Little Celebrations: Under the Sea

So we are officially just two months away from celebrating Stella's second birthday. We took her second birthday photos yesterday, which had me feeling a little emotional. The time seems to be passing at warp speed. As many of you know I love planning parties, so putting together a sweet little celebration for Stella is definitely one of the most fun things I get to do as her mom. 

Last year the theme of Stella's birthday was "Under the Sea". I used classic mermaid colors of lavender and aqua as the color scheme, then  added seashells, sand, and fishing nets to create the sea like atmosphere. With Stella's party being in the middle of summer, we encouraged guests to bring their swimsuits to take a dip in the pool with the mermaids. I also set up water tables and little kiddie pools for the kids. 

For the sweets table I looked for candy and baked goods that resemble all the things we love about the sea. Cake pops that resemble octopus, gummy sharks, seashell shaped cookies, and salt water taffy, kept our friends sweet tooth happy. The center of the sweets table was a mermaid inspired two tiered cake covered in mermaid scales. It was beyond tasty too! 

For the tables I framed pictures from Stella's cake smash photo shoot to use as center pieces. I tied rope twine around mason jars, and added sand and seashells into the jars. Each table featured orchids, and a fish plate full of lifesaver candy. I found all of these touches at Home Goods! Anybody looking to put together a beach/ mermaid party this summer you must check out Home goods. I couldn't believe all the perfect under the sea decorations they had. 

For party favors I bought sand buckets and filled them with goodies, such as personalized mermaid coloring pages, and mermaid wands for the girls. I found letter stickers at Michaels and personalized each bucket. Probably my favorite decoration at the party was this oversized octopus plush I found at Pottery Barn Kids.  The kids took it down and had a blast playing with it. 

You can find all the vendor credits we used at the bottom of the page. We did a lot of shopping on Etsy, and had the best experience with all the vendors. Great communication, and fantastic homemade products! 

I feel like this was just yesterday. Where does the time go.... 

Vendor Credits: 

Cake, Octopops & Seashell Cookies Tinseltown Cupcakes | Macaroons Sweet and Saucy Shop| 

Personalized Coloring pages Sugar pie Studio |  Menu Cards A Petit Soirée | 

Fish Confetti Foolish Worker Bee | High Chair Bunting  JP Pink Daisy | 

Stella Banner Little Pink Tractor | Birthday Hat Prop Shop Boutique | 

Smash cake Bunting Hartranftdesign | Mermaid Napkins A Southern Flair |  

Paper Goods The Party Fairy | Mermaid Wands Ella Jace Crafts  | Favor Tags Scrap Your Story | Stuffed Octopus & Mermaid Sign Pottery Barn Kids

Yours truly,

Melissa 

Shop Spotlight: Little Kate Designs

Happy Saturday readers!! Today we are spotlighting one of our favorite small business shops, that you will see Stella wearing quite a bit. Little Kate Designs is an accessory shop specializing in leather hair accessories, based out of Las Vegas, NV.  All of the designs are handmade by Tanya, the owner and creator of Little Kate Designs. This shop is full of the coolest leather accessories such as braided headbands, metallic bows, and leather snap clips in multiple fashion colors. Each piece is functional for your every day lives, and full of fashion forward styles. 

Tanya is a mother to a gorgeous almost two year old named Lucy Kate, a wife, and their family is expecting a new addition this December. Tanya had worked as a personal stylist at a high end retailer for years, however, after Lucy Kate came along, they decided she would stay home to care for their daughter. Being passionate about fashion, and missing that part of her life, Tanya started to design accessories for her daughter, and the rest is history. She came up with the name Little Kate Designs after her daughter, as she is the one who inspires the aesthetic and designs of the business. Some people assume the shop is named after her, so they call her Kate, which "makes her smile every time". I had the amazing opportunity  to interview Tanya, to get some more background on her as a designer, and the background of the shop. Here is what I learned about Tanya. 

