Succulents!

Succulents are trending in weddings this year and it's easy to see why.

Their subtle coloration and soft look add character to all the floral aspects of a wedding.  If you love succulents or are just looking for something fun to add into your wedding designs, here are some ideas we have found that are fabulous.  

Links to all of these photos are available on our Pinterest page.

Girls Birthday Party Ideas

Anyone with a little girl knows that choosing a birthday party theme can be a hassle.

Young ladies are not the best at making up their minds and sometimes mom and dad don't know what cartoon or movie character is hot on the elementary school fad sheets.  So we have compiled a list of 10 timeless party ideas for those little ladies that are sure to be exciting.  You can look at other sites for creative flares to add to each theme, and visit our other pages for pictures, helpful links, and even pick up some of the supplies.

1. Rainbows

You can use paper chains to make a rainbow backdrop, food dye to make an extreme colored cake, give giant swirl lollipops as favors or stick mini's in your cupcakes.  Rainbows are generic and girly.  There are hundreds of items that would make great favors in a rainbow gift bag, and they are gender neutral colors so the boys in her class won't feel weird attending Penny's Pink Tutu Party.

2.  Butterflies

Butterflies are great for little girls parties.  Give all the girls a set of wings to decorate with glitter and gems.  Put butterflies all over the cake or have an individual one placed on every cupcake.  Butterflies are girly and playful and they never go out of style.

3. Over sized Sleep-Over

Most of us had a sleep over party when we were young.  Kids love it.  The excitement of staying up late, telling secrets and over dosing on sugary nib lets.  This party goes beyond a normal sleeping bags on the rug night.  First, clear out valuables from the living room or the child's room where the "sleeping" will be taking place.  Next, make sure there is a television available for movie viewing pleasure.  Choose a film that goes with the party details.  Finally, Fill that room with so many pillows and blankets that the floor is no longer visible.  Turn it into a massive fort designed for pillow fights, popcorn, and late night giggles.

4. Choose a Color

Have your child choose their favorite color as the theme and then make every detail a color pop of something they love.  Invite the other children to wear those colors to the party and the person with the most of that color wins a special prize.  This is great for buying supplies because solid colors are easy to come by.

5.  Sweet Things

This is a personal favorite.  Cupcakes, cakes, lollipops, gumdrops, ice cream, cookies, you name it, it's in.  This is like the party version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  And not the creepy new one with Johnny Depp, the good one with Gene Wilder.  Use rubber balls covered in plastic as decor and then give them out as favors.  This is where a sweets table would be done to the hilt.  Pull out all the stops with mini cupcakes decorated in wacky colors.  place pre-wrapped candies in brightly colored plastic bins within reach of the kids so they can make their own bags.  This one has endless possibilities.

6.  Art Party

Watercolors, paper, brushes and a long line hung with some clothespins.  This is an activity event short and sweet that will keep the kids busy.  They can decorate everything.   Buy plain paper gift bags and have each child decorate their own goody bag, or replace the goody bags with a coloring book and some crayons.  You could even have the cake made to look like a palette.

7.  Tea Party

The real deal mom and dad.  Serving actual tea or apple juice mixed with sprite from real tea pots.  Have all the girls come dressed up in their best dresses.  You can give them brimmed hats with ribbons as an arrival gift.  Just think how cute the pictures will be!  Give them lessons on etiquette for a tea party.  And the cutest part, the food.  Finger foods, tiny ones, in cute colors.  This is the perfect party for that girly girl who likes to sand apart from the rest.  Hand held paper fans and a mug with each child's name and a few tea bags or pouches of hot chocolate would make great favors.

8.  Carnival

This is so much fun.  It works better in a hall or outdoors where you can keep the children moving and playing.  All you need are goody bags, games, "carneys" and prizes.  They children will break into small groups and play each of the games fro small prizes.  Once they have played every game, you can celebrate with cake and temporary tattoos.  If you really want to make it special, you could rent a cotton candy maker or a bounce house too.

9.  Owls

This idea is steadily gaining popularity.  Owls are easier to find now than they were five years ago, but this is still a goody.  It is easy to make a cake in the shape of an owl, and you can find tutorials online how to decorate it.  The children can play pin the beak on the owl.  And a big bak of feathers, some poster board and some glue, and BAM! Owl wings.

10.  Spa Party

Little girls love this one because it makes them feel like a big girl.  Each girl gets a basket of goods, a hand towel, a washcloth, flip flops, nail polish, a cotton ball, nail brush, and a small bottle of lotion.  They are asked to come in their pajamas, and the relaxing begins.  They get to paint nails, soak their feet and have their hair done.  Of course its a lot of work on one mom so either keep the guest list small or recruit helpers.

Time For you to POP the question

It is official.  You are engaged.

Congratulations!  Now comes the hard part, putting it all together to form the wedding of your dreams.  

One of the most important parts of your big day, is who you will share it with.  So when it comes time to pick your bridal party, you will think of the friends and family closest to your heart.  So why not make them feel special when asking them to be such an important part of your wedding?  

Here are some cute, fun and thoughtful ways to proposition your bridesmaids.

One SWEET way to ask your girls to be in your wedding party is to propose to them with a ring of your own.  

    SouZouCreations on Etsy.com has delightfully adorable food rings, featuring donuts, cupcakes, candies and ice-cream, in a variety of colors.  

      Pick something that matches the colors of your wedding and box it up with a note card to match.

These delightful little engagement ring keychain watches will be an everyday reminder of the time your bridesmaids shared with you. They are classy and cute. 

