Learn, Grow, Play – a Back to School Party!

Let’s Play!

A final hurrah before school starts! A chance to let loose, enjoy some sweets and play with friends. I created this party focusing on bright, cheerful and fun elements to remind the kids how fun school is. Colorblocked balloons from Maria flanked acrylic risers filled with desserts and favors. I designed some mock chalkboard signs to hang from the gold ring to further pull in the school vibe, and set some statement rainbow florals at the base to anchor it all.

For the bounce house, we added matching balloons, florals, and a sweet felt banner from Justine. I found the perfect plushie pencils at Target, and added honeycomb red apples to the ball pit.

Let’s Sit

You know I’m a sucker for details and an amazing tablescape! I just love how this turned out. Statement florals lined the center with sprinkled custom confetti and mini apple cookies scattered around at their base. I’m still in awe of these florals from Tara! I simply love the tonal pencils & crayons hidden throughout the arrangements. Each place setting had a packed lunch style snack box from Samantha and a cute pencil shaped favor. I found lined dry erase boards at Dollar Tree that worked perfectly as placemats. Bright, primary colored plates and napkins from Shana added a much needed pop of color while we kept the cups and cutlery a simple black. I added school-inspired stir sticks from Crystal and placed a personalized blackboard cookie from Bettina on each plate. All in all it was super inviting and fun, which is exactly what I was going for!

Let’s Eat

These desserts and favors speak for themselves! I’m obsessed – truly! These gals rose to the challenge I set them. When I asked for Fruity Pebbles macarons Paige had never made them before, but look how perfect they are. When I really wanted Elmer’s glue dripping down a cake, Krystal made it happen. And when I wanted favors shaped like books filled with gummy worms Nelza delivered!

This was such a fun party to design with an amazing team. And now I’m ready to get these kids back in school! Thanks for checking out my blog. I appreciate you being here.

Dream team:
Design & Planning: @celebrate.you.events
Photography: @brookepappasphotography
Florals: @flowerwirx
Balloons & bounce house: @balloonsbymapi
Garland: @cobralily_designs
Favors: @nelzapartydecor
Cake: @cakeandpurpose
Cookies: @thesugarfixfairy
Macarons: @thesweetestpaige
Charcuterie: @babegrazeco
Venue: @eventsbubbles
Stir sticks: @rileyblackdesigns
Tabletop: @setwithstyle_fl
Confetti: @festivefetti

Surfing USA

Beach Boys & Girls

I can’t help but start singing “Surfing USA” by the Beach Boys every time I think of this party. It was my inspiration when designing this collaboration. I wanted to bring a beach vibe inland, and I think we succeeded!

The Invitations

This stationary set is so inviting! Who wouldn’t want to come to this 4th of July BBQ? With water color waves and sun-drenched surfboards, it all started here, setting the tone for the party.

Lifeguard Hut Backdrop

This patriotic lifeguard hut backdrop made a statement! Flanked by color blocked balloons, surfboard cutouts, and a shelf wall full of cookies and Cracker Jacks it provided a focal point for the party. We added beach towels, a fabulous cake with custom “Surfing USA” topper, and mixed dried and fresh florals to round out the design.

Tabletop Fun

It’s the little details that bring me joy, and there are so many elements to this table. The tablecloth is actually to be colored on, and of course it’s a patriotic beach scene! I scattered custom confetti with shells along the runner with a stunning floral arrangement as the centerpiece. Each place setting had festive, playful sunglasses and a personalized surfboard as a name plate.

Architecture Activity

Keeping in theme and rooted in architecture, we gifted these lifeguard hut kits as favors. Kids could paint, build, decorate and use their imagination to play with their new patriotic beach themed creations.

The Bubble & Corn Hole

Our final activity was this enticing bubble house, filled with red balloons. Kids could play there, entranced by the twirling balloons, while the adults could play a round of patriotic corn hole. Ending the evening with fireworks over the lake, and you have an unforgettable celebration.

