Birthday Traditions: The Annual VideoChat

A fun and memorable way to commemorate each year of your child's life (starting at around age 3) is to create a 20 questions video interview. Doing this annually and reviewing the previous year's video is a great way to see how responses change year to year. 

Here are a list of questions you can ask your little ones:

1. What is your name?

2. How old are you?

3. What is your mom’s name?

4. What does your mom do during the day?

5. What is your dad’s name?

6. What does your dad do during the day?

7. What is your favorite color?

8. What is your favorite thing to eat? (what don’t you like to eat?)

9. Who are your friends?

10. What is your favorite song? Can you sing it for me?

For more questions check out original post here.

Title the video, "A Conversation with ______". The Paper Nook has a free printable of annual birthday questions  here.

DIY Lace Party Crowns

Interested in a cool, easy to assemble children's party favor/decor element?! Check out this post dedicated to creating a do-it-yourself lace crown.

Materials List:

• Lace - 13-15" {depending on desired size}
• Aleene's fabric stiffener 
• Metallic paint or a paint pen
• Wax paper
• Paint brush
• Plastic gloves
• Round container {e.g. coffee can}
• Glue gun
• Shallow dish
• Clothes pin

PROCEDURE

Step one: "Wrap the container you plan to use with plastic wrap or wax paper.  I used a small coffee can for newborn sized crowns, and the large one (pictured) for bigger kids.  If you don’t wrap the can, you will get rust colored stains on the lace."

Step two: "Cut the lace to the desired length.  15 inches works for newborn crowns."

Step three: "Pour some of the fabric stiffener into a shallow container. Rub the lace in it and squeeze out the excess."

Step four: "Wrap the lace around the container. Secure with a pin or clip."

Step five: "Once it’s dried, peel the lace off the container. Glue the ends together."

Step six: "Embellish it."

-- For original source with images click here.

Here is an alternative method for creating these super cute crowns. Click on image above.

Food Art for Your Picky Eater

I have two daughters who's personalities and eating habits are polar opposite. My eldest only wants to eat five things - french fries, cheese pizza, alfredo linguine, french onion soup from Panera Bread, and pancakes. Her younger sister will eat a cow -- what ever you put in front of her she will eat. I've tried a host of strategies to get my oldest to eat and the only thing that has worked has been to create food art. Being an avid pinner I found super cute ideas to create. Here are a few of my go-to favorites:

Edible Eiffel Tower -- Raspberries, Banana, and Blueberry

Bunny Pancakes with Chocolate Chips, Banana, Shredded Coconut, and Strawberry

Fruity Fish

Fruit Race Cars -- Strawberry + Banana

Butterfly Snack- Orange, Grapes, and Carrot

Spaghetti Girl

Of course for these edible pieces of art let your imagination take over. Essential tools are a sharp paring knife, tooth picks, and vivid imagination. Have fun!

Petite Marie Antoinette Styled Shoots

Petite Seats is officially one year old! A year ago today we embarked on the journey of providing children sized Chiavari chairs to the tri-state area and we accomplished our mission. During year two we will continue to get the Petite Seats brand exposure and grow our presence in Maryland. We will make more alliances with special events companies and purchase more specialized inventory.

We decided to commemorate our first year with a Marie Antoinette inspired styled shoot. We were fortunate to partner with the Grand Historic Venue in downtown Baltimore to produce this over-the-top styled shoot. We worked with fifteen vendors in create a one-of-a-kind kid's inspired celebration. Check out the video created by Nikki of MaeB Films below.

Kids Style: The Perfect Party Dress

Having the perfect frock can serve as the foundation piece for your princess' birthday celebration. Your invitations, cake design, and decorative elements of the soiree can mimic the design the dress. Below are some of our favorite designs of the season. Enjoy!

At Sak's Fifth Avenue | David Charles | Girl's Glittery Tiered Tulle Dress |  $380 | 7-14

At Shan + Toad | Mischka Aoki | She is Stunning, Isn't She? Dress | $983 | 1-12 

At Sak's Fifth Avenue | David Charles | Girl's Embroidered Floral Lace Tulle Dress |  $335 | 7-14

At Sak's Fifth Avenue | Oscar de la Renta  | Silk Taffeta Party Dress |  $395 | 7-14

For added panache check out these accessories {Click on image for purchase information}.

