While I have all of this extra time, I have decided to do some reminiscing and blog about a luncheon I hosted along with two other fabulous ladies, Barbara and Peggy, this past September. We hosted the lunch on behalf of a luncheon group we belong to, the Leading Ladies League, located in New Orleans. The day was surely filled with plenty of bubbly and bling! More importantly, it was a lunch celebrated amongst beautiful women, inside and out, empowering other women while giving back at the very same time. What’s there not to love?!
Invitations & Menu Design | Cloud 9 Factory on Etsy • Menu Design and Styling | Yours Truly! 🙂
I kept the decor fairly simple and elegant as the restaurant where the luncheon was hosted was already fabulous and esthetically pleasing! So, the space was super easy to decorate. I encouraged all of the women to dress in their best silver, white, gold, or sparkling attire. So, grab a glass of bubbly and enjoy all of the sparkling details worth toasting to!
If you thought the party decor and details were pretty, just take a look at this stunning group of amazing women!
I am so proud and appreciative to share part in serving others with such a lovely group of inspiring, successful women! I hope this blog post brings you just as much happiness as planning this event did for me. Cheers Dolls!
Stomp, Chomp, Growl, and Roar!!! Let’s party like a dinosaur! Our little “three-rex” is on the loose! Yep, that is right.. our little boy, Avery, turned three this past Summer. Where has the time gone? While speaking about time, I feel like this year has already flown by so quickly! Before I know it, Avery will be four. So, I figured I better get a move on sharing this “three”-historic celebration with you all. If you ask me, it was absolutely DINO-mite! So, stomp on through.
As always, I wanted the invitations to set the tone for the party. I truly feel like the presentation of party invitations are the most important! I do not know about you all?! But, I absolutely love receiving party invitations in the mail. However, I think I like designing party invitations even more! I decided to do a little DIY for this event.
First, I ordered some small Kraft boxes from Amazon, printed the fragile stickers that I found from another Momma’ blogger, and stuffed each Kraft box with moss. I was easily able to find a large box of moss on Amazon as well. For the eggs, I ended up searching online and finding bulk sizes of paper mâché eggs. I then spray painted each one with a stone textured spray paint. I am pretty certain you can easily find this spray paint at any craft store or on Amazon, but I found it at the local Michaels craft store. I thought the textured spray paint was a quick way of achieving the most authentic look of a real dinosaur egg. I really loved the way they turned out!
Next, I wanted the actual message of the invitation to look aged. So, I teamed up with my go to invitation gal, Debrina, with Cloud 9 Factory on Etsy. I simply sent her the text of the invitation and asked that she burn the edges as a finishing touch. I also had her design some really cute dinosaur stickers that I adhered to the top of each box, which read “You’re Invited!” Along with the invitation, I placed a different dinosaur in each egg. I then stamped the inside of the top of each box with the message – “Open Me!” Lastly, I tied each little box of pre-historic cuteness with some cooking twine that I had leftover from our past Thanksgiving dinner. I think they turned out pretty “RAWR”some! What do you think?!
Upon entering our home, all of our guests were greeted with a ballon arch by Bayou Balloons that was surrounded with a variety of tropical plants. I wanted the guests to feel as if they were stomping right on into the jungle. You cannot tell in the photo, but I also had a fog machine located behind the plants. I must admit, I was pretty impressed myself! Haha. Once stepping foot inside, guests heard the many sounds of a prehistoric land. I found a really neat video on YouTube that captured all of the sounds one would envision hearing if they were to travel back in time to the land of the dinosaurs. The soundtrack made me feel as if I had been transported back in time to a place where dinosaurs still roamed the earth. Listen for yourself!
So, lets talk about the most important portion of the party – food! If you happened to show up to the celebration with the appetite of a dinosaur, there was surely no shortage and plenty of mouth watering options to lock your jaws onto!
