This fabulous SARATOGA HORSE RACETRACK PARTY was submitted by Juli Smigelsky of Tabletop Treats.

What a great way to kick off the horse racing season! This party has so many fun ideas that would be great for a summer soiree, a horse themed birthday party, or a rustic chic shower.

The Horse Racetrack party ideas and elements to look for from this fun event are:

• The clear pails filled with chex mix and tied with twine
• The cupcake and cake stand filled with red and white carnations and strawberries
• The cute horseshoe cookies
• The cute fenced in chocolate cake with red striped straws and horses
• The dessert bench
• The rootbeer floats 
• and MORE!

Vendors:
Styling: Tabletop Treats 
Picnic Basket Cake: Annie’s Creations
Horse Shoe Cookies: Annie’s Creations
Banner & Mini Banner, Root Beer Float Printables: Dimple Prints
Horse Cupcake Wrappers: Spaceship and Laser Beams

Items used in this Horse Racetrack Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Clear Pails
• Jute Twine
• Pennant Banners
• Burlap
• Red Striped Paper Straws
• Decorative Shred
• Flag Picks
• Clear Cellophane Bags
• Glass Jars

 Horse Racetrack Party Details:

This is what Juli said about planning the party- “And they’re off! Friday, July 19th kicks off the 2013 season of the oldest horse racetrack in the US, Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY. The history and scenery of Saratoga makes it a summer time hot spot for most New Yorkers.

Every year we plan a mini family reunion around a weekend at the track. This little party was styled in honor of my father, who has always loved the horses, and our annual family picnic with the ponies.

The party scene included three Saratoga Race Course themed dessert tables. The first was styled to highlight the fancy side of horse racing. The Saratoga Race track is known for it’s white picket fences and bright red accents. The entrance to the track has a fountain surrounded by beautiful red flowers. To resemble this look we had a cupcake tower surrounded by flowers and fresh, delicious strawberries. Red horse silhouette cupcake toppers were placed on rich chocolate mousse cake that was decorated to resemble the horse track, surrounded by white fencing.

Our second dessert table was all about the ponies! The centerpiece was a pile of hay bails…or I should say rice krispy treat hay bails! Small horse pails of sugared chex mix made it easy for guests to grab a crunchy snack on the go. Adorable horse cupcake wrappers by Spaceship and Laser Beams added some fun and a splash of color. Beautiful horseshoe sugar cookies by Annie’s Creations brought some delicious shimmer to the table and tied everything together.

The third dessert table was my favorite! This set up was all about the Saratoga picnic area of the track. The incredible picnic basket cake was designed and masterfully created by the amazing Annie of Annie’s Creations. Sandwich cupcakes, watermelon cookies, donut holes and ice cream cone lollipops surrounded the picnic basket and a mini Root Beer Float station by Dimple Prints topped off this delicious little bench”.

Items used in this Horse Racetrack Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Clear Pails
• Jute Twine
• Pennant Banners
• Burlap
• Red Striped Paper Straws
• Decorative Shred
• Flag Picks
• Clear Cellophane Bags
• Glass Jars

Love Kara’s Party Ideas? Keep up with the latest party ideas, FREE party printables, tutorials, recipes and more by following Kara’s Party Ideas on Pinterest!

This amazing SHABBY CHIC PICNIC was submitted by Amy and Sony of Dimply Sweet.

I can’t get over how adorable this picnic party is! I love how all of the pastel colors come together. I also love that this picnic was used for a family photo shoot as well; what a great idea!

My favorite Shabby Chic Picnic party ideas and elements used in this gorgeous event are:

• The cute floral design used throughout the whole picnic
• The adorable Shabby Chic outfits
• The strawberry shortcake parfaits
• The darling “Mama’s Love” banner
• The adorable cupcakes
• The white wicker baskets and parasols
• and MORE!

Vendor Credits:
Design Styling by Amy from Dimply Sweet
Photography by Sony from Dimply Sweet
Personalized Banners from Dimply Sweet
Stamped wooden utensils from Dimply Sweet
Parasols from Dimply Sweet
Mini flag banner from Dimply Sweet
Pastel Polka dot Straws from Dimply Sweet
Polka dot treat bags from Dimply Sweet
Personalized Straw Tags from Dimply Sweet
Personalized Glass bottle labels from Dimply Sweet
Coordinated Cupcake Wrappers from Dimply Sweet
Cupcake Toppers from Dimply Sweet
Graphics by Erin Bradley Designs

Items used in this Shabby Chic Picnic available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Glass Milk Bottles
• Doilies
• Wooden Utensils
• Paper Straws
• Jute Twine
• Circle Paper Punch
• Flourish Square Ornate Paper Punch

Shabby Chic Picnic Details:

This is what Amy and Sony said about planning this picnic- “My biggest accomplishment in life and true joy is that of being a Mama to my 2 babies, Zachary and Scarlett. It was because of them that Dimply Sweet was created! A way for me to stay at home with my Loves, while also sharing my other love and passion… styling fabulous soirees!

My Shabby Chic Picnic collection was designed to celebrate the love a Mama has for her little ones. For this reason, this is a collection I hold a little closer to my heart!

