tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73518484646108668392024-03-21T15:46:15.240-04:00Claire and LottieChristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15692530893656754323noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7351848464610866839.post-18160182130261388922016-02-12T19:00:00.000-05:002016-02-12T19:00:00.287-05:00Travel Goody Bags for KidsSpring break is right around the corner, so chances are, you will be traveling. After our first crazy road trips where the girls couldn't find their toys/crayons/games/etc in their respective bags, and I spent half the trip getting car sick trying to help them find and hand them their items, I decided to take action. Enter our travel goody bags!<br />
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I had an Orla Kiely weekender cosmetic bag that I haven't used for a couple of years, so I thought it'd be perfect. I went to Target and got another weekender cosmetic bag so each girl could have their own. <br />
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The first section contains coloring books, blank paper, sticker books, homemade magnets for their white board, crayons, and colored pencils<href dateposted-public="" https:="" in="" photos="" title="1" www.flickr.com=""><img alt="1" height="682" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/744/22353720163_b2cf75c6e3_b.jpg" width="1024" /></href>
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The
other section contains a <a href="http://amzn.to/241F10E" target="_blank">Leap Pad</a> and <a href="http://amzn.to/241F3Wg" target="_blank">Boogie Board</a>. (I just need to say that the boogie board is a HUGE hit. The girls love them! Highly recommended. They played with these things for hours.) <href dateposted-public="" https:="" in="" photos="" title="2" www.flickr.com=""><img alt="2" height="683" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/605/22556538667_3ff45a2d7d_b.jpg" width="1024" /></href>
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Each girl
has their own dry erase board for car trips. I used to use cookie sheets, but they became too big and cumbersome (we have three kids in the middle seat, and the cookies sheets interfered with personal spaces...big no no if you want a peaceful trip!). These boards are the perfect size and can be placed in the back seat pockets. They use them as a flat surface to eat on, and they play with their magnets on them. They can play with their magnets for 20-30 minutes at a time, so bonus! <href dateposted-public="" https:="" in="" photos="" title="6" www.flickr.com=""><img alt="6" height="683" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5727/22556570428_c27d407bb6_b.jpg" width="1024" /></href>
I hope this gives you some ideas! These bags are perfect. They are a nice all-in-one place to put their activities, and they are extremely portable. My girls love them, and it has made car trips easier for parents--which let's face it: happy parents make for happy road trips. :-) Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15692530893656754323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7351848464610866839.post-88458371278267404482015-11-10T14:03:00.003-05:002016-01-27T17:39:51.526-05:00Claire's Batman Birthday Party<br />
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If you know Claire, then you know she LOVES Batman. Obsessed. We don't really know how or why this started, but she's loved him for years. In fact, she was Batman for Halloween in 2014. Not Batgirl. Batman. She had her Frozen birthday party last year, and the morning after she declared she was going to have a Batman party this year. I had over a year to plan, and I pinned all of these cute and adorable girly Batman/Superhero parties. I had so many ideas! Then, one day while browsing the party isle at Target, Claire saw the Batman party stuff. She flipped out. She needed alllll of it. Not a Pinterest perfect, hundreds of hours spent crafting, kind of party. I was a little sad because I honestly love those kind of parties, but I was also relieved. Ain't nobody got time for that! Especially not in October...the busiest month of the year because of all of the fall activities. We must do all the activities! So, I bought all of the decorations from the store, but I couldn't resist making the cupcake toppers. I wanted some personalized touches.<br />
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My house doesn't have a blank, flat wall that I can use for backdrops for my parties. So, I have to find creative ways to decorate. I covered our china hutch with two, cheap table cloths, and bought a Batman poster as the focal piece. Easy peasy and provides a nice backdrop!<br />
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I usually make the cupcakes and cake, but I didn't really have time this year. I had five photo shoots, a girl scout meeting to plan and execute, and this party to throw. Nope, not going to bake three dozen cupcakes! So I ordered the cupcakes from Target, and it was the best decision I've made in a long time. :) All I had to do was add the cupcake toppers, and bam! Batman cupcakes! Claire's little cake (that I did make, can you tell?) wasn't the prettiest, but she loved it. And that's all that matters. <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/135601334@N06/22935867931/in/dateposted-public/" title="batman2"><img alt="batman2" height="1003" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/679/22935867931_1ac3117701_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
I bought capes for all of her friends, and they were a big hit! You can find them here: <a href="http://amzn.to/1MyltJF" target="_blank">superhero capes</a>.<br />
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I didn't get pictures of the party favors, but it was basic stuff. Batman pencil, Batman tattoos, small blue flashlights (Bat Lights), plastic Batman cups that are found in party sections, and candy from the pinata. Oh yes, there was a pinata. It was Claire's only request. Since her party was a week before Halloween, I found a cheap bat pinata instead of an expensive legit Batman pinata.<br />
