Tammy Mitchell Photography» party tip

Let’s Party: A Garden Wedding

Tammy — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:36:39 +0000

I can’t believe that May is already here! It seems like a few months ago when I was asked to coordinate this wedding like we had TONS of time and everything was so far away. Now the clock is ticking, invitations are soon to be sent, orders are coming in and it’s time to start putting things together!! Visions of purple and green have been dancing in my dreams and I am so excited to see everything come together and how beautiful this summer night is going to be! You might remember me talking about the location a few months ago. It is going to be fantastic. Those trees…the flowers…the yummy light…gorgeous!! This isn’t exactly what things will look like, obviously we will have amazing flowers, more candles, table numbers, etc…etc… but I wanted to pull some things together to see how the ruffled burlap runners I’m making will look and stuff…so here’s a little sneak…

One of my favorite things about any event is trying to work in personal little touches that the couple or person being honored will notice and appreciate. Others might not know the significance, but those who the party is meant to celebrate will and it makes things much more meaningful. Because we’re working with such beautiful trees in our location, I wanted to incorporate the tree into more things. I made the menu in photoshop and added a little personal touch on the tree…can you spot it? It’s a little heart with the initials of the bride+groom that looks like it’s etched into the tree trunk. There will be many other personal touches…that’s just to give you an idea of what’s to come!

Hope you have a great day!

-tammy

Let’s Party: Kid’s party ideas: Throw a bakery birthday

Tammy — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:32:20 +0000

Throwing this little party was SO much fun!!! And, believe it or not, it was surprisingly easy too. If you’re looking for a fun and easy idea for your little one’s birthday this year, maybe this will work for you too!

I wanted the house to resemble a bakery counter. I made a simple sign with cardstock and some poster board and the help of my great neighbor Karen’s cricut machine. I set the island full of cookie sheets of homemade cookies, cupcakes to be decorated, donuts…etc. When the girls arrived they were each given a cute apron and a chef’s hat with a matching yoyo on the front to wear while they were baking. The talented Bobbi from Bobbityboo on etsy made the aprons and hats…they were SO cute!

We kicked things off by making sugar cookies. The girls rolled the dough, cut the shapes and made a giant mess…they were having so much fun!

Once the cookie fun was done I whisked them away to bake them while the girls decorated pink bakery boxes. I picked them up at my local donut shop for $1 a piece. They probably would have sold them to me for 50 cents, but since the lady looked at me like I was nuts when I told her I wanted to buy just boxes…not donuts, I offered her $1 a piece.

I collected stickers, rhinestones, glitter, die cuts and all sorts of other fun scrapbook supplies from my never ending stash and let the girls go to town. I labeled each box with a blue polka dot flower that had their initial stamped in the center to identify them and tie them into the rest of the party decor.

then we played pin the sprinkles on the cupcake… By then the cookies were baked and cooled and I brought out the decorating supplies. We spent some time decorating cookies and cupcakes, sang happy birthday and ate till their bellies were full and opened presents. Each guest then took their pink bakery boxes that they had decorated and filled them with goodies that they had made and some from the bakery counter to take home and share with their families.

Ashley STILL talks about it. I have to say that aside from making some cookie dough and cupcakes ahead of time, there really wasn’t a whole lot of prep. It was fun and easy and a lot of “bang for my buck.”

I hope you are feeling inspired to throw a birthday bakery! If you do, send me some pictures so I can see it!!

Do you have a great party to share? I’d love to see it! Check out the submission guidelines and send it on over so I can feature you here on the blog!

Have a great Monday!

-t

let’s party:super bowl party ideas

Tammy — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:23:10 +0000

Well, i had great intentions to get a few people together to watch the big game this weekend, but with the round of sickness we’ve had, and from the sound of things, that everyone else has, we might be hanging out with ourselves this weekend!

Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean that I won’t party like it’s 1999, but it will just be a smaller occassion. I found these cute party supplies and a great styled party with them while I was searching the internet last night, so I thought I’d share. The great news is you can still order them from Spaceships and Laserbeams because they are printables from your own computer! You CAN throw a last minute party and still have it look this cute!

