Wait for it...

So, through a gmail miscommunication I was left to photograph the party myself.  Which produced lackluster results, but I am editting through the pile (of 306 raw images....).  Here is a quick tease off my iPhone:

The girls loved the party, and I may never go back to providing my own entertainment/crafts/etc.  Pretty & Posh Parties saved my life, b/c I was a tired, hungry pregnant lady by the time 3:30 rolled around (even though my mom reminded me twice to stop and eat lunch).  3 hours is a long time to have 9 little girls who haven't played outside in over a month confined to one floor of your house, but besides mysterious pink and chocolate stains on the couch we survived.  I'll do a party post in the next day or so (believe it or not, this party prep and execution has left me a tiny bit behind at work), but here are a few general lesson learned from this experience.

Food:

• The quality of luster dust varies.  Don't assume they are all equal.  Also, you can't luster dust Little Debbies--not a smooth surface.  
• Disco dust, i.e. edible glitter, is AMAZEBALLS.  Keep plenty on hand.  Even the little Trade Joe's pre-packaged cupcakes looked better with glitter.
• Icing cookies the "Martha" way--royal icing, outline, flooding--is WAY easier than expected.  Sort of sad that it took me this long to figure it out.  
• Icing a cake is not like riding a bike.  Results will vary.  Outsourcing is recommended.

Styling:

• Check all your linens before you leave the rental facility--in the plastic, all looked great.  But I ended up with "Rose", an old lady mauve color, instead of hot pink.  Rookie mistake, and I'm hardly a rookie at renting linens.  Oh well.  
• Take the time for buffet labels.  Would have improved the styling, even if the desserts were pretty obvious.
• Always hire a photographer if the photos are important.  Or figure out how to edit.  After watching this (click each photo), I'm starting to wonder if everything isn't photoshopped a bit.  At least the indoor ones--lighting is tricky!

When I was running around like crazy, I saw a few things that should be passed along.

At Crate & Barrel:

Cute for a laundry room, no?  But the bulbs are pricey :(

Adorbs outdoor furniture option.

At Wal-Mart:

Owl lamps with no commitment.

Also, while you are anxiously awaiting the full party download, check out foo dogs for sale on OKL.  I've got my eye on these....will I resist?