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I also didn't get pictures of the plates, napkins, etc, but again, it was the basic party stuff. I got <a href="http://amzn.to/1MymRM9" target="_blank">this party package</a>, and then I supplemented with blue and yellow cups, plates, forks, etc. <br />
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Oh yeah, my sister got Claire this awesome Batman balloon! However, it was pretty pricey at the local party store. <a href="http://amzn.to/1MynFRg" target="_blank">You can find it here for half the price!</a> Definitely recommend it. <br />
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So there's Claire's "awesome" Batman party. She had a blast and loved everything! It was the least amount of time I had spent prepping, and she didn't care one bit. Or notice. I need to keep reminding myself that not every party has to be Pinterest perfect. :) Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15692530893656754323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7351848464610866839.post-48567383400551715242015-08-18T21:36:00.000-04:002016-02-10T14:09:42.410-05:00Back to School PicturesIt's that time of year...back to school time! This is a big year for me because my oldest started Kindergarten. Kindy! Crazy. I wanted to take some special back to school/kindergarten pictures, but I didn't have any fancy props. You know what I'm talking about: old school desks, old pencil sharpener, globe, etc. I'm not always a fan of using props anyway, so I decided to just take her over to her school early one Sunday morning and use what was there! I brought her new backpack and lunchbox, some of her favorite books, an apple, paper, and a pen. That's it! You can get great photos without a lot of props. Just explore your surroundings, and you'll find what you need. :)<br />
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If you are looking for some inspiration, then I hope this post helps!<br />
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Some tips:<br />
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<li>Bring their new backpack and lunchbox--They help pick them out, and are proud of them, so let them show it off!</li>
<li>Make it fun--I let Claire play on the playground, make silly faces, eat the apple, and run around. If it's not fun, stop, play, and try again.</li>
<li>Keep it short--Kids don't have a long attention span. At all. Do a few poses at each location and move on. </li>
<li>Bring siblings--Yes, Claire is the one starting school, but Charlotte is also affected. They are best friends and super close, so I wanted to capture their relationship....and it also helps the fun factor!</li>
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Claire loves Batman. Loves! I mean, she WAS Batman for Halloween last year. So
she had to have this backpack and matching lunchbox from Pottery Barn Kids. She loves it and is crazy proud of it. Can you tell? :)<br />
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Her pre-K teacher gave her
<a href="http://amzn.to/1Mmpzkw" target="_blank">The Night Before Kindergarten</a> on her last day of school, and I thought it'd be a fun little prop!<br />
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<img alt="b2s7" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5796/20502577180_65bb92566b_b.jpg" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script> <img alt="b2s5" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/581/20502551648_96bf073f3e_b.jpg" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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I brought paper and a pen so she could write her name. I wanted to document how she wrote her name at the beginning of the year, and I'll take another at the end of the year to see the change!<br />
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And of course, here are some pictures with Charlotte. Her best friend. They are going to miss each other during the days!<br />
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<img alt="b2s9" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/711/20069612263_dcd48f8098_b.jpg" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15692530893656754323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7351848464610866839.post-57343221918789355362015-05-21T21:24:00.000-04:002015-11-11T21:25:16.062-05:001st Birthday Pirate PaaaaarrtyMy son turned one in May, and I knew almost immediately what kind of party to have. Claire and Charlotte looove Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and Peter Pan, so Owen also likes them by default. We went to Disney World a few weeks before his party and went on the <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/contemporary-resort/pirates-and-pals-fireworks-voyage/" target="_blank">Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage</a> (definitely recommend! I might have to do a post on just that in the future.), so I already had a pirate outfit ready for him. It was a perfect theme!<br />
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I made a cute invite. As always, I print them at Costco using the blank card template. You can't beat the price or quality! <br />
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I created a first year collage, like I also made for each of the girls, and again, printed it at Costco. It's 20x30 and only cost 10 bucks. Love them. I decorated the mantel with Jake toys and stuffed animals that we already had (remember, my girls are obsessed!). <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/135601334@N06/22511450787/in/dateposted-public/" title="pirate4"><img alt="pirate4" height="686" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/604/22511450787_8e1933ae42_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
Target had their pirate party stuff on clearance. Score! I got a great deal on the birthday banner, table cloth, plates, cups, and napkins. I got the pirate buckets on clearance after Easter--they were supposed to be Easter baskets.