Q: How did you come up with Little Kate Designs? A: " I have always loved fashion; the textures the silhouettes, and shapes are all so intriguing to me. The shop is named after my daughter, Lucy Kate, as she is my little inspiration"

Q: As a success business lady yourself, is there a "boss lady" you look up to as a mentor? A: " There isn't one particular businesswoman I strive to emulate because I feel like we are all unique in our own different way. There are many boss ladies I admire though: thecoralpear, fabric wraps, madebymarywithlove are some of the many! These girls are all friends of mine and I admire their dedication as moms and wives and business women alike!" 

Q: "Whose celebrity style do you admire the most, and why? A:  "This may sound cliche but I have always adored Angelina Jolie's style. It's so effortless and classic. I love the clean lines and elegance of each and every piece she has worn. " 

One of our favorite designs from her shop include the leather braided headband which are available in baby to mom. They are designed from three leather pieces intertwined in a braid, then secured in a Headwrap.  These headbands come in multiple color ways such as metallics, neutrals like black, white, and brown, and cool fashion colors such as fuchsia, sun kissed yellow, aqua mint, and ballet pink. You can find 32 different styles in her shop, and each one is so utterly cool. 

Little Kate Designs makes a wide variety of hair accessories using leather. One of my favorites are the classic leather bows attached to an alligator clip. These sweet bows will keep the hair out of your little ladies face, while keeping her stylish. Featured are the fuchsia, gunmetal metallic, white, and canary yellow created from 100% genuine leather. 

Leather bows on glitter elastic are a favorite among moms with newborns. Seeing this dainty accessory on a teensy newborn girl will honestly make your heart explode! Such a great accessory for those precious newborn photo shoots. 

Metallic Bow Clips 

I'm also a huge fan of her prints! These printed bows are on trend, and sure to make a statement no matter what the season. I mean, what girl doesn't love a little leopard? 

Stella is wearing this black and white striped leather on a gold elastic band. It doesn't get any cooler than this people! 

These glitter bows are sure to make you sparkle! These are ideal for holiday, New Years, or if you just love a little bling. 

For summer Tanya has added some awesome neon leather styles. Stella recently rocked the neon up yellow at the beach, and received so many compliments on this fun accessory. These are a must have addition to you and your littles summer wardrobe. 

Thank you so much Tanya for sharing more about yourself and your awesome accessory shop with us. Your hair accessories are truly amazing, and one of our favorites to incorporate into our outfits in our everyday lives. 

Readers- now go and shop Little Kate Designs. She also provides a fantastic deal for you ladies looking to load up on some of her shop. For all orders over $30 you will receive 25% with code Little25. 

Shop small!! 

Yours Truly,

Melissa 

Top 10 Onsies

There is a baby boom happening in my neck of the woods!! There are some beautiful babies coming into my life in the next few months and I couldn't be more thrilled. Nothing is sweeter than a teensy newborn, and some chubby baby rolls styled in a onsie. In honor of those sweet babes coming into my life, I thought I would feature ten of my favorite onsies for the newest additions in your life. From funny sayings, to sweet ice cream prints, these onsies are sure to be favorite piece to add to your babies wardrobe. From what I remember with Stella she wore at least three onsies a day, so my tip to any new moms is that you can never have too many onsies.

Ps. (Number six is by Little Boogaweezin and she is offering 20% off everything in her shop today only with code: FRIDAY ) 

Links to all the onsies provided below. 

1) Salt City Emporium | 2) Hudson & Ruthie | 3) Gap Kids | 4) Goat-Milk |
5) Little Hip Squeaks | 6) Little Boogaweezin | 7. Hello Apparel |
8. Whistle and Flute | 9. Kira Kids | 10. Nununu |

Yours Truly,

Melissa 

Cool like a Popsicle

Summertime. I have a love hate relationship with this time of year. First the HATES.  I hate the heat. Unless I'm at the pool, in air conditioning, or at the beach, if it's hotter than 80 degrees, no thank you. I hate the crowds. I usually get at least one day off during the week, and it's pretty nice, because the rest of the world is usually at school or at work. I enjoy going to Disneyland and not having to wait in ridiculous sweaty lines. Summertime= crowds.  It's my busiest time of year at work. I mean it's blackout time. After July 6th, you can forget about going on vacation. It's the busiest time of year, sort of like Christmas time in heat. Now, so I don't sound like the Bah humbug of summer, here are the things I love. 

