Get ready for summer with these precious drink kits! Keep the bugs from sharing your sips with the pretty lid inserts, ready to go with a hole to insert the colorful, retro striped straws. These drink kits are perfect for outdoor parties and gatherings all summer long! They come with colorful lid inserts, striped paper straws, and a fun straw embellishment for each! Available in six color collections, each with a unique style.

Garden Party Drink Kit…

Just add jars of tea or lemonade!

These charming picnic lunch bags are just the sweetest thing since…well… sliced bread, I think. Fun text and forks that clip to the bags take them over the top. Jordan Ferney, over at Oh Happy Day, does it again! Love this.

She has step-by-step instructions for making your own. We see these sweet lunch sacks gracing a picnic blanket, or at a party for an easy-to-serve buffet lunch. They’d also make adorable favor bags for a cooking themed party!

Chow.

We’re daydreaming today of warm summer afternoons, listening to the laughter of the neighborhood children, bikers peddling past, as we sit sipping iced tea on the porch. We have about eighteen inches of snow in the front yard today, yes in April, but it’s never too early to gather some great summer recipes! Here come three sensational iced tea recipes. Stash these beauties away, or give them a taste test now, in sweet anticipation of hot summer days. You don’t even have to choose your favorite. Set a stunning iced tea bar, mix and match those ingredients, and invite some friends!

Raspberry Iced Tea

Pretty as can be, sweet raspberries transform your tea into a summertime treat. Get this gorgeous recipe from MyFoodBook.com.

Mint Iced Tea

Mint tea is a classic, cool and refreshing summer flavor. Grab this mint iced tea recipe with a hearty tea flavor from myrecipes.com.

Spiked Strawberry Iced Tea

Or, go for the gusto with this adults-only, simply lovely Strawberry Iced Tea from MintedMag.com…

For crystal clear iced tea, be sure to start with good water, and let the tea cool slowly to room temperature before chilling it.

Peaches, berries, citrus… you can’t go wrong. Pick your favorite fruits, add in some fresh herbs, and be sure you have plenty of ice!

While having visitors at your home for a few days should be a joyful experience, hosting overnight guests can be a daunting task for the hostess, and staying away from home has its own set of challenges for the guests. Today, we share with you ideas and tips for making it more comfortable for all.

Photos: BHG.com

Hostess Tip #1:

The best way to ensure that your guests will be comfortable is to live a day and night in the space where they will be staying. Use the bedroom, the shower and the bathroom. You’ll find out immediately what might not be comfortable for your guests.

Photo: BHG.com

Hostess Tip #2:

Provide extras! Extra blankets, extra towels, and extra toiletries can go a long way to helping your guests feel at home. If they don’t have to ask you to help with every need, they’ll certainly feel more comfortable, and you won’t be working so hard!

Hostess Tip #3:

Have breakfast waiting for your guests each morning. Everyone has their own morning routine, and it’s such a personal time of day. Some are up and about early, and some like a few extra zzz’s in the morning. Your guests will be grateful for a tasty breakfast waiting for them the minute they wake… whenever that is. So, how do you cater to a houseful of people that have different routines? A pretty brunch buffet is perfect. It can all be made in advance. Muffins and fruit, cereals, warm oatmeal or French toast casserole in the crockpot, can all be placed out the night before. Just cover it and leave a sweet note for your guests to help themselves. Set the timer on the coffee maker to brew at an early hour. You can always refresh the coffee supply when you wake. Be sure to place cream and sugar nearby. You’ll have happy guests, and you won’t be waking before dawn to prepare Grandma’s breakfast! Lovely.

Hostess Tip #4:

Give your guests a peaceful retreat. Especially if there are children living in your home, a quiet nook with a few good books and magazines, a comfortable chair or two, and a warm throw blanket is an ideal place for a guest, craving quietness, to hide for a few minutes. Show your guests around the house when they arrive, and invite them to use this quiet nook whenever the mood strikes.

Photo: BHG.com

Hostess Tip #5:

It’s all in the presentation. A handful of fresh flowers in a vase will add cheer to the guest room, and another in the kitchen makes such a difference. Make the breakfast buffet a pretty presentation with cheerful color and pretty platters. Your attention to the details won’t go unnoticed!

Prepare in advance, and you’ll be able to enjoy your guests rather than laboring every minute of their stay to accommodate their needs.

Not every party needs to costs thousands and take six months to a year to plan! Today we are celebrating simplicity. Check out these easy, inexpensive birthday party ideas that will add just enough wow to your special day.

The Birthday Party Table

We found this sweet and simple idea for letting your party guests know where their seat is on Oh Happy Day. A few mini balloons and a handful of confetti make a statement against the soft white. We love that she uses her plain, white plates right out of the cabinet. Simple perfection.

The Birthday Cupcakes

Pretty cupcakes skirted in festive cupcake wrappers are all you need for the perfect party cake. No messy cutting and serving. Simply sweet. These hand designed birthday hat cupcake wrappers are from the Birthday Wishes collection by Confetti Couture. They are skirting some deliciously classic coconut cupcakes from Gigi’s Cupcakes.

