June, 2012 |

Turning 37 in Style {Party Menu}

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Terry

Fashionista Party!!

A couple weeks ago I turned 37 and hosted a fashion birthday party to celebrate in style. You can check out all the fun party details HERE if you missed the first post. It was so much fun to shop with all my girlfriends inside my own home. We drank, we ate, we shopped, and just celebrated all the things that women love.

I am back to share the menu that I choose for this party because it was quick and easy, perfect for any celebration.

Inspiration for my own"Make Your Own Mimosa Bar from Every Scrap Countz

I had found this photo (above) on Pinterest a while back and it inspired me to have my own “Make Your Own Mimosa Bar”. Who doesn’t like champagne and doesn’t it just go hand and hand with shopping and celebrating??? It is easy to stock (just buy your favorite champagne) and some pure fruit juice or puree. I offered four different kinds of “add-ins”.

Mimosa Bar Flavors

Mimosa (Champagne and Orange Juice)
Bellini (Champagne and Peach Puree)
Razzle Dazzle (I made up this name but it is simply Champagne and Raspberry Puree)
Strawberry Fizz (Another made up name but simply Champagne and Strawberry Puree)

Make your own Mimosa Bar

To go with the champagne, I served a few of my favorite easy to make appetizers.

Goat Cheese and Scallion Crostini

Amy introduced me to this easy entertaining appetizer and it seems to be a staple at each and every party we host (alone or together!). It is so fresh, fragrant, colorful and the EASIEST APPETIZER EVER! Seriously, it has FOUR ingredients and takes less then FIVE minutes to make, but your guests will never know.

Ingredients

One loaf of french bread, sliced
One bunch scallions (green onions)
One package of goat cheese, softened
olive oil

Directions

Turn on your broiler so your oven is ready
Puree the scallions (white and green parts) in a food processor, adding olive oil until it resembles a sauce (don’t over mix, you just want it to be spreadable)
Spread the scallions/olive oil on french bread, then spread a nice chunk of goat cheese on top.
Broil 2 to 3 minutes until golden, serve immediately & enjoy!!

Caprese Skewers

Caprese Skewers

Here is another simple hors d’ oeuvre that uses three very fresh ingredients and is always a popular choice. It take a tiny bit of time to skewer each one together but once you are done, they look and taste wonderful.

Ingredients

Fresh mozzarella (the small round balls)
Fresh basil
Grape tomatoes
Balsamic glaze (optional)
Salt & pepper
Toothpicks or kabob skewers

Directions

Slice grape tomatoes in half
Create an assembly line of skewers, cheese, basil and tomatoes
Skewer a mozzarella ball, a basil leaf and 1/2 a tomato onto each skewer (flat side down)
Serve on a pretty white platter or in a fancy glass
Drizzle with balsamic vinegar or glaze (glaze can be purchased at most stores in the vinegar aisle and is thicker and sweeter than most balsamic vinegars)
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste

We also enjoyed cupcakes, however there isn’t a recipe as they came from Wegman’s and they were delicious! After all, what’s a birthday party without {a little} cake?

I hope your next birthday celebration is at tasty as mine was!!

Thanks for stopping by,

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Posted in Birthday Parties, Cooking/Recipes, Entertaining, Events | Tagged appetizer, birthday party, champagne, crostini, easy entertaining, entertaining, Fashion, fashionista party, Recipe, recipes | 1 Comment

Perfect Weekend Getaway–The San Antonio Riverwalk

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Amy

Last week I tagged along with my husband on his business trip to San Antonio, Texas.

I have always heard how great the San Antonio Riverwalk is and have to say, it did not disappoint. It was the perfect place to escape “real” life and relax and decompress.

I took a ridiculous number of pictures with my Iphone, because it seemed like such a different world while we were there, I wanted a way to remember it.

I just wanted to share, its a great place to escape to if you love to eat and drink and of course, people-watch The Riverwalk is a fun mix of european and mexican architecture, food and style so it feels like you traveled to a different country, though its centrally located in America.

After two “mediocre” touristy meals we went to chowhound for a dinner recommendation our last night, and wound up a Boudro’s. It was fabulous, make sure you stop in to enjoy a Prickly Pear Margarita if you are ever in San Antonio.

