Party Inspiration - Pinwhirls Customer Photos

We love the beautiful and creative ways that our customers use Pinwhirls.com products. Our pinwheels have appeared in a lot of special events since we started creating them, and we wanted to show them off while at the same time giving you inspiration for the perfect decor at your next birthday party, wedding, baby shower or holiday party.

Carnival Pinwheels
Our carnival themed papers make fun and whimsical favors and decorations. If you like these, you'll definitely want to check out our Vintage Carnival Themed photo set on Flickr.

Custom Handheld Carnival Pinwheels
Photos Courtesy of Michelle K.

Red, White & Blue Cake Toppers
This cake is festively decorated and looks absolutely delish! Red, white & blue customer Pinwhirls are great for 4th of July celebrations, armed forces homecomings, cookouts, outdoor parties and more.

Courtesty of Michelle Kraft @ partiesbymimi.blogspot.com/

Black & White Wedding Pinwhirls
Michael and Taryn's stunning black and white pinwheels were photographed beautifully by Anthony DeCarlo. We're so glad they shared them with us!

from the Wedding of Taryn & Michael Fabian July 2, 2011
Photos were taken by Anthony DeCarlo of DeCarlo Photo www.decarlophoto.com

Peony Pinwheels
Our Peony style pinwheels are another customer favorite, and we love what Michelle did with these party favors. With a hundreds of custom printed papers, we can make a peony pinwheel for any theme.

Custom Handheld Baby Shower Peony Pinwheels
Photos Courtesy of Michelle B.

Flower Girl Pinwheels
These are two of the most adorable flower girls we've seen, and we love that they're walking down the aisle with pinwheels. Our Pinwhirls creations are as pretty as flowers, but they last much longer.

Flower Girl Pinwheels Photo Courtesy of Whitney F.

Save on Your Order
You can save on your next Pinwhirls.com order when you submit your special event photos. Get all the details on our Promotions page.

Valentine's Day Wedding Tips & Ideas

Valentine's Day is popular day to get married. And why not? A day already filled with love and romance is the perfect time to start the rest of your lives together. If you're looking for ways to plan a Valentine's Day wedding while keeping the event fun and fresh and not too cliche, we've got some great wedding planning tips for you!

Use Red or Pink as an Accent Color

Instead of using red and pink together as your main color, try black and white with small accents of either red or pink for your attire and wedding decor. Overdoing it on the red and pink can look kitschy and old fashioned. If you're look for a modern classic, try grey, white and burgundy or grey, white, and petal pink.

Use Floral Centerpieces

Valentine's Day and flowers go hand-in-hand. For your centerpieces, try a floral arrangement or even a single flower in a crystal vase. Roses are classic, but stargazer lilies and daisies are also great choices. It al depends on the mood you want to set for your reception.

Avoid Using Too Many Hearts

Yes, it's a Valentine's Day wedding, but that doesn't mean you have to bombard your guests with hearts galore. For something more subtle try heart necklaces for the bridesmaids, wedding favors (like our Pinwhirls made with Heart Day Papers) with a heart-shaped pattern, or a single heart on the place cards. Just avoid the temptation to put them everywhere.

Use Valentines for Invitations or Place Cards

We love the idea of invitations and place cards that look like retro Valentine's Day cards. Depending on your personal preferences, you may want to choose something lacy and Victorian. Or if your style is more casual and fun, bring back your Valentine's Day cards from when you were a kid with well-known characters and gobs of bright colors.

Give Away Sweet Wedding Favors

Homemade conversations hearts, Godiva chocolates, sachets of personalized M&Ms. There are lots of different ways to sweeten up your guests' wedding favors.

Did you have a Valentine's Day wedding? How did you incorporate the holiday into your special event?

Nicolette & Alex: A Pinwheel Beach Wedding

This real wedding is near and dear to me as it's my youngest sister, Nicolette's wedding.  When she let me know that she'd like to include pinwheels in her big day of course I jumped for joy and then I sat her down and seriously asked if she was wanting to include them only to be 'nice' to her big sister or if she actually truly wanted them in her wedding. You see, as the owner of a business that specializes in personalized pinwheels, I never know if my friends/family really want to integrate my products or if they are trying to be kind by doing me and the business a favor. :)  But, thankfully in my sister's case, she was getting married on the beach in Amelia Island, Fl and was envisioning a fun rather than a formal wedding.  Pinwheels in a beach setting scream fun so we moved ahead with the planning details. She didn't envision her wedding being totally pinwheel centered rather just hints of pinwheels here and there. I designed custom papers to go with her color scheme of yellow, pink, orange and slight green accents. They can be viewed here. These papers were used to create her custom pinwheels.  Pinwheels were included on her Save the Date, on wedding signage, in bridal bouquets, as boutonnieres, as beach decor, as cake decor,  and also as part of the napkin ring.


