Mimi's Baby Shower

It's Wednesday already and it seems that the week is flying by at lighting speed. I'm a bit pressed for time, but I wanted to share with you what I'd been up to last weekend.  Me and three friends hosted a baby shower on Sunday for our dear girlfriend, Jemimah Scarlett (a.k.a Mimi)! She's expecting a baby girl very soon and we couldn't be more excited!!  Here's a peek into the event...

 

She arrived with her doting husband and adorable son (lower left). We ate, laughed, played games, and ooh-ed and ahh-ed as she opened her presents. It was like Christmas in March! In attendance were many other pregnant friends who came to share their "baby bumps" and well wishes.

The event was held at Kiva 150, an amazing downtown loft event space I posted about a while back. We would've loved to have partied on Kiva 150's rooftop, but unfortunately we had no cooperation with mother nature.

The food was catered by the Publix Deli as well as a local wholesale club.  The flowers and tin containers were purchased from Halls Wholesale Florist in Midtown Atlanta.

Below are a few fun shots of our guest of honor and the party hosts.  The photo in the middle is of Mimi just before releasing the balloons. The release was in honor of her mother who passed away unexpectedly just over a year ago. Talk about a tear jerking moment...there wasn't a dry eye on that sidewalk.  That moment was a bittersweet one, more sweet than bitter. It just goes to show that life can go on after a hurtful loss and that her mother is forever in our hearts.

Mimi has been in my life since I was only 12 years old and is more like a sister than a friend. I missed the pregnancy and birth of her son, but these days I am front and center for my sister and waiting to snuggle her baby girls cheeks. Thanks for experiencing this moment with us. I hope you make today a great day!

Tastemaker Tuesday: Aisha Holly

Aisha Holly, Owner of Dooby Design Group is known for creating the most breathtaking event designs and she has the portfolio to prove it.  While visiting her blog, I came across these super sweet images from her own daughter's birthday party. I just had to contact Aisha directly so I could give you even more details on this special event!

Here's the sweetest little birthday party I've ever seen...Kimora's 4th Birthday!  Thanks Aisha for these adorable images and your design tips.  I'm tickled pink!

TABLE DESIGN
We purchased a 8ft table top from Ikea ($14.99) to use as the main play table. My husband then used shoe racks from our closet which were about 1ft in height and attached to the bottom of the table. Instead of chairs we opted for custom pillow seats. I went to Joann Fabrics and selected four different fabrics to make custom pillow covers. They turned out amazing, thanks to my mother-in-law. We were able to use the pillows after the party as part of her bedroom decor. I designed custom place mats for each guests place setting and accented the table with pink carnations.

DESSERT/CANDY BUFFET
I wanted the candy/dessert buffet to have a unique look. I didn't want to use the typical rectangle table. Plus, I wanted to keep to the height of the kids. So I decided to create a space that resembled a kids play area, but instead of toys; use the candy/desserts as the displays. It turned out so pretty. So, first I found a great silver and white polka dot vinyl table cloth from Ikea ($3.99). We used this as the backdrop to the buffet area. I found the Martha Stewart paper pompoms at Big Lots ($2.48) for a pack of 6. We used three of the 6 to add a little color to our back drop. We then gathered small pieces of furniture we already had around the house, my daughter's white bench, my sister's bathroom white cube, one white shoe rack and a mirrored side table and used as main display furniture. I then designed all the paper elements to go along with the rest of the party decor, custom candy bar wraps, labels for the take out boxes, labels for the pink sak bags, and framed buffet sign. The candy was purchased form various local stores in the area (Home Goods, Target, Meijers, Walmart). All the desserts were created by my husband (mini cupcakes and yogurt covered pretzel sticks). Cupcake cups and white pearls were purchased from the Baker's Nook.

