Although the Imperfect Party Challenge is ending today- I couldn’t let this week finish without sharing a few of the submitted party details I found extra special and exceptionally lovely.

A button banner submitted by Kristen from her sons “Cute as a Button” party. I love the fabric, the buttons and the sweet cursive writing.

Rice Crispy treat pops covered with felt hearts. These were submitted by Andrea for her Valentines Day party. What a gorgeous way to present an otherwise normal treat.

These vintage tea hats that Sarah entered had my heart swooning. She made them for her daughters 5th birthday tea- an example of the detailed blessing that makes one feel lovely.

Owl party favors that were submitted by Aurora for her daughters, “look who’s turning two” party. The pack included a stamped colored pencil set, a sweet stuffed animal and a handmade owl bean bag.

A candyland party that was submitted by Allison. I fell in love with the way she decorated letters and frames with m & m’s for the party. Such a fun and fresh idea.

Lastly, these ballerina birthday invites are simply gorgeous, what a lovely idea to incorporate a little tutu for the invitation. Submitted by Sarah for her daughters birthday, a blessed little girl indeed.

Thanks to these amazing women for submitting their ideas and to everyone else who has participated in the contest. If you haven’t heard the winner was announced HERE.

Next week it is back to the 30×30 party planning challenge as I take on party #3 a bird’s nest baby shower- design details will be posted Monday. See you then!

blessings.

First, to abide by the new FTC rules I am letting you all know that this contest & this post are sponsored (meaning I was given an item worth money to pass on to you). It is important for you to know, so that when I say, “Anthroplogie is the most amazing store that has ever existed, it is my favorite place to shop and that I wish I could just move right in and drool over their home goods section forever” I may have a financial bias. Although, lets be real, if you read here daily you know this is statement is honestly true- even for free.

So today, and any other time in the future something @ the city cradle is sponsored you will see this new little banner.

Now on to the fun….

We have a winner. Congrats to Lisa who submitted her Secret Spy Agent party. Lisa is now the proud owner of a $100 gift card to that very lovely store- Anthropologie. If you haven’t seen her party check it out, her ideas are brilliant!

Thanks to everyone who participated in this challenge. I have had a blast with you all this week and have been enamored and inspired myself by the loveliness presented here.

Check back in just a bit to see a handful of the loveliest details submitted…

blessings.

PS. The 30×30 contest is still going on, I would love you to come see the new project + you could win a spa gift card.

I am thrilled to present to you finalist number six. Jennifer who hosted a nautical themed first birthday party for her son. The inspiration for this party came from her baby’s favorite snuggle blanket which is just too, too sweet. It was an incredibly lovely party.

One of my favorite things about this party is Jennifer’s use of overhead space. Having two toddlers I understand how grabbing hands can quickly alter your party plans. Hanging decorations is a great way to get around the issue. She hung bunting, the adorable favor cones and a bouy welcoming her guests. There is also a line of sailboat hats hung which the kids later decorated with ribbon and buttons.

The table centerpieces were tin ponds with hand painted sailboats “floating” on tissue water.

A¬¨‚Ć bright red cupcake tower with sail boat flags carries on the party’s cheery nautical theme.

A bucket of notes left by friends and family for her son to read when he gets older was set at the entrance table. A note above said “Say Ahoy to our very good boy”. What a special birthday idea to have notes written every year to your child by loved ones to read as he grows up.

A homemade sailboat was the center play piece of the party. It was made from cardboard and there were also fishing rods made from dowels for the kids to pretend to fish with.

Jennifer shared that the kids had such a fun time in the boat she had to “stop untape and re-glue parts of it” before the party ended.

Thanks for sharing with us Jennifer. Vote by commenting below if you would like Jennifer to win the challenge.

blessings.

PS. tomorrow a baby bird shower sneak-peak.

Andrea recently hosted a Candyland themed birthday party for her daughters 3rd birthday. Not only are the decorations amazing but it looks like she had the whole neighborhood out to help in pulling it off. What a lovely day for a little girl.

The food table was truly a candy-filled-wonderland with dots, sugar daddys, cotton candy, smarties and so much more. It was a beautiful display of such a fun party theme. The cupcakes had custom toppers and everyone enjoyed the beautiful candy formed cake. Above the table float bright tissue bursts announcing the guest of honor.

The backyard was lined with these huge garden lollipops. Andrea made them herself with a foam core, tissue paper and a cellophane wrap.