The Birthday Party Decorations

Add some streamers and a few sprinkles, and you’re ready to party!

Navy blue is beautifully nautical or simply neutral… or both. Using navy as a neutral can add a springtime freshness to your event. Replace the traditional black, gray, or brown with navy to get a nautically neutral color palette. This navy blue and white cupcake tower is crisp, clean and lovely on its own, but watch as different colors pair with the navy blue to create a whole new look.

Navy blue and coral…

Navy blue pairs with most any other color. Here we created a fresh spring or summer color combo with coral and navy blue. Just feminine and pretty.

Navy Blue and Yellow…

Navy blue and yellow screams spring. Happy and bright, yellow and blue are tried and true.

Navy Blue and Kelly Green…

Navy blue and kelly green are fantastically fresh. Perfect for a summer wedding at the country club, kelly green and navy are a flawless color combination.

Navy blue is simple, classic perfection-- on its own, or paired with almost any color.

Source: http://brownbear2.deviantart.com/art/Sprinkles-208468603

S-P-R-I-N-K-L-E-S spells party! They just make everything more fun. Here are some ways to use sprinkles at your next party, or just to add some fun to your everyday.

Source: http://tikkido.com/node/656

Sprinkles in a vase? You betcha!

Source: iamtough.tumblr.com

Cover the edges of ice cream sandwiches with sprinkles to transform a common treat into an uncommonly sweet party display. Simply unwrap each sandwich and roll the edges in a plate filled with sprinkles.

Cover the edges of a basic layer cake in sprinkles. Fill a squirt bottle with sprinkles and cut the tip of the bottle almost completely off. Hold the squirt bottle close to the cake and squeeze to spray the sprinkles into the frosting. It’s important to do this while the frosting is wet, so the sprinkles will stick.

Source: http://tikkido.com/node/669

Dip or paint treats in chocolate or candy coating and add some sprinkles to make them party worthy. Rice Krispie treats, cookies, and all sorts of baked treats look so pretty with a few sprinkles. They’ll even make darling party favors. Pull the treats out of a box, or make them homemade. Sprinkles will make them look special!

Source: She Knows

Or, use sprinkles to add a festive touch to edge of a glass for a fantastically fancy and fun party drink presentation. Visit She Knows to get this Cake Batter Martini recipe!

Here’s a recipe for Funfetti Blondies by the Cookin’ Cowgirl. Happy!

Sprinkle on!

Oh, yes. It's exactly like that. Photo credit: Howard Berman

And sometimes like this:

And, occasionally like this:

Art by Flapperdoodle.

Keep them all up there!

Either love ‘em or hate ‘em, but either way, Peeps make a sweet style statement on the Easter table. Use these easy ideas to add a touch of vintage charm to your Easter table this year.

Easter Favors or Place Cards - Peeps Nests!

Make this adorable nest, complete with eggs for the Peeps to sit on. First, place a cup, or baking liner in your cupcake wrapper. We love Vintage Linens Dessert Skirtz for Easter! Fill the cup with paper grass, then with a few candy coated chocolate eggs. Top each little nest off with a colorful Peep, or two. These nests can become place cards by simply writing the name of each guest on a cupcake wrapper before assembling them.

Easter Table Centerpiece - Peeps on a stick!

Making an Easter table centerpiece doesn’t get easier than sliding some Peeps on these vintage inspired wooden lollipop sticks. An edible arrangement is always a hit!

Get Peepin’.

This simple craft idea is silly easy, but will add fun bursts of color around your party space, or table. These make lovely candle trivets to place under your candles on the party table, or as coasters scattered around the party room to save your tables from wets cups. With two ideas for using them at your next party, be sure you don’t’ throw away any lids from those empty jars!

Make your own coasters…

Peanut butter lids, mason jar lids, or whatever lids you have.

Washi tape

Our favorite lid to use is a peanut butter jar lid, because most of them are exactly the right height to accommodate the washi tape being wrapped around the edge, though almost any lid will work by just folding the tape down inside. Just be sure to test whether your glasses or candles will fit inside the lids. To make these even better as coasters, you can line the inside bottom of each lid with a thin round of cork. You can buy cork by the sheet, and even with adhesive already on the back.

All your lids are mismatched and different colors? Not to worry, you can use a little spray paint designed for plastic and metal before you add the washi tape.

Love that.

The daffodils have peeked through the surface, and spring is just around the corner. This “Garden Party” complete party kit from the Confetti Couture Boutique will welcome spring to your backyard and make your garden party look like an event planner coached you through every step. It comes with a full sized bunting, a mini bunting, a cupcake kit, a drink kit, a cake pops kit, glassine treat bags with coordinating closures, and tin tie bags with matching tag and pretty pom-poms. All perfectly coordinated and styled for a party of twelve.

