The Florida Girl

𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕪𝕝𝕖 𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕘𝕘𝕖𝕣 • 𝕞𝕠𝕞 • 𝕙𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕣 • 𝕗𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕠𝕟

you’re ONE in a million

How do you design a party without a theme? You use your kid’s face, that’s how!

Get ready for the most dreamy & sophisticated yet kid-friendly party consisting of a color pallet of soft creams, buttery tones and warm brown accented with a fun blue-teal pop of color. Custom handmade details like the welcome sign, hanging backdrop, “one year of Bodhi” sign, handwritten acrylic food signage, & party favors are what create the special & personalized touches.

Our son, Bodhi is ONE in a million. I snapped a picture of him lying in our bed holding his feet when he was 7 months old and KNEW that picture would be the inspiration that drove all of the details of his 1st birthday party. My goal was to have a sophisticated & kid-friendly party that everyone would swoon over.

I recently attended an event at Bluebell hq and was blown away. I immediately determined I wanted to have the party in their space. It was the perfect blank canvas for me to create the my dream 1st birthday for our son!

Food is life, am I right? Just check out this spread! It was seriously a dream come true!

Although design is my passion and career and I love having my hand in all aspects of the event, the reality of it is, I also know I can’t do it all. This allows me to collaborate with some of the most talented people and brands to help me bring my vision to life.

My biggest tip to start planning as early as possible. When I began planning nearly 5 months ahead, some thought I was crazy, but if you pace yourself and spread it out a little at a time, the small details (which create the “WOW FACTOR” at the event) seem less daunting. Getting such an early start also allows me to stay organized, reach out to brands I want to collaborate with, and be sure all of the individual items are going to flow together.

Concept, Design, Styling, & Photography: Jen Feliciano, The Florida Girl (www.florida-girl.com) @the_floridagirl (www.instagram/thefloridagirl.com)

Event Space: Bluebell hq (www.bluebellhq.com)

Balloon Garland: Aquarelle (www.instagram/aquarelle.com)

Charcuterie Spread: Apricot & Olive (www.instagram/apricotandolive.com)

Round Acrylic Sign & Drink Stirrers: Floral Dust (www.floraldust.com)

Acrylic Sign at Photo Backdrop: Modern Birch Co. (www.modernbirchco.com)

Floral Design: Jen Feliciano, The Florida Girl (www.florida-girl.com) @the_floridagirl (www.instagram/thefloridagirl.com)

Roses: Grace Rose Farm (www.gracerosefarm.com)

Paper Tableware for kids table & dessert table: Oh Happy Day Party Shop (www.shop.ohhappyday.com)

Cake: Sugar & Bloom Cakes (www.sugarandbloomcakes.squarespace.com)

Cookies: Sugar Cookies by Anne (www.etsy.com/shop/sugarcookiesbyanne)

Key Lime Pies: Key Lime to Happiness (www.keylimetohappiness.com)

Donuts: Dandee Donut Factory  (www.dandeedonuts.com) & Donut Bragger (www.donutbragger.com)

Kids Sensory Dough Kits: MamaMaliDough (www.etsy.com/shop/mamamalidough)

Knit Dolls: Cuddle and Kind (www.cuddleandkind.com)

Pop, Bang, Boom!

This summer feels super invigorating and the crafting game is going strong. Maybe because it’s the first year where my daughter Hendrix is becoming more aware and excited about the holidays.

Here is a simple little craft you can do for Father’s Day, a birthday, and or 4th of July! Or combine any of them!

Supplies for bomb pop garland:
scissors
single hole punch
twine or rope for stringing and hanging
paper cutter (or cut free-hand with scissors)
red, white & blue strips of paper approx 5-1/2″ long x 1-1/2″ wide
(*I used slightly muted down colors to go with my Instagram feed)
hot glue gun or glue sticks
wood popsicle sticks

Directions for bomb pop garland:
cut strips of the red, white & blue paper
hot glue all 3 together 
roll and hot glue the edge of the red, white, & blue paper into a roll
hole punch on each side at top of red color strip
hot glue popsicle sticks – (*repeat for as many times as you would like the length of garland)
string with twine or rope you have
hang in the desired location

Additional Supplies (if adding the finger paint portrait ornament):
7″ wood star ornament from dollar tree
various paint colors
twine to glue to the edge of the star

Directions for star portrait:
use kid’s hands in whatever color paint to make a shirt & jeans
use fingers to paint a round face w/ ears
use a thumbprint to make hands
use a thumbprint to make shoes/feet
use 3 fingers to make hair
wait several hours for the paint to completely dry *(I used a blowdryer to speed up the process)
use a sharpie to add face & tie details
hang alone or add with bomb pop garland

Not only is this little bomb pop garland/banner the perfect decor piece, but it also makes for adorable accessories for flat lays! Check out all these little goodies! Baby girl is sure to be a firecracker in this adorable white iloveplum tutu, sunnies, bows, and sandals!

