Belleza e Luce

New Party Posted ...

2010-05-24T11:51:00.000-04:00

Sneak Peak ...

Follow me at my NEW blog -

http://bellezaeluce.com/blog/

Please update your google readers, subscriptions, etc. Don't forgot to leave a comment to say hi!

{Exciting News!} Follow me to ...

2010-05-18T11:16:00.000-04:00

Belleza e Luce's NEW blog!

Visit here!

{Giveaway} Favor Tags & Party Banners

2010-03-24T09:40:00.000-04:00

I recently designed favor tags and a birthday banner for Jenn's daughter at Sugar Pop Ribbons. The party was princess themed and was designed around cupcake wrappers she had from Wilton. She is currently hosting a giveaway which includes favor tags and a party banner designed by me!

The final products:

and

The contest ends on March 30th and you can visit her blog here for details about the party, the party supplies and how to enter the contest.

The princess collection will be in my Etsy shop soon!

{Real Parties} Vintage Circus

2010-03-24T08:57:00.000-04:00

My sincerest apologies for the radio silence the past few weeks. After my daughter got sick, I did as well and it really wore me down. On top of that, I'm working on the new website that is scheduled to be launched on April 9 or so! I'm super excited about it and all the new products I will have for you!

Enough of that - onto the party!

I came across this party and thought it was a brilliant idea - a vintage circus party to celebrate a child's baptism as well as his 1st birthday and his mom's 30th birthday! This party was originally hosted by Kate at I Love Parties. Kate did a fabulous job using vintage tin toys as decoration and creating a 'big top' tent using fabric at her food table. Without further adieu, on with the show!

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In May this year, my son and I had a combined Christening and 1st Birthday (him) and 30th Birthday (me...obviously). He and I share a Birthday which means double the party fun for the next couple of years (while I can still get away with it).
The theme was vintage circus - the perfect theme to cover all age groups.
The room was decorated with colourful banners, vintage circus posters and a "homemade" big top (long strips of calico and lots of red paint!).
The tables were decorated with red and white striped table runners, tin toys, circus megaphones and bunches of red, yellow, blue, green and white balloons.
Brown kraft paper favour bags were decorated with variety of ribbons and filled with old fashioned lollies (including large jaffas, sherbet bombs, bananas, bullseyes, conversation hearts and lollipops) and some red "Admit One" tickets.
We set up a fairy floss, peanut and popcorn stand for people to help themselves. The peanut and popcorn bags were from etsy.
We had the meal catered, and it was a lovely BBQ with fresh salads and bread. I printed signs for the "Big Top Bar" and "Big Top Buffet". The kids ate fairy bread, cheese sandwiches and cupcakes with clown toppers and drank ice cream sodas.
I found a beautiful vintage clown doll on eBay that I propped up on the cake table.

{Real Parties} Ella's Tea Party

2010-03-12T08:06:00.000-05:00

This party was originally hosted by Cindy at Cindy Scorsone's Family Blog. I am in love with this party! The toile ribbon and soft pink everywhere - oh my! Cindy made much of the decor herself, including the banner, tissue poms, and the hanging centerpiece in the dining room - WOW! A beautiful party for a beautiful little girl. Cindy had her friend, Lacey of A Cherry on Top Photography there to document the festivities. Enjoy the party, leave a comment and then visit their blogs, too!

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Tea Time!

I have a sweet baby girl and today we had her first tea party for her first birthday. I have been thinking about her first birthday party since I found out I was having a girl. It turned out just like I dreamed! I loved how everything went together so perfect. I don't really think I had a favorite thing about the party. I loved every bit of it! I look forward to having many tea parties with my little girl!

Thank you Lacey for taking these beautiful pictures of the party. It was so nice to be able to host without worrying about pictures. You did an amazing job!

Thank you Shannon for all your hard work getting ready for the party. I really would not of been able to do it without you!

This is one of my favorite pictures of Ella. My Uncle took it when she was 5 months old.

I love this picture of Ella! My sweet girl in her sweet satin dress.

Playgroup girls are really growing up!

Madison's hat was perfect for the tea party. I love that hat!

I think this is one of Ella's favorite gifts! She loves playing with it!

This babydoll is so cool! It sucks when you give it a bottle and blinks its eyes when it giggles. We named her baby Kate.

She loved every bite!

{Real Parties} Safari Adventure

2010-03-10T07:41:00.001-05:00

This party was originally hosted by Enchanted Expectations.

Her invitations provide a wonderful 'hint' to what will be in store at the party. The cake is simply gorgeous, the animal costumes are super fun, and their safari adventure is wonderful! My kids would have loved this party!

Enjoy the party, post a comment, and then head over to Enchanted Expectations.

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Safari Adventure

"The Invitation" that I made with the help of Microsoft Word

Safari Birthday Boy

Kids Parties are my passion. I recently completed another fabulous party for my son's 3rd Birthday(seen above). When the kids first arrived they were STOPPED at the "Passport Check In" station where they received pre-made passports and a Serengeti Agenda.

The kids then moved to the dress up station where they "Became a Jungle Animal". The kids received costumes and then got their face painted into an animal. Even the adults got involved. They loved that they were able to keep the costumes.

After the kids were dressed, they visited the "Serengeti National Park"and took pictures with the Lion and Elephant

Next the kids went to "See the Monkey's". Here they created Monkey visors and Monkey finger puppets.

Then the kids and parents "Enjoyed an African Feast" at the jungle table. The Feast included;
Safari Sandwiches - peanut butter and jelly sandwiches Jungle Sandwiches - turkey and cheese on wheat bread
Animal Spotted Pizza-pepperoni pizza/cheese available for all you non-spotted lovers.
Snake Eggs- seedless grapes
Croc Teeth: apple slices
Dried Ants - plain raisins
Beetle Wings-potato chips Creepy Crawly Bugs - gummy worms
Jungle Juice-fruit juice

The kids then participated in the "Reptilian Hunt"
I put all kinds of interesting reptiles, from crocodiles to snakes all around the room and the kids went for a hunt to find as many as possible to fill up goody bags.

After the Reptile Hunt, the kids enjoyed "Safari Cake" made by Cakes Plus in Laurel, Maryland

For the Take home gift. I gave out "Safari Backpacks" filled with anything I could find that had animals on it.

Check out more pictures of Bailey's Safari Adventure on Flickr.

{Real Parties} Preppy Pinwheel Party

2010-03-09T08:38:00.001-05:00

This Pinwheel Party was originally hosted by Sharnel at My Life - My Loves. I absolutely love the navy and green color scheme paired with a simple yet fun summer play activity - pinwheels. Sharnel did a fabulous job with the decor and candy buffet. Thank you for sharing the party with us! Enjoy everyone, post a comment, and then hop over and visit hers, too!

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William's 4th Birthday

What a wonderful afternoon/evening we had. Lots of greats friends, food and fun. Kids swimming, running and jumping ..... and not an argument in sight! 27 kids - that's saying something.

Here are some photos of his dessert/candy buffet.

Details:

Banner, invitations and thank you tags made by Imprintables.

I followed this tutorial for the pinwheels at SMP.

Cake, cupcakes and cookies by The Cupcake Company. Yes that's me!

The coloured MM's I had shipped from the States. Thanks Glory!

All other signage handmade by me.

Treat boxes from Imprintables. Tiered stand for treat boxes is a plant stand that I bought and painted.

Popcorn cone holders tutorial here. I made the base from polystyrene and wrapped in gift wrap.

Crates found at Bunnings.

Please feel free to ask any further questions in the comments section and I'll reply.

Thanks and hope you enjoyed William's 4th Birthday.

{Real Parties} Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Birthday

2010-03-08T08:48:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I'm back - not 100% but a lot better. I ended up in the ER Saturday night with my high fever and a rash on my face as a result of the fever. After IV's, blood tests, chest x-rays, and being given a muscle relaxer (why? you ask. I'm so glad! Apparently, everyone is in pain at the ER, so they just gave me some pain killers. No idea - I wasn't in pain and the muscle relaxers made my arms and legs feel like jello.), I was informed I had a a fever and rash. NO joke! That was my diagnosis! On another page, it stated virus. Needless to say, I felt oh so relieved that I spent 3 1/2 hours of my life there on Saturday. HAHA!

Okay, okay - enough about me - back to the party!

Tamara at The McDonald World hosted a Miss Spider's Sunny Patch party for her daughter's 2nd birthday. She did a fantastic job with the decor and activites for the children. My favorites are the Tree centerpiece and mini paper lantern bug friends. She utilized free print outs from Nick Jr. for some of the activites and decor (I like free!) Great job Tamara and thank you for sharing the party with us! Don't forget to visit her blog, too!

