
Lots of seashells and starfish, sea glass (but in a non-traditional white and pale pink), pearls, ruffles…things mermaids might like to collect. Mermaids were, after all, known to steal pretty things from ships lost at sea. Taking that bit of folklore gave me a springboard to jump off of.
The dessert table was also inspired by all things you would find under the sea. I named them appropriately as well. It was a dreamy party.
You recently celebrated your own son’s Noah’s 1st birthday. How did the planning differ for you in planning your own child’s celebration compared to clients events in the past?
Any tips for stylists who also plan their own children’s parties and perhaps feel more pressure to prepare a “perfect party” since they are stylists themselves?
Planning your own child’s party is completely different than planning someone else’s. It really tugged at my heartstrings planning my son’s first (and recently, second!) birthday parties.
I wanted everything perfect, yet at the same time more than anything, I wanted to be fully present for the parties.
Therefore, I made sure to hire a professional photographer to capture everything for me, so that I could be with my husband and Noah and savor the moment. I am so thrilled I did. Of course there was a bit of added pressure, I think, to make everything perfect–but more because of my own perfectionism than anything else.
I think it was very clear to me–this was my son’s party, not something to wow others. Of course I hoped that my parties for my son would inspire others when planning their own child’s birthday parties, but the focus was on him.
You have mentioned the importance of creating an ‘experience’ for the children at a birthday party. As mum’s in the midst of party planning do you have tips on what we should keep in mind when planning to ensure the party is an “experience” for the guests?
I believe the key is trying to look at the party through the eyes of a child.
For example, if it is a woodland fairy party, imagine what you can do to create an environment to inspire the child’s own imagination, to give them props to feel like a fairy!
Whether that be wings and a wand, a little toadstool to sit on or jar of fairy dust to sprinkle…it is creating an environment that nurtures their imagination, fuels them to feel transported to a land of wonder for an hour or two.
Do you have any tips for mum’s wanting to create a beautiful celebration but on a budget?
Yes! First: a smaller guest list and hosting a party mid-afternoon really keeps costs down. Have as many guests as the age the child is turning (ie if turning five, have five guests, plus/minus two). This helps keep everyone from getting overstimulated and gives you the opportunity to buy that party favor you really want to give out because you aren’t buying 30 of them!
Also, by hosting mid-afternoon, you do not need to serve a meal. Simple healthy fruit and a birthday cake with beverage is all you need. It is really that simple.
When it comes to decorations, take simple balloons and tie pretty gingham, satin or grosgrain ribbons on them to make them that much more stylish. Very easy, inexpensive and looks so much more stylish.
Using solid colored party plates and cups will look beautiful, and homemade party hats (pretty crafting paper or fabrics adorned with tissue festooning or ruffled ribbon) makes such a statement.
One party favor can be spectacular, and cost less than a bag full of many smaller trinkets. A book with a personalized bookplate, beautifully decorated cookie–great favors.
When going onsite to style a party, what are your “must-have’s” that you always carry with you?
I am sure I will forget some. Off the top of my head, scotch tape, glue dots, fishing line, scissors, mini glue gun and glue sticks, ribbon, baker’s twine, band aids, ribbon, upholstery pins and mini hammer…stuff to hang props, trim frayed edges, cover up a stain…
Have you ever had something you had planned for go wrong on the day of the event? How did you deal with it?
YES! Absolutely. Deep breath. Cupcakes get damaged in transit–get basic white frosted supermarket cupcakes as a back up. Always have extra party favors in case guests’ siblings come along. Just a couple things that help.
Expect the unexpected. And remember, no one is perfect. Focusing the joy of the birthday child’s face and all of his or her guests, reminds you what is really important.
What is the most important attitude for a mum to have on the day of their child’s celebration in the midst of all the busyness!
Stay in the moment. Imagine yourself a week from now, looking back. How do you want to remember the party? Do you want to see your child blow out the candles? Do you want to help your child hand out the party favors? Make sure you have a family member or babysitter to help with the duties you want done, and celebrate the life of your precious child!
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Thank you so much Kate for sharing your thoughts, advice and inspirations with us all!
See more of Kate Lander’s work on her site here.
Today I am introducing you to one of my fantastic blog sponsors: Occasion by Design who was one of the party boutiques I use to purchase from even before I had a Directory that they were advertising on.
