Ok, isn’t she the cutest?!

For Part II of my Circus Birthday Party I wanted to share some of the details. As a backdrop for the party space, I created a flag banner which read “Taylor” and was accented by animals and the number “1″. Each piece was trimmed to a triangle shape and then strung together with coordinating ribbon. The rest of the decorations included cupcake toppers and small food signs.

At the “kids” table, there were party hats for them to wear and favor bags for each to take home. Initially I tried to make my own cone hats, but it turned out to be more challenging than expected… As a quick solution I purchased colored hats at my local party supply store, then attached paper circles with animals to the fronts. HUGE time saver! I kept the favor bags simple by filling clear acetate bags with animal crackers and attaching a custom label with ribbon.

It was so much fun creating all of these pieces! I am looking forward to next year’s birthday party!

I’m back today with a few more photos from my husband’s 3oth Birthday Surprise. Sadly I was so busy the day of the event that I wasn’t able to snap any pictures of the party but I was able to shoot some of the details afterwards. I really went all out with the decorations too so I’m bummed that I don’t have any pics to share.

To coordinate with the “meat tooth” theme, I made meat inspired buttons that people could wear as they saw fit. It was a nice ice breaker for people that didn’t know each other and a fun token from the party. We can all use a little flare now and then!

I knew that people would be dressing up, so I wanted to make sure Tula was properly accessorized . I’d seen this tutorial in Martha Stewart Weddings on how to make flowers from silk and tulle so I sewed one and attached it to a matching homemade dog collar. Tula was quite the trooper and looked perfectly adorable in her oversized corsage!

I’m so excited to be guest blogging over on Sweet Designs today! Amy Atlas has been a huge inspiration to me over the years so I was completely honored to provide a picnic inspired DIY project for her site. You can see my paper chopstick holders and get full instructions on how to make the custom paper napkins right here.

Thanks so much to Amy for having me and I hope you all get a chance to get outdoors and enjoy a meal outside! Cheers!

I bookmarked this awhile back and haven’t been able to stop thinking about these wallpaper inspired cookies from Miette. I can’t even imagine the time it goes into making one of these but I am beyond impressed. It just goes to show that inspiration can come from anywhere, and in this case the result is just delicious!

Speaking of delish, check out some of these other mouth-watering confections from Miette… wow! All available for purchase on their site.

Via Unruly Things

Check out these A-DOR-able Shirt & Tie gift boxes Kristen from Paper Crave put together! She’s even provided a downloadable template and full how-to instructions on her blog. This is such a sweet and clever idea that would be perfect for all kinds of gifts for dad. Happy crafting and Happy early Father’s Day everyone!

As promised, I’m back today with the last of my sisters baby shower details. I had so much fun putting it all together and preparing all the pieces. I think the cake topper was my favorite part and hopefully it’ll be something they can keep for some time.

The favors were a keepsake that each of the guests got to take home and were based off these that I had seen in the portfolio of Rebecca Thuss. Mine didn’t come out nearly as beautiful but they were still a sweet addition to the event. I wrapped two shortbread cookies in clear cellophane and put them inside the fabric envelope. These little envelopes could hold any number of things really with the proportions adjusted to fit. Below are instructions for how to make your own.

What You’ll Need:
Fabric
Scissors
Scalloped Rotary Cutter
Thread
Shortbread Cookies
Diaper Pins

Instructions:
1. Cut fabric into strips about 5″ wide x 9″ long. Fold top of fabric in 1/2″ towards wrong side of fabric and hem. Repeat on bottom edge.
2. Once both top and bottom edges have been hemmed, fold bottom portion of fabric up approvimetly 3.75″ creating an envelope. Sew along both edges 1/2″ in; securing both sides of the envelope.
3. Add a little detail and prevent fraying by trimming the sides with pinking shears or a scalloped rotary cutter. Be sure to fold top over to where it will approximately be once favor is inside then cut – the scallops will align and the envelope will appear more finished.
3. Finally, slide favor inside envelope and secure with a baby pin!

I completely adore these hand-crafted mixed media cards by Kanella seen on Graphic Exchange. Inspired by the story of Ariadne, a princess of divine beauty, the embossed cards are woven with a yellow thread to reveal a secret message. DESIGN is the KEY to the PATH towards the SUN. Both beautifully simplistic and graphically bold, this series truly embodies the power of great design.

Speaking of great design and hand-crafted work, Danni at Oh, Hello Friend is hosting Letterpress Week and has a pretty impressive line up of features, giveaways and interviews including one with yours truly. Definitely stop by when you get a chance and get ready for a ton of inspiration!

Etsy featured the most wonderful store last Friday! To say that owner William Dohman is prolific would be a gross understatement. From graphic prints and photos to heart melting toys, there is something for everyone. My absolute favorite are these wooden signs, they look like they could cheer up any room! He has a ton of pre-done signs but if you don’t find what you’re looking for a custom option is also available.

Hope you all had a nice weekend! My sister Laurel ended up making these beautiful naturally dyed eggs for Easter and I had to take a few pics. She used onion peel and beats for the coloring and garden herbs for the decorations. Definitetly bookmarking this idea for next year!

There’s something so delightfully spring-like about these clocks don’t you think? Designed by Fey Handmade and made of bamboo and ivory acrylic they truly are a feast for the eyes. I imagine that these lovelies would make passing the time all that more sweet. Available for purchase here and here.