Author: Lana

Last week I was super stoked to be invited to BabyPalooza NYC, hosted by Maletzky Media. For those that don’t know, Babypalooza is a baby expo for new and expecting moms showcasing all the newest baby products and gadgets for the season! This year Babypalooza NYC kicked off with a panel discussion from nine mom-entrepreneurs; Cozykin founder Tatyana Gubin, Erica Souter founder of Mom.com, Alison Bernstein, creator of Suburbanjungle.com, Rachel Rothman from Good Housekeeping, and Audrey Puente, Meteorologist from Fox 5.  Our facilitator was Lauren Smith Brody, author of “The Fifth Trimester” and the theme was “The Working Mom Movement.” Inspiring, captivating and informative, I couldn’t have asked for a more relevant and impactful discussion!

Now on to the good stuff…the yummy deliciousness–new baby products and gadgets!! Being a mom of two young ones, I still remember how tough those evenings before bedtime were. I can still hear the screams ringing in my ears from a fussy, tired gassy-baby. Luckily, there is a new game changer in town! Meet “Baby Soothe” launching this September 2019! I was thrilled to meet the creator and founder, Lauren Piccirillo who’s invention was featured on Dr Oz and GMA! She had a fussy baby and the only thing that would soothe him was a three finger belly massage. That is the genius behind BabySoothe, which will be sold on Tranquilobaby.com. Be sure to check this out!

Also check out the Tranquilo Mat below, it’s a safe vibrating baby mat that mimics mother’s womb. It is portable and fold-able!

My other favorite from the day was the fashionable and functional maternity/nursing line called Glowe Collection, founded by a 33 wk prego mama Lucy Ovington! I got to see her demonstrate a lovely sweater jacket, that turns into a savvy nursing cover, that can then turn into a baby blanket. Oh Snap! I am obsessed! Use coupon GLOWENEXT10 for 10%!

Have you heard of the company Pink Stork? Maybe you’ve tried some of their teas? Well, this woman-founded business (meet Amy Upchurch–a beautiful mom of 5, youngest being held here in this picture) is on a mission to help moms with holistic, natural solutions to combat everything from morning sickness, to troubles with infertility to low milk supply. I just love how Amy’s battle with extreme sickness while pregnant with her second was her inspiration behind creating these natural options that work. Just look at the branding, all the pink y’all–so adorable! Other news? Pink Stork will soon be rolling out her yummy take on lactation cookies–sometime in the Fall. In addition, see details online for Blue Stork: a line that just launched for men struggling with fertility issues! Check out all they offer, and get 25% off when you use code 25GUIDE on your purchase!

Another genius item to watch for? Wicked Sheets for moms and little sleepers. This is one product I can relate to; when I was pregnant I sweated up a storm, and even now my son and husband get particularly hot while sleeping. Meet sweaty-sleeping’s nemesis: Wicked Sheets! These innovative sheets and bedding solutions help your little ones sleep cool and dry in breathable and hypoallergenic bedding. These would have come in handy for both of my pregnancies! I was thrilled to meet CEO Alli Truttmann who also founded this beautiful company; and how cute is the name? Sleep Wicked baby!

Another highlight of the convention was discovering Pediped! We have such a hard time finding beautiful, healthy shoes for the kids. I always look for shoes with an arch for toddlers that are flexible and fit properly for walking, running and exploring. I was excited to meet with Misty Brown from Pediped, who showed me shoes perfect for “First Steps”, to the “Next Steps” (active toddlers), to their newest line “Big Steps” for confident walkers and bigger kids! These shoes can be found on their website, or at boutique stores nation-wide. Very cool!

So I don’t know if you are in the know with sunscreens, but we always choose mineral-based sunscreens for our family and kids. I was impressed with Cotz, “The Healthier Sunscreen”, selection of sunscreen! Created by a Pediatric Plastic Surgeon, these sunscreens are doctor and mom approved. They also just came out with an easy to use foam sunscreen. 

For you first-time mamas–you may not know about Daniel Tiger, but trust me you will once your babe reaches toddlerdom. My kids love Daniel Tiger, the PBS cartoon based off Fred Roger’s “Mr Rogers”. I only wished I had my kiddos with me at Babypalooza, they would have been star-struck that Daniel Tiger himself was at the convention! I had to get a picture of course, and a couple of headbands for Ava and Carlito. What’s new with Daniel Tiger? They are offering a free app with games, stories and songs from the hit show (See Daniel Tiger for Parents). Check it out! It’s free!

