It’s hard to believe I’m posting my little man’s fifth birthday. We’ve come along way from our Little Peanut party. LEGOs…ahhh LEGOs. Timeless small land mines of colorful plastic that will occupy your typically boisterous child for hours on end. Parents rejoice! I was more than happy to oblige when Lincoln decided he wanted a LEGO birthday party. Fun, easy and colorful, there are so many options to create your very own LEGO party on a very limited budget. Many of the items were made by using a circular hole punch and foam squares to raise the circles off the paper. We utilized many of the LEGO items we have in our house for colorful accents! 
I created an invitation similar to this sign, which adorned our mantle along with a few other Lincoln and LEGO items. 
I painted pasta sauce and salsa jars using a yellow spray paint. The face was made by punching out circles and cutting mouths from adhesive black paper, then sticking them to the jar. 
The kids all decorated LEGO man faces and played a rousing game of Pin the Head on the LEGO man! 
All of our party guests were asked to guess how many LEGOs were inside the jar. The winner won some birthday cake M&Ms! 
The cake was a homemade chocolate cake with buttercream frosting. The “LEGOs” were candies made by melting candy melts and placing them in a LEGO block candy mold. Some of Lincoln’s LEGO men made an appearance to help hold the candles for the birthday boy. 
The treat bags were filled with small lego kits and chocolate lego candy favors. 
The grown ups also received some chocolate candy LEGOs as a parting gift. And for being awesome. 
We purchased yellow square plates and used the same black adhesive paper from the pasta jar lego head to make a variety of faces. 
Our big five-year-old and his almost five-year-old cousin were very excited for the party! Happy birthday Lincoln! We think you’re awesome!
Category Archives: Entertain
LEGO Birthday Party
Filed under Birthday
Back to School Party
And just like that…school is back! I believe back to school time is cause for celebration (both kids and parents alike). This year, we invited our nieces over for a little soiree to get in the back to school spirit. The kids chanted “back to school is cool” while they indulged in book worms and ruler cake. And what is a party without a favor! We made homemade red play dough and created little apple play dough favors using mason jars. Stay tuned to Haute Apple Pie for a great homemade play dough recipe!
Lincoln helped me put together name tags for everyone (even the littles who aren’t going to school, because they get to celebrate too right?) with foam letter stickers from Joann Fabrics.
We placed green grapes on plastics skewers and affixed candy eyes with leftover frosting from the cake to make book worms. These were a big hit!
I didn’t want to make too much work for myself, so I created this ruler cake simply by frosting two pound cakes.
This happy guy is all ready for his first day at his new school! Wishing all the kids and parents out there the happiest of back-to-school as well!
Filed under Entertain
Sweet and Simple Birthday Party
My daughter turned 1 a few months ago. I knew that I wanted to make her first birthday special, but wanted to keep it simple so I could focus on her big day and not be overwhelmed with all of the details. I ordered a few wonderful decorations on etsy and kept the menu easy with food that both adults and kids would love.
Invitation from Penelope and Lala.
I set up a simple buffet table and added little gold flags and bunting. The rag garland was also a beautiful touch and stayed hung in my living room for weeks after the party. Rag garland and flags also from Penelope and Lala.
We served a variety of muffins, pigs in a blanket, bacon and broccoli quiche, apricot and cheese crescent bites, and a salad topped with barley and roasted sweet potatoes (elin’s favorite).
We served caramel cake with salted caramel icing along with a mini smash cake for Miss Elin.
The birthday girl looked adorable in her party outfit! (Shirt from B. Swanky and bloomers from Bloomin Bloomers)
Everyone had a blast and Elin especially loved her first taste of cake.
Happy Birthday Sweet Elin! We love you so much!
Wisconsin Sports Awards: Modern Sports Dessert Table
Last week, I had the absolute pleasure of hosting the dessert bar at the Wisconsin Sports Awards at the Harley-Davidson Museum. A celebration of Wisconsin high school, collegiate and professional athletes, the Wisconsin Sports Awards boasts big names from Aaron Rodgers to Ryan Braun.
Working again with the wonderful Kate of Milwaukee’s The Home Market, we put together an enormous dessert spread including treats from Milwaukee Cupcake Company, Goodie Gourmets of Shorewood, WI, Simma’s Bakery in Wauwatosa and a few homemade treats put together and brought up from Chicago by my mom!
Using a modern sports theme, we put together a spread of cupcakes, gourmet popcorn, signature cookies, sports candy, little “macs,” sports themed chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate covered pretzels and more. Black and white stripes with small bursts of chartreuse decorated the table to serve the almost 600 guests.
