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southernchicstyle · 2 years

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Mermaid Shell-a-bration

When your daughter loves mermaids and princesses, no doubt Ariel is one of their favorite princesses. So, a mermaid 5th birthday with Ariel was a dream come true for her #5 shell-a-bration!

From seashell floats to mermaid tail candle to tablecloths, linked sources throughout with a comprehensive list at the bottom of this post. Photos are by Paige Beitler Photography.

We’re fortunate in Houston to have Fairest of All Parties’ princesses available to book. We have used them 3 times and are blown away by the costumes, interactions, and beautiful songs every time. Houston friends, you can choose various options for princesses, superheroes, and other characters.

For the mermaid princess party, a mermaid cake was a must! Kingwood Bakery made the delicious colorful cake, and I added sugar seashells & seahorses, a mermaid tail candle, crushed graham cracker as “sand”, and the Five cutout cake topper.

Since my daughter loved sparkly things and sequins give a water effect, I went with a blue/turquoise sequin tablecloth that switched to a pink/purple color when you move the sequins for the kids’ table.

To set the tablescape, I used vases with sand in the bottom and aquarium grass on top in blue and pink along with coral that can be used in an aquarium and seashells sprinkled around. An iridescent shell plate coordinated perfectly for the place settings. (If you want to secure the plates, curled up packing tape worked with the sequins and paper plates)

If you’ve followed along for the other birthday parties, you know I love creating a good photo spot. For the mermaid party, I found this beautiful “under the sea” backdrop that went with the color scheme PERFECTLY!

Balloon garlands are an easy way to frame things, so we assembled this balloon garland with turquoise, purple, pink, white, and blue balloons and added a mermaid tail to the end (purchased a garland set and added in the pink). We secured the backdrop and balloons to some wood panels my husband created for our daughter’s second birthday party and we now use for most parties.

When I found the white seashell float with a “pearl” ball, I probably squealed with joy. It was the perfect addition to the photo wall. We also added one of the tablecloths we used on the adult table to the top of the backdrop to cover the wood but still give the water effect.

Two other pink shell pool floats floated in the pool throughout the party for added decor and were great for the kids to play on once they jumped in.

Over the cake table, we secured another balloon garland we made with an iridescent background and pink 5 balloon. Here I used a white iridescent sequin tablecloth over a plain white one to add some texture.

Also on the tables, I used oyster/shell shaped bowls/dishes to hold food items and pull in the theme. The hope is that those dishes will find a decorative place in our home, but we have not found that spot yet post party.

Next, the decorated cookies! It’s not a party anymore without them. Jenn’s Sweet Stuff created these beauties.

FOOD

A pink seashell, mermaid tail, and 5 cookie by Jenn’s Sweet Stuff were great decorative additions that also served as food. And, the “Make a Splash” napkins found were a coordinating dream!

In various vignettes like the food table, we added shimmer gumballs in the party colors (purple, turquoise, white, & grey set and added pink) to tie everything together but also represent pearls. They were not all consumed at the party, but I loved how the gumballs looked in clear glass pieces.

When thinking through food that was on theme and easy (that kids would also eat), these Nilla Wafer clam/oysters seemed like a home run. They were super easy! Nilla Wafers, icing (we went with pink) and chocolate pearls. Bonus, these were delicious!

Another cute food addition was making peanut butter and jelly in under the sea shapes. These were fun for the kids to choose, plus most love pb&j.

Browsing HomeGoods, I came across a mermaid mix popcorn that went so well with the colors and was a yummy snack. We poured the popcorn in little mermaid snack cups (listed as ice cream cups that are now sold out).

For another snack item, we created a mermaid mix of pretzels, chex mix, marshmallows, Froot Loops, Swedish Fish, and Goldfish. Mermaid popcorn boxes were easy to assemble and fill with the colorful snack mix.

OUTFIT

What is a mermaid party without the perfect Mermaid dress?!? Cuteheads made a the prettiest Ariel inspired dress and we added a starfish headband to top it off. Sparkly shoes were necessary for our sweet mermaid!

Each friend also had a seashell drink cup to take home with them.

I can’t help but really get in to a theme (I blame my mom who does the same), so continuing with food that coordinated: strawberry wafers, pink goldfish, and unicorn sandwich cookies that are purple and pink with blue crystal sprinkles and cake batter flavored! (We find the yummy unicorn cookies at Kroger)

Next to the platter of cookies, we made a charcuterie platter with cheese, fruit, nuts, dried apricot, crackers, and yogurt pretzels.

My mom always helps with florals, and we located flowers that coordinated by color but also gave a little bit of a coral vibe. Don’t ask me the names of each (Mom could tell you) but I thought what we found accomplished that goal.

On our vine wall, the “FIVE” banner was displayed with seashell balloons on each side.

The turquoise raised petal tablecloth has been such a great purchase on our end. We used them for my son’s fishing party and they were perfect with the mermaid theme. I also own the ivory color and am contemplating other colors as they look so luxurious.

Ariel made her way to the pool with Prince Eric and sang, read to the kids, and showed off her treasures. The kids had the best time and then got to swim with her!

The bubble machine was on during the entire party and made for cute pictures during story time with Ariel.

The birthday song was extra special with Ariel singing along, too!

FAVORS

For favors, the kids took home their seashell cups, mermaid towels they could use after swimming and take with them, and cute mermaid tail bags filled with gummy sea creatures, Princess Play Packs, a mermaid tail key chain, and a mermaid notepad with a feather pen.

Iridescent Mother of Pearl film was a nice filler for the gift bags. The exact tags used on the gift bags have changed, but here’s the same shape in a different color - “Thank you for making my birthday a splash”.

It was a wonderful shell-a-bration topped off with a beautiful tiara Ariel gifted our sweet birthday girl! I hope you enjoyed following along and find all of the links you need. Feel free to message me if I missed something you’re looking for!

Photos by Paige Beitler Photography

SOURCES

- Backdrop: Under the Sea Mermaid $15.99

Balloon Garland with Mermaid Tail $33.99

- Balloon: Pink 5 Balloon $6.28

- Banner: FIVE Banner with Seashell Balloons $13.99

- Bowls: Seashell Bowl $9

- Cake: Kingwood Bakery

- Cake Topper: Mermaid Five Glitter Topper $7.99

- Candle: Mermaid Tail $12.99

- Centerpieces: Aquarium Grass $11.98 (comes with more than we used)

Coral in Pink & Blue $18.99

Assorted Seashells (50 pieces) $9

- Cookies: Jenn’s Sweet Stuff

- Cookie Cutters: Under the Sea Cookie Cutters $8.99

- Dress: Cuteheads

- Favors: Mermaid Tail Favor Bag with Keychains (13 each) $13.59

Sea Creature Gummies (80 count) $24.99

Princess Play Pack (set of 15) $21.99

Mermaid Notepad with Feather Pen (set of 12) $23.99

Mermaid Beach Towel, Quick Dry $9.99

Iridescent Film, Mother of Pearl (1 roll) $19.89

Favor Tags (24 pieces) $6.99

- Gumballs: Purple, White, Grey, & Turquoise (2 lb bag) $14.24

Pink Shimmer (2 lb bag) $14.25

- Iridescent Fringe Curtain $9.99

- Mermaid Popcorn Containers (Pack of 36) $15.99

- Mermaid Princess: Fairest of All Parties (Houston, TX area)

- Plates: Iridescent Seashell Plates (set of 24) $23.55

- Pool Float: White Seashell with Pearl $51

Pink Seashell Floats (set of 2) $29

- Seashell Drink Cup $9

- Sugar Seashells & Seahorses $12.99

- Tablecloths: Turquoise/Pink Sequin Reversible $11.97

Taffeta Raised Petals Tablecloth $39

Iridescent Sequin Tablecloth $18

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BIRTHDAY ARCHIVES

4th Birthday: Swan Princess

3rd Birthday: Sundae Funday

2nd Birthday: Bubble Bash

1st Birthday: Garden Party (I managed to never share these... will have to post them once I catch up on parties for you all)

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southernchicstyle · 2 years

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Resharing this recipe that has become a go to for our Christmas dinner dessert.

I’m not a big fan of cooking or baking, but if I’m going to do one of the two, definitely baking! And, this recipe from kevinandamanda.com was simple and delicious enough sounding to get me in the kitchen! Dark chocolate and salted caramel were all I needed to read. So, with baby in tow, I tried out this 5 ingredient dessert. And, boy is it amazing!!

For additional pictures and tips, visit: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dessert/dark-chocolate-salted-caramel-oreo-pie.html?m. Here’s the easy to follow recipe below:

Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Oreo Pie Ingredients 1 package (about 36) whole Oreos 1 cup (16 tablespoons) butter, divided ⅔ cup packed brown sugar 1¼ cup heavy whipping cream, divided 1 (12 oz) bag dark chocolate chips

Instructions Finely crush the Oreos with a food processor or blender. Stir crumbs together with 8 tablespoons melted butter until well combined. Press into the bottom and sides of a pie pan. Freeze crust for 10 minutes until set.