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Miss Spider Sunny Patch Party

For Lauren's 2nd birthday, I decided to go with a Miss Spider theme...little did I know (after I had my heart set on this idea) that it would be near impossible to find anything Miss Spider out there. This is such a cute show and so perfect for this age, that I feel like they are really missing the boat by not marketing it anymore. If it were not for the Nick Jr. printables and some creative work on my part and the bakery's part, this party would not have been very successful. At least decor wise! Lauren had over about 3 of her friends and they all have siblings that are Sarah's age so it made for a nice sized party. Her are the photos and the specifics!

Theme: Miss Spider Sunny Patch
Food: Palio's Pizza & Salad
Drinks for kids: Apple juice, lemonade, milk
Cake: The Cakery (Southlake) The bottom part was white cake with white butter cream and the Miss Spider was chocolate cake with white butter cream! Heavenly!
Colors: Played off of the lime green and yellow colors mostly, but it was a very colorful party
Decor: I made my own buggy friends out of small colored paper lanterns, craft poms poms, pipe cleaners and felt. I found one place online that had one package of Miss Spider "blow-outs" and they had the cute bug antenna "party hats". My husband made the Hollow Tree tree trunk out of construction paper. The rest was really balloons and crepe paper
Flowers: Yellow tulips and multi-colored gerber daisies
Games: Bean bag toss, bowling, parachute, Velcro ball & catch game and lots of printables to color and play with from Nick Jr. I also had a Miss Spider video playing to keep them entertained while at the party table.

The Invite

The "party room"

The place settings

The wonderful cake

Her cute cupcakes left over from what she took to "school"

Drink boxes to match decor

The goodie bags: I could not find 10 of the same Miss Spider book at any bookstore, so I did a mixture of books to accommodate the different ages and genders. Also add some little slinky's and glow in the dark bracelets in lime green. The girls got a sunflower in their bag!

My homemade bugs and colored lanterns

Buggy facts I printed off of Nick Jr.

The printables to color and a "I promise to be good to bugs" certificate

All sitting down for pizza!

Me with my sweets!

It is n

{Apologies} I've been a bore!

2010-03-04T10:09:00.002-05:00

My apologies that this week has been just outright dull here. First my daughter gets sick, then my son - both of which are doing 1000x better! Now I'm battleing a 103 - 104 degree fever. I'm going to take the rest of the week off, and be back Monday with a fabulous party to share with you!

{Belleza e Luce} Changes are Coming!

2010-03-02T15:11:00.000-05:00

I'm bursting with wonderful news! So many great things and changes are coming to Belleza e Luce!

In early April we will be launching a new website, new products especially for weddings, a new look to the blog, and a new logo! Whew!

On top of all this, I have more children's lines that are near completion!

Of course, I absolutely adore custom work so feel free to contact me about your special event!

{Blog Award}

2010-03-01T11:27:00.000-05:00

I had an awful weekend; my daughter is sick, and when she (or my son) get sick that means nebulizer treatments. Ugh! I just hate seeing how it hurts them breathe, and of course, I don't sleep much worrying about them getting better.

This morning I found a comment from Amy of Moving on from the Drama telling me that she gave me the Sunshine Award. It's my first blog award! The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blog-world!

Amy has a wonderful blog where she shares her life with her husband and daughter, and she hosts some wonderful giveaways, too! Thank you Amy!

The rules for this award are as follows:
•Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
•Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
•Link the nominees within your post.
•Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
•Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Here are the bloggers I pass this award onto:

1) ~Ruffles and Stuff~

2) Whimsey & Wise Events

3) Tied with a Bouw

4) Princess & the Frog Blog

5) Save the Date for Cupcakes

6) Rooms to Inspire

7) A pocket full of posies

8) Alayna's Creations

9) Can't Stop Making Things

10) Cutest Little Things

11) Keeping Up with the Roses

12) P is for Party

{Real Parties} Pink Polka Dots

2010-02-26T00:14:00.000-05:00

This Polka dot and Posies Birthday Party was originally hosted by Heather at Party in Pink. You can the entire party and details at her original post.
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I don't know where to begin - this is just pinkalicious! Avery's birthday party is certainly pretty in pink. Pink flowers and tissue poms, M&M's, napkin and cup rings, balloons, party hats, and a matching outfit too! Heather, you did a beautiful job (and I love Avery's playhouse too!). Enjoy the party everyone, post a comment, and head over to Heather's blog!
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Saturday was Avery's 3rd Birthday party. I love planning parties. Love it. But I don't have many occasions for it, so when I get the chance to plan one, I tend to go all out. I realize she likely won't remember them, and that she doesn't care about the details the way I do, but I enjoy it. And really, though there are lots of details, it's more of an investment in time than money. Nearly everything is papercrafted, and paper is cheap, especially when you shop sales, as I do.

Avery is very into pink, and decided back in June that she wanted pink polka dots and flowers for her party. Those two things didn't immediately make sense to me as a theme, so I figured out a cute name--polka dots and posies--and I was able to begin visualizing it. That name was nowhere in any party things; it was just for me.

And here's a close up of those paper bag flowers I made..

And another showing some of the table set-up. The party was at 1pm, so we had picky food as opposed to a full lunch. There was chips and salsa (round tortilla chips, of course), a veggie tray with round Ritz crackers and cheese that I cut into circles with a small coookie cutter, those yummy Lofthouse cookies with mounds of pink icing, strawberries with chocolate and cream cheese dip, chicken nuggets for the kids, pink M&Ms, cake and ice cream. Oh, and chocoolate dipped strawberry marshmallows on lollipop sticks. Yummy!

I searched everywhere for those clear pillow boxes. i really wanted the M&Ms to show through. They're the polka dots!
I made the tags with my Cricut, of course, and my new Mini Monogram cartridge. And there's more of those flowers!

The kids got goody bags made from Wilton popcorn boxes. Inside was a round lipgloss, a notepad, pink pencil, one of the M&M boxes and some flower tatoos. The boys got a light up toy, and boyish pencil and stickers.

I love the way these hats turned out! Avery's special one is in the front, the others had the single flower. I made 11-onch circles, cut them in half, and then rolled into a hat. I made the ribbon loops, taped them together, and taped them inside. You can't see it in the picture, but I placed a small brad in the hole where the elastic goes in. This helps keep the elastic from coming out or the knot from tearing through the hole.

Rather than buy fancy tableware, I bought clear cups and forks and dressed them up with paper. I think there's some formula you can use to make the angles work on the cup wrappers, but I just used a Starbucks cardboard thing as a pattern. And did you catch the picture of the napkins and the hats? Since when does my camera take such fabulous pictures?

The flowers are gumpaste, quilled ala Collette Peters. I should have let the buttercream set up a bit before placing the flowers, because they caused it to fall some.

{Party Planner Thursdays} Futuristic Robots

2010-02-25T15:08:00.000-05:00

I'm helping a friend of mine create a robot themed birthday party for her soon-to-be 4 year old. This is such a fun theme and you can really get creative with decorations, food names, games and activities. I wish I had a picture of a 5 foot robot I built back in 6th grade for a class project. My mom had to drive me to school and since the robot was so tall we had to hang him out the sunroof of the car!

{Sources: Robot Craft, Boy's Shirt, Robot Decor, Pinata with directions, Invitations, Tablescape, Futuristic Decor}

{Sources Finger Puppet, Tablescape, Food, Robot drawers, Wall Art, Cupcakes, Lollipops,

Robot Costumes, Funnel & Gas Can}

Decorating for this party is lots of fun! Use aluminum foil as table runners and scatter nuts, bolts, and washers on the tables (for the younger crowd you can use kids' plastic ones found in their tool boxes - see my invitation picture above; I borrowed Luca's toys for the photo shoot!). Slinkies and coil tubing found at the hardware store would be great too!

Go to your local auto body shop and pick up oil funnels and gas cans. Serve beverages out of the gas cans (cleaned, of course!) and make up fun names like Out of this World Punch and Robotic Fuel. In lieu of traditional paper hats, give earch child an oil funnel as their hat. You can create fun robotic costumes for your guests with cardboard boxes, silver spray paint, paper plates and cardstock. Or, you could create the basic robot structure and allow each guest to decorate their own!

Use a projector, posterboard and paint to create giant robots, cogs, and gears. Afifix them to walls and hang from the ceiling or chandeliers.

Place Chex Mix in a bowl or individual baggies and label them nuts & bolts. Cheez-its or SunChips can be called computer chips.

An empty metal paint, found at hardware stores, can hold favors such as a robot finger puppet or lollipop and other goodies.