(Which Definitely outweigh the hates, making this season a PLUS in my book.)

 I LOVE being outside. Stella may not have gotten her hair color or eye color from me, but she definitely has MY personality. She is a free spirit who loves to be outside and be free. I love my home, but I get anxiety if I'm in the house for too long. I need to explore. I need to be outside. Summertime allows us to spend our free time outside, soaking up the sun. I LOVE All the bright colors and relaxed fashion styles. My dirty summer uniform consists of boyfriend shorts, a soft tank, and a cool pair of sandals. 

So since I can't make the heat go away, at least Stella is keeping it cool. Today she enjoyed one of the things I love about summertime.... Popsicles!!! 

It went sometching like this.... 

I don't want this! (Blah!) 

Its like Ice Cream???? 

Ok, I'll try it...

This is pretty tasty...

It's going down.. 

Even though it's hot, at least Stella is staying cool !  

Vendor Credits: Bow ( Birdie Baby Boutique ) | Tank: ( Tiny Whales ) | 

Shorts : ( Susie's Custom )  | Moccs ( The Coral Pear ) | 

Yours Truly,

Melissa 

Little Digs: Lola's Nursery

They say one the most amazing moments when becoming a parent is waiting nine long months wondering what your baby will look like, then giving birth, and finding out  "It's a....!!!" To me, and all you other "Type A" planners out there, this sounds like the worst idea ever. I mean how do you plan the nursery? How do you start buying baby clothes? Today I am sharing with you a nursery designed by a mama named Sharlene, who did just that. And guess what, there is HOT pink!! Of course it was added after they were blessed with a gorgeous baby girl, named Lola. 

Sharlene had found out the gender with her first two children, so she decided for their third, they would go ahead and wait it out to get that big surprise! When designing the nursery they went for a neutral color palette of grey and white. The entire room is painted in this soft grey, and one wall painted with a modern grey and white stripe statement. As far as the furniture goes, she used the same rocker and crib she had with her first two. She reupholstered the rocker, and painted the crib and a bookcase they had on hand in this gorgeous neutral grey. After Lola was born they added bits of bright pink to bring those girly touches to the room. In addition to the purchased items, Sharlene had personal touches added to the room, like a handmade hot ballon mobile given to her by a friend, family photos, and a sweet drawing made by one of her older children framed for her new baby sister. 

The room came out beautifully, and the gender neutral greys still look soft and feminine for this sweet little girl's nursery. 

Nursery Details:

Bedding, Rocker, Rocking Horse, Storage Bins (Pottery Barn Kids) | Pillow (Target) | 

Growth Chart (Gus & Lula)

All photos taken by : Sharlene Garcia

Thank you so much Sharlene for sharing Lola's stunning nursery with us. I absolutely love all the personal touches you put into her nursery, and the story behind designing a nursery for a "surprise" gender. If you would like to find out more about Sharlene, and her life as a mom you can check out her blog Country Girl, City Wife . It's full of fun stories about motherhood, and all the events that come with it. 

If you are interested in having a room you designed featured you can email me at theparkismyrunway@gmail.com

Yours Truly,

Melissa

Shop Spotlight: Paper Treats

I love a good party. You know a party where everyone has fun! Where you leave the party feeling all warm and good inside (or dizzy) if you have enjoyed some delicious cocktails too (HA!). Of course, I am known to get into all the fancy cakes, favors, and party decor, but what really makes a good party is the feel-good memories we make during these celebrations. RIGHT?

For today's shop spotlight I am featuring the most gorgeous paper accessories that are the perfect addition to any party. Whether your celebrating your little girl's birthday with a small family dinner and a homemade cake, or hosting an elaborate 50 person baby shower with an over the top three tiered cake, these "Paper Treats" are sure to help create that feel-good feeling to your celebration.