Garden Party Decorations

Colorful fabric bunting brings big party color. Matching mini bunting looks so sweet on the cake plate, serving tray, or as front door décor.

Garden Party Treats

Hand painted wraps and earthy wooden sticks bring life to these sweet garden party treats.

Gumballs in a rustic basket add to the garden party fun! We found these darling ceramic mushrooms, and tucked them into the basket with our gumballs.

A garden party isn’t complete without these adorable cups of garden veggies with yummy ranch dip at the bottom of each cup.

This party kit comes with these sweet drink cup embellishments, bringing the idea of mason jars as drinking glasses to new heights!

Garden Party Activities

We filled more cupcake wrappers with a fuzzy buggy craft…

Get the tutorial for this garden party activity that doubles as a small party favor, perfect for both boys and girls.

Garden Party Favors

The glassine treat bags from this garden party kit come with sweet toppers and twine that will transform a humble packet of seeds into a precious invitation or a place card for the party table!

Kid sized gardening tools are easy to find, and make for a great party activity. Give the kids some plants, potting soil, and small pots. The potted plants and gardening tools make great party favors, too. It definitely beats a bag of cheap plastic toys that’ll land in the trash can in a matter of minutes!

For loads of garden party ideas, visit our garden party board on Pinterest!

Lighting can transform your party space. It gives your party added personality, but doesn’t need to be expensive. These are some creative ways to lighten the mood at your next party with nothing more than a string of lights and a few inexpensive materials. Just simply beautiful, we can’t stop looking at this string of lights tied with tulle by Hayseed Homemakin’. The airy ties of tulle diffuse the light into a warm glow.

More ways to make pretty party lights…

Martha Stewart has used paper sacks or silk flowers in the same way to create a completely different look.

Photos: Hey Gorg and Camilla at Family Chic

Simple cups or cupcake wrappers can even become dainty little lamp shades for those string lights at your party. Visit Hey Gorge for a detailed tutorial with great photos.

Get moody at your next party with some pretty lights!

The Cake Table- Cupcakes!

Cupcakes make such a statement as your wedding cake with infinite ways to create your display. Towers and tiers of fluffy cake and mountains of frosting in all the best flavors are so easy to serve in perfect portions, with no cutting necessary. Cupcake wrappers bring your wedding colors to the cake table effortlessly. Combine your cupcakes with other desserts for a trendy dessert table at your wedding reception, or go more traditional with a towering, elegant table filled with cupcakes.

In the photo above, we created lots of levels with a few cupcakes on each. Keeping the display pieces neutral and similar in color, we kept the focus on the cupcakes. Coral and brown Mini Skirtz , mini cupcake wrappers bring just the right touch of the wedding colors to the table.

A towering white cupcake display with cupcake wrappers in nautical navy redefines a classic look for your wedding cupcakes. It’s so easy to bring your own personal style to the cake table. We’re loving the cheesecakes from Gigi’s Cupcakes! We used a combination of cupcakes and these amazing cheesecakes on this wedding cupcake tower.

Or, try the same look in kelly green…

This black, white, and pink cupcake display is bold, but elegant. Hat boxes turned into cupcake tiers bring loads of pattern and color, with pops of pink from the cupcake wrappers.

For more wedding cupcake inspiration, visit our cupcakes! Pinterest board.

Need a last minute, handmade valentine idea that doesn’t involve miniature, origami Eiffel Towers or tutoring from a professional pastry chef? We think these watercolor valentines from Nest of Posies are perfection!

With a few heart shaped vinyl stickers, some watercolors, and paper, valentines for the class are a few brush strokes away, and mostly kid-created without the complaining. Yep, perfection.

Visit nestofposies.com to get the entire tutorial. To make the project even easier, the message could be printed with your home printer instead of stamping, and the sticker placed over the printed message during the painting.

XOXO.

Dainty vintage tea cups can be found at flea markets and quaint antiques and second- hand stores. Today, we present some ideas for using these beauties at your next party to show off their vintage glam and dress up the party table.

Teacup Candles

Follow an easy tutorial from Georgica Pond to create this loveliness on your own party table. Bonus, you’ll be able to use all the broken and less than perfect candles in your home!

A Sweetly Vintage Tea-Cup-Cake Party Idea

Simply dress a cupcake in a coordinating cupcake wrapper. Then, tuck the cupcake along with a delicate bag of tea inside a vintage teacup. This also makes a thoughtfully unique gift, perfect for the teacher on Valentine’s Day!

Photo: Style Me Pretty

Teacup Flower Vases

Teacups make graceful, petite bud vases. Scattered in numbers across the center of the table, in combination with tea lights, they make a stunning statement on the party table.

Teacup Place Cards

Place cards double as a pretty party favor at each place setting with these teacups planted with tiny succulents from Hall Weddings & Events. Tags, labeled with each guest’s name, mark the place settings in a beautifully simple fashion.

Turn those teacups into treasures!