As usual, a party is not a party in New Orleans without a specialty beverage for adults ONLY!!! But, I will get to that in just a bit. I wanted the kids to have an exciting specialty beverage as well. So, I had some green lemonade made, called it Prehistoric Punch, and tossed in some food grade dry ice to create the smoking effect. The kids, along with the adults, absolutely loved it! Needless to say, it was a big hit. What do you think? Was it smoking or what?!
Now, for the adults.. I offered one of my absolute favorite cocktails and called it the Mass Extinction Mojito. The drink was garnished with lime, mint, and blueberries. It was absolutely delicious!!!
Let’s all “roar for decor”! Well, at least that what I love to do! Haha. I wanted the decor to be edgy, yet elegant all at the same time. For the living room’s fireplace mantle, I decided to fill various vases with water and tossed some greenery into them. You will also notice wax dripped wine bottles with candles that I made prior to the party. I really liked the look and thought it added a bit of an old, rustic esthetic touch to the decor.
My little boy absolutely loves dinosaurs!!! Obviously, it would be impossible to have real life dinosaurs. I mean, even it were.. it would NOT be safe! So, I had to think of the next best thing. Why not have the Reptile Krewe pass by for some scaly, spiny fun?! After all, it is the closest thing to a dinosaur – right?!
If the reptile show wasn’t enough fun, the kids could head on over to the paleontologist dig site. At this activity station, the kids could either choose to color their favorite dinosaur or excavate some dinosaur bones.
But, the fun wasn’t over just yet! After munching on some dino bites and excavating for dinosaur bones, I had the birthday boy and his party guests head outside for a dinosaur egg hunt. The kids collected the eggs so quick that it was nearly impossible to snap enough photos of this activity!
After the egg hunt, it was finally time for cake!!! Last, but certainly not least.. let’s talk about the cake and dessert table. Shall we?! I would be lying if I did not admit that this was my favorite area of the party! My Mom and I had so MUCH fun collecting all of the greenery for the cake table’s back drop the evening before. We had even more fun strategically placing each greenery piece on the pallet wall. I love, love, love the way it turned out. Thoughts???
The dirt cake was super easy! You just make your favorite version of dirt cake and lay it into any container of your choice. I simply lined a wooden box with wax paper. As for the dinosaur, I found this dinosaur mold on Amazon. I melted some white chocolate, filled the mold with the melted white chocolate, and let it harden. After the white chocolate hardened, I popped it out and hand painted it with brown food coloring to give the mold a more aged, fossil-like appearance. Above you will notice the dinosaur egg macarons on cake pop sticks. Again, super easy!!! I found a container that I liked and grew pet grass out of it. Now, this did take some time. But, this grass was so easy to grow and did not require much attention. I love, love the way it looked on the cake and dessert table!
The last little detail of the party that I want to share with you all is the party favors. I found these super cute Dinosaur Excavation Party Favors by Aitch and Co. on Etsy. I had my invitation lady design the coordinating sticker and favor tag to place on top. Lastly, I pulled it all together by decorating each take home dig kit with some shreds of net and greenery. Again, super easy and it turned out super cute!!!
I am so lucky to have the opportunity to work with some of the most AMAZING vendors throughout the city of NOLA!!! Seriously, like every single one is beyond talented. Besides, they all just get me and my expectations for every one of my events. If you have any questions or love what you have seen, be sure to comment below. I love hearing your thoughts!!!
Happy 3rd Birthday my little “THREE”rex! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of the caring, smart little boy you are becoming. Never be afraid to let the world hear you RAWR!
Hello Hunny! Have you heard the buzz? Our little honey to “bee” is a sweet baby boy! Yep, that is right another baby boy to love on! I am only lucky Momma’ to Bee!
Were you able to guess the the theme of “baby to bee’s” gender reveal celebration??? If you guessed The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – you guessed right! I invited all of my close family and friends on down to the The Hundred Acre Wood to celebrate the gender reveal of Baby Breaux.