My sister asked all three of us sister's to be her bridesmaids.  {I'm in the yellow.} We included both large handheld pinwheels and pinwheel picks in our bouquets.  We assembled the bouquets in the very early hours of her wedding day. Did I mention that we aren't florists and don't have experience making bouquets yet here we were at 3 am trying to assemble bouquets? I started out making them as I once took a couple hour class on how to assemble flower arrangements so at least I had some experience - or so I thought. Hehe. To say my first attempt looked horrible is a huge understatement. Looking back, I wish I'd snapped a photo.  It was the ugliest bouquet I've ever seen.  A few months after the fact, it seems rather laughable, but let me tell you in that moment, I almost had a severe panic attack as they were just looking so wrong and we had very little time to correct them.  Thankfully my oldest sister, Erin, took over and perfected the bouquet process just a couple short hours before we had to head over to the reception site to decorate the morning of the wedding.  Moral of the story: Even though things worked out in the end, do not go the diy route at the last minute.  At least create them the day before or even better hire a florist to create the bouquet and have he/she insert the pinwheels for you. :)


Our peony yard pinwheels were placed into tins filled with grass and gerber daisies to line the wedding aisle.  The tins were filled to the brim with sand to keep them weighted down.

A close-up of the bridal bouquet.

And a close-up of my bridesmaid bouquet.

It was a pleasure being such an integral part of one of the biggest days of my sister's life! 

To view more photos of her big day including her fun manzanita branch centerpieces, fingerprint tree guest book, and Jones Soda Escort Card table, just click here.

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Photos courtesy of Bliss and Whimsy Photography.

Carrie & Sean: Happy Wedding Day

I began working with Carrie, an Australian Bride, back in June of 2010 on pinwheels for her September wedding. From the colors and designs selected, I just knew that her wedding was going to be a happy and whimsical garden affair. Fast forward to July of this year ... I received an email from Carrie letting me know that her wedding was featured in Cosmo Bride Australia's My Day. Yay! One look at their wedding photos, and I began to learn why. It was filled to the brim with lots of unique, fun, and whimsical handmade items - lots of them from Etsy. For more photos, of their happy day visit MissPrintDesign. 

We provided Carrie and Sean with Large Handheld Pinwheels, which they scattered amongst the walkways and gardens.

We also provided them with handheld pinwheels which they placed into pitchers.

Didn't they make the cutest centerpieces?
I especially loved the seating - long, narrow tables instead of the traditional rounds. 
Thanks Carrie and Sean for allowing us to feature your wedding on our site. Thanks also to their photographer, You Can't Be Serious, for allowing us to feature their beautiful photos.

Pre-Party Cleanup: Tips & Tricks

Everyone knows that there's a lot that goes into hosting a great party: invitations, menu planning, cooking, decorating, and more. But before the party starts, most hosts and hostesses find themselves stressing over the state of their house.

Clean homes are welcoming, so it's a good idea to get things in order before the big event. However, cleaning up for guests shouldn't throw you into a complete tailspin. Here are a few simple tips for pre-party cleanup when you're hosting at home.

Pre-Party Cleanup Tips & Tricks

1. Strategize: Before you dive in and start remodeling the nursery, sit down and make a list of the rooms that will be used and seen by your guests. Put those at the top of your list and work in order. If you don't get to the rooms at the end of your list, it's probably not going to mean the end of the world.


2. Knock out the big stuff first: Remove clutter and big-ticket eye sores that hinder the flow of your home before you dust or vacuum. People will notice clutter immediately, without even looking for it. However, your party guests aren't likely to notice that you didn't scrub the grout in your kitchen with an old toothbrush before they arrived.


3. Get help: Pre-party cleanup can actually be a pretty huge undertaking, especially if you share space with roommates or family. Get others to pitch in and help and the job will go a lot faster. After all, if you're not the only one making the mess, you shouldn't be the only one cleaning it up!