Combine remaining 8 tablespoons butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to bubble. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Slowly whisk in ¼ cup heavy whipping cream until smooth. Cool caramel about 15 minutes. Pour the caramel over the Oreo crust, then return to freezer for about 30-45 minutes until just chilled and set. (You don’t want the caramel to fully freeze.)

Place chocolate chips in a glass bowl. In a saucepan, bring 1 cup heavy whipping cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until completely smooth. Pour the chocolate over the caramel and freeze for a final 30 minutes, until just chilled and set. OR refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve. Before serving, sprinkle the top with a flaky sea salt like kosher salt or Fleur De Sel.

Makes: 8-12 servings.

Notes Store covered in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

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southernchicstyle · 3 years

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Swan Princess Party

A magical black and white swan princess party with pink, of course!

The idea of a swan party was inspired by the swan pool float we have had for a few years. It just so happened my daughter was into Barbie’s Swan Princess movie when I started planning her 4th birthday.

So, the swan idea came to life around swans and princesses - feathers, ballet shoes (as an ode to Swan Lake), swans, and black and white accented with pink. Cake by Wink by Erika with added “4″ candle, photos by Johnny Than.

Black linens on the table with our white charivari chairs pulled in the colors perfectly! And, the cute swan plates looked great on the black linens. To turn the swan plates into swan princess plates, I found gold crowns and added them to the plates. Ta-da! Swan princess plates. We added the gold crowns to the swan masks, as well.

Behind the kids’s table, we hung silk wisteria on fishing line to have a hanging floral accent. It took way more pieces than I imagined (and I still wish I’d done more of them), but it was a fun photo spot.

The centerpieces were one of my all time favorites! I found the set of three swans in different sizes and ordered 2. My mom arranged the fresh flowers for the party and put them in the swan planters.

The food even reflected the black, white, and pink theme! Black licorice, chocolates, and chocolate goldfish were spread with yogurt covered pretzels, vanilla sugar wafers, iced animal cookies, vanilla ding dongs, white M&Ms, mini white chocolate Oreos, white chocolate covered mini Rice Krispie treats, white swirl suckers, white chocolate truffles, and pink M&Ms on my favorite melamine platter.

Another tray had the almost black colored grapes and an assortment of white cheeses, marcona almonds, macadamia nuts, and Pirate’s Booty.

We also used black rock candy in a container with more of the white chocolate pearls. And, I found a great jewelry stand to display powdered donuts and chocolate donuts. Now the jewelry stand holds my daughter’s headbands.

White feather boas were great for draping around platters and decorations. And, we used the same flowers from our daughter’s Garden Party first birthday to add pink accents to the feathers (seriously the best faux peonies I’ve ever found).

For decorated cookies, I chose a “4″ for the 4 year old along with a feather and swans. These were done by Sweets by Shey and were tasty and on theme. She even added a little sparkle to the 4s.

The tiered serving piece has become my go-to piece for the decorated cookies at the parties, so I’m linking it here.

Another tray of food included White Cheddar Cheez-its, Pirates Booty, white cheddar popcorn, Chicken-in-a-Biscuit, Wheat Thins, and pink Goldfish to continue the white and pink foods.

I really enjoy carrying a theme all throughout the party, if you can’t tell.

I found the cutest swan cups for all of the kids that we kept on the beverage table alongside “Swan Lake Lemonade” (pink, of course!) and the cutest swan mugs from Manor used for additional florals.

The floral swan printable sign was perfectly on theme and is linked here.

In addition to the feather and floral decor, we used swan stuffed animals like the ballerina swan pictured below from Manor.

Isn’t she a beauty with her crown and ballet slippers?!?

Now to discuss my sweet girl’s dress!

Every year Cuteheads makes a custom piece for the birthday girl to wear. This year, Esther must have read my mind because she created this piece that was perfect for a Swan Princess Ballerina party - light pink tulle with swans all over accessorized with ballet flats and a peony hair piece.

Our swan princess ballerina was overjoyed when Rapunzel showed up to let her know Odette from Swan Lake sends birthday wishes! Fairest of All Parties has the BEST princesses in the Houston area. They worked with me tirelessly to try to have Odette from Swan Lake, but the costume was nowhere to be found and there was not enough time to create one.

My daughter’s favorite princess at the time was Rapunzel, so it was a welcome surprise for her. Rapunzel sang (beautifully) with the kids, told stories, and shared a treasure chest of treasures. She even did face painting on the kids.

We loved her so much, we used Fairest of All Parties for the 5th birthday (post coming soon) and are now planning number 6 with another Fairest of All Parties princess.

Favors for the kids included a swan princess holder, swan princess “Thank You” sticker, princess crown full of candy, princess lip balm, princess rings, princess bracelets, and stickers tied with tulle.

Here’s a complete source list of all of the party things:

Ballet Slippers $35

Ballet Shoes (on birthday girl) $14.59

Balloon Garland (used black, silver, & white on balloon tape accented with greenery and feathers)

Black linens (pintuck taffeta): Round $28, Rectangle $30

Candle (pink number 4) $6

Cake: Wink by Erika

Ceramic Swan Mugs: The Manor $20

Cookies: Sweets by Shey

Dress: Cuteheads

Feathers: 12-14″ $12.99, 5-7″ $7.50

Feather Boas $8.59

Feather Garland $11.69

Flowers (hanging silk wisteria, 6 pieces) $12.99

Gold Crown Stickers (pack of 100) $11.85

Invites $8 (pdf & printed at Katie & Co.)

Ostrich Feathers (12-14″, 10 pieces) $12.99

Peonies $9.99 per bunch

Peony Hairpiece $15.98

Princess: Fairest of All Parties

Princess Crown in Favors (12 count) $12.99

Princess Lip Balm (8 count) $7.32

Princess Ring (36 count) $13.99

Rose Gold Cups, Plates, & Silverware (150 count) $27.99

Rose Gold Crowns (12 pack) $8.99

Swan Backdrop $18.90

Swan Ballerina: The Manor

Swan Cake: Wink by Erika

Swan Centerpieces (set of 3) $34.99

Swan Cupcake Toppers (12 pack) $12.07

Swan Cups with Straws (set of 8) $20.58

Swan Lake Lemonade Printable Sign (Invite designer made it at my request)

Swan Masks/Photo Glasses $4.99

Swan Plates (set of 6) $2.39

Swan Princess Favor Box (set of 6) $3.77

Swan Thank You Stickers (40 count) $8.99

Swan Yard Signs (10 count) $39.99

Photos by Johnny Than

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BIRTHDAY ARCHIVES

3rd Birthday: Sundae Funday

2nd Birthday: Bubble Bash

1st Birthday: Garden Party (I managed to never share these... will have to post them once I catch up on parties for you all)

#birthday party #swan lake birthday #swan princess birthday #happy birthday #black and white party #swan cake #black and white food #rapunzel #swan princess #swan birthday #pink white and black #princess party #peonies #party decor #birthday party decor #kids birthday #swan birthday favors

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southernchicstyle · 3 years

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Family Gift Guide

I’ve been working on this gift guide since Thanksgiving and its finally here! All of the items are either items we own as a family or that are on our lists (or I’ve helped others find for family). Listed by section and clockwise starting at the top left of each section, thoughtfully chosen for you.

For Mom:

Blue & White Large Ginger Jar Candlestick Set $60 (absolutely love these in my own home and hear they’re selling out fast... but mom, sister, friend will all love these in the large or small size)

Large Monogram Disc Necklace $49 (a special gift she can wear all year round... love mine from the Houston owned business)

Mackenzie Childs Tea Kettle $140 (this black and white pattern is all over my house in many forms but also check out the new blue and white if this one or the pale green and cream is not your thing)

Bala Bangles $50 (these weighted bangles are on my list for the at-home pilates/yoga I’ve picked up... originally saw on SharkTank and used by Melissa Wood)

Mama Necklace $50 (bought this for myself, then for my sister who just became a mom, and it is perfect for the moms in your life)

Blue Multi Turtleneck in Jersey $220 but on sale for $180 (did not realize how much I’d love this top until it came in. The material is great and the color is so much easier to style than I anticipated)

Evil Eye Stretch Bracelet $25 (wear this all of the time stacked with some simple gold bracelets)

Switch2Pure Be Glowy Hyaluronic Spray $65, Mini Set $75 (I cannot go a day anymore without my Be Glowy... my skin is so hydrated even when we were in CO plus it glows!)

For Little Sister:

Kids Personalized Tie Dye Sweatshirt $98 (this also comes in adult sizes so you and your mini can coordinate! Wearing mine as I type this)

Hairdorables Hair Art Series $8 (apparently this is the new craze according to my daughter... I thought we were still on LOL dolls)

Mini Sequin Basket Tote $75 (we use ours as a purse, for trick-or-treating, and to collect doll clothes and toys at home)

Soft Hot Air Balloon $60 (these hot air balloons are adorable additions to a little girl or boy’s room)

Knotted Headband with Pearls $16 (my daughter has quite a collection of knotted headbands and these from GoldenThread are so cute!)