For all the moms heading back to work in the not-so-distant future, are you dreading what to do with child-care? This was such a stressful topic in our household after I had my son, I pushed it off until I couldn’t procrastinate any longer. Well, thanks for CozyKin, you can have peace of mind if you decide to nanny-share! CozyKin is a Montessori-inspired nanny share company that gives families flexibility in child care without compromising quality of care. Check it out–it really is one of a kind option for those that don’t need a full time nanny or baby sitter!

Bubbly anyone? About ready to pop and want to celebrate with a reveal party or baby shower? Champagne Pommery is rolling out “It’s a Boy-It’s a Girl” Pop Champagne! I got to try the “It’s a Girl” pale pink Rose–it was perfectly balanced, fresh and fruity and very bubbly! For order inquiries and bulk sales, reach out directly to Vranken USA. 

Oilogic had a festive booth, with a spin-the-wheel game and photobooth. I just love their products, essential oil Roll-Ons that can help kids and families with a wide range of ailments: Nighttime & Sleep, Cold & Cough, Sneeze & Allergy, Bug Bites & Itches, and Starter Set (keeps kids safe and relaxed on trips). There are other great options for parents, everything from Headache & Tension relief to Oilogic’s Rest & Sleep. Check them out!

On my way out, I stopped by an adorable mother-daughter duo, Kathleen and Jessica from Trendy Toes! Trendy Toes offers parent’s socks that will actually stay on baby’s feet! Imagine that? How I wish I had these adorable socks when I had Ava and Carl! You can check out all the cuteness on Amazon.com.

In the market for a prettier and more supportive maternity or nursing bra? Look no further than Simple Wishes–this business run by sisters has lovely and functional bras for pregnancy, nursing and even hands-free pumping! Ahh had I known then what I know now…! Use Coupon BABYPALOOZA2019 for 25% off!

What are these adorable toothbrushes here? Baby Banana! Baby Banana has added the cutest Magical Unicorn and Mystical Dragon toothbrushes for babies! My kids both used the Baby Banana toothbrush once they got their teeth in, but these are just way too cute!

I got to meet the creator of MilkBoozii, innovative (and totally cute!) ways to keep bottles warmer, longer! The owners created Milkboozii when they kept finding themselves putting their son’s bottle in a sock to keep the milk warm. How genius! You can find them on Instagram @milkboozii. 

Quick question–have you met Boiron? We actually have been using Boiron products for years (my whole family at least 30 years plus). They have effective homeopathic options for kids and adults. Check out their website for the list of symptoms and ailments they help with–it is extensive! I’ve tried everything from Arnica (helps with bruises and injury) to Boiron’s solutions for upset stomach, and baby teething pains. 

Last but not least, I was very excited to meet with Good Housekeeping on my way out of Babypalooza! Always the gold standard of what’s best for mom, baby, family and home, be sure to check out their August issue!

Here are some more highlights from the day. Hope you find this helpful and please reach out!

Love,

Lana

So I’m sharing this post not because I love showing my skin without makeup, but because I know how hard it is to navigate the whole Laser Skin Resurfacing, IPL Photo-facial scene. It’s overwhelming! There are so many types of lasers and light treatments out there with limited real reviews and before/after photos. So here it goes friends! My candid experience with one laser, the PicoSure, and my untouched before/afters. I must say, I really hesitated writing this post because I didn’t want to show my before picture; I look incredibly tired with dark circles under my eyes and major skin discoloring! I blame it on the child-rearing and being pregnant and/or breast feeding and raising tiny humans for the last 5 years…! Y’all it takes a toll on the skin…

Laser Resurfacing

But first, what are the differences between Laser Resurfacing and IPL Facials? Well, Laser Resurfacing is basically a more focused beam of light that targets skin imperfections deep below the skin’s surface. According to Dr Oz’s RN Jodi Sawyer  “It’s like getting rid of your imperfections from the inside out…lasers target imperfections at the core. I compare it to a weed; if you pull up a weed and don’t actually get to the root, the weed is going to come back again and again.” I just love this analogy, and that is why I am hooked on laser resurfacing facials. Because the lasers target the skin’s imperfections below the skin’s surface, it can take some time to bring them to the surface and remove them. Lasers also encourage collagen growth, lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, help with hyper-pigmentation, brown spots and skin discoloration. I prefer non-ablative lasers that do not injure the skin’s surface and have minimal downtime. The laser I am reviewing today is a non-ablative laser, PicoSure (I paid for this laser treatment and this post is not sponsored).