And, don’t miss their Guacamole which they make right at your table. I tried to remember how our waiter whipped it up, but I didn’t have to as the recipe is also on their website. Its so good, my formerly avocado-averse husband is now a guacamole fan, cheers to that!

Boudro’s Famous Guacamole Recipe

Juice of 1/4 of an orange
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1 avocado seeded and scooped out of skin
2 Tbs roasted and charred Roma tomatoes diced
1 ea Serrano pepper roasted seeded and diced
1 Tbs medium dice red onions
1 tsp chopped cilantro
coarse ground salt to taste (sea salt is better)

Directions

Squeeze juices into bowl. Add avocado and coarsely chop. Add onions, roasted tomato, serrano and cilantro fold into avocado mixture. Add salt (more is better). Result should be crudely chopped not mashed. That’s it.

Visit the Boudro’s Website for more “Goodies” HERE.

And, yes we got a laugh out of my drink being the perfect match with my dress!

It was a great weekend, but its nice to be home and enjoying summer. After a long break, I am hard at work on some DIY projects so I will be back with those soon.

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Posted in General & About Us | Tagged drink recipe, guacamole recipe, margarita, san antonio, travel | 4 Comments

Gorgeous, Refurbished English Pram!

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Christy

My friend, Robyn, has outdone herself (again) with the perfect baby shower gift. Her little sister is expecting her first child, and Robyn and her hubby, Steve, found a beat-up old English pram on Craigslist. Steve is a pretty handy guy, so he took a look at it and knew they’d be able to fix it up with a little TLC and A LOT of elbow grease!

They scored a major deal because they managed to get it for under $100. Granted, that was because it needed to be cleaned up, but these things go for a FORTUNE online. I’m talking thousands of dollars! Here’s a new one that will set you back just under $3000:

If that seems a little rich for your blood, then why not try the Craigslist (or Ebay) route? You’ll have to take some time to clean it up, but look at how much money you can save. Here are a few pictures of the pram when Robyn and Steve first bought it (sorry about the photo quality, but you still get the idea):

Check out the rust on those wheels (and the wheels are supposed to be white walls)!

Here’s the during (hi, Steve!)…

And a few shots of the gorgeous “after”:

Robyn’s mother made the new cushion cover for the inside. At the baby shower, they stacked presents and stuffed animals in the pram. And after baby is too old to go for a stroll in the pram, it can be used to hold toys, books, or stuffed animals in the nursery. How fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Posted in Before and After, Events | Tagged baby, buggy, carriage, English, nursery, pram, shower, stroller | Leave a comment

Greek Turkey Burger with Cucumber, Dill & Red Onion Salad

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Terry

Click on the "In the Kitchen with 11 Magnolia Lane" Button to read about our new series

Nothing is more satisfying than a charbroiled burger during the summer months! My husband and kids love a juicy burger, but I personally need to mix it up to make it a bit more healthy. These turkey burgers are delicious and satisfying. The feta cheese topping seems indulgent yet is full of good healthy fats that satisfy any appetite. Feel free to skip the bun (pictured below) to ensure you avoid an insulin rush- I promise you will not miss the bread after one bite of “my big fat (but good fat) Greek burger”

Greek Turkey Burger with Feta and Pepperoncini Cream Cheese Topping

Greek Turkey Burgers Ingredients

2 lbs ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 panko bread crumbs
1/2 finely diced red onion
6oz feta cheese
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 plain Greek yogurt
6-8 pepperoncinis
1 chopped scallion
1 lemon, zested
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

In a food processor combine the feta cheese, cream cheese and yogurt until smooth.
Add in peperoncinis, scallion, zest and salt & pepper. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
In a medium bowl combine the ground turkey, red onion, egg, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Let sit for a few minutes to ensure all ingredients are well combined.
Form 6-8 patties and grill medium low for 6 minutes
Flip burgers and place the cream cheese mixture on top of cooked side. Let burgers cook and the cheese melt for another 4 minutes.
Serve with cucumber salad, tomato slices and kalamata olives

Cucumber, Dill and Red Onion Salad

Cucumber, Dill and Red Onion Salad

Ingredients

1 English cucumber (sliced very thin, use a mandoline)
1 red onion, finely sliced
3 T fresh dill
3 T rice vinegar
1/2 T sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Slice cucumber and onion using a mandolin.
Whisk sugar, vinegar and olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Toss in the onion, cucumber and herbs, coating well.
Refrigerate for 1/2 hour and enjoy alongside the Greek Turkey Burger!