4. Prepare in advance for mishaps: Get the SpotBot and the paper towels ready ahead of time, maybe during your decorating phase. Spills are almost inevitable, especially at parties where children are present. If you have the cleanup tools stashed in a convenient place, you have a better chance of lifting the stain before it sets--and you won't have to go digging for the carpet cleaner.

By keeping these simple tips in mind, you can whip your house into shape before your guests arrive. You'll also have more time for the fun stuff, like decorating, cooking, and visiting with your guests.

Photo credit: lusi

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You can find great party invitations, party favors, and more at the Pinwhirls Shop on Etsy!

Pinwhirl Party Recipies

Soy Cheese Pinwhirls via norwichnuts 

We have a real treat for you today! We're linking up to some of our very favorite party recipes around the web. The really cool part? All of the recipes are for eye-catching and scrumptious pinwheels (or Pinwhirls, as we like to call them around here!)

Pinwheel appetizers make great party food. If you're looking for something to take and share or something to compliment your dinner party menu, why not try giving one of these tasty recipes a try?

California Pinwheel Sandwiches: Just five simple ingredients make these a cinch to whip up in your kithchen: ham, cheese, pickles, bread, and California dip.

Pizza Pinwheels: Put a new "spin" on a classic favorite with pizza pinwheels. This recipe serves 8 and can easy be doubled or tripled if you are making them for a large party or get-together.

Poppy Seed Pinwheels: This recipe comes from Food Network's Paula Deen. Chives, cream cheese, garlic, parsley, and poppy seeds give these a distinct flavor.

Bacon Cheddar Pinwheels: It's hard to resist the savory combination of bacon and cheddar. These pinwheel apps come straight from the Pillsbury kitchen.

Italian Calzone Pinwheels: These mini calzones are similar to a pizza calzone, but they are paired with a fun and tasty dipping sauce. They're sure to be a hit with kids and grown-ups alike.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels: With cranberries in this recipe, these sweet and yummy pinwheels would be an excellent treat for the holidays. But they're so delicious you might not want to wait.

Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels: Every game night of sports party is better with Buffalo sauce! These delightfully scrumptious pinwheels are sure to be a hit with all the guys.

So what do you think? Will any of these recipes end up in your recipe box? Do you have a favorite pinwheel appetizer recipe to share with? Blog about it and leave your link in the comments below.

Use the Pinwheel Theme for Dessert too!

Top 10 Signs It's Fall

With the kids heading back to school and a little relief from the heat, it won't be long before the crisp chill of Fall is in the air. At Pinwhirls, we're ready for Fall. We've added a huge lineup of autumn themed papers for creating custom Pinwhirl items for that school Halloween party or for a family or church harvest gathering.

Before we unveil our Fall additions, though, we've got the top signs that Fall is just is just around the corner so you'll know when it finally arrives!

Top 10 Signs It's Fall

1. The Honeycrisp apples have arrived at your favorite grocery store or farmer's market.
2. The leaves are crunching beneath your feet.
3. Friday nights and Sunday afternoons are filled with football sounds.
4. The lightning bugs and cicadas are quiet.
5. Pumpkin Spice lattes are back!
6. The leaves suddenly seem like they've been set alight
7. You gather around at backyard bonfires to roast marshmallows and make smores.
8. It's time for late night hayrides through the country with a flannel blanket and a cup of steaming hot cocoa.
9. You've packed away your swimsuit and pulled out a cozy sweater or cardigan.
10. Trick-or-treaters are knocking at your door.

What are your favorite signs that fall has finally arrived?

Now for our new pinwheel papers to help you decorate for any autumn party! Here's a small sampling of some of our specialty papers. For the complete gallery, visit us on Flickr.

HallowBlackWeb

HallowChic2

HallowChic9

HallowOldDamask4

HallowOldDamask2

Don't miss out on last year's Monster Laboratory, if you haven't seen it already. You'll find a smorgasbord of party ideas including decorations, drinks, and food. The Cherry Brain Parts, Marshmallow Monster Teeth, Skull Cake, and Brain Juice Punch were real hits!

Have you been blogging about Autumn? Don't forget to share your links with us in the comments.

Top 6 Wedding Planning Mistakes

Photo Courtesy of: Christine Lim and Ruby Yeo

If you want your wedding planning to go smoothly, these are the top 6 wedding planning mistakes you can't afford to make!

1. Waiting too long to place deposits. You find a great place, but you're worried that something better might pop up. Rather than place a deposit, you decide to wait it out. Finally, you decide after weeks of waiting that you want the venue for your ceremony or your reception. When you whip out your wallet, you discover that someone else has already reserved your date.
   
