Come one, come all!

Step right up for the best company picnic in town!

This was the first time I planned a company picnic.  With a wide range of ages that would be attending, I wanted to make sure there was something for everyone.  The venue for this event was Oak Canyon Park, located next to Irvine Lake, in Orange.  It was a perfect location for the estimated 450 attendees. 

The theme selected was “Welcome to the Circus.”  Just like the Holiday Party, the budget was already put in place before I started working on this event.  It was all about pulling those fabulous little rabbits out of my glittery little hat!

We had face painters, a stilt walker, balloon artist, temporary tattoos, booth games, rides, mini golf, a bubble pool, craft area, bingo, giant Jenga…the works!  And the food…Well, a circus wouldn’t be a circus without one of my personal favorites – fresh spun cotton candy!  Some of the other highlights for food were hamburgers, chilidogs, bone-in chicken, nachos, pretzels, and snow cones! 

There were team competitions where many of the guests were able to just be silly and have fun with people in the office they might not normally get to interact with.  It was also really cool to see everyone’s kids playing together.  I can’t wait until next year when Brooklyn will get to play and run around with her little friends!! 

 The pictures were, of course, taken by Photos by Naz.  She is amazing and really captured the happiness of everyone that day!!  If you haven’t seen her website yet, please check it out… www.photosbynaz.com.  One of my favorite things to do for any event is have an area where people can take ridiculous pictures using props!  Not everyone was as silly as I hoped, but I think the photo area in general was enjoyable for everyone!  

I wonder what I will come up with for next year… Maybe there are pirates in my future……… 

What would you want to see at your company’s picnic??

save the date…sneak peak!

Here’s a little teaser for the bridal shower being planned for my bestie, Katie.  The bridesmaids and I have come up with a Sunshine and Love theme….  It will be very sweet!   

Look Whoo’s turning ONE!

I am a new mom and it is incredible!  My little monster is 16 months already and the time goes quicker than anyone could have ever explained to me.  Even though everything is already passing by too quickly, I was beyond ecstatic to plan Brooklyn’s first birthday party!!!

First thing that needs to be decided with any event is a theme…and a children’s party is no different!  When it looked like I started to go in the direction of owls, my husband was not exactly convinced.  After some assurance that I totally knew what I was doing, he agreed to let me do whatever I wanted – exactly what I was hoping to hear.  

There were so many people we wanted to invite, that we decided to have the party at a park.  I selected owl plates and napkins that were mostly pink and then had different pink, yellow, blue, and green accents throughout the party. 

One of the decorations that was super easy to put together, although was surprisingly time consuming, were these oversized pieces of candy we hung up all over the place.  To create these, I wrapped paper lanterns with clear cellophane and tied with ribbons on each side.  This is a great way to add pops of color to any venue!  

A couple of other items I was proud of were the gift bags for all the kids who came, and the sangria for our adult beverage of choice.  The gift bags seemed to be a hit, and with the cold February weather, I know the adults appreciated the strong sangria!! 

I wanted to find something I could bring out birthday-after-birthday for Brooklyn, and I came across these personalized glitter blocks on Etsy (a website I am obsessed with).  Along with some framed pictures of the baby, mini cupcakes from my favorite cupcakery (Frosted), and homemade chocolate chip cookies, we created the sweetest dessert table!  It looked so pretty!!   

Of course there were plenty of other details throughout the party, like bringing soap for the bathrooms, and putting fresh wildflowers on the tables, but I wanted to make sure I touched on some of he larger things….

All-in-all, it was a perfect party!  Since I am the worst at scrapbooking, I decided to start a new tradition.  I made a photo album for the day, and it turned out so cute! 

I can’t wait to see what I come up with for her second birthday!!! 

blue and orange...makes BRONCOS

There's an Engagement Party planned

And you're invited to show, 

But don't tell the happy couple 

Because they don't know.

It's a Bronco's themed party, 

They'll by happy to see.

Make sure to wear orange and blue, 

Or get kicked in the knee!

I’m not a huge sports fan.  Well, not really even a little bit of a sports fan.  Actually, the only thing I like about sports is the amount of alcohol a person is allowed to consume while they watch the game. 

My best friend in the whole world is pretty much the opposite.  Well…except for the alcohol part.  And her favorite team by far is the Denver Broncos. 

So, when Katie (the best friend) finally got engaged, there was nothing I wanted to do more than plan a badass surprise engagement party for her and her fiancé.  Since Squish (the groom) was trying to talk Katie into a Broncos themed wedding, I had to put that sh!t to a halt very quickly!  Instead of a Broncos wedding of his dreams, they would get a Broncos engagement party of their dreams. 

Some of my girlfriends and I planned this party, and we had decided on a spinoff tailgating-type party.  There was mac-n-cheese, chili, and of course…desserts!  Since I literally just decided to start this blog a day ago, I didn’t focus on taking any pictures of the decorations, food, scenery, etc., so here are some pictures of Katie and Squish.  Hopefully you can feel the same joy they felt after seeing everyone who came to share in the celebration….

the loves of my life...and me :)

I love my family!

Some shots from Brooklyn's 6 month photo shoot...

First year photo shoot... 

Recent family shots... 

Flickering lights, and the smell of pine...

The holidays are here, it’s time to dine!

Last year I began working on a couple of my company’s annual events.  First up…the Holiday Party!  With a budget already in place, and the pressure to create something amazing, I had to make it work.  With some imagination, and a good team I could rely on, I really think everything came together fabulously! 

Instead of the standard red and green theme for company holiday parties, a Winter Wonderland was created.  Yes, this too has been somewhat overplayed, but I think it a great option for a non-denominational company function. 

For the centerpieces, we created something simple and elegant.  Two different sizes of cylindrical vases were used and alternated at each table.  Various blue and silver ornaments filled the vases – mostly drenched in glitter, of course.  There were small “diamonds” scattered all over the table, and since I am all about candles, tea lights were also used. 

Lighting in general can really make or break the feel of a party.  The company has never hired a lighting vender in the past, but I decided to switch things up a bit there too.  Yes, lighting can be pricey, but it makes an enormous difference and is totally worth the cost!  We used blue uplighting and a few snowflake gobos to help create the atmosphere of a Winter Wonderland. 

The pictures were all taken by Photos by Naz.  Get used to her work, because you will be seeing it A LOT as time goes on!!