Orange and Blue Harvest Party

Posted by Kelly Porter



This time of year, many parents are gearing up for big Halloween Parties. I've also discovered that many other parents are planning Harvest Parties, but it's not always easy to find party ideas and decor for the latter. So, in the post I'm sharing my Harvest Party Dessert Tables, set against a backdrop of orange burlap.



The colors were inspired by a vintage, hand-printed quatrefoil pattern that I used to design the Party Printables. I love using orange and blue together. For an autumn celebration -- when warm hues dominate -- using blue is an unexpected surprise.

I made the candy topiaries by hot-gluing candy corn to a styrofoam ball {this took about one large bag of candy corn for each topiary, and tons of hot glue sticks}. I left a bare patch at the bottom of each ball so I could perch them on top of large Saratoga water bottles, which are cobalt-blue and so pretty!

One last idea: these mini-birdcages are $1.00 {yes, one buck!} at Michael's. Fill them up with candy or whatever you'd like, and give them as gifts.



If you think you're running out of time to host a Harvest Party, keep in mind that it's a celebration of the Fall season. Set your date for sometime in November -- and candy will be on sale!



You can find the printable tags and labels seen in this post at my new Color Shop on Etsy.



Kelly Porter, designer and publisher of Color Sizzle, is a featured contributor.

Colorful Children's Easter Table

If you're looking for a last minute Easter Table idea for the kids, this colorful setting may be the just the thing!

With splashes of primary colors, orange and a tiny touch of pink, this Easter Table is fun, bright and simple to create. A pedestal-bowl filled with dyed eggs makes a great focal point for this setting. I purchased mine at a thrift store!

For the place cards, I took a photograph of one of the melamine plates {from Target}, minimized it and typed each child's name over top. Then, I inserted each card into a small tray filled with gumballs.

The plastic 'candy carrots' are filled with jellybeans {Wal-Mart}.

And, of course, extra jellybean jars are always appreciated.

Great colors and sweet treats are always the perfect recipe for a children's table. Happy Easter!

Kelly Porter, designer and publisher of Color Sizzle, is a featured contributor.

Tween Girls Spa Party

I never thought I'd style an event in my master bathroom...
…but it proved to be the perfect starting place for this ‘spa party’ that I designed for my niece and her best friend. As always, I began with color.

Young girls love nail polish in fun colors, and that can inspire your palette. In this case it was hot pink and turquoise {with a bit of black and white thrown in}.

I repeated the colors throughout the décor and spa necessities that I found at Five Below – a great store for affordable trendy items.

I especially love the Body Confetti {shown above in the tubes, and below sprinkled in the water}, which added color to the pedicure bath and fragrance to the entire bathroom.

After their facials and pedicures, the girls can let the toenail polish dry while enjoying lunch and dessert in the Luxe Lounge:

I transformed an area of our basement into this pretty, girly lounge. Using a couple of blankets, I covered a sofa and coffee table. Then, I borrowed those comfy white pillows from the bathroom and added a couple of smaller, eye-catching ones {I love the words printed on them}.

The backdrop: a beaded curtain layered over a sheet, secured to the ceiling with 3M removable hooks. Finally, I created a festive tablescape that included sweet treats and fresh flowers.

{a colorful spread}

{I took a picture of one of the 'word' pillows, printed it out, and used it to create custom wrappers for the chocolate bars}

{Homemade treats always add a personal touch. Here, I baked chocolate and vanilla 'hand' cut-out cookies.}

After lunch, the girls can clear away their plates to make room for manicures.

I think most young girls would enjoy a day of pampering with their BFF, and you can really customize a spa party at home to fit their tastes. What a great way to enjoy the last days of summer!

Budget-friendly sources for this design:

Mini-paper lanterns, ribbon: Michael’s

White pillows: Home Goods

Spa Neccessities: Five Below

Beaded hoops curtain: shopwildthings.com

Word pillows, towels: Wal Mart

Pink and white plates: Target

by Kelly Porter, featured contributor

Girls Tween Garden Party

I found these colorful, fun party photos via Totally Tabletops (great party blog), photos were taken by photographer Jose Villa and the party was designed by Kim from Toast. Isn't this a beautiful garden tween party?