I have been anxiously awaiting to finally share this celebration with you all! As usual, that little thing called “life” just always seems to get in the way. But, I feel all of the sweet details were well worth the wait. What do you think? Nevertheless, we had sucha’ sweet time celebrating this joyous occasion. So, buzz on through and share your thoughts below in the comments section.
Upon entering the party, the guests were greeted with a tablescape filled with artfully arranged meats, cheeses, and crudités accompanied with fruits, flowers, and decorations. I am pretty sure even Baby Roo would approve of putting a tasty treat or two in your pouch.
If the grazing table wasn’t enough “yummy for your tummy”, there was plenty of delectable desserts not only appealing to the eyes – but your taste buds as well. Surely, these desserts could even cheer up Eyeore!
Well, we all know that it is not a party in New Orleans without some sort of adult beverage. So, how stunning is this mimosa bar placed under this gorgeous ballon garland by Mint and Magic? I mean, it surely had my party guests “buzzing” with excitement before the big reveal!
For the interior of my home, I chose to fill multiple sizes of cylinder vases with water and placed floating candles in them all. Above the fireplace, I placed more candles, moss, some small floral vases, and pine cones to incorporate a romantic woodland setting.
For additional outdoor seating, I created a woodland tablescape outside on the back patio of our home. The decor consisted of more candles, moss, larger floral arrangements, and some more larger cylinder vases filled with tree limbs that I had my younger brother snip off of some trees that needed some grooming. I just love how it all turned out! I wanted my guests to feel as if they stumbled right into Winnie the Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood. In my opinion, it really captured the woodland theme of the party perfectly.
As usual, I did not allow my guests to leave the party without taking a little bit of the sweetness home. So, I decorated small jars of honey with favor tags that read, “A Little Yummy for Your Tummy! Thanks for buzzing by!” After all, who doesn’t love a little bit of honey?
For the actual gender reveal portion of the party, I chose a famous New Orleans French pastry known as a beignet. I assigned a very good friend of mine, Melinda, to take a peak at Baby Breaux’s gender and use food coloring to color the honey either blue or pink. In front of our family and friends, my husband and I popped opened a pot of blue honey and drizzled it on top of a beignet for everyone to see! SURPRISE!!! Baby Breaux is a boy!
Have you heard the buzz? There’s a little hunny on the way! Soon to be The Breaux Family hive of five!!!
Yep, that is right! My husband and I are expecting another baby. We are so excited and looking forward to adding another little one to our family! With that being said, I knew I had to dream up the most unbelievably perfect pregnancy announcement ever. I also wanted the pregnancy announcement to compliment and coordinate with the theme of the upcoming gender reveal my husband and I were hosting at our family home. So, I convinced my little boy, Avery, to play barefoot in a field of sunflowers. We both had so MUCH fun capturing this special moment in time!
“Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon!”
“If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart.. I’ll stay there forever!”
“A day without a friend.. is like a pot without a single drop of honey!”
So, are you able to guess the theme of “baby to bee’s” gender reveal celebration??? Stay tuned! I will be posting that celebration and all of the unbelievably sweet details VERY soon! XOXO, Britt
Hola Mi Amigos! With Cinco de Mayo being today, I thought it to be the perfect time to share a fiesta I threw nearly a year ago celebrating my sweet boy turning two years old. I mean.. who does not LOVE a fiesta, right?! I love planning birthday parties – especially a fiesta themed birthday party! I went all out for my little boy’s second birthday celebration. Needless to say, I am so very excited to share Avery’s Taco TWOsday Fiesta with you all. Seriously, this fiesta was such a labor of love. However, I am so pleased with how all of the little fiesta like details came together!
Now, normally.. throwing the proper fiesta requires a lot of color. So, for those of you who know me well.. know that my favorite color is white! Is that even really a color? Haha! With that being said, I could not see to using too much color for this celebration. No, not just yet! I mean, I am already dreading the day when he does not allow me to pick out his party’s theme. Seriously, I do NOT want to even think about it. Instead of going with the traditional, loud, and vibrant fiesta colors – I chose a softer color palette. I figured the softer color tones would elude more elegance. If you ask me, I think I pretty much nailed it! Take a look. What do you think?