If your party will be outside, consider making large yard props of cogs and gears from styrofoam, wood, or foam board. Scatter them throughout the yard and call it the 'Junk Yard'

{New Lines} Available Now!

2010-02-24T16:15:00.000-05:00

I just finished listing items for 4 new lines that I have created. They are now for sale at Belleza e Luce.

Baby Boy Blue

Cotton Candy Pink Stripe

Fancy Nancy

Cake Chic

Additional items including thank you cards, door signs, banners, and cake toppers will be added soon. AND an additional 5 lines will be making their debut in the near future! What themes you ask? I'll give you a hint for one ... you won't want to be late to the party!

Visit my shop.

{Real Parties} Gender Reveal Party

2010-02-24T00:48:00.000-05:00

This gender reveal party was originally hosted by Brittany at Grey Grey Designs. Thank you Brittany for sharing your party with us!

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I love this idea! When I was pregnant with my daughter I was firm that I did not want to know what I was having. I wanted it to be a surprise. Well ... at one of my ultrasounds, she was being uncooperative moving all around and I was able to figure it myself. From that second forward, all my thoughts were pink and out went the bee-themed nursery I had been planning.

Brittany did a great job with this party and with only 2 weeks to plan it. All the bee details are just bee-utiful! Okay, I know ... but I had to do it! I would love to throw this kind of party! Enjoy everyone, post a comment, and then head over to Brittany's blog!

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What's It Gonna Bee?

This weekend, I did my very first gender reveal party for some of our dearest friends, Tommy and Lauren. Gender reveal parties are the new trend in baby parties, so I couldn't wait to get a jumpstart on this one. I had been tossing ideas around with them for a few months, but I actually planned this party in about 2 weeks, since we weren't positive when the actual ultrasound appointment would be.

Obviously, I thought that yellow would be a perfect color for the theme, but then I came up with the idea of making it bumblebees, and calling it "What's It Gonna Bee?" I handpainted that sign on butcher paper, which is one of my favorite "big impact" ideas for a party tablescape. It really puts the focus on the theme of the party.

I decided on a candy/dessert buffet, since this was an afternoon event. Plus, then we could do a really fun theme colored display of foods. Some of the foods that I used were licorice, black and yellow jellybeans, moon pies, oreos in yellow and black, black raspberry now-n-laters, custom wrapped hershey miniatures, cupcakes, and bee pops.

I also did Martha Stewart's tissue flowers over the table for big impact. It's hard to tell in these pictures, but there were actually two large ones and two small ones. The fabric for the table is from JoAnn, which we only recently got in Memphis, and it is LOVE. SO much better than Hancock. I wanted something modern and graphic and I thought it was perfect!

I lucked out big time on these bee pops. I sent my husband out to Wayne's Wholesale Candy company one day on a mission for yellow and black candy and he calls me and says..."you're never going to believe this, but they have bee pops!" I said..."snatch them up NOW!" This is simply a piece of styrofoam covered in scrapbook paper.

All the tags for the food items are also made from scrapbook paper. For the "reveal" part of the party, I decided to have them cut into a cake and the inside would be blue or pink. This was the first time I have ever attempted to tackle fondant for a cake, and I wasn't thrilled with the results, but it turned out cute. I also did little stripes of black on some of the cupcakes to inject a little contrast. The top cake is supposed to be a beehive cupcake, if you can't tell from the picture.

The small bumblebee votives and napkins are from Hobby Lobby. They have a ton of cute bee stuff right now!

The moment of truth....

It's a BOY!!!!

Hey Tommy, how do you really feel?

A totally fun party for two awesome friends! We can't wait for him to BEE here!

{Real Parties} Look whooo's 2!

2010-02-22T00:05:00.000-05:00

Aurora at Pierson Nest originally hosted this wonderful Owl Party. Thank you so much Aurora for sharing with us!

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Aurora decorated beautifully - I love the hanging tissue poms and the color palette is gorgeous!

Avery's 2nd Birthday party was on Saturday
and it was a HOOT!!! invitations from Polka Dot Design

you can see more of Avery's birthday outfit here

the decor was pink & orange

menu:
owl PB&J
crossaint sandwiches
veggies & ranch dip
cheese & crackers
fruit kabobs
{I used this tutorial to make the owl kabob sticks}

and of course, cupcakes!!!

I also made custom water bottle labels

{tutorial coming soon!}

eating with the girls
Avery, Kaya & Ellie

Janner enjoying his food solo

Avery LOVED having Happy Birthday sung to her
and blew her candle out on the first try!

a simple beanbag toss game for the little ones

ALL the kiddos
Kaya, Hudson, Janner, Avery, Noah, Ellie & Griffin

Kaya, Janner & Avery trying out her new chair

favors:
cute polka dot bags from Target,
mini stuffed animal owls,
owl paper and colored pencils,
and
personalized beanbags.

I'm Tweeting ...

2010-02-20T11:48:00.000-05:00

... do you?

http://twitter.com/bellezaeluce

Come join me!

{Real Parties} All Star Soccer Mania!

2010-02-19T09:02:00.000-05:00

Emily at Toad's Treasures originally hosted this Soccer Team Party.

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Growing up I played on a few sports teams - basketball, baseball, and softball - before ultimately finding my sport: swimming. One thing I loved about playing on the teams was making friends in other grades, and of course the 'Year End Team Party!' Our parties were not very elaborate, usually a slice of pizza or ice cream but we loved it.

A great improv by Emily due to rain to kick the soccer ball pinata to break it open. Afterall, it is a soccer party! Enjoy the party, leave a comment, and then go visit Emily's blog!

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Ready, Set, Throw! How about a fun team party? Here are a few ideas for a "sports team" party!

{Ethan's soccer team party: Simple & Fun}

{The Spread}
The menu: Grilled hot dogs, fruit kabobs, string cheese, chips, water bottles with our team name on them, cookies on a stick and soccer cupcakes for dessert!

{The invites}

{Party Cookies}
I just made sugar cookies and baked them on a popsicle stick, wrapped them up, & put stickers on the outside. For more picts and the recipe I used click here.

{Pinata}
What kids doesn't love a pinata?! We had a soccer ball pinata which was not only a great decoration, but the kids LOVED it. We decided (on account of rain outside) that we would just have the kids actually KICK the ball around until the candy came out. They LOVED it & so did we! We had them each take turns kick it to eachother and then into the wall to open it up.

{Party Bags}
Just brown paper bags! Totally easy, but cute. I attached a balloon to each bag & it was a hit. I printed out the soccer balls & stars on sheets of "label" paper, cut them out, and tah dah!

{Thanks for a great season Super Kickers!}
It was so great "coaching" these sweet little guys this season. Stay tuned! I'll post more about our season soon!

Thank you for sharing your party with us!

{Party Planning Thursdays} Leprechaun Hunt

2010-02-18T10:54:00.000-05:00

I received an email from Cassidy who is looking to host a St. Patrick's Day party for the children in her son's preschool class. She made it very clear that she did not want paper shamrock cutouts or the glittery party supplies that are everywhere. In her email she described how much her son enjoyed being in the backyard and discovering trinkets of twigs, rocks, and bugs.

Aha! The idea was born! Enjoy this Woodland Leprechaun Hunt Inspiration Board!

{Sources Potato Wreath, Tulip Arrangement Photography by Adrian Briscoe for Elle Decoration UK Edition, Woodland Ornament, Potted Shamrocks, Tablescape, Cauldron, Cupcake with recipe, Terraniums}

A Potato Wreath greets your guests at the door, hinting of the rugged and woodsy feel that lie ahead. Create a tablescape with burlap table coverings, containers of moss and wheatgrass and miniature leprechaun homes made from bark, twigs, rocks, and assorted natural materials. Use tree stumps as seats for your guests for a wonderful outdoor feel. Hang clear ornaments with moss, twigs, and berries to hang from trees, chandeliers, and ceilings. Guests can create terraniums to take home. For an alternative to candy or toy favors, send home shamrock plants in terra cotta pots for the children to take of.

Onto the Leprechaun Hunt! The hunt can be modifed for indoors or outdoors depending on the space you have available. Create a path of flat walking stones with woodland leprechaun houses, woodland creatures, and miniature leprechauns scattered about. Ultimately, the path will lead to none other than the leprechaun with his pot of gold!

Belleza e Luce Featured!

2010-02-17T10:42:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited! Yesterday was a bad day - if it could go wrong, it did. I went to bed praying that today would be better. Well ... so far, so good! I opened my inbox to find that Luca's Handy Manny Birthday Party has been featured over at The Creative Party Place ! Shannon shares lots of wonderful parties hosted by super talented women.

