Event Design: Paint & Polka Dot Birthday Party

I'm so excited to announce that the Paint & Polka Dot themed birthday that I designed for little Nicole was featured on Hostess with the Mostess! Hostess with the Mostess is a popular blog where entertaining and party ideas are shared, inspired, and discovered. I highly recommend it for those of you who are looking for party inspiration. Check out the feature here

After doing Nicole's Bumble Bee Themed Birthday last year, her mom Christine was excited to have me help out again this year. She wanted something that was going to be a little more interactive for the kids since they are now a bit older. Nicole loves to draw and paint, so we thought why not have a paint themed party! The party was taking place in Christine's backyard so I knew I wanted bright and bold colors such as fuchsia, aqua and lime green that would really pop on a summer afternoon. The polka dot pattern was a perfect accompaniment to the bright colors and theme of the party. See below for all of the fun details!

Dining Tables

The dining tables were covered in a fuchsia linen with a polka dot runner going down the middle. For the centerpieces I purchased empty paint cans from a home improvement store and filled them with bright colored flowers that matched the theme of the party. I used green floral foam at the bottom of the cans and stuck the flowers into the foam so that they would stand straight up. I loved the idea of using one type of flower and color in each paint can. For the utensil packets, I wrapped the napkin around the fork and knife and added a paper band that said “dig in!” to hold it all together.

 
Kids Table

The kids table was a huge hit! Floating above the table was a cluster of bright colored polka dot balloons. The table was covered in a fuchsia plastic table cloth for easy clean up. Each kid got an individual paint packet to create their own masterpiece. The packet included a blank canvas, apron, painter’s palette, and paint brushes. I wanted to make sure the birthday girl felt special, so I added a little banner to the back of her chair that read “I am 3”.

 
Drink Table

For the Drink table we kept it really simple. We had raspberry lemonade and citrus infused water filled in dispensers and placed on white footed platters. This created a beautiful presentation. I purchased a variety of striped paper straws that matched the colors of the party and added a “nicole is three” tag for a special touch.

 
Painters Easel

Since the kids were going to have so much fun painting, I wanted to have a little activity for the adults as well. I had a blank canvas that I displayed on a painters easel with a little note asking guests to help create a masterpiece for Nicole. All the adults got to add their own little painting to the canvas and it ended up being a fun keepsake for the birthday girl.

 
Favors

The favors were super quick and easy! I purchased mini clear paint can containers to go along with the theme and filled them with gumballs. I added a little sticker to them that said “thanks for painting with me”.  

 
Dessert Table
The dessert table was my favorite part! For the backdrop, I hung paint cans at varying heights that spelled out the birthday girl’s name. I cut paper to create zig zag streamers and attached them to the bottom of the paint cans to give the effect that paint was spilling out of the cans. The desserts included paint brush pretzels, paint brush rice krispy treats, and cupcakes displayed on painter’s palettes. We ordered a simple cake but dressed it up with a mini banner that I made that said “three”. The inside of the cake however had a fun surprise. Each layer had a different color to match the theme of the party.

Event Design: Rustic Glam Wedding | Log Cabin, San Francisco

Ani and David hired me to do the event design and coordination for their wedding that took place on February 23, 2013. The first step was to find a venue! She had mentioned that she loved the rustic look and wanted something cozy, so I knew the Log Cabin in the Presidio would be a perfect choice for her. Once the venue was set, I worked with her to come up with the overall design and theme of the wedding by presenting her with an inspiration board of possible ideas and fun details. She seemed to like rustic elements but also wanted it to feel elegant, so I thought “Rustic Glam”! When I told my friends I was coordinating a “Rustic Glam” wedding they all said “what the heck is that?”. My idea of Rustic Glam was to use rustic elements such as wood and iron, but combine it with more glamorous looking items such as mercury glass vases, crackled candle pedestals, and sequins.

I had been waiting for a client to come along that wanted a rustic style wedding and I got really lucky to have gotten to work with Ani. She is just a fun loving person and so easy to work with. And not to mention she has impeccable taste. Thank you Ani and David for allowing me to be a part of your big day! It was truly amazing to witness the amount of love that you have for each other.

Event Design & Coordination: Simple Little Details / Invitations, Paper Goods, Details: Simple Little Details / Photography: Jess Epstein / Ceremony: Chapel of our Lady – Presidio / Reception: Log Cabin – Presidio / Catering: Nico Martin Presents / Lighting: Associated Entertainment Consultants / Florals: Ashby Flowers / Linens: La Tavola / Rentals: Hartmann Studios and Wine Country Party Rentals