Cuteheads Unicorn Dress $75 (we love our Cuteheads dresses and just ordered a few new ones for my daughter. Her birthday dresses all come from here and this one is perfectly twirly. There are also great jersey material options)

Frozen 2 Cosmetic Set with Nail Polish, Lip Gloss, and Nail Stickers $13.99 (Surprising our Frozen and nail polish loving girl with this set)

My Fairy Garden Unicorn Paradise $24.99 (my daughter has had this on her list since last year and will finally get it this year)

For Little Brother:

John Deere Tractor Engine $140 (if your little one loves to “work” on things as much as ours, he’ll love this! Its on the list along with a great play workbench that is $45)

Dump Truck Toy Construction Vehicle $10 (another great gift for the construction vehicle obsessed kiddos like ours... he pushes this around everywhere)

Sperry Kids Rain Boots $44.95 (bought these for the snow for our Colorado trip and they were perfect. Plus they look super cute with his winter outfits)

Kids 2-in-1 Baseball Tee $22 (excited for our guy to get this for Christmas this year and to see his swing)

Rumble! Vroom! Zoom! Sound Book $11.70 (our little guy loves vehicle sounds and this book lets them be part of the reading)

Crazy Forts Construction Toy $50 (cannot wait for him to open up this set and to build forts with us)

For Dad:

Men’s Canvas Jacket $200 (spotted this one in Vail and hubby loved it... found it on sale and snagged it in time for this cold front)

Wingtip Oxford Shoe $126 (found these comfy shoes while looking for a friend’s difficult to buy for Father-in-law and thinking my hubby needs a pair)

Good Rancher USDA Prime & Choice Meats Delivered $169 or subscribe & save (we were able to try this convenient meat delivery and you can save $25 with code BLOGGERS25... not sure what to get your guy who likes to grill but has all of the gadgets and tools? Try this!)

Men’s Fur Lined Slipper $109.95 (shoes are not worn in our house so these are nice for wearing inside, especially during the cold months)

Smobot Smoker Temperature Controller $309 (my husband asked for this for our Primo grill where he loves to cook ribs and other meats like the Good Rancher)

Light Up Customizable License Plate Frame $70 (choose what you want this light up frame to say from school names to fun phrases)

Feather Bowtie $195 (my husband has a few of these and they are such a fun twist on a traditional piece... hoping to get to wear them again in 2021)

There’s so many other items I wanted to add, so here’s some additional items that did not make the collage:

Spider Web Swing for the kids $44 (the kids love this swing at their grandparent’s house so we’re getting one for the swingset)

Narwhal Polly Pocket $14 (my daughter is into Polly Pocket now which is fun since I loved it back when I was a kid)

J Hilburn Custom Men’s Clothing (find a rep near you... totally worth it and having a winter sale!)

Mini Gloss Set for her $36 (your beauty lovers will love this set)

Tie Dye Pajamas $48 (absolutely LOVE this pj set for mom or teens... so cozy and cute)

Scallop Cocktail Napkins $12 each (come in a variety of colors and a great grandmillenial option for mom or friends)

Personalized Wooden Fan $12 (great gift for your mom or bridesmaids if you’re planning an outdoor wedding or event)

Take Apart Toys with Drill $39.99, on sale for $35.99 (my truck loving, curious little guy will love the chance to use a drill like his Daddy)

*Pictured below wearing MAMA necklace, monogram disc necklace, and blue multi turtleneck top. Last photo includes acrylic napkin holder flower vase $19 for set of 4

#gift guide #family gift guide #gifts for mom #gifts for dad #gifts for kids #christmas #christmas list #what to buy #southern chic style #gifts for the family #lifestyle blogger #mommy blogger #mama necklace #difficult to buy #mother of the bride #bridesmaid gift #woodenfan

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southernchicstyle · 4 years

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Amazon Prime Day

Amazon’s Prime Day(s) is upon us! While you can check out their deals all day October 13th starting at midnight PST and October 14th, I figured its the perfect time to share these great Amazon Fashion dresses I am loving right now.

The orange dress��pictured above comes in a longer version, too, and in a variety of colors. You can wear it during the day with sneakers, to the pumpkin patch with the kids, with heels or boots to dinner with friends, and even tailgating in your teams’ colors.

This floral dress immediately caught my attention and looks much more expensive than it is! I tied the fabric belt in the back to give the front a more tailored look and just love the warm Fall colors.

The marigold floral dress also comes in a number of other colors, but I really love the warm floral for anything from a dinner date to an easy weekend dress with sneakers.

I wore the orange dress for a photoshoot for my friend Lindsey of Mostess Box’s photo shoot for their fall box where we were “tailgating” in style.

Linking the two dresses in this post and after the last photo below. While you’re on Amazon, check out the other Amazon Fashion deals.

Photography for the orange dress photos is by Paige Beitler Photography. And, the turquoise jewelry is a local Houston jewelry brand Christina Greene.

Orange Dress: Half Sleeve Cotton Dress $32

Long/Midi Version of Orange Dress: Half Sleeve Cotton Midi Dress $31

Floral Dress: Ruffle Trim Floral Dress $27

Personalized Bow: Silk Hair Bow $72

Bracelet/Cuff: Western Clues Cuff $268

Blue Earrings: Deco Ovate Earring $163

#amazon fashion #fall dress #fall attire #fall outfit #wiw #what to wear for fall #tailgating dress #fall floral #date night #ootd #southern style #sale alert #southern chic style #game day attire #turquoise #turquoise jewelry #christina greene

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southernchicstyle · 4 years

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Socially Distant Baby Shower

My sister is having her first child and the thought of letting her pregnancy go by without celebrating her baby on the way made me so sad! So, I started thinking of how we could make a baby shower appropriate for this COVID time.

First step was having the shower outside. We knew a lot of people would not be comfortable attending an in-person event, so outside and well spaced was a great start. But, before I jump into the other “safe” details, I want to share some of the decorations.

The baby’s name is Oliver, so the “O” balloon (that looks like a zero... Amazon order fail) was used next to the BABY blocks to represent the phrase “O Baby” for Oliver! The cake topper and invitation also shared the phrase “Oh Baby”. I combined the balloons that came with the blocks and the ones from the garland to mix up the colors and add more dimension to the garland.

Oliver’s room will have an underwater theme, so we went with whales, dolphins, and narwhals for the shower. The stuffed dolphin on the table was from Manor and is a great toy for Oliver to have in addition to decoration.

I found some great whale and dolphin figurines to use on the cake (Blueberry cake by Kingwood Bakery... its amazing) which we topped with “Oh Baby”, the figurines, and some baby’s breath. And, the decorated cookies consisted of a whale, a onesie, and Oliver’s initials made by Jenn’s Sweet Stuff.

We also used some of the ginger jars I had around the house for the florals. It was a great way to add in some more blue! The onesie napkins were a cute addition to the table.

Table linens were originally bought for my daughter’s bubble birthday but went well on the tables along with the ginger jar centerpieces, hand sanitizer, and whale and dolphin figurines.

To minimize touching, we went with single serve items. Champagne was served in mini bottles with “She’s Ready to Pop” labels and blue and white straws along with some flavored sparking water in bottles for the mom-to-be and non-alcohol drinkers. This beverage barge was the perfect serving piece for water and bubbles!

I also found the perfect bandana bib at TJ Maxx with narwhals, dolphins, and octopus in blue and white that I placed by the beverages.

The shower was held at 2 pm, so individual cheese board boxes were the food of choice. We put together cheese, crackers, pretzels, fruit, and nuts in a box with a napkin and tied with tulle and a blue decorative pacifier.

In lieu of slicing the cake and serving to everyone, we served petit fours from Moeller’s with cute little baby booties. If you haven’t heard of petit fours before, they are mini cakes that are soooo delicious!

Less touching of items by guests was the goal. And, we only had 6 in-person guests. No plates, utensils, or serving utensils are needed when you go with individual items for everyone.

For shower activities, we included “Wishes for Baby” and whether people think Oliver will favor Mommy or Daddy both at the shower and electronically sent to invited guests. Many guests sent their activities back and my sister was able to read those at the shower.

We also sent a link to guests to send a video message that we compiled and for showing at the shower. While there were only 6 of us at the shower, it felt like there were more between the videos and activities sent in. I used VidHug which cost $15 to create if you have more than 3-4 videos.

For attire for the shower, I found the perfect blue and white dress at TOOTSIES and bought it right away! The blue shoes I’d purchased around the time we went into quarantine just happened to coordinate wonderfully!

My sister wore a baby’s breath flower crown that my mom made that day. It was a lovely, modern way to acknowledge the momma-to-be instead of a corsage.

Ultimately, planning and prepping a shower with 6 attendees and virtual components vs the way we used to do showers with more people definitely takes a bit more planning of the details. But, I’m so happy with how it came together and hope my sister felt loved!

Most of the shower decor was tagged throughout the post, but below is a comprehensive list with links.

