It’s my party and I’ll sparkle if I want to! Every birthday diva deserves to stand out on her special day. Glitter is the perfect party theme, no matter your age, and it allows the birthday girl to shine in style. You can never have too much glitter!

Banner, Invitation, Glitter Dress, Heels, Glitter Blowers, Glitter Vase, Straw Toppers, Glitter Candles, Glitter Sticks

This last month my exquisite daughter attended her last cotillion event for the season. She attended Cotillion class in our town, Miss Persis Dance Studio to be exact. It is a precious right of passage; a safe place for young ladies and budding gentlemen to learn the required social skills that will soon be thrust upon them in the awkward tween years. At cotillion they learn the art of etiquette and good manners, the basics of a strong Fox Trot and how to properly address your host.

Along the way they get to dance with their peers, learn to say “Thank you, I would be happy to dance with you,” dabbled with social secrets, like how to get invited back to the next party by making sure your goodbye includes a specific acknowledgement for the host, for example, “Thank you for inviting me this evening. The pigs in a blanket were divine, I would greatly appreciate getting the recipe from you,” if you don’t want a guarantee to be invited back, simply say “Thank you for having me,” and that is it.

These are priceless tools that I wanted my daughter to have, as silly as they may sound to some, I always want her to be able to make her own magic in every situation and etiquette goes a long way in this sometimes tattered world. The finale of Cotillion season is the Spring Fling and when the invitation arrived in our mailbox requiring a handwritten RSVP, I was utterly thrilled as the RSVP is a fading crusade. My daughter knew right away this was serious business and followed etiquette to the letter, handwrote her RSVP on her personalized stationery and placed it in the mailbox. We then started shopping for just the right dress, with her little bro’s help; we found just the one that made her spin in her bare feet after only trying on about a dozen dresses. The theme was set, Grecian-Taylor Swift. We quickly shopped for the shoes, and then the jewels, Pinterest-ing ourselves along the way. Finally, once all of the details were in place, we hopped back onto Pinterest and tagged the perfect hairdo.

The night of Spring Fling was upon us and it was a dream, my eyes filled with tears at how beautiful my little baby girl looked, so perfectly polished. It is times like this that being a girl’s Mommy is simply the greatest gift imaginable, as I curled her hair I listened as all of her favorite songs played and for just a moment time stopped – just me and my baby girl in the mirror getting ready. Time flies when you are having fun. I am not one to want to look back, as it can make my heart ache but when it came to this moment I got swept away with the montage of memories and landed right back into my little bathroom in the cul-de-sac in a little town in North Texas, and there was no other place I would rather be in the whole wide world. I dropped my daughter off in time for loads of group pics and gently reminded her to be her kind self and let her light shine.

She be-bopped off and I am sure broke a couple of hearts that night, I know she broke mine as she waved goodbye, just 12 years old and already she seems to own the whole world with simply her smile. I plan on sending my daughter to the Cotillion Plus – the Junior High edition as I found it quite comforting to know that every six weeks or so my daughter would get to practice how to act and how to be treated as the precious young lady that she is and more importantly practice one more way to shine as her brightest self.

I love spring. So when Robin Williams stated, “spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s Party!’” I couldn’t agree more. Granted, we have it pretty lucky here in Texas and don’t have much room to complain about harsh winters. Regardless, there’s something magical about springtime that keeps us outdoors almost every possible moment.

In order to truly enjoy springtime, finding a great patio is a must. Each spring, my wife and I spend countless hours researching (and of course testing) our favorite patio spots. There’s only one problem…patios that aren’t your own have too many downsides, including:

• They close at the most inopportune times.

• Bringing your own music and decor is usually frowned upon.

Taking that into consideration, we started developing our own perfect patio within the comfort of our own back yard. Here are a few tips to consider when creating your own oasis:

• Take control over the mood with lighting. While it might be enjoyable to sit in pitch-black dark on occasion, it definitely makes conversations with friends difficult. To solve this problem, consider stringing lights from trees and roofs, or even use solar lighting to create a well-lit border.

• Where there’s music, there’s a party. Whether it’s being utilized for background or dancing, music brings every patio to life. Outdoor speakers can easily be synced with your home stereo system, or go with a portable docking station for even more convenience.

• Let people sit back and relax. It’s important to have comfortable seating, as well as tables for resting plates and drinks.

• A little color goes a long way. Add some character to your patio space with flowers, candles or unique furniture that can withstand the weather.

• Finally, as my father-in-law always says, “there are two things in life, cold beer and plenty of it.” Regardless of your beverage of choice, be sure to have refreshments close by to prevent walking in and out of the house and missing out on great moments.

Springtime and patios always give us a great reason to celebrate. With the essential elements in place, your patio will definitely outlive spring and allow for the celebration to carry through all four seasons.

Our inspiration: Mint Julep Bar, Bowtie Pearls Julep Invitation from Twist Paper, Lilly Pulitzer Maybell Dress, Medium Monogram Necklace, Seaport Pearl Studs, Derby Pie, Peony centerpieces, Derby-themed chair numbers, Mint Julep Gelées.

Lots of assembly going on today for a special project!