Like every party, I start the design process by selecting the theme, colors, and invitation design. I believe that the invitation is one of the most important details. I love the way these fiesta inspired invitations turned out! I know many of my guests probably disliked me when they opened them.. as each invitation suite was stuffed with a handful of confetti. But c’mon! What is a fiesta without a little bit of confetti, right?!
So, lets talk decor! As mentioned before, the pastel colors were a must. I wanted an accent wall as a photo op for my party guest. So, I covered one wall with pastel orange, blue, and green streamers with large, silver mylar balloons floating above that read dos! I also added subtle white banners, cactus plants, and floral arrangements throughout.
Of course, I wanted to have a fun activity for the kids during the party. So, a piñata was totally necessary and the perfect fit for this theme! But, a piñata is a great game for any birthday party. I filled it with fun toys and authentic, popular candies native to the country of Mexico.
My little boy even had the pleasure of having the company of some special party guests as well. I think it is safe to say the rest of our party guests enjoyed them!
If you have not yet noticed, I did not only have one set of fabulously hand-painted cookies – but two! Isn’t two better than one?! What can I say? I just could NOT decide. I fell in love with how each set of cookies had my little boy’s name incorporated throughout! Not to mention, there was not one cookie left. Precious, yet absolutely delicious as well!
Hand-Painted Glazed Fiesta Cookies | The Cookie Chick on Instagram
So, since we are talking about sweets.. let’s talk about this FABULOUS dessert table! My mouth is watering just thinking about how delicious everything was. My girl, Kieu, with Chasing Wang never disappoints! From the breathtaking cake, the cactus shaped macarons, to the key lime popsicles – not one detail went unnoticed.
The desserts and cake matched perfectly with all of the pastel color decor. The cake was three-tiered and inspired by Mexican embroideries. Once she dropped the cake off, I decided to grace each layer with coordinating florals, grapefruit, and lime. Kieu is not only creatively talented, but her sweet little treats taste even better than they look!
A fiesta would not be a proper fiesta without some margaritas.
A juice bar was also present, compliments of 12 Seasons Catering, where guests could pour their own drinks and garnish their cactus stirrers with fruit.
Instead of plastic drink stirrers, I used these adorable wooden cactus stirrers by Jenn and Jules Designs on Etsy.
Although I loved everything about this party, I think I loved the table decor the MOST! Honestly, I thought about this overall design for a long time. I wanted the colors to be elegant, yet suitable for a little boy at the same time. The amber colored glassware that I picked paired well with the pastel orange and terra cotta color scheme.
In addition to the cactus napkins, I also found these personalized napkins from With Love and Ink on Etsy that read “Avery is Dos!” I love little personalized touches like this.
In addition to the wooden wall built out of large crates, I topped it off with a balloon garland and florals as well.
I love this photo of my little family and I right before singing happy birthday to my sweet baby boy.
At the end of the celebration, guests were not allowed to leave without taking home a fun party favor. I decorated small, acrylic boxes filled with lime gummy candies and attached a little tag that read, “Thanks for a Good Lime!”.
Needless to say, we had one “fiest’n” good time! I hope you all enjoy reading about this party just as much as I enjoyed planning it. Happy Cinco de Mayo! XOXO, Britt
Hello Carnival Krewe! “You are cordially invited to an evening flushed with royalty honoring A Jewel of Cleopatra’s Nile.” 💛💜💚 Yep, that is right! Mardi Gras is right around the corner. So, if you did not know. Well, now ya’ do!
With that being said, there is only three short days left before the Krewe of Cleopatra rolls on down the avenue. With Cleo’s lovely krewe gearing up for Friday night, I thought it would the perfect time to share with you all a dinner I planned when I had the honor of representing the Krewe of Cleopatra as a Jewel of the Nile during Mardi Gras 2017 – “Cleo, Las Vegas”!