Cinderella: The Movie

On March 13, Disney is releasing their 2015 version of Cinderella. We are anticipating many spring and summer parties to mimic the cinematography of the film. I can not wait. Check out several of our favorite Cinderella themed parties below the trainer.

Real Party Inspiration from Around the Web {Click on images for original source}

Pink Pastry Parlor

Before launching Petite Seats we researched businesses that catered to special events for children. One business we were enamored by was the Pink Pastry Parlor (PPP). No longer in business, the second location of the PPP was based in Alpharetta, Georgia. It was a one-stop shop for exclusive girls' parties. Tiffany Young, the owner, starred in the OWN network's reality show called, "Party at Tiffany's". In spite of the show only being on for six episodes, viewers were given the opportunity to witness Tiffany and her team in action as they created one-of-a-kind events with lots of pink and oodles of fun. 

The PPP was a girl's dream come true. Check out the various rooms in the venue:

• Pink Pillow Fight Room
• Spa Room for Makeup, Manicures, and Pedicures
• Catwalk with Stage for DressUp
• Shopping in the Pink Pastry Store Outfitted with Miniature Pink Shopping Carts
• Cupcake Boutique
• Classroom for Baking Classes
• Tea Room
• Game Room
• Movie Room

For more information about Tiffany Young's journey check out this article from Cuisine Noir Magazine here.

Pastry shop owner Tiffany Young started her own business near Atlanta after struggling in the job market. She followed her dreams and is now teaching business skills to her young employees. (Dec. 29)

A Mommy + Me Valentine's Day

Here is our blurb about the shoot:

In honor of Sweethearts’ Day Petite Seats and The Flair Factor hatched an idea for a Mommy and Me styled shoot. Infused with subtle vintage sophistication, bold touches of pinks, purple, and red with a splash of gold our shoot exhibited a stylish charm.

The story line for the shoot was inspired by fabulous, haute mamas and their posh tots. Beautifully detailed with milk glass, hobnail vintage fancies, sweet treats, and fresh florals, we celebrated friendship and motherhood. We added the sparkling effect of gold sequin for a bit of pop.

These 16" paper mache letter were spray painted pink and gold and served as a simple, DIY photo prop     {purchase here}.

The undeniable charm of this shoot may be reproduced detail-by-detail by using only store purchased items.  We love Target’s $1 section and Hobby Lobby for crafting. The style and theme can be transferred a birthday celebration, baby shower, or even a girl’s night in.

We decided to have a Mimosa bar for the Mommies, but didn't want to leave the little ones out. Our idea was a Mommy + Me Mimosa and Mini-mosa setup complete with champagne and sparkling cider.

L O V E is in the air . . .

Our Gold Chiavari Chairs are the perfect complement for a Valentine's Day celebration.

Who doesn't love strawberry milk?! And it was organic, a refreshing treat for the little ladies. The centerpieces created by Natasha are featured triad of her rental Fenton Hobnail  Milk Glass collection.

Vendor Credits:

Photography: Digna Toledo Photography {www.dignatoledo.com}

Concept + Producer: Petite Seats {www.petiteseatsnj.com}

Creative Director + Design: The Flair Factor {www.theflairfactor.com}

Florals: The Flair Factor

Cakes + Cakepops: Store bought

Macaroons: Trader Joe's

Jello Shooters: Petite Seats

Tissue Paper Backdrop: Petite Seats

Milk Glass Rentals: The Flair Factor

Children Chiavari Chairs: Petite Seats

Attire: Models Own

Winter Photo Campaign: Frozen Winter Wonderland

We collaborated again with the dynamic duo of Favors and More, LLC to produce a Winter Wonderland styled shoot for our Winter photo campaign. 

For details about the shoot please check out our feature on Occasions blog here. Enjoy!

