Posts Tagged ‘Kate Landers’

Celebrate With Kate {Double The Fun! Birthday Celebrations For Twins}

Celebrate With Kate {Double The Fun! Birthday Celebrations For Twins}
Photo Credits: McAllister Photography

Celebrate With Kate {Double The Fun! Birthday Celebrations For Twins}
Photo Credits: McAllister Photography

Celebrate With Kate {Double The Fun! Birthday Celebrations For Twins}
Photo Credits: McAllister Photography

Celebrate With Kate {Double The Fun! Birthday Celebrations For Twins}
Photo Credits: McAllister Photography Invites, thank you notes and printed details: Anders Ruff Custom Designs

Kate Landers here to share with you twin and boy/girl birthday party celebration inspiration! It may seem daunting at first to create a party that works for celebrating the precious lives of twins, let alone a boy and a girl at once, however I am here to share some helpful hints and show you how to create double the fun. A lovely client Megan graciously allowed me to share with you her niece Olivia’s and nephew James’ first and second birthday parties. Megan and I had great fun coming up with themes, color-schemes, decorations and all the custom details to make these celebrations a perfect blend of each child’s personalities. Here are some helpful tips taken from their parties, to show you how fun and enjoyable the challenge of throwing a twins or boy/girl party can be and how to develop your party theme from year to year!

  • Color Scheme: Don’t be afraid to combine each child’s favorite colors. You will be surprised with how fabulous the mix can be! In this case, we used soft bright colors of orange, lime, watermelon pink and aqua for their first birthday. For their second birthday we used light blue, tangerine, raspberry and white.
  • Theme: Patterns make wonderful themes, as do things that fly! For James’ and Olivia’s first birthday we went with stripes and polka dots, incorporating those patterns into everything from printed party details to the cake decorations. It was fun, festive and bright. When coming up with a second birthday party theme, it proved more challenging as the children began developing more likes and dislikes. Megan had it covered: birds for Olivia and planes for James. These tie together beautifully as both fly high in the sky among the clouds. Other suggestions would be a farm theme; picnic: ladybugs & caterpillars; or mermaids & pirates.
  • Two Cakes: Twice as sweet! I love individual cakes for twins’ birthday parties, also providing you the perfect opportunity to mix in the color scheme and theme of the party, all on a pretty pedestal or tray. For Megan’s niece and nephew she went with identical polka dot smash cakes for their first birthday, tying in the theme and color-scheme. For their second birthday, Olivia received a bird themed cake using raspberry from the color scheme. James enjoyed an airplane cake, tying in to the party theme as well as light blue and orange from the color-scheme.
  • Coordinate Elements of the Party Year to Year: String together special details one year to the next, repurposing party decorations and creating new traditions. Twice the number of children does not mean twice the price! I love how the polka dot baking cups and tableware were able to be used at both James’ and Olivia’s first and second birthday parties. The cupcake liners served double-duty across the years as both cupcake adornments as well as snack cups for sticky fingers. Each year these twins get a custom fabric appliqué shirt with their age on it, in the colors and theme of the party. I recommend framing the shirts and soon you will have a wall of precious birthday memories.
  • Incorporate Your Theme Into Your Stationery: Marching thank you notes are a darling reminder to guests of the special day you shared with them. Let that theme linger a little longer by incorporating it into your stationery. Anders Ruff Custom Designs created the most darling matching invitations and thank you notes for James’ and Olivia’s second birthday. The printed signature at the bottom not only added charm, but saved a few moments while writing notes of gratitude.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post and sweet party inspiration. Are you a parent of multiples? How did you celebrate your children’s last birthday?

Celebrate With Kate {Lions, and Tigers, and Bears! Oh My!}

Celebrate With Kate {Lions, and Tigers, and Bears! Oh My!}
Photography by Andréa Winchenbaugh of Open Shade Studios.

Celebrate With Kate {Lions, and Tigers, and Bears! Oh My!}
Photography by Andréa Winchenbaugh of Open Shade Studios.

Celebrate With Kate {Lions, and Tigers, and Bears! Oh My!}
Photography by Andréa Winchenbaugh of Open Shade Studios.

