I’m Do (pronounced doe or dough). It’s short for Doris.
Growing up, I spent countless hours with my mom, sisters, aunts, and the ladies at church learning to cook, sew, craft, and care for others. Those amazing women loved to throw parties. Any and every kind of party—birthdays, showers, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, last day of school, Avon and Tupperware. No event was too small to celebrate!
Long before the days of Pinterest, the decorations and crafts we created for those events were from our own imaginations or inspired by something we’d seen in books or magazines. Everything was handcrafted from simple, inexpensive materials.
The Beginning
Influenced by the creative ladies in my life, this small town girl eventually became a corporate event planner in Chicago planning events for thousands of people.
In 2000, a wedding planner in our office was desperate for hand calligraphers. I picked up a calligrapher’s pen and began writing the history of our little company.
Six months after addressing my first envelope as a hand calligrapher, I found myself creating handmade invitations and stationery by the hundreds for clients and event planners.
The Illustrator
Enter J (pronounced Jay). My husband. Known by the rest of the world as Jeff.
Tired of the corporate world and burnt out on writing technical software, J worked with me full-time while he found a new direction for his life. During his quest, he signed up for a drawing class and I discovered the most amazing artist had been sitting right across the worktable from me. J is an incredibly talented illustrator who brings all of my crazy ideas to life.
After 10 years of creating handcrafted, high-end stationery products, we dreamed of offering our hand-illustrated designs at affordable prices. We wanted to help people create meaningful celebrations without breaking the bank.
The Mascot
In 2010, Piggy Bank Parties was born in a little pig pen in Illinois.
J created Hank, the Piggy Bank Parties’ mascot, as part of our company’s original logo. Over the years, Hank’s received a little refresh and has become an integral member of the Piggy Bank Parties’ team. Look for Hank’s Hints throughout our blog which feature easy tips to help you make CENTS (sense) of entertaining!
The Favor Box
A small suitcase forever changed the course of our company in 2012.
The suitcase was a favor box. Not just any favor box though. A one-of-a-kind digital favor box. Created to look like the real thing. Hand illustrated. Easy to assemble. Unique. Like us.
The Must-Haves
Over the years, we’ve handcrafted hundreds of banners and favor boxes for clients, hosted craft workshops for locals, and designed party decorations for every occasion. Our products and parties have been featured numerous times in magazines and online. We’ve even won awards for our designs. With all those accolades, I should have been happy and content. But, something was amiss.
For years, I had spent money we didn’t have on extra items others told me were “must-haves” for the perfect party. Never huge amounts of cash. A little here and a little there. However, it all added up and we found ourselves drowning in debt. Suffocating debt. I was embarrassed. I hadn’t listened to my own advice. As a result, we spent 5 years living with family in order to dig ourselves out of the mountain of must-haves.
The Insight
After reading an article about true hospitality, I realized you don’t need to be a phenomenal host or a skilled chef to entertain. The author’s insightful words reignited my passion for simplifying events after getting lost in all the little details others said and I believed were so important. I discovered I needed to go back to the basics and refocus on our original mission—to help people create meaningful celebrations without breaking the bank.
Entertaining doesn’t require a color scheme, themed favors, or perfection—just a welcoming spirit. Don’t get me wrong. I love all the extra details—cloth napkins, personalized banners, and color-coordinated paper straws—and you’ll see them featured in our celebrations. But, those items are never requirements to host others. For the price of a glass of water, you can be a person who throws open the door to your home and welcomes others in. It’s as simple as that.
If this is your first time visiting, our blog is a work in progress. I’m also a work in progress and you’re invited to join me as we learn together how to simplify and create meaningful celebrations. Our hope is that the Piggy Bank Parties blog will be your go-to resource for making CENTS (sense) of entertaining and you’re always welcome at our table.
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