How to Make Party Shopping Easy and Fun

I have 2 boys that do not enjoy shopping in any store without a toy department,

This lends me to get creative and resourceful with my party planning. 

Today I thought it would fun to share my favorite online party resources
and show you how easy and fun online party shopping can be

Cakes and Kids Too

offers Cupcake Kits with coordinating cupcake liners and sprinkles
The work is done for you!

How cute is this Rapunzel inspired Cupcake Kit?!!

I love Polka Dot Market

because you can shop by COLOR
Huge time saver!

Two Sugar Babies
Offers a large selection of fondant cupcake and brownie toppers
and even has many exclusive designs that match existing invitations!

Bowling Fondant Cupcake Topper

Coordinates perfectly with the Birthday Bowling Invitation from Anders Ruff

My Party Is Over
Is such a fantastic place to sell and buy left over party goods.
Very reasonable prices and is easy to search by colors/patterns or themes.

Sweet Lulu
My go to place for all things adorable and sweet.
Warning, you will WANT everything in this shop

Glass Cupcake Stands

Paper Candy Cups

Paper Suitcases

Now that I've spilled the beans on my favorite shops, where do you shop? 

For Erin

My friend Erin has been on my mind a lot lately. 
Hearing the news that Giuliana Rancic has Breast Cancer stirred up a reaction that I had felt before when I heard a similar diagnosis from Erin: 
shock, disbelief, anger, sadness.
Wednesday night, I couldn't get Erin out of my thoughts and started an email to see how treatments were going.
I never got to finish that email.
Thursday morning I found out that she had lost her battle with Breast Cancer. 
She was 34. fiercely strong, upbeat, and hopeful.
We find ourselves in the midst of October, Breast Cancer awareness month 
I can't help but think that Erin was determined to leave us all with one final lesson.

Erin wrote this in September 2009 for I'm Still Beautiful, here is her story in her own words.


On Tuesday, November 11, 2008, I heard the words, “You have breast cancer.” This is after I had been to different doctors countless times always being dismissed. I was 31 years old and always very healthy. I had low cholesterol! I had never smoked a cigarette! I exercised five days a week! My doctor once said he had never seen better blood work on a human being. My blood work still has no tumor markers for breast cancer. The doctors played the odds game on me and lost.

And with that, my story begins the second week of June 2008. Like many women before me, I found a small lump in my breast. I had my annual exam scheduled and of course, told my obgyn. “Perfectly normal, women who are right handed have lumpier breasts on their right sides,” she said. I had no idea doctors’ didn’t know what cancer feels like. I was really naive. I went away feeling relieved and proceeded to go on a much needed vacation. While on vacation I began suffering from severe stomach discomfort. After a horrible week in the hospital I was diagnosed with a pancreatic lymphangioma. I had a very rare grapefruit sized benign tumor strategically placed between my pancreas and my small intestine. Of course it wasn’t cancer. People in my family don’t get cancer. We are immune. Only, I did have cancer and no one could tell. Months of healing passed and I still was feeling strange. I visited my family doctor and told her about my symptoms and the lump in my right breast, which was still prominent. She too, told me not to worry and that I was feeling ill because of my major abdominal surgery.

At this point the story takes another turn. I decided to go back to my obgyn to again show her the lump in my right breast. It had gotten worse and was painful to the touch. As I left she said the words, “Don’t worry, I still don’t think it is cancer.”

Two years earlier I was a girl who had just gone through a painful divorce. After that time the only thing on my mind was to become a mother. Before this mammogram I was the happiest I had ever been in my life. I met the love of my life Adam, and felt, finally things were looking up. In October 2008 we decided to try to get pregnant. I thought it would take a long time! Since I was going in for a mammogram, just in case, I should take a pregnancy test. Four tests later, they were all positive.

How do I get a mammogram if I am pregnant? I called radiology and asked that question. They told me to re-schedule. I didn’t. I insisted on at least getting an ultra-sound to rule out any malignancies. After the ultra-sound I was sitting in a waiting room in a pink paper half shirt barely covering my breasts, with women double my age. The nurse announces my name asking if I would see the doctor. At this point, the doctor proceeds to tell me that he doesn’t care if I could be pregnant. “Sign here and here and we are not responsible for what happens,” he said. What a lonely time. I assumed that medical professionals who work as cancer detectors are prepared to inform someone they may have cancer. What a wrong assumption! I didn’t get that courtesy. I had to assume the worst, based on how they were acting. I had to assume the worst alone. After the mammogram, I went back to the waiting room. A half an hour later the nurse came in and told me to leave and follow up with my doctor. This was a Friday afternoon. They wanted me to wait the entire weekend? I had just seen many women come in, get dressed looking relieved. They got their results. At this office they apparently only give good news.

