It was my mom’s birthday and she had to work that morning and evening teaching classes,
but I was determined to make it special. With not a bunch to spend, I decided to surprise
her with a little celebration set up at her house for when she got off work with just my
daughter and I.

DIY MINI SURPRISE PARTY ON A BUDGET:

1. start with the person’s favorite treat
— my mom’s is the Princess Cake from Cafe Ettore’s.

I mean, how pretty is that??

2. Scale it down: Instead of doing a whole cake which, in
this instance isn’t exactly cheap, they do it by the slice as well. So we
got her a big piece that they package up pretty in it’s own little box,
and some smaller simple treats for my daughter and I (under $10)

3. Theme established -> DECOR:
I let the pretty colorful cake dictate the direction of the decor:
Pink, gold and white, with delicate pretty details. We went to the Dollar
Store and got a couple gold balloons, a card, a big thing of white tissue paper
and some pink confetti ($5 total), then it was off to Thrift Town!

4. THEME + FAVORITE THINGS
Since it would be a late night gathering, we decided hot tea and cake
sounded perfect, especially since my mom is an avid teacup collector.
We found this gorgeous white tea cup and saucer for $2.99

Again: so. pretty.

For my hostess-with-the-mostest momma,
also purchased at Thrift Town:
— the perfect pink/white/gold hat box: $1.49
— large etched glass serving bowl: $2.99
— set of tiny white ceramic sauce bowls: $1.99
— canvas print of a pretty tea party: $2.49
— pink felt princess hat: $0.49
— small white ceramic plate (for the cake!): $0.99

5. WRAP IT FUN.
I may have done a little happy dance when I realized how PERFECTLY the
big serving bowl, teacup and little sauce bowls all fit in the hat box.
And how fun is it to open this party-in-a-box?

6. FESTIVE SETUP & CELEBRATE!
The final result was a sweet and simple setup for our awesome
mom/Granny. We got to her house and had everything set up
and waiting for her when she got home (thanks to my dad who
was in cahoots!). She almost cried. We sang to her, had her open
her present, then made hot tea to drink in her new cup with her cake.

For a mom, sometimes it’s a lovingly written card, knowing her favorite
things, and going out of your way to surprise and bless her that matters most.

and she was one happy momma.

Of course, my little Olive was all smiles til we put the princess
hat on her and wanted her to smile. Stinker. Welp, wasnt about her
anyway. It was all for Granny, and SHE was thrilled.

So for under $30, we got a multi-faceted AWESOME gift,
gift wrap, decorations, dessert and a happy mom. #WIN

__________________________________________

Kari Shipman is thrifty, eco-conscious, and knows the importance
of supporting local charities. She has been our featured blogger
since we started the blog in 2010, and has a serious passion for
fashion. Kari owns her own Fashion Consulting Business, Juniper
James and lives out her passions in Northern California with her
wonderful husband Charles, and their little girl Olive.