We have so many wonderful dessert tables for girls on our site, I’ve had to break this post down into two parts.

So here is Part 1 of these gorgeous, inspiring tables…

THE VIBRANT TABLE
Kim S’s Kate’s Fairy Garden Party

Here’s what’s on Kate’s table:

• Cake – Decadent Delights
• Cupcakes & mini cheesecakes
• Oreo pops & Chocolate covered Oreos – Sweeties by Kim
• Printed cookies – Sweetopia
• Cake Pops
• Meringues
• Paper Products designed by The TomKat Studio

THE PRETTY IN PINK TABLE
Lindsey M’s PINK Party

Here’s what’s on Lindsey’s table:

• Little Debbi heart cakes
• Pink M&M
• Pink Hersey’s Kisses
• Strawberry candy canes
• Strawberry Tootsie Pops
• Grapefruit sours
• Strawberry mousse
• Pink chocolate covered strawberries
• Strawberry cupcakes
• Pink swirl pops
• Pink rock candy
• Strawberry wafer cookies
• Watermelon licorice
• Pink marshmallows
• Pink cotton candy
• Pink M&M chocolate chip cookies
• Pink frosted animal crackers

THE SHABBY CHIC TABLE
Pamela S’s Shabby Chic Fairy Party

Here’s what’s on Pamela’s table:

• Chocolate covered marshmallow pops
• Sugar cookies
• Good N Plenty candy
• Starbursts candy
• Chocolate cupcakes with pink vanilla bean frosting
• Carrot cupcakes with pink and green cream cheese frosting
• Candy filled wafer cookies
• Pink chocolate cupcake balls
• Fairy marshmallow pops courtesy of Stix N Pops
• White cheddar popcorn
• Fairy favor boxes filled with bottles of “Fairy Dust” (glitter) for the girls to take home and sprinkle in their gardens

THE VINTAGE TABLE
Kristina M’s Vintage Circus Party

Here’s what’s on Kristina’s table:

• Cotton candy flavored popcorn
• Pink & yellow marshmallow swirls
• Pink M&Ms
• Yellow M&Ms
• Pink jellybeans
• Yellow jellybeans
• Cake pops
• Pink and yellow chocolate dipped Oreos
• Assorted pink and yellow sugar cookies from a local bakery
• Rainbow rice crispy treats
• Pink and yellow chocolate dipped pretzels
• Cake & cupcakes

THE COUNTRY FAIR TABLE
Anneliese S’s “Fair Day” in May Party

Here’s what’s on Anneliese’s table:

• Orange twirly pops
• Blue and pink gum balls
• Vanilla taffy
• Blue old fashioned candy sticks
• Pink crystal candy suckers
• Red velvet cake
• Chocolate buttermilk cake
• Lemon bundt cake
• Jars of “orange preserves” (orange jelly candies)

THE SWEET TWINS’ TABLE
Terri W’s Twins 1st Birthday

Here’s what’s on Terri’s table:

• Cake
• Cupcakes
• Cookies
• Chocolate covered Oreos
• Chocolate covered marshmallows
• Suckers
• M&M’s
• Cake balls
• Green candy fruit slices
• Strawberry chocolate covered pretzels
• Pink and green Hershey’s kisses

THE CANDY STORE TABLE
Eileen C’s Sweet Ponyville Party

Here’s what’s on Eileen’s table:

• Chocolate ponies by A Chocolate Creation
• Pony decorated sugar cookies
• Lollipop topiaries
• Pastel M & M’s
• Dark chocolate Kisses
• Caramel chocolate Kisses
• Large Pixie Sticks
• Bubble gum
• Assorted Wonka small lunch boxes filled with Nerds, Sweet Tarts, etc.
• Lemonheads
• Large lollipops

Thank you Kim, Lindsey, Pamela, Kristina, Anneliese, Terri, and Eileen for sharing your beautiful dessert tables with us.  For more inspiration, stay tuned for Part 2 of this post!

Kate P’s Dr Seuss/St. Patrick’s Day First Birthday

The most amazing thing about this cake is that Kate made it herself for her daughter’s first birthday.  Incredible!

Kate should definitely get herself on Food Network Challenge.

Here are a couple great giant balloon shots from some of the parties on our site.

Leslie B’s Trent’s Giant 3rd Birthday

Kristy L’s J&J’s Firetruck Party

So where can you buy these great colorful orbs?

I found a site called Balloon Maniacs! which sell them in 15 different colors (including pink and blue polka dot) for $3.33 each.  And they have some serious discounts on their homepage, so definitely check that out before purchasing.

If you add some giant balloons to your party, please send photos so I can post them for everyone to see.

