A Magical Santa Experience {Photo Session}

You're invited to a Magical Santa Experience in Mooresville, AL, on Saturday, November 17th.  Have your child's photo taken with Santa and so much more!

Build the anticipation for Christmas in your child's heart.  Imagine their excitement as they open the mail to find a letter from Santa telling them of his upcoming visit. Each letter includes a number that matches a special surprise at the event held at the charming 1818 Farms in Mooresville, Alabama. 

After arriving, your child will have an exclusive visit with Santa himself, while the amazing Sarah Brewer of Click Photo Designs captures this special moment. You'll receive five digital photos that you can print an unlimited number of times for your Christmas cards, scrapbooks, and treasured keepsakes. 

Then your family is welcome to enjoy some homemade browned butter iced cookies baked by yours truly, Betsy Pruitt of Belly Feathers, while your child enjoys a fun activity in the warmth of the 1818 Farms classroom.

One child will be chosen to grace the cover of Madison Living Magazine's December issue.  By participating, you'll also have access to a variety of Christmas Cards designed by Belly Feathers exclusively available to Click Photo Designs' customers.

This entire experience is available for $100.  Contact Sara Brewer at clickphotodesigns@gmail.com to reserve your child's Santa experience.

"I am so excited to be doing a collaboration shoot in conjunction with Belly Feathers, 1818 Farms, and Chrissie's Collection!" shares Sarah Brewer of Click Photo Designs. "By working with a group of super talented local small business owners, I believe we can create a totally unique and memorable experience that your kids will be talking about all year!  More than just a visit to Santa, your kids will enjoy a magical Christmas experience that will leave them full of wonder and anticipation for Santa's visit!"

Chrissie's Collection will be designing some gorgeous hand-painted furniture pieces just for this photo shoot to create a unique look, while the 1818 Farms provides a scenic backdrop unlike any Santa photo session you've ever seen. And, of course, Click Photo Designs by Sarah Brewer will be there to capture the magical expression on your child's face as they see Santa for the first time this season. I'm so excited to be styling this one-of-a-kind event and can't wait to see you there!

If you're looking to have your kids picture taken with Santa this year in Huntsville or Madison, AL, you won't want to miss this Magical Santa Experience!  Only seven spaces are left, so contact Sarah Brewer at clickphotodesigns@gmail.com to reserve your child's experience now.

Back to School Party Fun

Back to School is such an exciting time of year.  Lots of anticipation for the school year ahead, butterflies in the tummy, and reuniting with little friends you haven't seen in what seems like an eternity. I miss those days, so it was a thrill to get to style a Back-to-School Party for the cover of Madison Living magazine's September issue.

For all you sentimental mommies, I think it helps to look at these photos with "This Time of Year" by Better Than Ezra playing in the background...it's my fall jam!

All of these wonderful photos were taken by the amazing, Sarah Brewer of Click Photo Designs.  I love working with her on special events. She's fabulous at capturing all of the special little moments, so I highly recommend her for your children's birthday parties and especially family photos.  If you book a session with her in 2012, you'll get exclusive access to Christmas Cards designed by Belly Feathers.  A special perk just for Click Photo Designs customers.

I love how this pencil vase turned out.  It's just a mason jar surrounded by pencils held on with an elastic band, which is nicely hidden by the green polka dot ribbon. Super easy and super cute! This mini chalkboard was quite a find in Target's Dollar Spot section for only $2.50. I think I'll have a lot of fun with this around our house, too.

One of the best parts of school is snack time.  We had little cartons of pretend apple juice and butter cookies with the little holes in the center strung together with red and white baker's twine.
  

The super adorable outfits the kids are wearing were all provided by Bonnie Blue Boutique.  Isn't the headband above just gorgeous?!  This whole outfit is by Persnickety, and Bonnie Blue Boutique just happens to be the largest retailer of this clothing line in Alabama.  I can see why!  Owner Jennifer is fabulous at helping you pick out a great outfit, and I particularly love Persnickety because all of the pieces are mix and match, so you can create a really versatile wardrobe out of just a few pieces.

All of the decor for the party was simple and sweet.  I based everything off a cute apple rubber stamp and fresh green and red apples. I had my heart set on a chalkboard for the kids to play with, and when we couldn't find one, I made this one out of a thrift store mirror and chalkboard spray paint - a much easier project than I thought.  I love using my cupcake stand in non-traditional ways, and the fresh apples couldn't have been cuter displayed on it.