2. Hiring the cheapest band. Do you and your guests a favor and at the very least listen to a demo first. You might also want to get recommendations if you are not familiar with local bands. Bad music can kill the reception!
   
3. Rushing through the rehearsal. All audio and visual tools should be checked at your rehearsal. Don't just practice walking down the aisle. Make sure you cover all the technical bases too.
   
4. Leaving the dress in closet untouched for months. This is a big one for brides who buy their dresses well in advance of their wedding. Try it on periodically to make sure you're not putting on or losing too much weight. Last minute alterations are pretty much impossible to get right.
   
5. Going over budget. Track your expenses closely, because wedding expenses can add up fast. Going outside your budget can have catastrophic consequences, leaving you with huge debts as you start your lives together.
   
6. Trying to do it all yourself. Even if you can't hire a wedding planner, you should be willing to delegate some of the responsibilities to your friends and family. If you don't as for help you run the risk of forgetting something really important in addition to making yourself crazy from the stress.

Do you have a special tip to share with a bride to be? Share it in the comments!

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To purchase items featured in this article, visit our Pinwhirls Online Shop. Brides, don’t miss out on our special offer! Learn how you can save 10% on your order.

Fun and Safe Tips for Celebrating this 4th of July

Summer is our favorite time of year here at Pinwhirls. With the 4^th of July just a couple of weeks away, we thought it would be a great time to share some backyard party and cookout tips. As always, we'd love for you to share your tips and ideas (or just tell us what you've got planned this 4^th of July) with us in the comments.

Fireworks: Make Your Celebration Fun for All Ages

Adults and children alike love the fun of fireworks. Sparklers are always a great hit, but sometimes little ones are scared of these fireworks or they're just too young to handle them on their own. For the younger kids, we recommend handing out summer toys like our Pinwhirls pinwheels. The twirling motion will be captivating, entertaining, and safe. Plus the kids can take them home when the party is over.

Be Weather-Wise

July can really be hot and muggy. Beat the heat at your party, cookout or picnic by seeking out shaded locations for your event. Or you can create your own shade with tents, awnings, or patio umbrellas. 

Bring plenty of sunscreen. If you're going to be poolside this July 4^th, monitor how long you're in the water. Many sunscreens need to be reapplied in order to offer full protection.

Remember Food Safety

The extreme heat can make your favorite foods spoil quickly. Make sure your cookout or picnic foods are safe to eat. If you need to brush up on your food safety tips, visit FoodSafety.gov. Right now, they're highlighting Barbecue Basics.

If you're looking for recipe ideas, we recommend stopping by the Real Simple website and checking out their Cooler-Friendly Picnic Recipes. They've compiled a list of 14 yummy recipes that are great for picnics or cookouts.

So what are your plans for the 4^th of July holiday weekend?

6 DIY Tips for Planning Weddings on a Budget

Do-it-yourself – or DIY – options can be a great way to optimize your wedding planning budget. If you want to have the perfect wedding with money to spare for the honeymoon, we've got some tips for you!

Most brides don't have unlimited wedding funds, and they have to plan their ceremony, reception, and honeymoon on a strict budget. And sometimes it can be difficult to find that perfect medium where your dreams and your limited financial resources aren't constantly at odds with each other.

Many brides learn how to steal a little from one line in their budget in order to splurge a little in another and you can put this practice to use too. For instance, when you find the perfect dress but it's $250 over your dress budget, you might find that you can make up the difference by saving money on things like flowers or makeup.

6 DIY Tips to Save Money on Your Wedding


Wedding Flowers – Silk flowers can be arranged by a novice because they hold up to the trimming, placing, and arranging it takes to get a bouquet just right. Plus they are cheaper than fresh flowers and can even be sold or donated when you're finished with them. Look for pictures of arrangements you like, and duplicate your favorite styles. However, give yourself plenty of time to work on your arrangements so that your finished product is something you truly love.

Wedding Favors – Look for items to enhance your guest tables that you can craft on your own to save money. We don't mean to brag, but we think our DIY Pinwhirl kits aren't just classy and fun, they are an affordable way to create beautiful favors for your wedding!

Wedding Invitations – You don't have to go through an overpriced printer to have customized invitations. With specialty paper and a home printer you can create your own wedding invitations or save the date cards.

