Super Hero Birthday Party Recap

I'm pleased to share a client's photos from the Super Hero Birthday Party I helped with earlier this year!

This party was a perfect example of the "DIY Approach" party planning package from Simply Sarah Style. This package includes four inspiration boards and a resource guide outlining the places in which you can purchase the suggested packages. Curious? You can find the inspiration boards from this Super Hero Birthday Party here.

With this package, I provide you with the creative concepts and you execute.

I think this client did an amazing job executing based on the ideas we discussed!

How cute are the little Batman peanut butter sandwiches?!? 

I love how she made the most out of Pyrex dishes and used them as small, power-punching bowls of veggies. 

Have you seen cuter fruit skewers? So adorable and so easy to assemble! 

She loaded up chevron favor bags with potato chips for easy-to-handle snacks.

A special thanks to Elaine for allowing me to share photos from the party! 

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Father's Day Gift for the Man Who Loves to Grill

Gift-giving is one activity I absolutely enjoy. The thrill of crafting a memorable concept, hunting for the items and then wrapping the goodies in gorgeous packaging makes my heart sing. (Am I the only who absolutely adores the art of gift-giving? If I could do this full-time for other people as a service, I would totally do it.)

Last year, my husband and I gave one of the cutest, manly gifts to his dad for Father's Day.

I lucked out and found personalized grilling tools from one of the daily deal sites I follow (Can't remember if it was Groopdealz or Jane.com). We're often heading to our in-laws for grill-outs, so these items were perfect for my father-in-law.

The grilling tools were a great jumping off point. Once I found these, I decided to create an entire basket of grilling goodies. To add a Father's Day flair to the basket, I used adorable gift tags with an A&W theme from the blog Nothing But Country. You can download your own set of tags here.

I paired the tags with mini cans of A&W, because everything is cuter mini, right?

I also added grill-out themed napkins from Target and Lawry's Seasoned Salt.

Lastly, I pulled it all together in a basket with crinkle paper. It was a hit and easy to assemble. Win! Win!

What's the best Father's Day gift you've given?

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Baseball Birthday Party Inspiration

"Take me out to the ballgame. Take me out to the crowd..." Yup, it's that time of the year again! Baseball season is in full swing. 

I'm currently in the process of helping a friend plan a baseball-themed birthday party for her adorable son who will be turning one this June. This birthday boy is the little brother to the twins who had the super hero birthday party I helped style back in January. You may remember seeing the inspiration boards here.

This baseball party will be so much fun to execute. The colors are classics. Plus, you can get away with a quick and easy grill out menu. 

Based on my friend's original ideas, here's what I suggest...

Invitations

Ellison Reed Invitation | Red Envelopes | Baseball Return Address Label

Blue Sharpie | Zazzle Baseball Stamps

Decor and Party Favors

Baseball Bat Guest Book | Personalized Mitt and Baseballs by Erynn's Blog

Party Like Paula Printable Baseball Birthday Banner | Paper Baseball Lanterns 

Free "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" Print by A Mouse in My Kitchen | Kraft Gift Tags 

Personalized Baseball Stickers | Red Ribbon | Cincinnati Reds Baseball Cards | Cello Favor Bags

Refreshments

Wax Food Papers | White Food Tray | Hot Dog | Baseball Place Cards by Allison Kriser Designs

Striped Treat Bags | Peanuts | Food Display Tower by Cupcake Kisses & Crumbs

Cracker Jack Boxes | Case of Coca-Cola Bottles

Desserts

Personalized Bucket by Lime Tree Gifts | Baseball Strawberries | Cupcake Liners

Big League Chew | Chocolate Baseballs | Candy Scoop | Baby Ruth Chocolates

Candy Canister | Green Crinkle Paper | Navy Ribbon

Want more ideas? Be sure to check out my full collection of baseball party pins here.

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Q&A with Gem Steady Jewelry Designer Brittany Stadtmiller

Today, we're chatting with local jewelry designer, Brittany Stadtmiller, of Gem Steady. Brittany grew up in the Northern Kentucky area, but then moved to Atlanta, Georgia to explore new interest and gather inspiration for her jewelry line, Gem Steady. Since then, her and her husband's line of gem-inspired jewelry has taken off. 

Q. What's the meaning behind the name Gem Steady? 

Brittany: I made up the term 'Gem Steady' first as a way to express how awesome someone felt and to express a positive attitude. It was initially my motto in my practice as a life-coach, but has turned into more of a brand name. You can read the Gem Steady official definition here.

Q. Where do you draw inspiration when designing your collection?

Brittany: I would say 90% of what we make are custom orders. I like to speak with my clients one on one to get a feel for their vision, and then input my ideas from there. A lot of the time people ask us to just do what we want and get creative with it. This is a lot of fun, because we can really let our imaginations run wild. I think we draw inspiration mainly from the stone. We love featuring the gem and playing up its character.

 

Q. On average, how long does it take to craft a Gem Steady piece? 

Brittany: That really depends on what we're dealing with. My husband hand-makes every single setting. If it's a piece he's really excited about, he might be able to bust it out in a couple of days.  If it's a design he's trying to perfect or is unsure of it, it might take a few weeks.

Before we started on the jewelry-making venture, I had no idea how much went into making a piece. Even the most simply, basic ring can take hours in just sanding, polishing and filing alone.

Q. Do you welcome custom orders? 

Brittany: Absolutely! A majority of our work is from custom orders. We've been doing TONS of engagement rings recently, and that is really special. Someone will see something they like on our Facebook or Instagram page and then contact me with their vision. It's a lot of fun.

Q. What are your three most popular gems? 

Brittany: The top three would have to be:

• Moldavite is definitely my favorite. It's a super rare stone only found in the Czech Republic. It formed as a result of a meteorite crash 14 million years ago and is thought to possess extra terrestrial powers. 
• Herkimer diamonds are super popular for us. They're a type of quartz, and are said to enhance clairvoyance and psychic abilities among other things.
• Citrine is another personal favorite. It is one of the only stones that is able to dissolve negative energy. It is used to manifest money and abundance :)

Q. Where is your biggest customer base?

Brittany: Besides the US, we ship lots of stuff to Australia. Actually, our first online sale was for someone in Australia. Besides that, we have a nice following in Hong Kong, and have sent rings and things to places all over the globe, including France, Brazil, Canada, Ireland and Mexico.

Want to see more from Brittany's collection? 

Be sure to check out her Etsy shop.

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