IPLs

Now to IPLs. Some MedSpas refer to IPLs as lasers, but they are not. An IPL stands for Intensive Pulsed Light. Its a type of light therapy used to treat wrinkles and spots (side note, both IPLs and Lasers can be used to target hair removal but for this article I am only discussing their cosmetic use). The pivotal difference between the two is “the light from IPL is more scattered and less focused than a laser…IPL releases light of many different wavelengths like a photo flash {while} a laser focuses just one wavelength of light to your skin. Pigment cells in your skin absorb the light energy, which is converted into heat. The heat destroys the unwanted pigment to clear up freckles and other spots.” It is not recommended to use IPLs on skin with raised scars, or darker skin tones or if you have melasma (skin discoloration due to hormonal change or sun exposure). IPLs will exacerbate melasma–trust me it is not pretty. I have more than a few friends and associates whose melasma worsened with an IPL treatment. 

IPLs are quick, fairly painless and don’t effect the top layers of skin so there is minimal downtime. However, to see more dramatic results you must go back for multiple treatments and there are limitations depending on your skin type. On the flip-side, IPLs are typically less expensive than lasers, so there is a cost benefit. There is also a nice “brightening” effect after getting a IPL, almost like the brightening after a really solid microdermabrasion facial (in my experience). But overall, if you really want to see dramatic results, I still recommend a Laser resurfacing treatment over an IPL (I’ve done both). 

PicoSURE Laser Resurfacing

Ok so now on to the PicoSure! This is the laser I chose to use, as I had heard a lot of good press, and I found a Groupon for three treatments! If you know me, you know I never pay full price for anything. I didn’t actually purchase the Groupon online, however, but went directly to the medical office and paid (I don’t want to criticize Groupon, but the cut they take from the businesses is crazy high!). 

The PicoSure Laser was introduced in 2012, so it is not necessarily a brand new laser, but it is one of the newer lasers to market. If you want to find out more about the science behind the PicoSure laser, here is the link to how it works and the width of the laser wave length. I chose the PicoSure because it also has FDA clearance to remove tattoos, so I did three other treatments to remove a tattoo (it has faded significantly but I will probably need 2 more treatments). 

On to the juicy stuff, the before and afters. Below are my “Before” photos–these was taken at the medical office before my first treatment. And mind you–these were taken with tinted sunscreen (so slight makeup effect). You all–it was so hard posting this I just look so exhausted without makeup!

Here is me one month after my first treatment, about to have my second treatment. As you can see, my skin appears tighter and my acne scaring and skin texture has improved enormously.

And here is me one week after my 3rd treatment. As you can see, my brown spots have diminished and the acne scaring along my jaw line has decreased. One nice bonus I noticed was my jaw line actually tightened after the treatments. Had no idea that would happen! My skin is also much brighter with less fine lines. 

What to expect during the treatment

There will be mild discomfort during the treatment. Your practitioner can apply a layer of lidocaine or an ice pack to the treatment area prior to the resurfacing. This will minimize any discomfort. I found it to be tolerable but my practitioner did  a very thorough job so I certainly needed the ice pack. I found the tattoo removal much more painful; almost like a burning or snapping (similar to getting a tattoo!).

Downtime

So a couple of you asked what the downtime is like with the PicoSure laser? The day of the procedure the skin is slightly red. You may have some “white head” like bumps appear in a few areas, but that goes down within the week. I literally was able to put on tinted sunscreen and go out and about the same day. No one noticed except my sister, who mentioned I looked a bit red. 

Well, I hope this helps clarify the differences between IPLs and Lasers and gives you an idea of what a PicoSure laser is! Please reach out–I love hearing your feedback or if you had a great experience with a different treatment option!

Love,

Lana

Finding fun, stimulating and cool activities in the summer in the city doesn’t have to be limited to water parks and children museums. If you are in the area, or plan to be, try going to the Brooklyn Bowl! For Mother’s Day, my husband bought tickets for all of us to a Beatles cover band, organized by The Rock and Roll Playhouse. 

Beatles you say? Yes sir! My kids are absolutely smitten over the Beatles, and have been since they were babies. They love every song from the catchy simple love songs in the early 60’s like “I want to Hold Your Hand”, to “Hey Jude” to even some of the edgier stuff in the later years such as “Rain” and “Nowhere Man”. 