Pictured Above from Left to Right: Jewel of the Nile | Stacy Guidry, Jewel of the Nile | Brittanie Breaux, Las Vegas Show Girl | Paper Doll Promotions, Queen Cleopatra XLIV | Abigail Breland, and Jewel of the Nile | Brittnie Hamel
Once finalizing the venue, I started on designing the invitation suites, menu cards, and favor tags. I wanted to capture the parade’s theme, but in true Mardi Gras spirit. So, I decided to design the invitation to appear as an actual playing card. The playing card would capture the Las Vegas theme. Once doing so, I chose those three famous carnival colors – purple, green, and gold. Nonetheless, it had to look regal! The back of the invitation was finished off elaborately like most playing cards and included my initials. I think Deb with Cloud 9 Factory on Etsy and I captured the essence of it all so perfectly! What do you think?
Once the design of the invitation had been finalized, I took the time to sit down with the venue regarding the most important detail – the menu. I wanted to pay attention to every detail about this event. So, it was very important that each food item had its own name that coordinated with the theme. I was so pleased with the thought and creativity behind each dish!
But, lets talk about the cake honey! Oh, the sweetest part of every event. Melissa, with Melissa’s Fine Pastries, did an excellent job of executing this cake! It is festive, yet regally elegant all at the same time. I will just go ahead and let the pictures do the rest of the talking. Like Marie-Antoinette once said, “Let them eat cake!”
I absolutely love having florals at every event! I think they add the perfect touch and finish off the overall design. When I am designing and planning an event, I begin with an imaginary photo that I have envisioned in my head. The first thought that came to mind.. was lavish! The table has to not only be elegant and royal, but lavish and full! I could not picture my guests dining any other way. I envisioned various carnival colors throughout, dramatic draping florals, and arrangements dripping in crystals!!! I ended up finding the floral pedestals on Pier1’s website. As a matter of fact, the floral bases are actually candle pillars. I know, creative.. huh’? My cousin, Christina, did just FABULOUS.. as she always does. Honestly, they turned out even more beautiful than I could have ever dreamed of!
Below, are the plate settings and mini king cake hand soap favors. I thought this little touch was not only cute, yet necessary as a way of thanking my guests for joining me on this celebratory evening! I styled and personally hand wrapped each of these little cuties to coordinate with the party’s overall decor. Needless to say, everything was drenched in glitter and romantically surrounded by the subtle flickers of candles. Swoon worthy!
The evening was nothing short of AMAZING, filled with revelry, and fit for a Queen and her Royal Court of course! I hope you enjoy these carnival inspired details just as MUCH as I enjoyed styling it all! If you happen to be in New Orleans on Friday, February 22, 2019, join in on celebrating Mardi Gras as the Krewe of Cleopatra “animates” the cities streets throughout the Big Easy. All Hail Cleo! Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!
Royally Yours, Britt
XOXO.
Invitations, Menu Cards, and Favor Tags | Cloud 9 Factory on Etsy
Hey Dolls! Yes, it has been quite some time. But, this little thing called “life” has been happening and I have been SUPER busy – in a good way! So, just like that little saying up there.. I am going to keep this blog post just that – short and sweet!
While watching the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show this past December, a group of me and my best girlfriends thought it would be a lot of fun to celebrate my 28th birthday this year with a themed brunch. So, we did.. Candyland Christmas style at Salon Restaurant by Sucre! It was so MUCH fun to say the least. In that case, I will let the photos do most of the talking.
I told all of my girls to dress in sparkles with their choice of a wig, fascinator, or both! After all, who does not love to sparkle?! Right?!
I hope you all enjoyed this little slice of sweetness!
Avery’s baptism was one beautiful day in which Gerard and I were surrounded by our dear family and friends! It was not only a special day for our little boy and the beginning of his relationship with God and the Catholic Church. But, it was also special because we would all be together at the very location where it all started. The moment where Gerard and I said, “I do”!