Special thanks to these amazing vendors who helped bring this party to life:

Rachel from Celebrate You Events @celebrate.you.events – design, planning, party styling
Marisa from Marisa Plotnick  Photography @marisaplotnickphotography – photography
Susie from Seed & Soil @seedandsoilfloral – floral arrangements, table & stools
Kenia from Stix + Brix @stix_and_brix  – architectural lifeguard hut kit
Brenda from Festive Fetti @festivefetti – confetti
Dylan from Kind of a Big Dyl @kindofabigdyl_ – balloons
Miriam from City Girl Sweet Shop @citygirlsweetshop – baked goods
Yesenia from The Party Print Shop @thepartyprintshopcorp – prints, cutouts & vinyl
Sarah from Harbor Designs @harbor.designs – stationery set
Rachel from Fancy Funfetti @fancyfunfetti – custom sunglasses
Melanie from Elegant Bounce @elegantbounce_ – bubble house

A Retro 4th of July

Old Trucks & Good Times

Abigail, the 1958 Chevy Apache, was the inspiration behind this retro 4th of July party. With new rims and a custom display table in the trunk, we loaded her up with sweets, beverages, and balloons and placed her in front of the stunning Villa Amore Estate.

Patriotic cakes, cupcakes, macarons, and a candy charcuterie tray left even the biggest sweet tooth satisfied. I threw in some Cracker Jacks, USA flags and sparklers too for good measure. It was Independence Day after all!

Did you spot the mini Abigail truck I found at Hobby Lobby? When I saw it I just had to get it. Even the drinks were color coordinated to our color palette, and kept cool with custom koozies. Balloons overflowed out of the trunk down to the ground, adding a festive pop of color.

Activities & Tablescapes

With all that sugar comes energy!! This bounce house and ball pit were the perfect solution. We added a fun fringe and balloon garland to it, and kept a few loose balloons to play around with.

Over at the kids table, I created custom placemats in a retro checkerboard print. We placed the party favors on the red star plates which popped against the navy linens. The favors were popsicle shaped and filled with patriotic dough and sensory pieces to play with. The centerpiece was filled with fresh florals in red, white and pale blues.

Next to the kids table, we set up some high top tables for the adults with casual yet elegant place settings. We added flowers in a soda fountain glass complete with straw as a playful, retro centerpiece.

We All Scream For Ice Cream

When a new, homemade ice cream shop opens up you definitely invite them to the party! Let’s Chill Ice Cream brought flavors that were red, white, and blue along with all the fixings. This Independence Day party was one for the books! How are you spending your 4th of July this year? Let me know in a comment below!

Special thanks to Charmed Photography (@charmedphotography_barby) for the amazing pictures!

Rachel from Celebrate You Events (IG: @celebrate.you.events) – Event design, vendor management, party styling
Krista from The Tale of Abigail (@thetaleofabigail) – Vintage truck rental
Ivonne from Cupcake FactorYum! (@cupcakefactoryum) – Cake, cupcakes & macarons
Cristina & Ricardo from Let’s Chill Homemade Ice Cream (@letschill_icecream) – Homemade ice cream
Caitlin, KJ & Kim from Tis the Season Favors (@tistheseasonfavors) – Popsicle sensory favors, Koozies
Kelly from Lilli’s La Vie en Rose (@lillis_lavieenrose) – Floral
Jackie from Cutie Candy Company (@cutiecandycompany) – Candy charcuterie board
Dylan from Kind of a Big Dyl (kindofabigdyl_) – Balloons
Melanie from Elegant Bounce (@elegantbounce_) – Bounce house & ball pit
Irene from Villa Amore (@villaamoreestate) – Venue rental
Heather from Atlas Event Rental (@atlaseventrental) – Furniture & tabletop rental

Rad Dad Club – a Father’s Day Dinner Party

Calling All Rad Dads

This dinner party was made for you! Together with two friends, we created this interactive dinner menu to celebrate our amazing husbands on Father’s Day. I designed a fun, masculine logo that D Shelez Designz produced for me out of black foam board and walnut veneer. Instead of a backdrop, I simply placed the sign on an easel in front of large dried palm fronds (which I found while taking a walk around the block. The benefit of living in south Florida!). From there, we planned a cocktail pairing menu. Each course had a cocktail paired with it!

