Nicole’s little girl will be 2 years old shortly. She wrote to me because she is looking for inspirations for a birdie birthday theme. I often find that looking at art print for kids is an excellent starting point. I have to warn you that you will probably want to buy an art piece or two. On the other hand, if you do, your party decor will be transformed into a useful souvenir.

I love the illustrations made by Lorena Siminovich. Her style talks to me. It is playful yet sophisticated enough to appeal to the discerning parents. Another advantage to be inspired by art is that it gives you a color palette.

Be Crafty with the Bird Silhouette

Bird silhouette designs are relatively easy to find if you look at baby clothes, home accessories, handmade toys and invitations. The silhouette shape already carries a childish vibe. It is simple to make your own template and be crafty.

You can add a festive look for a 2 years old party through the use of pattern and colors. Look for beautiful pattern, like you see here on the Bird Baby Bib, to make your own birthday banner with fabric or paper.

Invitations and the Cake

A beautifully decorated cake is a must. Serving mini cupcakes at a kids’ birthday party is easier to serve then a big cake. And if you have left overs, it is quicker to give a cupcake away to your friends. From the sophisticated birds in the nest cupcakes from Martha Stewart to the do-it-yourself cupcake toppers on a stick, there are lots of options that look great.

For the invites, I like the simplicity of the Birthday Party Birdie Invitations from Vanessa Cavaco. She also make matching round stickers and favor tags. Vanessa has a good eye. She is the one who spotted the  lovely felt birdie cupcake toppers and the bib, both available on etsy.  Look at all her finds for the theme.

More Art Prints with Little Birds

Finally, I invite you to revisit my post on Birds in a Tree decor for a nursery. You could use the wall decals I showcased or be inspired by the stretched art pieces for kids.

I hope all these ideas will inspire you to create your own birdie birthday party theme. It is a fun theme to play it.

SOURCING:
+ Mushroom Collage on Wood by Lorena Siminovich – limited edition $140 USD at Petit Collage
+ Cheerful Blossoms Growth Chart $59  at Petit Collage
+  Baby Bird Baby Bib by the Groovy Mommy on etsy $15 USD
+ Baby Bird Cupcakes by Martha Stewart
+ Birdie cupcake toppers by The Cupcake Girls on esty $18 for set of 4
+ Birthday Party Birdie/Bird Invitations from Vanessa Cavaco on etsy $1.20 USD

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This ski wedding theme would have been so appropriate for my own wedding. You see, I got interested in my husband after I saw him going down a ski slope. I always found that excellent skiers are sexy. On top of it, he is bright, cute, fun and cultured. The perfect match for me! I had a wonderful wedding.

I am really impressed by the wedding of this outdoorsy couple. Jodi and Jon went for a superb winter wedding celebrations on a ski resort in Sundance, Utah. From the escort cards put on a birch branch to the UGG boots wore by the bride, every detail was carefully selected to bring fun and elegance to this outdoor theme.

The invitation suite was designed by the letterpress design studio Olive-Route. Besides the beautiful dark gray and burnt orange invite, Olivia of Olive-Route designed the off piste details (transportation and lodging), the other events card, and an RSVP postcard. A complimentary ski lift ticket was included in the package. Her design fits so well with the wedding theme.

After the ceremony, the couple put on their skis for a photo shoot on top of the mountain. I love it! The wedding favors kept the guests warm. Male guests were given flasks and female guests were given winter boots.

Jodi and Jon’s Sundance wedding was featured on Martha Stewart Weddings, where you can see more photos that will inspire you.

SOURCING:
+ photos: Thayer Allyson Gowdy
+ invitations: Olive-Route

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Angel Brave of Because Life’s Eventful contacted me a few weeks ago because she needed help in figuring out details for the first birthday of her little girl. Angel decided on a ladybug theme and she aims for a refined look. A sophisticated ladybug theme is more challenging than it seems. Doing sophisticated giraffe, owl, bird, elephant, and even monkey is easier because many modern designers have embraced those animals.

