Birthday Party Design Selected!

The party planning has begun for my daughter's 5th and final birthday bash until she turns double digits in 2015. Last week, we made the deposit at a local children's party place, which of course has a Princess theme, to be revealed a little later. After a two hour search to find the perfect party decor, we have decided to use the image below for her cupcake toppers, favor bags, and her thank you cards. Each sheet of stickers/toppers costs $5.50/sheet. The designer, The Paper Kingdom on Etsy.com, has even agreed to make the Princess Olivia a few shades darker to reflect my daughter's beautiful brown skin. I wanted to use a personalized mailing seal with the same image but didn't give myself enough time to purchase and receive the lables which will arrive via postmail.

Now that I have this out of the way, it's now time to find goodies for the goody bags. Any suggestions?

New Blog Discovery!

The next birthday in our home will be my daughter's and that's not for another five months. However, that's no excuse to not post this gorgeous birthday cupcake tower now is it? I LOVE this photo.

Amy Atlas Events and Blog.

Tie One On For Dad! A Cake That Is...

Father's Day is fast approaching so imagine how grateful I was when I received an email from Matt, a real follower (wow!) giving me permission to use his post on these awesome tie cakes. Below are some extremely creative cakes I'm sure Dad will enjoy. These cakes are truly a work of art. I would feel bad cutting into it.

I'm not crazy about this tie but the shirt looks like a Brooks Brother's design

This cake reminds me of a shirt/tie set my dad would wear to church

For Dr. Dad!

Click here for more Tie Cakes!

Here are a few other fabulous finds from Family Fun!

For our Dad's who love to grill

Customize this treat in your Dad's favorite team colors which is perfect for Lakers/Celtics fans

This treat is very creative! Is that a tootsie roll on top?

Dad, if you're unsure about what to do with years and years of ugly ties from your children, turn tacky into trendy and make a shirt, skirt, or dress for the lovely lady in your life. Interested in other designs? Send an email to fabulousbyapril@yahoo.com for more designs.

Thomas the Tank (Costly) Obsession

I'm still on the fence about giving my son a birthday party. His birthday is June 27 and he will be turning two. He shares the same birthday with my father who will not be turning two on June 27. My son has developed a liking to Thomas the Tank Engine and even goes around the house saying, "choo choo, all aboard" only the way a 23.5 month old can say it. It is absolutely adorable. So how can we not have a Thomas the Tank Engine themed celebration? I suppose we can still celebrate quietly and skip the big to do and he will be just as happy. I think I'm about pooped out when it comes to party planning for the year even though I enjoy having people over.

I did a search for Thomas the Tank cakes and this is what I found. If you look closely you will see the websites where some of these cakes can be found. Aren't they gorgeous???

Love this, but I don't think he'll like the hard frosting.

I could probably replicate this one...ummm, maybe not.

Here is a link you can click on for more idea. www.elitecakedesigns.com/au.

A few years ago, I worked in the Public Affairs Department here. Greenfield Village would host Thomas the Tank Engine for a few days, along with special programming, and the entire village would be littered with small children geard up in Thomas paraphernalia. Screams surrounded the outdoor village as mom's pulled their children kicking and screaming away from the hundreds of costly souvenirs stacked upon tables. This is the image I remembered. I soon learned to stay away from the village during these times because I couldn't bear the large crowds Thomas would draw, of course thanks to the awesome PR and Marketing department.

This would be an awesome present for my son, huh? Unfortunately the dates are incompatible with our schedule for June but September looks good!

Party Decor: Cocktail & Shower Tags

Cocktail tags - $14.99/doz.



I have a few friends having babies this summer. Sweet Baby Shower Tags on sale for $5/doz.

I found these cute little cocktail tags here and fell in love with this site. As you see on the right hand column of my blog I have added a few of my favorite party blogs I now follow. Check it out! I'm always searching for cute ways to spruce up a table or party. I wonder what I'll use this for...

Click here for personalized cookies for any occasion. Unfortunately I wasn't able to upload the photo. I don't think $42/doz is a bad price to pay especially for your new arrival. No, I'm not pregnant. Two is enough for me.

2 Party or Not 2 Party...That is the Question

I'm on the fence about giving my son a party on June 27, which also happens to be my father's birthday, when he turns two. At this stage, the only friends he has are our friends who have children. Those who have children are about a year younger than he is and aren't as mobile as he is. Most are just turning one and can't keep up with my little agressive runner and jumper. I think most moms will have a heart attack if they see my son running towards their little one.

So as I ponder and discuss with hubby, here are a few items I found on Etsy. LOVE their stuff. It's a website that hosts multiple designers from everywhere with different talents in various areas. Enjoy!


This would be great for a Pirate themed party.


Popcorn would be a great party favor....when he turns 10. Now it's a choking hazard.



How coincidental that this tag has my daughter's name on it! A bowling party would be a great idea since it's in her blood. Grandma is an avid bowler!

Cute idea for a tricyle themed party.

Another cute idea for a Pirate party. This design is for cupcakes.

How adorable is this party invite? I'm not to excited about the colors though.

He LOVES ice cream. An ice cream social type dessert themed party could be a great idea.

This is perfect for an astronaut themed party. I'm actually planning to design one of his cubbies into a space ship. Can't wait to post photos of his room redo...when it actually happens.

Like most little boys, I'm sure he'll be into dinosaurs at some point in his life. This is ideal!

If you have any stationary websites to share, please do! Which one(s) do you like?