The Nosh & Details

This party is filled with DIYs! Using leftover curtain fabric, I sewed some napkins. I’m a sucker for stripes! For the centerpieces, I painted the smaller dried palm fronds I found on my walk with some black paint for added interest. I printed some Father’s Day tags from Threadmama Story as well as had at the kids draw a picture for their dads and answer some questions. I rolled them up and tied them with a bow for the dads to open with the last course.

The first course was an individual charcuterie board waiting for them as they arrived. For this course, they actually had to make their cocktail themselves. A delicious Negroni! An instructional card held up by a binder clip was at each setting along with all the ingredients.

To go with the main course of ribs and mashed potatoes, we paired a smoked Old Fashioned with homemade dried oranges and a custom stir stick. The twist? They had to smoke the cocktail themselves with their own personalized cocktail smoker from Lily & Blue – sporting their custom logo, of course!

Dessert

I didn’t manage to get pictures of the salad and main course, but for dessert we had the most delicious macarons from Bon Macaron paired with an Espresso Martini with a lemon twist – SO GOOD!

All in all it was such a fun night. I think we succeeded in making these hardworking dads feel loved.

What are your Father’s Day plans? I’d love to hear!

Summer in Full Bloom

Summer Flowers

If you know me at all, you know I love flowers! With summer coming and beautiful flowers sprouting, I thought they would be the perfect theme and metaphor for an end of school / summer brunch party!

Don’t flowers perfectly represent our kids? Through this party, I wanted to convey a message of inclusion through nurturing and supporting our kids, so that they bloom into their beautiful, unique selves. A nod to PRIDE month.

The Invitations

These whimsical, botanical invites designed by Harbor Designs set the tone for the party. The pastel gingham coordinated back to the plates used at the main table. Floral stamps and pretty fonts pulled it all together. I styled this flat lay with beautiful macarons and cookies from City Girl Sweet Shop, custom confetti from Festive Fetti, and embellished sunglasses from Fancy Funfetti.

The Backdrop

This simple, colorful backdrop made a statement without being overpowering. Balloon garlands from Kind of a Big Dyl, and floral cutouts from The Party Print Shop flanked each side framing the pedestal with a floral cake. I love how the 3D floral BLOOM letters from Seed & Soil added texture and dimension.

The Main Table

I wanted the table to look like flowers were growing right out of the center, and I think we succeeded! The gingham plates added a casual summer feel to the table, and each one was topped with a mini cake. Custom confetti from Festive Fetti was sprinkled around the table and each setting had a floral painting activity from SplashKits. The chairs were personalized with name cutouts tied to each one with gingham ribbon. A perfect Bridgetron-esque vibe and activity!

Activities & Favors

On top of the painting activity we had a bounce house and slide with a ball pit from Elegant Bounce. We wrapped the bounce house in playful balloons, and dolled up the slide with floral cutouts. For the favor wall we created cookie bouquets, displayed floral macarons and filled colorful jelly bags with sweet treats tied with chiffon ribbon and tags matching our invitations. We added embellished sunglasses from Fancy Funfetti to round out the blooming fabulous offerings.

Signature Cocktail

If you’ve made it this far you deserve this cocktail!! This elderflower gin & tonic is so refreshing and just perfect for summer! Simply pour 1 oz of gin and 1 tablespoon of St. Germain elderflower liqueur to a glass filled with ice. Add 4 oz of Fever-Tree elderflower tonic and gently stir. Garnish with an edible flower if you like, and enjoy!

Do you see yourself enjoying a party like this? What’s your favorite detail? Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have an upcoming party! Head over to my booking request page to get in touch.

Special thanks to Marisa Plotnick Photography for all the amazing pictures of this event.