The key with any theme is to think outside the box. So instead of just looking for items with a ladybug motif, I searched for dot pattern dinnerware, I worked not only with red and black but also with green and white. The green comes from the fact that ladybugs are often used by farmers to eat insect that could destroyed their crops. I taught about a summer garden even if the party is happening during winter.

You also need to be practical for a first birthday. Therefore, I selected acrylic tumblers to not worry about the little kids breaking a glass.

+ Invitations: Printable Little Ladybug Invitation – DIY by The TomKat Studio $14 USD on etsy – the party circles are sold separately
+ Adult Dinnerware: Circle Chic Pattern by Mikasa – Black dinnerware mixed with red serving ware $39.99 USD for 4-piece plate setting
+ Glassware: Green Gingham Acrylic Tumblers on sale at $9.98 for 12 – 6 tall, 6 short

Dessert table Collage

I added more colors for the dessert table. After all, it is a kid birthday. I am sad that I did not found who made the ladybug cake. I found that Alana Hodgson made a similar cake.  I like to splurge of a memorable cake and there are awesome cake maker these days.

+ Kid plates: Felix salad plates by French Bull $8 for 4
+ Chocolate: John & Kira’s Ladybug & Chocolate Gift Tower $49.50 USD
+ Candy: Hammond’s Red Apple Cinnamon Lolli $14.95 USD for 4
+ Birthday Cake: photo of Ladybug Cake via Cake Central

As you can see, I elaborated a deconstructed ladybug by mixing modern patterns, colors and moods. Best of all, you will be able to reuse many items for other occasions. And if you need more inspirations, check out the Little Ladybug Birthday Party featured on the blog of The Tom Kat Studio.

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I enjoy the new breed of wedding invitations that emerged over the last decade. They are less generic. Brides and grooms now have the chance to tailor their invites to their wedding celebrations. One wedding invitation studio that I like is Chewing The Cud.

Based in San Francisco, they offered a fully custom made service and a signature line that can be personalized with illustrations, motifs, ribbons, and embellishments.

Their signature invitations are suitable for any stylish event with a chic vintage flair. I can imagine using them for a big-0 birthday or an anniversary. All their invitations are letterpress printed on 100% cotton, tree free paper with soy based inks.

Two of my favorite collections for something else than a wedding are:

+ The Good Old Days would be good for a special event designed around local food or taking place in the countryside – starts at $1875 USD
+ Flourish Fête would be perfect for a milestone anniversary – starts at $2175 for 75 invitation kits

An invitation kit is the invitation card with its envelop, the RSVP card with the response envelop plus an additional card.

MORE:
+ Chewing The Cud

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It is no secret that I love giraffe on stationery, plush animals and art prints. It is probably because I always dreamt of being tall. On my quest to find cutely modern giraffe invitations, it seams natural to stop at Minted.

Minted is an online store offering fresh, modern custom stationery and invitations. They opted for the talents of independent brands and designers to bring something new on the marketplace. Without knowing, two design studios are represented twice. I guest I really enjoy the style of pottsdesign and Sweet Tree Studio.

+ Baby Giraffe Baby Shower Invitations by Jennifer Postorino $60 for 25
+ Baby Silhouette Baby Shower Invitations by Emily of pottsdesign $67 for 25
+ Circus Children’s Birthday Party Invitations by Sweet Tree Studio $67 for 25

The next three inspired me for their versatility. Each drawing could lead to a fun party theme while keeping a surprise on how you interpret it until the guests show up. It is ideal if you haven’t decided on your decor when you need to order your invitations.

+ Cupcake Baby Shower Invitations by pottsdesign $67 for 25
+ Cheery Frock Baby Shower Invitations by Kelli Hall$67 for 25
+ Onesie Whimsy Baby Shower Invitations by Sweet Tree Studio $67 for 25

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Jenn and Mary are the two lively founders of Ice Cream Social. Their work has a vintage, crafty look. I particularly like what they did for these custom save-the-date cards. Each one suit the personality of the happy couples.