Greek Turkey Burger and Cucumber, Dill and Red Onion Salad

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Posted in Cooking/Recipes, Entertaining, In the Kitchen Series | Tagged Cucumber Salad, Greek, Grilling, Healthy Cooking, Healthy Eating, Low Carb, Paleo, Turkey Burgers | 1 Comment

Fearless! Guest Post from Jessica at Four Generations One Roof

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Christy

Welcome to the second installment of our new series, Fearless! We’re excited to have Jessica, from Four Generations One Roof as our guest blogger. Her sofa project truly epitomizes what the Fearless! series is all about. Jessica, take it away!

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Hello 11 Magnolia Lane readers! I am Jessica and I blog over at Four Generations One Roof. We are a crew of four generations that all live together under one roof and I happen to be the ring leader of our blog .

I was honored when the girls at 11 Magnolia Lane asked if I would like to be a part of their “Fearless” DIY series. I have to admit, I am kinda fearless. I don’t know why I am, I just am. I figure, how bad can a project turn out? My thought is if it’s that bad, I’ll just toss it and move on. One of my latest projects is probably the craziest thing I have ever done in my 39 years of existence. I cut my couch in half with a sawzall!

I needed a couch for a small space and this one was just about 2 feet too big. I really wanted to buy a new one but a new couch was not in the budget. One afternoon, I said to my dad and husband, “I’m going to cut that couch in half with a sawzall”. They literally laughed and told me I was crazy. That was all I needed, the challenge was on!

This was the end result:

My theory, just go for it! If it doesn’t work out, at least you tried Once I had the couch put back together, I reupholstered it with old curtains that I had. So what do you think? Would you cut your couch in half with a sawzall?

If you have a chance, hop over to Four Generations One Roof and check out the full tutorial post on how I cut this baby in half, as well as meet the rest of my family. It just occurred to me, living with four generations under one roof is also kind of fearless? HA! Would you do it? We are going on four years now!

Thanks so much to the 11 Magnolia Lane girls for inviting me to their home and including me in this fabulous series!

Not so fearless,

Jessica

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Jessica, thanks again for guest posting. Who would have thought to cut a sofa in half? But it looks amazing–I love that little porch area now.

Want more? Check out previous Fearless! posts HERE and HERE. Thanks for stopping by!

Posted in DIY, Fearless Series, Home Inspiration | Tagged diy, fearless, guest post, project, saw, sofa | 4 Comments

Festive Fourth of July Picnic

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Christy

We went to my friend Andrea’s house for a wonderful Memorial Day picnic, and I wanted to share the photos with you before the Fourth of July, because the red, white, and blue theme is perfect for every patriotic event!

I loved the burlap that she used to cover her dining room table, and the “America” banner on the front added a pop of color.

We didn’t have ALL the food on the table at this point, and some of it was in the kitchen, but we decided to keep the food inside to minimize flies. I used an idea I saw on Pinterest to put the fruit salad in a covered jar–that way if you are serving food outside, the flies still can’t get in!

I love the way Andrea stacked up old soda crates to hold condiments and salt and pepper. I have a bunch in my son’s room to hold his Legos; maybe I should borrow them for my next picnic?

The eagle, the straw hat, the copy of the Declaration of Independence…I love all the details!

Even the chandelier gets decorated for the holiday, with red, white and blue paper stars and lanterns.

Andrea took a simple boxwood wreath and jazzed it up with the Declaration of Independence and some flags.

And take a look at what she did over the wreath, with the eagle and the old flag draped around it…

Dessert–the best part! Hot Tamales, Twizzlers, Three Musketeers, and Crunch bars in apothecary jars create a red, white, and blue display. Paper flags dress up easy cupcakes made from a box.

Beautiful vintage ephemera on the hall entry table…

The bar was open for the grownups, and the kids enjoyed a bottomless cooler of ice cold Cokes (in glass bottles) on the bunting-draped porch. Coke in glass bottles is my kids’ favorite junk food treat. Not surprisingly, this was about the time my children asked me if they could live with Andrea!