I think they’re so simple and beautiful.

THE CLASSY TABLE
From Terri G’s A 40th Birthday Party

Here’s what’s on Terri’s table:

• Chocolate covered Oreos in a houndstooth print done by Sweeties by Kim
• Strawberry linzer cookies done by Olaha Bakery
• Decorated sugar cookies
• Cake pops
• Oreo truffles
• Licorice candy
• Coconut cupcakes with cream cheese icing
• Strawberry bars
• Chocolate covered pretzels
• “Blinged” out water
• 4 dozen roses

THE REGAL TABLE
From Mandy R’s Green and White Bridal Shower

Here’s what’s on Mandy’s table:

• Cake pops
• Chocolate pretzels
• Chinese takeout boxes filled with watermelon hard candies, toffee, and salt water taffy
• Homemade milk chocolate hearts
• Vanilla pudding in shot glasses
• Chocolate dipped marshmallows on skewers
• Large martini glasses filled with bunches of grapes

THE FUN TABLE
From Kristin E’s Janice and Bob’s 1st Baby Shower

Here’s what’s on Kristin’s table:

• Red velvet cupcakes with blue colored cream cheese butter cream frosting
• Lemon vanilla cupcakes with green colored lemon butter cream frosting
• Green and blue candy cane sticks and gummy candies
• Doublemint Gum
• Airheads
• Blue heart lollipops from Michael’s
• Blue and green foil covered mini chocolate eggs

THE SUMMERY TABLE
From Lauryn B’s Jacqui’s Bridal Shower

Here what’s on Lauryn’s table:

• A yellow and white striped fondant covered cake with yellow and white fondant daisies.  The cake is a yellow cake with alternating layers of chocolate and vanilla frosting.
• Mini cookies ‘n cream sunflower cupcakes
• Mini banana chocolate chip cupcakes with fluffy vanilla frosting
• Blondie hearts
• Mini lemon cheesecakes with graham cracker crust
• Chocolate cake pops dipped in yellow and white chocolate
• Yellow and white salt water taffy
• Yellow and white gumballs
• Yellow, white and green jelly beans
• Yellow M&Ms
• Gummy frogs
• Sour gummy apple rings
• Yellow rock candy
• Bags with “Jacqueline HEARTS Scot” printed on them, so guests could take candy and desserts home

THE LOVELY TABLE
From Courtney D’s Yellow & Blue Baby Shower

Here’s what’s on Courtney’s table:

• White chocolate covered pretzels
• Yellow, blue, and green chocolate candies
• Vanilla butter cream cupcakes
• White chocolate covered strawberries
• Chocolate and vanilla cookies

THE DOWN-HOME HOMEMADE PIE TABLE
From Leslie B’s Housewarming Pie Party

Here’s what’s on Leslie’s table:

• Key lime pie
• Chocolate pecan pie
• Buttermilk pie
• Rhubarb apple pie pockets
• Mini pumpkin,  apple, and peach pies

THE YUMMY MILK AND COOKIES TABLE
From Chris N’s Farewell to Friends Party

Here’s what’s on Chris’s table:

• Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
• White chocolate and butterscotch chip cookies
• Peanut butter filled cookies
• Apple spice drops
• Brownie bites
• Plain milk
• Chocolate milk

THE RETRO CASUAL TABLE
From Brittany S’s What’s It Gonna BEE Gender Reveal Party

Here’s what’s on Brittany’s table:

• Vanilla and regular Oreos
• Banana Moon Pies
• Black licorice
• Hershey’s miniatures with custom “bee” wrappers
• Lemon jelly beans
• Blackberry jellybeans
• Black raspberry Now n’ Laters
• Bee pops
• Custom cupcakes

Thank you to Terri, Mandy, Kristin, Lauryn, Courtney, Leslie, Chris, and Brittany for sharing your tables!

Stay tuned for next week’s TRENDS post where I highlight some of our favorite kids’ party dessert tables.

Use these to draw on your food!

FooDoodlers are markers made of food coloring that you can use to draw on cookies, cakes, pancakes, bread, crackers, marshmallows… you name it.

And when I read that Meaghan recommends them, and was even running a contest on her blog to give some away, I knew they had to be good.

Not only would these markers be fun to use on your own food decorating projects, but how great would these be at a party?  Lay out some iced cookies and some FooDoodler markers and let people go to town.

There were also a couple of creative ideas on their website that I thought were worth sharing:

After a sleepover, put out the pens and let your guests color their pancakes.

If you take kids to a restaurant and want to entertain them, pull out some FooDoodlers and let them draw on their food.

Give your fruits and vegetables more pizazz by drawing on them.