Needles to say, I have been anxiously awaiting to share this beautiful celebration and all of the details with you. So, just scroll on down and take in all of this heavenly sweetness!
I wanted the decor to be simple and elegant with a soft color palette consisting of white, ivory, pale blue, and some greenery. Not to mention, I planned this celebration at my house in less than a week considering my original plan did not work out as planned. However, I am completely in love with how it all turned out. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason!
Hello Carnival People! I am “wildly” excited to share all of the special details about the bubbly popping cocktail party I just hosted celebrating my reign as Queen Morpheus XVI! I wanted to incorporate the Krewe of Morpheus’ parade theme, “Morpheus Goes Wild”, into all of the details of my party. At first, I found this theme to be a little bit challenging as I wanted to make sure I captured it perfectly and as elegant as possible. So, I had to really put some thought into every single detail. If you ask me, I totally succeeded! Hehe. What do you think?
So, it all started with designing the invitation. For some reason, this process always gets my mind going. I just loved the way they turned out! I thought they were regal, yet fun at the same time.
I chose to host my party at Effervescence, which is an elegant champagne bar located on the edge of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana. Can you say FABULOUS?! Seriously, this beyond gorgeous space made planning my party even easier.
The venue was not only stunning, but the atmosphere and food was amazing as well. I was completely blown away! I had a variety of food selections which included Pommes Frites with Vandouvan Aioli, Cucumber Crudites, a Cajun Caviar display, a Briallat-Savarin Cheese Wheel, Royal Red Shrimp with Kaffir Aioli, Dry-Aged Prim Beef and Panisse Bites, Lobster and Avocado Lettuce Cups, and Wild Mushroom Vol-Au-Vent. Absolutely delicious! Not to mention, all of the food selections paired really well with a glass of bubbly.
Royal Red Shrimp w/ Kaffir Aioli | Lobster & Avocado Lettuce Cups
Oh, and speaking of bubbly! How fabulous are these gold, wild animal drink stirrers from Gnome Sweet Gnome on Etsy?! I loved how I was able to add this little wild detail to my party. Perfection.
Now, lets talk cake! How incredibly FABULOUS is this cake made by Nikki’s Frosted Fantasies? I had just the design in mind. And.. Nikki surely did not disappoint! I was looking for something simple, yet chic with a “wild” twist. She captured my vision just PER-fect-ly! I love every single detail. Like, who would have ever thought that the color black would be so “pretty”?! And.. just take a look at the marble detail on the middle tier along with the gold flaking throughout. I thought it all paired so well and complimented the selection of greenery and anemone florals. Not to mention, it tasted delicious. Seriously, this one takes the cake!
I also wanted to gift my guest with a little something to say, “Thank You”! So, for my party favors I chose Baby Champagne Bears from Sugarfina. I thought it to be only fitting! I finished this little gift off by styling them to coordinate with the party’s theme and decor.
I hope you love the party’s details as MUCH as I do! I had a blast celebrating my reign with all of my dear family, friends, and krewe members. If you happen to be in New Orleans on Friday, February 9, 2018, join in on celebrating Mardi Gras as the Krewe of Morpheus “goes wild” through the Big Easy. All Hail Morpheus! Cheers!!!
Hello Sweetness! As many of you know, it is “Carnival Time” down here in New Orleans! Not to mention, Super Bowl LII is being celebrated today as well. Sadly, the good ole’ Saints did not make it this year. But, that does NOT mean there will be no celebration! Here, we celebrate everything. And.. that is why I LOVE the South!
Anyways, I am attending a Super Bowl Sunday party at my friend’s house.. and did not want to show up empty handed. So, I put on my apron and started baking away. Since it is Mardi Gras, I thought it would be perfect to embrace it and throw together all shades of purple, green, and gold! Oh, and lets NOT forget the glitter – edible glitter. Hehe. Happy Mardi Gras! Enjoy.
Invitations & Menu Design | Cloud 9 Factory on Etsy • Menu Design and Styling | Yours Truly! 🙂
Happily Ever Breaux 