Cupcakes – If you're a bride who likes less conventional wedding desserts, you can try making and decorating your own cupcakes. The cakes freeze well so you can plan ahead, and icing them is much easier than decorating the traditional tiered wedding cake. After some practice, you can decorate like a pro. (Check out some great cupcake recipes and toppers.)

Wedding Makeup – We know not every bride wants to do her own makeup. However, if you're willing to skip on some extra pampering, you can save money by foregoing the cost of a professional makeup artist. Get a free makeover at a cosmetic retailer, buy the necessary items in your colors, and apply it yourself or ask a friend or family member to help you with the application if you're too jittery with nervous energy.

Photomontage – Compile your own photomontage rather than hiring your photographer or videographer to handle the job. With today's technology it's easy to put together a slide show or video on your home PC.

What DIY wedding planning ideas can you think of to help brides save big on their special day?

Fun in the Sun: Backyard Party Tips

Pinwhirls Make Great Outdoor Centerpieces Too!

If you're ready for some fun in the sun, don't miss these tips! Plan ahead for your Memorial Day and 4th of July cookouts, family reunions and block parties.

Backyard Party Tips

1. Add something special to your outdoor decor. Just because you're going to be outdoors doesn't mean you can't decorate! You can make the party festive with just a few simple finishing touches including hanging decorative summer lighting; lining your walk, driveway, or garden with twirling yard Pinwhirls; using torch lights or candles; and hanging beautiful flowering plants from lawn hooks or overhangs.


2. Think about food safety! Remember that foods that require refrigeration can be difficult to manage at an outdoor party. If your guests will be grazing on food over several hours, the majority of foods you select should be safe to serve and hold at room temperature. For everything else, keep it refrigerated or on ice until just before serving. Then put it away after everyone has been served. Cold items can be brought out again later if people are still hungry for seconds.


3. Don't forget the yard games. Depending on the size of your yard, you can play lot of fun games at your party from badminton and volleyball to cornhole and horseshoe. Ask your guests to bring over their favorites.


4. Send your invitations early. Summer schedules can fill up quickly, so send out party invitations early! It's a good idea to send out save the date reminders and announcements for your summer block parties and family reunions too.

Summer is a great time to get together with friends. What outdoor party tips would you add to this list?

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

"Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love."  
--Mildred B. Vermont

Pinwhirl Bouqet Inserts

Mother's Day is only a few days away, so have you thought about how you are going to celebrate this special day with your mom? Many families will be treating mom to a special dinner and be extra helpful around the house to show her just how much she is loved and appreciated. 

Many husbands and children are also trying to find the perfect gift for the special mom in their lives. We have some ideas to help you find just the right thing for your outstanding mom.

Special Gifts for Moms

1. Bouquets: Flowers are a traditional Mother's Day gift. You can go with daisies or roses or lilies or whatever flower happens to be your mom's favorite. Check with your florist to see if you need to order early to make sure they can keep up with the huge demand. If you are looking for something a little more unique, try a Pinwhirl bouquet. They're colorful, fun, and the don't die or require extra care.
   
2. Coupon Booklets: Give a gift that keeps giving and create a booklet of coupons for extra hugs, dinner out, help cleaning the kitchen, a manicure, and much more that Mom can redeem whenever she wants.
   
   
3. Subscriptions and Gift Cards: These can be personalized for your mom, no matter what she's interested in. Try magazine subscriptions, salon gift cards, or Kindle gift cards for starters.  

No matter what you decide to get mom, the most important thing you can do is personalize it. Include a handwritten note in the card or make a thank you video to let her know how much you love her and appreciate that she has been there for you!

Color Meanings

One of the most important elements of planning a wedding or party is choosing the perfect colors for flowers, balloons, Pinwhirls, and other decorations. Beyond just selecting your favorites, you might want to choose hues that are symbolic or carry special meaning for you. Below you'll find a list of some popular colors along with their meanings and popular uses.

Blues

Blue is common among religious practices and is symbolic of loyalty, peace, and calm. It is also worn often in the workplace and can symbolize intelligence, togetherness, and stability. Blue is considered a year-round color so it's extremely versatile.

Other blue-related hues: Azure, sky blue, royal blue, navy blue, beryl, cerulean, cyan, and indigo.


Greens

Green is most frequently associated with nature and life or growth. Green can also be a calming color, but it is sometimes negatively associated with envy. Stronger associations include ties with the environment, the season of spring, and vitality.