Dream team details:

Design & Planning: @celebrate.you.events
Photography: @marisaplotnickphotography
Balloons & Chairs: @kindofabigdyl_
Floral: @seedandsoilfloral
Confetti: @festivefetti
Backdrop & cutouts: @thepartyprintshopcorp
Baked goods: @citygirlsweetshop
Sunglasses: @fancyfunfetti
Bounce House & Slide: @elegantbounce_
Stationary set & favor tags: @harbot.designs
Painting kits: @splashkitspainting

Live Life in Color

Seeing Rainbows

School’s nearly out for summer! It’s time for lazy days, family time and fun. We created this rainbow party for a couple reasons. One reason was to celebrate the start of summer and let our kids know how proud we are of all the hard work they put in this year. The other was a reminder during Pride month to encourage greater acceptance and support for all people.

The Kid’s Table

This party hit all the kid essentials! Bright colors, fun activities, sunflowers and loads of sweets. I pulled color inspiration from the plates and napkins which popped against the bright blue linens from Just Tables and Chairs. I got crafty and used Mod Podge and a striped napkin to jazz up the vase holding the most beautiful sunflowers from Flowers from Judith. Each place setting had the cutest rainbow cupcake with a cloud on top as well as a DIY rainbow painting kit that I found at Target.

The Bounce House

Bounce houses just scream fun, and I love including them in my parties. This awesome white slide version from SoFlo Luxe Bounce looked perfect with an added balloon garland and matching fringe banner.

The Backdrop & Sweets

I chose the theme “Live Life in Color” to let our kids know they have the freedom to be themselves, and that individuality should be celebrated. If we were all the same life would be boring. D Shelez Designz created the wood letter cutouts and Rose & Blossom brought her backdrops and balloon talents to the party. Cake & Purpose created this statement cake to match our color palette, and The Styled Kind provided the cotton candy station. Rainbow candy cubes with custom stickers created by Cutie Candy Company were the perfect party favors.

However you spend your summer, let’s reinforce to our kids that they are amazing just the way they are, and that everyone is worthy of respect and kindness.

A special thanks to Carolina’s Newborn Photography for all the amazing pictures.

Dream Team:

Design & Planning: @celebrate.you.events
Rentals & Linens: @jtcparty
Photography: @carolinasnewbornphotography
Laser items: @d_shelez_designz
Floral: @flowersfromjudith
Cakes: @cakeandpurpose
Bounce House: @sofloluxebounce
Cotton Candy Station: @thestyledkind_
Candy boxes: @cutiecandycompany
Backdrop & balloons: @roseandblossomco

Hot Mamas Can Buy Themselves Flowers

Mothers are often so busy caring for everyone else that they forget to take care of themselves. Like in Miley Cyrus’s song “I can buy myself Flowers”, Rachel Hunter decided to create an event for Hot Mamas that included everything women want. The Mother’s Day event had an empowering message emphasizing the importance of taking time out for ME time.

In this event, women got a chance to take a break from life and celebrate a few hours of kid-free adult time. The event included a selection of activities all geared towards moms that usually don’t have the time to plan them, nor leave their daily routine to enjoy them.

Activity for the Soul

DIY Earrings

An activity that lets your mind drift to a happy place where your thoughts are gone and you can concentrate on one thing at a time. Melissa’s DIY earring kit is exactly that. Best of all, the result is a high fashioned beautiful earring that is sure to elevate your look.

Activity for the Cravings

Let’s face it, most moms are happy when they have delicious food. This party included so many tasty goods. We had personalized Hot Mama cookies, a stunning cake, macaroons, charcuterie coupes, and of course, wine and bubbly.

Activity for the Beauty

Botox

Botox services were offered on a portable spa chair cause when you don’t have time for your skinvestment, it can come to you.

To top it all off, the party was organized to the T with beautiful flower arrangements, tables, and chairs. The ambiance of the room at the venue, Softopolis, was the perfect way to enjoy Mother’s Day the way HOT MAMAS should.