Hope everyone has a great school year full of bright ideas, special memories, and of course, fun PARTIES!

To see more Back-to-School Party photos, check out the September issue of Madison Living magazine.

Keeping the Party Perfection Monster Away

Are you afraid of the Party Perfection Monster?  I am!  Luckily, I've learned some easy ways to keep him away, and I'm pleased to have them featured in Let's Party Magazine today.  Go check them out! 

Not sure what the Party Perfection Monster is? Head over to Let's Party Magazine...he may be haunting you.

I'm also thrilled to share my "Frazzled to Fabulous: How to Plan a Party to Remember" workshop again. I'll be at the Madison Public Library this Saturday, August 25 at 2:00 pm. If you're planning to attend, I'd love to know!  Please RSVP on Facebook.

How to Plan a Party Video Series

My Frazzled to Fabulous: How to Plan a Party to Remember workshop last Saturday was really well received by both party planning beginners and experts, which was a real treat to hear.  And, since I had a few requests, I decided to record an abbreviated version of the presentation to share.

I hope you enjoy the tips in this three-part video series:

• Daydream (Part 1)
• Lists, Lists, & More Lists (Part 2)
• Seem Effortless (Part 3)

You'll learn how to remove the stress and uncertainty from planning a party, so you can become a graceful and effortless hostess. Are you ready to go from Frazzled to Fabulous?


I'd love to know what you think!

Frazzled to Fabulous: How to Plan a Party to Remember

Do you love the idea of hosting a party but get discouraged when it comes to pulling all the details together? No need to feel frazzled! 

UPDATE: Watch the three-part How to Plan a Party video series of this presentation on YouTube. 
 
I'll be presenting my favorite tips that make party planning fun and stress-free at the Huntsville Madison County Public Library's Eleanor Murphy Branch on Saturday, July 21 at 10:00 am in Huntsville, AL.

I'm super excited about this live presentation (my first in many years), so I'd love to have your support and, more importantly, get the opportunity to meet you in person!  I've got lots of tips that have made all the difference in the world in my party planning and hosting, and I can't wait to share them with you.

Seating is limited. Sign up to attend by calling Eleanor Murphy Branch Library at 256-881-5620. If you call after hours, just leave a message on the answering machine to RSVP.

Paper Doll Tea Party :: Sweet Simplicity

Ever since I saw Lily & Thistle's Mini Me Paper Dolls, I have been *dreaming* about throwing a Paper Dolls Tea Party.  I absolutely love that you can personalize the dolls to look like your daughter and her friends. Plus, there's just something charming and timeless about paper dolls that goes perfectly with a tea party. Well, this grown-up little girl got her wish thanks to some help from my good friend Sarah Brewer at Click Photo Designs, Bonnie Blue Boutique, Madison Living magazine, and of course,  the very talented Hannah Stevenson at Mini Me Paper Dolls.

I had so much fun cutting out these paper dolls! I went with Mini Me's printable option, which super affordable and allows you to print off as many copies as you want.  For example, you could have a paper doll designed to look like your daughter for $14.50 and give a copy to all of the guests at her party for one flat price. If you're having a small party, it's super special to have a doll designed to look like each of your guests (discounted party packages are available), and you can print off copies of all of these friends for your daughter to play with long after the party. As guests arrive, I highly recommend having scissors, so they can start cutting out outfits for their paper dolls. Have fun bling like rhinestones, glitter, mini flowers, ribbon, and other accessories for them to add extra flair, too.

Tulle is one of my go-to crafting supplies because its so easy to work with and makes a big impact.  It was perfect for adding a little flair to this tea tray I found at Home Goods. (By the way, I'm so excited to finally be getting a Home Good in my town...YAY!)  I found some adorable punch cups at my local Salvation Army Thrift Store, which were perfect of a little girl's tea party. Thanks to my Facebook fan, Shannon Belew, for tipping me off to all the great finds there.

Even though it's a tea party, I think pink lemonade is a little more fun and girly, so I served that up decanted in these inexpensive bottles from IKEA. I kept the menu super simple: pink lemonade, teddy grahams, iced sugar cookies, and gumballs.