Celebrate With Kate {Lions, and Tigers, and Bears! Oh My!}
Photography by Andréa Winchenbaugh of Open Shade Studios.

Celebrate With Kate {Lions, and Tigers, and Bears! Oh My!}
Photography by Andréa Winchenbaugh of Open Shade Studios.

Celebrate With Kate {Lions, and Tigers, and Bears! Oh My!}
Photography by Andréa Winchenbaugh of Open Shade Studios.

Kate Landers here again, to share with you tips for creating a charming birthday celebration based on your child’s favorite storybook or character. My goal is always to create an experience for the birthday child and their guests, helping them feel as if they are living right out of the pages of their favorite fairytale. In my experience I have found this can nurture the imagination in ways eating off of party plates with images of a character, cannot. Please note that what is most important is providing the child with what makes them happiest on their special day!

  • Include The Birthday Child In Planning Their Party I highly recommend involving the child in as many age-appropriate aspects of the party planning process. This is an incredibly rewarding gift to the child and creates great anticipation and excitement. One way to do this is to have the child help select the theme for their party, based on their favorite storybook or character. Parties based on fairy tales are particularly enchanting, but can also feel overwhelming. Rather than trying to re-create the entire book, focus on just one character, chapter or scene, and use that for the theme. It will also allow you to create a much more cohesive look.

    The beloved character Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz was selected for the theme of this charming birthday celebration, focusing on her blue and white gingham apron, ruby red slippers, and basket carrying Toto to be used as inspiration for elements throughout.
  • Use The Story As Inspiration For Your Color Scheme I recommended sticking with two or three primary colors for your color-scheme. Whether you choose colors from a character’s costume or from book jacket illustrations (or maybe what your child dreams up!), this can help reinforce your theme throughout all the details of the party.

    We selected a light periwinkle blue, ruby red and crisp white color scheme for our Wizard of Oz-inspired party, based on Dorothy’s costume in the film. We incorporated these colors in all aspects, from decorations to party favors and desserts!

  • Create Storybook Costumes For Your Guests Costumes are incredibly powerful for young children. Whether wearing a pair of felt fairy wings and a tulle tutu, or superhero mask and cape, children often feel transformed when they are disguised in costume pieces. I recommend offering a simple costume piece for the birthday child and their guests to wear during the party, and take home as a favor (which they can re-use again and again!

    For our party, we went a bit overboard, providing each child with a pair of ruby slippers, gingham apron and pettiskirt (pettiskirts are enormously popular). This worked because of an incredibly small guest list of all girls. Notice how we tied the aprons to the back of each child’s chair, with a custom printed tag–this created a darling table set up for photos, and the aprons doubled as place cards letting each child know which seat was set just for them (not to mention it helped us make sure each child got the proper size).

  • Use Storybook Elements As Inspiration For Your Dessert Table If you opt to design a dessert table for your party, I highly recommend using the scenery, magical creatures or fabrics from the characters’ costumes as inspirations for your desserts and props. In our case, we used baskets instead of cake stands and platters to display the desserts (since Dorothy always carried that straw basket on her journey through Oz). We also used her blue gingham apron and ruby red slippers (as featured in the film, not the book) to help us dream up designs for the desserts, cupcake toppers and dessert tags. {A VERY special thank you to the fabulous printables designer & party stylist Kim Stoegbauer of The TomKat Studio for creating all of the darling printables you see throughout the party! They are available for purchase in her shop. Also, many thanks to Jessica of Pen N’ Paper Flowers Studio & Design for creating the darling Dorothy silhouette!}
  • Create Activities Based On Story Elements Guests Activities are often important at a child’s birthday celebration, and can be a wonderful way for you to creatively emphasize your storybook theme. For example, for our party the guests enjoyed a felt game of pin-the-badge-of-courage-on-the-cowardly-lion.

For resources used in our Wizard of Oz-inspired party, visit here.

I wish you much success in your child’s next birthday celebration. What storybook or character might you use as inspiration for planning your child’s next party?