I think given the chance, most kids would gravitate to their simple lyrics in C or E major; these songs are catchy and easy to sing to. 

Anyway, back to the Brooklyn Bowl! If you haven’t checked it out, which we hadn’t up until this Kiddie concert, they have bowling lanes, food, dancing and a full bar (which is a great-to-have for parents). 

This past weekend they had another Beatles Concert presented by the Rock and Roll Playhouse! They switch up the music every weekend, from Queen, to The Grateful Dead to even The Dave Mathews Band (check out their line-up here). Tip: Rock and Roll Playhouse have concerts in metro-cities throughout the US. You can go on their website and search the locations. 

During the show, the host gives out hoops, streamers and even instruments for the kids to play along with the music.

During the show, there are fun activities thrown throughout, such as a parachute, a limbo contest, and a hoopla-hoop throw down to name a few. The activities are catered for a wide range of ages, no one is left out.

Here are some videos from our time rocking out to the Beatles! 

As you can see, there was a parachute for the kiddies behind us for those that wanted to play. So much fun!

Hope your summer is full of fun with a few shots of ROCK!

XO,

Lana

Doughnut you just love doughnuts? We are a bit crazy for these fluffy fried treats, and when planning my beautiful Sister-In-Law’s surprise 30th I wasn’t satisfied with the selection of doughnut walls at the craft stores near my home. Because I like to put a lot of work on myself, I decided to make one myself! If you are thinking of creating one, it really isn’t that difficult, and I hope this will help you too!

Believe it or not, the hardest step in planning this doughnut wall was deciding on the base. At first I toyed with the idea of wainscoting, but I didn’t want it pre-painted. Ali’s theme was rustic, so I wanted a dark stained wall. I also toyed with the idea of purchasing individual panels and gluing them together, but I found they fell apart easily when propped up.

After a trip to Lowes, I found cut plywood of various sizes in the lumber department. I wanted the doughnut wall to really shine and be the backdrop for her dessert station, so I decided to get the 4’X4′. With the help of a considerate associate, we got it in my SUV (he even removed my car seats, and helped put the second row down!). 

Ah, glorious fresh plywood. Just kidding! It doesn’t look so refined without a stain, but I proceeded all the same. The next step involved measuring and marking where I would put the dowels. Dowels can be purchased at any craft-store; I picked up wood dowels that came in a package of 48. 

I measured out where each dowel would go, using a pencil, ruler, measuring tape and a leveler. This step takes some concentration, and it is important each doughnut is equidistant. Be prepared to sit for an hour at least!

After marking up my board, I used a dremel to drill where each dowel would go. As a general rule of thumb, I would drill for a little bit, and then stick my dowel in to gauge how deep the hole should be. Sounds like a precise science right? Hehe!

After all my holes were made, I sanded and sanded and sanded the plywood. I also sanded the edges of the board to prevent any splinters from sticking out.

Next, I stained the board! I applied two coats of a dark mahogany stain. You can really choose any stain you want, but I just love dark wood and thought it would look great at the venue we chose for Ali’s party. 

To make this doughnut wall look super custom, I painted wooden letters in gold and Ali’s favorite color and glued them to the top of the doughnut wall: “Sweet As Ali.” I used gorilla wood glue and they did not budge once!

Because we had to travel with the doughnut board, I didn’t attach the dowels to the board until after we got to the venue. This was a little risky, as there’s always a possibility of traffic, unexpected humidity at the venue, etc. Actually, both happened but we made out OK!

Hope your DIY project goes smashingly!

Love,

Lana 

Looking for unique baby shower themes for a soon-to-be-baby-boy? We just fell in love with “Le Petit Prince”, or “The Little Prince” storybook for our theme. Growing up, I just loved the book, and reading back to some of the passages really makes me think about my love for my children. While I heard there was a newly released animated film based on the book, I incorporated the original animations from the book in my baby shower.  Such a beautiful and captivating story, and the author’s animations are delicate enough to be incorporated into a lovely baby shower. 

I almost always prefer cake to cupcakes for all our parties, and saw the most stunning Petite Prince cake on Pinterest while initially planning my son’s baby shower. Although I love a good challenge and try to bake and decorate all our cakes, my husband firmly dissuaded me from trying to make this cake. He knows how much of a perfectionist I am which can be hard to deal with as a spouse I suppose! First of all, whenever I try my hand at a new cake I have to do a demo cake first, and each cake takes at least a week to design, shop for the ingredients and create my masterpieces.  Being that I was right around 30 weeks pregnant, I begrudgingly gave in, and let one of our favorite pastry chefs at Conti’s in the Bronx make the cake.  Look at the amazing work they did! 