All the soft touches which reflect (in my eyes) what it is to be a mommy, came into play. Specialty paper with a slight shimmer was used throughout this entire collection. Silk and lace were used to place it all together. The use of wicker white baskets and parasols gave this picnic that special feminine touch. White soft throw blankets were used to sit on and additionally, we used feather stuffed pillows for added comfort. I kept the colors light and breezy with the use of pinks, teals and a touch of yellow and mint green.

For lunch, we enjoyed some of my favorite fast and easy recipes to include; mozzarella cucumber sandwiches, strawberry shortcake parfaits, vanilla bean cupcakes, homemade mini strawberry pies, Italian lemonade soda and flavored tea. All of this on a perfect sunny day at Balboa Park in beautiful San Diego! We finished our day with a family photo shoot to capture the moment!

Although I designed my Shabby Chic Picnic with Mommy in mind, we can customize it to fit virtually any theme, just contact Dimply Sweet for more details!”

Items used in this Shabby Chic Picnic available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Glass Milk Bottles
• Doilies
• Wooden Utensils
• Paper Straws
• Jute Twine
• Circle Paper Punch
• Flourish Square Ornate Paper Punch

Love Kara’s Party Ideas? Keep up with the latest party ideas, FREE party printables, tutorials, recipes and more by following Kara’s Party Ideas on Pinterest!

This spectacular SPANISH BEACH PARTY was submitted by Patty Smith of Sweet Treat Stands.

What an awesome party! I love how festive and unique this theme is. There are so many cute ideas that would be lovely for a birthday party, dinner party, or any summer soiree!

My favorite Spanish Beach party ideas and elements from this fabulous birthday celebration are:

• The awesome rice pudding cups
• The beautiful cake
• The fabulous ribbon and fabric chandelier 
• The festive Spanish fans
• The awesome invitations
• The cute mini carnations attached to the end of wooden utensils
• The raffia/seashell tablecloth sash
• and MORE!

Vendors:
Concept and Design: Patty Smith of Sweet Treat Stands (including custom items:
chandelier cupcake stand, ruffled tablecloth, bunting tablecloth, banner with
mason jar lids/rings and painted wooden clothespins with seashells)
Photography: Pagette Callender Photography
Cake and cupcakes: The Cake Lady, email address: Jessica_otto354@hotmail.com
Cupcake Fondant Toppers and Mason Jar cakes: Little Shindigs, Facebook, Email address: littleshindigs@yahoo.com
Paper Fans: Nancy G. Bowden of Paper Bliss Cards By Nancy,
Raffia/Seashell Tablecloth Sash and Raffia/Seashell Cake Plate Décor: Weddings by the Shore, Etsy / Facebook
Mini Tissue Paper Carnations: Nikki Crafts
Sugar Cookies (White Sand Dollars with White Pearl Centers, Teal Starfish with White Details, Orange Flowers with Teal Centers,White Shells with Coral Details):
Katrin Battaglia with Say it with Heart
*Sugar Cookies (Orange Starfish, Tiffany Blue Flowers, Light Yellow and Cream Seashells, Happy Birthday Cookies written in Spanish
“Feliz Cumpleanos” and Spanish Fans): Shelia Lundgren with Couture Confections, Etsy / Facebook
Custom Ribbon and Fabric Chandelier: Pinkapotamus
Organic Spanish Saffron Peach Marshmallows with Almond Cookie Crust: The Realist Mermaid (Gluten Free)
Seashell Stamped Wooden Forks, Monogram Stamped Wooden Spoons and Retro Paper Straws in Teal and Orange: The Party Garden
Custom Invitation Design and Food Tent Cards: Xreations,
Seashell Toothpicks, Message In A Bottle (light bulbs with sand and seashell décor), Antique Finished Metal Buckets: Havenshire Downs & Beyond the Seas

Items and supplies used in this Spanish Beach Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Wooden Utensils
• Jute Twine
• Clear Plastic Wine Glasses
• White Blossom Baking Cups
• Glass Jars
• Striped Paper Straws
• Tin Pails

 Spanish Beach Party Details:

This is what Patty said about planning the party- “My MOM + Beach Town + Spain + Orange Bikini + her birthday = Inspiration for this Spanish Beach Party!

My Mom was born and raised in a Spanish beach town and I LOVE hearing all of her stories and looking at all her photos from when she was growing up. When we were making plans to go back home to Texas to visit close to the time of her birthday I knew I needed to plan a surprise birthday party for her. It was a milestone birthday too. I had started to think of birthday party themes and had thought of how my Mom grew up in a beach town. Then one weekend my Mom went with my sister and her family to the coast. My Mom told me how it reminded her of when she lived in Spain and how her and her family used to go the beach. That was it! I decided for sure on a Spanish Beach Party for my Mom.

This party was planned a lil’ different than usual in the sense that I planned it 1300 miles away from the party location and transported all of the party décor on our road trip to Texas. Like usual I did a lot of research for the party. I contacted one of my cousins in Spain to ask questions, get online video of vintage products, popular food, drinks, etc. Even though I didn’t use everything from my research it still helped me get a better feel for my Mom’s time in Spain at the beach as a teenager in the 1960’s. It isn’t unusual for me to ask my Mom lots of questions about Spain, our family, etc. So asking her questions to help me with the party wasn’t out of the ordinary.

