Or should I say "impossible to find toddler bedding." Now that other projects are coming to an end (Nadia's circus party for instance) and others are under way (stay tuned for a post on Genevieve's dresser), I'm finally ready to get back to Genevieve's "big girl room."  My goodness, I've been working on this on and off for some time.  And I'd love to mark it as complete.  Besides finishing her dresser, the next step in her room is to get her out of her crib!  She climbs out if it almost on a daily basis (and will say to me "go stand over there and watch me." as she climbs out or climbs in--landing head first of course).  I'm just waiting for her to land wrong and hurt herself   It's an awful feeling!  But I guess not awful enough for me to grab her toddler bed out of the garage and make the transition   I mean, am I supposed to let her sleep on it without cute bedding?  What, am I an animal or something? ;)  I asked my husband about it the other night and he says, "well I guess we should do it soon--maybe you can go with her and pick out fun bedding..." All I heard was "blah blah blah maybe you can decorate her entire room with Disney characters" and I started to hyperventilate   I figured I better get some cute bedding fast before daddy intervenes.  So of course I started researching.  

I should give you a tiny bit of background--I initially figured I'd skip the toddler bed phase.  Why spend the money on something she's only going to use a short time?  A twin bed close to the ground would be fine.  I then found this adorable twin bed on craigslist.  But then Nadia happened.  I had zero time to paint her twin bed while designing Nadia's nursery.  At the same time, my mother-in-law's co-worker gave her a barely used toddler bed that would work just fine.  It's not nearly as pretty as the curvy number but it's white, real wood, and has nice clean lines.  I may even be able to get away with painting it (still contemplating that one).  And the more I thought about it, the more I thought it would be really great to have more floor space for playing.  I'm definitely hanging onto that bed (is it wrong to assume our next house will have bigger bedrooms or a playroom?) but for now, the toddler bed reigns supreme.


Back to that bedding.  I'm looking for something yellow (or a vibrant pink) and modern.  Is that so difficult to ask?  I LOVE the Michael Miller zoology print in yellow (my inspiration room used this fabric) but alas it is sold out everywhere.  And I can't find anything close to it that I like.  However, here are a few sets I did find. Not all of them go with my color scheme but they are all cute and modern and might help someone else out. These are all either girly or gender neutral by the way.

Giraffe Neutral Toddler Bedding 5 pc Set by JoJO Designs. I love that you can create an animal themed room in a cool modern way (just please don't buy the wall hangings that go with this set). ;)

Gray and White Diamond Toddler Bedding 5pc Set by JoJO Designs. SO modern and cool! This one would look great in a boy's room!

Oh my gosh.  Zulily strikes again! I have to say I have a love/hate relationship with the Z.  The timed events often have 2 effects on me:

1. Buy now, under pressure, because you only have hours left (and then suffer buyers' remorse)
 or
2. Suffer analysis paralysis and don't buy because there's so much awesomeness to choose from (and then fret when it sells out).

Timi and Leslie Diaper Bag

But sometimes it's option 3:  Buy something awesome at a great price and then dance with glee.  (Like when I got this amazing diaper bag + the stroller to match for a fraction of the retail price)!

Which will it be if I go crazy for this event?!  Here are just a FEW things I'd LOVE.

I didn't get a photo with the refrigerated desserts but you get the idea!

I'm no Amy Atlas but I've done a few dessert buffets in my day and I've learned a thing or two that   I wanted to share.  I'm all about you learning from my mistakes!  I recently created one for Thrive- Shiloh's women's conference, which is what prompted this post.  It was the first time I created one for something other than my own kids' parties.  I was a bit nervous but it came out great!  So here's what I've learned:

- Choose a theme or color scheme and stick to it!  Don't be tempted to do every cool thing you've seen on Pinterest or the big blog world. I've done pink/vintage princess, pumpkin themed, pink & brown (i.e. chocolate) [picture at the end], and bright and summery [pictured]. Also check out Megan's beautiful (and delicious) pink and yellow buffet from Grace's sunshine party!

- Keep it simple.  This advice varies depending on your budget, taste, and style.  You may have the budget to hire the best confectioners and bakers in your town and if so, go for it! However even if you do have the budget you still want to streamline the table so that it's not overwhelming.  I made the mistake of doing a bit too much for Genevieve's first birthday (the photo in the blog post doesn't even show all the desserts-they wouldn't fit on one table!) and realized for her 2nd birthday that a little goes a long way.  You don't want all your cute and tasty creations not to get the 'play,' they deserve because there's too much going on.

-Create a menu comprised of store bought, semi-homemade, and homemade items.  Obviously you can do all of any of those mentioned but in my experience the mix mentioned above helps with three things: 1. the dessert bar is "special" because you included some homemade treats that people can't just go buy at the store.  2. You don't drive yourself insane making every little thing from scratch. 3. It saves money. (The one exception is if you are doing a dessert bar comprised of candy only.  If you are Willy Wonka you can go crazy making candy but there are so many cool bulk candy sources that sell beautiful, tasty, and color coordinated candy)! Which brings me to my next point:

- Know your audience.  In my experience adults don't eat a ton of hard candy, so although it's easy AND gorgeous AND super easy to color coordinate to your party, you may end up with tons of leftovers.  Kids eat candy but kids also have parents who are sure to try to limit their sugar intake.  The exception is chocolate--both kids and adults love chocolate.  BUT it's also pricey.  (I guess this isn't advice so much as something to keep in mind...

- Use various heights to create a balanced display.  Cake plates, platters, cupcake stands, footed plates/bowls, etc.  Get creative here...(and see this post for a DIY cake/cupcake stand). I've also made these which were so easy and pretty!

-Use a pretty backdrop if at all possible.  I've used: banners, balloons, drapes, and poms, but have also seen streamers, chalkboards, fabric pennants, paper pinwheels, etc...Also paper products go a long way! Tent cards/labels not only make everything pretty but saves you from answering 'what is this?' questions over and over again!

- Map out which desserts will go in which dishes ahead of time.  Double check any details ahead of time.  For the thrive conference I realized at the very last minute that the foam I bought for my cake pops wasn't thick enough and they wouldn't stand up in it!  I was trying not to panic as a few of my friends (and attendees of the conference) helped me come up with something cute that would work for the table set up.  Phew!! Love you Jill, Danielle, and Melissa!! ;)

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin cups with paper liners. Prepare cake mix according to package directions in a large bowl, using the buttermilk instead of water, the oil, and the 4 eggs. Beat with an electric mixer until moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and beat until thick, 2 minutes longer.
• Spoon half the batter into a large ziploc bag, press out the excess air and seal. Snip a 1/4" corner from the bag and fill the paper liners two thirds full. Repeat with the remaining batter. Bake until golden (if using a light colored cake mix) and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the baking pan, place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Makes 24 cupcakes.

Though I aspire to become more of a true chef in life, I am at heart a baker.  I love making cupcakes, muffins, cookies, cakes, and basically anything I really should NOT be eating.  Therefore, it comes as no real surprise that I have this intense desire to collect cake plates.  What better way to show off a true home-baked masterpiece than on a fabulous elevated pedestal??  With so many styles out there from the modern clear glass versions to old-fashioned colored ceramic beauties, there's a cake plate for just about every person's tastes.  Here are a few I'd love to start my collection off with....