{Wedding Photo Props} "Thank You" Banner and "Mr." and "Mrs." Chairbacks in Navy and Yellow

We were excited when Jenna Lynn contacted us recently on Etsy to create some custom banners for her March wedding.

Her wedding colors were navy blue and yellow, and she was looking for not only a "Thank You" banner, but also two smaller "Mr." and "Mrs." signs for the backs of the bride and groom's chairs at the wedding reception. Chairback signs had been something we had wanted to create, so we were happy to be able to do it!

Jenna Lynn also had an idea to customize her "Thank You" banner. We always welcome ideas from customers on how to improve or add to a banner creation! Her idea was to add this red heart in between the words in the banner. I love the way it turned out! {Thanks for the idea, Jenna!}

Best wishes to the happy couple!

Anna

{Real Life Parties} Minnie Mouse in Pink and Black for 3-year-old Brylee!

Our niece Brylee recently celebrated her third birthday with a Minnie Mouse party at her house. It was such a fun and girlie party, with the color scheme of pink, black and white.



It was a gorgeous day outside. We really couldn't have asked for better weather. And because it was so nice out, the kids had a chance to play around outside on the swings and ride bikes. Even the big kids got out some wheels and rode, too! {Insert visual of 21-year-old also birthday boy riding a mini bike meant for a 6-year-old! That's right! Our brother, Brylee's Uncle Isaiah, was celebrating the big 21 the same day as Brylee's party. We have incriminating photos of him riding the bike I've mentioned here, but I don't think he'd be so happy to see it online ...}

So instead, here's a picture of the other little birthday stinker:



... and another.

But onto the decorations .....

Mikaelah and I worked to create some custom pink and black Minnie items for Brylee's party. Emphasis on Mikaelah! I created the glittery birthday and name banner, and she did just about everything else!

The end of the food table was made to resemble Minnie's stage, with a curtain and all!

As for the decorations outside, it all started with the LARGEST PINWHEEL EVER! Really, this thing is so big, and so fun! The little girls loved it. And polka dots? So of course, we big girls loved it, too!

I think the birthday girl liked the setup! Well, I think she was tired of pictures, and really just wanted to go swing some more, or maybe open presents. But here she is, telling us all how old she is =) What a cutie!



Custom door sign welcoming guests to Brylee's birthday party, in more polka dots, of course.

"We're best friends ..." Brylee with her cousin (and my daughter), Avery, taking a break down by the lake.

Brylee, we had soo much fun at your party! Thank you to Brylee's mom, Chaddie, for letting us run wild with the theme. It was so girlie and fun that we just couldn't resist!

Happy Birthday, Brylee! We love you!

Thanks for looking!

Anna

{Wedding Banner} Custom Thank You Banner for Heather

We truly love our Etsy customers! It's such a joy working with brides to create a one-of-a-kind banner for them to use for their wedding day photos!

Heather recently contacted us about creating a custom "Thank You" banner for her big day. Her color scheme is a beautiful combination. Pewter and a touch of light blue along with flowers including orange calla lilies, pink roses and baby green hydrangeas.

Thank you, Heather, for trusting us to create this for you, and best wishes!

Anna

{Wedding Banner} Sage and Chocolate Brown for Just Married Banner

Rachelle, a customer on our Etsy shop, reached out to us recently about creating a "Just Married" banner as a photography prop for her upcoming wedding day. Her colors are sage and chocolate brown ... a color combination we fell in love with. She loved this mix of patterns, and we do, too!

Thank you for letting us create this for you, Rachelle!

Anna

{Birthday Banner} Glittery Pinks and Purples for a Annabelle

Annabelle is turning 2 in May, and she'll be celebrating with this Happy Birthday banner in glittery pinks and purples!

Her mother, Megan, contacted us a while back about creating a special banner for her to use at her daughter's birthday party. She wanted something that she could use for parties down the road as well. The banner is similar to one we created last year for Abigail, but this one is with a rectangular shape and a larger font style.

We hope you have a wonderful party celebrating your 2nd birthday, Annabelle! And thank you, Megan, for letting us create this for you.

Thanks for looking!

Anna

{Worth Celebrating} Happy Birthday to Our Blog!

Wow. I feel like the horrible parent who forgot her child's birthday.So horrible that I'm shaking my own finger at myself as we speak.