Other green-related hues: Sage, olive, pine, sea green, emerald green, mint, and kelly green.

Reds

The color red is like a two-edged sword. It is commonly associated with love and passion, but it is also representative of conflict and war. Red is a stimulating color the often elicits and emotional response. In some cultures across the globe it is symbolic of joy, purity and celebration.

Other red-related hues: Crimson, rouge, ruby, maroon, China red, carmine, and burgundy.

Purples

Purple traditionally associated with royalty, nobility, and spirituality. It is also represented in nature in the form of violets, lilacs, and lavender. It is known for sparking the imagination. Darker shades are representative of wealth and extravagance, while lighter shades suggest romance.

Other purple-related hues: Eggplant, lavender, indigo, mauve, amethyst, and wine.

Different color combinations can be used to spark multiple meanings. Combining greens and blues, for example, can give your event a feeling of calm and growth. Using reds and purples can spark emotions of passion, love, and royalty.

By learning color meanings, you can plan a wedding, shower, or birthday party that inspires guests to see the world as you do.

Retirement Party 101: Tips and Ideas

A retirement party should be fun for the guests and the person being honored. After all, that person deserves to be rewarded for years and years of hard work. These retirement party ideas and tips can help you plan everything from the guest list to the party theme.

As always, if you've hosted a party and have comments, recommendations, or ideas to share with other readers, don't forget to tell us about them in the comments!

Retirement Party Theme Ideas

• Decade Theme: Choose a decade and make the party totally 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s. Pick the decade that the guest of honor started working or pick the retiree's favorite decade. Then plan your decor accordingly and invite guests to dress in costume for the event.
  
• Location Theme: Turn the event hall, park shelter, or backyard into a fun retirement destination. Some happy sunny locales could include Florida, Aruba, Mexico, Arizona or the Mediterranean. Just ask the special guest this one question: "If you could retire to any destination in the world, where would it be?"
  
• Lasting Memories Theme: The idea here is to get everyone to contribute a fond memory or humorous story the past. You can collect them in a scrapbook with snapshots or compile them digitally to make a memorable video montage.

Creating a Guest List

Depending on the size of the party you may want to include the following guests: family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. If you're inviting people from out of town, be sure to mail invitations or save the date cards so that your guests can plan ahead.

Retirement Party Decorations

Retirement party decorations have a tendency to be dark but humorous. That's okay if your guest of honor has a sense of humor, but we recommend lightening things up a bit. After all, retirement should be fun—a well-deserved treat for a lifetime of work.

You can lighten the mood with decorations and foods that inspire fun and play. Pinwhirls pinwheels, games, toys, and bright colorful balloons, and table settings can be a nice alternative to decorations that pick on the reitree's age.

Wedding Reception Tips

There is so much to do when it comes to planning a wedding! It's usually best to break tasks down into smaller pieces so that you can manage them more easily. Today, we're going to talk about the reception and what you can do to make your recpetion fun, beautiful, and entertaining.

Picking a Reception Venue

• Start with phone calls. Call around to find places that have availablity on the date you need, can accommodate your guest list, fits your budget, and has the ammenities you need (heat or air conditioning, dance floor, etc.)


• Once you have narrowed down your selections you absolutely must visit the venue to make sure it's a good fit before you put any money down. You might discover that it won't work with your decor or that there are other dealbreakers that make it unsuitable.


• Remember to ask about food, entertainment, parking, and restrictions. Some places don't allow outside catering, some don't allow guests to smoke, and some don't allow alcohol. You need to get the details to know if the venue will work for you and your guests.

Reception Seating Tips

• Unless you want problems at your reception, don't put bitter enemies together at the same table. That's just asking for trouble.


• Try to keep people with similar interests together. Seat people with at least one other person they know, put teens together, cousins together, etc.


• Don't stress too much about who sits at the head table. It's your wedding so it's your call. You can seat only the bride and groom together at the head table and let the rest of the wedding party sit at tables with family and friends or you can put the whole wedding party together at one table. Seat special family members or guests at the table with you if you want. It's your wedding and you should be able to enjoy it.


• Searching endlessly for tables can be awkward and unpleasant for guests and put a hitch in your party plans. Use table numbers and mark them plainly so guests can easily find their seats.


• If you feel parents, grandparents, or other special or honored guests need reserved seats, make sure you mark them plainly so that other guests know not to take those seats.


• Make your table settings special with unique wedding reception place cards and custom wedding favors.