I put goldfish and chips in one, and pirate booty in the other.<br />
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I made the cupcake toppers, pirate flags for the pirate ship hot dogs, and the food signs. <br />
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I <a href="http://amzn.to/20Nk340" target="_blank">bought bandannas</a> for the guests, as well as foam pirate swords--those were a big hit with the kiddos! <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/135601334@N06/22308667573/in/dateposted-public/" title="pirate2"><img alt="pirate2" height="1024" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5799/22308667573_0bd5288ec0_b.jpg" width="724" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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I made the vest for our Disney Pirates cruise, so I'm glad he was able to wear it again! He's an adorable little pirate. I also made the girls' outfits, and hair bows, for the pirates cruise. They had cute rag skirts as well, but they took those off. :) Also, Claire is doing her best pirate impression, which is why she looks goofy! Silly girl.<br />
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I had so much fun planning this party! Everyone had a great time, which really, is what it's all about. Because obviously the birthday boy didn't care about the theme or details. :) Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15692530893656754323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7351848464610866839.post-47212190241553351872013-08-08T09:56:00.000-04:002016-02-10T14:05:03.205-05:00Dumbo Birthday PartyMy youngest daughter turned two last week, and I decided almost three months ago to throw her a Dumbo party. We were on our way home from Disney World, the girls were watching Dumbo for the second time that trip, and Charlotte was clutching her new Dumbo stuffed animal that she hadn't let go of since we bought it for her when it hit me--Dumbo party it is!<br />
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Since Dumbo isn't a popular character outside of Disney World, I couldn't find any Dumbo birthday specific items for her party. So I decided to make everything!<br />
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I made the invitation in Photoshop. I had a quick photo shoot with my daughter to get a good picture, and I put that on the side so family could cut it off the invite and put on their refrigerator if they wanted. (Banner and dress made by me...more on that later.) I printed them at Office Depot because I was short on time...and because it was super cheap. <br />
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I made the 20x30 birthday poster in Photoshop and then printed it at Costco...for only $8.99. I love making posters when they are that cheap! I bought the picture frames on the mantel at JoAnn Fabrics and Michael's and painted them to match the theme. The tent was made from rectangle table cloths from Party City. I cut each one into two, so I only used 2.5 table cloths. The fabric rag banner was made from the fabrics leftover from the dress I made.<br />
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I found
a tent cookie cutter on Etsy (<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/PlasticsinPrint?ref=l2-shop-info-name" target="_blank">click here for the seller</a>), and I found the gumball machine at Goodwill. The awesome Dumbo popcorn bucket that held the forks is from Disney World. It's a collector's popcorn bucket, so they won't be around for long! I also made the picture banner. <a href="http://christiemariephotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-9S5w4kG/0/X2/i-9S5w4kG-X2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://christiemariephotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-9S5w4kG/0/X2/i-9S5w4kG-X2.jpg" /></a>
I made the cupcake toppers and printed them at Office Depot. I also made the cupcakes and cake. I know, I know, it's hard to believe that the awesomely decorated cake wasn't bought from a store or baker. ;-) I found a pack of two Dumbo figurines on Amazon, so I put one on top of the cake....since you can't find Dumbo cake stuff anywhere! <a href="http://christiemariephotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-ZxbG4Vt/0/X2/i-ZxbG4Vt-X2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://christiemariephotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-ZxbG4Vt/0/X2/i-ZxbG4Vt-X2.jpg" /></a> </div>
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My husband's
work has a popcorn machine, so he borrowed it for the weekend. It was a nice addition to the party decor! I found the popcorn bags at Party City (they are actually favor bags), and I glued on the labels (those were the same as the cupcake toppers). <a href="http://christiemariephotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-CD4Cx2T/0/X2/i-CD4Cx2T-X2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://christiemariephotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-CD4Cx2T/0/X2/i-CD4Cx2T-X2.jpg" /></a>
