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A Well Crafted Party

Top Party Posts of 2012

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I went back and forth about whether I was going to put a “round-up” post up on the blog… but, as I enjoy reading everyone’s yearly round-up posts, I decided to go ahead and put one up. So, without further ado… here are my top 12 party posts of 2012!

 


In January I featured a Rustic Dinner Party that I threw for a friend’s birthday… my favorite details were the spray painted animal figures that found their way into the centerpieces and, of course, all the burlap. I’m pretty sure that 2012 was my year to use the heck out of burlap!

2. Fancy Pants Party

In March I got around to featuring my 2011 birthday party… a Fancy Pants cocktail party! I had a lot of fun creating cheeky “fancy pants” party elements. My favorite elements in this party was the Eye Lash Bar and the yummy cocktails!

3. Woodland Baby Shower

I shared a Woodland Themed Baby Shower in March… I loved all the cute little forest touches that I gathered from around the web. It remains one of my top Pinned posts!

4. Spring Cocktail Party

In April I help host a super fun, spring cocktail party for the Portland Bloggers! I had lots of help creating some beautiful spring decor. I especially loved the simple, yet catching flower arrangements and the pretty spray painted vases.

5. Pink and Orange Summer Tablescape

May was all about cocktails and summery decor. I think I was really, really ready for summer to finally get here! I created a summery tablescape for the grand opening of my Etsy shop. I really enjoyed using vintage sheets in my design.

6. Portland Bloggers’ Summer Picnic

Because we live in Portland our June summer picnic was moved indoors when the skys opened up and rain poured down on us. But, I loved the pretty summery decor items and all of the lovely people that joined us for the picnic!

7. Portland Wedding

In August I was able to help with a couple of weddings in the Portland area… I have some wonderful, creative friends. It was such a treat to help with their weddings. I posted a sneak peek of one of the weddings that shows some of my favorite details. I’ll be posting some of the party details with the professional photos for this wedding, and one other, in early 2013!

8. You Are My Sunshine 1st Birthday Party

I can’t believe I have a one-year-old now! I had such fun putting together his “You Are My Sunshine” first birthday party and was thrilled with the way it turned out. I also am SO happy that I hired (my now very good friend) Macey of Motormouth Studios to shoot his party. Not only did she do a great job capturing my kiddo, his party, and his friends… but, the package was affordable as well!

9. Pink and Glamorous 25th Birthday Party

I had so much fun helping Suzannah, from Adventures in Dressmaking, with her 25th birthday party. We made the whole party sparkle… It was almost as fabulous as she is! My favorite elements that came out of this party were the sequined flower arrangements and the glitter taped candles!

10. It’s The End of the World

It’s the last year of my 20s… the world is over! 😉 My 12/12/12 birthday party had an end of the world theme in honor of the (then) upcoming dooms day! Loved my glittered dinos the most.

11. Tips on Hosting a Holiday Party

I had a lot of fun writing out some general tips on how to throw a holiday party with as little hassle as possible. The tips are for the holidays… but, many of the tips will serve you well in any party situation!

12. Features/Guest Posts:

Pizzazzerie.com: A Portland Bloggers’ Collaboration, A Modern Pink & Gold New Year’s Party was featured over on Pizzazzerie.com. Lots of DIY New Years’ Eve goodies HERE!
A Fabulous Fete: I was excited to share 3 mojito recipes over on A Fabulous Fete: classic mojito, blackberry, and honeydew!
Simple Moments Stick: Shared some Tips for Attending a Holiday Party over on Simple Moments Stick
A Crafty Soiree: My Modern Pink & Gold NYE Printables were featured on A Crafty Soiree
Have a wonderful and safe end to your 2012!
I’d love to see YOUR favorite 2012 post on your blog/twitter… leave a link in the comments!
See you next year!
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A Well Crafted Party

New Year’s Eve Party Tips for a Last Minute NYE Bash

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There is nothing quite like a fabulous, last minute party. I love planning out a party as much as any party-obsessed person out there. But, sometimes, I decide at the last minute that I want to throw a shin-dig and I pull out some items from my party closet, print off some free printables, use my home (and holiday) decor items, and whip together a few easy recipes (or have people bring some food items). There is NO reason you can’t throw a fabulous, inexpensive New Year’s Eve bash…. even if you didn’t decide to do it until TODAY! Check out these easy tips (and beautiful photos) on how to throw a festive NYE event in just two days.
This post is super image heavy with beautiful photos from Motormouth Studios. This party was first featured on Pizzazzerie.com.