Outside was where most of the party happened as it boasting a huge carnival set-up. With bunting hanging above and multiple games laid out for the kids to play. There was even a spin-art machine (remember those?) and prizes awarded to everyone. Andrea had the older kids from the neighborhood come to man the games. They each wore a custom made apron to go along with the Candyland theme.

While the kids played the adults were able to relax, resting on candy themed pillows laid out amongst the patio furniture.

Each family took home a boxed candyland game with a custom made label thanking them for taking part in the party. I love the idea of giving favors that will encourage family bonding at kids parties- easy and a brilliant idea.

This much candy could make any kid bounce off the walls, let alone in a large group. A fun but trying lesson of having a candy themed birthday.

Thanks for sharing with us Andrea. Vote by commenting below if you would like Andrea to win the challenge.

blessings.

The fourth party finalist was submitted by Stefanie from richterology who recently hosted an evening Sweet Soiree for her friends. The party was incredibly lovely.

Her guests enjoyed sweet cocktails from glasses rimmed with sugar and they had their share of chocolates with personalized labels added to the bottom- a glimpse of the small details that she incorporated to make it a lovely evening. Other sweet treats included scrumptious looking red velvet cupcakes from her local bakery.

Her table was set using custom setting cards with a beautiful damask table runner and candles setting an intimate scene for her friends and family to connect.

Just to ensure the evening did not feel stuffy she included a few whimsical pieces like the happy pig with his chalkboard sign. I just love seeing touches of funny flair liven up a more elegant affair.

Lighting the way into the soiree Stefanie placed these sweet paper bag lanterns with cut out hearts.

The Sweet Soiree party preparations, like most of ours, ended up being more last minute than Stefanie would have liked, “I was still working on decor right up until the first doorbell ring“. I know that feeling all too well, yet I firmly believe it is worth a little last minute perspiration to have an event turn out this lovely;)

Thanks for sharing with us Stefanie. Vote by commenting below if you would like Stefanie to win the challenge.

blessings.

]]> http://thecitycradle.com/party-4-sweet-soiree/feed 27 http://thecitycradle.com/party-3-spy-agent http://thecitycradle.com/party-3-spy-agent#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:02:54 +0000 Vicky http://thecitycradle.com/?p=8032 Remember to read the Imperfect Party Challenge voting rules here if you haven’t seen them yet.

Our third party finalist submitted by Lisa from Moore Minutes – she recently hosted a Secret Agent Spy party for her son’s birthday. I had no idea a secret spy party could be so elaborately wonderful, what a lucky little boy she has.

Starting off her theme the invitations were sent in manila envelopes with a “top secret” stamp on the front. Inside there was a message to decode in order to find out the party details.

The desert bar was set up with super lively colors to make the crime scene youth friendly. The food selection included adorable baby-bombs, a large bomb birthday cake, a tray of mystery bars and a plentiful supply of colorful candy. Lisa used crime scene tape, play bullets and top secret labels to pull everything together.

At party entrance each of the boys was given an agent badge and fingerprinted for security. The boys also received agent glasses, compasses and detective bands as favors.

Chalk drawn footprints lead up to the party entrance and after eating the boys followed them out as they were sent on their “secret mission”. They scurried through the neighborhood finding clues to solve the crime of the stolen birthday present. The boys had to overcome obstacles, make it through a laser maze, and they were even attacked by bad guys (aka. dads with water guns) during their journey. Thankfully, they solved the crime and found the birthday bike along with their favor bags hoisted up in a tree.

Although this elaborate adventure had a few party planning kinks along the way, it looks like an amazing day for a 9 year old little boy.

Thanks for sharing with us Lisa. Vote by commenting below if you would like Lisa to win the challenge.

blessings.

Autumn from Design Dump shared her daughter’s Chinese themed birthday party. I loved so much that this whole party came together because of an impulsive purchase of a handful of clearance purses from Target two years ago. My kind of inspiration!

The invitations were hand created with an embossed pagoda that set the stage for the day.

The room was set up with the food table as the focal point, which was fitting since the food looked simply amazing.

Fortune cookies dipped in sugar, rice crispy sushi rolls and strawberry sorbet were a few of the scrumptious choices. The food flags were all made at home using a computer translator- Autumn was hopeful the words came out correctly and didn’t say something inappropriate;) The cake was topped with a Chinese symbol that says, “happy birthday”- printed off the computer, enlarged, cut out of cardboard and glittered. It is beautiful!

The room was set up around the food with lanterns and poms above and balloons to play with below. Every item presented was labeled to match the party theme, even the water bottles and fruit skewers. The theme carried on even outside where there was a Chinese take-out box pinata to bust open for goodies.

