Custom Inspiration Board, No. 2

I'm excited to share another custom inspiration board I just created for sweet CB reader Kirsten! While Kirsten is already married, she will be having a lovely party this summer for her 25th birthday! And because party planning details share lots of common ground with wedding details, I think you'll enjoy this!

Here's a bit of what Kirsten told me about her upcoming party:
-i share my birthday with my fabulous grandma who passed away in february ... she and i baked together, drank many cups of coffee, and would lay on her bed and chat during her months of chemo.
-the party is at our townhouse/apt. we have a great living room/dining room and the festivities will spill out through our backdoor/sliding glass window into our backyard.
-my favorite color is green
-i am inviting people from all of my different 'worlds' ... so everyone needs to be friendly and ready to get to know each other.
-background music will include frank, dean, and sammy; micheal buble, and of course a nice mix of 90's pop music for reminiscing sake
-food includes several of my friends fav dishes that they will be bringing, me and my dad's chocolate chip cookies
-drinks of the night are reisling and cosmos. everything else is byo
-I like earthy tones, I suppose. But, I am liking any colors in a sunset or ocean for the party.

... And here's what I came up with:

Feel: Backyard chic
Palette: A coastal sunset; searing corals mixed with waves of emerald and aqua

Details (from left to right):
Row 1: J.Crew dress; Martha Stewart image; Kaufmann House in Palm Springs via J.Crew
Row 2: Paper lanterns found here; Succulents via Martha Stewart; Cosmos found here
Row 3: Image via Soiree; Martha Stewart image; Paper flag banner via Lorajean's Magazine

The written (with some added visuals):

Attire: Loving these dresses for the birthday girl, too! Both from Simple Silhouettes - here and here.

Lighting: Use colored paper lanterns to stick with your color palette and create a warm ambience. Plain white lanterns, string lights or even candles could look just as great and act as neutrals. Note the use of clustered asparagus in the photo above as centerpieces - easy, affordable, modern and earthy! {Image via fete}

Decor: I think the key here is to keep things simple. Succulents emit a modern, edgy vibe but stay grounded with their muted coloring. They're easy to care for and won't wilt like some flowers in hot summer temperatures. You could use individual planters {similar to those in the board} as centerpieces and/or give them out to guests as favors. If you really wanted to get carried away, you could use chalkboard paint on the pots and write each guests' name on the side and use them as place cards. Moss or planted herbs could also work.

Drinks: With Reisling and Cosmos as your stated signature drinks, it might be fun to do a display of some sort that could also act as decor. You could fill an old metal washbin or a clawfoot bathtub {any type of fun container will do!} with ice and use to hold the wine and/or alcohol. If you choose to offer lemonade or iced tea, add a drink stirrer with ribbon or a flag to reinstate your color palette and add a special touch. Even drink umbrellas could be fun, colorful and easy to pick up at the grocery.

Treats, etc.: While I'm sure the birthday cake will take center stage, I just had to share these perfect summer Mojito cupcakes! Yum! While we're on the subject of birthday cake, I have to say how sweet I think it would be if you sat in the special chair your grandmother gave you while everyone sings Happy Birthday and you blow out the candles. It also might be sentimental to sprinkle a few framed photos of the two of you and other friends and family around the tables or maybe have a late-night coffee as a tribute to your grandmother.

Seating: Bring some cushions or even indoor furniture outside to create an intimate feel {so long as rain isn't in the forecast}. Spread the seating in small groups around the edges of the lawn, to create room for a game of bocce. I'm liking this Meraseine Conversation Collection from Target.

Activities: Sometimes it's hard to get people to mingle. Try luring some out of their shells with interactive games like Catchphrase, Outburst or Taboo. Or place some TableTopics around to get conversations started!

Banner: A cloth flag banner {like the one in the board} definitely adds an air of festiveness but I think this simple paper banner is just as cute and it's an easy DIY project! Just follow Martha's directions here!

For even more ideas, check out the Birthday Girl blog!

If you'd like me to create a personalized inspiration board for you, read up on the details here (half of the proceeds go to charity so it's all for a good cause and it's fun!) and then shoot me an e-mail telling me a little bit about your vision and I'll get to work!

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