Growing up and even now I love looking at all her photos from when she was younger. There are some photos where she’s wearing an orange bikini. She really liked it and says that she had the matching dress, sandals and hat. So I decided on orange and teal as the main colors for the party décor with accents of yellow. EVERY single detail just about was picked very carefully. I made the white tablecloth with sheer fabric ruffles. The sheer ruffles reminded me and were symbolic of the ocean’s waves and the ruffles of a flamenco dress.

The national flower of Spain is the red carnation. However, I used orange and teal colored carnations in the décor from the cookies to the tissue paper carnations on the wooden spoons. The cake, now the cake was a different recipe. The Tarta de Santiago cake recipe, a Spanish Almond cake is the recipe I selected. This cake has a lot of history and is very popular in the region that my Mom is from too. Perfect cake choice! This cake is made from almonds, lemon and orange zest and a few other ingredients. It’s simple and rustic. No icing, just a cross stenciled in powdered sugar on top of the cake. However, for the party I did decide to go with a decorative fondant cake. The cake was delicious! The fondant and white chocolate cupcake toppers were gorgeous! They rangedfrom ruffles and flowers with pearls to Spanish fans and embossed bases to white chocolate seashells with pearl dust and “sand”. They were not only delicious but the seashells looked so realistic. The sugar cookie designs ranged from seashells, starfish, Spanish fans, starfish, etc. They were beautiful and tasted very good! Spanish Saffron Peach marshmallows with almond cookie crust were perfect for the theme! Saffron or “azafran” is an essential ingredient in Spanish food and almonds are used a lot in different ways in Spanish cooking. These were really different. I loved these marshmallows. The texture and taste were great!

The décor was gorgeous! The raffia and seashell tablecloth sash/swag and the raffia and seashell cake plate décor with coordinating colored ribbon were designed exactly, if not better, than I had envisioned. Beautiful! The ribbon chandelier was SO pretty! The fabric rosettes matched the fabric on the bunting tablecloth I made and again was very pretty and well made. I loved it! The wooden forks were stamped with seashells and the wooden spoons were stamped with the letter “L” for my Mom’s name “Lolita” in a combination of orange and teal colors. The spoons were adorned with the prettiest tissue paper carnations in matching colors and ribbon. Retro paper straws in orange and teal complimented the utensils and décor. Cute paper fans with ribbon and “Feliz Cumpleanos” tags and pinwheels accented the table and were great take home favors. The children especially loved these. Did you see the light bulbs with wire handles? They have sand, seashells and a message as in a message in a bottle. Each bottle has a different charm. They are rustic looking and of course matched the beach theme very well. There were also the cutest seashell toothpicks and antique finished metal buckets that rounded out the beach theme. I loved that this set of décor had a rustic and antique look to them. They went really well with the banner I handcrafted. The banner I made was embellished with mason jar lids and rings on each pennant. We hung my Mom’s vintage photos in between each pennant with painted wooden clothespins that were decorated with seashells.

The invitations were perfect! We used one of the best quality photos of my Mom that I had available for the invitation. It wasn’t the one where she’s wearing the orange bikini. But that’s okay! The invitation looks like a postcard. A real postcard. The matching food tent cards were great too.

We had lots and lots of delicious food. Many of the dishes are favorites of my Mom. We did display for the party photos some “Spanish” dishes that my Mom actually made not knowing they were going to be for her own surprise birthday party. She made Spanish Seafood and Chicken Paella and Spanish Tortilla and my sister made red and white sangrias.

Did I mention that it rained almost every afternoon during our week stay in Texas and it rained the day of the party while we were setting up for our “outdoor “ surprise party for my Mom? Prior to the photographer arriving we started setting up the table and ribbon chandelier outside. Then it started raining so we brought everything back inside. When the photographer arrived it had stopped raining so we took everything back out again. We were slowly taking out the desserts for display on the dessert table in case it started to rain. But as we were setting up part of the table it started raining again. We tried using a big umbrella to cover the table and to help the photographer. But the tablecloths were getting wet and luckily the food was only partially displayed. So we took everything back in again as quickly as we could. Lol! It was all good. Everything was beautiful! Most importantly we celebrated my Mom’s birthday with family and friends. We had a great turnout! We even had family (not from Spain, too bad) we hadn’t seen in many years and it was a great family reunion as well.

Thank you to ALL of my vendors! You guys rock! A special thanks to my family who helped out with so many of the details, coordination and set up before, during and after the party! You were a great help! I love you guys. I really appreciate it”.

Items and supplies used in this Spanish Beach Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Wooden Utensils
• Jute Twine
• Clear Plastic Wine Glasses
• White Blossom Baking Cups
• Glass Jars
• Striped Paper Straws
• Tin Pails

Love Kara’s Party Ideas? Keep up with the latest party ideas, FREE party printables, tutorials, recipes and more by following Kara’s Party Ideas on Pinterest!

This superb TENNIS THEMED EIGHTH BIRTHDAY PARTY was submitted by Mariana Sperb in Brazil.

This is such a darling party. I love the chevron, striped, and polka dot patterns together along with the light pink, gray, and yellow color scheme. There are so many cute ideas that would work great for not only a tennis party, but other sports themed parties as well.

The Tennis party ideas and elements to look for from this terrific birthday celebration are:

• The adorable tennis cake with tennis rackets on top
• The cute tennis cookies
• The fun tennis racket backdrop
• The cute drink bottles
• and MORE!