Aren't these tea cookies cute?!  I just stacked up mini frosted cookies from the Target bakery and poked a ribbon-topped sandwich pick through the center. I love to bake, but as full-time working girl, its nice just to take something store bought and make it fab.

One of the biggest hits at the tea party were these Teddy Grahams.  Who would have thought?!  I'll definitely be adding these to more of my kids party menus. If you haven't seen my trick for making candy jars look fuller with less contents, you have to check it out.  I definitely used that in all my jars at this party, including the gumball jar below.

Paper dolls aren't just for play. They make wonderful decorations in this shadow box and peeking out of the flower arrangement.

Love the coincidence of how close their outfits a match in this shot.  You can get a better look at some of the glitter sparkle I added to the paper doll's cotton candy, too...I had so fun blinging up my paper dolls.

Sarah Brewer did such a fantastic job of capturing the personality of all the little girls at the party.  Love this precious smile! Bubbles are my favorite party favor for little ones, too.  You'll get lots of smiles with these at a party for sure.

All of the adorable outfits at the party were provided by Bonnie Blue Boutique in Meridianville, AL.  The two outfits above from Persnickety Clothing are my favs...so frilly.

All of the little girls wanted to take the lid off of the tea pot to see what was inside.  If you don't serve tea out of your tea pot, I highly recommend hiding some little surprises for the curious ones at your event.

As I mentioned, mini bubbles are one of my favorite party favors for children's parties, and I love to "serve" them up on cake pedestals. It's a great way to give them a more prominence on your table and add height to your display.

This is my other favorite Persnickety Clothing outfit picked by Bonnie Blue Boutique....so precious!

I think details make a party.  Even my little tea bags got a custom heart-shaped tea party tag. I also love the pop of color the blue gumballs provide in all the shots. Party City has a great selection of large and small gumballs by color, so it was easy to find the perfect shade of blue to match the paper doll tea party's decor.

If you'd like to see even more inspiration photos from this Paper Dolls Tea Party, check out the online version of Madison Living magazine on Facebook. I'm so thrilled that the party made the cover!

Sources & Credits
Photography: Click Photo Designs by Sarah Brewer
Wardrobe: Bonnie Blue Boutique featuring Persnickety Clothing
Printable Paper Dolls: Mini Me Paper Dolls
Publication: Madison Living Magazine
Cookies: Target
Candy: Party City
Serving Pieces: Salvation Army Thrift Store, IKEA, Home Goods
Styling and Design: Belly Feathers

Wish Your Friends Happy Birthday on Facebook with Shareable Greetings

I've got a fun new way to wish your friends Happy Birthday on Facebook - Shareable Greetings by Belly Feathers.  You can now share a handmade greeting created by yours truly on your friends' timeline.  Check out this video to see how fun and easy it is. 



Now that you've seen how fun Shareable Greetings are, head over to facebook.com/BellyFeathers to get started and enjoy!

Happy Easter

We've been enjoying this sweet baby bunny, who lives in our back yard. I hope his sweet face brings you many smiles on this special holiday!

Follow Belly Feathers on Twitter

Thanks so much for being a loyal reader of the Belly Feathers Party Blog! Now, you can follow me on Twitter, too, and get the latest Belly Feathers ideas first.

I'll also share some exclusive content on Twitter.com/BellyFeathers, including fun ideas from my favorite entertaining blogs and websites. I spend a lot of time answering party questions on Twitter, so feel free to ask me some. If you're on Twitter, let me know.  I'd love to follow you, too!

Win a "Hippity Hop" Easter Banner from Belly Feathers

How would you like to win a "Hippity Hop" Easter Banner made by Belly Feathers? Please visit Bear Heart Baking Co.'s blog for all of the details, and you could have this banner by Easter (a $44 value).

You may remember this banner design from my Easter Tablescape post last year. It's mounted on glittered paper with the cutest little chocolate bunny in the center.  This banner would look precious hanging in your entryway or from you mantel.

What are you waiting for?  Head over to Bear Heart Baking Co. now and enter to win!!!

Want a party banner now?  No problem!  My banners are custom, made-to-order, so just e-mail your colors and text to Betsy@BellyFeathers.com.  The banners are $4 per letter (bunny counts as a letter). Find more info and party banner styles at BellyFeathers.com.