We’re here for the fun

Have you ever tried searching for neutral & masculine party decor on Pinterest or Google? Well, I have, and there really isn’t much out there! Typically when I plan an event or party it is filled with colors and themes that coordinate with my home decor and my Instagram feed. If you follow me on Instagram you will know my feed is known for pops of pink and teal most days! I was struggling with how to throw a casual birthday party for my hubby all while giving him all of his favorite things (and have it fit in with my typical aesthetic). I figured out a genius idea, well, so I thought anyways… all neutral with pops of black & whites and then his girls would be dolled up in pink! I think we nailed it! How about you?

The key was keeping things super casual, very neutral, and mostly minimal. Guys don’t need (or want for that matter) a lot of fuss, am I right? We covered our dining room table with brown craft paper and a great black and white striped paper for a little extra pop. It’s a excellent pallet in order to add accessories or treats in any color and have it work for any occasion.

I always get all of the best items from The Party Darling! She has all the perfect decor, tableware & accessories for all things party & holiday! Here is a list of all the goodies I used for this party! 

Cups 
 Plates 
Napkins 
Flatware Set 
YAY balloon - Gold 
15" Gold Orb Balloon 
15" Silver Orb Balloon 
Paper party fans

I love a good neutral pallet. Some of my favorite tableware and home accessories are linked here as well! 

White bowls
Black bowls
Wood Lazy Susan
Gray Marble Lazy Susan
Wood & Metal Rack (similar)
White Cake Stand
Wood & Marble Cutting Board
Gold Flatware
White Rectangular Serving Platter
White Swoop Serving Bowl
White Dinner Plate
Square Snack Bowl
Ice Cream Scoop
Brown Craft Paper Roll
White Craft Paper Roll
Black and White Paper Roll

Cheers & Happy Birthday to my main squeeze and the one who makes all my dreams come true! Here’s to the next one!

Ultimate St. Patty’s Day Basket Guide!

Who’s feeling lucky? It must be you because you’ve hit the jackpot with this blog post! Here is the break down of my ultimate St. Paddy’s Day rainbow-themed holiday guide. This post is PACKED FULL of gift ideas for toddler girls, holiday children’s’ books, party goods, toys, and even home decor inspiration that I’m crushing on for the season!

Be sure to head to @the_floridagirl on Instagram and my St. Paddy’s Day Pinterest board for a bunch of other magical St. Paddy’s inspiration. We also threw a few sweet little parties at home – be sure to check out all the spectacular details from the Somewhere Over the Rainbow and the St. Paddy’s Patio Party posts.

1 Jersie Louise Handmade – Felt Rainbow Necklace

2. Native Shoes – Kid’s Jefferson Bling

3. Oak & Co. – Wood Cutouts – Mint Small Shamrock & Small Rainbow

4. The Party Darling – Meri Meri Star Cups

5. The Party Darling – Fringe Napkin

6. The Party Darling – Meri Meri Neon Rainbow Temporary Tattoos

7. The Party Darling – Magical Rainbow Lunch Plate

8. The Party Darling – Magical Day Star Plates

9. The Party Darling – Gold, Siler Confetti

10. Moon & Stone – Quartz Rainbow Bracelet

11. Trendy Andy Designs – Rainbow Macrame Wall Decor

12. Frost Your Cookie – Rainbow & Shamrock St. Paddy’s Cookie Pops

13. Amazon – Oh, Baby, All the Places You Will Go Dr. Sues Book

14. I Love Plum – Watercolor Girl’s Tutu

15. The Wishing Elephant – Mint Happy Go Lucky T-shirt

16. Tele Ties – Small Rainbow Hair Ties

17. Mimi & Lei – Rainbow Yarn Tassel

18. Yoobi – 4pk Good Vibes Puffy Stickers

19. Yoobi – Rainbow Coinpurse Keychain

20. Yoobi – Good Vibes Mini Spiral Notepad

21. Sun Jellies – Pink Atomic Tote

22. Yoobi – 5 pk Fine Tip Neon Markers

23. Yoobi – 12pk Double Sided Washable Stamp Markers

24. Yoobi – 60pk Multi-color Sidewalk Chalk

25. Sweet Honey Clothing – Skirted Leotard Spring

26. Twenty-Eight Twelve – Rainbow Felt Ball Garland

27. Cuddle + Kind – Zoe the Unicorn

28. Sweet Honey Clothing – Cherry Rainboot Gelato

29. Sweet Honey Clothing – Floral Leotard (similar)

30. Sweet Honey Clothing – Matte Jelly Ivory Sandals

It’s all in the details! Just look at these close-ups!

