Even if you are unable to attend Mardi Gras in New Orleans, that should not prevent you from having your own Fat Tuesday celebration! Below is some inspiration for a fun Mardi Gras celebration in your home.
{Credits: Bouquet; Coins; Invitation; Beads; Beignets; Jambalaya; Mask; Wreath}
Laissez les bon temps rouler!
I have always been intrigued by the season of Carnival, and with the celebrations already underway in some areas, I was inspired to create this board from this photo of a Soffito ceiling mural and Venetian chandelier.
I created a palette of soft whites, gold, pale pink, yellow, and blue. Add texture through the use of feather plumes and luxurious table linens. Ghost chairs offer a fun and whimsy twist on this ultra elegant setting. A historic mansion or grand ballroom with wrought iron staircases and crystal fixtures would be a fitting location; enhance the atmosphere and ambiance by hiring a lighting specialist to incorporate pink, yellow, or blue lighting.
Encourage guests to don venetian masks adding to the festive spirit, or provide them. Costumed jesters or acrobatics would provide fitting entertainment for your cocktail hour.
{Credits: bouquet, signature drink, venetian masks, tablescape, St. Pucchi gown, centerpiece, cake, chandelier, ladies, Laduree storefront, shoes, centerpiece, decor}
With the holiday season officially over, I thought I would jump right into 2011 with an inspiration board designed for a children’s Valentine’s party.
I tend to keep Valentine parties on the simpler side, focusing on friendship, crafts, and activities, and keep a color palette of red, pink, and white. I based this inspiration board on our new printable Valentine Hearts invitation, now available in our Etsy shop.
{sources: bonbons, garland, table runner, centerpiece, chairback decor, pistachio wreath, cookies, invitation, tic tac toe, candy sundae, cupcake toppers, legwarmers, friendship bracelet}
Tips for hosting a Children’s Valentine’s Party:
Contact Belleza e Luce today for customized Inspiration Boards for your next event or to schedule a Valentine’s Party for your child!
With a little over 2 weeks until my son’s 3rd birthday, we are in full party mode for a western hoedown! I’m taking a chance and hoping to have his party in our backyard as a cowboy party just needs to be outside. (Keep your fingers crossed for me that the weather stays mild for just another few weeks!) I do, however, have a backup plan in case of rain or extreme cold weather (making sure your guests are comfortable is a top priority when planning any event).
Here is my inspiration for Luca’s Cowboy Rootin’ Tootin’ Roundup.
{Image Credits: sunflowers; square dance; atmosphere; s’mores; snack cones; stick horses; napkin; beverages; washboard; ribs; saw horses; gem mining; buffet; apple cider; western attire; tablescape – unknown, please contact us if you are/know the source so I can give proper credit; stamps; muslin bag; cowboy boots image}
It’s hard to believe that October is upon us and Halloween is just a few short weeks away! I’m sad to see the summer go and pack away the shorts and bathing suits; the air is beginning to carry a crisp chill, the leaves are falling, and the dark evening sky arrives much too early!
However, October also means Halloween and festive parties! I choose apple green and black as a color scheme for this board, and focused on chandeliers and black candles – perfect for an adults cocktail soiree but also equally chic for a teen’s bash.
Enjoy the inspiration!
{Sources: Book of Spells Cake; Candles; Chairs, Chandelier; Potion; Parasol; Soda; Raven; Tights; Tablescape; Punch Bowl; Invitation; Cauldron; Spooky Fog}
We are less than 2 weeks away from Cibella’s Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Jolly Holiday Birthday. I cannot believe she is going to be 4 in just 6 days! Time has certainly flown by as had this past year. It seems like only yesterday I was planning her Princess Aurora: Make it Pink no Make it Blue Party. She hardly gave me a chance to recuperate from it when she decided that her next party would be Mary Poppins themed.
In the next few days I will share with you her invitation and some sneak peeks into her party decor.
Here is the inspiration board I put together for the party.
{Image Credits: Mary Silhouette – artwork by Belleza e Luce; candy apples & Cherry Tree Lane sign; movie menu screen capture; Disneyland carousel horse; tiered cake; decor; movie image; kite goodies; ceiling of umbrellas; snowglobe, weather vane}
Since the day my sister announced she was pregnant, I have been brainstorming and planning her baby shower. While waiting to find out whether she was having a boy or girl, I probably planned out 7 different themes/concepts – some of which I shared with you in previous posts. Now that we know it is a girl whom they are naming Faith, the real shower planning has begun (as well as shopping!)