I am SO making these cupcakes. I don’t even care if I have a party. I’ll eat them. They are just way too cute!

So, do you want to party yet???

Have a wonderful weekend! Go Packers!

-t

southern california children’s photographer: i {shoot} kids

Tammy — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:15:57 +0000

lol! I always have to laugh when I’m talking about shooting my kids, or other people’s. It just sounds so funny!! I have been agonizing over this decision for quite some time now and I have just decided that right now, this is the best decision for our family. As many of you know, I am tackling homeschooling my 3rd grader this coming year. I am VERY excited about it, but also very worried about the time committment required to do a knock-out job. Combine that with being a mom, CEO of the house, cleaning lady, taxi driver, personal chef, running a couple of growing businesses and a husband with a schedule that is completely wild and unpredictable and life is crazy!!

I started in this business shooting kids and it’s really what I love to do…where my heart is….so I am returning to my roots. I am excited about the possibilites of refocusing just on the little ones in our lives. I love to create a scene and let them play. My philosophy and style are very photojournalistic, provide a fun environment and let them be.

As a result of these changes I will be making a few changes to pricing and packages too, so if you are planning on scheduling a shoot, please make sure to check those out. Pricing and Session Info

Throughout the month of August I will be running a special for children’s shoots…$75 for the sitting fee. Sitting fee includes 1 8×10. Spots will go quickly, so email me at tammy@tammymitchellphotography.com if you are interested.

Along with regular shoots I will be offering a few “themed” mini shoots throughout the year where I will set up a great scene and the kids will be invited to come and play. I am SUPER excited about these!!! It will allow me to combine my love of design and party planning with my love of photography!! Stay tuned for details of the first theme shoot coming in Sept. It will be a back to school shoot…details and session information/sign-ups coming soon!!

Here’s a little taste of what’s to come. A “fake birthday” I had the pleasure of creating for a client last week…watch for these shots in your local craft store and even on HSN and QVC!!

have a great day!
-t

Hostess with the Mostess: Baby Shower Idea Vintage Dick and Jane Style B is for Boy

Tammy — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:10:58 +0000

One of my cute friends is having a baby NEXT week!!! We had to get together to celebrate the arrival of this sweet little boy into house full of all things girly!

You know me, when somebody says party my brain goes into overdrive!! When planning a party I always think about a theme first. Whether that theme is a color palette or a style doesn’t matter….just something that makes bringing everything else together easier. I immediately thought of a vintage baby boy theme since I have some cool vintage glass plates and cups that I have been DYING to have an excuse to use, so this was perfect! You can find them pretty easily at most antique stores.

I found this cute little shop online, Pretty Little Studio, that makes the most adorable vintage baby flashcards and all kinds of fun stuff. I had her custom make some invitations for me and I think they turned out SO cute!!

We served simple breakfast foods that were yummy…a parfait bar with yogurt, fresh berries and granola, bite sized cinnamon rolls and other pastries, and a yummy drink. To go along with the theme I made a little label for each food item

I just made them in photoshop and printed them out on cute scrapbook paper. I also made one for the gift table:

Now my favorite part…the favors!! John thinks I’m crazy because I spend hours making things like this, but this is honestly the most fun part for me. These are very easy and inexpensive to make, but they are time consuming. If you have the time and love to be crafty then these are perfect for you!

to make the giant cookies find the recipe here

for the bags you will need:

a roll of parchment paper

thread

a sewing machine

ribbon

a hole punch

pinking shears

any deocrations you want for the bags

Cut parchment paper into 6.5×14″ strips. fold in half and stitch the sides up using a colorful thread and a zig-zag stitch. trim off the excess on the sides with the pinking shears. slip a cookie into the pouch. fold the top of the bag over and punch two holes at the top about an inch apart. feed the ribbon through the holes and tie into a bow on the front sideof your bag. decorate as you like.

like I said, pretty easy, just time consuming but I think the result is WELL worth it!

It’s easy to do this for any shower boy or girl, or even if you don’t know what it is just make a mix of boy and girl vintage tags! It would also be cute for a little girl’s birthday party if you played some vintage games and added a few more decorations and changed the food a bit!