Shower Decor Links:

BABY Blocks $21.99

Bakery Boxes (set of 25) $19.99

Balloon Garland Kit (Balloons, balloon tape) $18.87

Blue Acrylic Baby Pacifiers (36 pieces) $7.75

Ginger Jars:

- Medium Sized Blue and White jar $36

- Small Vase $13

- Lotus Pattern Jar $22.99

- Extra Large Ginger Jar $127 (on cake table with blocks)

- Navy Ginger Jar - HomeGoods find

Invitation: Oh Baby Whale and Narwhal Printable $7.99

Letter O Foil Balloon (40 inches) $6

Onesie Napkins (50 count) $9.99

“She’s Ready to Pop” Bottle Labels $7.99

Table cloth: Round raised petal taffeta $39.99

Whales and Dolphins Figurines (7 pieces) $11.99

Wishes for Baby Printable Activity $3.99

Mommy or Daddy Printable Activity $2.99

#baby shower #social distancing shower #socially distant baby shower #blue shoes #oh baby #whales #narwhal #narwhal shower #ginger jar #ginger jar florals #ginger jar centerpiece #she's ready to pop #mini champagne #onesie napkins #wishes for baby #pacifier #baby block decorations #balloon garland kit

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southernchicstyle · 4 years

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Southern Chic Retreat

Our backyard oasis

I get a lot of questions about our backyard project and decided it was worth a blog post to share with you and so you can share with those you know looking to redo their backyard.

I should have located my original drawings to share how this vision in my head came to life! I envisioned this for our backyard for years, and in 2018 it was complete.

From the rectangle pool to the squares with grass to the fire pit and shrubbery, Regal Pools brought my vision from my drawings to reality! They have not sponsored this post. They were just a great company to work with that I do recommend to many friends looking to build a pool.

Scroll down for more pictures and the full list of companies and sources for the furniture and pillows.

We knew we wanted a good sized sun shelf after talking to many friends who built pools about what they thought was necessary when you have little kids. Its been great for the kids to safely play and for us to sit. We have an umbrella holder spot in the sun shelf, so we now keep an umbrella there to provide shade in the morning and mid day.

You can also see in the aerial shot the bench seat around the deep end. One day we’ll have a lot of people over and it will be used, but for now its been nice for a spot to climb out from the deep end.

Another interesting topic. Spa or no spa. I was team no hot tub because I tend to get too hot and end up sitting on the edge. Hubby wanted one. So, I researched pools to come up with this idea for the spa out in the pool. It is water level and aesthetically pleasing. Plus, it really has been a great thing to have with little ones.

The kids almost exclusively “swim” in the spa. So, I’m glad we found a design I liked. I do not regret the spa, although, it is not used by us often without the kids playing in it.

The “grass” you see is all artificial turf. We first did our play set area with artificial turf by Houston Fake Grass (also not sponsored) and loved it. After setting our minds on doing the squares with grass, we knew having someone cut the grass and edge all of the time would 1) be a TON of edging 2) put grass clippings in the pool and 3) not look as clean as we wanted all of the time.

So, fake grass made the most sense. We love it! We also added a turf area off to the side which we have used for outdoor picnics and playing since it gets shade at a different time than the play set.

A couple of turf tips I like to share:

- Turf gets HOT in the sun. Hotter than the concrete. But, if you hose it off or throw some water on it, the turf cools down immediately. That’s good to keep in mind with little ones walking around.

- Turf can still grow weeds. This baffled me but it makes sense. They use a composite material as the base under the turf which weed spores can still land on and grow. Easy fix - weed killer spray. Kills them so you don’t have to pull them all.

- All artificial turf is not equal! If you decide to attempt to lay it yourself, just know there are varying degrees of quality of the turf. We had multiple companies come out with their samples to quote the project and so I could see their product. We went with Houston Fake Grass because theirs looked and felt the most “real”.

A couple of other features we added to the pool were deck jets (you can see those on in the photo above), a swim lane, an outdoor shower area, and a white fence around the pool equipment.

The deck jets are just for looks, but I love the arch of water they create! The deck jets turn on every day at the same time to make sure the water is running correctly through the jets.

Swim lane was my “must have”. It is not Olympic length, but I wanted to be able to exercise by swimming laps in the pool. One side of the sun shelf is shorter to create the swim lane. I have definitely enjoyed having that.

Outdoor showers are a great feature to wash the kids after swimming before going inside. And, the white fence around the pool equipment looks a million times better than the exposed equipment. There’s a photo below that I am in that gives you a better picture of the fence and you can see the shower head over it.

I purchased the pool furniture online after a looooong time scouring the internet. These were the perfect French feel I wanted. The black and white stripe pillows were a separate purchase. And, I found black and white striped towels and umbrellas to tie it all together.

We have also utilized the backyard for a couple of photo shoots like the one below for Easter.

Below, you can see the white fence up close and the black star gravel and stepping stones that go all the way around the back. For the shower area we used Mexican beach pebbles in between the squares.

The squares around the pool and for the shower were all poured concrete while the walking path were concrete squares we purchased at Lowe’s.

Also visible is a little of the turf area between the gravel and the fence and the umbrella in the umbrella holder in the sun shelf.

A couple of comments from Mr. B about the pool process - he would not recommend white stones for the coping as they are super hard to clean. And, Regal has a great warranty and has been exceptional with upholding that on anything we have needed.

I love the look of the white coping, however. But, I have not been the one trying to clean it.

Backyard Sources:

Pool (including concete decking & Fire Pit): Regal Pools located in Houston

Artificial Turf: Houston Fake Grass

Lounge Chairs: Reclining Chaise Lounge with Sunbrella Cushions

Fire Pit Chairs: Club Chair with Sunbrella Cushions

Pillows: Set of 4 Indoor/Outdoor Striped Pillows

Set of 2 Indoor/Outdoor Striped Bolster Pillow

Towels: Set of 6 100% Turkish Cotton Eco-Friendly Cabana Stripe Pool Beach Towel, 35x60 Inch

Umbrella: 9′ LED Lighted Striped Umbrella

White Fence: White Vinyl Fence

Outdoor Shower: 8" Rainfall Shower Faucet Bathroom/Outdoor Shower

Shrubs: Boxwoods from a landscaper

Trees: Italian Cypress and Eagleston Holly from Lowes and Landscaper

#pools #backyard #backyard oasis #pool #pool design #artificial turf #fake grass #pool style #landscaping #Houston pool #pool building tips #pool building

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southernchicstyle · 4 years

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The Big ONE

Photos by Daniel Ortiz

I always think my party ideas for the kids are so original until I start looking for items for them and find a million parties done in the same theme. Our son’s first birthday was no exception, but I like to think we put it all together in a creative way you haven’t seen yet... Reeling in the Big ONE!

Our little guy turned the big ONE and we had the best time celebrating with a fishing themed party. Keep reading and scrolling for ALL of the details with photos by Daniel Ortiz .

Fishing bobbers, nets, lures (keep out of reach of little hands because the hooks are sharp!), lanterns, and cattails all came to mind immediately as I gathered decorations for the party. “We’re reeling in the big ONE” read the invite. A comprehensive list of the items will be at the bottom of this post, but I also linked the ones I refer to in the body of the post like the fish food tents above.

PHOTO OPP

A photo spot with bobbers and nets formed in my brain as I pinned ideas, and the variations of those came together to create this one I’m so proud of below! My husband assembled scrap 2x4s we had that were painted grey into the photo frame.

The bobbers on the photo spot (pictured below) are paper lanterns we spray painted red on the bottom half (painters tape used to make the line) and the top (linking the paper lanterns). There’s pretend fish hanging below the bobbers on the left strung with fishing line.

And, the directional arrows pointing toward “fishing hole”, “weighing station”, “bait and tackle”, and “catch of the day” were cut by our friend and I drew the words and art on with paint markers. (pictured below)

ONE

My mom and her crafty skills is always a part of making these parties a reality and she helped put the finishing touches on the “ONE” for the picture table. I love how it turned out! We used styrofoam letters (”O”, “N”, “E” each linked), cut out one for the boats from the invitation for the “N”, and glued cardstock paper in red, white, blue and green to the letters. The blue waves we cut out in different colors and there is twine wrapped around the “E” and the cattails.

We also had to secure the letters to the backdrop (tape was sufficient) since they are styrofoam and could easily fall over.

MONTHS

Each of the months (on paper bobbers from newborn to one) just HAD to be displayed on a net, so figuring out how to secure them was a challenge we solved by hot glueing small clothespins to the back of the flat paper bobbers and taping pennies to the back of the pictures to attempt to keep them all from blowing up when the wind blew.

The wind had other ideas, but it looked good throughout the party.

The red lanterns, net, fishing lures, small fishing bobbers, and cups are all linked. Click on the words to shop them. And, the tackle box on the table was a Houston Nutcracker Market find.

TIME CAPSULE

We also decided to do a time capsule (directions in the frame on the left in the photo above) at our guy’s 1st birthday. I regretted not doing one for our daughter’s first birthday after my mother-in-law passed shortly after the party. Each person in attendance can write a message to the birthday kiddo and answer some fun questions about what they think the child will be and like, etc. Your child can read all of the messages when they turn 18!

What I’d give for a message from my mother-in-law for our daughter to read when she’s older.

FISHING SHIRT

For our big guy’s outfit, I found an adorable baby fishing shirt onesie for our birthday boy to wear for his party. Even if you’re not doing a fishing themed party, this shirt was so cute on him!