This is what Mariana said about planning the party- “This party is very special for me!!!!!
I did it for my daugther!!!! I asked ” Juju, which theme party would you like to have?”
She said “mom, I love tennis!!!! I would like a tennis player party only for girls!!! Without mothers!!!”
This party was a challenge for me because this theme is not common!!!! At the end… No words: I was so happy with the happiness of my girl!!!! And we discovered that the most important is the little things…. like a smile”!!

Vendors:
Party Styling and Design and Personalized Items(graphic design): Mariana Sperb
Decoration Photography: Posto Fashion
Child Photography: Kelly Knevels
Cake: Glaucia Art by Sugar
Personalized Cookies: Lili Oui
Cupcakes and cookies: Goodies Bakery 
Flowers: eMe Fiore
Disposable Items(Straws, Cups, and Popcorn Packages): Tom & Sophie

Items and supplies used in this Tennis Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Paper Straws
• Strawberry Puffy Poles Candy
• Cupcake Liners
• Pink and Clear Balloons
• Chevron Treat Bags
• Pom Poms
• Bakers Twine
• Circle Paper Punch

Items and supplies used in this Tennis Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Paper Straws
• Strawberry Puffy Poles Candy
• Cupcake Liners
• Pink and Clear Balloons
• Chevron Treat Bags
• Pom Poms
• Bakers Twine
• Circle Paper Punch

Love Kara’s Party Ideas? Keep up with the latest party ideas, FREE party printables, tutorials, recipes and more by following Kara’s Party Ideas on Pinterest!

This fabulous DESPICABLE ME PARTY was submitted by Stefani Angelia of Precious Moment Decoration out of Indonesia.

This is such a great party theme. I love that the color scheme matches the little minions. There are so many fun Despicable Me party ideas that you could incorporate into your own Despicable Me Bash.

The Despicable Me party ideas and elements to look for from this awesome first month celebration are:

• The Minion cake pops
• The fun Minion cookies
• The Minion men cupcake toppers
• The cute cake
• and MORE!

This is what Stefani said about planning the party- “Who does not love minion and bananas? yeah! I think we all loved the movie despicable me, and that’s why we were very happy when working on our decorating theme, this is a celebration Milano one month, and we decorated the house with sweets and decorations were beautiful, the themes are popular in all parts of the world and hopefully this can entertain you all who saw it. BA NA NA NA NA <3″

Items and supplies used in this Despicable Me party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• 2-Sided White Frames
• Cupcake Liners
• Cake Pop Sticks
• Clear Cellophane Bags

Items and supplies used in this Despicable Me party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• 2-Sided White Frames
• Cupcake Liners
• Cake Pop Sticks
• Clear Cellophane Bags

Love Kara’s Party Ideas? Keep up with the latest party ideas, FREE party printables, tutorials, recipes and more by following Kara’s Party Ideas on Pinterest!

This fabulous RAINBOW CHEVRON BACK TO SCHOOL PARTY was submitted by Lina Terlikar of Sweet Bambini.

What an adorable party. There are so many cute ideas that you could use for a back to school party, a read-a-thon, or teacher appreciation day.

My favorite Rainbow Chevron Back to School party ideas and elements from this fun event are:

• The cute multiplication chocolate covered oreo’s
• The awesome milk bottle cake pops
• The adorable back to school cake
• The cute chalkboard cookies
• The stack of books cupcake toppers

Vendors:
Styling and setup by Sweet Bambini Event Styling
Photography by Nicole Anderson Photography
Children’s entertainment : Bellezza Interiors
Printables : Sweet Scarlet Designs
Cake : Miss Shell’s Cakes
Cookies, cupcakes, choc covered oreo’s and milk bottle cake pops by Cake by Kim

Items and supplies in this Rainbow Chevron Back to School Party Available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Clear Paint Pails
• Glass Cylinders
• Pencils

Items and supplies in this Rainbow Chevron Back to School Party Available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Clear Paint Pails
• Glass Cylinders
• Pencils

Love Kara’s Party Ideas? Keep up with the latest party ideas, FREE party printables, tutorials, recipes and more by following Kara’s Party Ideas on Pinterest!

Ahoy! This spectacular PIRATE THEMED THIRD BIRTHDAY PARTY was submitted by Karyn Amado of Sweet and Clever.

This party is so fun.  I love all of the awesome ideas using treasure maps.  I especially love the pirate cake; it is too cute! This party would be perfect for a little boy or girl who loves anything and everything to do with pirates.

This is what Karyn said about planning the party- “This pirate party was for Josef Lexis for his 3rd birthday. When I first found out about the theme, I decided to make the party vibrant and colorful instead of the typical red and black. I also don’t like to use the skull symbol as much as possible. The backdrop of a treasure made with red pirate ship was made from scrapbook papers that I hand drawn and hand cut and glued to a 3×4 foam board. The other DIY projects I have made were the paper roll pirate figures, treasure map and pirate head cupcake toppers. The rest of the printables were made by my ever supportive hubby. The beautiful cake was made by Sweet AuthentiCakes (by Rachel).