On Monday morning, without an appointment Adam and I drove to the doctor’s office and waited for the door to open at 8am. We were asked to return at 9am and once we arrived back through the doors we were quickly escorted to the doctor’s private office. My mammogram was suspicious of a malignancy and a biopsy was scheduled for the next day. The waiting game continued. On Wednesday I had an appointment with a surgeon to discuss my biopsy results. Wednesday came in a blur and Adam and I soon found ourselves waiting in the examination room at the surgeon’s office. We waited in the room for one hour. This is a room with no windows and one door, waiting for what seemed like an eternity. It was the longest hour of my life. When the surgeon finally appeared, he was shocked that I had not already heard my results. He too, didn’t want to say the words, “You have cancer.” Believe me, I guessed, it was still a shock but not a surprise. At that point, I wanted to know the truth and a plan. Since I was pregnant it definitely made treatment much more difficult. The first step was to try and stage my cancer. Since my tumor was 2cm, the doctors’ seemed confident that I might be able to continue with my pregnancy. An appointment was made to visit an oncologist a high risk pregnancy doctor and scans were scheduled to verify that the cancer had not spread.

The meeting with the high risk pregnancy doctor was scheduled before the results of my scans had been given to my oncologist. The meeting went very well and I was optimistic that we could do it. That was until she opened my file that was shared between hospitals. “Brain fine, CAT scan clear, wait, there is something in the spine”, she said. I heard I had stage 4 cancer from a high risk pregnancy doctor. Everything we had just discussed, all of my hopes and dreams, went out the window with one look at the computer screen. Immediate chemotherapy was required. We directly met with the oncologist and tried to wrap our heads around what the next few months would entail. Keeping the pregnancy would risk my life severely and because I was pregnant I could not harvest eggs to create an embryo. The high dose chemo would certainly put me in early menopause and could damage the remaining eggs. It was the worst case fertility nightmare. All of this happened in the span of five hours. The oncologist thought it would be wise if I spoke to a counselor.

When the counselor came in the room and started asking me questions. She was shocked that I wasn’t hysterical. She said if I didn’t have a severe breakdown in a week, she would be worried. It was at that moment I decided to get on a plane and go to a different hospital. I don’t need emotional breakdowns to be ok. I wasn’t going to be ok with or without a breakdown and I definitely didn’t need a random person who had never been given a diagnosis telling me how I should act and feel. Luckily, because of that move I was able to have a new procedure where they freeze your ovarian tissue with the hopes of putting it back at a time when you are off chemo treatments. This procedure gave me hope at a time when hope was pretty much non-existent.

My day to day life focuses on healing. What can I do to give myself the best change of getting well? Luckily, I am not working. Once a week on Friday Adam and I travel an hour for my chemo treatments, during the week I juice, and do yoga everyday.

I am so lucky to have a wonderful man to stand by my side as I go through the hardest time of my life. I am so thankful, especially after hearing stores of so many survivors who have their lives, but lost their loves during their struggle. We march on!

Fast forward to August 2009! I just have received my first set of good scans. My journey is far from over. But along with my daily cancer fight I am going to Italy and planning a wedding in Spain. I am still living my wonderful life everyday and I am definitely still beautiful!

Erin

Erin's beautiful spirit was captured on the TLC show "Say Yes to the Dress", 

as she prepared for her May wedding in Gandia, Spain

Thank you all for letting me share Erin's story with you, She would have wanted you all to hear her story and be moved to action, whether it be a mammogram, a donation, a second opinion, a prayer, a kind word... 


You will be missed dearly, sweet friend. 

Halloween FREE Printables Round Up

Are you ready for Halloween?

If you are shaking your head no, 

here's a few Halloween free printables to get you started

Glow in the Dark Favor Tags

Piggy Bank Parties

The Crafting Chicks

Adorable & Completely Editable Halloween Printables

PaperGlitter

Halloween Subway Art

Eye Candy Event Details

I Heart Naptime 

Halloween Lunch Box Notes

Pluff Mud Studio

2" Square Halloween Tags
Whisker Graphics

What's your Halloween decor looking like this year? Scary? Cute? Traditional or nontraditional colors? 

TLC Parentables Feature {Kate Landers Baby Shower}

Last month, I had the honor and privilege to co-design and co-host a baby shower for Kate Landers. Kate is an extraordinary party planner who exclusively designs children's parties. Her work is consistently breathtaking and whimsical. Every party she plans becomes an "experience" and indulgence directly into the creative minds of children.