And might I add, one of the moistest cakes ever! We decided to have a whipped strawberries and cream tier, and a decadent chocolate-ganache tier. The planet was actually a formed rice-crispy treat covered in fondant of course. Very yummy.

Christina, my husband’s childhood friend who is part-owner at Conti’s Pastry Shop, captured “The Little Prince” perfectly, handwriting excerpts from the story. 

Each character was delicately made using fondant, and each star hand-painted with gold. 

On to the decor. For the wooden airplane centerpieces, I ordered wood popsicle sticks, clothing pins and beads, painting all parts red. I also added a single red rose in a vase for each table, keeping in line with “The Little Prince” story. 

I actually ended up making quite a few of these little biplanes, so added them throughout the catering hall. So sweet!

For the shower favor, each child could take a copy of The Little Prince, and each adult could take an Eiffel Tower can opener. So cute! 

I arranged the Eiffel tower bottle openers on a three-tier pasty stand. 

In terms of the dessert-table, I actually decided to be a minimalist here. I wanted the cake to really shine, so I kept it simple.

I did, however frame some of the excerpts from the book that I just love.

One quote in particular, “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.” 

To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of shower games, but one I think is just hilarious is diaper changing challenge among the men! Had to do at least a couple games at a shower, even if it is a “sprinkle”.

My husband actually put together a movie for the main entertainment, a mix of childhood videos from when Carl was younger and some of mine. The theme was “what will Carl Dante III be like?” It was hilarious!

Here are some other photos from the shower, hope our planning can lend some inspo for yours!

Happy partying!

XO,

Lana

My daughter recently turned 4 and her favorite things in the world are unicorns, mermaids and barbies. A Taurus, I know better than to make decisions for her, especially when it comes to birthday planning. I asked her what she would like her birthday theme to be and gave her a couple of party options. Immediately she told me she wanted a unicorn rainbow party, and she wanted to decorate cupcakes! What’s a mom to do? Have a rainbow, unicorn cupcake decorating party of course! This actually must be a thing, because when searching I discovered a number of cupcake shops actually offer cupcake-making parties for kids and adults alike. What a great idea, especially for little budding pastry chefs!

If you know me, you know I just can’t help going all out on dessert tables. To make my job a bit easier, I saved a couple of the chocolate-decorated cones from a previous party  (my Sister-In-Law’s surprise party the month prior) and placed them on the candy station. I asked the venue if I could come a couple hours earlier to do a balloon arch attached to the wall. They actually did give me some grief about this, unfortunately, the day of but all’s well that ends well right?  

For the tablecloth I reused a gold sequence one that I have in storage. I have multiple tablecloths, and just love using this one for colorful parties. I figured the gold would go well with the gold, iridescent-white, pink, purple, and green unicorn balloons; you know, the colors of the magical rainbow!

All of the balloons I purchased from Bargain Balloons–they have the biggest selection of colors, sizes and types of balloons. They also have the most affordable I’ve seen around. 

For this party I actually didn’t make the cake, the venue did. Since it was a unicorn themed party, I asked them to decorate the cake as a unicorn (the venue provides a birthday cake for all birthdays, charging an additional fee to customize).

I just think these modern unicorn cakes are so darn cute!

I did however, pick up two packs of French macaroons from, *gasp!*, Costco. Don’t judge, they were really good! Lately, Ava’s favorite sweets in the world are French Macaroons. I must say I must be to blame since I am absolutely smitten by these fluffy, heavenly-light, and sometimes tart, delights. Yup all my fault, and lucky for me these can be one of the most expensive guilty pleasures. Some places here in the city charge $2+ a cookie! So when I saw Costco carried seasonal and colorful French Macaroons I bought 4 dozen! Mind you they were on sale for $10 for 24 cookies. Such. A. Deal. 

To fill up the candy jars, I used some left over Easter candy, cotton candy and colorful chocolate eggs for this table. Listen, this party has so much sugar I really didn’t feel the need to go too crazy with the candy station. I just wanted to go overboard on the balloon-arch and helium balloons. Can you blame me? Unicorns!

As you can tell from the pictures, Ava was awestruck with all the colors and sugar, sugar, sugar! I think the best aspect of this party like all our celebrations was getting to spend time with friends and family. 

