Planning A Tea Party?
When I turned eight, my mom threw me the most fantastic Alice in Wonderland birthday party. Having never forgotten the details of that day, when I grew up, I was inspired to create my own Mad Hatter’s Tea Parties for my friends. I am so tickled to be sharing some of my tea party ideas with everyone today because I have such fond memories of my adventures in Wonderland!
I remember my eighth birthday party like it was yesterday. You had to crawl through a rabbit hole just to get into the party. The White Rabbit (my aunt) greeted you and gave you a door prize number to wear around your neck. One lucky little girl was going home with a live animal. Can you guess what it could possibly be? Yes – a white baby bunny! And that was just the beginning. This party had gigantic hand-painted backdrops, oversized props, costumed characters played by family and adult friends, skits performed by me (I was Alice of course) and others, games, singing –- it was truly the event that inspired me to become a party planner…and I was only eight! Boy, Mom’s good!
This month’s episode of Shelby’s Secrets to a Great Party!, YouCanPlanA Tea Party – A Mad Hatter’s Tea Party — is of course a spin off of the original…a grown up version to be sure! I wonder what memories you’ll create that will stick with you and your guests for thirty years? Have fun putting it together and I’d love to hear how it comes out! You can view the episode at http://www.YouCanPlanAParty.com
P.S. My mom and I went on to write a series of books together called The Enlightened Party Planner: Guides to Creating Parties From the Heart. Book three is entitled Our Favorite Parties. It is a richly detailed volume devoted to fifteen of our favorite theme parties given for our friends and family, three of them Mad Hatter Tea Parties! Written in narrative style, each offers clever ideas for themes, invitations, costumes, décor, music, food and beverages, activities, and special touches – the six elements of a successful party! Check it out next time you’re having a cup of tea at http://www.lulu.com/enlightenedparties. The book series is also available at Amazon.
Currently the host of “Shelby’s Secrets to a Great Party!” airing on YouCanPlanAParty.com, Shelby Phillips is an award-winning party design expert with over 20 years experience. Shelby has co-written a book series titled “The Enlightened Party Planner: Guides to Creating Parties from the Heart” and developed a 6-step formula for bring people together to celebrate. She has also been a host and designer on the Style Network’s “Big Party Plan Off,” and owner of a successful event planning and promotions company.
New Party Ideas Resource Now Online
I’m a firm believer that we can hear the same thing twenty times and not REALLY hear it. But for whatever reason on the twenty-first time, it clicks, and we have that “ahh” moment. (Thank you Oprah.) Likewise, we can read book after book on the same topic without much breakthrough. Then an author comes along who connects with us, things start making sense, and we begin to see things in a whole new way – a shift in our perception occurs. Brilliant!
I can’t help but feel that everyone’s brain processes information differently. So as a writer or speaker, if you don’t connect with everyone in your audience, it’s not personal. You know, different strokes for different folks. Diversity makes the world go round. You can’t be all things to all people. I think these statements are true. In fact, that’s why a little competition is good.
I’m not afraid of the competition because I think we all have a message to deliver and there’s plenty of “listening” to go around. To that end, it is my hope that people see www.YouCanPlanAParty.com as one of their valuable resources for party planning. Hopefully their main resource of course, so that I can keep teaching people how to throw great parties, because that is really my goal — to connect with you and provide my information in a simple, easy-to-implement format. Hopefully my approach will work for most of you, but if not, there’s always the competition.
Currently the host of “Shelby’s Secrets to a Great Party!” airing on YouCanPlanAParty.com, Shelby Phillips is an award-winning party design expert with over 20 years experience. Shelby has co-written a book series titled “The Enlightened Party Planner: Guides to Creating Parties from the Heart” and developed a 6-step formula for bring people together to celebrate. She has also been a host and designer on the Style Network’s “Big Party Plan Off,” and owner of a successful event planning and promotions company.
Death, Taxes, Marriage, Babies & Parties?
When I’d tell people about my new show “Shelby’s Secrets to a Great Party!” and website, YouCanPlanAParty.com, they’d immediately ask me how I could possibly be starting a new business venture in this down economy. Simple really. You know the adage, “there are two things in life that are for certain, death and taxes?” Well, I have another one I learned many moons ago working in the bridal industry… marriage and babies. So how does this relate? Work with me here.
No matter what’s going on in our world, whether in time of peace or time of war, in financial heyday or depression, people continue to say “I do.” As long as people continue to tie the knot, they will have babies. Here’s the big reveal, ready? As long as these two things continue – we as human beings will have cause for celebration! Ta da. Think about it — birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, bridal showers, baby showers, and graduations. I think you get the picture. Death, taxes, marriage and babies. That’s why I can create YouCanPlanAParty.com right now.
Statistics show during a down economy, we as a people tend to look for ways to come together in our homes. But even more importantly, we as a human race have a need to celebrate, perhaps even more when times are tough. And who better to help us through the planning stages, then the no-budget queen of party planning herself, me!
Currently the host of “Shelby’s Secrets to a Great Party!” airing on YouCanPlanAParty.com, Shelby Phillips is an award-winning party design expert with over 20 years experience. Shelby has co-written a book series titled “The Enlightened Party Planner: Guides to Creating Parties from the Heart” and developed a 6-step formula for bring people together to celebrate. She has also been a host and designer on the Style Network’s “Big Party Plan Off,” and owner of a successful event planning and promotions company.
queen of connection | Shelby L. Phillips 