Our nanny made the balloon 1 with fishing line and balloons pictured above. Linked the balloons we purchased here. We went for a slight ombre effect with more light blue on the top and dark blue on the bottom. (Would recommend buying a couple of packs to ensure you have enough of each color)

FISHING THEMED FOOD

Galvanized buckets were the perfect serving piece for the food along with fishing related food items, like gummy worms labeled as “worms”, Twizzlers as “fishing line”, Swedish Fish, Goldfish, peach rings as “Life Preservers” and pretzel sticks as “fishing rods”. The pretend fish decorating the tables are foam (squishy is the best way I can describe them) but really good looking and linked here.

I also saw the puffer fish idea online and thought it would be fun for the kids to have the punch balloons to play with. And, I was a bit nostalgic thinking back to playing with punch balloons as a kid. Obviously, one year olds weren’t doing much balloon punching, but they were fun for older kids.

The wooden boat and boxes on the food table were borrowed from a friend, but the white 1 was purchased online. Also borrowed fishing poles that were used throughout the party.

ACTIVITIES

Along with puffer fish punch balloons, we had a “Catch and Release” activity where we put water in a kiddie pool with fish in it and fishing poles (magnets on the poles and fish connect the two) where kids could attempt to catch fish. And, our “Feed the Fish” station was a bean bag toss which has now been repainted for a third time to have fish swimming.

The printables I used for the activity signs & favors are here:

Bait Bar

Thank You for Making my Birthday Reel Fun

Catch and Release (couldn’t find this one so I used my own skills to make one)

Feed the Fish (couldn’t find this one so I used my own skills to make one)

CUPCAKES

When it comes to kids and cake, I’ve become a big believer in cupcakes being the easiest all around. They don’t have to be cut, don’t require a fork or spoon, and are cost effective. So, this time I did store cupcakes from our Kroger with blue icing and bobbers on top (linking the bobbers here).

If my son ever decides to be a fisherman, we now have bobbers and lures for days!

CENTERPIECES

Cattails for centerpieces made for a simple table decoration. I used the galvanized buckets with paper in the bottom (had a bunch from all of my Amazon orders) then river rocks on top to fill the bucket with the cattails secured in between. Around the buckets we draped some fishing net with some smaller rocks, lures (be careful of the sharp hooks), and bobbers.

The cocktail tables I use are linked here along with the table covers. For the bigger tables, I used a fun blue with the raised circles adding texture to the table.

DIAPER COVER

My goal with the “Ofishally ONE” diaper cover was to get a picture of him in just that, but this was the best I got. Fishing shirt and diaper cover. It’s still adorable, though! And, you get a close up look at the baby fishing shirt.

I’ve learned to let some things go at the parties and enjoy it. Hard for a type A personality like me, for sure!

EDIBLE CATTAILS

These cattails are Swiss Rolls on on bamboo skewers (which we cut to eliminate the point on the end) held in place by styrofoam under the moss in an oval galvanized tub. And, bobbers made everything more festive!

Now, I have to share our learning. The Swiss Rolls will slide down the skewers since they are standing upright, so we cut slivers of wine cork and slid them under the rolls to hold them up. Completely a game time call as they were sliding right before guests arrived. You can see the cork if you look closely.

The cutest cookies were done by a local baker, Sweets by Shey: bobbers, fish, “Gone Fishing” sign, and one that looked like an oval piece of wood with “The Big ONE” on it.

The other two items, scalloped napkins and fish coasters, pictured below were perfect additions to the party. The scalloped napkins with a gold trim were a fun nod to the scales on a fish while still keeping an elegance to them. I found the coasters at HomeGoods randomly and snagged the “Drink Up” coasters for the event.

TABLES, CHAIRS, TABLECLOTHS

Here’s a closeup of the texture of the blue/turquoise raised petal tablecloths. I used cream colored ones for my daughter’s 2nd birthday Bubble Bash so when I saw this color I knew it was perfect for the party.

Also linking the tables and chairs that at this point have been used for 4 birthday parties and a couple of other events. For us, since we have room to store it all, buying was ideal.

BANNERS

The banners I found online were perfect for the background of the cake smashing. “The Big One” banner is customizable and comes with the fish and bobbers also (or without if you choose). The cute “ONE” for the highchair was an easy order and great quality!

I hung the big banners behind the high chair on bamboo poles and put the bamboo poles through actual fishing poles so the fishing poles flank the banners. They somewhat blend in with the busy vine background, but the small detail made me happy.

SMASH CAKE

For a smash cake, there’s a baker in my area that makes a blueberry cake (it was INCREDIBLE) and could create this “wave” look - Kingwood Bakery. I found the fish and “The Big One” sign cake topper online and added them myself along with the 1 candle. I used a log cake stand that has come in handy more often than I anticipated.

Below you can see the layout of the time capsule pages I printed (they were an easy printable I found online) that went with the theme. It includes sections like “When you grow up I think you will be...” and “How do I know you?” to name a couple.

FAVORS

Fishing pole favors were a must! I found little water squirting fish, handheld fish water games, fish stickers, and Swedish Fish and cinched them in clear favor bags with twine tied to sticks we collected around the house. Gathering sticks was a fun activity for my daughter to feel like she was a part of the planning.

The printable tags were easy to print, but I had Katie & Co print and cut them to make sure the bobbers were cut correctly. And, I printed a sign that was framed near the favors that said “Thank You for Making My Birthday Reel Fun!”

My apologies to my friends/the parents who had sticks in their cars on the way home, but it was really cute!

Unlike his sister, our little guy dug right in to the cake and enjoyed eating it! I love this picture that Daniel Ortiz captured of him once we took the cake away. O-fish-ally ONE!

We love that so many friends celebrate with us. And, below is a close up of the photo spot (you can see the paper lantern bobbers) with two of my friends that are so good about coming!

POOL BOBBERS

Having our pool completed literally the week of the party was chaotic, but I was able to create my big bobbers for the pool. This was not a perfectly executed project, but overall I was happy with them and they looked great. The top is a to-go container spray painted red and the bottom is a red plastic tablecloth taped to the floating orbs I purchased with red Duck Tape.

The taping of the tablecloth to the orb was a feat in itself. With help from my family, we did it once and then redid it. Ultimately, the tablecloth was taped at the base of the orb. It will take in water, so I attempted to tape the seam as well as we could.

I wish I could give a step but step tutorial, but the pool bobber was truly a “try and see what works” experience. Biggest tip: have patience and don’t be afraid to redo them if they don’t look right.

**A big thank you to all of my family who helps me execute all of my ideas and to Daniel Ortiz for the great photos!

__________________________________________________________________

Reeling in the Big One Party Supplies

- Bait Bar Sign (printable) $2.50

- Balloons (light blue, white, and true blue, 100 pack) $10.99

- Banner: The Big One (personalized banner linked w bobbers & fish) $44

- Banner: Burlap One for Highchair $10.99

- Bobbers (small for cupcakes and tables) $6.49

- Cattails (set of 4 sprays) $24.99

- Cake Stand (Rustic Log) $48.86

- Cake Topper: “The Big One” starts at $14.99 (linked similar as exact one no longer available)

- Chairs (individual and 4 pack) $44.72 and $142.41

- Cups (gold rimmed, 50 count) $14.99

- Diaper Cover: “Ofishally One” $20

- Duck Tape (red) $7.08

- Favor Tags: Bobbers $3 (in favors: Fish water game, Swedish Fish, Stickers)

- Favor Bags (100 clear bags) $3.98

- Favor Tags (bobber printable) $3

- Fish (foam, decorative on tables and photo spot, set of 3) $15.91

- Fish & Poles for Catch and Release $13.86

- Fish Coasters (unavailable online, cork ones here $12.24)

- Fish Food Tents Printable $3.50

- Fishing Game (fish and 2 poles) $28

- Fishing Lures $18.99 (found a similar set for $15.99)

- Fishing Net (natural color 2 pack) $9.50

- Fishing Net (blue) $5.52

- Fishing Shirt (for baby) $37.99

- Fish Squirts (for Favors) $7.49

- Fish Stickers for Favors (3D puffy, 20 sheets) $7.97

- Fish Water Games for Favors (assorted with others) $38.99

- Galvanized Buckets (small, set of 12) $18.87

- Galvanized Buckets (large, 2 gallon) $28.98

- Galvanized Tub (for edible cattails) $31.99

- Highchair Banner - ONE $10.99

- Invitiations: “Reeling in the Big One” file $11.99

- Kiddie Pool (45 x 10″) $10.39

- Lanterns (red) $9.97

- Months Paper Bobbers $9.50

- Moss (SuperMoss Spanish Moss) $9.52

- ONE letters (12 inch styrofoam “O”, “N”, and “E”) $9.98 each

- Paper Lanterns (made into bobbers, set of three 8 in white) $10.99

- Plastic Red Tablecloth $14.99

- Pool Orbs (made into bobbers) $89.99

- Puffer Fish (Punch Balloons, 30 count) $10.99

- Scalloped Napkins with gold trim $9.99

- Skewers (bamboo, 100 pieces) $6.95

- Swedish Fish (0.5 oz packages, 64 count) $14.99

- Swiss Rolls (for edible cattails, 6 boxes, 36 count) $11.94

- Tables: cocktail ($107.88) and large 60″ round ($118.99)

- Tablecovers (cocktail) $16.99

- Tablecloths (blue with raised round petals) $39.99

- “Thank You for Making My Party REEL Fun” signage - $2.50

- Time Capsule Printables $8

- Twine (2 roles x 656 feet) $9.89

- Wooden 1 (8 cm tall) $7.89

***Photos by Daniel Ortiz

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southernchicstyle · 4 years

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Easy Valentines for Your Kids, Teacher, & You

Some of you may be like me and scrambling to get valentines done last minute for the kids. Thankfully I found this awesome unicorn printable Valentine (only $1.99 for the file... best price I found) for my unicorn loving daughter! And, the rainbow lollipops were easily found at our local Party City.