Celebrate With Kate {Baby Landers Gender Reveal Party}

Celebrate With Kate {Baby Landers Gender Reveal Party}
Celebrate With Kate {Baby Landers Gender Reveal Party}
Celebrate With Kate {Baby Landers Gender Reveal Party}
Celebrate With Kate {Baby Landers Gender Reveal Party}

Make Way For Our Little Duckling
Kate Landers here again, this time to share with you a personal event–the baby gender reveal party my husband and I hosted for our first little one arriving this fall! I find gender reveal parties to be an excellent creative outlet for all those mamas-to-be who want to design and plan an event to celebrate their very special upcoming arrival. Whether you choose to keep it intimate with just immediate family or large with everyone you know, it is a wonderful time to share your joy with others.

We had a most memorable celebration, revealing to our families that we will be welcoming a little BOY into our lives! Despite a no-show photographer and our pup Henry eating the custom cake less than 2 hours before the party started, we managed to take what came our way and made the best of it–and looking back, I couldn’t imagine it any more perfect. Here are some hints for planning your own baby gender-reveal party:

  • Selecting A Theme & Color Scheme A wonderful source of inspiration for your baby gender reveal party is your favorite children’s book. Being in Boston and having a passion for classic storybooks, we selected a “Make Way For Ducklings” based on the beloved book by Robert McClosky. The book made an appearance on the party table with a custom printed bookplate inside and encouragement for the guests to sign a note to build Baby Landers’ library.

    The color-scheme was kept gender neutral, based on duckling colors of soft yellow, white and hints of brown. Fresh flowers such as pussy willows, peonies, summer stock and hydrangea add a nice touch to bring acolor-scheme to life.

  • Incorporate Your Theme With Custom Printed Details From darling mini ice cream carton labels to a custom bookplate, invitations to a charming rosette banner, designer Loralee Lewis custom created spectacular duckling-themed treasures. She even sent a larger print of the artwork for us to frame and put in the nursery (a great idea to remember this special celebration). Each item provides style and a function, sure to wow your guests.
  • Decorate Your Space, Ceiling to Floor You can create a festive environment and transform your space by using your vertical and horizontal hot spots. We hung fabric bunting from the ceiling (we had over 90 feet of custom yellow & white bunting that really “wow”ed everyone).

    We also used those popular tissue poms (we used wide double-faced satin ribbon instead of clear line for a fresh take) in colors called french vanilla and banana custard. We also made sure table linens went down to the floor, using a custom white gathered tablecloth, so guests felt surrounded by decorations.

  • Use Classic White As Your Base I can’t stress enough the value of investing in classic white fabric table linens and tableware. I took a charming white floor length gathered tablecloth topped it with a darling custom-made thick gathered white fabric table topper (6″ drop trimmed in white pom poms). I customized the table to the event with a simple ruffle-trimmed soft yellow table runner.

    Cake was served on white plates from Pottery Barn, and home made ice cream served in classic white cartons (with lids to take home) we dressed up with custom labels on the carton and lid.

  • Keep It Simple & Sweet We held the event for 90 minutes, perfect for an afternoon gathering with small children. The menu was simple and entirely sweet: home made old fashioned vanilla ice cream, a classic cake with a custom fondant duckling cake topper, mini banana parfaits, and darling duckling cookies as well as divine buttercream-filled shortbread and sugar cookie eggs. No candy jars here, as we didn’t want to overdo it with the kids.

    Guests took home berry baskets of the cookies, so they doubled as a dessert and party favor. Beverages (served in baby bottles with striped straws) were old fashioned lemonade, iced tea, bottled water and milk.

  • Involve Your Guests We included an insert with the invitation asking guests to wear pink or blue representing their best guess of whether we were having a boy or a girl (making for wonderful photos). We also had a chart for everyone to take their best “quack” at it to write down their guesss–perfect to add to the baby book later! Children enjoyed games of “Duck, Duck, Goose!” as well as an egg hunt in the backyard.

A couple “lessons learned”: Don’t hire a new photographer last minute–be prepared with a back up plan. Having to take my own event photos served to be quite a challenge and did not capture the event as I had envisioned. For the baby shower, we already have a spectacular photographer (and a back up!) who has been lined up for months.

Also: mistakes happen, even to those of us who do this for a career–allow for them. Our pup Henry ate the cake, so my husband quickly went to the store, got a box of cake mix and can of frosting (gasp!) and created a quick fix. These little “oops” moments add character to the event and will become part of the treasured story for later.