Quick New Year’s Eve Party Tip #1:

Use your home decor and your holiday decor to round out your party decor! Take out those few items that are SUPER Christmasy and leave out the pretty baubles that fit with your color scheme. All metallics work great for NYE! The lovely home decor pictured above is from the home of Adi from Garden of Edlen.

Quick New Year’s Eve Party Tip #2:

Make super easy appetizers and treats that don’t require a lot of prep time or cook time. OR have guests contribute by bringing some treats. Check out The Spicy Bee and Fork & Vine for some recipe ideas!

Quick New Year’s Eve Party Tip #3:

Glam up your service and dinnerware with some super easy DIY tricks. Check out the Festive Appetizer Plate Upgrade and the Easy DIY Food Platters tutorials for some fast and easy ways to upgrade your party!

Quick New Year’s Eve Party Tip #4:

Serve one or two signature drinks and then add in some sparkling water, soda, and champagne to even out your drink selection. The champagne ice above has frozen carnations in the ice! The Rosemary Bliss Cocktail was a fresh and delicious way to start a new year!

 

Quick New Year’s Eve Party Tip #5:

Use free printables to upgrade your party and set it apart! Check out my free NYE printables!

Quick New Year’s Eve Party Tip #6:

Have fun with New Year’s Eve traditions… such as, the midnight kiss! We set out a bowl of kisses and told guests “Don’t Wait for Midnight!” We also set out a bowl of chapsticks and mints for guests to get “Kiss Ready!”

 

Quick New Year’s Eve Party Tip #7:

Have fun!! Fun is absolutely contagious. Even if you didn’t get EVERYTHING you wanted to get done finished… enjoy your party and enjoy welcoming the New Year. Your guests will certainly enjoy themselves more if you are leading the way in having a good time!

 

If you liked this post then check out these posts from the same party feature!
Savory Chevre Balsamic Chips
This past week I featured tons of NYE party DIYs and Tips from this mock-party,
first featured on Pizzazzerie.com!
A BIG thank you to my NYE party collaborators— 
Check out their blogs!
Photography: Macey of Motormouth Studios
Event Styling: ME! of A Well Crafted Party
Menu: Bee of The Spicy Bee and Kate of Fork and Vine
Venue Styling: Adi of Garden of Edlen
Model Styling: Sarah of The Confessions of a Product Junkie
Models: Sarah, Carter, Kate, Will, Adi, Matt, Kayla of Fit Life Forward and Suzannah of Adventures in Dressmaking
 
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Party DIYs

DIY: Easy Food Platters

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There are so many tutorials out there for fun, DIY platters. I wanted something that I hadn’t seen before, was inexpensive, and could be used on a table or as a passed hors d’oeuvre platter. I decided to create these fun DIY Platters out of cutting boards so that the area the food goes on would be completely food safe.

To make these platters you’ll need:


I chose to only do one side of my board so that if needed I could use the opposite side as an actual cutting board. But, you could choose to do both sides! 



Instructions:

  1. Tape off the center area of the board with painters tape. I wanted thick strips of gold on each side, but enough space in the center to artfully arrange the hors d’oeuvres. If you are using a very large board then  you might want to cover the center with paper and tape that down instead of wasting a bunch of tape.
  2. Spray the board with the spray paint following the instructions on the can.
  3. Once the paint is dry, remove the tape. Voila! You have yourself an easy, inexpensive platter that will show off your food nicely!


My boards are still holding up after several hand washes. I recommend that you dry the board immediately, or possibly add a sealant, to avoid water spots on the paint.



If you liked this post then check out these posts from the same party feature!
Modern and Chic NYE Party on Pizzazzerie
Savory Chevre Balsamic Chips

Follow along this week and next for more of this party, first featured on Pizzazzerie.com! I’ll be featuring a tasty cocktail, an appetizer recipe, a few DIY projects, and some DIY party tips for your NYE party!

A BIG thank you to my NYE party collaborators— 
Check out their blogs!
Photography: Macey of Motormouth Studios
Event Styling: ME! of A Well Crafted Party
Menu: Bee of The Spicy Bee and Kate of Fork and Vine
Venue Styling: Adi of Garden of Edlen
Model Styling: Sarah of The Confessions of a Product Junkie
Models: Sarah, Carter, Kate, Will, Adi, Matt, Kayla of Fit Life Forward and Suzannah of Adventures in Dressmaking

*Occasionally links on this blog are affiliate links that help support this blogger. This is a for-profit blog.  To read my Advertising Guidelines please click here.


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