Hopefully that gets your creative juices flowing for your next party!

Have a great day!
-t

Make This: Cute Crafty Ideas for Easter

Tammy — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 09:57:46 +0000

Andy has Friday off for his birthday (at least that’s what he thinks…actually it’s for Good Friday, but when you’re 7 it’s more fun to think it’s for your birthday! ) so I’ve been trying to come up with some fun Easter ideas todo that day. Here are a few of my favorites so far:

from Ladies Home Journal the bunny pop…if you don’t want to go through the hassle/mess of making rice krispie treats omit the first four ingredients. Pre-made rice krispie treats make these a breeze!!

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray
10 cups Rice Krispies® or any crisped-rice cereal
2 packages (10 oz each) marshmallows
6 tablespoons butter
1 lb semisweet chocolate, melted
1- 1/4 lbs white chocolate, melted
Red food coloring
30 popsicle sticks

Directions

1. Lightly coat a 15-by-10-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Place cereal in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; set aside. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add marshmallows. Stir until smooth. Pour over cereal and stir to combine. Spread out in prepared pan and press firmly to flatten. Let stand until cool, about 1 hour. Trim edges and cut into 30 3-by-1-1/4-inch bars. Push a popsicle stick through one narrow end of each bar.

3. Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of white chocolate over tops of 15 bars. Repeat, using semisweet chocolate for remaining 15 bars. Transfer to a baking sheet and refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes. Place a wire rack over another baking sheet. Dip the white bars in white chocolate and the semisweet bars in semisweet chocolate; place on rack, allowing excess chocolate to drip off bars. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. Makes 30 pops.

4. To paint faces on bars: Add 1 or 2 drops of food coloring into remaining white chocolate and stir to combine. Using the tip of a wooden skewer or a paintbrush, dip in pink chocolate, then paint ears and nose on bars. Use semisweet chocolate and white chocolate to make eyes. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. (Can be made ahead. Store in an airtight container, in a single layer, in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Serve cold or at room temperature.)

5. Per semisweet chocolate bar: 280 calories, 12.5 g total fat, 7.5 g sat fat, 123 mg sodium, 44 g carbs, 17 mg calcium, 7 mg chol, 2 g protein, 2 g fiber

6. Per white chocolate bar: 310 calories, 13.5 g total fat, 9 g sat fat, 152 mg sodium, 42 g carbs, 51 mg calcium, 12 mg chol, 3 g protein, 1 g fiber

OK, how adorable is this??? This comes from the brilliant minds over at eighteen25. If you can believe it it’s a tray from the $1 bin at my favorite place, Target, spray painted robin’s egg blue and the bunny silhouette was added. You know how I feel about silhouettes!!!

And finally, Andy came home with one of these today and I was in love. John has a REAL weakness for these things. I don’t particularly care for them, but when I saw this idea I HAD to share it because it’s pretty stinkin cute best of all there’s a free download so you can make your own! Download them here

I’ve got a few more things up my sleeve…stay tuned!

Have a great day!

-t

Hostess with the Mostess: Kids Party Ideas

Tammy — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:52:36 +0000

This little shindig is LONG overdue for some blog love. I can’t believe I never shared it! No fear though…it’s perfect timing since it’s pallette is great for spring. You all know I’ve got a weakness for lime green and pink so this was definitely a favorite.

I think these last several years of attending and shooting elaborate parties have taught me that kids are really very happy with the simple pleasures. Sure, they love bounce houses and ponies and magicians, (and I love to plan paties like that!!!) but put a table full of goodies in front of them and let them decorate a homemade cupcake and they are JUST as happy. Just something to keep in mind for those of you planning birthday’s in the near future…that would be me.

Enjoy this gorgeous party!

Mom attended to every gorgeous detail…LOVE the white hydrangeas in a lime green ribbon wrapped box!

the butterflies on the straws…Stunning!

cute little bowls to hold the goodies courtesey of Anthropologie

the darling birthday princess

a finished masterpiece

i LOVE the lighting in these shots…YUM!!! after decorating cupcakes the kids gathered to make bead necklaces on PIPE CLEANERS. Genius!! For little kids they stay stiff enough for them to feed the beads onto…great tip to remember!! You can then twist multiple strands together to make a necklace that’s long enough.