Celebrate With Kate {Outdoor Entertaining Ideas}

Kate Landers outdoor entertaining ideas
Images by Inga Finch Photography, courtesy of Brandi Brown.

Kate Landers outdoor entertaining ideas
Images by Inga Finch Photography, courtesy of Brandi Brown.

Kate Landers outdoor entertaining ideas
Images by Inga Finch Photography, courtesy of Brandi Brown.

Kate Landers outdoor entertaining ideas
Images by Inga Finch Photography, courtesy of Brandi Brown.

Summer grants most of us the longest days of the year. I find the extra hours of daylight and warmth perfect for lazy afternoons or late evenings spent outdoors with family and friends. It’s Kate Landers again, here to share a few tips for outdoor summer entertaining with style and ease.

  • Take Advantage Of The Fruits Of The Season. I absolutely adore serving fresh fruit during the summer, purchased from local farmers markets and produce stands when possible to support my community. While I enjoy serving mini fruit pies throughout the summer (topped with homemade ice cream of course), many guests prefer to enjoy the fruit as a dessert on its own. Therefore I recommend setting out a food-safe bucket or bushel full of ready-to-eat berries, peaches, cherries or your favorite fruit in addition to the sweets you bake them in, for all guests to enjoy!
  • Bring What’s Indoors Outside During Summer Months. It’s becoming more common to bring weather-proof pieces of furniture (such as an armoire or hutch) to a protected area outside to provide a stylish and practical surface to serve guests. Where you use it for a serve-yourself beverage station or to set up a casual breakfast buffet stocked with pastries and jam, you will likely wonder how you went all these years not using it for your outdoor soirees.
  • Create A Casual Atmosphere With Your Tableware. Set the mood for a comfortable and relaxed outdoor celebration using casual tableware, such as mason jars for beverage glasses. These work great for ice cold drinks, and double as lightening bug catchers for the kids!
  • Use Products From Nature For Tables and Seating. Bales of Hay can be used as both a table and seating for children and adults for your backyard bash. Cover with a seasonal fabric to create a theme for a BBQ or afternoon picnic.
  • Keep Supplies Handy. I like to stock a bucket filled with sunscreen, wide-brimmed straw hats, bugspray, flashlights, a few decks of playing cards, hand-held fans, beach towels and blankets to provide guests protection and comfort.

Keep outdoor entertaining relaxed and simple. Enjoy yourself. Remember, nature has an incredible calming effect to help melt away those hostess-nerves–so enjoy every moment you can outdoors!

Celebrate With Kate {Bake Sale + Lemonade Stand}

Kate Landers Lemonade Stand
Photo credits clockwise from top: Lemonade stand via One Love Photo, Katie Brown Orchard beverage dispenser via Meijer, lemon image via Getty Images

Kate Landers Lemonade Stand
Photo credits clockwise from top left: Lemon Truffles by Sue Sparks, TomKat Studio imprintables, Pink Lemonade Cupcakes image courtesy of Neural 9 for The Cupcake Bar, TomKat Studio imprintables

With summer just around the corner, lemonade stands are popping up on grassy front lawns everywhere, often accompanied by baked goodies and darling smiles you can’t refuse! It’s Kate Landers again, here to share tips for creating the perfect bake sale or lemonade stand, styled to offer customers thirst-quenching lemonade and melt-in-your-mouth goodies. It’s a terrific opportunity to raise money for your school or charity and help children to learn entrepreneurial business skills and community leadership. And presentation can go a long way!

