One fancy neon shower

This adorable baby shower has so many fun elements I can't decide which I like more, the use of neon, geometric shapes or teeny tiny succulents. Found on Armelle, this charming shower oozes DIY; those jar toppers are not only fun for the party but a great way to keep little things organized in the little ones room. Be sure to head on over to Armelle for the rest of the fun color coded festivities.

images via armelle

Crafting up a storm

I'm finally feeling oodles better after a visit with my Mom and some good ol rest and its just in time, I've got a grad party to get ready for. I've been asked to bring along some fun decor pieces for our new cosmetologist and of course I fully plan to deliver. After a chat about the heat I decided to make a few fun papered fans for guests to stay cool and these folded fans from Ruffled have been my inspiration. Wish me luck as I've got some serious paper folding in my future.

image via ruffled

Combining grads and kids

I don't know about you, but this week has gone by at lightning speed.  Seems I am barely staying afloat on everything that needs to get done, but one item I can cross off my list of to do's is all the crafting I had been doing for my younger cousins.  Yesterday was a super big day, one of my cousins graduated high school in Sacramento, and it was also her younger sister's 9th birthday.  Do you know how hard it is to come up with decor to fit both needs!?  After a week of debating whether or not to have fun decor, I was given two days (2!) to create everything.  And living in a new city with no paper or craft store easily accessible, it was tricky!  Not to mention my printer wanted to call it quits on me... turns out ink is a hard thing to come by in my area.

I ended up doing a variety of paper crafts for both girls, of course I tried to personalized them a little.  For the graduate, I made up a paper favor cone in her school colors, while for the younger option, I used a variety of balloons in a more matured color palette... she's no kid anymore!

I tried to incorporate each girls favorite treats into the mix, small pastel colored marshmallows look awesome in tiny bags with personalized wrappers.  And who doesn't love a little chocolate and peanut butter with a little balloon wrapping?  

This is the only shot I got of the table, unfortunately it didn't come out so great, but you get the idea!  I had also incorporated wrapped juice boxes for both girls, as well as small party boxes (see a similar tutorial here) that held the graduates favorite candy.  All in all, fun was had and I got tons of complements on the crafts.  And if you are wondering about that cake, the girls wanted to share one cake, so they had it made with two different sides, one for the grad and one for the birthday girl.

photos by monica for our designed life

Thanks Martha

Whenever I am in need some cheery inspiration, I stop on by Martha Stewart's wedding site and I am always pleased with what I find.  And today, it was her pop up paper decor.  You really can't get any more girly then pretty pink papers hanging from the ceiling.  I've seen the streamers and hanging balls before, but that cake, whoa!  Totally fun, super simple and really packs a punch on any ordinary cake.  Check out the rest of Martha's pop up here.

photos via martha stewart

For the party planners

How fun are these wooden place card holders and cake stand from Sunday Hatch?!  They are perfect for giving your next party a rustic feel, pair them with some vibrant greens and a few sweets and you have yourself a little woodland party.  Plus they are made with reclaimed wood!

photos via sunday hatch

Colorful ideas

I just love collecting fun ideas for parties and special events, and this colorful mobile tutorial from Project wedding is one to add to the growing stack of inspiration and projects hopefully for future use.  Made from vellum, there are step by step instructions on how to create your own colorful centerpiece.  I could even see these as a great focal point in a room on a regular basis, plus they are so simple to make, you can switch out colors as often as your little heart desires.

photos via project wedding