How to Plan a Summertime Christmas Party

There are less than 100 days until Christmas- let the festivities begin! 

Ok, maybe it's a tad early to start Christmas decorating, but I need my Christmas fix! After browsing Christmas cards on Paperless Post, I just couldn't hold my excitement in anymore. Although it still feels like summer, the holidays are just around the corner and I can faintly hear those jingle bells ringing! I decided to combine the warm weather and holiday excitement to create an awesome DIY Summertime Christmas Party. Time to start getting in the Christmas spirit!

1. Multicolor Pom Pom Garland 2. Hot Pink Honeycomb Tissue Balls 3. Lime Green Dessert Plates 4. Paperless Post A Christmas Story Card 5. Christmas Light Beverage Napkins 6. Cactus Drink Dispenser 7. Tiny Pom Poms 8. Festive Green Classic Party Cups 9. Cerise Festive Festooning 10. Paperless Post Christmas Cactus Card 11. Bright Tissue Hanging Fans 12. Clear Round Christmas Ornaments and Pink Straws 13. Bright Tassel Garland 14. Hot Pink Dinner Plates 15. Blue Honeycomb Tissue Balls 16. Lime Green Forks 17. Paperless Post Merry and Bright Card

One of the benefits of a summertime Christmas party is that you can experiment with fun, bright colors instead of the traditional wintry ones. I decided to go with pink and lime green, with pops of navy blue, orange and purple, just like this adorable Kate Spade card. I felt that this color palette kept it feeling like Christmas while still being fresh and different.

To set the scene, put on some Christmas tunes and grab a festive tablecloth. To set the table, give each person a pink dinner plate and place the green dessert plate on top. You can turn the clear ornaments into glasses by pouring in some cocktails and popping in a straw. I think these Saint Nickarita cocktails by Delightful E Made look delicious with just a pinch of wintry goodness.

Now my favorite part- decorating! Hang up the paper fans to create a colorful backdrop for your party table, and drape the pop pom garland over your chandelier or wrap it around one of your plants for a Christmas tree vibe. For a really cute idea on how to use your honeycomb balls, check out the photo section of the pink plates. You'll love it! Also, if you have some leftover clear ornaments, you can fill them up with some of the mini pom poms and scatter them on the table or hang them from your chandelier with clear fishing line.

Every party needs a simple snack, so whip up this chocolate dipped pretzel wreath for a tasty and decorative treat. Yum! Since everyone dreams of a white Christmas, adding some snow cones to the menu is a no brainer. Try these boozy strawberry snow cones from Sugar and Charm for a tasty twist on a classic.

For a fun, easy DIY project, create a Christmas cactus like the one on Paperless Post's cactus card. Just take your cactus drink dispenser and attach the festooning garland in a swirly pattern using a hot glue gun or double sided tape. Then, attach the pom poms to look like ornaments. Easy peasey!

Your biggest task will be getting back on the Nice List. What better way to do that than by sending out some cards to those you love?! While you count down the days until Santa comes down your chimney, go explore Paperless Post's full Christmas card collection and get ready to wish it was Christmas!

Which card is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!

Wedding Planning Update- Just 12 More Months!

One year. Just one year, less than 365 days, until we become husband and wife. I've been pretty cool, calm and collected for most of this, but on my wedding date, it finally hit me. And I instantly started to cry happy tears. And of course, when you cry happy tears, you have to call your mom.

When my fiance and I got engaged last October, we were about to buy a house. Since this was our #1 priority, it was pretty much decided that all wedding planning would be on hold until after we were able to purchase the house and were settled in. We didn't pick a venue right away, I still don't have a dress, and the "little details" are just ideas in my mind. I spent a week thinking about how Friday would be one year until my wedding date. And then Friday came...

I took a look at my phone and saw the date, September 2.  And I got super excited. "That's right! Today's the day, just one year until my wedding day!" And then I repeated it again... "just one year until my wedding day..." and that's when the floodgates opened. You guys, I haven't been one to cry about my wedding so far. I thought for sure I'd cry when I got engaged, because just thinking about getting engaged made me cry. But nope, I was just in pure shock. And I figured wedding dresses might make me cry, but I didn't find any that brought a tear to my eye. And I figured somewhere along the way I'd cry about "omg I'm getting married soon!" but that never happened either. But something about knowing that in exactly one year, I'd be getting ready for my wedding made it all real. I could see that moment. With every wedding video you've seen, every movie, you imagine what that moment would be like for you. But this time, I saw my own wedding. I saw myself getting ready in a beautiful room, I saw my hair done, and I felt that anticipation of seeing my groom for the first time. It felt so real for the first time, and it was amazing.

That's the interesting thing about this journey for me. Everything up until this moment felt so theoretical. I couldn't connect the actual events to what I had imagined them to be. Shopping for wedding dresses felt like a game of dress up. Picking centerpieces felt like window shopping at a store you couldn't afford. Making a guest list felt like imagining which celebrity you'd invite to your wedding. In short- it all felt fake, like it was a make-believe ceremony we were having "someday". But today... today I understand what it's all about.

So, if you're wedding planning and you feel like it's surreal, don't worry. Your moment when it all becomes real will come. The moment when you can see it in all its colors, and you can feel the emotions you're going to feel.  And that moment is pure magic.