My sister {Oh Experience} made the journey from Maryland to assist and take pictures as well. Below are our favorite images from her album.

Source It:

Photography: Aida Malik Photography | Concept & Producer: Petite Seats | Creative Director & Design:Favors + More, LLC | Production Assistant: Andria Soltau of Paper & Cakes | Invitations: Willow & East Design | Favor Tags & Buffet Labels: Creative Touch by Johanny | Chalkboard Sign: Chalk It Up 2 Love | Christmas Ornaments: Creations by LuLu | Desserts: Boca Doce Baking {Smaller Cake, ivory cc Oreos, pearl cakepops}, Anaida’s Creations {metallic snowflake cakepops, cc pretzels, white cc Oreos} ,Paper & Cakes {bling sticks rock candy, mini cupcakes, caramel cc apples} , Yulissa’s Creations {8" cake with winter motif}, Sweet Delights NJ {rosette cookies}, and The Flair Factor  {macaroons}

Tissue Paper Backdrop

Over our holiday break I decided to produce a Valentine's Day shoot. I, along with Natasha of the Flair Factor and Digna Toledo, styled and captured our Mommy + Me Petite V-Day shoot. We endeavored to keep the design simple and affordable using store purchased products. A large part of the decor for our shoot was a DIY tissue paper backdrop I created. This post will serve to assist those interested in creating their own.

Materials:

1. Form Board {From Hobby Lobby}
2. Elmer's Spray Adhesive {From Hobby Lobby}
3. Tissue Paper {I purchased from a wholesale. Use places like EBay here}
4. Heavy Moving Tape {Any brand/Type will do}
5. Ribbon or Thin Floral Wire {Dollar Tree}
6. Scissors {Sturdy enough to cut through 8 sheets of folded tissue paper}

---

Procedure:

Step One:

I began the process by taking four  - 32" x 40" foam boards and taping them together with heavy duty packing tape. Once the four boards were taped together I had a 5' x 7' wall. Here are two examples of the foam board I used here and here.

Step Two:

After making about 50-60 tissue paper flowers (See video below for How To)  I began to attach the flowers to the board using Elmer's Board Mate Spray Adhesive. I would spray a small area of the board and firmly press paper flower over the glued area for 3-5 seconds (sometimes a double spray was needed).

Step Three: 

I used a "color block" style pattern for our board. I felt this would look better than just randomly picking up any color. I imagine this would look great with one solid color as well. An issue I encountered once all the flowers were on the board was it being front heavy. Because I taped the boards in a 4-quadrant design I was able to stand the board up and angle it to about a 60 degree angle (think hardcover menu-- see below). This allowed me to not have the backdrop flush against the wall. The larger the wall-- especially if you decide to make it in one piece as I did -- the more you will need to reinforce the back.

---

Below are alternative methods for creating a tissue paper backdrop along with photo inspiration. Enjoy!

From Ruffled's Blog

From Oh Happy Day

From Lovely Indeed's Blog

Client Pictures: A Royal Affair

In October we traveled to Abington, Pennsylvania to the Abington Art Center for a royal tot sized affair. 

The venue had an amazing outdoor pavilion overlooking 27 acres of lush grounds. It was perfect for the 50 guests Royal Court. A combination of our lucite, white, and gold chi's were used.

Mother of two of the four guests of honor endeavored to execute this setup primilary by herself (with the help of three or four assistants). It was a huge feat, but the end result was flawless.

Source It:

Cakes - Simply Blessed Cakes - Deborah Bradley

Prince Eric and Princess Ariel - Pink Party Express

Balloon Artist - Pink Party Express

Face Painting - Stacey's Face Painting

Linen - Party Rental Limited

Chandeliers + Candelabras - NarWal

Nia is Five

Abby of Pretty Posh Events used our Petite Seats to complete the look for her daughter's fifth birthday celebration. The theme was Princesses + Unicorns with a gold and fuchsia color palette. For the details of this event check out the feature on Hostess with the Mostest's blog here. 

Petite Sophistication: Kids Furniture

We are always brainstorming about expanding Petite Seats. One idea for expansion is to include petite sized sofas and arm chairs to our inventory. This post is dedicated to several of our favorite kids sized furniture. Enjoy!