Here is my original post about Luca's party.

{Real Parties} Movie Night Birthday Bash!

2010-02-17T10:27:00.001-05:00

This party was originally hosted by Sherry at Party Pops.

I was out in blogland yesterday and had this crazy idea to try to throw together an Oscar's party in just a few weeks. That's when I came across Carly's Birthday Party. Super fun and I just love the popcorn cupcakes! I haven't decided if I am definitely throwing the party yet as I forgot about another party my sister and mom have that day, but if I do, I will be borrowing some of these ideas! Thank you Sherry for letting me share.

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Carly’s Movie Night Birthday Bash!

My daughter Carly just turned 12. Carly is a Crazy and Fun Loving Girl and we love her to pieces, I just can’t believe how much she has grown! Carly wanted to have a Movie Night with her friends so it was off to Gran and Papa’s house who have the BIG THEATER room. It was fun creating all the decorations for this Movie Theme party. Carly and her friends had a blast. Enjoy the Show!

She’s Growing Up!

Putting the Tables together was so much fun. We started off with Pizza but ended up with Loads of sugar!!

Got to have Popcorn and yeah, even pickles for the Movie!

Off to the Show!

Can you stand the excitement…Carly got her first Cell phone and when the box started ringing she hardly open it fast enough!!

Happy Birthday Carly!!

{Recipes} Mardi Gras

2010-02-15T11:17:00.000-05:00

I've never been to Mardi Gras, and I will admit that the festivities do not appeal to me much. However, I would love to visit New Orleans and experience the food, culture, music, and architecture. I've been intrigued with it, especially from a photographer's aspect ever since I saw an acquantaince's photos.

Source Life by the Drop

I do love food! And what is Mardi Gras without great food? Below are a few recipes I will be trying!

Starting off with King's Cake!

Source Logan Brown

Mardi Gras King Cake
Servings: 12

Prep Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:
2 packages dry active yeast
1/2 cup sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
5 egg yolks
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/43 degrees C)
4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Vegetable oil
8 ounces cream cheese
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons milk
Purple, green and gold sugar sprinkles
Plastic Baby Toy (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.

For The Cake:
Combine the yeast, sugar, butter, and egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the milk. With the mixer on low speed, beat the mixture for about 4 minutes to dissolve the yeast. If the yeast mixture doesn't begin to foam after a few minutes, it means it's not active and will have to be replaced.

In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Add this mixture to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed until it lightly comes together, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl, forms a ball, and climbs slightly up the dough hook.

Remove the dough from the bowl. Coat the dough with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl and turn it to oil all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, set in a warm, draft-free place, and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

For The Filling:
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Mix well and set aside.

For The Sugar Glaze:
In another small bowl, combine the remaining powdered sugar, lemon juice and milk. Mix well and set aside.

After the First Dough Rising:
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll the dough out 30 inches long and 6 inches in diameter. Spread the cream cheese filling across the center of the dough. Bring the two long edges together and seal all sides completely. Using your hands shape the dough into a long cylinder and place on a greased baking sheet, seam side down. Shape the dough into a ring. Place a well-greased 2 pound coffee can or shortening can in the center of the ring to maintain the shape during baking.

The Second Dough Rising:
Press the plastic baby toy (optional) into the ring from the bottom so that it is completely hidden by the dough. Cover the ring with a towel and place in a warm, draft free place. Let the dough rise for about 45 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.

Baking the Cake:
With a sharp knife, make several slits around the top of the ring. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. After baking remove the coffee can immediately. Allow the cake to cool. Drizzle the cake with the sugar glaze that you have set aside. Sprinkle the cake with sprinkles, alternating colors. Cut the cake into individual pieces and serve.

Yield: 12 servings.
Source: Emeril Lagasse

Sausage Jambalaya
Eggplant and sausage spice up Cajun rice jambalaya. Eggplant is not a traditional ingredient in jambalaya, but it works well. This recipe begins in a skillet and is finished in the oven.
3/4 pound smoked sausage, thinly sliced
1 small eggplant, cubed
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
2/3 cup uncooked rice
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup chopped canned tomatoes, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper
1 small bay leaf
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook sausage until lightly browned in oven-safe skillet. Add eggplant, onions, and bell pepper. Stir in rice, chicken broth, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover, and bake for 30 minutes or until rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Fluff lightly with a fork. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Creole Rice
2-1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 onion, peeled
1 branch parsley
1 branch thyme
1 carrot, peeled
Soak the rice in cold water for 15 minutes and drain. In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add salt, onion, parsley, thyme, and carrot. Add the rice and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove the onion, parsley, thyme, and carrot. Drain the rice in a colander. Rinse under cold running water. Drain again and turn into saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes until the rice grains are completely dry.

{Source Cooking with Cajun Women by Nicole Denee Fontenot (Hippocrene Books)}

I am on the search for a great beignet recipe! Can anyone share theirs?

{Source}

As they say in New Orleans,

"Laissez le bon temps rouler,"

or "Let the good times roll!"

{Silent Saturday} RIP Nodar Kumaritashvili

2010-02-13T03:00:00.002-05:00

(Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

{How To} Valentine Photo Shoot

2010-02-12T16:35:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday everyone! With Valentine's Day only 2 days away, I thought I would share a little how-to of a Valentine photo shoot I did with my children 2 years ago.

This is a great little trick when you wish you had (insert color) walls or (insert floor) here! Works fabulously for taking product pictures, too!

Materials:

piece of plywood (at least 12" taller than your subject and 1-2ft on either end)

heavy material (I'm using felt) sized to fit over the plywood in your color choice

piece of molding

large binder clips to attach material and molding to plywood

flooring (I purchased a box of snap-together wood flooring)

Props (optional)

Set up:

Place your fabric covered plywood straight against a wall.

Arrange your flooring so it butts next to it.

Lay the molding on the bottom of the fabric plywood and attach with binder clips

When positioning your subjects, you don't want them to stand too close to the fake wall.

Lay out some props and let the kids have fun!

Candy is always a hit with the kids!

When taking pictures of infants, I use a boppy and cover it with material, blankets, etc.

Experiment with different materials for floors and walls!

I won!

2010-02-11T10:26:00.000-05:00

I don't have much luck entering contests, giveaways or sweepstakes. So when I entered Sugar Pop Ribbons' giveaway for business cards, I had no expectations. Imagine my surprise when I received an email stating I was the winner! Woo Hoo!

If you haven't been over to Jen's blog, it is definitely worth spending some time at. She hosts giveaways and reviews nearly everyday. Currently she is hosting giveaways for a Kor water bottle, gift certificate to Right on the Walls, maple syrup, a baby pocket towel, and more!

______________

Don't forget! Thursdays is going to be Party Planning Thursdays! Send me (or post them here) your upcoming party themes and I will be creating inspiration boards and ideas to showcase!

{Real Parties} Minnie Mouse & polka dots!

2010-02-10T14:38:00.000-05:00

Cibella choose her 2nd birthday party theme shortly after a trip to Disney World. She grew an attachment to Minnie Mouse, carrying her doll around and always wanting to wear her Minnie costume.

Her birthday is in September, so I began her invitations in July. I wanted something different but still geared towards all the kids that would be invited. That's when the idea came to me! In Disney World, they have mousketeer ears so I would make mousketeer invitations complete with a red polka dot bow!

Since Cibella would be wearing her Minnie costume, everything was red with white polka dots! All the partyware is pink to match the TV show so I opted for plain red and white napkins, plates, cups, etc.

I purchased terracotta pots at the craft store, and spray painted them red with white polka dots. I placed red and white carnations in the pots and had them on all the tables.

All the children received either Minnie or Mickey ears when the arrived.

I couldn't find a Minnie pinata that I liked, so I purchased this one and put a bow on it. Unfortunately, the kids pulled the bow off before I got was able to snap a pictures.

Of course, I stuffed so much stuff into the pinata that the toys were stuck!

Finally! Inside was candy and various Disney play figures.

Since the kids were all under the age of 3, I didn't have any structured games or activities. Instead they ran around, played with a giant bowling pin set, and other outdoor toys.

The cake

I had a beautiful inspiration picture that I found. My cake didn't turn out so good. It was humid and the fondant was sliding. I was so ready to throw the entire cake away and get a store bought one instead.

The best of our attempts to get a family picture.

Kids' favors

Red gable boxes with white 1" circular stickers placed on them.

Inside Contents (Mickey or Minnie cup, character shaped crayons, bouncy ball, silly straw, Mickey-shaped lollipop, and bubbles)

Adult Favors

custom M&M's in red and white with "Happy Birthday" and "Cibella is 2" printed on them

Invitations and matching party accessories can be found in my shop.