MENU

• Chicken Alfredo and Shrimp Alfredo (I designed signs and framed them with "Chicken Alfredo" and "Shrimp Alfredo")
• Signature drink - pink lemonade and strawberry milk (I designed labels and affixed to pink cups and embellished with pink straw)
• Dessert - Strawberry Parfaits

FAVORS

• Wrapped box of Play-Doh
• Go Fish cards
• Crayons
• Candy 

RESOURCES

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WEST PARK PHOTOGRAPHY 
JOANN FABRICS: Fabric for floor pillows TARGET:White bench, storage cubes, mirrored side table BAKER'S NOOK: Cupcake cups, pearls BIG LOTS: Martha Stewart Paper Pompoms PARTY CITY: Cups, utensils, straws MICHAELS: Labels for pink sacks IKEA:  8ft tabletop, silver and white polka dot table cloth, white shoe rack KIMORA'S PARTY ATTIRE: BabyGap

It's Babies and Kids Week!

"Children will not remember you for the material things you provided, but for the feeling that you cherished them."

-Richard L. Evans

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, I sure did. On Sunday, me and three ladies hosted a baby shower for our dear friend Mimi. During the shower, I thought about how lovely it will be for her baby girl to see how we celebrated her pending arrival and to know that she was loved and cherish well before she graced us with her presence.  Nothing gives me more joy than making a child feel loved.  

After the shower my thoughts shifted this time to my  twins who will celebrate their 3rd birthday next month.

 
With less than a month to go, I became a bit panicked given the fact I have nothing planned. Sometimes the most easygoing plans and projects are some of the best. Don't you think? 

Tomorrow, I have the most adorable post of a little girl's birthday party and budget friendly design tips from the professional events planner who is also her mother!


Have you planned a special event; baby shower, bar/bat mitzvah, birthday party, etc. on a budget? What are your best money saving tips when decorating for a kids' event?

Tastemaker Tuesday: Kiva 150

Today's tastemaker post is not about a person, but an awesome loft space I visited while attending a baby shower this past weekend. The owner, Kelli Flournoy rents her space through her business' website, Kiva 150. Kiva, a Swahili word meaning "unity," offers 1300 square feet of loft space in the historic Castleberry Hill district in Atlanta, Georgia.
When Kelli purchased the space, she immediately removed the wall partitions to create this great expanse of space to be used for both public and private events.
Equipped with a fully outfitted kitchen, I immediately began thinking about hosting a private dinner party for my birthday celebration in November. Afterward we would migrate up to the space you see below!Using a loft space is also a great alternative for hosting your event and may save you a few bucks to rent this space in lieu of costly venues.

Host Kiva 150 for:

• Gallery Space
• Cooking Demonstrations
• Bridal Showers
• Engagement Parties
• Rehersal Dinners
• Corporate Training

Of course these are just a few ideas and I'm sure you can come up with tons more...just be sure to inquire about room capacity when contemplating your "lofty ideas!" Until next time, Ciao!

Speaking of Labor...

First and foremost, I'd like to wish everyone a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!

And speaking of labor, as in labor and delivery, it seems that most of my friends are expecting or have recently welcomed a new arrival. This year, might I add, is the year of the boy! One of my new hobbies is making inspiration boards for baby showers. Since Disney decor is really not my thing, I've been brainstorming on alternative themes for showers. One of my favorites is the one below, "Prepping for A Boy." I've actually given this to one of my girlfriends who is planning an upcoming shower. I can't wait to see what she comes up with based on my inspiration board. I'm so eager to help, maybe she'll read this blog post and put me out of my misery and assign me a task!

This inspiration board, "Ahoy, It's A Boy" was for my friend Niya whose shower was given this past May. Included in the design , but not shown below, was a wooden hand-painted model ship which we used a centerpiece on the dessert table. She loved it much that we included it as gift for her little captain and is now an adorable room accent.


Creating an inspiration board is useful when planning any event, not just baby showers. It helps everyone to keep focused when shopping and provides an excellent visual for those who need a little help envisioning the concept. Have you ever used a inspiration board for your special event?