Newco Kids Chair

Newco Tween Grand Sofa

Mirage Chair with Piping

Parker Child Sofa by Jennifer Delonge

Muse Child Sofa from Jennifer Delonge

Mini Ondine Salon Bench -- Restoration Hardware

Emmeline Petite Sofa -- Restoration Hardware

Maximus is One

Cathy of Glam and Envious Affairs was kind enough to send us pictures of the subtly sophisticated first birthday she designed and planned last weekend. The beautifully detailed event was named, "Maximum's 1st Birthday" and it was an over-the-top circus theme. Cathy used our gold chiavari's for the center staged kids table. Check out the images below:

Check out our gold chiavari chairs!

Laury of There Should Always Be Cake create several masterpieces for this event. I hijacked some of her IG pictures for a close up of the treats.To learn more about the woman behind the amazing confectionery designs check out our interview with Laury here.

Source It:

Cookies: Flourish Cakes

Cakes and Other Sweet Treats: There Should Always Be Cake

All In One Entertainment, Inc.

Gold Kids Chiavari Chairs: Petite Seats

Production Assistant: Sweet Ambitions Events

Venue: District 12 NYC

We've Been Published in CocoLily Magazine

We been published in an amazing e-magazine, CocoLily Magazine. 

The first boutique publication for mom, hostess and bride with a whimsically modern twist. COCOLILY offers its readers truly unique content they will not find anywhere else. Showcasing celebrations, charming inspirations, real issues, curated fabulous finds; all complemented by overflows of stunning photography, gorgeous styling and chic fashion. Founded in 2013 with a highly anticipated debut issue that launched in Spring 2013, COCOLILY is a trend setting publication with mainstream appeal that aims to showcase artists, photographers, designers, inventors, creators, dreamers, kids, stylists, women, brides, moms and hostesses.

Thank you Renee + Dominique for the wonderful opportunity! I look forward to working with COCOLILY again in the near future. Check on the logo below to see our spread!

Londyn Is One: Day Of Event

Here are the professional pictures taken by my sister of Londyn's first birthday party. The day was overcast, and two hour before the party began it rained cats and dogs. I requested that my client rent the side wall panels for the tent as an alternate plan, and we were so glad we did. Enjoy!

The Cake Courtesan provided these amazingly beautiful cakes for the event. The smaller dessert were from Cakes by Tiffani

We decided to create simple centerpieces with pomander balls and roses. Vanessa Grant Events created the super, cute London themed toppers.

Home Goods was the source where we purchased the double decker bus that was spray painted in a pink ombre pattern. The mini fascinators were purchased from Ebay.

The rosette aisle runner and chair caps were from CV Linens.

These glitter frames were from Hobby Lobby and were on clearance for less than $2.

The petite fashions were on point.

Source It:

Planning and Design: Petite Seats

Cakes: The Cake Courtesan

Desserts: Cakes by Tiffani

Caricature Artist/Face Painting: All About Entertainment

Photography: Oh Experience

Catering: Charm City Catering

Stationery: Vanessa Grant Events

Tent + Rentals: Cheers Party

PS Launch Party

Our Launch Party was June 8th at the Art Factory in Paterson, New Jersey. I was overly ambitious and produced a two look photo shoot for our Fall Campaign in addition to this Launch Party. I WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN! I was dead on my feet. In spite of this, everything looked amazing and the four vendors who rocked their tablescapes made my job a little easier.

A huge shout out to Digna of Digna Toledo Photography for shooting both the photo shoot and the party. Natasha of the Flair Factor, Chicona of Malani Signature Events, and Juanita of Willow & East THANK YOU so very much for participating. You all did an exceptional job highlighting our chairs. Also, thanks to Jennifer of Sweet Lil Sweets for donating those super tasty custom cookies as party favors. Each of these ladies went above and beyond and I truly appreciate all that they did in supporting Petite Seats.

A super duper shout out to my partner in crime and sounding board, my little sister Olesha of Oh Experience Photography for being on board from day one and supporting me as always.