We served lemonade and caramel corn with pecans from Goodie Gourmets in Shorewood. The popcorn was a huge hit with all of the guests and the first thing to run out!
Not only were the desserts delectable, but the room transformed from warehouse to a swanky modern soiree by the hands of Kate. The same color scheme was dispersed throughout the room with breath-taking modern touches including lamp bases filled with orchids and water and sleek couches and chairs.
It was a wonderful experience and a great time hobnobbing with the athletes! A special thanks to all of the amazing vendors for their fantastic treats!
Filed under Entertain
Candy Land Birthday Party
My game-obsessed toddler just turned three! To celebrate, we decided to pay homage to his favorite game, Candy Land, at our most-loved local frozen yogurt place, Yo Mama. I wanted to keep it simple but just add a few tiny touches and some cool tech gifts to make the day extra special.
All his pint-sized friends were sent a Candy Land themed invitation. I designed this with inspiration from the game board and the story of Candy Land included in the box (which Lincoln asks us to read almost every day). This invitation is available in my Etsy shop, Morning Star Designs, as a printable file.
Each Lord and Princess of Candy Land was designated a cupcake by King Lincoln. Our King donned a special crown to celebrate the occasion.
Guests dined at tables with different candy buckets representing the various stops along the way to the Candy Castle, including Gummy Pass, Licorice Lagoon and Lollipop Forest. They were all allowed to snack on the centerpieces and bring some home at the conclusion of the party.
Before filling up their yogurt cups with whatever they wanted, they colored pictures to hang on the special Yo Mama art gallery wall.
Finally, all the mini guests were treated to homemade play dough with special cookie cutters as a parting gift.
Wishing King Lincoln the happiest of third birthdays! May you always find your way to the Candy Castle…
Earl Grey Creme Tea Cookies
I recently helped host a bridal shower for a dear friend at Anaba Tea Room, a local tea room/restaurant plus home and garden boutique. Considering the location, we continued a “tea in the garden” theme throughout the shower including these delicate tea cookies that I made as shower favors.
Using a Martha Stewart recipe that I’d been wanting to try for awhile, I incorporated my favorite black tea, Earl Grey Creme, which has an amazing aroma and subtle vanilla undertones. The results were spot on for an elegant afternoon event.
Earl Grey Creme Tea Cookies
1 C butter
2 C flour
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp fine salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 Tbsp finely ground Earl Grey Creme black tea leaves
Preheat oven to 350. Use a spice grinder or coffee grinder to grind tea leaves into a fine powder.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and ground tea with a whisk to fluff. In a separate large bowl, beat together butter and powdered sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in dry mixture, taking care to scrap dough from the sides of the bowl, until all dry ingredients have been incorporated but mixture is still solid and not beaten to the point of crumbling.
Divide dough into two balls and set on two pieces of parchment paper. Roll dough into a long tubular shape using the parchment paper. Reposition dough tube on the parchment, rolling it tightly and tucking the ends under. Freeze dough for 30-45 minutes.
Remove dough from freezer and unwrap from parchment, placing parchment on a baking sheet. Slice dough into 1/4″ slices and place on cookie sheet. If cookies are slightly misshapen you can let the cookies sit for 10-15 minutes so that dough thaws enough for you to gently reshape the cookies.
Bake for 13 minutes.
Bug Themed First Birthday Party
So my little bug turned one last weekend! Where did the year go? I feel like I was just posting about our brand new baby and now he’s quite the active little boy. But enough of the sappy mom syndrome and onto the party. We decided to keep things on the simpler side and had a small casual bug-themed BBQ for our families.
The mantel was cute-ified with a Very Hungry Caterpillar banner created by Will’s particularly crafty grandma.
Guests young and old got into the spirit of things with fake spider rings.
Colorful bowls of candied watermelons and neon gummy worms were set about for nibbling as guests chatted. 
We paired grass green silverware with bright green plates to add color to the table and decorated cheap IKEA vases with little felt ladybugs purchased at a craft store.
Guests snacked on carrots and potato chips with “bug dip”, which was inspired by Taste of Home, while plastic bugs adorned the various serving platters.
Watermelon, baked beans and butterfly pesto pasta salad accompanied platters of homemade burgers and brats.
We made picnic ant cupcakes, inspired by the Hostess with the Mostess, to match the piece de resistance – Will’s mini vanilla bean birthday cake. I’ll post more details about the mini cake soon!