Even the flowers in the backyard were decorated for the holiday…

While the grown-ups played a cutthroat cornhole tournament, the kids threw water balloons (red, white, and blue, of course) at each other to cool off. As night fell, Andrea pulled out a bucket of glow necklaces and whip-its to keep them occupied for awhile longer, while we all sat around and enjoyed some adult conversation. It was a perfect day!

As we celebrate our nation’s birthday, I am so thankful for the freedom that we enjoy, and for the brave men and women (like my husband and all of the guys at this picnic!) who fight to protect it. Happy Independence Day!

Thanks for stopping by!

{We are sharing this post at Common Ground and Serenity Now and Honey We’re Home}

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Posted in 4th of July, Entertaining, Holidays, Real Spaces | Tagged blue, entertaining, flag, Fourth of July, Independence Day, July 4th, patriotic, picnic, Red, stars, stripes, white | 16 Comments

Stars and Stripes Inspiration Board and Summer BBQ Recipes

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Terry

Are you ready to kick off BB-Q season? Do you have a “go to” recipe that you are planning to bring to your next pot luck cook out? Are you looking forward to some patriotic fireworks this Independence Day? For those of you who need a bit of red white and blue inspiration, this post is for you! I hope you get into the spirit of summer with this Stars and Stripes Inspiration Board and I hope you enjoy some of my “must try” cookout recipes, perfect for your next party.

: Stars and Stripes Inspiration Board- Happy July 4th!!

July 4th always sneaks up on me so this year I wanted to ensure I planned ahead. I love a good cookout but I often find myself overindulging and overeating! I have put together healthy menu to get you through the holiday and/or your next summer cookout without blowing up like a firework:).

Grilled Lemon Thyme Chicken (Ina Garten)

Stock Image

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (4 lemons)
3/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

Directions:

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme.
Pour over the chicken breasts in a nonreactive bowl.
Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
Grill to perfection and enjoy:)

Red, White and Blue Potato Salad (From Cooking Light)

: Cooking Light: Red White and Blue Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise (about 10 ounces)
2 cups small red potatoes, quartered (about 10 ounces)
2 cups small blue potatoes, halved lengthwise (about 10 ounces)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
3 hard-cooked large eggs, finely chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Preparation

Place fingerling and red potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool slightly. Place potatoes in a large bowl.
Place blue potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool slightly. Add blue potatoes, onion, parsley, dill, chives, and eggs to bowl; toss gently.
Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients. Pour over potato mixture; toss gently to combine. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Note: Blue potatoes are starchier than the others and tend to bleed, so cook them separately. If you need to, prepare this dish a day ahead, but add the blue potatoes just before serving. If your potatoes are larger than the ones we call for, cut them to a uniform size.

Strawberry Mousse Parfait with Fresh Fruit and Almonds

(Adapted from Chocolate-Covered Katie and it is Paleo friendly!!)

Stock Image

I found this recipe on Pinterest, but you know me, I had to make it my own. Chocolate-Covered Katie is a blog I follow as she finds ways to make all decadent desserts healthier. It is a great way to indulge without overindulging. This dessert is wonderfully light, fresh and creamy. You really feel like you are cheating with this creamy dessert when in fact you are feeding your body wonderfully healthy coconut milk. Coconut is all the rage right now as it is easy for the body to digest and is immediately used for energy. Who doesn’t need a bit more energy these days:). The presentation is perfect for your next party and the coconut cream and berries will keep you energized for your next game of horseshoes!

INGREDIENTS:

1 can full-fat coconut milk
2-5 strawberries for mousse, additional strawberries for garnish and diced layering
almonds (sliced or chopped)
blueberries for layering and garnish
mint for garnish
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
sweetener to taste (Stevia or powdered sugar)
tiny pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

Open coconut milk and ensure it is very thick. If it is not, transfer can to bowl and refrigerate overnight. The coconut needs to be very very thick.
Transfer the think coconut milk to a bowl leaving out any of the coconut water.
Blend in strawberries, vanilla and Stevia
Chop additional strawberries for layering (toss with a bit of sugar or Stevia to make them sweet)
Rinse the blueberries
In a pretty glass layer the following: mousse, strawberries, almonds, mousse, blueberries, almonds. The last layer should end with mousse and garnish with a strawberry and/or blueberry and a sprig of mint. Chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve. This is a great time saving, make ahead dessert!