  • Dress The Part. Put on your favorite designer apron (one for you and your child!) not only to look fashionable, but also to protect your clothing from unexpected spills and splatters. One of my favorites is the Jessie Steele aqua and white polka dot apron.
  • Styling Your Sips. Use a plastic beverage dispenser for your lemonade {garnish with lemon slices and lots of ice} so customers can serve themselves, and you conserve table space. Next to the dispenser fill a jar or vase with striped paper straws–it is amazing how much punch a simple straw can add! Frost flex plastic are my cups of choice, as they chill even on a hot day. I love the monogram Clairebella trays to carry goods in and out of the house.
  • Trendy Baked Goodies. Home made treats are always a hit. In addition to the standard chocolate chip cookies and home made fruit pies, I recommend offering some trendy delights sure to “wow”: petite whoopie pies, cake truffles and pink lemonade-flavored cupcakes!
  • A Perfect Presentation. Other than keeping a tidy table, decorate your space with a striped fabric awning, a bowl of lemons and a charming printable banner. Kim of The TomKat Studio created an exclusive banner, dessert tags and cupcake toppers for Layla Grayce readers to enjoy for your next summer lemonade stand or bake sale! {see printable files below}. The dessert tags help guests identify items and cost, and the cupcake toppers add instant style to your home baked treats.
  • Pretty AND Practical Packaging. When it comes to wrapping up baked treats for your guests, get creative using colorful baker’s twine (available in almost every color you can think of) and paper doilies or treat sacks. Consider offering a stack of treats or mason jar of cookies for those who are in a hurry and don’t have time to hand select their sweets.

Enjoy this delightful opportunity to spend time with your child, raise money for your community or favorite charity and sweeten your summer!

TomKat Studio printable package

Celebrate With Kate {Vintage Silhouette Party}

Kate Landers Vintage Silhouette Party
Kate Landers Vintage Silhouette Party
Kate Landers Vintage Silhouette Party
Kate Landers Vintage Silhouette Party
Kate Landers Vintage Silhouette Party

It’s Kate Landers again, thrilled to share elements with you from a darling vintage silhouette birthday celebration I custom designed for Cristen Schone, the winner from my giveaway with Layla Grayce last fall. Cristen selected a pale blue, peach and white color scheme for her daughter Savannah’s party, which was beautiful to work with. The idea was to create an experience where the children felt they were back in time, twirling parasols and tipping top hats. With a specific budget but loads of time and talent, Cristen executed these tips to become the gorgeous party you see here. Here are ideas to create the look:

  • Incorporate your theme and/or color-scheme into your food and beverages:
Use colors from your event’s color-scheme for your menu. Cristen offered peach infused lemonade, not only incorporating the color but also the flavor. Emphasize your color-scheme and theme with the food labels on your buffet table: Here peach ribbons, white doilies and blue card stock with text add character and charm to every delicious treat.
  • Find unique ways to use a common item to create a variety of stunning decorations:
Cristen loved doilies, so we worked together to several ways to use them at the party. From party hats and place mats to a buffet table backdrop and party favor cones & totes, doilies added a sense of vintage elegance to many elements of the celebration.
  • Repurpose items from home for props at your party: Cristen found a stunning large frame which they used for a “photo shoot” activity with the guests at the party. She also found a fabulous item to display her doily and silhouette favor cones, and used vintage-style frames to show photos of Savannah throughout the party. Vases and cake stands, chandeliers and wall art are all other terrific examples of items already in your cupboards or the guest room to bring out for the party.
  • Give the birthday child a spectacular outfit to wear for the party: Savannah wore the most stunning head piece and Marie Antoinette-inspired dress that made her feel as though she was living in a different time period, one of the goals of creating an experience for the birthday child and her guests for the day. Guests also wore costume pieces as well, allowing their imaginations to run wild.
  • A single spectacular party favor will be appreciated by guests and their parents: I always recommend one lovely party favor that the guest could consume immediately or use in their library or toy chest at home–something less likely to end up in the “junk drawer” or stuck under the car seat! I love the top hats and white parasols that Cristen gave out to the guests of the party–what lovely treats for guests to enjoy at the party and at home.
  • When possible, hire a professional photographer to capture your special celebration: Creating a photo album with the birthday child to admire for years to come will be a wonderful activity to enjoy together after the festivities are over. As the host giving yourself the duty of “photographer” can be overwhelming, so designating a talented friend with a great camera, or hiring a professional as Cristen did, can capture your event in a way you will always want to remember it.