I bought the printable file, printed on some card stock at home, bought the lollipops at the store, and assembled with the help of my daughter. I used a razor to cut the slit for the lollipop and we taped the stick on the back of the card once my daughter added them. She’s 4, so older kids may be able to do more. Then, we wrote her name on the front so her friends know who its from.

In my search for the best printable valentine for my daughter, I found some other great options that may help you if you’re looking for a quick, easy, affordable Valentine card and listed them below with the prices for each printable (candy sold separately).

Printable Valentines:

- Magical Unicorn Printable (add lollipop like above but different unicorn) $4.99

- Magical Valentine’s Day (add lollipop) $2.75

- Unicorn and Narwhal Horn Valentines (add lollipop) $6.50

- Baby Yoda (add pixie sticks) $5.99

- You’re a Gem Valentine (add ring pops) $7

- Smores Valentine (add marshmallow, graham cracker, & chocolate) $5

- Highlighter Printable (add a highlighter to each) $5

- Sloth “Hanging out with you” (add chocolate kisses) $5

- Bubble Valentine (add mini bubbles) $5

- Gnome Valentine (add chocolate hearts) $3.99

- Printable Tic Tac Toe Valentine (add chocolate kisses for playing) $4.99

- Hi-Ya Ninja Valentine (add Blow Pop) $5

- Teacher Valentine - Bee Lip Balm (add Burt’s Bees) $5

And, a couple for your galentine’s get-together or significant other:

- Valentine’s Wine Tags (add wine bottle) $5

- You’re the Balm Printable (add round lip balm) $5

#unicorn valentine #valentines for kids #class valentines #easy valentines #yoda valentine #ring pop valentine #ninja valentine #teacher valentine #wine valentine #school valentines #printable valentines #game valentine #diy valentine #make a valentine #how to #bubble valentine #affordable valentines #make valentines

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southernchicstyle · 4 years

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If you haven’t already snagged your ticket to The Truffle Masters, run to the website to check for tickets for tomorrow’s event! One of my favorite ways to eat truffles is in truffle risotto (pictured below).

But, I’m pumped to eat all of the truffle things.

Join me tomorrow at The Truffle Masters hosted by Houston-based luxury food importer and distributor, DR Delicacy @drdelicacy, “an annual Food Competition and celebration of one of the world’s oldest and most precious delicacies, first-rate truffles, showcased by the top talent in Houston’s restaurant community.”

And, use code “BETHANY25” for 25% off tickets. Your tastebuds will thank you!

#lifestyleblogger #food #foodie #houstonblogger #foodblogger #truffles #houston #htx #texas #truffle risotto #trufflerisotto #mommyblogger #houstonchefs

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southernchicstyle · 4 years

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The Year of the Tiger

In case you haven’t noticed, tiger stripes are having a MAJOR fashion moment! Along with the usual animal prints, tiger stripes are everywhere from clothing to shoes, handbags, and jewelry. And, it truly feels like the year of the tiger (stripe) if you’re a college football fan, like we are, with the LSU Tigers playing the Clemson Tigers in the National Championship on January 13th.

Whether sports fan or not, you’ll want in on the tiger print trend. So, I rounded up a ton of tiger print things for you all! And, if you are going to the National Championship in New Orleans, you can find great pieces you can order and get before the game. (LSU fans can accent these with purple and Clemson with orange... I’ll be in purple!)

Scroll down for a list of my favorite Tiger Stripe pieces complete with links, including the sweater above and the dress below...

My Favorite Tiger Stripe Finds:

1. Vincent Tiger Sweater, $88 (pictured at top), on sale for $62 in sizes XS, S, and XL here.

2. Tiger-Print Paneled & Pleated Dress, $416 (pictured above), on sale for $268 here in limited sizes here

3. Tiger Stripe Tie, $105

4. Tiger Stripes Cap Sleeve Tee, $148

5. Tiger Stripe Booties, $102

6. Tiger-Print Fur Vest, $207

7. Tiger Print Ruched Ruffle Dress, $116

8. Tiger Print Crossbody, $350

9. Tiger Stripe Blouse, $158

10. Men’s Tiger Strip Shirt, $40

11. Puff Sleeve Tiger Print Tee, $95

12. Tiger Stripe Tie Waist Midi Dress, $40

13. Tiger Print Kimono, $154

14. Tiger Stripe Ruffle Mini Dress, $198

15. Tiger Stripe Mini Backpack, $179

16. Lace-up Tiger Stripe Boot, $395

17. Feather Trimmed Tiger Shirt Dress, $174

18. Tiger Stripe Sweater (in black and tan and blue and black), $245

19. Tiger Stripe Wrap Midi Skirt, $30

20. Tiger Beat Faux Fur Bomber, $98

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southernchicstyle · 4 years

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What Your Wife Really Wants for Christmas

What she really wants is a lazy day away at The Woodhouse Day Spa! (And, not JUST for Christmas!)

I had the opportunity to relax and rejuvenate at The Woodhouse Day Spa The Woodlands and I can say that the majority of the people (men or women) in your life would absolutely love a day here (or even an hour or two) whether for Christmas, birthday, or just because. And, I saw majority because there may just be a few people who do not like pampering...

I entered the spa and was taken to the changing area to a locker with my name on it. Inside was a comfy robe and flip flops in my size which I quickly slipped into. From there, I was taken to the relaxation room where I filled out some forms and enjoyed some fruit infused water. Quite refreshing AND relaxing... along with a warm lavender neck wrap.

My first treatment was called the “Lazy Days Renewal Ritual” which was even better than I expected! Lazy Days “begins with a body scrub using the finest organic, hand-harvested seaweed for silky, soft skin and detoxification. Following your exfoliation, you immerse yourself in soothing waters with seaweed, sea salt and aromatherapy essences of spice and citrus for a relaxing and renewing tub soak.” Then you receive a 45 minute massage using nourishing seaweed and toning oil.

The room used for Lazy Days has a tub in the room (pictured above).

I am not a bath person, but the 10 minutes in the bath flew by and was amazing! Then the massage right after was much needed and so relaxing!

My massage therapist (Brittany) told me clients tell her they don’t want to get up because they are so relaxed after Lazy Days. I have to be honest, I doubted her for a minute. After my treatment, I no longer doubted Brittany.

Back to the relaxation room for a little snack and some more water before my Illuminating facial. The Illuminating Facial is “a corrective and active facial created to reverse the signs of premature aging and sun damage. This results oriented facial for lightening and hyper-pigmentation includes a two layer peel and two masks to reveal a brighter, vibrant and more refined complexion.”

Believe it or not, this was my first facial EVER! Spoiler alert, I’m totally hooked.

There were two masks used. One white one (pictured above) and one that was clear like egg whites. This particular facial had no extractions (something I asked before booking) and didn’t have crazy harsh peels.

My skin looked a million times better at only part of the way through the treatment and definitely did after. And, this facial includes a hand, foot, and shoulder massage. You definitely need to try this facial! My technician was very professional and made my skin glow.

A week later, my face was still glowing and felt incredible.

Once the facial experience was over, it was back to the relaxation room for a mimosa! The staff at Woodhouse The Woodlands were extremely attentive and made me feel like I escaped all of the issues of the day. Plus, I enjoyed a delicious sugar cookie with their logo from the relaxation room. And, the room had plenty of space for a group of friends to hang out during a girls spa day.

Plus, if you know about vichy showers, they have one and that treatment along with their signature four hand massage are ones I definitely want to try next time!

I’m already trying to figure out how quickly I can make my next appointment! Woodhouse Day Spa The Woodlands (located near HEB in Market Street) was one of those experiences where I truly felt disconnected from the rat race of normal life and truly relaxed.

*I was given these services a gratis to try by The Woodhouse The Woodlands but the opinions and thoughts are my own.

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southernchicstyle · 4 years

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Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sales

With full hearts and bellies, now we turn our attention to Christmas shopping! Thankful for each of you, and hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. With 26 days until Christmas, I’ve been trying to focus on gifts before Thanksgiving but ended up buying more for myself or the kids for now vs gifts. But, that’s ok because there’s some great savings online right now!

*Updating with Cyber Monday

- Amazon ● Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals including the item linked here I just bought!

- Anthropologie ● 30% off Everything, Extra 50% off Sale for Cyber Monday

- ASOS ● 30% off Everything with code BIG30 (continued on Cyber Monday)

- Banana Republic ● CYBER MONDAY: 50% off EVERYTHING! BLACK FRIDAY 50% OFF reg. price with no BR merchandise exclusions. No code needed.