{Real Parties} Pink & Orange Parsasol Bridal Shower

2010-02-08T10:04:00.000-05:00

Staring out my window this morning with lots of fluffy white snow covering everything, I began dreaming about summer. Yes, I know it is February. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I am a warm weather girl. Give me 90 degrees along with the 100% humidity and I'm happy.

Dreaming of warm weather, I was reminded that it was 3 years ago when my mom and I began planning my sister's August bridal shower. Her shower was a suprise and we successfully pulled it off! (Not an easy feat for those who know my sister!)

I used hot pink & orange as the color scheme, with parasols, gerbera daisies and kermits in the decorating.

First off, the invitations, menu and registry insert.

The centerpieces alternated hot pink and orange parasols atop trumpet vases filled with orange and hot pink gerbera daisy blooms. There was about 50-60 blooms per vase. Falling from the parasols were kermit poms blooms attached with fishing wire.

3 small bouquets with votives circled the base of the trumpet vase.

Watering cans filled with real gerberas on top. I created the rain and paper petals shower. The petals would contain messages from the guests for the bride-to-be.

Seashell placecards in pink and orange writing. The backside of the shell contained the guests' table number.

My sister wanted a cupcake wedding cake since she isn't a huge sweet eater. Her fiance didn't go for the idea. She got her wish at her shower. This was the first time I used fondant - ever. We had a baker hired to make the cupcakes, but she cancelled only 3 days before the shower. This began my obsesssion with fondant as I then made my daughter's 1st birthday cake just 6 weeks later.

Favors were small hand lotions in 3 different scents from Bath & Body Works.

One surprised bride!

{Giveaway} Winner!

2010-02-07T12:12:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone for entering the giveaway and for all the birthday wishes too! It snowed here and I will do a little birthday recap Monday or Tuesday. For now, I wanted to announce the winner of the giveaway.

Drumroll, please ...

Congratulations Coupon Clippin' Mommy. Send me an email and I will get your gift certificate to you!

{Sneak Peak} Upcoming Lines

2010-02-05T10:41:00.000-05:00

My birthday is TOMORROW! WOW! My last full day of being a 20-something year old!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway! The contest ends tomorrow night at 11:59pm Eastern. Enter Here - leave a comment and say a little prayer that my area won't get the 12" - 18" of snow they are predicting!

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Upcoming Lines Sneak Peak!

I thought I would share a little sneak peak of a few of the upcoming lines I am currently working on. Stay tuned! They will be in my shop soon.

Have a great weekend and happy party planning!

{Party Planner Thursdays} New!

2010-02-04T15:44:00.002-05:00

I've decided to add a new feature here at Belleza e Luce.

Are you planning a party and have no idea where to begin? No time to think up ideas? Every week I will take 1 or 2 of your party ideas and create inspiration boards, menu & favor ideas, and how-to's so you can have a sensational soiree!

Send me your party ideas and include any details you want me to keep in mind while creating your inspiration board.

{Inspiration} It's Time to Relax ...

2010-02-03T12:57:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but it's been crazy and hectic around here. Unfortunately, my 'Kick off my 30's' Super Bowl Party had to be canceled. I never realized how many friends and family go to Super Bowl Parties (Me being single and not into football, I'm perhaps a bit oblivious to this!) I'm in the process of designing an additional 6 product lines, and completing orders. Keep your eye out for these in the upcoming weeks!

I am in desperate need of pampering and a trip to the spa!

I love the idea of spa parties, and they can easily be done at home with a female family and friends. Bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays, or just a girls' night out are perfect excuses to do this at your next party.

Inspiration Board

{photo credits left to right} Facial; Powder Puff Beauty Invitation at my shop;

Bath Salts; Crudite; Sorbet; Towel Display

Planning your At-Home Spa Party

Invitations

I created these powder puff beauty invitations last spring for a bride who wanted to treat her bridesmaids and close female relatives to a day of pampering for all their help in assisting her create the wedding of her dreams. This extraordinary invitation features a metal tin where a white powder puff sits. On the lid, the circular invitation is adhered. This invitation is now available at Belleza e Luce! Customization, of course, is always available - changes in color, design and more! An additional tag may be attached to the powder puff with registry or other pertinent party information.

Color Scheme

The spa party is versatile in color schemes depending on the mood you want to create. Think grass green and browns for a serene environment or shades of aquas and white for a calming, water-type feel. Choose a bold color combination such as turquoise, hot pink, black and white to create a chic and swanky atmosphere.

Decor

Simple is key. You want a relaxing and calm environment. Lots of candles with river rocks with a single orchid bloom creates a quick and easy zen-type centerpiece. Float flowers in your pedicure baths. Tall cylindrical vases filled with water and a submerged orchid stem or wheatgrass in galvanized trays good choices as well.

Activities

You can hire licensed beauty and nail technicians, and massage therapists for your party or do your own. Provide stations for the different services - manicure and pedicures, facials, massage, etc. If you will be having massages, consider an area that is at least semi-private for this.

Food

Light and refreshing finger foods and snacks are the way to go at your spa party.

Crudite with zesty dips

Fruit Display

Cheese & Cracker Display

Tea Sandwiches such as:

•Brie with chopped walnuts and watercress
on white bread
•Salmon and herbed cream cheese on white bread
•Rare roast beef with sharp cheddar and
tomato on rye bread
•Cream cheese and mango chutney on
white bread
•Herbed cream cheese and cucumber on
white bread
•Chicken salad with chopped cashews on
wheat bread

for dessert - sorbet

Beverages

Cucumber Water

Fresh Squeezed Lemonade

Make-over Mimosa (a twist on the traditional Mimosa)

Pour ¼ cup cranberry juice and ¼ cup pink grapefruit juice into a Champagne flute or a thin glass. Top with your favorite Champagne or sparkling wine. Serve immediately and keep the juices and bubbly chilled for refills. Makes 1 mimosa.

Favors

We all know what candy bars and dessert bars are. Well, why not a beauty bar! Create a multi-dimensional tablescape with apothecary jars, cake pedestals, and trays to showcase the various bath and beauty items. Some possible items to include: bath salts, lotions, bath gels, travel foot soak, pumice stone, nail polish, bath bombs, body butter, and fresh cut soaps. You can coordiante the bar to your party color scheme or offer various colors and scents to your guests. Provide glassine bags or take-out boxes with tags for your guests to fill up on their favorites.

Contact me to plan your next spa-rty for children, tweens or adults!

{Real Parties} Firefighter Birthday Party

2010-02-02T16:03:00.000-05:00

Julia at Everyday Mom Ideas recently shared her son's 5th birthday party. I love the firetruck she created using cardboard boxes and I'm sure it was the hit of the party! She includes directions so you can recreate it for your own event. I foresee a train-themed party for son's 3rd birthday in October and will be using her tips as a guide!

My 5 Year Old's Fire Fighter Birthday Party!

My 4-soon-to-be-5 year old asked me to give him a fire fighter party. And I thought it was a great idea. However I didnt realize then what I was getting myself into.

So we ordered a bunch of little things online.

Like the fire hats that were only about $5 for 12 at http://www.amazon.com/

Then I got the idea to make a fire truck out of a huge cardboard box. This project olny cost me about $8 for paint and hot glue sticks. I thought "man this is going to be easy and Ill look like a super mom". But did any store in town have any huge card board boxes... nope. So I ended up having to come up with a way to make it out of 5 smaller boxes. And I will just tell you designing it WAS a challenge. I stared at the boxes in my living room for three day before I came up with a plan.

And Guess What? I will be posting the tutorial tomorrow for you all!

My wonderful husband asked ... Yep I said "asked" if he could make the cake. Thats why he earns the title of "wonderful"! And I think he did a great job!

You can find how to make this cake at http://www.familyfun.com/

This is one of the games we played. Its a lot like an Easter egg hunt. Except we used a bunch of cut out photos of fire engines and had the kids search for them all over the house. This was a hit. And the kids asked to play it twice. This is a great game to play with any themed party.

{Giveaway} My Birthday - You Get the Present!

2010-02-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

My birthday is Saturday, and I'll be 30!

I'm celebrating and one lucky reader will get the present - a $30 gift certificate for Belleza e Luce. The gift certificate may be used for anything in my shop, towards a custom order, or event planning services.

No expiration date.

To enter:

Mandatory entry

1) Become a follower and post a comment to this post.

Those who are followers already, post a comment to this post.