Happy Independence Day!

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Posted in 4th of July, Cooking/Recipes, Entertaining, Inspiration Boards | Tagged cookout, Fourth of July, Healthy, Independence Day, inspiration, recipes | 1 Comment

Stair Redo with Painted Treads and Beadboard Risers

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Christy

Because I have my entire powder room ripped apart right now and it’s nowhere near ready to show you yet, today I’m sharing a project done by good friends who we met when we lived in Virginia Beach–Steve and Robyn. Despite several moves (all on our side ) our families have remained close, and most recently Robyn visited us so that we could run the Country Music Half Marathon together. Or, more accurately, we both were running the same course on the same morning, but she managed to finish it in record time and I just managed to finish!

Here we are post-race, with the gorgeous Nashville skyline behind us:

And because she’ll probably be annoyed that I shared a photo of her looking less than her usual glamorous best, here we are the same night (after blissful showers and a big nap!) enjoying a post-run margarita:

But I digress, because we’re talking about stairs here, and not margaritas, right? That’s a shame…

Steve and Robyn decided to get new carpet in their house, and as so often happens, one change led to several must-do projects. As they ripped the old carpet off their stairs (they were completely covered in carpet although I don’t have a before picture), they realized that they wanted to go with a different look. I had sent Robyn a blog post written by Miriam at Prudent Projects (read it HERE), and it gave them some inspiration to get to work on their stairs! They wound up with a dark espresso brown banister and treads, and crisp white spindles and beadboard risers–gorgeous! Here’s what they did to get these fabulous results:

1. Yanked up the old carpet (underneath they found MDF stair treads, but they did have a nice bullnose, or round, edge on the front).

2. Hung sheets to protect the doors to as many rooms as possible from sanding dust (this was a smart step and one that I usually skip, I’ll admit).

3. Sanded, sanded, and sanded the treads, banister, and spindles.

4. Caulked the edges, where the stair treads meet the wall and the banister.

5. Primed the stair treads with gripper gray primer and also primed the banister and spindles with regular primer.

6. Painted the banister with this lovely dark brown paint from Home Depot:

And below is the color match formula if you’re interested:

Here’s the banister before (hi, Steve):

And after:

7. The spindles got a couple of coats of white (just regular white latex off the shelves). Robyn said that everything got one coat of primer and two coats of paint (either dark brown or white). She also said there was a lot of painting and repainting around spindles to make sure that white areas were only white (with no brown smears) and vice versa. I don’t doubt it!

8. Next, the stair treads got two coats of espresso brown. Robyn reports that they sent the kids to sleep over at her mom and dad’s house that night, and she and Steve ate sushi and watched a movie downstairs while the treads were drying in between coats. You could also paint every other stair so that you could still climb the steps two at a time during a project like this, although that doesn’t sound quite as much fun as dinner and a movie!

9. After the treads were painted, they added the beadboard to the risers. They bought one of the big sheets (I think they’re 4′ x 8′) and Steve cut them to fit on his table saw. They adhered them with glue, and while they did caulk around the edges, they didn’t paint the beadboard–it was already white and Robyn said they didn’t need to.

It took the two of them three full days to complete this project, due to the multiple coats of primer and paint and the detailed painting work required. However, they’re so pleased with the results. They did add a carpet runner to protect their hard work–plus, with two kids and a dog, the stairs are in heavy use all day long. Let me know if you have any questions for Robyn and I’ll have her answer them.

Here are a few more “after” shots–I love the way she styled her steps!

Great job, guys! I’m almost inspired to rip up the carpeting on my stairs and see what I find! Thanks for sharing your project with us, Robyn and Steve, and thanks for stopping by!

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Posted in Before and After, DIY, Home Inspiration | Tagged bead board, beadboard, cottage, painted, redo, risers, stair, treads | 15 Comments

A New Summer Drink–Michelob Ultra Hard Cider

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Amy

When we were asked to review and share our thoughts on Michelob’s new Ultra Hard Cider, we immediately knew we’d add it into the drink mix at Terry’s 30-something fashion birthday party.