The range on the Occasion by Design store is vast – a variety of colours, decorations, tableware and more which meant I could always order lots of items from the one place. I also always found the service by Helena exceptional.
This year Occasion by Design also set up a bricks and mortar store in Hobart so all the lucky Tasmanian’s can enjoy a beautiful party boutique! This is a bonus when dealing with an online retailer as you can have confidence that you are dealing with a “real” credible store.
Wouldn’t you love to be able to walk into a store like this when party planning?:
Occasion by Design has everything from tableware, decorations, invitations, styling accessories and favour bags and more. I love that you can easily search for the items you are looking for and the shipping is affordable at $9.95.
All the popular partyware brands are stocked at Occasion by Design but besides the large range of partyware items such as tissue pom poms, jumbo balloons, lanterns, tableware etc I also love that you can find some more unique items such as these:
Square dessert cups – Occasion by Design
Foil mega balloons – Occasion by Design
Mini vintage mail box – Occasion by Design
Mini blackboard easels – Occasion by Design
Disposable push pop containers
Floral lantern – Occasion by Design
They have some great items in for Christmas as well:
Next time you’re planning a celebration, you must pop into the Occasion by Design online store and if you’re in Hobart make sure you visit the shop front!
I am thrilled to be featuring an interview with THE Kara Allen of Kara’s Party Ideas today. I am sure I’m not alone in saying that the Kara’s Party Ideas blog was one of the first I discovered and loved for party inspiration. It is the number 1 party idea website on google USA/Europe and her site receives over 1 million unique visitors just in the past month and she has over 213,000 facebook followers!
So when the Kara’s Party Ideas tour of Australia was announced (Pssst…see the end of this blog post for a discount code!) I knew that that I, along with many others would enjoy and benefit from these one day workshops:
In this interview for the Life’s Little Celebrations blog Kara shares some party planning tips and ideas and lets us know what to expect at her upcoming tour!
How did Kara’s Party Ideas start?
I started KarasPartyIdeas.com four years ago when there were hardly any party sites or blogs out there. I would search all over the internet for party ideas and could never find a place that had it all when it came to party inspiration, descriptions, recipes, vendor lists, party supplies, tutorials and good party images (I’m very visual, so seeing the parties in front of me instead of just reading about them was really important to me).
Ice Cream social by Kara Allen
Can you share what types of tips and ideas you are hoping to share at the workshop?
I will guide you step by step through my top 10 party planning tips covering everything from guest lists, venue, catering, timing, pricing, entertainment, styling and my party secrets!
You will learn new dessert styling ideas from around the world and techniques on how to style a stunning dessert table including sweets, theming, planning composition, colour palettes and more.
I will showcase exclusive dessert tables designed especially for my Australian Tour.
Back to school vintage party by Kara Allen
You will also learn baking tips from some of Australia’s finest cake artisans. They will be sharing their trade secrets in their baking demonstrations. I will also share some of my top baking cheat ideas!
I also love a bit of DIY action, so sit back and relax as I teach you some of my favourite DIY ideas to make your party unique.
What will party planning lovers get from your workshops?
Learn how to plan & style the perfect party. Tons of dessert styling ideas as well as demonstrations. This workshop is for mums who throw parties for their kids, those who love events, wedding planners, professional event planners, bloggers/site admins wanting to learn how to take their site to the next level and more!
Circus train big top party by Kara Allen
How will your workshops assist business owners in the party industry?
I feel so fortunate about KarasPartyIdeas.com being one of the largest party inspiration blogs in the world.
I use social media as a key tool to build my business.
Find out how I have done all this in just four short years and how you can use this new knowledge to build your own small business.
There will also be a lot of networking opportunities with like-minded women.Through fun getting to know you activities and ‘Kara’s Cupcake Corner’, you will have excellent opportunities to meet people with the same passions and form great relationships that can help in your party journey.
Geologist rock themed party by Kara Allen
What are you looking forward to about coming to Australia?
Meeting all of you! I can’t wait to party it up down under! Australia has always been on my bucket list. Not only because it’s absolutely gorgeous with so many amazing locations and things to see, but because there are so many talented party stylists and artists there!
Colourful art party by Kara Allen
What is your number one party planning tip for mum’s?
Start planning ahead so you give yourself ample time to organise an amazing event. Planning ahead will save a lot of money, but it makes the process fun and enjoyable, cutting out a lot of the stress. Also, remember to have fun, because planning a party can be so rewarding.