Vendor Credits:
Party Styling and Decor: Sweet and Clever
Cake: Sweet AuthentiCakes by Rachel
Backdrop, Pirate Figures, Cupcake Toppers, Cupcakes and Cake Pops: Karyn Amado Sweet and Clever
Party Favors: Oriental Trading
Printables, Invitation, Photography: James Amado of Live Oak Photography and Design

Items and supplies used in this Pirate Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Red Bags
• Gold Coins
• Pirate Eye Patches
• Pirate Hat
• Circle Paper Punch

Items and supplies used in this Pirate Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Red Bags
• Gold Coins
• Pirate Eye Patches
• Pirate Hat
• Circle Paper Punch

Love Kara’s Party Ideas? Keep up with the latest party ideas, FREE party printables, tutorials, recipes and more by following Kara’s Party Ideas on Pinterest!

This fantastic “LONDON CALLING” + BRITISH THEMED BIRTHDAY BASH was submitted by Heather Dalton of Chickabug.

What a spectacular party. I love how the main table looks so etiquette; it has such a proper British feel. There are so many darling ideas that would be perfect for a London themed birthday party or even a tea party.

My favorite London Calling/British party ideas and elements from this wonderful birthday bash are:

• The cute British flag fruit cake
• The adorable mini pancakes with a blueberry on top
• The British photo op
• The red and white striped backdrop with a simple canvas crown
• The cute British cupcake picks
• The cute telephone booths
• and MORE!

Vendors:
Styling – Courtney Adams Design
Photography – My Blushing Photography
Water labels & DIY party printables – Chickabug
Cupcake picks – Meri Meri
“Make a crown” party activity materials (crowns, silver poms and rhinestones) - Michaels 

Items and supplies used in this London Calling/British Birthday Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Ric Rac Ribbon
• Clear Cellophane Bags
• Mini Metal Buckets
• Black Striped Paper Straws
• Red Striped Paper Straws
• Bamboo Sticks

London Calling/British Birthday Party Details:

This is what Heather said about the party- “For her son August’s 2nd birthday, my talented friend Courtney of Courtney Adams Design knew just what theme she wanted for his party – ‘London Calling!’ I designed the stationery and party printables to fit the theme, using British flags, crowns, double-decker buses, mustached guards, and lots of fun British sayings. Courtney did a gorgeous job styling the party, from the London Underground-inspired front door sign to the Union Jack fruit pizza to the homemade telephone booth photo prop. After a delicious brunch, the kids loved playing outside and making jeweled king and queen crowns to wear.”

DIY PROJECTS:

Crown backdrop on canvas – Courtney found the crown image online, projected it onto a Hobby Lobby canvas, and used a Sharpie to fill it in.

Telephone booth – Courtney says, “My dad and I made it from MDF, red spray paint and black letters. It took a minute but we really needed it to drive home the theme!”

Door wreath – Made using a foam wreath, red grosgrain ribbon, white foam core, blue paint, white letter stickers (for August’s name and age), and hot glue. Courtney wrapped the wreath with ribbon, then filled in the center with white foam core. She also used white foam core to make the rectangle for the sign. She painted the sign blue, applied the white letter stickers, then glued the whole wreath together. Voila!

Photo board – To make the photo board, Courtney covered a large piece of white foam core with blue gingham fabric, tacked extra-wide red ribbons in place, then framed it in a large silver frame”.

RECIPES:

Union Jack Fruit Pizza

Pimm’s Punch

Items and supplies used in this London Calling/British Birthday Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Ric Rac Ribbon
• Clear Cellophane Bags
• Mini Metal Buckets
• Black Striped Paper Straws
• Red Striped Paper Straws
• Bamboo Sticks

Love Kara’s Party Ideas? Keep up with the latest party ideas, FREE party printables, tutorials, recipes and more by following Kara’s Party Ideas on Pinterest!

I can’t believe the new school year is here again! I had so much fun styling this

BACK TO SCHOOL VINTAGE SCHOOLHOUSE PARTY! 

We held the party in front of THE cutest old brick schoolhouse! The location couldn’t have been more perfect.

The darling Dresses that the models are wearing were provided by the lovely online children’s clothing shop, Lolly Kate. The awesome metal ABC and 123 lights were provided by Vintage Marquee Lights.

Party Supplies & Decor- Kara’s Party Shop
Party Styling- Kara’s Party Ideas
Penmanship Vintage Inspired Poster- Amazon
Dresses / Clothing- Lolly Kate
Vintage Alphabet & Number Lights- Vintage Marquee Lights
Photography- Kara Allen / Kara’s Party Ideas

The school supply cake is one of my favorite party elements!

Recipe for the adorable Apple Cupcakes can be found HERE.

I painted mini glass milk bottles from the shop with chalk board paint! They made the perfect vases for the wildflowers!

Wooden spoons from Kara’s Party Shop were painted with chalk board paint!

I painted the little squares on the fronts of plastic honey bear bottles (from the shop HERE) with chalk board paint! They were the cutest little party favors!

Lined notebook paper bags from Kara’s Party Shop.

Make these easy Back to School gumball pencil gifts in a snap! Gumball tubes, gumballs, and FREE tags from Kara’s Party Shop!

 And don’t forget about a wreath! Make a cute Back to School wreath out of .25 cent wooden rulers! The rulers were easily hot glued to an embroidery hoop!