After all, a group of girls…a hot summer night… and a party–what better place to introduce something fun to our friends? Well, finding the cider wasn’t as easy as we thought, as it’s still being rolled out in many grocery stores, and we had to go with Plan B–bringing it to a pool party the next day instead! (And, by the way, I found it at Wal-Mart, if you’ve been looking!)

So, I passed it around for taste testing and even women who looked at it a bit warily –the ones who said “I don’t really like beer” — gave a surprised look and said “That’s really good!” It definitely has an unexpected, fresh taste. It might be said it could cross over into the “sparkling cider family” vs. the “beer family.”

Hard cider would be the perfect offering at a summer BBQ or picnic. This the drink for those times when only beer will refresh you. You know, like a baseball game, a concert, or a hot day on the beach–when you can’t just break out your wineglass? And, if you are like me and you don’t love the (slightly bitter) taste of beer this would be the perfect choice.

So, I would say this cider is a great “girl” twist on traditional beer. It’s got a fresh taste, with a hint of apple, that was a pleasant surprise to the women who tasted it.

Among its other attributes, it’s gluten-free, made from natural ingredients, and sweetened with stevia. While the brewing process for cider follows that of beer, the main difference is in the ingredients. While beer brewing mainly uses barley and hops, cider brewing uses apples (yum!).

Michelob Ultra Cider only has a 120 calories (1/3 fewer then the regular leading hard cider) and interestingly, you can even serve it over ice. While I didn’t try that, I think it would be lovely to not deal with the typical “too warm” drink after a few minutes outside on a hot day!

All in all, it was a fun introduction to the Michelob Ultra line.

So, what favorite summer meals or activities do you think would go best with Michelob ULTRA Light Cider?

Visit the Michelob ULTRA Light Cider page on BlogHer.com HERE and the Sponsor’s Site HERE.

*While I have been compensated for this review, the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Posted in Reviews | Tagged cider, entertaining, product review, summer drink | Leave a comment

Turning Thirty-Something Fashionista Birthday Party!

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Amy

Ohh….What a (fun) night!

Terry & I (Christy was recovering in Tennessee from her Disney trip and Better Homes & Gardens Photoshoot–but we really missed her!) spent last week preparing for a very SPECIAL event…

Terry’s Birthday Party!

It’s safe to say that we both get a little carried away getting ready for parties. She is an event planner by trade, and I did event design as part of my graphic design business, so we tend to go a little over the top when we dream up an event. {Don’t believe it? See more of our events HERE and HERE!}

But in reality, it’s not just because it’s fun for us, but also because we really want our guests to feel special and have an amazing time. So often as busy women and moms, we rarely have a chance to do many of the things that uplift us. Terry, with her typical generous spirit, designed her birthday party with a focus on her guests’ enjoyment and pampering.

Terry had invited a clothing line, a jewelry line and a make-up line to her home, all for her guests to spend a night trying on– you guessed it– clothes, jewelry and make-up. A girl’s dream come true! And she made amazing food (of course) as well as delicious drinks.

The theme of the night was “Fashionista,” though for fun I had to mix in a little vintage Barbie on the paper products. It just seemed to go well, and I knew Terry would laugh. {Who doesn’t have a special place for memories of Barbie?}

The front door gave a hint of the fun inside.

The entryway held goodie bags for all the guests, as well as shopping bags for decoration.

The girls enjoyed trying on clothes…

…and jewels and make-up.

To quench the guests’ thirst, there was a “Make Your Own” Champagne/Cider Bar. There was champagne and sparkling cider with a choice of mix-ins, including fruit purees of strawberry, raspberry or peach, as well as orange juice for mimosas.

And since every birthday needs cake, pink cupcakes graced with Barbie’s silhouette held center stage.

I framed some vintage Barbie fashion prints from a calendar, and these will soon have a new home in my daughter’s room–a nice party souvenir.

It was such a nice evening. One other note, we know parties like this can be costly. Terry shared that she was so touched that several of her friends gave her party “necessities” as their birthday gift; for instance, one friend brought the champagne, another the cupcakes. It made her life easier, and took some of the burden off her. Isn’t that a wonderful idea?

Her friend Sarah even made her the cute “Fashionista” banner.

Here are the happy birthday girls. Terry shared her birthday celebration with her college friend, Gretchen, as her birthday is the day after! How fun is that?