The birthday boy was quite the ham and had a grand time playing in his caterpillar shirt made by NaptimeCraftMommy.
Filed under Birthday
{Inspired by} Peacocks
As far as birds go, it does not get any fancier than a peacock. It is no wonder these birds can reel in the ladies, bringing in several at one time with one swift spread of the feathers. I know I am not alone by being drawn into the iridescent array of colorful feathers of these beautiful creatures. I’ve been to a few events recently that have been peacock-inspired with beautiful blues and greens sprinkled throughout the room.
This past weekend, I attended a pre-wedding celebration bridal shower for my friend Jen. Being a bird-lover, she had a peacock themed shower with peacock invitations and a few peacock touches. As a bridesmaid, I wanted to help add an extra special touch to the day, so I created peacock name tags to hang from the water glasses and a few peacock colored tissue poms that rested on the mantle.
A little over a year ago, my dear friend Doug married his lovely bride Stacy and hosted one of the most beautiful wedding receptions I’ve ever attended. Peacock inspiration was everywhere from the flower girl to the name cards. It was elegant and sophisticated with a modern flare. To start out the peacock theme, I designed their wedding save-the-date with a little peacock touch. (You can find this design in my Etsy shop, Morning Star Designs).
A special shout out to Robb Davidson Photography for the photos from Doug and Stacy’s wedding. If you live in the Chicagoland area and are looking for a fabulous and inspired photographer, check out Robb. He is great!
If you have any peacock-themed events you’ve experienced, we’d love for you to share a link!
Lovely Little Lady Baby Celebration
Maybe it is the second child in me, but I feel like every baby deserves a celebration. So when we found out our very own Anne was expecting her second little girl this spring, we just had to throw a little soiree. We called this a baby celebration, rather than a shower. We gathered on a Sunday afternoon for some sweet treats and hot drinks in celebration of the newest lovely little lady!
Guests were invited with the bunting flag invites which set the scene for the pink sweets table (for sale in my Etsy shop here!).
We set up a sweets table in the basement that included thumbprint cookies, cherry chip cookies, fruit and fluff dip and a snickerdoodle cake. Little pink touches were added throughout with plates, napkins, ribbons and flowers. Homemade pink and white tissue pom poms hung from the ceiling. Guests were also treated to a hot chocolate & coffee bar with lots of fun mix-ins, including Bailey’s Irish Cream, Kahlua, Amaretto liquor, vanilla syrup, infused whipped creams, and hand-dipped marshmallows.
A Snickerdoodle Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream was served. It was topped with a little bunting flag printed on scrapbook paper, threaded and tied to bamboo skewers. The recipe for the cake can be found on Foodie with Family.
We had a great time chatting, eating, drinking and celebrating the upcoming birth of what we know we will be a lovely little lady! February was quite the month for parties and I was thrilled to end the month on such a bright cheery note! We wish Anne and her family the very best as they anticipate the arrival of baby number two!
Filed under Baby Shower, Decorate, DIY, Entertain, Treats
Breakfast at Tiffany’s Party
My niece Mallory recently celebrated her second birthday and her party was too sweet not to share! What girl, big or little, can resist dress up and fancy things? This theme works great for a little girl’s birthday or for a wedding shower or adult birthday. Nothing wrong with teaching them young how fabulous that little blue box can be, right?
Guests were invited by an imitation little blue box with the words Mallory & Co. written across the front. The back read “Breakfast at Mallory’s” across the back along with the invitation details. (These invites are available for sale as a personalized PDF file at my Etsy shop, Morning Star Designs).
The house was filled with lovely blue touches, from the homemade tissue poms to the placemats to the balloons.
Tiny guests were given their party favors upon entrance to the party. This party was just for mommies and girls (minus Lincoln) so necklaces, bracelets and sunglasses were passed along for some dress up.
A beautiful Tiffany-inspired cake adorned the table. A breakfast of blueberry french toast, tomato egg strata and donuts was served. Along with mimosas for the mommies and blue juice for the kids.
Little fancy touches of pearls and china were strewn throughout the house. Simple and elegant!
I had a little fun with Photoshop and put Mallory’s face on the Breakfast at Tiffany’s movie poster, and changed the words to Breakfast at Mallory’s. It was a huge hit!
The birthday girl was beaming as we all sang happy birthday and blew out the candle like an old pro. Mallory wore a shirt designed by Lois Jean Linens, complete with an embroidered pearl necklace and a little black ruffle at the bottom.
Mallory and Sir Lincoln had a blast partying together! Happy Birthday to my darling niece!
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