Back to School party supplies and Items used in this event from Kara’s Party Shop:

Back to School FREE Printables
Bouncy Balls
Wooden Spoons
Mini Chalk Board Labels
Plastic Honey Bear Containers
Polka Dot Paper Straws
Striped Paper Straws
Gumball Tubes
Ribbon
Ric Rac
Twine
Candy Sticks
Brown Lunch Sacks
Lined Notebook Paper Mini Favor Bags
Glasses
Milk Bottles
Cupcake Liners

This fabulous MONSTER’S UNIVERSITY BACK TO SCHOOL PARTY was submitted by Michelle Stewart of Michelle’s Party Plan-It.

What a fun party. I love all of the darling Monster treats, for instance the chocolate covered Oreo’s that look like Mike and the popcorn balls that resemble Sully. There are so many cute ideas that any child who loves Monster’s Inc. would enjoy.

The Monster’s University party ideas and elements to look for from this fun back to school event are:

• The cute Sully popcorn balls
• The chocolate covered Oreo’s
• The fun Mike rice krispy treats
• The cute cupcakes
• The cute sugar cookies
• and MORE!

Vendor Credits:
Event Planning, Styling, Set Up, Party Stationary, Customized Coordinating Decor: Michelle’s Party Plan-It
Cookies: Cookies by Tree
Soap Favors: Favors by Angelique

Items and supplies used in this Monster’s University Back to School Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Polka Dot Paper Straws
• Striped Paper Straws
• Apothecary Jars
• Gumballs
• Bakers Twine
• Circle Punch
• Scallop Punch
• Tall Glass Cylinder Jars
• Clear Cellophane Bags
• Paper Lanterns
• Decorative Shred
• Salt Water Taffy

If you love the clothes and props in this shoot then you will LOVE Koko Blush & Co.! They are offering 20% off all products in their SHOP (clothing, accessories & more) for the next two weeks (through May 5th)! Use code ‘KokoblushKP’ at checkout!

This fantastic WHEELS ON THE BUS SONG INSPIRED BIRTHDAY PARTY was submitted by Angie Kay of Marigold Events.

This is such a darling party. I especially love the table cover that looks like a road and has cars on it for all of the children to play with. There are lots of cute ideas in this party that you could use for a Back To School Party as well as a Wheels on a Bus Themed Party.

My favorite Wheels On The Bus party ideas and elements from this adorable event are:

• The cute orange juice bottles with chevron paper straws
• The fun mini doughnut wheels on a stick
• The cute banner and table caution signs
• The fun roadway table cover 
• The cute pin the wheel on the bus game
• The cute school bus cupcake picks
• and MORE!

Vendors:
Styling: Marigold Events
Invitation & Printables: Hello Brielle Designs
Bus Crayons: Posh Paper Creations
Bus Die Cuts/Cupcake Toppers: Create with Paige
Photography: Tiffany Nicole

Items and supplies used in this Wheels on the Bus Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Chevron Paper Straws
• Wooden Forks
• Black Striped Paper Treat Bags
• Black and White Polka Dot Baking Cups
• Black Balloons
• Black Plates
• Circle Punch
• Clear Cellophane Bags
• Tall Glass Cylinders
• Lollipop Sticks

This awesome BOWLING THEMED NINTH BIRTHDAY PARTY was submitted by Heather Dalton of Chickabug.

This party theme is so fun and it is perfect for a boy or girl! I especially love the bowling pin favors, they are so cute. This party has so many great ideas and would also be a perfect theme for a tween or a teen party!

The Bowling party ideas and elements to look for from this awesome birthday celebration are:

• The fun gutter ball cookies
• The cute cupcake tower
• The fun bowling signs and labels
• The cute bowling pin favors
• The cute strike bars 
• and MORE!

This is what Heather said about the party- “This bowling party was styled and photographed by Brandyce of Studio Benton for her 9-year-old son, Brock. Brock and his friends and family headed to the bowling alley for an afternoon of bowling, food and fun! To decorate the party, Brandyce used a personalized printable bowling party decor kit from Chickabug. Food included popcorn, chocolate bars, chocolate covered Oreos, and cupcakes. The party favors were cute plastic bowling pins filled with candy.”

Vendors:
Photography – Studio Benton
Bowling party printables – Chickabug
Paper straws – Let’s Party Creations
Popcorn tubs - Dollar General
Plastic bowling pins – Sierra Products Inc

Items and supplies used in this Bowling Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Mini Metal Buckets
• Red Decorative Shred
• Popcorn Boxes
• Circle Punch
• Red Striped Paper Straws
• Black Paper Cups
• Red Plates
• Black Napkins
• Balloons
• Curling Ribbon
• White Gumballs

This charming WATERMELON PICNIC PARTY was submitted by Tracy Allen of The Sweet Peach Paperie.

This is such an adorable picnic party! I absolutely love the stand made out of rustic wood; it’s perfectly fitting for this party theme! This picnic has so many cute ideas that would be great for a birthday party, summer soiree, or a fun play date party.

Vendors:
Party Printables & Styling: Sweet Peach Paperie
Photography: Kim Craig Ali Photography
Cookies: peapods
Cakes, Cupcakes & Rosette Chocolates: Creations Bakery
Chalkboard Print: dear lillie

Items and supplies used in this Watermelon Picnic Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Striped Paper Straws
• Flourish Square Ornate Paper Punch
• Red Polka Dot Baking Cups
• Wooden Spoons

This fabulous BASKETBALL THEMED ROOKIE OF THE YEAR FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY was submitted by Karyn Amado of Sweet & Clever.