Each guest went home with one of the lovely clearence purses filled with goodies like these personalized chop-stix and fan.

Autumn shared that the thing that drove her crazy about this party was that, “we chose to have it at home‚Äö?Ѭ?in the house we are currently renting which has the ugliest wood bookcases and fireplace that were directly behind where the table was set up!” As a renter myself, I completely understand feeling strapped by this design dilemma. However, the party looked amazing anyway and the black curtains do wonders- Great solution.

Thanks for sharing with us Autumn. Vote by commenting below if you would like Autumn to win the challenge.

blessings.

I am giddy to share our first finalist in the Imperfect Party Challenge. Before you vote- read up on the rules of our contest here.

Kendra from My Insanity is our first challenge finalist. A Pirate’s party for me was the amazing celebration Kendra hosted for her son’s 5th birthday. A party filled with ideas to make any five year old boy swoon.

The invitations were sent to each guest in a recycled IBC bottle which held a photoshoped google-map of her neighborhood with an X to mark the party spot. The invitations were hand dyed and oven dried to give them their sea-worn image and the red X was repeated at the front door inviting guests in. After entering the party each of the boys was outfitted with bandanna’s, eye patches, temporary tattoos and even facial hair.

One of my favorite details of this party is the Treasure Chest Pinata. I just love how easy it is to use dollar store supplies to create a unique centerpiece for a party. The Chest was a Styrofoam water cooler that was cut and reassembled to create true treasure proportions. The pinata was wrapped in paper and brown shoe polish was used to produce a buried look. They had the chest taken to the town hangman to be hung for hitting.

Inside a pirate floats above the table as the boys visited “the carpenters shop” to create their own chests for taking home the party loot.

They also spent time eating inside at a table set with sail boat place cards and skull crossed goblets, the boys they dined on Boiled Cracken- served on a bed of seaweed with a sprinkling of fish. The eggs are sailboats- so cute!

Afterward they enjoyed a cake battle with candles doing the work of cannons.

For game time the boys went outside to brave the rain to have their own battle, launching black balloon bombs from one homemade ship to another.

Kendra said that her plans for the boat bomb launching were thwarted by the rain that day, but thankfully, “the boys had a great time anyway, even if the boats were cardboard with duct tape showing“.

Thanks for sharing with us Kendra. Vote by commenting below if you would like Kendra to win the challenge.

blessings.

Thanks so much to everyone who sent in parties and participated in our first ever party challenge. We had over 50 parties entered in the contest. There were of course MANY other worthy parties beyond what I am able to present- you can scroll through all of the designs @ The imperfect Party Challenge comment section.

Now it is up to you, my lovely readers, to decide who will win the $100 Anthropologie gift card. Enjoy being inspired this week end encourage the party planners, they all did fabulous jobs!

Voting:

• I will be posting 2 parties a day through Wednesday, make sure you check back this week to see all 6 of the finalists.
• The party with the most votes (comments) at the end of the week will win.
• Comments will be open for 48 hours after a party is posted, so check back and vote as soon as you are ready.
• You can only vote for a party once:)
• You can vote for as many parties as you want throughout the week.

On Friday I will announce the winner of the Imperfect Party Contest + a few special awards for details I found extra lovely in the contest entries.

blessings.

PS. Remember everyone still has a chance to win a $50 spa-wish gift card by checking out our new 30×30 project.

To share about the contest just copy and paste the exact code listed below (in the HTML section of a blog post, in the widget area of a sidebar, or on your twitter/facebook update). I am so grateful for your help my friends, thanks.

<center><a href=”http://thecitycradle.com/throw-an-imperfect-party-win”><img src=”http://thecitycradle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/contest-button2.jpg”/></a></center>

Now on to more party details…

Make it yourself: Large tissue pom flowers-

Start with a 6 inch diameter circle of heavy weight paper or cardboard for your base circle.

You will use 6 pieces of coordinating tissue paper. Doing one at a time begin making your petals. Connect the two short ends of one side and secure onto the base circle with tape. Connect the other opposite two ends and secure on the backside of the circle.

Working gently with the paper poof your petal out and into shape.

Repeat to create six petals.

Finish off with a 4 inch diameter pre-adhered piece of felt to cover all the lose ends. Simply place it on top and press down, the center will hold up to a rainstorm-  it was tested last week:)

Hang alone…

or together to brighten up your party space.

PS. I think these will make you smile.

blessings.