The Ultimate Polka Dot Ladybug Party by Hissyfits Photography

This morning I stumbled upon the ULTIMATE red and black polka dot ladybug birthday party on the Hissyfits Photography blog. You are not going to believe this. It is "extreme-theme" at its finest!

Even if you are not planning a ladybug party, her photos and ideas will give you a GREAT place to start from. This is a fabulous party with tons of photos.

Did I mention she had ladybug balloons, 2 ladybug cakes, ladybug lollipops, ladybug napkins, ladybug puzzles and ladybug appetizer crackers?

Enjoy!

http://hissyfitsphotography.com/blog/2009/06/the-ladybug-party/

Invitations, take two

What do you think of this one for my daughter's 3rd birthday? It's another Dimple Prints creation - the strawberry polka dots invitation!

Boutique Tank Tops (in a pinch)

Here are my two silly daughters this weekend as I snapped photos for three last-minute gifts. We had grandma's birthday plus Father's Day (and grandpa's day too) so everyone got 8x10 framed photos from the Wal-Mart 1-hour photo center and wooden 8x10 matted frames from their Canopy collection. When you are in a pinch, I highly recommend this gift! :)

I wanted to share how I pulled their outfits together. I had these cute pink seersucker stripe skirts on hand from Tuesday Morning (can you believe it? I found Icky Baby brand skirts at Tuesday Morning for $4.50 each). But of course, I did not have matching shirts.

I used to carry American Apparel brand tees for my business, so I had a few pink tank tops left. My youngest is wearing a size 8 (she's almost 3) and my oldest is wearing a 10 (she's 5). This is why I do not stock this brand anymore. :)

Anyway, of course a plain pink tank top is not that cute so I was going to sew on an applique like a bird or flower, but there was no time for that. They were leaving for grandma's house in 20 minutes. So I grabbed my box of 1.5" ribbons and pulled out the best candidates and a white ribbon with pastel pink dots won! I just tied it on and made a bow, then cut the ribbon ends. Done and done!

So if you are in a pinch for a birthday outfit for an upcoming party, browse the ribbon aisle at your craft store or dig through your craft room. Everything looks better with ribbons tied to them, right?

You can pull in the same ribbon colors throughout the party - tie ribbons on little pails for centerpieces, or tie ribbons on the kids' chairs. I've even tied ribbons around the napkins and flower vases. Anything that will stand still usually gets a ribbon. :)

I hope you had a nice weekend with your family. The photos of my girls are now extra special because they were taken in front of our home here in Nashville. It will only be our home for 3 more days.

The packers come Wednesday and the movers load the truck on Thursday. This will be a tough week on my girls (and me) for sure.

Oh! Guess what? My youngest has now changed her mind about her party again and now wants a Strawberry Shortcake party. I need to decide on this invitation - thanks for all of your comments!

(A vinyl wall art giveaway from Quote the Walls ends today over at Polka Dot Mom if you'd like to enter to win a $25 gift card. Hint, hint.)

Polka Dot Favor Bags & Boxes

Some of you have written me looking for polka dot favor bags and boxes. I want to share my favorite spot for these items. How does less than $4 sound for 12 polka dot organza bags? Really!

Okay, okay. Here it is. My favorite secret source for polka dot favor bags and boxes.

You supply the treats, but you can get your boxes and bags here. :)