Additional entries

1) Twitter about this blog and giveaway (post a comment here with the link) - you may do this multiple times

2) Talk about this blog and giveaway (post a comment here with the link) - you may do this multiple times

3) Blog about this giveaway (post a comment here with the link)

Each additional entry requires a separate comment.

Contest ends February 6 at 11:59 pm. Winner will be chosen via random.org.

{Real Parties} Knights of Columbus 10th Anniversary

2010-01-28T10:02:00.002-05:00

Two weeks ago, I showed you the gorgeous Black Baccara roses that invaded my dining room. The party is over - a wonderful success and I finally finished processing the photos!

This event was in celebration of the Rev. James B. Coyle Council Knights of Columbus 10th Anniversary. It is an organization my father and grandfather belong to and was asked to design the invitations, centerpieces, and photograph the event. The reception was held at Channel Club in Monmouth Beach.

Invitations

Mass at St. Dorothea's Church

The Party

The centerpieces each had 3 dozen black baccara roses in them.

Self Portrait

I never found the owner of this drink to ask what it was

Members of the Knights receiving an award from the Mayor.

An odd occurance - me actually having my picture taken - with my sister

{Real Parties} Under the Sea Party

2010-01-27T11:47:00.000-05:00

I came across this party the other day and had to show all of you! Check out the giant octopus! WOW! Now, I'm terrified of balloons - absolutely petrified. It is a childhood fear that I never got over and the reason why the likelihood of seeing them at one of my child's parties is nill. But, this is just incredible. Kari did a wonderful job creating a that under the sea feel indoors! Great job! Check out her Mawster Parties Blog!

My favorite party- Victoria

Tori is now 6 but if I had to pick my favorite birthday party of hers it would definitely be the "Under the Sea" party we had for her 5th birthday. Her birthday is in October (the week before Halloween) and we typically host a huge Halloween party at our house so it can be tricky squeezing both parties in such a short time. We ended up not having our Halloween party that year but I had already decided to have Tori's party at the community center just in case :)
The highlight of the party was the giant pink octopus made out of balloons. It was huge! There were lots of games and crafts to keep the children busy as well. We had sand art, a fishing game, treasure box craft and a animal scavenger hunt outside. In addition, a pirate came to put on a show and we had a mermaid face painter. It was lots of fun.

The sand art table

Fishing Game

Make your own treasure box

Tori was so shy when the mermaid first arrived The kids loved the pirate show - especially Hunter!

Tori and her pirate friend looking for all the animals on the scavenger hunt

{Etsy} Hearts for Haiti

2010-01-21T17:14:00.000-05:00

HeartsforHaiti is an Etsy collective of donated items from hundreds of Etsy shops to raise money to rebuild Haiti. 100% of the proceeds from this shop (minus Etsy fees and Paypal fees) go directly to DoctorsWithoutBorders.

I am proud to one of the many Etsy sellers who are donating items to raise money for this worthy cause. Currently, I have donated three sets of my Valentine cupcake toppers to the cause.

Please take a moment and take a look in the shop; there are many lovely items and shipping is free in many cases.

I am asking that my fellow bloggers spread the word about HeartsforHaiti. Twitters and messages on Facebook would be great, too!

If you Twitter you can follow Doctors Without Borders' updates from Haiti at @MSF_USA.

As of as of 11:47 EST 1/20/10, HeartsForHaiti.etsy.com has raised for MSF (after fees): $8505.96.

Thank you!

Belleza e Luce Featured!

2010-01-21T13:20:00.000-05:00

I was recently interviewed for a Funny Sky's blog and it has been featured today!

Thursday, January 21, 2010
Featured Artist: Bellezaeluce
Featured Artist: Bellezaeluce

INTERVIEW

Tell us about your story: your name, location, affiliations and personal stuff

I'm Danielle Seals, owner and designer of Belleza e Luce. I started Belleza e Luce in 2007, a few months after my second child was born. I named my company after my children: Belleza, meaning beauty after my daughter, Cibella and Luce, meaning light after my son, Luca. They are the beauty and light of my life. Having this business has allowed me to be a single parent, stay home to care for my children while still providing for them.

I'm located in New Jersey, only a few miles from the beach, where I have lived my entire life.

To read the full interview click here.

Funny Sky creates beautiful origami and paper art jewelry. I have my eye on a pair or two of earrings! Check out her shop.

Thank you for the feature!

{Real Parties} Cibella's 1st Birthday

2010-01-20T11:30:00.000-05:00

When my daughter turned 1, I decided to throw a neopolitan themed birthday party using lt. pink, brown and ivory as the color scheme. I was 8 months pregnant with my son at the time and one of my favorite treats was ice cream, so I think that had a major influence on the party theme!

Her invitation

I ordered carnations in pink, white and red online and found the pink banana split dishes at my grocery store!

Everyone received a cupcake in its own bakery box as a favor. They were chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry combinations.

The birthday girl

I prefer the pull string pinatas for the little ones. The children were all 1 - 2 years old so they really had no idea what to do with it and were not impressed by the candy so the adults had a grand time helping themselves.

The dessert table

I made Cibella's birthday cake and smash cake. It was my first time using fondant to cover and decorate a cake and I completely underestimated how long it would take to do. Still, I was happy with the results.

Create your own sundae.

Enjoying her cake

It's hard to believe that she is an almost 3 1/2 year old ... how time flies! She has become a party planner herself, informing me of her 4th birthday party theme only 3 days after her Aurora Princess Party. Yes, I have already begun working on her invitations! The theme, you ask? Well, it's going to be a Jolly Holiday!

Caroline's Minnie Birthday Party

2010-01-19T13:45:00.000-05:00

I always wonder about how the parties I design invitations and other paperie for turn out. The other day, I received a lovely email from one of my customers and she included pictures too! The party looked great and the birthday girl is an absolute doll!

Thank you so much for the Minnie Cupcake toppers and tags!! Everyone loved them!! They were adorable!!!
I'll seed a few more pics in another email!
Thank you,Kara

I wonder what was inside that big polka dot box in the background?

I told you she was 'tutu' cute for words!

Happy Birthday Caroline!

Sneak Peak!

2010-01-17T15:45:00.002-05:00

High Heels and Football Helmets? What could this be about?

Somebody is turning 30 Super Bowl weekend ...

(pssst ... it's me!)

Roses, Roses Everywhere!

2010-01-15T16:22:00.000-05:00

I'm preparing for an event tomorrow evening and had 400 Black Baccara roses delivered yesterday. I finished the menus and placecards last night. Tonight I will be assembling the centerpieces.

Here are a few sneak peeks at these gorgeous flowers

I will have pictures of the finished product, the party, and invitations next week!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Belleza e Luce featured in Etsy Treasury!

2010-01-14T20:10:00.000-05:00

Woo Hoo! I'm thrilled that my Super Bowl cupcake toppers were picked!

Check it out - http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=106187

Are you Ready for some Football?

2010-01-13T17:46:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl is just a few weeks away and if you're planning on having a party, here are some great ideas to Kick Off your party in style!

Photo credits:

Decorate your entryway with your favorite player's turf covered jersey number by P is for Party.

What football party is complete without Six Layer Dip.

Create your own centerpiece with a metal tray, wheatgrass and plastic football figures shown here by Hostess with the Mostess.

Turf-like can covers can be purchased here.

These wonderful Super Bowl Truffles by Bakerella are sure to be the hit of the party.

Instead of potato chips, why not serve Grilled BBQ Potato Skins.

Create a chili hot dog bar with plenty of fixings.

Of course, you can't have a football party without Caribbean Chicken Wings

Instead of a tablecloth, cover your tables with an artifical grass mat.

I'm thrilled to have a new line out in my shop, and coincidentally it is football themed (ok, so it's not a coincidence ...)

Invitations

the helmets' colors can be customized to match your favorite and rival teams!

Cupcake Toppers

Favor Tags

Real Parties: Secret Agent Spy Party

2010-01-12T14:44:00.002-05:00

I've always been intrigued by detective and investigative drama shows - Law & Order, Without a Trace, and now NCIS. My mom and I "discovered" this show one rainy weekend in the summer when we had nothing to do and saying we're hooked is an understatement! Even my daughter recognizes the characters and has a fondness for Abby (she named one of her dolls Santa brought her Abby, complete with pigtails but in a cute dress not goth attire) and Ducky!

This is a great theme for the older boys - and even girls! Below are some of my favorite secret agent parties that have been created. Enjoy!

Secret Agent Spy Party

originally created by Lisa at Moore Minutes.

For more pictures and party details, visit here.

James Bond 007 Party

originally created by The Domestic Diva

For more party pictures and details, go here.