So what happens when the party planner becomes the guest of honor (and a 7 month pregnant guest of honor at that)?  She calls in help!  This is where Christy of Inspired Design and myself stepped in. I learned so much from the experience and enjoyed every minute planning this event with Kate and Christy.

Today the baby shower is being featured on TLC's Parentables site !!!

And for more pictures and Baby Shower details, 
visit Layla Grace

A Penn State Tailgate & Vocal Point RSVP Party

I always enjoy crisp Fall homecoming weekends at Penn State.

This year we could not sneak away for the big game, 

so I set up a tailgate at home. 

It's {almost} like being there. 

Vocal Point sent me some tailgate goodies 

to test out Chiquita's newest product, ripe and ready avocados!

I've never bought fresh avocados, so I knew this would be an adventure for me. 

I taped 2" party circle Football Printables from Anders Ruff

to push up pop containers filled with BLUE and WHITE peppermint patty pieces

 (major score because they are much cheaper than custom M&Ms!)

Mozzarella, Tomato and Avocado Salad

Recipe Found here

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad in Avocados

Recipe found here (I omitted the jalapenos)

For any Penn State fans out there, this is my tribute to Joe Paterno, Head Coach of the Nittany Lions since 1966.
I get chills every time he runs out on the field. 

Thank you Vocal Point and Go Penn State!

Cupcake Logo Design by Lauren McKinsey

My talented mother-in-law is venturing into selling her cupcakes locally. She exclusively makes filled cupcakes and they are so delicious. When we were thinking of company names, Icing In the Cake came to mind and we knew it was perfect for this little business.

I wanted to surprise her with a logo design and asked the fabulous {think cute} designer Lauren McKinsey of Lauren McKinsey Designs for help. Her designs went above and beyond what I imagined. She was patient, flexible, creative, and so easy to work with! Lauren was the *perfect* person for this job. 

Fabulous 2" circle cupcake toppers 

With logo on the front and flavor check boxes on the back serve a dual purpose providing information and flavor choices. 

Icing IN the Cake's 

New Web Site

It's the least I can do, considering all the cupcakes my mother-in-law has made for me!

If you are in the market for anything CUTE, adorable, and super creative, contact Lauren!

Lauren McKinsey 

Web Site

 Facebook

Twitter

Oh, and Lauren is offering some Spooky Sweet {FREE} Halloween printables on her site right now!!!

GLOW-ing Favors on Piggy Bank Parties {FREE DOWNLOAD}

What has two eyes and GLOWS in the DARK?
Our HALLOWEEN favors!!!

Stop by Piggy Bank Parties to see my full post, because they have graciously offered these GLOW-ing Halloween Favor Cards as a FREE printable {insert major happy dancing!}  Hope you enjoy them and have a happy and GLOWING Halloween!

Piggy Bank Parties 

Piggy Bank Parties Challenge Week: A Hoot-iful and BOO-tiful Wreath

When I heard that the Piggy Bank Crew were going to participate in CHALLENGE weeks, I nearly jumped off my chair with excitement! I LOVE the thrill of a challenge. Our first challenge was to create something to go with the new Lil' Hoots Halloween Printable Collection (still available for only $10 right now!).

Stop by Piggy Bank Parties to see what each of us did with our printables. You will be amazed how many different parties and projects can be made out of one collection!

Are you wondering what I made? 

 A HOOT-iful wreath for the front door to welcome guests, full tutorial found here

Linking to:

Guest Posting on Love and Sugar Kisses: Spooky Bat Halloween Favors

I am so thrilled to be guest posting over at Love and Sugar Kisses today! 

Stop by to see my tutorial for Spooky Bat Halloween favors!

While you are visiting Love and Sugar Kisses, check out Maria's beautiful work. Not only is she a mom of two girls, she is also a crafter, baker, cake decorator, and contributor for Piggy Bank Parties. Her latest cake made for Wendy Updegraff's indoor camping theme party had my jaw on the ground, just look at these ruffles!

Linking to: The 36th Avenue

Itty Party in a Bitty Bag

Want to celebrate on a small scale?

My latest project for Whisker Graphics is an itty party in a bitty bag

Materials Needed:

candles 

divine twine

paper cupcake stand

scrapbook paper 

2 toothpicks

little bitty bag

When put together, becomes this

Linking to:

Funky Polkadot GiraffeCraft-O-ManiacThe 36th Avenue