parties and events
Event Planning Basics {8 Great Tips for Co-Hosting a Party}
Let’s face it. Sometimes it is just easier to do things ourselves! That said, there are often times where we find ourselves collaborating with others, whether it be friends or family, for big event or party. How do you mesh two (or more) sometimes conflicting styles in order to come together long enough to pull it all off? If you’ve ever found yourself in this situation (or will be in that situation soon), you won’t want to miss these 8 tips for successfully co-planning & co-hosting your next party over at P&G Everyday. Pin It
Under the Sea {Mermaid Party Inspiration}
If you’ve been following this blog for any amount of time, you probably realize that we take parties seriously here in the Soukup household! Princess has been planning her owl party since last November even though her birthday isn’t until August. Trouble isn’t quite the obsessive-compulsive planner that her big sister is turning out to be, but she definitely has an opinion when it comes to picking her themes. This year, for her big 4th birthday party, she is ALL about mermaids. Here is our mermaid party inspiration: Photo Credits: {Be sure to check all the links below for many, MANY more amazing party ideas!} 1. Mermaid Party Dessert Table ... read more
Earth Day Party Ideas
Earth Day is coming soon! I am a firm believer in being a good steward of the planet, taking care of the resources we’ve been given, and trying to teach my kids to do the same. If you’re looking for some fun ways to celebrate the planet, be sure to check out these fun & thrifty Earth Day Party Ideas I put together over at Home Made Simple! * * * How do you celebrate Earth Day?
Simple Easter Birthday Brunch
I have always loved having my birthday in the Spring. It is such a green and fresh and cheery time of year! And if my birthday so happens to fall on Easter–which it does every now and then–well, then, even better! Now I don’t normally throw myself a party, but since this year was the big 3-5 (when did I get so old?!) AND my sister & her family were coming AND it was Easter, hosting a simple brunch to celebrate the day just seemed like the perfect fit. With only eight of us, I tried not to go too crazy on the menu. (Though Husband would probably tell you ... read more
Vintage Fish Fry Party Ideas
Got a kid or husband who loves to fish? Be sure to check out these fun ideas for a vintage fish themed party I recently came up with over at Home Made Simple! * * * What’s the best party theme you’ve ever hosted?
Easter Brunch Inspiration
I am having a little trouble believing that Easter is already right around the corner…..wasn’t it just Christmas? But all denial aside, this year my 35th birthday just happens to fall on Easter AND my one and only sister will be visiting with her family, which to me seems like the perfect two excuses to host a lovely little Easter/Birthday/Spring brunch. A brunch is, after all, my very favorite kind of party! I’m not really into the super-cutesy or bright and plastic-y Easter decorations, but I do love fresh tulips and birds and all things green, yellow, & burlap, so I’m thinking that is the direction I will go. And ... read more
A Naturally Vintage Christmas at My Dream House
I’m still working on the final touches for my own virtual holiday home tour–and the Christmas cocktail party we are throwing tonight–but I thought today I’d share some really cool natural & vintage Christmas decorating ideas from my friend Stacy’s beautiful home. Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while might her gorgeous house from this post a while back. It is the most amazing little 1927 Craftsman bungalow, made even better by her incredible quirky and eclectic vintage style. (If you love vintage items, be sure to check out her Etsy shop! She has SUCH cool stuff!) I could literally spend hours there, just drooling over ... read more
Simple Olympics Party {Fun With Kids}
I don’t know about you but here in the Soukup household we have been SO excited for the Olympics to start! We hadn’t made any big plans, but on Friday the girls & I decided it would be fun to throw together a very impromptu party to celebrate watching the opening ceremonies. We invited one other family, spent the morning searching Pinterest for ideas, and the afternoon making our food & decorations. All our projects were very simple & kid-friendly, and by 7pm, we were ready to bring on the games! There are still 2 weeks left to celebrate this once-every-4-years phenomenon, so I thought I’d share what we did. ... read more