Hope you’re feeling inspired to plan your next event!

Have a great day!
-t

Make This: How to Make Adorable Matchbox Valentines

Tammy — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:11:20 +0000

I have been saving this one for you for almost a year!! I ran across it last year just after valentines and saved these pictures to share this year just in time for valentines. They are seriously SO cute and easy. I am headed to albertsons today to grab some matchboxes (about $1.50 for 10 boxes) and make these myself.

Grab some scraps of paper and ribbon, some tape and a heart punch and you’ve got yourself some homemade valentines in minutes…

Thanks to inchmark for the cute idea!

Have a great Thursday!!

-t

make this: valentine treat cones

Tammy — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:24:51 +0000

I’ve been seeing different versions of these popping up all over the place for halloween, wedding favors, etc. so I thought I would make up a quick valentines version and tutorial for you. They are super fun looking and easy to make. Your kids would LOVE to help, and who wouldn’t love finding one of these cute cones filled to the brim with goodies hanging on their door when they wake up valentine’s morning??

Materials:

1. Paper punch I used a heart for valentines, but with the number of punches on the market, the possibilites are endless!!
2. You can use any papers ou have on hand for this craft. Vintage sheet music looks really cool for a more elegant versin. You can find it at flea markets, thrift stores, yard sales or etsy.com.
3. Ribbon
4. Glitter
5. Scissors (if you have pinking shears those would add a fun look too)
6. Clothespin or binder clip
7. White Glue (I use aleene’s tacky glue, elmer’s would work fine too I’m sure)
8. Hole Punch
9. any fun embellishments to hang from the ribbon

Directions:

1. Roll one sheet of paper into a cone shape, gradually working with it to get it to taper off to a point. Glue with a thin layer of tacky glue, using a clothespin, binder clip or paperclip to hold in place until dry.
2. Punch or cut heart shapes from coordinating paper and glue around rim or down the front seam of the paper cone. To create three dimensional look, I folded my hearts slightly in the middle so that they stuck out from the cone, Apply a thin line of glue along edge and hold in place for a few seconds until the glue begins to dry.
3. When completely dry, apply white glue to desired areas and dust with glitter. 4. Punch a hole on each side of the cone and thread ribbon through holes to hang. 5. Fill with goodies and enjoy!

Obviously you can make many different variations of this. Just think of the posibilities. How cute would these be made in the theme of your choice, hanging from the backs of chairs as place card holders. So fun!!

enjoy!!

-t

Let’s Party: Fun Thanksgiving Craft and Food Ideas and a winner

Tammy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:38:53 +0000

It’s getting closer! I found these fun ideas for the kids. I don’t know about yours, but mine have a WEEK off at Thanksgiving, so I need some activities to keep them busy!

I LOVE the tee pees. How cute would that be at each place setting on the kids table?? Ice Cream cones turned upside down and frosted with royal icing and other decor –SO cute!!

A simple styrofoam ball cut in half, painted brown and stuck with colorful pens turns into a super cute and crafty turkey.

Let your kids imaginations run wild with a new spin on a “turkey sandwich”. Adding more veggies is NEVER a bad idea, right?

LOVE LOVE LOVE the Indian Corn napkin rings. Cut a piece of felt to wrap around a napkin, line popsicle sticks up and stick them to the felt and line them with the buttons.

Take Rice Crispy treats to the next level. Make them with a mix of cereals and dried fruits instead. Shape them around a popsicle stick and cut pieces of fruit roll ups to stick around the outside like the wrapping for an ear of corn.

Fudge Stripe cookies and chocolate covered marshmellows are transformed into pilgrim hat cookies in a matter of minutes.

Hope these cute and easy ideas inspire you to have a little fun this month!!!

And now a drumroll please…Mr. Random Number Gererator has picked comment #18 Karen Kirshon as the winner of the Bobbity Boo skirt. Email me and let me know which skirt you would like and I’ll let Bobbi know! Congrats!!

Stay tuned for another great giveaway on Friday!

Have a great day!

-t