Queen Of Hearts Valentine Shoot

There is a lot to see here today, as I styled and photographed this Queen of Hearts Valentine's Day shoot to help showcase the printable party collection by Paula of Frog Prince Paperie.  Paula created this very cool and modern set that would also work well for a bachelorette party, bridal shower, lingerie shower, or even engagement party - the LOVE theme here is universal! 

The dining table for two is covered with a simple white cloth to show off the black lace trim detail, and the centerpiece which consists of real flowers in vases along with some whimsical fabric & felt flowers as a "runner."  Love notes from the collection sit atop each plate and are the perfect romantic gift. 

Also part of the collection are the playing cards that spell LOVE.  One of the ways I used these was to attach them to a King & Queen decorative piece from Hobby Lobby(using double stick tape).  However, after I got the photo the wind was too strong to keep them there for long.

Another way to use the long straw flags is to make small heart-shaped stem markers.  I just used 2 different patterns and attached them with double-sided tape to make a heart shape.  To finish it off, I curled the tail ends.

I set up a small dessert table for two, with chocolate-dipped strawberries, mini cupcakes, and the gorgeous coordinating cookies from Allyson Jane.  I love how she can transfer any printable design to her cookies, and they taste as good as they look!

I used the classic circles to top the cupcakes and added to picks for the strawberries.  The wine bottle labels are one of my favorite items.  You can add it to wine or champage, but you could also use it to top off plain gift wrap.

No party is complete without something to hang.  I hung the LOVE banner across the front of the dessert table, but you can also hang it above, across a wall or doorway.

More decorative uses for the party circles and flags can be seen above on the milk bottles.  I used the flags in the traditional way on the straws, but also as decorative accents to the circles.  Below you can see just how pretty the love letters are both front and back.

A few more shots using pieces of the set to decorate small gifts can be seen below, including decorative paper sheets to use for lining trays or creating paper crafts.  Another one of my favorite items in this collection is the paper cone (bottom photo).  We embelished these with beaded trim, feathers, and ribbon to hang it on the backs of the chairs.  Filling them up with small heart-shaped cookies from Allyson Jane makes for the perfect party favor. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing this new collection from Frog Prince Paperie, and please visit my tutorial for using her papers as gift wrap, and a paper flower topper here.  Except for battling the wind for 2 hours on the day of the shoot, I had a fabulous time working on this. LOL

Visit Paula's shop for more information.

Styling and photographs - Chris Nease @ Celebrations At Home

Printables - Frog Prince Paperie

Decorated Cookies - Allyson Jane

"Spa Candy"

I've got to give a big "thanks" to Swank Sweets for introducing this amazing new online magazine, Nonpareil.

And this amazing "Sweets" table from their latest issue will make you do a double-take!  Designed to look like a dessert table, it is full of bath and body products perfect for a Spa Party for Birthdays, Showers, or other Girl's Gathering!!  How freaking cool is that?!

The online magazine is full of recipes for the bath salts, soaps, lip balms, and body scrubs, as well as printables for the display and packaging.  Start planning your Spa Party now! 

Feathery Goodness

What a statement this makes!  Feathers Everywhere!  This unique and dramatic design from Style Me Pretty would be so fun to do for a Bachelorette Party, special Glam Birthday, or a "Feather Your Nest" theme shower.  Re-create this look by simply lining the table with rows and rows of feather boas, on top of your regular table cloth.  You could add a couple of safety pins to each one (attach to table cloth) to keep it in place if you want, but the weight of the dishes may do the trick.   The white used here looks like a Winter Wonderland, but any color could be used to suit your occasion.

For more drama, wrap boas around tall cylandar vases, wreath forms, foam balls, or backs of chairs.  And remember this amazing Backdrop as well.

Boa Backdrop

On My To-Do List: Create a fabulous backdrop using feather boas like the one seen here at Jesi Haack Weddings blog. Who's with me?!

Not The Lottery, But...

Are you itching for a unique idea for your next Shower, Graduation, or Birthday party? These Scratch-Off cards are just the thing to engage your guests, and enable you to hand out prizes, without playing silly or embarassing games(not that there's anything wrong with those)! They are from Party Scratchers and come in packs of 20 or 25 cards, and the top card is always the "winner" for your convenience. Simply shuffle them and hand them out and let your guests scratch off the gray area to reveal the winning picture, or one of several other funny variations.....So Cool!