Real Parties: Woodland Fairy Birthday Party

2010-01-09T00:30:00.001-05:00

This adorable party was originally hosted by Anna at The Princess and The Frog. Check out the cake!

The Birthday girl!

Grace's woodland fairy party was so much fun to host! It was chaotic- I had no idea that 9 girls could get so loud- but fun! You will have to excuse the lengthy post but one of my favorite parts of planning a party is the details (that most 7 year olds would probably never notice) and I thought I would share. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Grace was really interested in helping to get ready for her party. She had ideas for activities, helped make the cake and helped to set up. It was fun to do together!

The Theme

We decided to go with a whimsical woodland theme. Since she was turning seven I didn't want it to be too cutesy and sweet. The toadstool became the stepping off point for most of the decorations.

The invitation

Our gift to Grace, wooden tree blocks

The Cake

The whole family had fun making the cake this year! The children helped to make the fondant critters and Grace helped make the cake. I love how it turned out!

The Decorations

The Food

Since the party was from 2-4 I didn't serve lunch. Instead we served small snacks and had cake!

I made bird nests out of chocolate and shredded wheat and put in some raspberries. I also tried to make fiddle head fern breadsticks but they didn't turn out looking like ferns at all! Fortunately, the girls didn't care! We had fairy punch (pink lemonade) and milk to drink.

The Activities

The girls made woodland fairy houses. They turned out really cute! They took them home along with one of the fairies hanging from the chandelier. We also made a fairy spell for good luck. Grace came up with this idea from a book her Aunt Delita sent her. We mixed up the spell and then sent bags home with instructions on how to complete the spell.

Before

After

Mixing up the spell

Of course we ate cake and sang Happy Birthday

Popcorn on the Brain ...

2010-01-08T11:31:00.001-05:00

Since Wednesday's post, I've had popcorn on the brain!

I thought it would a great time to tell you about a wonderful couple that I had the pleasure of working with. They had been dating for many years, and it became a joke amongst family and friends when they would tie the knot.

Well, one day Kevin did pop the question and of course Tracy said, yes! With that they decided to surprise everyone with the news in a very unique way - yes, even their parents! They reserved a wedding date and location, which Tracy tells me she had in mind for a long time and together we created these fabulous and fun Save the Dates AND engagement announcements!

The popcorn filled bags were a hit!

Take a look at them in my shop.

Real Parties: She's About to Pop Baby Shower

2010-01-06T09:39:00.000-05:00

This Baby Shower was originally hosted by Kendra at Me and My Insanity. Check out this fabulous party and then pop Kendra a visit over on her blog!

We're in the middle of full scale Easter preparations around here (report to come next week). But my sister finally sent me pictures of what the mom-to-be called the "coolest baby shower ever!" This is not a party I hosted. I didn't have to make the cake pops, or mail the invitations. I didn't even get to attend. (If I had I would have taken more pictures!) My sister, Shanda, threw this party, but I do take a little credit since we spent a lot of time on the phone together brainstorming ideas, and I designed the invitations and labels and emailed them to her. I had seen some fun ideas about using popcorn at a baby shower with the theme, “She’s about to Pop.” We decided to take it a step further and turn it into a full scale POP party!

INVITATIONS:

I designed these flower shapes with the party information. Shanda printed them on bright cardstock and stuck a Tootsie Roll Pop in the middle. (Blow Pops would be cute, too).

DECORATIONS:

Shanda decked out her house with hand-cut circles in lots of fun colors. It was time consuming, but was an inexpensive way for high impact decoration.

I found a few sites on line where you can create pop art from your own photos. (We used this one.) Shanda uploaded a photo of the mama-to be, and we displayed this “pop art”—labeled, just incase anyone didn’t get it.

FOOD:

We had a lot of fun coming up with food ideas. A popcorn bar (butter, cheese, kettle, and caramel flavors), Bakerella’s cake pops, pop tarts, and Popsicles. We thought of a few other options: popcorn shrimp, and bubble gum. And of course, she had lots of colorful soda pop. I made labels to cover each bottle.

She played 80’s Pop music, and they played a relay race where you had to pop balloons. (I’ll have her fill in the details on that one). This was not your formal tea-sipping event. But the word from all who attended was that it was a blast! If you are looking for a fun and light-hearted theme for a baby shower, this might work for you, and just to make it easier, I have uploaded some of the labels I created. Let me know if you end up using them!

A Much Belated Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

Oh my! Let me apologize for the disappearance act last month. As usual, the holidays get hectic and I was busy with last minute orders, wrapping gifts, and my daily conference calls to Santa. I baked 300 cookies on December 23rd, cooked Christmas dinner for a homeless shelter and was the official cook for the family's festivities on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Sadly, our holiday season was cut short when we learned that my father's brother, my Uncle Joe, had pneumonia and the outlook was not good. He has battled COPD for years and the strain on his lungs were just too much for him. With his daughters by his side he passed on Dec. 30. He will be missed and is loved dearly.

Uncle Joe, wouldn't want me to get teary ...

New party inspirations and new product lines are in the works, including Valentine cupcake toppers and favor tags! Of course, I love custom orders - give me a theme and I'll design it!

Also, we want to feature your fabulous party! Send me pictures of your party or a link to your blog! danielle@bellezaeluce.com

Walking in a Winter Wonderland ...

2009-12-17T12:36:00.004-05:00

First, let me say that I am not a big fan of snow or even cold weather, but there is certainly something intriguing and magical about waking up on Christmas to find snow.

The likelihood of that happening in this part of NJ, though is slim. Oh well ... enjoy these Winter Wonderland Inspirations!

photo credits: hot cocoa and snowflake marshmallows from Martha Stewart; peppermint ice soap from Elegant Rose Boutique, snowflake ice sculpture and event design by Prego Events, a gorgeous setting for a winter wedding and a beautiful newlywed couple too by my absolute favorite photographer Marie Labbancz, giant tissue party poms give your party a festive mood no matter the theme by Party Poms, a stunning winter centerpiece of hydrangeas, crystals and branches by Petal Pushers Weddings, this elegant hair flower fascinator is by Virginia Geiger Jewels and woud be lovely for a winter white wedding or your holiday cocktail party, snowflake placecards add a touch of whimsy to your tablescape - and let your guests know where to be seated by Timeless Paper, a darling snowflake hair accessory by Handmade by Anne Potter

Santa Holiday Gift Tags Giveaway ...

2009-12-17T10:36:00.001-05:00

Congratulations Marnette, SuzeFashion, and Nutshell Farms! Please send me an email danielle@bellezaeluce.com and let me know how you would like your tags personalized and your mailing address.

There's still time to Enter the Giveaway

2009-12-16T11:41:00.000-05:00

There are 5 ways to enter:

(Enter up to 5 times by doing the following)

1) Post a comment here about the tags or anything in my shop

2) Become a follower of Belleza e Luce and leave a comment letting me know you did, or if you are already a follower let me know you are.

3) Tweet about this giveaway and post here with the link.

4)Write about the giveaway on your own blog and post the link here.

5) Post about the giveaway on Facebook and leave a comment with the link here.

Contests ends tonight at 11pm (Eastern).

DIY Christmas Presents!

2009-12-16T11:21:00.001-05:00

Time is running out ... I have exhausted the malls and I'm proud to say that many of my Christmas gift purchases are handmade or vintage from fellow Etsy sellers this year. Still there were just a few more people that I couldn't think of what to give (the receptionist at Cibella's dance school, for example).

In my endless googling search for creative and unique gifts, I came across this tutorial from Just a Girl.

Tile Coasters

So pretty, very easy to make and a thoughtful gift for the holiday season!

This weekend, I purchased tiles from Lowes, a stamp and ink pad from AC Moore, and yesterday Cibella and I had a try at stamping while Luca napped. They turned out great - a few smudged ones, but since Cibella basically did them herself - I inked and she stamped - I was very pleased. She was quite proud to tell her Nonna that she made them, too! I'm going to buy a few more so Luca gets to make some as well. I will post some pictures of our creations soon.

And for those, who would rather purchase already made tile coasters, visit oolalachic's shop for some wonderful designs.

{Holiday Giveaway!} Santa Holiday Gift Tags Set

2009-12-11T12:14:00.000-05:00

As the wrapping of presents begins, add an extra special touch to your packages with these adorable gift tags featuring none other than Jolly Ol' Saint Nick himself!

These fabulous tags are 2.5" in diameter, printed on heavy linen cardstock and are available in sets of 12. Each tag can be personalized or the To/From fields can be left blank for you to hand write.

To spread some holiday cheer, I will be giving away 3 sets of these Santa gift tags.

ENTER TO WIN!