At this particular cake shop, all the kiddos got to decorate with piping bags, fondant candies and sugar pearls. It was so fun seeing Ava’s friends get creative with their own unicorn cupcakes! 

As party favors, the kids got to bring home the four cupcakes they decorated (some of the kids like my kids ate them while decorating–how could you not?).

Here are some more pictures from the party. I hope you have a magical day and may your party planning be nothing but rainbows and sunshine!

-xoxo Lana

My thoughtful Sister-In-Law, Ali, recently turned 30 and her husband Justin decided to throw a surprise birthday bash to celebrate her. April is busy season for Justin’s profession (corporate tax accountant) so he asked Ali’s family and if we could help out with the details and decor. Of course I said absolutely–I just love planning parties and Ali deserves nothing but the best! She is one of the sweetest people and is an amazing Aunt to my kiddos Ava and Carlito. I got started on the planning right away.

We started searching for venues right away and hoped to find something in the city. Things book up quickly and can get expensive real fast. We used a couple of websites, such as Eventup and Convene to get pricing and availability directly from venues. We narrowed it down to 3 venues in Brooklyn and a venue called The Farm Soho in Manhattan.

The venue in Soho was super rustic and chic and centrally located to all Ali’s friends and family. The Farm also allowed us to bring our own alcohol, food and music and stay as late (and as loud) as we wanted. It was a no-brainer, we went with The Farm Soho! If you ever get a chance, it is an interesting space that is actually a shared workplace, but they rent out their space for parties too. 

After we established the party spot, I needed to plan the decor and theme of Ali’s party. After asking some questions, I found out Ali’s favorite color is cerulean blue (its like an ocean/sky blue) and her favorite cake is chocolate with chocolate frosting. The later was not too surprising, as Ali loves all things chocolate.

She is also a huge fan of baked goods, in particular doughnuts; we all decided a doughnut-wall was must for the dessert table!  Since the venue was so rustic, I decided to use mason jars for flower vases and burlap on the tables. Can’t ignore the decor essentials, right?

So first things first–in my mind one of the most important items for a birthday is the birthday cake. I might be the only one who puts this much importance on cake, but I can’t help it. There is just something so wonderful and delightful about cake–it’s beautiful, delicious and should always reflect the birthday person!

I have never done a naked cake, but I decided this would be perfect for Ali’s rustic 30th birthday. I also wanted it bigger than life and imagined a 3 tier wedding style cake. Call me crazy, but I just can’t help myself. 

Planning the cake was a bit challenging, I love chocolate cakes but had a hard time deciding on a filling. Since she loves chocolate, I decided what could be more decadent than chocolate gauche? Here is the recipe I decided to use–it is one of the most moist cakes I’ve made and super rich. I would just recommend using more dowels than I used (I used three on the bottom tier, I really should have used 4).   

For this cake I decorated with fresh, white carnations, large and small. I also used the leafs to add a pop of green. To create a bit of glamour I added gold heart-shape foil flakes directly to the side of the cake. I used a paint brush and almond extract. So lovely and glamorous! 

Speaking of birthday cakes, we actually had two cakes–Ali’s 3 tiered cake and a special Boston Cream Cake from Conti’s in the Bronx for my Father-In-Law. They actually share the same birthday so we had to get him a cake too of course (and Boston Cream is his all-time favorite).

Now on to the doughnut-board! I saw a doughnut-board pin the other day and thought, how genius is this for doughnut lover like Ali! I went through many photos but couldn’t find one that was the color and size I had in mind. So I had to play around with a few wood stains and wood.

I will have a separate post to show step-by-step how I created this particular doughnut-board, but for now here are the pictures of the finished product. 

For the actual donuts, I ordered 2 dozen freshly made donuts from The Donut Pub in the West Village. Because it was a large order they delivered! There seriously nothing better than freshly frosted and cakey doughnuts. Actually, these doughnuts were the biggest hit of the evening!

So back to the rustic venue we hosted Ali’s surprise 30th birthday–The Farm Soho has a DJ booth loft where my husband played only Ali’s favorite tunes. We used the venue’s sound system and AV equipment to show a slide show too–so personalized!

Lastly, for an extra entertainment boost, we had a Step-and-Repeat for Photo-ops! Here are more pictures of the party we hosted, I hope you can use some as inspiration for yours!

Cheers and happy partying!

XOXO,

Lana