Somewhere over the rainbow

We are all lollipops, gumdrops, rainbows, and donuts over here! It’s that magical time of year – St. Patrick’s Day. I will be honest, I am NOT much for this holiday and have never really celebrated it until having my daughter. That being said, you will not be seeing the traditional shamrocks, leprechauns, and green beer here (sorry if that’s what you were expecting). I am all about a non-traditional theme and we are going all out with rainbows this year!

All the heart eyes for this gorgeous fringe backdrop, compliments of Glam Fete! Our heads are in the balloon clouds thanks to Blue Lime Events, and our tummies are full of delicious cookies thanks to Confetti Confections!

Hendrix’s adorable tutu was gifted to us from the incredible I Love Plum. They have the most gorgeous tutus, loungewear, and accessories!

Nothing says magic like Lucky Charms marshmallows! You know I HAD to pick them out and serve them! Not to mention, they make the best decor! Look at those magically delicious colors!

It’s a Great Day!

This past holiday season was full of cheer, bright colors, friends, family, and amazing food! I wanted to share this quick festive snack idea! In our home, we LOVE egg salad! Not just any egg salad though…egg salad made with Great Day Farms hard-boiled eggs. The reasons we use Great Day Farms hard-boiled eggs are because they are readily available to grab at the store and are an incredible source of protein.

I truly enjoy making my family’s egg salad recipe! Check out how simple it is below! Sometimes the simpler the better.

This year we decided to make them as open-faced egg salad sandwiches. I picked up some fresh soft baguette, sliced it into 1/2″ thick pieces, toasted lightly and topped with the egg salad. To add a little festive flare (and zest) I cut fresh green onions from our herb garden and served Sriracha hot sauce on the side.

Part of what makes the difference in event planning and food is how they are displayed! Find a pretty tray with height and or color and serve the egg salad sandwiches on them! In my case, I had the perfect pink milk glass cake stand that doubled as my serving platter. Cheers to a festive holiday season!

Pop-Colored Nutcracker Christmas

Grab a cup of hot cocoa or coffee and enjoy our home tour featuring the most joyous pop-color themed Nutcracker holiday decor. To say I was elated to be a part of this year’s Design Council 2019: Holiday Style Stars with Treetopia is a bit of an understatement! Christmas is not only my favorite holiday, but it’s also the birth month to my daughter, Hendrix. She is the color in our life, so it is only fitting we decorate and prep for her second birthday that’s fast approaching. Last year I specifically wanted to have her party be Berry Sweet (but not holiday-themed). This year, we changed gears and it is gun-ho Sugarplum fairyland!

This year Treetopia is hosting their 8th Secret Santa Giveaway where one winner AND their friend will each win 1 Treetopia tree of their choice! The giveaway runs from Nov 17-28, 2019. Be sure to enter HERE!

These gorgeous Treetopia Frozen Fir Flocked Artifical Christmas Trees were gifted to us and are the perfect showstoppers and canvases for our pop-color Nutcracker theme.

And, as if it couldn’t get any sweeter, Treetopia sent us the coordinating Winter White Artificial Christmas Wreath and Garland. I automatically knew I wanted to hang the garland over the chalkboard at the coffee/hot cocoa bar, and it is perfect!

These gorgeous shots are just the tip of the winter wonderland iceberg. Stay tuned for more details to be revealed in the upcoming birthday blog post.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the other creative Holiday Style Stars to see how they implemented other fun Treetopia products and accessories!

I am already scoping out the Treetopia website for other fun colored trees for future projects!

Colorful Christmas Trees

Green Christmas Trees

Wreaths and Garlands

Bootiful Cocktail

I have always wanted to make a pretty cocktail (or mocktail) that went with the theme and decor of my party. Am I the only one? I can’t be! This bootiful & refreshing blackberry cocktail was exactly what I had in mind!

I have no clue where my muddler was, so here I am improvising with a wooden spoon handle…and it worked just fine!

Just 3 simple ingredients (5 if you count the ice & garnish)…

Halloween Mummy Nummies

Looking for a way to make your party amazing? Here’s a quick and simple idea! A charcuterie board! I recently hosted a spooktacular Halloween party for my daughter and her cousins and wanted a couple treats for the adults to nosh on before the pizza arrived. Check out the full Boo Crew Party blog post for all of the details.