If cutesy isn't your thing but you still want to give a ring of your own, try creatively wrapping a ring pop for each of your girls with a recordable card of your request for their honorable services. 

Try placing a personal note inside a balloon and having a bunch of balloons delivered to your ladies.  In the delivery note from the florist, tell the bridesmais-to-be to pop the red balloon for an important message.  It is fun and interactive. Your girls will love it. 

Say it with cookies.  Say it with cake.  Send cards, flowers, chocolates.  However you choose to ask, rest assured that it will be remembered no matter how big or small the gesture. The right candidates will be tickled pink that you asked regardless.

To Green or not to Green

Anyone that knows anything about David Tutera knows he hates green for weddings.  Many people don't know why, but when Pantone announced it's color of the year for 2013, we gasped.

Emerald Green

Now I don't think the color of the year matters when it comes to planning the event of your dreams, but there are designers and consumers out there that live by the trends, no matter how arbitrary.  With that in mind I put this together as a reference between good green and bad green.

There is a huge difference between emerald and forest, lime, kelly or chartreuse.  Yes all are green, but the difference is what it looks like on your skin and with your hair.

A green with too much yellow makes just about anyone look washed out and sickly.  Forest or hunter greens can make you look pale or dull.

Emerald is a great shade of green but it is also very specific.  So here are some examples of good greens, and not so good greens.

Color Theme Candy Bar

A candy buffet is a sweet way to thank your guests for attending your event.  

Sometimes it just makes sense to match the colors of the treats to the colors of your celebration.  So I have compiled a list of candies that come in each color.  Consider it a shopping list for your rainbow candy selecting pleasure.

RED-  Red Hots, red gum balls, red M&M's, red rock candy, Red Rageous Mike & Ikes, Swedish Fish, red Sixlets, Fireballs, Cherry  Fruit Sours, cinnamon hard candy, Twizzlers, red licorice rope, Jelly Bellys, Strawberry Bon Bons, gummy bears, red licorice wheels, any red lollipops, Wild Cherry Nerds, Cherry Jolly Rancher Sticks, Strawberry or Watermelon Frootsies, Ring Pops, Old Fashioned hard candy Sticks, Boston Baked Beans, French Burnt Peanuts, Hot Tamales, Brach's Cinnamon Imperials, Red Hot Cinnamon Dollars, Cherry Laffy Taffy, Cherry Airheads, and Cherry Zots.

BLUE-  Jelly Belly's, Gummi Bears, Bumplettes Blue Raspberry Gumdrops, Lollipops, Jordan almonds, rock candy, M&M's, Blue gumballs, Blue Raspberry Laffy Taffy, gummy sharks, old fashioned candy sticks, Blue Airheads, Almond Joys, Mini Crunch Bars, Blue Raspberry Jolly Ranchers, and any candy in a blue foil wrapper will do.  

YELLOW-  Lemon Heads, Gummi Bears, lollipops, rock candy, old fashioned candy sticks, Banana Laffy Taffy, Salt water taffy, M&M's, Yellow Nonpareils, Ring Pops, Now N Laters, Jelly Belly's, Jordan Almonds, gold chocolate coins, butterscotch hard candies, Zours, and Mr. Goodbar mini's. 

GREEN-  Andes Mints, M&M's, gummi Bears, lollipops, spearmint's, Green Apple Frootsies, Lime Jell Slices, rock candy, after dinner mints, Jelly Belly's (lots of green flavors), old fashioned candy sticks, Green apple licorice twists, ribbon candy, nonpareils, gummy frogs, apple Jolly Ranchers, Laffy Taffy, Mike & Ikes Original candy packs, Watermalon Laffy Taffy, Ring Pop, Now N Laters, Apple Zots, Caramel Apple Sugar Babies, and Air Heads.

Orange-  Orange Gummy Wedges, rock candy, M&M's, gummy bears, lollipops, Jelly Belly's, old fashioned candy sticks, Circus Peanuts, ribbon candy, Now N Laters, peach rings, Air Heads, Candy Corns, Orange Zots, and Reese's individually wrapped cups.

PINK-  Gummy bears, rock candy, old fashioned candy sticks, Nerds, M&M's, Lollipops, Jordan Almonds, Bumplettes Pink Gumdrops, after dinner mints, Good & Plenty Pastels, Now N Laters, Jelly Belly's, nonpareils, Claeys Old Fashioned Hard Candy, gum balls, Ring Pops, strawberry lemonade Frootsies, Watermelon Jolly Ranchers, Salt Water Taffy, strawberry Laffy Taffy, Watermelon Zots, Wintergreen Canada Mints, Yogurt covered pretzels, peach rings, and cotton candy.

PURPLE-  M&M's, lollipops, gummi bears, rock candy, dark chocolate Hershey's kisses, Grape Jell Slices, Jolly Ranchers, Frootsies, gum balls, grape Laffy Taffy, Jelly Belly's, Nerds,  Grape Mike & Ikes, Good & Plenty's, Grape Zots, Now N Laters, gum balls, Grapeheads, Ring Pops and Jordan Almonds.

BLACK AND WHITE-  Jordan Almonds, M&M's, Black Licorice wheels, rock candy, gum balls, jelly beans, crows, Toblerone, gumdrops, after dinner mints, non pareils, snow caps, rock candy, white chocolates, jaw breakers, yogurt covered raisins, Hershey's cookies and cream drops, chocolate covered pretzels, and peppermint Lifesavers. 

Something Blue

Just some ideas for that something blue.   

Links to all of these photos on their original sites are available on our Pinterest page.