pretty in purple

of all the projects i am blessed to be a part of, i think bachelorette parties are the most fun.

i love seeing how excited the bridemaids are to shower their sweet friend with love and attention.

this bride's favorite color was purple, so we updated the invite to match accordingly!

we also included a lingerie shower card and a weekend schedule. 

the schedule piece is definitely my favorite part.

every girl loves to be prepared when they go off for a weekend with the girls, so we paired the set with a weekend schedule card! this piece is completely customizable, whether you're hanging by the pool, having a spa day, or taking on the town, the schedule pieces can be updated to match the occasion.

need a custom invitation?
check out my etsy shop!

the big one!

what is more adorable than a first birthday party?

ummmm....nothing. :)

recently, a sweet friend asked me to help design the invitation to her baby boy's first birthday party and i was thrilled! she is such a fantastic party planner, so i can't wait to see how the party turns out!

i tried to keep the design minimal and make the photo of her baby boy the main focus. 

i love how bright and simple the colors are. 

and just because i've got spring fever:

no, i didn't throw a birthday party for raider,,,,yet. :)

although, that is a brilliant idea!

visit gracefully made designs on etsy. 

eat, drink and be married!

today, i'm excited to introduce a new addition to my etsy shop:

eat, drink & be married!

who doesn't love a good mustache?

i can't get enough of the yellow.

maybe it's the last five days of cloudy-rainy weather,

but i just love me some sunshine.

visit gracefully made designs on etsy. 

a lovely baking shower for a lovely bride-to-be

you're invited to a baking shower! :)

what is a baking shower you might ask?

it's just an excuse to eat yummy treats and shower the bride-to-be with gifts to fill her kitchen.

my mama and i hosted a baking themed bridal shower for my sweet friend stephanie.  guests brought so many sweet gifts, and many of them tied in to the recipies they gave her. neat huh?

the colors of the bride-to-be's kitchen are going to be blue and red, such a fun combo! so i designed the invitations and matching recipe cards to reflect this theme.

along with the invitations, guests were given two recipe cards to fill out and give back to the bride.  she received so many yummy recipes!! i wanted to keep them all!  there is something so sweet about having  the ladies in your life share their kitchen secrets.

i was really happy with the size and spacing of these cards.  they had enough room to hold detailed directions, and the lines were well spaced, even if the person writing has large handwriting like me. :)

the back of the recipe cards had a giant "d" for the bride-to-be's new last name! :)

i found plain, bamboo kitchen utensils at the grocery store and painted the handles to match the theme. my mom came up with the fabulous idea of tying them to the plate handles.
the bride said she is going to display them on hooks above her stove. isn't that a great idea!?

the guest's favors were recipe cards for two of the items that were served at the shower:
limeaid punch and chicken caesar salad bites.

we used all white flowers, white and blue plates, and white and silver serving pieces.  the white table cloth provided a clean backdrop for all of the red and blue accents and the yummy food! :)

the yummy bite-sized menu included:
shortbread dot cookies
raspberry spritz cookies
mini ham sandwiches
chicken caesar salad bites
chocolate pinwheels
vanilla gem muffins
fruit tarts with blueberries and raspberries
limeaid punch with fresh raspberries

aren't the flowers beautiful? my mama is so great at arranging flowers, i wish i had even a few of her skills!

just a few photos of me with my mama, and with the beautiful bride-to-be! and we all matched, aren't we the cutest?!

are you hosting a shower anytime soon?

if you're interested in personalized invitations, send me an email and i'd love to work with you! :)

gracefullymadeblog[at]gmail.com

woohooo olympics party!

what's better than the opening ceremonies of the olympics??

dressing up, eating yummy snacks and watching them with friends of course! :)

 yes there was an invitation... 

and a chalkboard welcome sign! :)

we had the opening ceremonies on, and set up kinect sports, but really, let's be real.

isn't it all about the food??

let's break down this snack situation:

what do you think of my janky oreo pops??

i'll be the first to admit that i am not a "pretty" baker.

i've tried to make cakeballs dozens of times,

and while they taste yummy,

they look absolutely terrible.

i think i am using the wrong type of chocolate coating...it takes forever to set and drips everywhere and is just a disaster.

any suggestions??

i filled mine with mini turkey pepperonis, cheese, sauce, and red and yellow bell peppers.

i may or may not have eaten an entire tray full.

p.s. you can find wonton wrappers in the produce section next to the tofu.

duh.

this was so yummy and tasted just like the real thing.

next time, i'll probably add strawberries to the mix.

horray for using wedding gifts! :)

 

a party isn't a party with out salsa and guac!

 do you guys have HEB grocery stores?

they have the best spicy guac on the planet.

i may or may not have eaten 1/2 a carton of guac for lunch saturday.

i'll never tell.

 

don't judge.

of course there were decorations!

bryce and i found the blue sparkly ring and usa stars in the clearance section at target.

definitely great planning to have the olympics fall a few weeks after the fourth of july.

watch out feddy....the real competition is coming your way! :)

loving the chastain women!

not quite to par with hostess with the mostess, but a step in the right direction! :)

p.s. after 2 months with my new iphone,

i realized that the plastic shield was still on my phone...which is why all of my iphone photos have been turning out so terribly.

 sooo smooth....

i'm seeing non-grainy, well lit photos in my future.