A controversial statement probably but I think Valentines Day is my favorite holiday. When my daughter was almost four, I figured she would enjoy having a couple gal pals over to do some crafts and eat yummy treats. Luckily my friend and fellow blogger, Melissa of Petite Littles Everyday, decided to join in with her girls and help put on the fun afternoon gathering.
At the Puppy Love Valentine’s Party I hosted with Melissa from Petite Littles Everyday, the pink and red themed backdrop created behind the dessert table was made entirely from dollar store materials. Not only was it extremely inexpensive, it was easy to install and I loved how it turned out. I thought I would share the details of how to create a similar background, which cost less than $8 to create.
While red is primarily the color that dominates February, pink is a close second. I am always sucker for all things pink, so love month is simple the best in my books. More so, the candies that you can find to celebrate Valentine’s Day are the best. While conversation and cinnamon hearts dominated my childhood, walking the aisle of Target this year, I came to realize the candy options are now endless for the holiday.
When we moved into our Vancouver duplex, one room was already painted a pale pink. It was a no brainer to put my daugther in this room. Hands down it is the nicest and biggest room in the house. She has been my flower girl since birth…very creative, free and happy, so I decided a boho theme would be right up her alley and also be on trend. She had aged out of her tutti fruitti themed bedroom, which I also loved and you can find here.
It was a late August afternoon when I had the pleasure of hosting a baby shower. One of my friends was expecting her first, so it only made sense to get our group of friends together to celebrate. While everyone brought a dish to the potluck barbecue, I was keen to add a little flair with a fun theme, decor and dessert table. With inspiration and party goods from shop, Pretty Day, “Peace, Love and Motherhood” came to fruition.
For the past 5 years, August sees our family heading up the Sea to Sky highway to visit one of the most beautiful places in the world, Whistler. We are so lucky that my in-laws host us in a home and we get to take in all the mountain resort town has to offer. Maybe you have been to Whistler during ski and snowboard season, as that is what it is popular for. However, if you haven’t been during the warmer months, you are missing out. There are so many great spots to enjoy and I am going to share the many family friendly gems that exist.
My best friends daughter (aka a little girl I love like my own and my daughter’s BFF) is quite shy and reserved. This year she attended Kindergarten and definitely came out of her shell a bit as she gained new friends and experiences. She also started Sparks, which is the equivalent to Girl Scouts in Canada. The girl lights up when she talks about camping and all the activities she does at the weekly sessions. She often reminisces about times we have spent around the campfire roasting s’mores together during shared vacations. Thus, it was a no brainer what theme to do for her 6th birthday. This animal loving, outdoorsy little lady deserved a “s’more fun” camping party with her new classmates and bestie.
When it was time to celebrate 10 years of marriage, I knew I wanted to mark the occasion in a special way. Like most couples, our life had changed substantially since the day we were married in the summer of 2008. We had added two wonderful humans to our family and had also experienced several other milestones, some good and some not so good. We had watched and supported our first born through a cancer diagnosis and months long treatment. We had furthered our careers and moved to homes. We had unexpectedly gotten pregnant and lost a child. But through it all, we had each other and I couldn’t have imagined anyone else I would want to walk the up and down journey with. Thus, the ten year vow renewal came to fruition and without a lot of extra cash floating around, it was put together on a tight budget.
We are lucky to live in a vibrant area of Vancouver, Canada. It is full of art and culture for all to enjoy. I feel so fortunate my kids are growing up in a community that recognizes the importances of the arts. My 8 year old daughter in particular, benefits from this, as I know she will grow up having a job doing something creative. She is my highly sensitive, innovative soul who loves to dance and design things. Whether it is beading, painting or journaling, she can often be found making things (when she isn’t terrorizing her older brother…I kid…sort of). When we are looking for creative inspiration or supplies, we have one neighborhood spot that we frequent. This Main Street staple is a beautiful shop called Collage Collage.
Post COVID (or whatever phase this is), I think the return to in person birthdays is one thing I am most excited about. Obviously kids parties are my jam which you may know if you have been following along for a while. When my good friend said she had booked the local farm for her daughter’s second birthday I was thrilled to assist in making it memorable. I had my own daughter’s birthday at the same farm when she was turned two (you can see it at Somebunny is Two). While we could have done a traditional farm party the birthday girl is big on feeding the ducks and thus, the theme Daisies + Ducks came to fruition.