It’s also very important to have a good attitude, especially on the day of the event. No matter how hard you have worked on the party, it seems that there’s always something that goes wrong or something that doesn’t quite turn out like you had planned.
This is okay. Know that these things happen and just roll with it!
Your party will be a huge success because of all the hard work you put into it!
Mickey Mouse party by Kara Allen
Thank you so much Kara for sharing your thoughts with us as well as what to expect during your upcoming Australian tour! If you want to book your tickets to this not to be missed event, please click here!
You can receive a 20% discount off your ticket by quoting:
the booking code: kara20percentdiscount.
In the ‘referral section’ put Life’s Little Celebrations
Ahhh mint green…a colour I am always tempted to include in my party colour schemes as I just love it!
It goes beautifully with many other colours – seen very often with gold as well as other pastels and would work just as well for a boy’s party with grey, or light blue. Or step out of the box as this post suggests – “Mint to be” on the Oh It’s Perfect blog where Ania (From 2 Love Birds) has teamed mint green with black and white!
I’ve included a gorgeous mint/gold party in this collage by Sugar Coated Mama, but also must make mention of this mint/gold Christening party styled by Thetis of Little Sooti which is a stand out celebration!
All the links are below the inspiration board. If you’re looking for something in mint green that I haven’t included, simply e-mail me at lifeslittlec@gmail.com and I’ll let you know where to find it. Also make sure you visit the Life’s Little Celebration’s children’s party directory as well in the midst of your party planning!
Milk glass cake stand
Pom Pom tags
Tissue paper fan
Mint scalloped box
Mint green chocolate buttons
Honeycomb ball
Mini cake stand
Mint green compote bowl
Heart paper garland
Mint party fringe noise makers
Mint green and gold party by Sugar Coated Mama
Chevron straws
Here I used mint green with purple and gold for my daughter’s 1st birthday which you can view more of in this blog post.
Is mint green making an appearance at the next party you’re planning?
If you love party printables and great designs, then you will enjoy this blog post where I introduce one of my blog sponsor’s – 2 Love Birds
I love seeing the new designs that Ania from 2 Love Birds creates so I’m excited to share them with you
When I am party planning – finding printables that I love are at the top of my list. Using great printables helps theme and decorate a party in such an easy way and 2 Love Birds, love to design party stationery and love to party!
They specialise in design of personalised printable social stationery to suit any event and can design custom-made party invitations and stationery, from 1st birthday to all ages, engagement parties, hens parties, weddings, the list goes on.
They also offer full graphic design services including business logos, stationery and websites.
Hot Air Balloons is one of my favourite party themes and this design is perfect for boys, girls or a baby shower!:
Ania, the creator of 2 Love Birds is a graphic designer, who has worked with children’s brands, fashion, packaging and product developing for almost 10 years. She also has qualifications in interior decoration and business.
She tells me – “I love blogging about everything sweet design and party on my blog 2lovebirdsblog.com. I’m also a regular contributor to the Oh it’s Perfect blog. I’m always looking for a creative project and a new challenge”.
You can really see this creative flair and passion through all of Ania’s work at 2 Love Birds! I love this gorgeous range and the colour scheme – a mix of modern and vintage for this High Tea design:
A backdrop can make such a difference to a dessert table and 2 Love Birds have designed some amazing backdrops to set the scene for fantastic party tables:
‘Cute as a Button’ Party (Backdrop design) Styled by Sweet Coco
So how did 2 Love Birds originate? Ania explains – “A couple of years ago I had a task of designing wedding stationery for my own wedding. The enjoyment of designing and co-ordinating the visual aspects of the big day started an idea … a year after 2 Love Birds were born. 2 Love Birds designs are fresh, fun and on trend. I hope that through my designs I can make parties that extra bit special and memorable”.
Here are a few more of the designs you can find over at the 2 Love Birds website. I love all the colour combinations Ania chooses to use for the designs:
This was a custom design created for a winner of a Life’s Little Celebrations competition. Too cute don’t you think?:
With Christmas just around the corner, 2 Love Birds has this wonderful printable range and I love the mix of kraft and red together!
I have really enjoyed working with Ania so far this year as a Life’s Little Celebration’s blog sponsor and you’ll be guaranteed great service if you are wanting printables from her collection or a custom design.
2 Love Birds also has 20% off their current printable invitation collection. Just mention LLC when you order!
Find 2 Love Birds here on their website or on facebook here
