School Colors and Anchors

John Milledge Academy 

Class of 2001

10 Year Class Reunion

Inspiration?....... this time it was the location that set the mood for this party. When your class reunion is at a house on the lake...why not make it a causal lake day and go with a nautical theme?

 The invitations for this reunion featured a dye cut anchor and had true JMA spirit with the colors of Blue and Gold.


With a nautical theme and school spirit to consider decorating was easy. With a minimal and simple approach, I used anchors and JMA school colors as the main elements.

 The tables were dressed with navy and gold linens with potted yellow zinnias or black eyed Susans as the centerpieces. Each table featured custom made koozies from totallybeerkoozies.com, and a set of salt and pepper shakers.....fish of course! 

The centerpiece for the dessert table was a handmade anchor placed between two potted yellow flowers. As I am a believer in making custom packets for the napkins and silverware, my 10 year class reunion was no exception. This time I made white envelopes, cut to revile the colored napkins, and tied together with a rope and anchor.  

No Class Reunion would be complete without a YEARBOOK TABLE! What better way to stroll down memory lane that with old JMA yearbooks.

A Thai infused July 4th

My inspiration this time? America!
This year July 4th was going to be served up a little differently, and I knew just who to call to act as "Chef in the Kitchen." With the help of my brother, Adam we created a Fourth of July celebration that served Thai food in American colors.

First things first- the perfect menu: Basil rolls.... simple tossed salad with ginger dressing... shrimp Thai basil with jasmine rice...green tea ice cream!

I knew the food was in good hands so now comes my part......Creating a table setting filled with red, white, and blue! My newly purchased plates and bowls from Anthropologie were the perfect place to start.

Two picnic tables pushed together and a long blue & white strip table runner created the one long table effect i wanted.  Two navy umbrellas (one in the center of each table) provided just enough shade for a warm and sunny July evening. For lighting, I created mason jar lanterns and hung them in differing levels within each umbrella.

This was definitely a change form the typical ribs and potato salad July 4th. This Thai inspired 4th brought with it table conversations more about chopsticks than anything. Guests began to challenge each other with chopstick usage and even discussed proper chopstick etiquette.

Some Like It Hot

 This invitation was for a summer hiatus social for Beta Psi. The inspiration this time......Beta Psi's flower the yellow rose. A single yellow rose lifted form the invitation using a foam sticky dot adds interest to a once simple printed invitation.

  

Placed inside a white envelope with a yellow envelope liner, this invitation is ready for all the Beta Psi gals!

The theme to this party.....Some like it hot! This gala was all southern. Guest were encouraged to wear their favorite hats and fans were guest's favors. The menu? Southern hors d' oeuvres of course.

The Perfect Pair!

A great party starts with inspiration and a theme. Inspiration can come from anything. Even a fun printed paper. For this bridal shower my inspiration came from a fun pear printed paper. Perfect for envelope liners!

For this shower THEME = PEARS or "Pair." Making these invitations was fun and simple....cut a pear slice and add a silly phrase like....The Perfect Pair!  

Over-sized silverware were the perfect centerpiece to the food table. With a "picnic feel" salads were the perfect choice for food. Mint colored gingham set on white paper seemed to be the most fitting choice for table covers, and what better way to incorporate the theme of pears than with.......pear filled vases topped with fresh flowers.

Don't know what to do with the silverware on the food table. Make it the last thing your guest get from the table and put it in custom printed envelopes. Inside, a fork, knife, and napkin!

 The hit of the party....Lemonade Bar. Guest were able to create their own lemonade by adding peach, pomegranate, or strawberry syrup to their lemonade.