Photographs by: Carrie Fay Photography

Celebrate With Kate {Baby Shower Trends}

Kate Landers baby shower trends
Kate Landers baby shower trends
Kate Landers baby shower trends
Kate Landers baby shower trends
Kate Landers baby shower trends
Kate Landers here, with the latest in sweet celebrations, focusing this week on baby shower trends (the perfect opportunity to shower the mom-to-be in style). Whether it’s an elegant high tea, rustic backyard luncheon or an afternoon of spa treatments at a resort, these days there is plenty of room for creativity and design. Vintage decorations and home made desserts are just as popular as contemporary table settings and custom-catered brunches. 5 Current Trends For Stylish Baby Showers:

  • Fresh color-schemes: Out are the days of just pink or blue. Current favorites are yellow & gray, peach & silver, tangerine & lime.
  • Vintage Milkglass Vases: Pull out your grandmother’s finest hobnail pieces, or start a new collection. Milkglass vases are making a big comeback, shown here as the perfect baby shower centerpiece.
  • Striped Paper Straws: Popular for many social occasions, striped paper straws are making their appearance at baby showers, adding a bit of whimsy and reinforcing color-schemes. Allowing guests to sip from these straws from classic jars, glasses or out of baby bottles is just darling!
  • Pampered Guests: Popular baby shower activities include poolside spa treatments, or mixing their own favorite new scent as seen above at a “Coco Chanel”-inspired baby shower.
  • Household Decorations: Beloved household items are now serving double-duty as celebration decor, and is an ever-popular trend for baby showers. Whether it is repurposing a vintage-style frame, chandelier, cake stand or decorative bird cages, these items are reinforcing themes and breathing new life into what you had stashed in the cupboard.

Fresh Color Schemes: top photo, styling by Blair Britt Events, photo by Alice Hu Photography, bottom image styling by Hanna of Lollacup, photos by Caroline Tran Photography.
Vintage Milkglasss Vases: styling by Sweet Emilia Jane, photos by Captured by Aimee.
Striped Paper Straws: top and lower left image styling & photography by Bellini Portraits, lower right image styling by Sweet Emilia Jane, photo by Captured by Aimee.
Pampered Guests: styling by Blair Britt Events, photo by Alice Hu Photography.
Household Decorations: styling & photography by Frog Prince Paperie

Get To Know: Event Planner Kate Landers

Kate Landers
Clockwise from top: Kate’s photo: Open Shade Studios, Rosanna Decor Bon Bon Pink Round Cake Stand, Kate’s signature colors of Blush Pink, Honeysuckle and White, Ruffled White Laundry Bag, Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock, SPF 70, Santa Barbara Vintage Sign, Barefoot Dreams BambooChic Throw in Pink, Cultured Pearl Necklace

Kate Landers party
Pink Ladybug Birthday Party photo credit: Open Shade Studios

Kate Landers is the go-to gal for translating the magic of childhood into some of the most imaginative and memorable parties. With her knack for whimsical details and party planning, she delights little mermaids and pink ladybugs alike with fantasy creations that never lack style or charm. We’re thrilled to invite you to “party time” on our blog every 2nd and 4th Thursday where Kate will join us as a contributor on inspirational our entertaining. Let’s get to know Kate’s signature style:

Give us a peek into your personal style, faves, inspirations and guilty pleasures!

  • My signature touch on my styling: Creating an “experience” using unusual, imaginative props and decorations.
  • The party or event I’ve planned that I’m most proud Of: The 2010 Princess Party Fundraiser for The Ellie Fund.
  • Signature colors: Blush Pink, Honeysuckle and White.
  • Favorite Layla Grayce items: Rosanna Decor Bon Bon Pink Round Cake Stand, Barefoot Dreams BambooChic Throw Blanket in pink and the Ruffled Laundry Bag in White.
  • Beauty product I use everyday: Sunscreen.
  • Signature fashion items: Twinset and pearls.
  • 5 things that are in my handbag right now: My phone, wallet, saltine cracker short stack (great on the go!), hand sanitizer and my Kate Spade planner.
  • Cause I care deeply about: Kidneeds.
  • My favorite guilty pleasures: Cheesecake Factory’s carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.
  • You’d be surprised to know I love: Ancient history of Egypt.
  • If I could have a super power it would be: To eliminate fear & suffering.
 

