What began as a simple desire to somehow bring a little light, laughter and kindness into this world, morphed into a much bigger undertaking than I could have imagined…and my lifestyle blog was born. I wasn’t sure exactly how I wanted to commemorate this accomplishment. I only knew that while working full-time, it had taken me well over a year and lots of technological frustration (and yes, a few tears) to get my new Fun with Fun-Size blog up and going. And THAT needed to be celebrated.
Full disclosure: I’d never attended much less thrown a Launch Party prior to my idea of actually having one. Not only did I want to celebrate finally launching, but I also wanted to take the opportunity to thank all those who have guided, aided, supported and even just been my sideline cheerleaders. This occasion was worthy of a party…a Launch Party.
My M.O. is to do everything myself and on a pretty shoestring budget. (I mean, that’s a lot of what my Fun with Fun-Size blog is about…creating meaningful entertainment experiences without killing your pocketbook.) But with the wisdom of my husband, I quickly learned that alas I was not going to be able to do all this myself AND truly enjoy myself at the party.
This was partly because I would be hosting it in the garden of my friend’s darling boutique which meant having to physically bring everything to the venue. And the other part is we were leaving literally the next day on a company trip for my hubbie and it was already going to be a bit of a scramble. Oh yeah, and I work full-time. So, taking the advice of my man, I hired some things out which ended up being a huge blessing.
THEME: Fun with Fun-Size!
Of course the focal point was to be celebrating the launch of Fun with Fun-Size, but I needed to drill down on exactly what vibe I wanted it to be. I wanted some “Girl Power”, feminine with pink touches…tasteful yet playful and…wait for it…FUN! 😉
I decided upon “Sip, Shop & Launch”: An Open House on a Friday evening from 5-7pm. My thought being people could swing by as their schedules allowed and it was a time frame that wouldn’t kill their Friday night plans if they had anything already on the calendar. It also incorporated supporting my friends’ boutique, Flags with a Flair, who had so generously allowed me to use her beautiful space. And come on, who wouldn’t love indulging in sipping a little bubbly while meandering through a fun place to shop?
ADDITIONAL VENDOR FOR FUN:
One thing I have truly enjoyed is collaborating with other people through this blogging adventure and my launch party provided yet another opportunity. My daughter went to school with a local young man, Joshua Norfles, who has a passion and gift he is using for a new venture…craft ice cream! Is it delicious and locally-sourced? YES! Does ice cream scream FUN? Heck YES!
* Blackberry cheesecake
* Fresh fruit sorbet
* Fun-Size (specially made for the event)
* Fresh fruit sorbet
* Fun-Size (specially made for the event)
Norf’s Ice Cream participated in the launch as a pop up with three fabulously yummy flavors, including one specialty flavor “Fun-Size” which incorporated FUN-size candy bars of Heath Bar and Snickers into the mix. Homemade waffle cups were also available and I must say this was probably the most popular spot for the night!
so I know it was a big hit!
I can’t recommend Josh and his co-founder, Michael, enough for corporate or any pop up event. Easy to work with, reasonably priced for the incredible quality and I loved being able to support young men with such a passion and entrepreneurial spirit.
DECOR:
Playing off of my logo, I went with pinks, whites and a touch of gold for some subtle “bling”.
After assessing the gardens behind my girlfriends’ boutique, I moved some of the furniture to create a better workflow for the event. I wanted to keep the feel of the area, but also add my own touch and allow for more space for people to mix and mingle.
BACKDROP:
I rented a 7’ white arched backdrop and added my logo to use for both decor and a place for photo ops; great for Instagram. A la Mode Collection (a brother and sister team) were so professional and lovely to work with. And extra bonus: They delivered, set up and picked up alleviating us doing any of the schlepping!
Near the backdrop I posted a sign: “Do it for the Gram” encouraging guests to use the hashtag #funwithfunsize to post on their Instagram accounts.
BALLOONS:
For a more fun and festive flair, I also ordered pink and white balloons to adorn the backdrop which made it extra playful. Ivy Imagination, a young lady who again is a darling entrepreneur and started her own balloon biz during COVID, did a fantastic job. Her family attends our church and even her mom and sister were there as helper bees…a family affair.
FLOWERS:
I used flower arrangements I’d made using Trader Joe’s flowers and my Easy Peezy “technique” [To see how, click here]. I used garden and spray roses in varying shades of pink and blush, ornamental St. John’s wort, hydrangeas, jumbo mums, sea lavender sinensis, eucalyptus and white stock to carry the pink and white feminine theme throughout.
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VINGETTES:
To show a bit of what Fun with Fun-Size is about, I set up two small tables with simple mock ups of tablescapes:
1. Summer Fun
With summer just around the corner, I wanted to show a fun way to set the stage for an afternoon of summertime fun. Finding most of the items at Home Goods, I built around what I had purchased and did some jeuging using the color scheme of hot pink and tropical. The napkins rings were handmade and purchased in Uganda when I was there on a mission trip years ago.
The table runner I found on Amazon as well as the plastic black and gold silverware. The Target $5 bin had the teatowel and I’d previously purchased the vase there as well. The votives were from Dollar Tree and I have used them again and again in so many different ways, proof they were a great purchase.
Lastly, for an extra punch of decor, I added colorful throw pillows (also from Home Goods) to add to the chairs and bring the look together.
[*Note : I did a “re-mock up” of the tablescape at home to take some additional pictures since it was so crazy during the party.]
