Friday Guest Blog Interview: Creative Hostess!

Last Friday’s Guest Blog Interview took us across the Pacific to Australia, today’s brings us around to the other side of the world and into the home of Creative Hostess, where Jenin shares her ideas and inspiration for kids parties and baby showers from the UK (new update: just last week Jenin moved with her family from the UK to the Caribbean! jealousy to ensue…).

Jenin has captured her niche perfectly – you would be hard-pressed to find a more delectable and inspiring collection of inspiration boards and ‘real parties’ for everything kids and baby.

In Jenin’s own words: “Creative Hostess seeks to provide ideas & inspiration to help you create fabulous & memorable children’s parties & baby showers (simply because I have a 2 year old bundle of fun!), because when everything else is gone, the wonderful memories will remain.”

Jenin launched Creative Hostess after losing her young sister in April of 2009, “that made me realise how essential it is to celebrate life, and the ones we love… it’s so important to take time to celebrate life’s moments, to share & enjoy time with friends & family, & to make every event special & memorable.”

A quick trip out to her magazine-style blog transforms you to a world of diy cupcake designs, color-coordinated princess & construction parties, and sweet-themed baby showers for every style of mummy-to-be.

Follow the jump for Jenin’s answers to PDB’s four interview questions, and don’t forget to check out the wonderful party inspiration boards she has assembled and shared (everything from an Ice Princess theme to Marie Antoinette and the book Good Night Gorilla!) – plenty of eye candy to go around.

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{PDB Interview with Jenin of Creative Hostess}

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What inspires your design style?

I love nature, and I am greatly inspired by all the beauty around me. I love to quietly retreat into my garden and find inspiration in the colours, shapes and designs of the lovely flowers, butterflies and birds around me. I love the beach, and beautiful orange sunsets, and I’m just generally deeply moved by nature. I also love the Renaissance, and Victorian eras…I love Marie Antoinette! I’m definitely inspired by some really great bloggers who share lots of beautiful ideas with the world.

What do you love most about what you do?

What are your favorite design trends?

I love that moms are moving away from uninspiring plastic and foil party decorations, and are really thinking and planning, and coming up with some awesome themes. I was so impressed last year with all the amazing parties that moms planned, that I hosted a Most Adorable Kids Party Contest, to celebrate and reward moms’ talent and hard work. I’m hoping to make this a yearly contest, so that moms can look forward to their efforts being recognized and rewarded.

I also really love the new trend of candy buffets and dessert buffets. I think they add to the design element of a party, and create a great focal point, where so much talent can be displayed. I especially love the dessert buffet that Jess from Pen and Paper Flowers designed for her daughter’s first birthday party, and I’ve featured many great candy and dessert buffets on Creative Hostess.

Lastly, I love that people are ditching the goody bags filled with cheap plastic toys, and replacing it with one really great personalized party favor.

What are three design suggestions that you would like to offer our readers?

{1} The key to designing a really great party is to plan way in advance. Start looking around the blogs for inspiration, throw together an inspiration board, or have one created for you, then start tying in all the elements. Buy, and start collecting everything you need over time so that you don’t get too stressed.

{2.} Use the great talent of designers on Etsy to create unique, personalized party decorations instead of using bulk plastic and foil decorations from party stores.

{3} Choose a party theme that’s personal and means something to the person who is the object of the party. It will be unique, and fun, and the recipient will love it. For instance, I created a Good Night Gorilla inspiration board for one of my readers who was planning her daughter’s second birthday, around her favourite book.

Thank you, Jenin!

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Images in this interview are from parties and inspiration boards found at Creative Hostess.