Washi Tape Holiday Photo Shoot

Back in October, Natalie of The Knock-Knock Factory posed this question on her Facebook page -- "What's on your party bucket list?" I left a comment saying that I've been meaning to have a party inspired by Japanese washi tape. Next thing I knew, we were talking about having a washi tape holiday photo shoot. Within days, Paula of Frog Prince Paperie, Glenda from Cute Tape, Xiaolu of 6 Bittersweets, and Frances, the owner of The Pear Tree Cottage, were all on board.

We're so ecstatic to have the details and photos featured on The Sweetest Occasion today. The post includes free downloadable gift tags from Frog Prince Paperie, plus a fabulous giveaway from Cute Tape. Thanks to all of the talented contributors, I can officially cross off "washi tape party" from my list.

Photography: 6 Bittersweets

As seen on: The Sweetest Occasion / Whipperberry

Party Tutorial Contest #2: First Place

I'm thrilled to announce that the winners of the second Party Tutorial Contest have been selected! What an honor it was to have Kate of Kate Landers Events, Lacey from Le Box Boutique, Paula of Frog Prince Paperie, and Candace of Candy and Cake as our guest judges. Thank you so much ladies for being a part of my one year blogging celebration. The entries were judged on creativity and how easy they were to follow. And the top prize goes to...

Julie over at So This is Julie for her Crepe Paper Flowers tutorial!

Here is what some of the judges had to say about her tutorial and why it chosen as the winner.

~ Vibrant colors were EXCELLENT for the tutorial. She immediately drew me in with the two-tone fringed crepe paper flowers. I also appreciated all the images of the supplies, and being honest about how it can be tricky at first. She shared inside-tips on making it easier by not using the frige scissors, as well as where to cut top-to-bottom to decrease chances of there being rips (shows for a good teacher). She also showed that you can hang on a garland, or put on bamboo skewers (more than one use for the finished product) which can then tie the theme across many decorative elements--this stood out to me the most in terms of creativity. All required supplies were inexpensive or likely something you had at home already, making it more accessible to a wider group. And how great that this decoration/project can be used for parties (not limited to birthdays) and celebrations of all sorts, and even used as home decorations after an event.

~ I like the simplicity of the materials and how do-able this tutorial is for the average person; that and the impact it makes in a party's decor make it a winner!

Julie wins a $50 gift certificate to Bird's Party, plus 3 months of sidebar ad space on her blog. Congratulations! Be sure to check back tomorrow to find out who won the custom designed party pack from Love Party Printables valued at $80. Ohhh...the suspense.

Party Tutorial Contest #2

A year ago, I had an aha moment. I realized that I had spent most of my thirties focusing on the kids and being a mom. I think Dawn of Not Just A Mommy sums it up perfectly when she says, "it can't be just about the kids". That same week, I signed up for a photography class, hit the gym for the first time in ten years, and started this blog.

My official one year blogging anniversary isn't until June 13th, but I couldn't resist the urge to start the celebration a little early. What a better way to get the party started than with another Party Tutorial Contest.

<a href="http://www.purejoyeventsblog.com/2011/06/party-tutorial-contest-2.html"><img alt="Pure Joy Events button" src="http://purejoyevents.webs.com/images/pje-party-tutorial-contest-button.png" border="0" width="125px"/></a>

Lacey, Paula, and Candace were the sponsors from the first contest, but I wanted to keep the name of the fourth judge under wraps until now...

Kate - Kate Landers Events

It's such an honor to have Kate as our special guest judge. She was the very first person to feature my parties on her blog, and has continued to be a true inspiration to me and so many others.

Lacey - Le Box Boutique

Lacey admits that she has an obsession with kraft boxes/bags, washi tape, and baker's twine. Her shop, Le Box Boutique, provides eco-friendly gift packaging, gift consulting, graphic design, and photography services.

Paula - Frog Prince Paperie

Paula is a brilliant invitations designer and party stylist, and a pro when it comes to DIY projects. As one of my first blog followers, I'm thrilled that she's on board to help me celebrate this milestone.

Candace - Candy and Cake

Serving the Saskatoon area, Candy and Cake offers cakes and confections baked from scratch. Candace's blog is dedicated to creative cakes and party planning. As she puts it, "what is a party without a cake anyway?"

Again, the judges will be looking for party tutorials that are creative and easy to follow.

Since the contest will be opened to everyone this time, our sponspors are offering digital prizes totaling over $200.

1st Place

Bird is giving the lucky winner a $50 gift certificate to her shop, plus 3 months of sidebar ad space -- a total value of $80. Have your 125px x 125px button seen by 50,000 unique visitors each month!

2nd Place

Get this -- the runner-up will receive a custom designed party pack from Love Party Printables worth $80. The pack includes party circles, invitations, tented cards, banner, napkin rings, straw flags, labels, favor tags and water bottle labels.

3rd Place

Shop for custom party printables with a $50 gift certificate from Lindi of Love the Day. Sweet!

To enter your DIY party project(s), you must:
1. Be a blog follower or Facebook fan of Pure Joy Events.
2. Mention the contest on your blog, Facebook page, or Twitter.

Gingham Easter Party

This past Sunday, we hosted an Easter Party at our home. I decided to go with a gingham theme and incorporate subtle Japanese influences. In the end, I was really happy with how everything came together.

My daughter's green gingham shower curtain from Pottery Barn Kids served as the perfect backdrop for the dessert table. For the banner, printable cards from Monkey Moo Moo were edged with gingham Japanese washi tape, sprinkled with glitter, then strung together with pink ribbon. The pair of topiaries which flanked the cherry blossom centerpiece (go here for the tutorial), were inspired by Frog Prince Paperie's pomander flower ball tutorial. Kristen of Decorate This! beautifully handcrafted the pinwheels using cherry blossom vellum paper.

