It’s a shame that now days the first thing you think of when you hear “Tea Party” isn’t actually a tea party. Well, in an effort to take back the term, I present to you a tea party hosted by the talented Alison Iven! A friend forwarded me the link and it was such a joy looking at all the details, I especially love the recipe cards and the labels for the homemade jam!

See more shower pics and browse the rest of Alison’s lovely portfolio here. Thanks Jessica!

With the Academy Awards coming up and all the DIY freebies available to host your own award party, I thought it’d be fun to gather some Oscar event inspiration.

I’ve been obsessed with this Oreo Cake since I spotted it in the September issue of Martha Stewart Living. Since the Oscars are traditionally a black tie event, I can’t think of a more appropriate occasion to make one of these! Yumm!

I’m also loving gold lately! Funny how as a girl I loathed it, and now I can’t get enough of the stuff! Gold confetti plates would be perfect for an awards party. Speaking of sparkle, sequined shoes and a glittered clutch would make the for lovely accessories to a red gown or a shimmering black dress.

And before the night is over, gold heart shaped cakes would make for a sweet finish to a glamorous evening!

The 2011 Oscars air on February 27th this year and I couldn’t be more excited! I’m a huge movie fan and grew up in a family that celebrated film and television. Consequently, the Academy Awards were always a big deal to us. My parents even named our cats Oscar and Emmy!

Last year, I created a downloadable Oscar suite that included printable party invitations, ballots, envelope liners, popcorn bags and candy toppers. I’ve been getting quite a few requests for an updated 2011 version so, with out further ado, here they are! Each PDF includes instructions and if you need more information, please see my original posts here and here.

OSCAR INVITATION & ENVELOPE LINERS
Set the tone for the party to come with these printable Oscar Party Invitations and envelope liners.

OSCAR BALLOT
Play along while you watch! Have guests arrive early to fill out the ballot ahead of time for who they think will win. At the end of the evening, tally up the score to see who guessed the most right!

POPCORN BAGS
What are movies without the popcorn? Serve individual portions by printing the template directly onto white paper bags, line with glassine bags to prevent butter stains and fill with movie popcorn! Both the paper and glassine bags can be found in my Etsy shop here.

CANDY BAG TOPPERS
Of course you can’t have the popcorn without the candy! Dress sweets up by arranging in cellophane bags and topping with red and white stripped toppers. Arrange it all on an old fashioned candy tray and pass it around to all your guests. Learn how to make a candy try here.

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CONDITIONS OF USE: All Twig & Thistle downloads are subject to our Terms & Conditions. Downloads are for personal, non-commercial use only. In addition please do not redistribute or modify any of the templates. If you’d like to link to the pdf, please link to this post directly. Thanks!

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One of the best details from my surprise birthday party had to be the invites and place settings. Katie hired Miss Danae, a completely amazing calligrapher! Her work is nothing short of perfection, just spend a few minutes (or hours) in her photostream and Etsy Shop, you won’t regret it!

My birthday was last Friday and I seriously think it was the best I’ve ever had. It was one of those long birthday weekends with a celebration planned everyday. To top it all off, my dear friend Katie, threw the most amazing surprise birthday luncheon for me! I showed up expecting a simple lunch with her and her family only to find her home completely decorated and a few of my closest friends waiting to celebrate with me.

The decorations were beyond exquisite and I can’t begin to describe how amazing everything was. It was like walking into the best dream ever! Tulle… felt… glitter… I swear, that girl and I are cut from the same cloth!

To set the tone, she created two wreaths for the outside door reading “Happy Birthday”. Made up of a variety of felt pieces cut into floral shapes with small glittered birds peaking through. The entry way was decorated with pink tule around the banisters and a “Surprise” banner draped the front hall. Her living room had a canopy of tulle along with a cluster of pink pom poms hanging from the ceiling and the effect was amazing! Even the fireplace had it’s own dash of sparkle!

Note: All Address Have Been Changed

The invitations were hand lettered by calligrapher Danae Blackburn Hernandez of I Dream of Letters with matching custom envelopes. She also made the place cards and tags for each of the favors.

The dinning table was the true show stopper! Decorated with coordinating table linens, vintage pink glassware, and gold cutlery; all of which Katie has collected over the years. Katie even asked my husband what my favorite meal was and made pasta Boscaiola for lunch. For desert, we had a white cake with lemon buttercream frosting!

I honestly can’t think of a better way I could have spent my 32nd birthday. It was, without a doubt, the nicest event thrown in my honor and I loved every minute of it. Katie thought of every last detail and it made for a very memorable and delightful lunch. Big kisses to Katie for such an amazing party and to Melissa and Erica for celebrating it with me. I will never ever forget it! xoxo