It’s Party-time with a Giveaway and Tips From Kate Landers

Kate Landers Mermaid Party for Kids
Kate Landers Mermaid Party for Kids
Kate Landers Mermaid Party for Kids
Kate Landers Mermaid Party for Kids
Kate Landers Mermaid Party for Kids

Kate Landers Mermaid Party for Kids

We’re enchanted with another party by Kate Landers Events where she brings to life childhood imaginations – this time in mermaid form. From recreating the ocean floor with pounds of play sand to a dessert table filled with clever concoctions mimicking the creatures of the sea, Kate captures the look and feel of being a mermaid. Kate is back to share some of her best party tips – ideas for repurposing your favorite pieces into amazing party decor:

Repurposing is my favorite party tip because it utilizes the pieces you love the most. Nothing is purchased only for a party, and everything you love gets used over and over again. Think of it in these two ways.

  1. Use what you have already invested in for the event design:
    You would be surprised with the amazing items you already have in your home that can make your next party stylish and sophisticated. Purchasing less-expensive items that fit in your current budget but don’t give the look of your original taste and vision in can be wasteful in the end.

    Consider using these items for your next event: Table linens, china, candlesticks, chandeliers, picture frames, mirrors, cake stands, vases and wall art.

  2. Invest in those new fabulous home decor items for your party and repurpose them later:
    When you plan a special occasion, you want the memories of the event to be lasting. Focus your decor budget on key items you can reuse later. Not only will you be able to showcase your new home decor for all your friends and family to see, but the piece will become a reminder of that special time in your life.

    For a “shabby chic” themed baby shower, you can purchase that spectacular vintage-inspired white and crystal chandelier that makes your dessert table go from ordinary to utterly divine knowing it will be a family heirloom when you bring it to the nursery after the event.

Layla Grayce Items I repurposed for the Mermaid Party:

  1. 1. White Ruffled Shower Curtain: I love the way the tiered ruffles dress up my all white bathroom with some shabby chic style. With ruffles as a central part of the mermaid party design (representing waves and a romantic mermaid gathering), it was fitting to incorporate it as the backdrop for the ocean-inspired dessert table.
  2. 2. White Ruffle Trimmed Napkins: I wanted each place setting to have something special to mimic a mermaid tail: these fabulous white ruffle-trimmed napkins did exactly that. Having pressed then folded them, tucked under vintage white milkglass ruffled plates and bubbled bowls, each napkin looked like a “mermaid tail” hanging over the edge of the table at each place setting. And these will become a seasonal celebration table linen staple when used for a Christmas celebration, an Easter brunch, a Mother’s Day lunch, etc.
  3. 3. White Candlesticks: I wanted something beautiful that would grab the eye of a mermaid–something that could have been found on a lavish ship and appeared timeless–these gorgeous candlesticks were exactly what I was looking for. Not only did I use them to add height and whimsy to the dessert table display, but I also used them on the girls’ dining table to create a fine dining experience (as mermaids may do in the deep waters of the ocean!) And outside of the party, they can be topped with an appetizer plate to add height on a buffet or with a candle on the table or mantle.

It’s giveaway time: Kate has generously offered one lucky winner a $500 custom party (must be at least 4 months away)! To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment below or on our Facebook page telling us about an event you’d like Kate to plan. Contest ends Friday, October 1st at 5pm EDT.

Kate is also offering items from this party for giveaway on her own site. Find more details on her blog or her Facebook page.

Photographs by Open Shade Studios

Event expert Kate Landers Events, LLC will be creating a chic Vintage Silhouette party for Ms. Cristen Schone so….congrats Cristen, we know you’ll love your party! Thanks to everyone who entered – we appreciate each of you tremendously, especially Kate for sharing your party with us!

It’s Party-Time with Giveaway and Tips from Kate Landers!

Kate Landers Party Planner
Kate Landers Party Planner
Kate Landers Party PlannerIt’s party-time with giveaway and tips from Kate Landers!

Remember when you wanted to be a fairy, sprinkling magical pixie dust in your flowing frock and flowery crown? Kate Landers brings those childhood imaginations to life in the classic children’s parties she plans where no detail is too small for her special touch. Her Woodland Fairy Party featured stunning tablescapes, scrumptious kid-friendly food served in adorable chocolate nests, and fairy-friendly activities for the precious guests. Through her website and blog, Kate offers tips and techniques, as well as quality party supplies and her own planning services available for all budgets. Kate joins us to share her secrets for throwing a party with serious wow-factor.

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