What a cute theme for a first birthday party! I love the basketball cake pops and jersey favor boxes, they are so fun! This party is full of awesome ideas that would work perfectly for not just a first birthday party, but for a little boy and tween party as well.

My favorite Basketball party ideas and elements from this fun first year celebration are:

• The basketball cake pops
• The cupcakes with a basketball and backboard attached
• The silhouette slam dunk backdrop
• The 3 point shot drinks
• The rookie coconut pudding 
• The awesome jersey favor boxes
• and MORE!

This is what Karyn said about planning the party- “This dessert table is for my friend’s son, Jeremiah for his first birthday. Deciding on the theme was the hardest part and I only have a short time to plan. I wasted no time and began crafting. I made basketball rim and backboard cupcake wrappers and basketball jersey shirt favor box. Other printables including the backdrop were created by my super supportive hubby. I could not have pulled it off without him. Everything in the dessert table were all homemade including the cake, cupcakes, cake pops and coconut pudding.”

Items and supplies used in this Basketball Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Circle Paper Punch
• Clear Plastic Tableware
• Cake Pop Sticks

Items and supplies used in this Basketball Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Circle Paper Punch
• Clear Plastic Tableware
• Cake Pop Sticks

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This  dazzling PINK PARIS BIRTHDAY PARTY was submitted by Marcelle Azevedo of Dona Chica e o gato.

What a lovely party! I love the silver elements added throughout, it makes everything so glamorous! I also love all of the Chanel ideas, they are darling! This theme would work great for a birthday party, tween party, or even a cute girl baby shower.

My favorite Pink Paris party ideas and elements from this gorgeous occasion are:

• The adorable lipstick and makeup cookies
• The amazing Paris cake
• The adorable Paris cake pops
• The beautiful flower arrangements
• The fun mini pink buckets with pearl handles
• and MORE!

This is what Marcelle said about the party- “The party was inspired by the Paris fashion house Chanel fashion show in 2011. Chanel purses confection of chocolate and gingerbread cookies with the design of the Eiffel Tower, Nutella candies in the shape of small Parisian and many flowers! Small dumplings shaped eye shadow along with cookies shaped makeup, gave an air of glamor to the celebration! Production and Dona Chica e o Gato, Pictures of Michelle Castilho, Cakes Soami Dolce craft and Cinara Greco Cakes.”

Items and supplies used in this Pink Paris Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Clear Slippers
• Clear Dessert Spoons
• Mini Plastic Tableware
• Clear Cellophane Roll
• Craft Sticks

This amazing ROYAL PROJECT RUNWAY FASHION SHOW PARTY was submitted by Nicole Gould of Million Dollar $mile Celebrations.

What a cute party theme for a little girl or a teen! I absolutely adore the makeup dessert table; it has so many clever ideas! I also love all of the fashion tables and shelves. This party is FULL of awesome ideas and would be a perfect theme for a birthday party, girls’ night out, or play date party.

The Project Runway Fashion party ideas and elements that I like best from this awesome Fashion Show event are:

• The fingernail polish shaped cake pops
• The macaron color palette
• The cupcakes shaped like high heels
• The purse shaped cookies
• The Tiara cookies
• The sketch pads
• The invitation
• The chocolate covered oreo eye shadow
• The awesome pink runway
• The ring pop cupcakes
• The makeup dessert table
• and MORE!

Vendors:
Styling: Million Dollar $mile Celebrations
Photography: About Love Inspired Photography
Tutu Party Hostess: JuJu’s Tutus
Paper Purse Favors: PaperCandee
Cake Pops: Cake Pop My Heart
Cupcake heels, Handbag cookies, Crown cookies: Casey’s Confections
Fondant Necklaces: Edible Details 
Cotton Candy favors: Dolly’s Sweet Dreams Cotton Candy 
Macarons: Nicole Lee Fine Chocolates 
Chocolate Covered Oreos: Sweet Temptations
Paper Rosettes: Designs by Mary Grace
Sunglass cookies: Sugarlily Cookie Company
RingPop cupcakes: InPockets Bakery
Party goods: HeyYoYo and Smidge & Pinch
Tulle Table cloth: Sweet Things
Evening gowns: Tony Bowls
Charities: Operation Smile
Cleft Palate Foundation
Barrow’s Cleft & Craniofacial Center 
Craniofacial Foundation of Arizona

Items and supplies used in this Royal Project Runway Fashion Show Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Paper Straws
• Paper Flower Fans
• Cupcake Liners

This darling SHIRLEY TEMPLE SIPPIN’ SOIREE SECOND BIRTHDAY PARTY was submitted by Nicole Gould of Million Dollar $mile Celebrations.

With how beloved Shirley Temple is, this party theme is sure to be a hit! I especially love all of the darling red polka dots used throughout. I also think the outfits all of the kids are wearing are to die for! This party is SO precious and is full of ideas that would be perfect for a little girl or anyone who adores Shirley Temple.

My favorite Shirley Temple party ideas and ideas from this spectacular second birthday event are:

• The adorable Shirley Temple Invitation
• The strawberry shortcake
• The shabby tutus
• The pink sailor hats
• The paper fan “Evelyn” banner
• The Shirley Temple Outfits
• The berry basket and pink Shirley Temple music box lunches
• The desserts with cherries on top
• and MORE!

