French Classy!

Party planning is a major hobby of mine. I sit at work and daydream about the themes I can come up with, the cute decorations I can make or buy, and the invitations I can create!

Well while strolling through Market Street a couple of months back, I saw a bottle of Lorina French Lemonade and it inspired me to create a party with a "French Classy" theme. (I say theme but I'm not big on overdone themes, but I like unique and original ideas for parties.)

I had ideas swirling in my head about a black, white, and sunshine yellow color scheme. I started thinking about what looked French Classy to me and came up with Damask accents and Eiffel Towers, fruit, cheese, wine, pastries, and of course bottles of French Lemonade!

Arrêter s'il vous plaît ! I'm getting ahead of myself! I didn't even have anyone to throw this French Classy party for.... or so I thought. The party gods were looking down on me, because about two weeks later my mom told me that she volunteered to throw a bridal shower for one of her good friend's daughter. My mom asked me to help her throw it because, #1 she know's I LOVE doing it, and #2 she know's I'll be annally obsessive about every little detail. (Sad but true.)

So to kick this thing into gear I started planning the invitations! I thought something simple but with class. (hence the "French Classy"!)  I couldn't really find anything in our budget until I ran to Michael's and found blank, print-your-own, all purpose invites. They were plain white with a simple black boarder. Of course I had a 40% off coupon, so they ended up being only $11.99 for 40 invites. But, they were a little too PLAIN for me, so I decided to embellish with cute, perfect shade of sunshine yellow, paper flowers that I also found at Michael's.

These hunnies were labeled as confetti, but I don't like labels, so I gave them a new job description.

I thought they would look oh-so-pretty attached to the top or bottom of these invites:

I think top worked best: (excuse the poor lighting in these pics!)

So I started printing these babies on my own printer. Which ended up being so easy when I finally figured it out.

Then I thought they needed more pizzazz, so I added a sweet little ribbon with a swirl design in black and white. I attached the ribbon with a stapler and crazy glued the yellow flower on top of the staple.

Voilà! Here's the finished product, which I think turned out pretty dang cute!

Again excuse the poor lighting and faulty shots. I was using my iphone camera because it was the only one I had with me at the time.

I have more to come on the "French Classy" bridal shower. We haven't even touched on the decorations, table cloths, milk glass vases, food, and French Lemonade! Mon dieu!

Blogger Inspirations!

I cannot get over this obsession I have with amazing blogs and awesome websites!

For the past week I have been closely examining and loving everything I've seen on Kevin And Amanda. (Wait, that sounded weird.)

Kevin and Amanda are website geniuses, (also highly trained in website design and html.) They have several tutorials for jazzin' up your blog or scrapbook with a ton of free fonts for your very own blog embellishing enjoyment! (I had to stop myself short of adding entire blog text postings! Even though I very much wanted to, I figured it may load too slow for y'all, and if you are like me, I have no patience.)

Also to make you and everyone in the Continental United States aware of their posting from today.  It is quite possibly the most amazing peanut butter chocolate cake I have ever seen! I am literally drooling over it. I hope the cake tastes as good as the photos look! I'm talking mini peanut butter cups, people! I'll will, or someone in my family will, *hint-hint* try that recipe very soon (possibly for my own birthday next week, I'll add one more *hint* here). We'll report back to you if the pictures were doing this chocolate, peanut-buttery, slice-o-pure Heaven, justice!

Check them out right now! Tell 'em Swiss Avenue sent ya!

Dear Blog World, hold on to your britches because here I come! Love, Swiss Avenue

My obsession has led me to this point. I am going blind from reading the blogs that I so dearly love. I have a sore neck and back from intently studying the before and after photos from Young House Love, the great flea market finds from The Lettered Cottage, the plain as day common sense on 2000 Dollar Wedding, and the hilarious commentary on The Broke Ass Bride, just to name a few.

These blogs amuse me, inspire me, make my day happy, and give me a 25,000 watt jolt of creative energy. I had to give credit where credit is due and include the names of those INSPIRATIONAL blogs that gave me the kick in the blogger butt that I needed. That blogger butt kick was felt with so much force that I am now writing this blog.

In my ridiculous, obsessive, and (dare I say that devils word?) "hoarder" head, I believe that this blog will give me that creative outlet needed in my day to day life. Here you will read about real life event planning; for friends, family members, and people I barely know! I am willing to throw a party for anyone to celebrate anything! I am the ultimate evite queen and love to create invitations, evites, themes, and decor for parties, showers, tailgating, and just about anything that you can call a "gatherin’."


But my obsessions don’t stop there. I'm just getting started! I also search flea markets, antique stores, estate sales, and ebay for one of a kind (inexpensive) antiques and collectibles (aka junk) that I can get my hands on. My head spins and my knees go weak when I see Depression Glass goblets marked for only $1.00 each?! Oh my, I'll take 10!!!
(Insert devil's word here: hoarder.)