But maybe I shouldn't feel so bad. After all, the "child" I'm referring to can't really hold it against me. This "child" is something I've babied for a whole year now, and now it's growing even faster than I ever imagined.

So a big (and a little overdue) HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our Banana Lala blog!

And, Blog, you know that Mikaelah and I love you, and please know that we really wanted to create a custom birthday banner for your big celebration. But just know that both Banana and Lala have been a little busy lately, so instead, we hope you'll settle for this generic and boring banner instead ... You know, a little customization and creativity could really spruce that banner up. Wonder if anyone knows someone who could do that for us ... ?  =)

But on a serious note: Mikaelah and I are incredibly blessed and so thankful for everything that this last year has brought. On April 3, 2011, I started this blog on a whim. I was looking for a creative outlet, so I started Banana Lala along with my "sistor" Mikaelah as a way to do something fun and share it with others. We started by making cupcakes, playing around with recipes, and sharing party setups that we had created. Somewhere in there, we started creating custom party banners. Little did we know that we would be where we are today.

In late August 2011, we opened our Banana Lala shop on Etsy. We deliberated for a long time whether anyone would actually be interested in buying banners from us. We made our first sale in early September, after only a few weeks. I was beyond excited about making that first sale. And now, 71 sales later, we're shipping custom banners all across the United States.

It's such a wonderful feeling not only to create banners for all of our customers, but to know that they are trusting us and our talents when it comes to their special events. Their birthdays. Their baby showers. And their weddings! What an honor it is for us.

We thank God for everything he has done for us, and for leading us to start a small business that we truly love. We are feeling incredibly blessed, and we cannot wait to see where this business takes us in the future.

Thank you, to our fans and our customers! And Happy Birthday, Banana Lala!

Anna and Mikaelah

{Easter Ribbon Topiary} Pastels and Easter Eggs

We mentioned a while back that we had created a custom Easter ribbon topiary for Nina, one of our sweetest customers. I truly meant to upload these photos BEFORE Easter, but the holiday really came and went quickly this year, and I just didn't quite get to it in time.

I love the ribbon combinations that Mikaelah (aka: "Lala") chose for this creation. Pastels in stripes, polka dots, eggs and more!

I hope the Easter bunny was good to everyone this year! I know he sure left a TON of candy and toys for my little girl.

Thanks for looking, and happy belated Easter!

Anna

{Giveaway Going On Now!} Win This Springtime Banner

We're at it again! Enter now on our Facebook page for your chance to win this banner!

It's a fresh design from Banana Lala, and it's complete with springtime colors and the soft texture of burlap.

If you want to win, all you have to do is 1) Post this as your status on your Facebook page: "I want to win a banner from Banana Lala Party Designs & More!" and then 2) Go back to this photo on our Facebook wall and leave a comment telling us you want to win! 

Contest ends Thursday, April 5 at noon, when we'll draw a random winner. Contest is open to anyone in the U.S. {we'll ship it to you for free!} 

Good luck to all, and let the fun begin!

{Real Life Parties} "Toy Story" for Avery's 3rd Birthday

Yeehaw! Jessie, Bullseye, Woody and Buzz helped Avery round up the whole gang for her "Toy Story" themed birthday party recently! The party was held at our house, and we couldn't have had a nicer day. The weather was perfect.

My daughter, the little cowgirl she is, for months kept saying how she wanted a Jessie and a Toy Story party ... so we delivered! Mikaelah had the vision for the entire birthday party. She rounded up the themed decorations, while I handled the baked goods and food. We came together as a team on the dessert table, Mikaelah putting it all together, of course.

We drew inspiration for this party from various posts found on Pinterest. {I think I've mentioned in the past how Mikaelah and I are both mildly addicted to Pinterest ... } You can take a look at our board here.

We made all of the food and decorations. The cloud background comes from the wallpaper in Andy's room in the movie. We recreated it with light blue felt and white card stock cut into the shape of the clouds. It turned out so fun!

Banner by Banana Lala. We used paisley, gingham and jean patterns in red and blue to bring out the Western theme. Paying tribute to Sheriff Woody, of course!

Our guests were welcomed at the door by this Balloon Celebration Wreath that the oh-so-crafty Mikaelah made! The idea was inspired by Catch My Party.