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Brides, don’t miss out on our special offer! Learn how you can save 10% on your order.

Spin in for Some Fun!

You're Invited to spin in for some fun as our little Gabriel turns one!
To celebrate my little Gabers TURNING the big ONE we threw him a precious pinwheel themed party.

I can't believe that my little baby, pictured above, is already TURNING one. The first year really WHIRLED by!

In the above photo he is patiently awaiting for his party guests to arrive - poor guy was trapped in his chair while mommy and daddy ran around finishing all of the details.

Pinwheel themed Save the Dates, Invites, and Thank You cards were designed to coordinate with the pinwheel theme.

Guests were greeted by whirling yardwhirls lining the sidewalk and a pinwheel wreath on the door. Personalized pinwheels included the phrase 'Gabriel is turning one!' on the quadrants.

Traditional and double peony pinwheels in the party colors of green, light blue, turquoise, grey, and chocolate brown were scattered around to make our home more festive.

Custom pinwheels were also stuck into white tin buckets filled with freshly grown wheat grass.

Several memo boards were scattered around the dining area featuring our favorite photos of Gabe throughout his first year. Party pennants were strung to add to the atmosphere.

The above memo board features 11 photos of Gabe - each one taken on the third of each month at exactly 12:08 pm (his official birth date). All photos were taken in the same rocker in his nursery and were posed with Mr. Bear. As Gabe grew bigger throughout the year the bear magically grew smaller. (I borrowed this idea from Laura.)

Food items included easy to eat items including pinwheel sandwiches and twirly antipasto pasta salad.

All 20 guests were offered fun party hats from our Pennant and Party Hat Tower. Guests drank their lime-aid (with blueberries for a blue touch) from green and white striped paper straws. The custom flags helped everyone keep track of their drinks throughout the afternoon.

Instead of cake, key lime cupcakes with key lime cream cheese icing were served. And yes, the personalized pinwheel cupcake toppers actually whirl!

As you can tell, Gabe enjoyed his yummy cupcake!

And best of all - he had a great time with all of his Aunties, Uncles, and Cousins.

After the party, it occurred to me that my little guy is really not that little anymore and I started to think back on all of our great memories from the past year. Thinking back on all of his firsts brought a few tears to my eyes. I know that there are many more great moments ahead, but the past year has also been very bittersweet. I love you my funny little honey bun!

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For more photos and larger view of any of the above click here.

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Pinwheels, Party Hats, Pennants, Banners, and Invites - Pinwhirls

Striped Straws and Pennants - Pebbles in My Pocket

Tie and Suspender Onesie - BK Chic Boutique

Wheat Grass - Genesis Wheatgrass

Top 50 Easter Basket Ideas for Kids, Teens, and Adults

One of the things we love most about Easter is personalizing baskets each year. It’s easy to get lulled into complacency, selecting the same rock-hard jellybeans and dime store chocolates year after year. This year, scour our ideas for a new spin on your Easter goodies. Do you do something unique with your baskets? Share your tips and tricks with us in the comments!

Here are our top 50 favorite Easter basket ideas for kids, teens, men, and women. We hope you’ll be inspired to step out of the ordinary and make Easter extra special for your family and friends this year.

For Kids

• Stickers and sticker books
• Coloring books
• Markers or crayons
• Deck of cards
• Travel games
• Candy
• Yo-yos
• Jewelry
• Action figures
• CDs or DVDs
• Frisbees
• Pinwhirls
• Puzzles

For Teens

• Makeup
• CDs
• Movie tickets
• Video games
• Books
• Memory cards for electronic devices
• Money
• Water bottle or coffee mug
• Athletic gear
• Coupon for a chore-free day or an extended curfew
• Pinwhirls

For Men

• Golf balls
• Bait and tackle items
• Memory cards for electronic devices
• All-in-one charging pad
• Key chain
• Toiletries
• Sunglasses
• Watch
• Favorite candy
• Batteries or chargers
• Car wash coupons
• Gift certificates
• Coupons for a favorite home-cooked meal or dinner out
• Coffee mug

For Women

• Nail polish
• Makeup
• Recipes
• Yarn
• Books
• Seeds for the garden
• Jewelry
• Movie tickets
• Salon gift certificates
• Gourmet chocolates or candies
• Coupons for a favorite home-cooked meal or dinner out
• Gourmet coffee or tea

Stop by the Pinwhirls.com site for even more Easter party ideas!