{Event Recap} LAPSG Magazine Cocktail Party

I was asked to plan a cocktail party for the Los Angeles Private School Guide Magazine this past spring. My client wanted all of her guests to feel really appreciated and loved. The cocktail party was being thrown to thank the school administrators for their support of the magazine. I decided to use lots of red in the design to give the party some warmth. I paired the red with black and white as a nod to chalkboards and the school affiliation of all the guests. I wanted the tie in to schools to be fun and subtle.

I used calla lilies, red roses and white hydrangea arranged in black vases as the floral decor. A trip to the LA flower mart and a little assembly in my kitchen created these centerpieces. I was really happy with how the color popped off of the black and white table cloths.


The food table was packed with lots of fun finger foods for everyone to enjoy as they drank and mingled. I used black and red chalkboard signs to label all of the food and the sandwiches were all held together with tiny heart toothpicks!


Of course, no cocktail party could be complete without a bar! Wine, Margaritas, lemon water and pink lemonade was served to all of the guests.


Vendors
Event Design: Enchanted Events & Design
Printables: Enchanted Events & Design
Photography: Mia J Photography
Client: Los Angeles Private School Guide Magazine

{Event Recap} Happy Picnic!

I'm really excited to share this birthday party with all of you because it's the one I threw for my daughters! I decided to combine both of their birthdays this year. After all, they share all of the same friends and with their birthdays just two months apart I was able to pick the month in the middle as the celebration.


My oldest, Taline, had one request for the party. She insisted on a peanut butter and jelly birthday cake. I decided to run with this and designed the entire party around a summer picnic theme. I focused on lots of gingham, watermelons and picnic ants. They covered the invitation, cake, outfits and the food itself!

I was also very excited to work with a new photographer, Sarah of Sarah Vinson Photography. She was so much fun and did an amazing job of capturing the bright and sunny picnic vibe.

For the food I focused on traditional picnic fare, an array of sandwiches, corn on the cob, fruit salad, pasta salad and sun chips. I dressed it all up with cute little watermelon and ant food pics and served them all in brightly covered trays. The napkin wraps were brown paper bags cut down to size and stuffed with gingham napkins and bright red utensils. My favorite touch was the single serving bags of chips. These worked perfectly for the kids to pick up and snack on as they ran around the park.


The dessert table featured a picnic table cake stand which was surrounded by "Fire Ants" with cookie pop heads and cake pop bodies, watermelon cookie pops, apple pies adorned with marzipan bees, mixed berry pies, watermelon sugar cookies, strawberry macarons, lollipops and sugar free cupcakes. I then attempted a homemade peanut butter and jelly cake. I opted to do just the top tier in the PB&J (in case it didn't turn out) and the bottom tier was a simple chocolate. I was shocked how yummy it was and wish I made more! I made a white cake with a guava jelly and peanut butter frosting filling. I then added some fondant decor from one of my favorite Etsy shops, Parker's Flour Patch, and piped on some butter cream grass. I'm very happy with the end result.


The party was hosted at a local park. So there was a playground for the kids to enjoy during the party and lots of grass to run around on. In addition, the guests were invited to decorate the disposable cloth tablecloths with pictures and messages to the birthday girls; assemble "ants on a log" snacks (celery, peanut butter and raisins); and play croquet, disc golf, Frisbee, football, horse shoes and participate in a potato sack race!


At the end of the party each kid got to take home a mini picnic basket of their own stuffed with toys, treats and even some personalize sunscreen.


Vendors
Event Design: Enchanted Events & Design
Printables: Enchanted Events & Design
Photography: Sarah Vinson Photography
Watermelon Cookies: Denise's Creations
Fondant Cake Décor: Parker’s Flour Patch
Pies, Ant pops, Watermelon pops, Cupcakes, Macarons: Pop Culture Desserts