And here is
my favorite decoration: the book banner. I found an old, semi beat up book from Goodwill, cut out the pages, and glued them to bias tape. Easy! <a href="http://christiemariephotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-26QDsKt/0/X2/i-26QDsKt-X2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://christiemariephotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-26QDsKt/0/X2/i-26QDsKt-X2.jpg" /></a>
I made water bottle labels to match the other decorations, and also printed them at Office Depot. See a printing theme? ;-)<a href="http://christiemariephotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-kSB8n5v/0/X2/i-kSB8n5v-X2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://christiemariephotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-kSB8n5v/0/X2/i-kSB8n5v-X2.jpg" /></a> </div>
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I like to dress my girls in outfits that match their parties, and since Dumbo dresses are hard to find, I made one! I bought a pattern (<a href="http://blissfulsewing.blogspot.com/2012/05/apron-dress-sewing-pattern-sizes-12.html#.UcoFCJydR8F" target="_blank">click here</a>) and a Dumbo applique, and that resulted in a crazy cute dress if I do say so myself. :-) I love it!<a href="http://christiemariephotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-PRcG266/0/XL/i-PRcG266-XL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://christiemariephotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-PRcG266/0/XL/i-PRcG266-XL.jpg" /></a></div>
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So there is Charlotte's Dumbo party! I am going to make tutorials on how to make a lot of the stuff, so I will come back and link to those when they are done. I believe anyone can throw a great party and make most of the decorations....even if you don't have the "fancy" tools like Photoshop. So those tutorials will show you how!Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15692530893656754323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7351848464610866839.post-24325382480075384402012-10-05T19:30:00.001-04:002012-10-05T19:31:01.563-04:00First Friday Freebie!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love to craft and design things, so today I made a sign for our new laundry room. I wanted to share the love in case any of you would like it as well. This sign is 11x14, but because of the border it should crop to an 8x10 if you'd like that size instead. <br />
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Here is the link: <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/tiu8skqa1o31xvm/Laundry.jpg" target="_blank">Laundry Freebie</a><br />
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I hope this works! I've never tried it before. Let me know if you have a problem with the download. Hopefully this makes doing the laundry a little more cheerful! :-)Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15692530893656754323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7351848464610866839.post-21921876735750170092012-09-19T15:46:00.000-04:002012-09-19T15:46:04.035-04:00PicturesI mentioned in my post the other day how Claire insisted I wear a bow. Well, here is a picture from then. I actually loved wearing it, so they aren't just for little girls! :-) <br />
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And here is a picture of Claire wearing one today at the park. She loves wearing these bows and prefers them over the cheap ones you can buy from Target or wherever. And they stay in her hair better as well. <br />
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<br />Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15692530893656754323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7351848464610866839.post-52383865749151258052012-09-17T15:36:00.000-04:002012-09-19T15:36:51.722-04:00New Bows!I was busy over the weekend and made a lot of new bows. I love them all (as does Claire). :-) They are in my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/claireandlottie" target="_blank">Facebook shop</a> right now. Buy one for $6 or two for $10 plus $2.50 for shipping. Check them out! I have several Halloween and fall bows that would be awesome for your little girl. Or maybe even yourself. I'll have to post a picture of me wearing one...Claire insisted I wear one the other day. :-)<br />