Could not have done this without any of these women. Finding like minded business conscious women is a challenge, I've been fortunate to work with some kick a%? ladies who are true BOSSes. 

Photo Credit: Digna Toledo Photography

Photo Credit: Digna Toledo Photography

Photo Credit: Digna Toledo Photograghy

Photo Credit: Digna Toledo Photography

Photo Credit: Digna Toledo Photography

I couldn't finish this post without publicly acknowledging my brother-in-law and his family for truly being my go to people the day of. They were movers, haulers, personal shoppers, and bartenders . . . All without a fuss. Love you guys. My hubby was also instrumental in me maintaining my sanity during the planning of the shoot and launch. He truly took Daddy Day Care to the heart and even wore our Petite Seats t-shirt in support. Gotta love the guy!

PS Fall Campaign: New York City State of Mind

I endeavored to combined the individual talents of  some of the tri-state areas special events companies to present a styled photo shoot focusing on the undeniable charm of sophisticated children. The spectacular nineteenth century historic industrial complex, the Art Factory, was the perfect location for this child sized photo shoot.

Capturing the lightness of children’s laughter, mixing beautifully detailed design, with petite sized simplicity, this styled shoot was inspired by the energy and excitement of New York City. The color palette was instigated by the colors of a New York City taxi cab: black, white, and yellow {With pops of red}.  Favors and More, LLC’s design and installation offered a new perspective for an over-the-top children’s birthday party. An added bonus were the sweet treats from the Traveling Cupcake. We hope this shoot will mark the first of many collaborations to come and will inspire more "tot sized" shoots.

From The Traveling Cupcake

The Traveling Cupcake

Source It:

Concept + Producer: Petite Seats

Creative Director + Concept: Favors + More, LLC

Decor: Favors + More, LLC

Photography: Digna Toledo Photography + Oh Experience

Location: The Art Factory

Graffiti Artist: Clone Ink

Production Assistant: Christopher Valerio Events

Prop Stylist: Favors + More, LLC

Sweets Table Treats: The Traveling Cupcake

Sweets Table Styling + Design: Favors + More, LLC

Videographer: Mae B Films

Stationery: Favors + More, LLC

Casting Director: Favors + More, LLC

Rentals: Metro Party Rentals + Petite Seats

Attire: Models Own

Donna of the Traveling Cupcake was one of the first vendors to show interest in the shoot when I announced it on Instagram. Her sweet treats where amazingly designed and tasted great too. Her serene presence was an added bonus to the hectic environment of the shoot.

Yosi of Favors + More LLC is the BOMB.com. She was so willing to take on any role she felt was too much for me to handle alone. She single highhandedly found and selected the models for the shoot. Besides Casting Director, she and her sister created an out-of-this world design and setup. I told them the theme and they ran with it!

These women are super sweet, talented, and true BOSSes. Thanks so much for making Petite Seats look so good. 

Londyn is One: Stationery

When the decision was made to start Petite Seats, I decided event planning would be a thing of the past and my free time would be devoted only to a rental company. Well fast forward to the present . . . I am planning events. Not just any events, but specifically over-the-top kids party. I fell in love with planning kids birthday parties last January when I produced a Safari themed 5th birthday extravaganza. I'm actively planning a super cute ombre infused, pink Union Jack, first birthday fete for a precious little girl named Londyn. The big event is next weekend and I wanted to share several aspect of the party with our blog readers. First up is the stationery suite designed by the amazingly talented Vannesa, of Vanessa Grant Events.

BANNER OPTIONS

CENTERPIECE ELEMENTS

WOODEN PLAQUE

INVITATION

Summer 2014: Client's Pictures

We have been super busy this summer and haven't made blogging a priority. Petite Seats has been growing by leaps and bounds. We recently added new inventory to be listed on our site at the end of September. Below are pictures of a few of the events we provided Petite Seats.

Designed by Tricia Smith Brown Planning and Design Image Credit: Tatiana Teo Photography

From @dkoran2 

From Malani Signature Events

From J & G