For at least the entire month before her party, Avery insisted on having a cherry cake. Not one that looked like a cherry, mind you, because she wanted Jessie on her cake. What she wanted was for it to taste like cherry. {I don't think she had ever had a cherry cake up until this point, so I'm still not sure where she came up with this idea.} So off to Pinterest to find a semi-homemade cherry cake. And, boy, did I find a yummy one! Check out the recipe for this amazingly easy and sooooo tasty cake here at Eat At Home.



We really wanted to carry the "Toy Story" theme throughout the party, especially on the dessert table and even into the party food itself. It was so much fun coming up with fun names to go with everything. And by the end of it all, I think we had more desserts and treats than actual food!

What was on our menu:

Buzz Lightyear's Delicious Hot S'mores (or "schmoes," as Buzz calls them in the movie)

Inspired by The Decorated Cookie

Sheriff Woody's Badge Cupcakes

Inspired by Disney Family

Pizza Planet Pizza Bites

Idea by Banana Lala

Jessie's Cowgirl Lassos (Twizzlers)

Idea by Banana Lala

Sarge's Dirt Mound Cupcakes

Inspired by photo on Flickr

Mr. Potato Head's Chocolate Mustaches

Inspired by Somewhat Simple

Slinky Dog Hot Dogs

Idea by Banana Lala

Jessie's Cowgirl Hat Cookies

Inspired by Disney Family

Just another look at the dessert and food table setups.

Ribbon Topiaries by Banana Lala

Avery's grandma and our mother (Gammy, as we call her) also has a love for all of the "Toy Story" movies. As part of her birthday gift, Avery received this authentic "Chatter" as seen in "Toy Story 3." She loves it! {Thank you, Gammy!}

Jessie, Woody and some of the monkeys in a barrel we just hanging around.

And what's a party without prizes?! So what prize did they receive? What they got was each others' friendship and love. ...

Ha! Who am I kidding ... they wanted REAL prizes! (But isn't this such a sweet picture of Avery and her cousin, Brylee. "Brylee's my best friend," says Avery.)

Here's a look at the favors we sent home with each of the kiddos. The tags were custom made by us.

We celebrated THREE

and said goodbye to TWO!

I know I've got

a friend in you!

We had games, too! FUN games. And since it was such a gorgeous day, we actually got to play some of them outside. 

One of the games we played was Guess How Many Army Men. We repurposed a glass jar (it's actually the maraschino cherry jar from Avery's cake), filled it with a certain, secret number of those little green Army men, and then had everyone guess the number. We found the idea on Oopsey Daisy just a few days before the big party. I'm glad we did, because it was such a fun and cute game to play.

Another game we played was a Toy Story Coloring Contest. This started as just a silly idea to have everyone color a picture and to have Avery choose her favorite. Everyone really got into it! We found these large coloring pictures of Toy Story characters, bought a new box of crayons, and everyone went to town.

There was a little playful "cheating" going on, with certain people using only Avery's favorite color, PINK of course. And then there were those of us who intentionally chose Avery's favorite characters as a way to coax her into picking their picture. {I'll admit that I colored the "Alien Babies," because I know she loves them!)

Everyone {not just the kids} had fun with this game!



We hung up all the colored pictures so Avery could choose the winner.

Steph's was the winner! {And the picture is still hanging up on Avery's door to her room. So cute.}

Another outdoor game we played was There's a Snake in My Boot. The object of the game was to throw a plastic snake into the "boot." The kids had a blast wit this one ... even if they kept sneaking RIGHT up to it to they could get it in.

We somehow managed to fit all five kiddos into the top of Avery's little playhouse. Here is Avery along with CJ, Bryson, Brylee and Landon ... Landon is the only one taking notice of the photo op going on.

Avery had a great time at her party, and so did all of us! It's so much fun to browse some really great and creative ideas online, but then also to be able to think of some really fun ones all on your own. Take some time to check out the original sources on some of the ideas we used here. There are so many blogs out there with great party ideas, so be sure to check them out.

And if you like the decorations created by us and would like to have something similar for an upcoming party of your own, let us know! All banners, topiaries and wreaths are created on a custom order basis.

Thanks for looking! To infinity, and beyond!

Anna