Caroline Stender is the owner and designer of Paper Treats. She had been selling scrapbooking pages on Ebay prior to starting her shop opening in February 2008. She had a huge break when Martha Stewart took a liking to her products, after giving her a package at a book signing event. Martha Stewart had Caroline on her show in December 2008, to showcase her "gift tags". Since then Paper Treats has expanded on their product offering, including these gorgeous cake toppers. The minute I found these on Etsy I fell in love. I love the idea of a sweet statement adorned with detailed handmade paper flowers.

Wouldn't this be a sweet topper for the Rapunzel lover in your life?

 These stunning toppers can literally bring to life the simplest white buttercream cake. This "Baby", and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" are ideal for a Baby Shower or a "Welcome home" from the hospital gathering. The skewers are absolutely breathtaking on top of cake, however Catherine from Paper Treats, suggests some other fun ways to use the skewers include,  in a flower arrangement, in a watermelon, in a planter, or even in a mason jar as a centerpiece.

You can customize your topper/ flower color to a myriad of color ways to pair with the color scheme of your party. 

Thank you so much to Caroline for allowing me to feature her shop on the blog today. Your shop is seriously stunning, and truly one of a kind. I cant wait to add these sweet little paper treats to our next little celebration. 

All Photos sourced from: "Paper Treats"  

Party on!

Yours Truly,

Melissa 

Throwback Thursday: Stella's Cake Smash + Birdie Baby Boutique Giveaway

Thursdays are known in the social media world as "Throwback Thursday" a day to share photos from your past (just in case you have been living on Mars, or are my Mom reading this. JK Mom I love you!) Since we are part of an awesome mermaid bow giveaway with Birdie Baby Boutique on Instagram, and its "Throwback Thursday" I thought I would throw it back to one year ago, when Stella had her cake smashing photo shoot for her first birthday. 

We were going to have a pool party for Stella's first birthday with the party being in the middle of August, so I thought an "Under the Sea" theme was perfect. We went with the traditional mermaid color scheme of lavender, aqua, and teal, and lots and lots of seashells. This "Beached" Bow from Birdie Baby Boutique (which is one of the bows you have a chance to win on our Instagram giveaway) was the perfect accessory. We took these photos last June when Stella was 10 months old, that way we could use the photos in our Invitations, and as decor for the party. I will post photos from the actual party in a future post for those of you who would like some "Under the Sea" party inspiration. 

This cake smash shoot was such a blast. Stella loved the cake, and knew something special was going on! Turning one is a big deal you know. If you have a little turning one soon, I highly recommend a cake smash photo shoot, just prepare to get messy. 

(All the vendor credits from the shoot are below)

When deciding on the cake, I knew I didn't want to spend a lot of money, since the whole point of the cake was to smash it. I had this mini cake made at Albertsons Bakery for $6. They did an awesome job. The gorgeous cake stand I actually picked up from Home Goods. I figure I can change out the ribbon, and use it for different parties in the future. 

One of the things that was so funny about this shoot, was that I actually ended up with more cake on me than Stella. She loved smashing the cake then smashing it all over her mama in between takes. If you are planning on a cake smashing session, bring like 4 towels. Two for the baby, and two for mama!

Vendor Credits:

Photography ( Kelly Cicero Photography) / Party Hat (Prop Shop Boutique)

Cake Banner (Hartranftdesign) /  Two Piece Ruffle Bikini (Chubby Baby) /

Fabric Banner ( A Petite Soiree) / Bow (Birdie Baby Boutique)/ Cake (Albertsons)

Don't forget to enter our Birdie Baby Boutique MERMAID giveaway on Instagram for a chance to win a mermaid inspired bow like the one Stella is wearing.  Below are the bows the winner can choose from. 

I hope you all enjoyed my little throwback! These pictures were taken exactly one year ago. Making me teary eyed and proud all at the same time. 

Yours Truly,

Melissa