I love adding a honeycomb on my charcuterie boards! It pairs perfectly with all cheese! I also add a pomegranate, some figs, berries, and nuts for color, texture and extra yummies!

And, who doesn’t love a little chocolate? I typically try to find some sweet aspects to add. I love sweet and savory!

Even the kiddos were dreaming about it and enjoyed some mummy nummies!

Celebrate the Details

I wanted to write a quick blog post to share all the little but mighty & meaningful details from Hendrix’s “One Is Berry Sweet” 1st Birthday. I can’t believe it took me almost a year to finally get this blog post out. SMH. In fairness, I did cover a few details from it in my “2019, I am coming for you” blog post. Perhaps I am also just finally getting to it because I have been consumed with wrapping up details of the Halloween Boo Crew party we are about to host and are just starting to plan her 2nd birthday, so parties are fresh on my mind? Who knows. Either way, I hope you enjoy and get some creative inspo for your next event or party!

How ironic was it that my jammies matched the color theme? My coffee bar chalkboard is one of my favorite ways to add a personal touch to my events. Here I am erasing away and the party hasn’t even started. I accidentally wrote in her birth weight and height, not her measurements from one year old. Whoops!

Now, that’s better and more like it! This “milestone” chalk art was a great way for me to document several of her favorite things & accomplishments from her first year.

While were are here, can we just appreciate the photos of all of the sweets below? All which were made from scratch by her Nana and, yours truly. The mini homemade apple pies are my grandma’s secret family recipe & were given as the party favor for our guests, along with the cupcakes.

My husband and I had a red velvet wedding cake and there is a ton of meaning to that flavor so we wanted to have it for Hendrix’s birthday (not to mention they were the perfect color & coordinated with her berry theme).

This gorgeous cake came out of a bunch of chaos, and I love it. It was my first time making a “naked” cake and I’d say it came out stunning, wouldn’t you? The addition of fresh flowers and berries added the perfect dainty feminine touch I was looking for.

The elegant paper plates (yes they are paper) came from one of my favorite tableware sources, Sophistiplate. I knew I wanted to set the table for the party but didn’t want to be trapped for hours doing dishes afterwards. After-all, isn’t brunch best when you can pig out and then veg on the couch?

One of, if not my favorite, decorative accessories for a party is flowers. I know they may not be the cheapest and you may not feel like you have the “know-how” to arrange them, but I promise you, Pinterest is your friend and is great for inspiration. I always choose monochromatic tones and use LOTS of greenery to enhance the arrangements. I also love to use different styles of vases and vary the height of them to add dimension.

Sweet touches like printable gift bag tags, banners, and welcome signs are a great way to keep a cohesive theme going throughout the party space. Check out these relatively generic gift bags that I added tags to. In addition, I enlarged a version of the birthday invitation and mounted it in an acrylic standing frame on the favor table, which doubled as a welcome table in the foyer.

You might have thought after hearing how much I love flowers that they were they way to my heart (and although very close) food is really the way! Ha! In order to hold the guests over until brunch, we served a simple charcuterie board filled with tons of delicious cheeses, fresh meat, & scrumptious fruit.

A mimosa and juice bar is never a good idea at brunch (said no one ever)! We had several bottles of champagne for the guests to chose from… even a non-alcoholic version from Ready to Pop. Add fresh fruit, a few different juice types, some flowers, balloons, and decor and you’ll have the perfect setup that will draw everyone in and keep them coming back for more!

Cake time! Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Hendrix. Happy Birthday to you!

I used our Rettel Craft Paper Roller as a big family birthday card. Each person signed her a wish and we are saving it for her to read one day.

One of my best tips of advice is get all of the kids and “necessary” (aka the pictures you want to look relatively put together and pretty) out of the way BEFORE the party starts. As seen here… I am still in my jammies trying to get Hendrix to smile, and failing miserably.

Eventually she warmed up some and we got some pretty cute pictures I’d say! This girl melts and warms my heart all in one!

Balloon garlands are probably one of the most economical decorative accessory you can get to make the biggest impact for photos. They are brilliant for backdrops!

Photography: Crystal Swass of Blue Anchor Love Photography

Party Styling & Decor: Yours Truly @the_floridagirl

Sweets: Nana and Moi

Custom Gift Bag Tags, Birthday Invitations, Floral Signs, “One is Sweet” Banner, “Eat”, “Drink”, “Be Sweet” Banners, and Floral Signs: Shauna @stayinghomesawyer