Caroline's Pamper Party

"Thumbs up, Poppy!"

Let me begin by telling you-- we had so much planning this party!! Sweet little Caroline and her super-fun Mom (Julie) were the best clients to have as we kicked off our new business venture, Poppy Event Design.

The six-year-old sweetheart wanted a Pamper Party-- pink and yellow themed--complete with stations for hairstyling, manicures, makeup and (of course) candy-necklace-making. Couldn't you just SQUEAL with how fun and girly this was??? So ridiculously cute!

I have to tell you though- Julie was amazing. I dropped off a few of our creations on Saturday and by Sunday morning she had the lanterns hung, banner draped and all of the favors were plated or in jars.  If you ask me, she should be in this business, too! She has a great eye for design and one of the most fun people I know. Julie for Mayor!! ;-)

Mom and Birthday Girl (Julie & Caroline)

During the party, I actually overheard a little party guest say, "I don't ever want this party to end"-- I could have SQUEEZED her. The other part of me wanted her to repeat what she said, on camera, so I could use it as a testimonial! Either way-- I loved hearing it!

As the kids entered the party, they were given flip flops and eye masks-- which helped set the theme of the fun to come. Once inside, they went to the various "stations" to get pampered. In the meantime, the kids snacked on:

• Spa Smoothies
• Veggies and Ranch
• Fruit Parfait
• Gourmet Mac n' Cheese
• Pink Lemonade
• Chocolate covered Pretzel Rods

This was the first time I've been at a kids party where the parents drop them off vs a party where the parents oversee the kids-- and let me tell you-- Drop-off parties are SO much more work-- especially when you have 23 little party guests to entertain! With the help of some local teenage gals, a hands-on Mom and Poppy we pulled it off! In fact, just this morning, I received the sweetest voicemail from Julie, thanking us and saying, "I don't know what I was thinking-- believing I could have pulled this off without you."  What a HUGE compliment!

Jillian's darling creation! A cake JUST for the birthday girl!

To see our full album of the party: 

Click here to view these pictures larger

As the girls left the party, they did a brief pitstop at our Favor Bar, to fill their goody bags with girly goods: body splash, loofahs, lavender sugar scrub, rock candy, nail files, etc. A great time was had by all!

In other news, my house is a disaster area. Between all of the serveware, decor items and theme props-- I may as well invest in building a barn. No joke. I suppose the garage, storage room and kids play area will have to suffice for now. Keeps our operating expenses down, right?!

Must close for now-- just finished a meeting for an upcoming Holiday Party and I need to get crackin' on decor for our upcoming party! Next up, a very darling girl will be celebrating her 2nd birthday, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse style!  Here's a sneak peek at our cupcake toppers!

Available for purchase on Poppy's Etsy Shop!

My new endeavor!

Well, after a little coaxing from friends I have decided to take the plunge and start my own business! 

You're looking at (or reading a blog by, rather) the newest event designer to hit the streets! That's right. I'm the proud new owner of: 

POPPY

~Custom Event Design by Kristi Gilbert~

I can barely even believe I'm writing this. I've wanted to be an event planner since the moment I watched "The Wedding Planner"-- only I don't want to plan weddings-- instead, I am focusing on children's parties, baby showers, couple's showers, holiday parties, family events, etc-- all the fun without the drama Bridezillas. 

To throw it out there, I sent an email yesterday morning to some of my close friends, offering FREE services to the first three interested clients-- to help me build my portfolio and gain more experience. After all, I would never hire someone if I couldn't see their work or if they had a crappy website. Well, I'm happy to say, I have 7 parties booked between now and the beginning of November! And even better-- some on the calendar for after the new year. 

What wonderful friends I have!! So blessed! Which means, I've got to get my booty in gear and get organized to pull these off-- and do so successfully. This is a business built on referrals; every party needs to be 200%! 

Next steps? I've got my friend working on my logo, website, etc... and I've already received a Fed ID #... which means Poppy is officially open for bookings. It's legit folks! I'll be sure to update you as the website and logo is developed. Thanks in advance for spreading the word! My first event is booked for next weekend, which means I need to stop talking and get to work. I'll keep you posted as things develop!! 

Ain't no party like a Kristi Gilbert party!! ;-)