- Barneys ● “Entire store on sale” Take an extra 20% off purchase (ends 12/2/19)

- Bed Bath & Beyond ● Cyber Week Deals like KitchenAid. Black Friday deals on select products like iRobot

- Bergdorf Goodman ● Extra 25% off Cyber Monday Sale Items, Designer Sale: Save up to 60% off, Spend More Save More on Beauty

- BOOHOO ● Cyber Monday: 30% off everything, Black Friday: Up to 75% off + extra 10% off with code EXTRA

- Crate & Barrel ● 20-30% off sitewide (furniture and select items excluded) plus free shipping over $49 (through 12/2)

- Express ● 50% off everything + free shipping (same for Cyber Monday)

- Farfetch ● thousands of pieces with an extra 30% off with code FFX30 (same for Cyber Monday)

- Forever 21 ● 40% off plus get an extra 50% off sale with code GOWILD

- H&M ● Cyber Monday - 30% off everything. Black Friday deals (expect delays on the website)

- Intermix ● 30% off everything for Cyber Monday

- Macy's ● Cyber Monday Specials. Black Friday Doorbusters

- Madewell ● 30% off your purchase plus an extra 10% off for Cyber Monday

- MANGO ● 30% off everything with code CYBER19

- MATCHESFASHION ● Extra 10% off sale with code EXTRA10 through Cyber Monday

- Moda Operandi ● Extra 30% off sale with code X30 through Cyber Monday

- Neiman Marcus ● Extra 25% off sale Cyber Monday, Up to 65% off sale and additional beauty savings

- Net-A-Porter ● Extra 15% off marked sale items

- Nordstrom ● Cyber Sale up to 50% off

- Old Navy ● 50% off everything through 12/2/19 at 11:59 pm PT

- Pottery Barn ● 25% off 12/2 use code CYBER and up to 70% off

- Saks Fifth Avenue ● Cyber Monday: $50 off every $200 with code CYBER19SF (12/2/19), Designer sale up to 50% off, earn a $75 gift card with $150 purchase (code THANK19SF, ends 11/29)

- Sephora ● Cyber Monday deals, Up to 50% off select items every day until 12/2, $15 and under Black Friday Deals

- Shopbop ● Up to 25% off full priced items, up to 75% off sale, 15% off orders of $200+, 20% off $500+, 25% off $800+ plus an additional 10% off with code MORE19

- Show Me Your Mumu ● All sale styles $80 and under

- Target ● Cyber Monday deals like Save up to $150 on video consoles

- Urban Outfitters ● $10 off $50 purchase, $50 off $150, $75 off $200

- Walmart ● Cyber Monday Deals like 65″ 4K LED Smart TV for $449

- Wayfair ● Cyber Monday Blowout up to 80% off ● Up to 70% off new deals every day from 10AM-10PM EST

- Williams Sonoma ● Buy More Save More with code SAVEMORE

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My Outfit from The Avenue, my daughter in Sanna Baby and Child, and my son in a Smocked Auctions Jon Jon

#black friday #sales #shopping #savings #black friday deals #shop deals #houston blogger #what to shop #outfits #neiman marcus #neiman marcus sale #saks sale #sephora sale #christmas shopping #clothing deals #style blogger

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southernchicstyle · 5 years

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Cusco to Sacred Valley Peru

Casual Travel Style

This post has been in my drafts FOREVER! Along with the other posts from our trip to Peru. I’m not sure why this trip has been so hard for me to post about. It’s not a reflection of how much I enjoyed the trip. I most definitely had the best time. Maybe it was that I became pregnant a month or so later that kept me from posting for sooooo long. BUT, all of that aside, here’s more from our Peru trip.

Finally, the outfit I wore on our Peru trip the day we went from Cusco to the Sacred Valley. That was the day before our first day at Machu Picchu. (And, how insane are the hydrangeas in the photo above from our hotel in the Sacred Valley?!?)

I found these great olive ankle pants at a Houston Boutique (now called Alchemia) and the simple white tee on sale at TOOTSIES and knew they’d be a comfy but stylish option paired with a pop of color for our trip.

This entire outfit includes so many great basics that I have worn over and over since the trip.

A blush leather jacket and sneaker slides were great options for the travel day with the great basic pieces. Colores Collective’s white, blue, and blush tassel earrings pulled in the blush from the shoes and jacket while adding a little fun with the blue.

The travel day was full of exciting stops while we journeyed from Cusco to our beautiful hotel in the Sacred Valley. There’s so many great pics from the day that I need to do a separate post for you guys to do the day justice. But, this photo above was from our picnic lunch stop and directly below from the llama sanctuary we visited.

So, cliff notes version as I work on the next post about our day - Cusco to a cliff top picnic lunch (see above pic with the valley behind me) to a llama and alpaca sanctuary to a small town’s festival to a former 18th century colonial-style monastery in the heart of the Sacred Valley (our hotel).

We really got to experience and see so much of life in Peru outside of Lima. And, I took a selfie with llamas! (look for that in the next Peru post)

I wanted to wear this outfit every single day. It was perfect for seeing and doing things while traveling the winding 40+ miles from Cusco to the Sacred Valley region.

I don’t always err on comfort with travel, but if you gave me this look in a bunch of colors and patterns I’d be on board! Much more casual and simple than you might be used to seeing from me, and I’ve grown to embrace it more (especially with 2 little kids).

Obviously I had a very long pause between the trip and getting this post up. So, a number of the exact pieces are no longer available. I am adding a couple of similar options linked below...

THE LOOK:

Tee: Vince V neck tee (current version here $75)

Also love this white v neck at $17

Pants: Current Elliott Army Green Ankle Chino, a current style for $90

Olive option for $60

Shoes: Joie Sneaker Slides (various colors from $35-$195)

Jacket: Pink Faux Leather Moto Jacket (in coral and green in limited sizes here)

Also love this current rose quartz moto jacket $108

Sunglasses: Leonard Round Sunglasses $190

Earrings: Colores Collective

Necklaces: Hamsa necklace (mauve version here) and Kendra Scott

#cusco peru #peru #sacred valley #what to wear #travel attire #getting to Machu Picchu #ootd #wiw #south america #basic tee #army green chino #blush moto jacket #hydrangeas #Wanderlust #travel #travel bug #peru vacation

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southernchicstyle · 5 years

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Fun in the Sun & Flamingos!

Can you believe that the Baha Mar area of the Bahamas has real, live flamingos?!? I was more than excited to learn this fact. And, of course, I had to take a photo with the beauties.

And, my clothing had to include some pink.

Our day in Baha Mar included sleeping in, visiting the flamingos, food and drinks from the food trucks, and lots of time at the pool!

This pom pom coverup doubles as a cute dress and coordinated perfectly with my More Color Please + Colores Collective pink pom pom earrings.

Everything around Baha Mar is picture perfect including the towel huts and bathrooms (the striped buildings you see in the photos.

We stayed at the SLS Baha Mar, but the amenities for the Hyatt and SLS are all connected. I really wasn’t sure where one ended and the other began. And we certainly had a lot to keep us occupied.

We hopped around from pool to pool and enjoyed the food truck bites for breakfast and lunch. One of my bff’s 40th birthday celebration brought us there and it was a great spot for it.

Linked everything (coverup/dress, hat, etc) below.

Resort: SLS Baha Mar (not sponsored, we just loved the SLS)

- White Multi Pom Pom Dress $102

- Pom Pom Earrings (by Carrie C and Colores Collective)

- Customized Floppy Hat $50

- Army Green Bikini (found the bottoms online here, was a local TJ Maxx find)

- Round Tote (sold out but here’s another)

- Moroccan Bag Tassel by Colores Collective $15

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southernchicstyle · 5 years

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I Scream You Scream

Photos by Daniel Ortiz Photography

When thinking of ideas for our daughter’s 3rd birthday party, she was on a major ice cream kick (I mean, what kid isn’t... but she was extra excited about it all of the time). So, ice cream party quickly became the theme.

And, with her birthday falling on a week day and Sunday Funday on my brain, “Sundae Funday” just clicked and came together! There was already a gold letter banner for it and everything. Plus, it was nice having all of Saturday to get everything ready for the Sunday party.

I pinterested the heck out of ideas to find what would really stick for our party. Ice cream cone centerpieces, a sundae bar with lots of toppings, and an ice cream cart were MUSTS from my research.

Etsy came through with the best banners, printables (invites, signs, etc), and balloon garland kit (linked everything at the end of the post but also attempted to link throughout the post).

There are so many fun ice cream themed ways to serve food. I found this great clear acrylic cone stand and served fruit in sugar cones. And, our sweet nanny made popcorn balls on sugar cones that turned out so cute!

Another Etsy find were the ice cream food tents that were a great accent to the decorations.

The table centerpieces were a combination of a few ideas I saw online. The glass containers themselves were finds from our local Ross. (The gold bottom was not my favorite at first but I’m so glad I got them!)

Then sprinkles went in the bottom with a waffle cone for the flowers. Carnations and hydrangeas give a good ice cream scoop appearance and we added in some wild flowers to liven it up.

Not everyone will care so much about sprinkles matching throughout the party, but I was a bit crazy about the specific colors. So, I found a huge container of them online and used them from the cake to the centerpieces, etc.