My mother and I looked at 14 different venues ranging from a swank Manhattan styled venue, to a ballroom with views of the river, to a Tuscan styled restaurant, to a revamped church turned restaurant. All were perfect in one form or another for various events or styled parties, but were either too small for our guest list, date unavailable, or just didn’t fit the concept of the event I was aiming for. Finally, we decided on a venue with beautiful waterfall gardens which is perfect for the classy & fabulous Chanel inspired soiree we are planning. Keep your fingers crossed that the weather is cooperative!
Currently in production are the invitations, which I will share with you upon completion. For now, I thought I would share my inspiration for the overall concept of the event.
Influenced by two quotes by the famous Coco Chanel:
“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”
“Fashion fades, only style remains the same.”
{sources: gentleman, cake, parfume, tablescape, napkin, floral, escort cards, bookplate, parfume, black & white flowers, centerpiece, gift wrap, dessert, shoes, martini, lampshades}
Afterall, shouldn’t a new baby be welcomed in style?
I’m working on my final menu for our 4th of July gathering this Sunday. A little wrench thrown into the mix is that our oven has broke! I don’t think we will have a new one here before I need to start baking so it looks like I will be heading over to my sister’s for that.
If you haven’t created your menu yet or are always looking for new recipes to add to your collection, enjoy this menu board!
{Sources: Bratwurst Sandwiches, Jerk Turkey Burger, Tomato-Watermelon Salad, Corn on the Cob, Pork Ribs, Oven Fries, Patriotic Punch, or for the little ones Frosty Fireworks, Baked Beans, Star-Spangled Shortcake, Red, White, and Blue Cake Pops}
What are your July 4th menu plans?
I am in the mood for cake – devil’s food with chocolate ganache or perhaps red velvet and cream cheese filling … oh well, the closest thing I have to cake on hand are these photos of celebrity wedding cakes. Some elegant, some extravagant, some simple, but I’m sure all delish!
Which is your favorite?
Enjoy!
Avril Lavigne and Deryck Whibley’s wedding cake was created by Perfect Endings. It’s a four-tier, half-vanilla, half-chocolate.
Actor Blair Underwood and his bride Desiree got the Cake Studio to create a six-and-a-half-foot Eiffel Tower Wedding Cake for their reception. “There were lights going up the structure, and in the center section was a replica of the couple dressed in their wedding outfits,” says company owner Linda Goldsheft
Kevin and Danielle Jonas‘s cake. Festivities held at Oheka Castle.
Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann:
a 7-foot tower with 6 shimmering tiers of pink and orange, fringed with orange beaded trim, patterned in fondant stripes and flowers with piped vines, accented by a Swarovski Crystal Flower Garden with lilting Butterflies and Dragonflies, and crowned with a custom designed Swarovski Crystal Monogram M & P
Rebecca Romijn & Jerry O’Connell
Instead of the traditional cake, the sweet ending included mini-country apple and red velvet cupcakes
Kaitlin Olson & Rob McElhenney
Roselyn Sánchez & Eric Winter
Sánchez requested her baker’s acclaimed vanilla cake (with layers of cookies and cream filling) instead of her favorite flavor, red velvet.
To match her pink rose bouquet, Mowry showcased a four-tier vanilla and red velvet confection decorated with the blooms by Cake Divas
Toni Braxton and Keri Lewis’ wedding cake was designed by Atlanta’s Mark Lotti and was a four-tier creation which looked like a perfect stack of four robin’s-egg-blue Tiffany boxes.
Don’t forget about our Alice in Wonderland BluRay/DVD/Digital CD Giveaway! Submissions close tomorrow (June 15th) at 11pm Eastern. Visit here to enter.
In continuing the countdown until I find out if I will have a niece or nephew to spoil come November, I put together my top theme ideas for a baby boy baby shower. My ideas include French Carnival/Circus, Mod Menagerie, Aqua & Red, Blue Velvet, Vintage Blues, and An Afternoon in Tuscany. Touch choices as I really like all the ideas. Which one is your favorite?
{Sources: Cirque du Bebe, Palm Reader, Jones Soda, Champagne, Cake, Tablescape, Velvet Chair, Dessert Display, Sunflowers, Ribbon Chandelier, Blue Tablescape, Crib Bedding}
