I have been loving more simple party ideas lately. The trend of doing party designs that are over the top, although sometimes having a place, have given way in my heart to a love for more casual (more subtle!) affairs. Especially, when dealing with kids design.

There is a sweetness you can find in planning events that are low key and focused on simple elements that they will truly love. Parties that have a richer meaning behind the reason for celebrating then vibrancy of decor. I really do think these are the events and the moments that our kids will cherish.

With all these thoughts in my mind, I was so pleased when I stumbled across this very simple, adorable party that Tracey hosted to celebrate the day her eldest boys were adopted. She set up a chipped table out in the woods and had felt crowns and funny animal masks laid out for the boys. They had breakfast together on paper plates underneath simple paper triangles pinned up with clothes pins for bunting. The whole event looks like so much fun!

Photography by Tracey Lynne.

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On a hot summer weekend making pizza at the grill is a fun way to celebrate, a great meal to serve for a small gathering of friends outdoors. The actual process is quite creative. With the ingredients laid out around a table, your company will enjoy helping in the process of crafting their own pizza.

This pizza cooks quickly and without the added heat of an indoor oven, perfect for this time of year. Read on for the easy recipe.

Start with your favorite pizza dough (Trader Joes carries mine). Spread the dough out and add on any toppings you would like. For a perfect BBQ pizza try; 1/2 cup spicy marinara sauce, 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, 1 cup diced cooked chicken, 1/3 cup kernel corn, 1/3 cup red bell pepper diced, handful of minced cilantro and 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese.

Place a pizza stone on the grill as it is heating up, get the grill and stone as hot as possible. Dust the pizza stone with cornmeal and layout your made pizza. Grill for 8-10 minutes. You will know the pizza is done when the edges turn a golden ground and the sides can be easily lifted off the stone. Let cool for 10 minutes and enjoy with friends.

Gabrielle and Krista of A Joy Forever Events love to plan summertime parties and anytime parties. They both love good meals with friends on warm summer nights. Photos by Esther Ramsey.

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I just adore seeing cupcake shops, ice cream stands and even Creme Brulee carts popping up for rental across the country. There is something so fresh and fun about renting a moving shop.

I am now officially waiting until we get our own Sol Cinema stateside. It is the world’s smallest movie theater and you can rent it for your weddings and parties if you live in the UK (JEALOUS!). See the creation process here a DIY of sorts, and please if you ever hear of such a thing on the West Coast let me know:)

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In an effort to reduce and reuse before we moved, I made this three tiered wooden stand for our moving party to hold the cake and treats. It was an easy project and looked bright and pretty. I would love to make a whole slew of them in different sizes for an entire dessert bar one day.

To recreate the cake stand, use three old pieces of scrap wood and a pack of four small hardware wheels (mine were $3 a pack). Spray paint each of your boards to coordinate with your event and let dry overnight. Once dry, stack in order. Then turn the pallet stack over to screw in four wheels for stability and ease of movement. Use a few small dabs of wood glue on the inside of each piece to secure the pallets together. Let dry with a couple heavy books on top to set the stand.

Photography by Jackie Wonders for a subtle revelry.

blessings.

The day we loaded our moving truck in San Diego we held a little last minute party. A play date for the kids with cardboard boxes, duct tape and a 26 foot moving truck.

Having a party with kids the day you move is awesome because everything they could get into is nicely packed away. We didn’t leave out a single toy, just packing supplies, balloons and a big bag of bright balls. We moved most of the furniture outside to make a good play zone. Although the party was not perfect, having a last hurrah with their friends helped my kids adjust to leaving our home.

We sent out hand striped invitations the week prior and striped white favor bags that held little goodbye presents for each of their friends. I bought four rolls of bright neon duct tape (find online here) and used it to decorate the room. Words were traced onto the tape and cut out to add a bit of festive flair. The duct tape was great to use, it took about three minutes to take everything down once our friends left for the day.

The party was in the am so I bought doughnuts (easy since all our kitchen pans were packed) and I made sure to have extra white bags on hand for the left over doughnuts to be taken home. Sparkling Izzie sodas with straws from Sweet Lulu always look nice and bright for a party. The dotted coasters are from the Martha Stewart Crafts, they lent a perfect contrast to the straight duct tape lines laid out on all our tables.

As a final sweet goodbye, I had each of the kids write out a note to my twins about their time together. We read them out loud after leaving and I am saving them for when they are older so the kids can remember who some of their earliest friends were.

The streamers on the walls and ceilings were my favorite touches of the day. I was surprised at how easily the duct tape stuck and how quickly it came right down. Even if you are not moving, the bright ease of this decor could be perfect for any kids party.