Vendor Credits:
Party Styling: Million Dollar $mile Celebrations
Venue: Inside the Bungalow
Photography: About Love. Studio
Paper Banners, boats, favor boxes and tags… pretty much everything adorable: PaperCandee
Shirley Temple shabby tutus: Juju’s Tutus
Party supplies and décor (berry baskets, candy containers, striped straws, big balloons… all the delicious details): Petite Party Studio
Shirley Temple fondant cake topper and fondant lollipops: Edible Details
Shirley Temple’s dress cake pops: Cake Pop My Heart
Cherry cake pops & cherry sugar cookies: Laurie + Jordan
Mini sugar cookies: Hayley Cakes and Cookies
Cupcakes: Sweet Daddy Cupcakes
Mini Cupcakes: Sprinkles Cupcakes
Macarons: 21 Cakes
Shirley Temple rag dolls: Ms. Heather Long
Portrait photographer: Justine Miller Photography
Rag doll and fishing pole favor tags & lollipop thank you notes: Embellished Paper
Ribbon wands: TiTi’s TuTus
Fabric Flower Pom Arrangements: Dunne with Style
Pink sailor hats & pink lollipops: Oriental Trading
Ruffle pettirompers: Pout in Pink
Felt lollipops: Sweets by EJ
Paper Pinwheels: Designs by Mary Grace
Salt Water Taffy: The Taffy Shop – Estes Park, CO

Items and supplies used in this Shirley Temple Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Doilies
• Paper Straws
• Striped Treat Bags
• Apothecary Jars
• Bakers Twine
• Salt Water Taffy
• Pink Twist Lollipops
• Red Twist Lollipops
• Berry Baskets
• Pink Polka Dot Treat Cups
• Wooden Utensils

This sensational MOULIN ROUGE FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY PARTY was submitted by Maja Ristevska of Sugar Coated Candy & Dessert Buffets.

This party theme is so fun! I especially love the Moulin Rouge themed top hat cake, it’s so cute and adorned with so many delicate elements. This party has a lot of awesome ideas that would be perfect for an adult birthday party, bridal shower, Roaring 20′s themed party, or a girls’ night out.

The Moulin Rouge party ideas and elements that I like best from this Fiftieth Birthday Bash are:

• The Moulin Rouge cake that resembles a top hat and is full of flowers, jewels,and lace 
• The beautiful black and cream shimmery Moulin Rouge cake pops
• The black apothecary jars
• The dancing girl cupcakes
• The red jello jars with black hearts on top
• The gold curtain tassels hung over apothecary jars
• and MORE!

Vendors:
Styling: Sugar Coated Candy & Dessert Buffets
Event Stationary: Bela Designs
Cake & Cupcakes: 21 Cake Lane
Cake pops: Sweet pops by Emily

Items and supplies used in this Moulin Rouge Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Chinese Favor Boxes
• Apothecary Jars
• Paper Straws
• Clear Candy Scoops
• Cake Pop Sticks

This fabulous HAVING A BALL AT NINETY NINE BASEBALL PARTY was submitted by Tammy Mutter of Meghily’s Party in Style.

This party is so awesome! What a great tribute to a parent, grandparent, or even great-grandparent! I love all of the chalkboard and vintage signs and banners, they are so adorable and fun! This party is FULL of Really Cute ideas that would work perfectly for a child’s MVP themed party, adult birthday party, or a Baseball themed party or baby shower.

The Baseball party ideas and elements to look for from this darling 99th Birthday Celebration are:

• The cute chalkboard invitations, signs, and banners
• The vintage baseball girl signs that say “she’s having a ball at ninety nine” 
• The pink baseballs
• The darling “Wall of Fame”
• The adorable Root Beer Float Stand
• The colorful, layered ombre cake 
• and MORE!

This is what Tammy said about planning the party- “My grandmother loves baseball, for her 99th birthday present, my family took her to a minor league baseball game. Which led to her birthday theme, Having a Ball at 99! I found a bucket of pink baseballs on Amazon and some adorable frames in pink, red and aqua at Michaels, which determined the color scheme. I wanted to make the theme vintage, since she loves old greeting card art. I found the cutest clipart of a baseball girl on etsy and incorporated her into the printables. The highlight of the party was a generations baseball game at the farm (GG’s Field of Dreams). GG threw out the first pitch. To cool down after the game, we had Ninety-Nine Bottles of ‘Root Beer’ on the wall – floats. It was a memorable day, for a take home favor for all that attended, our GG signed and dated the pink baseballs.”

Vendors:
Party Styling, Decor, Design, Invitations/Printables: Tammy Mutter, Meghily’s Party in Style
Straws, 3-tier galvanized stand, galvanized bottle holder: Pick Your Plum
Pink Baseballs: Amazon
Red Baseball Bats: The Dollar Tree
Red, Aqua, Pink (scrapbook paper, frames): Michaels
Baseball Girl Clipart: Etsy, Lollipop Island

Items and supplies used in this Baseball Party available in Kara’s Party Ideas Shop:

• Chevron Paper Straws
• White 2-Sided Frames
• Striped Popcorn Boxes
• Ice Cream Cups
• Circle Paper Punch
• Jute Twine
• Pom Pom Ribbon