Ice cream cone cookies and 3s were an easy cookie decision in the party colors... with sprinkles, of course. Ours were made by Paulie’s Cookies in Houston. They tasted as delicious as they looked!

And, these honeycomb ice cream cones were an easy addition to the party.

I really loved so much about the birthday party, but I’m SUPER proud of the ice cream cart. Unable to locate one to rent or purchase, I tasked my handy husband with making one. He bought the wood, I found the wheels, we had the umbrella, and I bought the letters (and lined them up ever so carefully). He knocked it out of the park!

The balloon garland kit was perfect for recreating this look I found on pinterest (we added in the lavender balloons to pull it in from other parts of the party) and the inflatable ice cream cones were one of the first things I bought for the party!

The ice cream cart photo spot was popular, too. And, thanks to the balloon garland kit I now can create a balloon garland with ease!

Since the kids would no doubt end up on the playset, it got a little ice cream party touch, as well. A mini ice cream banner was the cutest along with mini 3D cones.

Our talented nanny also created the awesome balloon ice cream cone that she also knocked out of the park. She even managed to add balloon sprinkles!

It was SUPER windy during the party, so it was quite difficult to capture of a photo of the awesome ice cream cone balloon piece completely upright (its even on a sturdy metal pole...).

Two things:

1) Who remembers the ice cream poppers/shooters (in my daughter’s hand below)? We HAD to have them for the party and the kids LOVED them!

2) The pieces on the floor in the photo below are frozen rose petals. I’d never seen anyone freeze flowers like this! Keep reading for who made that happen.

Scooping ice cream from tubs was the last resort for the party. My first idea was to rent a soft serve machine. Oddly enough, that was a difficult task (finding a company who rented one and would deliver it to our area). Sharing this with a friend, she recommended trying a local ice cream store for catering.

So, I reached out to Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream. You know, the ice cream spot where they make the ice cream in front of you using science. Not only would that provide entertainment, but it would be one less thing I have to attend to during the party.

Sub Zero to the rescue!

The owner was great to work with, and he had a great set up complete with science experiments for the kids like the frozen roses. Perfect option for a party!

For the Ice Cream Sundae bar, toppings were the hero.

But, the set up included two “ice cream sundae” arrangements (white and pink hydrangeas bundled to look like ice cream scoops with burlap wrapped around the stems to look like a cone, and a cherry on top), the ice cream cups each child could take home with them, and our wooden back drop covered in vinyl sprinkles and finished with the “Sundae Funday” gold balloons.

Toppings on the bar: Marshmallows, crushed Heath Bar (toffee), cherries, mini M&Ms, gummy bears, strawberry wafers, almond slivers, Teddy Grahams, strawberries, sprinkles, cookie dough, peanut butter cup, caramel, chocolate syrup, white chocolate syrup, and whipped topping.

Clear scoops for the toppings aimed to keep little hands out of touching everything. No telling if that was successful, but they looked great!

Even though ice cream was the main attraction, you can’t have a birthday without cake.

Sweet Marie’s made the cutest “ice cream cone melting” cake for our girl’s party. And, we ordered some chocolate and vanilla cupcakes from the local grocery store with white icing and added the cupcake holders and cherries to look like ice cream sundaes.

The birthday girl wore a tiara made of sprinkles (a little pricier than I wanted, but it was perfect) and a custom Cuteheads dress with the most perfect ice cream cone buttons on the back.

The candle for the cake is simple a “3″ I found online that we put adhesive on and sprinkled sprinkles on to match the cake and other decor.

Oh how I wish I could take credit for the melting ice cream cone on the craft table, but I only found the idea on pinterest. Our nanny recreated it!

Rough instructions: Inspired by Pinterest. We didn’t have specific instructions, but took brown butcher paper to make the cone and added a sheer tan ribbon for the lines. The white “ice cream” is a filler you would use when stuffing pillows or crafts for kids with pink table cloths (I believe we used the plastic ones you can get at any party store) bunched up around the base with craft pom poms sprinkled all over. The cherry is a bunch of sheer red fabric balled up with pink string making the little pink ball on the cherry and a cotton ball on top of that. Used a combination of hot glue and fabric glue to secure things.

In addition to the jump house, our playset, and the trampoline, we had a necklace/bracelet activity for the kids.. These ice cream cone charms paired well with the two sets of beads I ordered for stringing.

And, the bean bag toss has become a consistent activity at our parties. It was painted with flowers for the first birthday, bubbles for the second, and ice cream for the 3rd. You’ll see the next iteration when I get our son’s 1st birthday posted!

For the adults, I found a fun ice cream champagne idea on pinterest and put my own (easier) spin on it. The post I found suggested scooping vanilla ice cream ahead of time and putting it in the freezer on a pan, which definitely helped get the drinks out quickly. And, we served them in fun gold rimmed champagne flutes that I also used for flowers on the kids’ table.

To make the ice cream drink, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to the flute then pour champagne over it. Add a raspberry flavored drink on top... just a little more than a splash. We used the black raspberry Ice Water, but the original recipe called for a homemade raspberry sauce. I did not have the time for it, and the raspberry sparkling water was easy and delicious!

And, last but not least, the kids all went home with some fun ice cream themed goodies. The favor tags were a printable download linked here that was personalized with our girl’s name. And, the cellophane wrapped cups were printed with a similar ice cream cone as the signs and invite. Inside the cups we put ice cream pens, mini sundae shaped lip glosses, stickers, and lollipops.

Then we wrapped cellophane around the cups, tied it with ribbon, and added the favor tags. The kids also took home bath bombs shaped like ice cream scoops with sprinkles. My friend Beth (who owns Manor) made them and they were a hit!

It may have taken me a while to get this comprehensive post together for you guys, but I loved reliving every single detail. My last tip from the party is related to the balloon garland.

Get a balloon pump for blowing up the balloons, use balloon tape, and enlist help for blowing up balloons. It’ll go much faster with help! And, the balloons will hold air and typically look good at the least for 24 hours. We assembled ours the night before.

All things party related including some not pictured:

- Assorted Beads for Stringing $14

- Balloon Garland Kit, Ice Cream Dream $30

- Balloons: Gold and White 12″ Balloons, 100 pack $10

- Balloon Tape, 25′ length $7

- Cake by Sweet Marie’s

- Candle (gold trim 3) $4.50

- Cherries: Pack of 25 Artificial Lifelike Red Black Cherries $5.60

- Clear Acrylic Ice Cream Cone Stand $15

- Clear Scoops for Toppings, 16 pieces $9

- Confetti Sprinkle Beverage Napkins (48 count) $7.50

- Cookies: Custom by Paulie’s Cookies

- Dress: Custom Cuteheads Dress

- Elastic Thread Beading String, 0.8 mm $7.60

- Ghirardelli Caramel, Chocolate, & White Chocolate (3 pack) $18

- Gold Plastic Silverware (300 piece) $30

- Gold Rimmed Champagne Flutes (clear hard plastic set of 50) $20.20

- Gold Rimmed Plastic Cups (set of 50) $14.20

- Happy Birthday Ice Cream Banner $20

- Honeycomb Ice Cream Cone Hanging Decor $6.50

- I Scream You Scream Instant Download Sign, 8x10 $5

- Ice Cream Birthday Party Printable Invitations, 5x7 pdf $16

for those in Houston, I print mine at Katie & Co.

- Ice Cream Birthday Party Favor Tags (1.75″ x 3.5″) $10

- Ice Cream Cone Shooters, 12 pack $12

- Ice Cream Cone Charms (set of 9) $9

- Ice Cream Dessert Bowls and Spoons, 12 pack $14

- Ice Cream Party Balloons with Sprinkles $13

- Ice Cream Party Cups (with lids and straws, 16 oz) $12

- Ice Cream Parlor Food Label Table Tents, Printable set of 8 $10

- Ice Cream 6″ Pens (6 count) $12

- Ice Cream Scoop Bath Bombs (made by Beth of Manor)

- Inflatable Ice Cream Cones, 36 inch $8

- Lavender Balloons (12 inch, 12 count) $4.17

- Mini Ice Cream Banner $10.40

- Natural Rainbow Sprinkles, 1.6 lb $18.99

- Pastel Lunch Napkins (150 count) $15

- Photos: Party Photographed by Daniel Ortiz

- Rainbow Sprinkles Lace Tiara $30

- Self Adhesive Vinyl Letters, 4 inch $9.50

- Sprinkle Number 3 Balloon $6

- Sprinkle Paper Lanterns (set of 3) $11

- Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream (catered locally)

- Sugar & Cloth 5 inch Oval Dessert Plate, Mint with Gold Trim (24 count) $10

- Sundae Funday Gold Balloon Banner $37

- Sundae Lip Gloss Party Favor, set of 12 $16.55

- Tablecloth: Round Raised Petals in Taffeta, 120 in. $40

- Wire Spoke Wheel, 16 inch for cart $33

- Vinyl Sprinkle Stickers (used on backdrop) $18

Sugar & Cloth 5 inch Oval Dessert Plate, gold plasticware, and cake by Sweet Marie’s

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Birthday Archives:

2nd Birthday: Bubble Bash

1st Birthday: Garden Party (I guess its possible in my baby brain state I never posted the garden party... Will remedy that as soon as I can)

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