The bunny and chick cake bites, lemon and raspberry French macarons, and coordinating sugar cookies were all made locally. Of course, I had to make some Peepshi (or Peeps sushi) for the party -- I just couldn't resist. They were a big hit! You can't go wrong with Peeps, Rice Krispie Treats, and Fruit By the Foot. 

Wondering how I made the lollipop flower favors? I'll be sharing the tutorial soon. Loan's Easter cake was almost too stunning to eat!

While all 150+ Easter eggs were being hidden, the kids decorated their eggs and personalized baskets with little gems, washi tape, and stickers. You can see my guest post about decorating eggs with washi tape on Ucreate with Kids.

We wanted to have the egg hunt at a wooded park situated at the end of our court, so all week long, I was crossing my fingers for no rain. Fortunately, we had mild and sunny conditions that day. Whew! It just wouldn't have been the same having it indoors.

We also had egg tosses in our backyard. A big thanks to Rebecca Watkins Photography for capturing all of the party details. It's so rare to get a great photograph of the family at our parties, but she managed to do it. If you missed Rebecca's tips for photographing children's parties, go here.

Wishing you a happy Easter!

Photography: Rebecca Watkins Photography and Pure Joy Events / Printables: Monkey Moo Moo / Sugar Cookies: Sugar Cookie Creations / Macarons: Pastry Xpo / Cake Bites: Kerry Dangerfield / Pinwheels: Decorate This! / Printing: Brick Wall Printing and Graphics

As Seen On: Catch My Party / P is for Party / Spaceships and Laser Beams

Party Tutorial Contest Winners

I was so impressed with all of the entries from our first Party Tutorial Contest. I'm sure it wasn't easy for the guest judges to pick their top three tutorials. The winning tutorial goes to...

Rainbow Slush entered by Wendy over at Ramblings from the Sunshine State. In her own words, "it's really easy and inexpensive, and the kids loved it". We love it too! Enjoy your Rainbow Party Packaging Kit (how fitting) from Le Box Boutique, which includes Japanese washi tape, baker's twine, kraft boxes, glassine bags, and other goodies.

Jaime from That's My Letter takes 2nd place with her DIY Treat Tower tutorial. Inspired by a cupcake stand by Martha, she designed and built a 4-tier round tower, complete with holes to hold cake pops! Jaime wins a $25 gift certificate to Frog Prince Paperie.

The winner of a dozen fondant covered cookies or custom chocolate covered Oreos from Candy and Cake is Paula of JC's Loft. She shows you how to make Faux Lamps out of dollar store candlesticks, floral foam and scrapbook paper for just $4 each.

Honorable mentions go to Twin Dragonfly Designs' Mad Hatter Party Toad Stool tutorial, and the Goldfish Soap tutorial by Cupcakes and Lemonade. Heather and Laura will receive 3 months of free ad space on Pure Joy Events.

Congratulations to these incredibly crafty and creative ladies! Thanks everyone for sharing your party tutorials. If you haven't had a chance to check out all of the entries, go here. Of course, a special shout out to the fabulous judges, Bird of Bird's Party, Jillian from Catch My Party, Becca over at Birthday Girl, and Paula of Frog Prince Paperie.

Party Tutorial Contest

Yippee! Pure Joy Events recently reached 200 blog followers and is approaching 200 fans on Facebook! To celebrate and show my appreciation to all of you, I'm holding the first ever Party Tutorial Contest on PJE. Just link up a tutorial for a DIY project that you made for a party (like no-sew bunting, fabric cupcake toppers, or custom cake stands) for your chance to win one of these fabulous prizes.

The 1st place winner will receive a Rainbow Party Packaging Kit valued at $30, which includes Japanese washi tape, baker's twine, kraft boxes, glassine bags, and other goodies from Le Box Boutique. Paula of Frog Prince Paperie is generously offering the 2nd place winner a $25 gift certificate to her shop. And for 3rd place, a dozen fondant covered cookies or custom chocolate covered Oreos from Candy and Cake.

I'm ecstatic to announce that the guest judges will be Bird of Bird's Party, Jillian from Catch My Party, and Becca over at Birthday Girl. They'll be looking for creative projects with easy-to-follow tutorials.

The contest rules are simple:
1. You must be a Pure Joy Events blog follower or Facebook fan to enter.
2. The tutorial must be a DIY project that you made for a party.
3. Mention the contest on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

That's it! The contest is opened to U.S. and Canadian residents only, and ends March 31st at 11:59pm ET. Please spread the word and grab our contest button.

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Children's Alopecia Project Thanksgiving Potluck

On Saturday, we had the pleasure of hosting the first Children's Alopecia Project (CAP) Thanksgiving potluck for the Virginia/Maryland chapter. CAP is a wonderful organization that raises awareness and provides support for kids with alopecia, an incurable autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. Our son, Camden, who is turning 4 in January, started losing his hair at 19 months. Especially during this time of year, we feel so grateful that he is a sweet, happy, and healthy little boy.

The "Tree of Thanks" idea came from Paula at Frog Prince Paperie, who also designed all of the printables.

The delicious spread included honey baked ham, rotisserie chicken, wheat rolls, and pasta salad. Katie, the chapter's founder, brought over homemade apple pie, mini cheese cakes, and cupcakes. It was so nice just to sit down and share a meal with everyone. We hope to make it a tradition every year.

Special thanks to Rebecca Watkins Photography for capturing the event, and Geoff at Brick Wall Printing and Graphics.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.