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<br />Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15692530893656754323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7351848464610866839.post-25065859096656786482012-08-27T21:38:00.001-04:002012-08-27T21:38:27.604-04:00First Giveaway!I had my first giveaway tonight! I decided to do one once I hit 100 fans on Facebook, and it went pretty well. I had 30 entries. Not too bad! It'll be fun to see how my giveaways grow. :) Thanks to all who participated!Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15692530893656754323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7351848464610866839.post-46750965630828784402012-08-27T17:04:00.000-04:002012-08-27T17:06:37.048-04:00Shabby Chic First Birthday PartyMy daughter turned one at the beginning of the month, and we had her
first birthday party this past Sunday. It was a whirlwind weekend since
we closed on our new house two days earlier, but it all worked out. We
held the party at our new place, which was nice because it was empty
and we could set up the party decorations wherever we wanted.<br />
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I
love to plan parties. And since I'm crafty, I love to make party
decorations. I'm also a perfectionist, and I think this works in my
favor for party purposes.<br />
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I started planning her party back in
May, and I knew right away I wanted to do a shabby chic theme. I've
been obsessed with light pinks and blues, plus vintage cottage roses,
for a few months now, so the theme was a no brainer for me. :)<br />
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I was originally inspired by <a data-mce-href="http://grandrevivaldesign.typepad.com/photos/ava_rose/arstackaqua.html" href="http://grandrevivaldesign.typepad.com/photos/ava_rose/arstackaqua.html">Tanya Whelan's Ava Rose</a> fabric collection, but it was almost impossible to find the fabric for cheap....or to find it at all! So, I improvised.<br />
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Here are pictures from her pretty party, with decoration explanations:<br />
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I found the perfect digital paper on Etsy and made the banner in Adobe
Illustrator. I then printed them on card stock paper at Office Depot (I
compared prices years ago, and they have the cheapest!). I made the
poster with Adobe Photoshop and printed it at Costco for $8.99....and it
was ready in an hour! I love Costco.<br />
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I knew right away that I wanted a ruffle cake, and I'm usually a good
cake decorator, but I failed at my first attempt a week before. I
didn't have the icing thick enough, and with the stress of moving I
didn't want to try again. So I broke down and bought it. But look how
pretty it is! I loved it. I did make the cupcakes, though. And the
cupcake toppers. Again, I made them in Illustrator and printed them at
Office Depot. I then used a scalloped paper puncher to cut them out and
glued them to lollipop sticks. So easy!<br />
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I got the awesome
vintage china from my favorite local thrift store (one of the first
items I bought for the party back in May). I also made the two tiered
platters from those plates by super gluing candlesticks from Walmart to
them. I'm excited to have them in my china collection now!<br />
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I found the table cloth at a garage sale for six bucks--it's actually an old vintage sheet. Again, love.<br />
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Here was my favorite corner--the cake smash area! I found the awesome
high chair at Goodwill for $10, painted it, made a fabric banner with
fabrics I had collected for the party, and made embroidery hoop hangings
with the fabric as well. Such a shabby chic look!<br />
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The chair is from <a data-mce-href="http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/savannah-floral-anywhere-chair/" href="http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/savannah-floral-anywhere-chair/">Pottery Barn</a>, and it completely matched the theme. So I had to get it. Of course. ;-) And I made the water bottle labels the same way I did the other printables.<br />
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I
really loved planning this party! And the best part? I can reuse a
lot of the decorations in my new house. That makes me happy. :)Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15692530893656754323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7351848464610866839.post-13568457986522202902012-08-27T11:22:00.003-04:002012-08-27T11:22:55.705-04:00Welcome!Hello everyone! Welcome to Claire and Lottie's little piece of the web. Be sure to put this site in your reader so you can keep up with updates from my store. I like to create new products all the time, so this is a great way to keep up to date. I'll also post random pieces of our life that you might find interesting or helpful. Thank you for your support!<br />
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<br />Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15692530893656754323noreply@blogger.com0