my sister-in-law, courtney (sean’s youngest sister), is a 10 year cancer survivor!

to celebrate, her husband wanted to surprise her on her birthday with a party – a “hooray!  courtney is alive!” party.

he gathered together family and friends that supported her ten years ago in the hospital and through prayer.

he couldn’t really be involved in the decorating part of the party because this was a secret after all, i was called in (along with mother-in-law and sisters) to help out.  since this party was the same week as the queen bee market (insane!) my resources and time were very limited.  so before packing up for the market, i grabbed the biggest box i could find and started gathering things around the house.  i still had no direction for a theme, but just grabbed things that were pretty together.  within a few minutes i realized all the things i grabbed were grass green and turquoise, with a little bit of silver thrown in – so that’s what i went with!  between what i brought and everyone else made, we pulled together a pretty inexpensive (decor-wise) party!

although courtney wasn’t completely surprised (apparently we aren’t sneaky enough!), i think she was blessed by the friends and family that surrounded her to celebrate her victory!

we had a little dessert table as our main area for decor.  my sister-in-law heather made all the cute signs.

we supplied some of the treats, but david also ordered some specialty desserts from one of courtney’s favorite bakers.

a simple touch like a coordinating ribbon pulls everything together

the flags on the desserts were made from toothpicks, scraps of paper, and hot glue – super easy and quick.

on the tables were candles, blue glass mason jars filled with baby’s breath, and courtney’s signature flags.

any time i see colorful straws i grab them, even if i don’t have a use for them yet.  we use straws nearly everyday at home and i love using them at parties.  mason jars are also great for having on hand – they are super durable and look great for all sorts of themes.

i loved the touch of this banner that everyone could sign – so fun!