I know my daughter will love these!  In fact, if I don’t win them on Meaghan’s blog, I’m ordering some on Amazon.

Photo: The Decorated Cookie

So in honor of good weather, here are some of my favorite pool party ideas from Etsy.

First, an invitation from Lilly Mae Designs.

Next a banner from IE Creations.

Some DIY printable pool party decorations from Paper and Cake.

Pool party cupcake toppers from Toadally Cute Products.

And to make your cupcakes even more decadent, how about some fondant cupcake toppers from Kids Cakes.

A large galvanized tub to keep your drinks cool from brodyandma.

And so no one mixes up their drink cups, here are some chalkboard tumblers from Party Bzz.

Some wooden boats to decorate your pool from duckduckgoosetoys.

And to add a little excitement and fragrance to your party, how about these fizzy pool bombs from Les Treasure.

And finally, so no one goes home empty-handed, some flip flop cookie favors from Whimsical Originals DB.

And shouldn’t the kids get something extra?  Personalized beach pails from Bumble Bee Lane.

Stay cool and happy swimming!

(In fact, bird themed showers are so popular, this is the second time I’ve written about them in a TRENDS post.)

Caroline B’s Brown + Blue Birdy Shower

A pretty bird's nest wreath to meet guest at the door.

The cute bird logos used throughout the party on cupcakes, drinks, and food.

Wishing tree tags to use on the wishing tree. (I love wishing trees at showers.)

Tiffany C’s Tweet Baby Girl Shower

Another sweet wishing tree.

The gorgeous "tweet baby girl" dessert table.

Another great-looking bird logo used throughout the party on invitations, cupcake toppers, and food signs.

Rachael L’s Modern Gray and Yellow “Feather Her Nest” Shower

The pretty and modern shower invitation.

The elegant decor, including this great welcome wreath made of eggs and feathers.

More decor details. I love the white branches with yellow bird used as centerpieces.

Tiffany N’s The Birds and Bees Baby Shower

Pretty robin's egg cupcakes.

Cute bird drink tags.

I love the use of real birdcages as decoration above the buffet table.

If you are planning a bird themed baby shower, I hope these ideas come in handy.

If you’ve already thrown one, we’d love to see the photos!

Here’s how pretty their favors look:

DIY s'mores party favors

And to make them, all you need is this:

Supplies for your s'mores

What I like about these favors is that they’re inexpensive and easy to make, they’re kid and adult friendly (who doesn’t love a s’more?), and while they’d work great at a “camping” themed party, they could really work at any summer party.

I know I’d be psyched to go home with one of these!

How great would these mustaches, glasses, and lips look as part of your next party photo booth?

The great thing about these ones is they’re no only fun, they’re classy and gorgeous too.

From Lindsey M’s Little Firecracker’s 4th of July Riverside Soiree

This party is all about the gorgeous sweets and the beautiful party printables.  Lindsey and her partner design the printables themselves at Paper and Pigtails.

Some of my favorite things: the delicious confetti cupcakes, the hand-dipped marshmallows, and the lemonade bottles and straws.  The whole party has such a festive spirit.  It puts me in a good mood.

Daphne J’s 4th of July Backyard Bash

What’s great about this traditional BBQ is how it’s taken to a whole new level by adding all these gorgeous printables.  The printables are designed by Daphne and are available in her store Moo Moo’s & Tutus.

Notice how the hamburgers, and even the straws, become something to celebrate when they’re given a little decoration.

Molly E’s Celebrate Our Independence!

This is a sumptuous party.  The flowers, food, and decor make it seem rich and beautiful.  I want to eat everything: the sliders, the corn, and those fabulous parfait and tart desserts.

And to finish it off, the favors are sweet and simple — red, white, and blue candies in little jars.  They look elegant and give the table punch.  It’s true, sometimes less is more.

Staci G’s Old Fashion 4th

This party has “kid” written all over it.  My favorite details: the red, white, and blue robot and the painted coffee filter decorations.  What a great way for a mom to come up with arts and crafts projects for her kids that she can then use for a family celebration.

And how fun are the firecracker cookies with sprinkles and pop rocks?  Nice touch.

Claudia S’s Red, White, and Blue Ladybug Party

Great idea for this party — a July 4th “slash”ladybug birthday party for a seven-year-old.

Again, custom decorations is where it’s at this July 4th.  Claudia and her partner designed these.  You can find more at Tini Posh.

My favorite thing about this party is how both themes are incorporated.  Check out the red, white, and blue cupcake toppers with ladies bugs, stars, and photos of the birthday girl on them.  Combining themes does bring something new and exciting to your party.   Definitely try it.

It’s so much fun seeing all your great ideas.  Thanks for sharing!