Before everyone left we had a bit of fun in the moving truck. Chasing plastic balls and watching them bounce around the huge, open interior. I am pretty sure this was the best thing that has ever happened for our toddlers! Instead of a bounce house at your next kids party why not try a moving truck?!? They are cheap to rent for the day and you will be astonished at how much they love it.

Photography by Jackie Wonders.

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I had a fun afternoon last week spending time with an old friend and working on this tutorial to create a hair style that is easy and festive for your next warm weather celebration. We purchased a pink hair feather (buy online here) and weaved it into a braid, creating a look that is perfect for pulling your hair up and looking celebratory. It would be a super pretty look for a casual summer shower or wedding.

To create this look on your own hair; Start by parting your hair 2/3 of the way over and begin a braid leaving a few lose strands along the way. Narrowly braid your hair down to the neckline and secure with a small clear plastic band. Lift the braid up and clip in a bright feather underneath your hair. Secure all of your hair including the braid with a basic hair band.

To make the bun, pull your hair up and twirl it around and into place. Using a couple hair pins secure the bun in place leaving out lose, free ends. Be sure to twist the bun so that your feather rests on the top to be festively seen, creating a refreshing pop of brightness that will liven up any event outfit!

Photography by Chelsea Robbins. A special thanks to sweet Sophia for modeling. Did you notice in the top photos she is holding her baby? Precious.

I am pleased to introduce you to the first of our summer contributors; Chelsea Robbins who will be sharing a couple pretty tutorials and easy ideas for summer celebration style. Chelsea is a photographer and mom to almost two (she’s due in just a few weeks with her second baby). She’s passionate about fashion, photography and having her second baby at home.

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This raw cashew cake made by Sarah looks amazing! It would also be a very healthy way to celebrate this summer. Do you ever worry about the health of your party food? I tend to be a believer that festive times deserve indulgent treats, but this cake looks so good it might be a perfect compromise.

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As we say hello to summer nothing tastes quite as good as a refreshing glass of ice tea. I set up this flavor filled bar last month and it really put me in the lazy, long weekend, summer mood. A super easy set up and fun idea for warm weathered entertaining.

The tea was brewed ahead of time with each ingredient soaked into the individual batches. Mint is definitely my new summer favorite, it is really good!

A few tips for brewing the perfect summer ice tea batch.

• Boil your water rapidly and then pour water over loose tea leaves in a separate container.
• Use good quality tea leaves, 1/8 cup per 6 cups of water. The better the leaves, the better the tea will taste!
• Add in flavoring of choice and steep for five additional minutes.
• Pour hot tea through a strainer and chill for thirty minutes, add ice just before serving.

Each ingredient was set out on the table (the anise stars are really pretty), although once the tea has been chilled the flavors will not take well to the drinks.

Making combinations of the brewed flavors was great fun; cinnamon + sugar, mint + anise + sugar are a few good ones. Here is a list of 100 other ice tea flavors you could try. Keep a pad and pen nearby for guests to write down their favorite mixtures.

Photography by Carly Taylor for a subtle revelry.

blessings.

Hosting a modern day feathered brunch is a fresh way to celebrate with an almost married Mrs. or an about to pop mom. Forgo the frilly feather look and take a modern spin on the idea. Incorporate bright colors, a simple design and a few quirky elements for a relaxed and pretty celebration.

This shower was originally designed for the first issue of Styled. magazine. I couldn’t help but share a few of my favorite extra photos with you here…

The entire concept was based on the pretty set of vintage Dixie cups. They scream bright and beautiful celebration to me. We filled them with bubbly. I love including traditional elements like the serving of champagne in a jovial way for informal parties. We served dime sized pancakes topped with my husbands most perfect preserve mix (I eat it often!) and finished off the design with table bowling.

Bright table games, like bowling, are perfect for showers, where there is often a lot of time spent sitting around chatting. Buy a similar set or adjust the directions on this easy bowling tutorial to fit your celebration, lose the elf hats and paint your pins in solid bright colors for a modern look.

Want to see more of these bright photos? Read the story in Styled., or see the entire photo gallery. Photography by Jackie Wonders.

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A few weeks ago my sweet friend and business mentor Jackie Wonders welcomed her new little girl into the world. Karrie and Elizabeth of Posh Paperie threw this french baby shower. It was great fun to celebrate with them and the paper products were some of the most adorable I have ever seen! Congrats to you Jackie, see the rest of the shower design here.

Photography by Jackie Wonders.

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