Like Belly Feathers on Facebook

Thanks so much for being a loyal reader of the Belly Feathers Party Blog! I'd love you have you join my community on Facebook, too.

I share lots of exclusive content on Facebook.com/BellyFeathers, including never-before-seen project photos and fun ideas from my favorite entertaining blogs and websites. Plus, you'll get to interact with members of the Belly Feathers community from around the world, who love parties as much as we do. Please stop by and hit the like button.

If you don't use Facebook, you can still see the exclusive ideas by selecting the Wall tab at Facebook.com/BellyFeathers.

Please Vote: Project Wedding Contest

Oh my gosh!!! I just found out my article "Go Handmade for a Classy Look on a Small Budget" was selected as one of 10 finalists out of 100+ entries in Project Wedding's Budget Savvy Bride Contest. To make the news even sweeter, I was picked by Cathy of the wonderful Weddingbee blog, which is an awesome resource for brides and part of the eHarmony Wedding Network.

I need your help to win, though!  Please vote for "Go Handmade for a Classy Look on a Small Budget" at Project Wedding.

Check Out The Indie Bride

My wedding was featured on The Indie Bride today! Planning my own wedding was what inspired me to create Belly Feathers and help others host highly personalized events of their own. Check out this article to see what started it all!

The Indie Bride is a fabulous resource for handmade wedding ideas and for finding handmade products to add special touches to your wedding. No wonder it's one of The Wedding Channel's Bridal Blog Awards finalists for 2010, so be sure to vote to help them win!

See Belly Feathers on Project Wedding

I'm excited to report that Belly Feathers has an article in Project Wedding's Budget Savvy Bride series. It is full of budget wedding tips, so check out the article now.

Be sure to leave a comment on the Project Wedding site if you like any of the ideas you see!

Photography by K&R Photography in Leesburg, Georgia.

Please Vote for My Cupcakes

I'm super excited about this Creative Cupcake Contest hosted by Thoughtfully Simple!  Pretty please vote for my Baileys Irish Cream + Chocolate cupcakes. You can vote once a day!

Get the recipe.

I am most excited because the contest is judged by the incredible Amy Atlas, designer of fabulously detailed dessert tables; the super successful party-products creator Kim of The TomKat Studio; and the writer of one favorite blogs, Tori of Thoughtfully Simple.  Just to have these ladies even lay eyes on my work would be a real treat!  So, please VOTE NOW!

Cinco de Mayo eBook by Favor Affair Features Belly Feathers

Favor Affair has put together a comprehensive guide of Cinco de Mayo celebration ideas in its new eBook Some Like it Hot! Making Your Cinco de Mayo Muy Caliente by Karen Sullen.  You have to be a member to view it, but the process is simple and painless.

It's full of party ideas and recipes, including an idea for a fun party game by yours truly.  In the book, I suggest "Dirty Santo", a spin on the gift exchange Dirty Santa played during the holidays. Santo means saint in Spanish, and since Santa is also called Saint Nick, I thought this would be a good Cinco de Mayo name for the game.

To play, ask your guests to bring a wrapped $10 gift to exchange (one per family or guest, their choice), the wackier the item the better. Add your own surprise twist at the end of the game called a "Mexican Standoff", which could involve shiny toy pistols. If you come up with a fun idea for the "Mexican Standoff" at the end, definitely let me know!

Don't forget to check out the eBook for more fun Cinco de Mayo ideas and recipes! There's a recipe for a no-fry fried ice cream that I'd really like to try.

Yea!!! New Website Designs

I'm so excited to announce that the Belly Feathers Website and Party Blog got face lifts!  The new coordinating designs definitely fit my style so much better, and I hope it's easier for you to find party ideas and info on my products and party services, too.

For those of you that read these sites via email, RSS, or Facebook, please click through and check out the new looks.  I'd love to know what you think!

New Look Created by Tricia Nae Designs

Tricia of Tricia Nae Designs came up with the new website and blog designs and handled the full installation for me.  She has been such a joy to work with! Tricia was *fabulously patient* with me as we worked to get the looks exactly the way I wanted them, and I'm so grateful to have found her.  If your blog needs a remodel, definitely check her out.

Belly Feathers News Archive

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Belly Feathers Partners with Sweet Wishes Stationery for Pool Parties

Mermaid Party Favors on Dazzle Design

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