If you are getting married or host a big event, it is best to set up a Web site for the hotel, directions, and other wedding information like did they did here. This way liberate space to be more creative. Furthermore, you can update and provide more details on a Web site. You can use Wordpress as the CMS to create your Web site.

Located in Brooklyn, Ice Cream Social first love are wedding invitations. Having said that, they specialize in visual communications for all life rituals.

Event: Meet Them Today Only at 1 pm

Don’t forget to stop by the Brooklyn Wedding Chapel on Sunday, June 7th from 1 until 2 pm. Jenn and Mary will be there to chat about our design process, answer stationery questions, and best of all serve up some ice cream. Please RSVP right here.

+ Ice Cream Social

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+ More and more move far away for the traditional wedding invites. Green grass details and a bird look adorable and elegant on these letterpress invites. Via Moontree

+ You can always stop at Oh Joy! for a breath of fresh ideas. She made a picnic perfect montage where you can see the wooden utensils from Paper+Cup I shown you last week plus other items at Anthropologie. It is lovely. She designed the two 3D wall hooks for Urban Outfitters some time ago. The Home Sweet Home Mail Hook and the Tree Silhouette hook are out of stock. I do not know if they will be available again.

+Another option are the recycled metal alphabet hooks at Urban Outfitters. You can opt for the initials of the members of the family or write a word. $6 per letter.

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Every kid is fond of the circus. This festive kid party theme never gets old.  For the busy mom, a circus party is ideal since you can easily buy the basic elements.  Make sure to custom the theme. How you assemble everything is a great way to start. With the help of the computer and small craft projects, you will create a unique circus party decor. Concentrate on the buffet table and a few decorations displayed across the room.

Set the Tone with your Invitations

Go wild with the invite and put inside more that a invitation card like did Caroline for the second birthday of her son. Read how she created her amazing circus party invitations on her blog. Make sure to keep one invitation as a keepsake for your kid.

Popcorn bags are easy to find. Having a coupon on all items extend the circus theme as we used to know it. Pinning  a fabric on the wall transform it in a photo booth. You could lay down a make up table with a couple mirrors, wigs, red clown noses, and  clown overalls. Do not forget to supply makeup removal gear. If talents run in the family or in your neighbor households, organize a 10 to 15 minutes circus inspired performance.

Caroline Armelle’s party was certainly well-executed. Click here for the full story on the circus kid birthday party for a little boy.

CREDITS:
+ Images from Armelle – how to craft the circus party invitations
+ Via Design Mom

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With Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia’s (MSLO) investment in Pingg announced in October 2008, it comes to no surprise that Pingg is now offering invites with pictures from Martha Stewart’s content library. These images will please the Martha Stewart’s hostess type. And it is fun to recognize pictures from articles you read.

Pingg is one of many online invite and event management services. You can get print invites and eCards. Hosts can manage their event online. You get for free a dedicated event Web page where guests can go to RSVP online. You can manage your guests, keep track of the headcount, plus send reminders and follow up messages.

Pinng has a cleaner, more refined look than many of its competition. This is why I like it. Pingg’s entertaining tips naturally come from Martha Stewart.

+ Via Fabuluxe

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If you are looking for personalized note cards, check out the latest collection of bold drawings at Fabulous Stationery.

Bags and Shoes

With a production time of 5 to 7 days, it is too late to order your custom Sex and the City invites from the new shoes and bags collection. Still, keep these note cards in mind for a bridal shower, a girl makeover party or a bridal party.

A bride to be can order a custom set for each of her bridesmaids. Simply select the illustration that fits the best the bridesmaid’s personality.

Moving Announcements

There are several options to choose from a mid-century house to reference to condo living and home decor accessories. You do not need to live in a Palm Springs modern house to order those as long as you want to say “Come to see my new hip place”, these designs are OK.