Let Them Eat CAKE {Trouble’s 3rd Birthday}
Finally….the long-awaited CAKE party post! I know I’ve been a little MIA over the past few weeks; this party is definitely a big reason why (the other reasons will just have to wait for another post), and I can’t wait to share it with you! So, without further ado, I give you Trouble’s 3rd birthday party: Party Details: A cake-themed birthday party wouldn’t be complete without LOTS of cake (and cupcakes and cookies and cake pops….), but that was just way too much baking for me to do all on my own! Three of the cakes–the Coconut Cream Cheese Fantasy, Chocolate Lover’s Delight, and mini butter cake–were ordered from my local Publix ... read more
Cute as a Button Baby Shower
This past weekend I had the great privilege of hosting a baby shower for my precious new goddaughter Lydia, who was born on April 30th. It was such a fun party to throw! Party details: The adorable invitations were designed by the lovely Heather Moritz of Moritz Fine Designs, (who has also designed all 4 of my websites.) She was inspired by a design I found on Etsy, and rather than having them printed, she just sent me the digital file and I printed them at home, which helped us get them out sooner and kept costs down. As always, there were lots & lots of fun DiY projects ... read more
Sunday Brunch at my Dream House
If you follow along on Project Simplify 365, you may have picked up on the fact that I have a slight problem with baby stalking. I just can’t help myself…..I love them SO much! I have so far been unsuccessful in my attempts to convince husband that we need another one, so I fill that need by obsessing, er, doting on other people’s babies. But I digress. About a week and a half ago we were invited to a brunch after church to celebrate the baptism if this little cutie pie. Isn’t she precious? As we were driving out to the country home of the baby’s grandmother, Stacy, we took ... read more
Let Them Eat Cake! {Birthday Party Inspiration}
It’s been a while since I’ve thrown a party and now suddenly I have TWO of them coming up next month! Yay! This year Trouble picked her own theme for her 3rd birthday party: CAKE! I found it only fitting since the girl is currently obsessed with all things baking-related & spends hours building cakes and cupcakes out of Legos. My only concern was that it might be too similar to last year’s Sweet Shop Party theme, but Husband ever so kindly pointed out that no one would remember last year’s theme anyway, least of all Trouble. The man has got a point. Maybe I’ve just been going through party ... read more
5 Tips for Throwing a Fabulous Holiday Party {On a Tiny Budget}
First of all, if any of you are popping by for the first time after watching The Daily Buzz or reading The Charlotte Sun, I just want to say welcome to LWSL! There is a lot to see so please take some time to explore some of my most popular posts! If you like what you read, I encourage you to subscribe to the weekly LWSL newsletter , or join me on Facebook & Twitter. If you are looking for the latest Cyber Monday deals, please visit my sister site Saving Well Spending Less! * * * But on to party planning….The main thing to remember when planning any party ... read more
Butterflies for Two {Annie & Violet’s 1st Birthday}
A few weeks ago my friend Rachel–an old pal from elementary school–posted a few pictures of her identical twin daughters’ 1st birthday party on Facebook, and I almost died they were so gorgeous. Among her many amazing and creative gifts (which I’m still trying to convince her to let me share!), Rachel is an extremely talented photographer. How she manages to not spend all her time photographing those two adorable, precious girls is beyond me. They are SO cute! Here are Rachel’s hints for how she kept her stylish soiree budget friendly: She borrowed her mother-in-law’s Cricut machine to cut butterflies out of two sided scrap-booking paper, then folded them ... read more
Party DiY: Simple Chair Slipcover
I saw this chair cover awhile back & absolutely loved the concept but didn’t really have a specific occasion in mind. Then, as I was wandering around Walmart one Sunday evening I came across some cute fabric on sale for $2 a yard & immediately thought of the chair cover. At that point, I was still struggling mightily with Princess Tea Party ideas so I figured any idea was better than none and decided to just go with it. (For the record, Sunday evening is not the best time to try to buy fabric at Walmart. There was no one working in that department, and no one in any other ... read more