This Hot Mama’s Mother’s Day party was designed and planned by Rachel Hunter of Celebrate You Events. If you’d like an event to wow your guests, head over to the booking inquiry page and leave your details.

Contact Rachel

Hot Mama’s Dream Team:

Design & Planning: @celebrate.you.events
Rentals & Balloons: @aperfecttouchevent
Photography: @tinadasilvaphotography
Laser items: @d_shelez_designz
Floral: @seedandsoilfloral
Charcuterie: @boardyum
Cookies: @cherishedtreats
Cake: @sugarkitchen_fl
Venue: @softopolis
Earrings: @theatozboutique
Wine: @bassersfinewine
Botox: @revivebeautyfl

This blog was written by Libby Alpert, owner of MyTwoCentsOnBusiness, dedicated to helping businesses set up their digital presence.

A Boho Mother’s Day

This Mother’s Day picnic was a dream! I gathered like-minded mompreneurs to create, network and enjoy this wonderful brunch.

The Backdrop

The angular backdrop panels painted in tones of sage green held up the DIY wood “MOM” letters. To make these, I simply drilled holes in the letters and added macrame rope, wood loops and tassels to them for texture. The shelves featured pretty florals, themed cookies and embellished glass jars. I stacked crates to display the “I love you so Matcha bar” complete with macarons, boba matcha ingredients and milk options with custom tags. I placed the elegant cake on a stool with the same wood tones.

The Table

Sometimes simplicity is best. We topped the table with both a chiffon and gauze table runner along with stunning florals. The grazing board was the star! The custom engraved olive wood board was filled to the brim with fruits, meats, cheeses and nuts. Each place setting had a sweet cookie or macaron to nibble, and we enjoyed our iced boba matchas as we indulged.

How will you be enjoying Mother’s Day this year? Whatever your plans, be sure to take a break, treat yourself to something nice, and savor the love-filled day. Thanks so much for following along!

Special thanks to these vendors who participated in this event:

Rachel from Celebrate You Events (IG: @celebrate.you.events) – Concept creation, vendor management, party styling

Marisa from Marisa Plotnick Photography (IG: @marisa_plotnickphotos) – Photography

Mindy from Lilly and Blue (IG: @shoplillyandblue) – olive wood boards, coasters & milk tags

Jackie from Two Besties Bakery & Events (IG: @twobestiesbakeryandevents) – Cake

Amanda from Cookies by Amanda (IG: @cookiesbyamandafl) – Cookies

Danielle from Trendy Creations by DG (IG: @trendycreationsbydg) – Custom beer can glasses

Julie from Paradise Petals (IG: @paradisepetalsfl) – Floral arrangements

Melissa from Grazing Joy (IG: @grazingjoy) – Charcuterie

Diana from Rose & Blossom (IG: @roseandblossomco) – backdrop & tables

Susan from BonMacaron (IG: @bonmacarons_) – macarons

Let’s Fiesta!

The best way to welcome your guests is with a signature cocktail, and for Cinco de Mayo it simply has to be a margarita! We dolled up these margarita glasses with custom acrylic drink tags shaped like limes. Guests could write their names on them, so they wouldn’t lose their drink.

Margarita Bar

The colorful paper fans created a bright backdrop for the margarita bar. We like our margaritas on the rocks with a rim of tajin. To make hosting easier we made a big pitcher of margaritas, so we could simply add salt or tajin to each guest’s glass, fill it up with ice, pour in some fresh margarita and squeeze in a lime!

The Food

When hosting, I like to set up the table with all the dishes, platters and decor before I add the food, so that it’s pretty much all in place prior to the party. That way I know where everything is going and I don’t forget anything!

For this party we opted for steak fajitas with chips and salsa. I used fresh fruit, avocados and paper honeycombs to add texture to the table. The traditional table runner added color, and fresh flowers and plants added some height. A bright fringe garland was used as a backdrop and oversized paper flowers added dimension. The kids painted wooden cacti, so I added them to the table scape which they loved. The decadent desserts were beautiful and in theme. The coconut cactus-shaped cupcakes with lime frosting were my favorite!!

