Lilly Pulitzer Anyone?

So I will admit that I am not by nature a "Lilly Pulitzer Girl". I have never been one to wear pink and green in the same outfit, or to feel comfortable with pictures of Giraffes on my sundress. However, I am somehow attracted to the aesthetic of Lilly and the summery feel of her prints. Although in my case I am much more comfortable with the idea of adding a touch of Lilly in a party theme.

I recently was asked to make the centerpieces, party favors, cupcake stand and cupcakes for a baby shower. While looking through the pictures it occurred to me that these same items would be perfect for a child or adult "Lilly Pulitzer" themed party. This is the perfect theme for the small or big fashionista; especially in the summer. I did some research and found that this theme is actually quite popular and lends itself to many cute ideas.

The centerpieces I made were tall 12" vases with green apples submerged in them. the flowers were a mix of Pink Stargazer Lillies, Daisies and assorted unique greenery. I glued a ribbon around each vase for an added touch.

For added decor, I found these great Lilly Pulitzer tissue Pom Pom's that would look fantastic hanging over a buffet or dining table.

For the favors, I made custom fortune cookies with baby themed messages inside and packaged them in adorable mini pink Chinese take-out boxes. With an added custom label they look unique and very trendy! They looked really cute gathered on a small table in the foyer.



For the cake, we decided to go with cupcakes. I made a custom cupcake stand and cupcakes with mini flowers to go on top. We also set the dessert table with apothecary jars filled with pink and lime green jelly beans, mints, and m&m's!



While thinking about how you could turn everything that I made into a Birthday Party I found some things online that really struck my eye. The first was a Lilly Pulitzer invitation called "Cabanarama". It is so perfect for a summer Birthday party for an adult or a mini fashion diva. I also found "Cabanarama" coasters that go perfect with a martini or glass of lemonade!

If you combine all of these things and then add your own special touches you can have the most memorable summer party of the season! Find the perfect tablecloth:paisley print, plaid, or even a Lilly scarf you have in your closet! Pink and Green streamers or strands of beads, paper flowers strewn across the table, Glass beverage containers of pink lemonade with floating lemons and limes, pink and green tableware with Lilly tumblers........all of these little touches are what make parties special and memorable. You can have an all-out "Lillypalooza!!"

Hmmm...you know what? Maybe I'm a Lily fan after all.

Spring makes me think of.......

Sometimes people think I'm weird. Not because of my personality or appearance exactly, more because of how I think. More specifically the kind of things I think of. I tend to think about things that are of a creative nature. I think about art projects, decorating ideas, party themes, cakes and cookies...that type of thing. I daydream about what kind of cool favor I could come up with for a May wedding, held in the evening, by a lake. Now, I don't know anybody getting married in May by a lake or in the evening. I just like to think about the what if?

At Christmas when everyone else is dreaming about gifts, I am falling asleep with visions of decorations and centerpieces dancing in my head. In Spring when everyone is excited about the weather warming up and going outside I am envisioning an outdoor baby shower with a tea party theme and teacup shaped petite fours. That is the type of thing I think about, dream about, and get totally obsessed by. So, people sometimes think I'm weird when I go to unconventional trouble to decorate for a small Easter dinner for 15. They don't understand my need for matching table linens, centerpieces, favors, and cake decor for my Goddaughter's 2nd Birthday. They laugh at my two week long shopping excursions to find the perfect matching ribbon for the gift bags I'm handing out at my daughter's graduation party. These are only things that make sense to me.

It is because of these strange thoughts and daydreams that I finally decided to make the jump into my own creative business. I decided that I finally had enough wonderful ideas that I needed to spread my creative wings beyond my own family and friends. I wanted to make other people's parties look like magazine spreads, I wanted to make other little girls giggle with delight at their perfect Birthday Cake! Best of all, I know I can make all of those HGTV inspired parties a reality and do it on a budget. I know that it is possible to have the celebrations of the rich and beautiful on a regular income if you are creative enough. So, I've decided to dip my hand into the event planning pool and see what I can do.

I have started by opening a little business called Jenny Lynn Creative Cakes. While tinkering in party planning I discovered I had a hidden talent. I can make cakes! I actually surprised myself by realizing that I'm actually pretty good at it. I have had no formal training but I also have no fear. Which means I have taken on some pretty large projects even though I had no business in my right mind doing so. Somehow in the end they turned out...well...good! Shocking! I have now been privileged to make several cakes for both friends and family. I am ready to venture out into the public and share my talents with other people as well. I am hoping that through this blog as well as my Facebook page I can start expanding my business and begin eploring all areas of party planning and event design. Along the way I will share pictures, stories, lessons learned and helpful tips. I'm ready for the rest of the world to experience my creative weirdness. I know I can make this work, it's just going to take A Little Cake Magic!

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