There are 5 ways to enter:

(Enter up to 5 times by doing the following)

1) Post a comment here about the tags or anything in my shop

2) Become a follower of Belleza e Luce and leave a comment letting me know you did, or if you are already a follower let me know you are.

3) Tweet about this giveaway and post here with the link.

4)Write about the giveaway on your own blog and post the link here.

5) Post about the giveaway on Facebook and leave a comment with the link here.

The fine print:

Winners will be chosen on Wednesday, December 16 at 11pm Eastern. Comments received after this time will not be eligible. Open to US residents only. Winners will be chosen by random.org.

Have you planned a fabulous party?

2009-12-10T12:46:00.001-05:00

Part of the fun of having a party is sharing the details and the pictures! I love pictures - there are never too many! Showers, Weddings, Birthdays - children, tween, adult, parties because the sun is shining or it's snowing - I want to see them! I'm looking forward to seeing your wonderful soirees!

Real Parties: Handy Manny 1st Birthday

2009-12-10T12:20:00.001-05:00

When my little guy was about to turn 1, I was originally planning a Hundred Acre Wood Pooh themed party. All that changed when he became fascinated with Handy Manny. This grew even more as my dad would let him help him out around the house. I knew I needed to change themes - and fast!

First I created the invitations to resemble Handy Manny's shop sign.

and since I couldn't decide which one I liked better, I designed a second version as well!

Since Luca's birthday is the end of October, the weather here can be cold or oddly warm. As much as I would love to be able to plan the weather, I cannot, so the party was held in the gym at the school of our church. This turned out to be a great idea (I hosted his second birthday there 3 weeks ago). There was plenty of room for all the kids to run around and play!

One of the first projects I created were the tablecloths. I purchased paper dropcloths and paint brushes from Home Depot, and Crayola paint. I laid the cloths out on the grass in the yard and with my daughter's help we splattered paint over all the drop cloths. This was a messy and fun activity! If you decide to do this, have an area preferably indoors where the cloths can be laid out to dry overnight. One drop cloth made 2 tablecloths.

Here is the children's craft table with playdough, Handy Manny and tools coloring pages and crayons were added to the table after this wa taken.

When my dad heard the theme for the party, he immediately went to work on the centerpieces - red toolboxes just like Handy Manny's! Each toolbox had Mega Blocks and plastic toys to encourage building - both children and adults got in on the fun! Each child was able to take a tool box home at the end of the party. I have Luca's displayed in his room - it goes with his Cars themed bedroom great too!

I used yellow Caution tape to block off areas that the kids could not play near. On the walls my dad and I traced the characters with a projector and painted them. Also on the walls were pictures of blueprints (how to build a birdhouse, a toolbox, etc) just like in Manny's shop.

Chips, pretzels and other snacks were placed in orange paint trays

The children ranged in age from 1 year to 4 years, so I didn't have any real structure to the party or games, per say. I had music from children's artists playing (Dan Zane, Imagination Movers, Choo Choo Soul, etc) which encouraged dancing and running. Other activities for the children included this hopscotch puzzle mat

a giant bowling set

When each child arrived they received a hard hat to wear for the party.

I made a pull string pinata to resemble the tape measure, Stretch. I prefer pull string pinatas so noone gets whacked in the head and the kids all feel like they opened the pinata together.

Inside were plastic tools and plastic character figures purchased from the Disney Store.

Here is the birthday boy by his cakes and cupcakes that I made. The large red thing was my failed attempt of making a tool box. I started working on the cake too late in the week and really didn't think it through. This year's cake was great!

As you can see, Luca enjoyed his cake!

For the favors, I set up Mr. Lopart's Candy Shop. Guests were invited to fill up their take-out boxes with as many goodies as they wanted. I purchased the candy in bulk from Candy Warehouse and choose novelty and old-fashioned candies. My older cousins, aunts and uncles especially liked the walk down memory lane as they picked out their favorite childhood treats.

The take out boxes had favor tags shaped like hammers attached to them

The tags for the kids had their names on them.

Because Halloween was only the night prior, I had additional children's favors which included playdough, safety googles, a hammer, stickers, and room for their pinata goodies - non candy option.

The party was a success and I had a fabulous time building it!

Hammer Tags can by found in my shop

NEW! Printable Gift Tags

2009-12-04T08:10:00.000-05:00

I just listed these adorable printable gift tags. Print as many as you need, cut or punch out and tie to your package with a pretty ribbon or use double sided tape to attached it to the package. I can personalize the To/From fields or they can be left blank for you to fill in yourself!

Sweet Treats

Santa hats and sweet birds

You can find these special holiday tags here.

Look for more gift tags being listed through the weekend!

Ciao,
Danielle

Children's Cookie Decorating Party

2009-12-03T00:01:00.006-05:00

I love to bake and I'm thrilled that my 3 year old daughter is showing such enthusiasm towards it as well. I am looking forward to making our family's favorite Christmas cookies in a few weeks with her and hoping that my son will want to help too!

A fun way to get together with family and friends with small children is to host a cookie decorating party. Keep it casual and low key and follow the lead of the little one's.

Some tips and inspirations to get you started:

Host your party on a weekday afternoon, if possible since weekends tend to fill up in advance with other holiday festivities.
Roll out white (or red or green) butcher paper on your table for simple cleaning up.
Provide the cookies, icing and decorations for the party (see below for Martha Stewart's fabulous sugar cookie and royal icing recipes)
Create a placesetting for each child with a stack of cookies to decorate and small cups of various sprinkles, gumdrops, chocolate chips, etc to decorate with and have bowls of icing in varioius colors with brushes down the center of the table for them to share.
Offer milk and eggnog for a festive beverage and consider having some healthy snacks for adults and kids to munch on.

Some more fabulous ideas & inspirations

Create the festive mood with this gingerbread cookie invitation from Belleza e Luce ; Send your guests home with their creations in these festive boxes from Wilton; Your little girl adore helping out in the kitchen with this fabulous retro inspired holiday apron. Guess what? They come in adult sizes too! Find it at Lover Dovers Clothing; Offer your guests hot chocolate and refreshments on these charming gingerbread man and Christmas tree mugs and plates from World Market; Protect the little chefs' clothes with these disposable aprons and throw in a chef's hat for some fun pictures. You can find them at Kids Aprons; These absolutely gorgeous cookies are almost too good to eat - almost! Pick them up for your holiday party or buy some for gifts from Sarah Bisher; This very cute gingerbread mobile would be perfect to hang from the ceiling as a centerpiece for the party. Find the details at Martha Stewart; A bright and cheery display of various candies and toppings for your sugar cookies from Real Simple; Send the mommies home with their own favor they are sure to enjoy - Cookie Sugar Bath Scrub from Doctor Sweet Tooth; Another favor that adults and children alike will love - hot cocoa cones. Make them yourself or contact The Desperate Diva

Onto that super yummy sugar cookie and royal icing recipe from Martha Stewart

Sugar Cookies

Makes 2 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons brandy, or milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Royal Icing, optional

Directions

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar; add dry ingredients, and mix until incorporated. With mixer running, add egg, brandy (or milk), and vanilla; mix until incorporated.
Transfer dough to a work surface. Shape into 2 discs, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes, and transfer to prepared baking sheets, leaving an inch in between. Leftover dough can be rolled and cut once more. Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes; do not allow to brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Decorate with Royal Icing, optional

Royal Icing

If you're decorating cookies for children, pregnant women, or anyone with compromised immune systems, use meringue powder, found in the baking aisle of most markets, instead of raw egg whites.

Makes 2 1/3 cups

1 box confectioners' sugar (1 pound)
5 tablespoons meringue powder, or 2 large egg whites

Directions

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar and meringue powder. Mixing on low speed, add a scant 1/2 cup water. For a thinner consistency, usually used for flooding, add more water. A thicker consistency is generally used for outlining and adding details. Mix until icing holds a ribbonlike trail on the surface of the mixture for 5 seconds when you raise the paddle.

Happy Baking!

Danielle

Come One, Come All!

2009-12-02T10:17:00.001-05:00

I'm taking the plunge! After months of contemplating, should I, I'm jumping in feet first into the blogging world!

For close to 9 years I have enjoyed planning parties down to the final detail and with all those small details - the invitations and party paper goods that go with it! I'm looking forward to sharing inspirations, designs, and real parties with you everyday (or thereabouts!).

The blog is only one of the new and exciting things going on around here! Holidays aside, I'm very busy with new party lines currently being finalized covering birthdays, weddings, babies and everything in between! All of this for the launch of my website in early January.

Stay tuned!

Ciao,
Danielle