For the Niños

I always like to have a fun activity for the kids that relates to the theme or holiday. I decided to have them make their own maracas. A super inexpensive craft you can do with items you probably already have. You need plastic spoons, dried beans, plastic Easter eggs and tape. I opted for rainbow tape, but you can use what you have. Simply have the kids fill their eggs with dried beans, put the egg between two spoons, and then tape it securely. Now you have a maraca!!!

Let me know if you try any of these activities or tips out! Thanks for being here!

Special thanks to these vendors who helped my vision come to life:

Cakes – Kelly from Caked with Love by Kelley

Cookies – Claudia from Claumellow

Laser goods – Crystal from Riley Black Designs

Flowers – Ana from AO Craft Decor

Easter Event Planning

Hoppy Easter Everyone!

Easter offers an array of pastel colors for event and party planning. The theme for this month’s collaboration was around the word HOP, relating both to the bunny as well as our young toddlers. The party was planned for kids who enjoyed a picnic table filled with tasty Easter-themed treats. Plus, the table was surrounded by soft throw pillows in the color palette. This party included so many small details, read on to get all the deets.

Easter Event Planning by Celebrate You Events

Rachel Hunter, owner of Celebrate You Events designed this month’s party for our little explorers – the crawlers and toddlers. The party room was decorated with pastel-colored and oversized balloons, marquee lights spelling HOP, and spring floral sets. To complete the party, we had a picnic table filled with goodies in the color palette. Rachel always finds the finest and most talented local vendors to carry out her vision to the last detail. Read below about all the different small businesses that came together to create this beautiful party.

Rachel from @celebrate.you.events

Floral Arrangements by Seed & Soil

Beautiful pastel-colored floral baskets were placed at the base of the backdrop. In addition, a few smaller arrangements were added to the picnic table to tie in all the colors of the Easter party.

Susie from @seedandsoilfloral

Rentals, Marquee Lights, Balloons, and Gold Backdrop by A Perfect Touch Events

The backdrop of the event included a beautiful golden shimmer wall, oversized pastel balloons, and marquee lights. Also, all the rental equipment for this event was provided by A Perfect Touch Event.

Stephanie from @aperfecttouchevent

Cake & Cake Pops by Tulle & Tools

A DIY cake pop set, ready to decorate with dipping chocolate and sprinkles, was given out to the kids. This eye catching cake in theme colors was also on display for the festive occasion.

Daniela from @tulleandtools

Cookies by Cherished Treats

An array of beautifully detailed Easter-themed cookies were on display. Additionally, mini egg-shaped cookies dotted the table, accentuating the theme.

Cherish from @_cherishedtreats

Charcuterie Baskets by BoardYum

Each plate setting had a personal mini charcuterie basket. Moreover, the baskets included Easter-themed goodies mixed with meats and cheeses.

Shannon from @boardyum

Soft Play Venue, Softopolis

The event took place at Softopolis, a new children’s wellness center in Coral Springs. The venue is a Montessori-based relaxing play space for caretakers and children. The space offers flexibility for all party setups and therefore was the perfect spot for this Easter event.

Courtney from @softopolis_

Stir Sticks by D Shelez Designz

Each plate setting had its own bunny cup with a matching Easter-themed stir stick. Additionally, the stir sticks had Easter and Spring related words on them

Danielle from @d_shelez_designz

Photography by Tina Da Silva Photography

This wonderful hoppy Easter event was captured by Tina the photographer and all photos in this blog are her work of art.

Tina from tinadasilvaphotography

Whether you plan an Easter Egg Hunt, a feast, or a picnic, we hope this blog gives you plenty of ideas and inspiration to make your Easter egg-citing. If you’d like to consult with Rachel about your next party, please fill out the form on the booking inquiry page.

Contact Rachel

This blog was written by Libby Alpert, owner of MyTwoCentsOnBusiness, dedicated to helping businesses set up their digital presence.