2. Tea for Two…or more!
I wanted to give some ideas of a simple but sweet way to set up the garden’s table for tea…or breakfast…or brunch….Perfect for time together with the ladies. I used much of what I already owned, and then added some special pieces to enhance it a bit.
I kept it very feminine and sweet starting with the darling pink chargers I found on Amazon. Loved them as I can see using them for Valentine’s Day or a birthday or shower as well. I always like to think in terms of how else can I use this purchase giving you more “bang for your buck”, so to speak. I used my own white everyday dishes, Wedgewood Strawberry & Vine and topped it off with the adorable accent plate with butterflies in the design whose color scheme coordinated nicely with the charger.
I added gold silverware, but silver would have worked as well. The bouquet included pink and white delicate rose clusters to continue the girlie feel.
[*Note: I also did a mock up of this setting at home to get additional photos. This round I added the eucalyptus and rose garland I used on the beverage station (this would work well down your table as a table runner for a feminine touch) and also added another rose bouquet.
BEVERAGES:
The white rod iron cart normally used for floral displays in the garden I instead used as my beverage station. My hubbie added a board painted white to have a strong flat base allowing for plenty of space for set up. I also added faux floral garland with eucalyptus to the cart and added small pink and white bouquets intermingled throughout. Wanting to make certain it was an easy access self-serve station, I added visually appealing signage to guide the guests on their beverage options:
- Red and white wine
- Iced tea
- Signature Drink: “Fun-Size Delight” with champagne available to add for “punch”
- Fun-size waters (with personalized labels)
- Coffee station (with pink coffee cups that were adorable!)
Some little extra touches:
The beverage containers were a new purchase from Crate & Barrel, but their stands seemed a bit overpriced. Instead, I found a white wood stand on Amazon and I was able to purchase two for the price of one at Crate & Barrel and it worked perfectly.
FOOD:
For food I relied on the professionals and decided I would have it catered. Primal Alchemy Catering of Long Beach was great and worked with me on my Fun-Size vision. I wanted to serve “mini” versions of food keeping with my “Fun Size” theme. We settled on:
- Spicy Buttermilk Chicken Mini Sliders with Carnival Slaw
- Mini Pizzas with Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Bocconcini & Basil
- Fresh Mini Poke Cones with Seaweed, Sesame & Mango
- Mini Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives
Appetizers were both stationery and passed allowing guests to enjoy themselves in their chit chat if they never made their way to the food table.
BONUS for “FUN” – RAFFLE:
Part of the launch party was to make sure the guests knew different ways they could support my new blog venture. So, as guests arrived there was a table with signage “Let’s Get Social” where they could scan the QR codes for my website, Instagram or Pinterest and they could subscribe.
- Mother’s Day Gift Basket
- Gift Certificate to Flags with a Flair Boutique
- Pints of Norf’s Ice Cream
TOAST TO SUCCESS!
Around midway through the evening, we gathered guests together for a champagne toast. I loved having the opportunity to thank everyone for their love and support—most especially, to my family who have truly been my biggest supporters (and tech support) as I have navigated my way through starting my blog.
FINAL TOUCH:
As I’m a huge fan of giving a little momento from the event, my favors were compliments of my brilliant baker daughter who made yummy cookies (fun-size, of course)
We bagged them up and added a sticker with my logo thanking our guests for sharing in the fun.
WRAPPIN’ IT UP!
The event was so much FUN and despite a ton of work, a huge success. I couldn’t have pulled it off without the manpower of my family (and several friends) who stepped up to finish this labor of love. Several guests made Herculean efforts to be part of the event and it did not go unnoticed.
I have been overwhelmed by the love shown me and the encouragement I’ve received. I feel so blessed by family and the incredible friends I have in my life…the faith that continues to buoy me when I begin to feel fearful…and the life I’ve been privileged to enjoy.
One more shout out to Debbie of Flags with A Flair for generously allowing me to host my launch party in her beautiful gardens. You are just lovely~
Cheers to a successful launch party…and now onward to being guided on this blog-making journey! JOIN ME by subscribing below…and be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram @FunwithFun_Size
PS: I had not packed ONE item the next day when we were set to leave on my hubbie’s company trip. Did I forget a few things? Yep! Did it matter? Nope! It was Jamaica, man. One love…One heart…Let’s join together and I’ll feel alright! 
This is so beautiful Shelley!! Gorgeous. I’m following girl!! Love your ideas on food too! Love ya! Will be doing a Pop-up Boutique soon and need ideas. This is wonderful help.
You are so sweet. Thank you. So glad you’re following…they’ll be more to come! 🙂
Great Launch Party!!! So much fun!
Thank you! So happy you were able to stop by~
It was an exciting night with so many perfect little details that you had thought of to launch your website and get all your family and friends excited and supportive of funwithfunsize. You did an amazing job 🩷
Thank you so much! It was a true labor of love~
It was such a lovely evening!! Seeing all of your beautiful vignettes and fun ideas come to life was inspiring and Fun to see. I love your blog with all the great ideas & affordable ways to do them. Really, So Fun!!💗
What a nice compliment. Thank you! So glad you’re enjoying the blog and are getting some fun ideas~
It was such a pleasure to come out and serve so many smiling faces! Thank you so much for inviting me out 🙂
Hopefully we can work together again sometime! 🙂
It was spectacular fun, Shelley! You know how to do it right!
So grateful you were able to be a part of it all~