If your house integrates environment-friendly materials, opt for the recycled eco-notes with eco-envelops. The paper is eco-friendly but I think they use standard inks. The Eco Still Life model supports 2 lines of 20 characters each for the cover.

How it works?

Each card model is available in three color scheme. Fabulous Stationery sells 25 cards and envelops for $45. This basic price includes your own cover text and the return address. Then, you can opt to upgrade the paper, add an inside text, a gift box, a matching notebook and custom RSVP cards.

>>> Sourcing:
Learn more: Spring 2008 Collection at Fabulous Stationery
Buy online: Penelope at Fabulous Stationery – price: $45 USD for 25
Buy online: Ines Too at Fabulous Stationery – price: $45 USD for 25
Buy online: Desert Oasis at Fabulous Stationery – price: $45 USD for 25
Buy online: Jackie at Fabulous Stationery – price: $45 USD for 25
Buy online: Ludwig’s Lounge at Fabulous Stationery – price: $45 USD for 25
Buy online: Eco Still Life at Fabulous Stationery – price: $45 USD for 25

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Finished up your invite or add a special touch to a thank you card with your own customized stamps. They are also appropriate to mark a special occasion, a kid birthday or something special happening in your life.

Where to buy?

The personalization process is the same whether you live in the USA or Canada. The difference is where you buy them. In Canada, you must use Picture Postage, a service from Canada Post in partnership with Canadian Bank Note.

In the United States, several companies own a vendor license from United States Postal Service to print customized postage. You can buy the stamps in the denomination that you need: postcard, envelop size and weight. Unfortunately, Canada Post offers only the customized stamp for the most current postage (standard letter under 30 grams).

How it works?

They all provide online a tool to design your postage using the same 3 steps. You first submit your own digital image. Then, you adjust your image into the stamp frame. Finally, you send your order.

In the United States, I like PictureItPostage by Endicia. There 2 main advantages are:

• bigger stamp – your picture is 1 1/2″ x 1 3/16″. Stamp is 2 1/2″ x 1 9/16″
• background colors – which I like a lot.

Zazzle is another company that I discovered through Perfect Bound, a cute blog by a girl who day dreams about living abroad, dark chocolate and being a magazine editor. Today, she paired wedding invitations with customized stamps. Check her post; she did an excellent pairing job.

The special features at Zazzle are:

• you can write a small message text on top of your picture
• three sizes of stamp
• you can select pictures from the community gallery.

Canadian Way

The Canadian stamps look better in my opinion because they do not have a bar code. They look like regular stamp. But honestly, they are all pretty cool and can be as stylish as you design them. In Canada, you can buy a sheet of 40 stamps or a Keepsake Sheet of 20 stamps with a large image printed to keep as a souvenir.

Plan ahead and leave you plenty of time for delivery. These custom gifts make great gifts to new parents, grand parents or new homeowners.

>>> Sourcing:
Buy online: PictureItPostage – price: $18.95 USD for 20 large stamps
Buy online: Zazzle Custom Stamps – price: $16.95 USD for 20 medium stamps
Buy online: The Knot Wedding Postage Collection [Zazzle]
Buy online: Picture Postage – price: $24.95 for 20 stamps + a large keepsake image
Via: squared away [Perfect Bound]

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There is a new way to personalize your invitations with the launch of silhouettes by PosePrints.

You can add a couple, a bride or a pregnant mother. Same sex couples are represented by two male silhouettes. Strangely, lesbian couples are not represented.

The different between the female models are three hair styles. The silhouettes are also available in several colors.

There are less customization options than with the personalized avatars. Still you can find a suitable fit. The pricing is the same for all poses.

>>> Sourcing:
Buy online: silhouette models with navy spots [poseprints.com] – price: $50.00 for 25 cards

RELATED POST:
+ Personalized avatar on social stationery

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