500 pounds of glitter, 4 dozen duck decoys, 2 sofas, 3 deer heads, 1 john deere tractor umbrella, 2 custom neon signs, 2 potties, 6 trailer park tire planters, 88 plastic flamingos, 5 giant disco balls, 1 trailer and 2 truck beds full o’ junk later….we were unloaded on site where the most spectacularly redneck sweet 16 birthday party ever was to be held…
so we literally had to get our ducks in a row. no seriously…we did. of course we did that with glitter and glue…but we did it.
we had 3 days. 3 days to set up and transform an empty tent into redneck royalty.
(and in those 3 days we managed to embrace west monroe & the entire robertson/howard/duck commander tribe…miss kay’s cookin’ (y’all, i just DIED and went to heaven), willie’s cookin’ (ok, i just died again…did i mention his corn chowder?? his homemade spaghetti sauce?! and his CRAZY bread….y’all, it was CRAZZZZY…and by crazy i mean DELICIOUS. mamaw jo’s homemade butterfinger ice cream…y’all, amen and hallelujah), we even took Christmas card pics for the holidays. (ok, maybe we didn’t go that far…but still.) i digress…all this i must save for another blog. focus jolie. focus on the decorations. BE the BLOG. BE the decorations. geeeee…but oh, the fooooood.)
and now….a grand tour of the grand event.
high-falootin’ decor fit for an anything but a high-falootin’ family.
the guest of honor with her parents…
and we came bearin’ JuNk GYPsy gear for the big day…
and here…in typical april-style…she caught a moment…
and this moment…
and on to the decor….
first and foremost. potties. yes, potties. but not just any ole potty…GOLD metallic potties dusted in GOLD glitter flanked the entrance…because urns with plants are just so …. so normal. and only the BEST to flank the entrance to sadie’s party.
potties ablaze in the LoUisiana sunset . . . can we keep these??? 🙂
and because the theme was redneck red carpet….a replicating wall was a MUST…custom artwork whipped up by us earlier that week.
step. repeat. step. repeat.
this was the too sweet jessica robertson the night before sadie’s party…

{we all whooped and hollered as we watched jessica judge the miss USA pageant together at miss kay & phil's house sunday night}
and here she is the next night at our waaaaaaaaaaaay more lavish red carpet event…. (miss usa who??)
and then...hey there howdy…welcome to the redneck party in all it’s glory…

{tire planters, flamingos, a wheelbarrow, and a cedar post pointing the way...lest us not forget the mounted bass wearing a tiara}
all of it’s glittered, redneck’d glory.
from glittered duck decoy chandeliers…
to glittered deer mounts…
from old jeans recycled as table runners….
to burlap stenciled with redneck names…
from a sawdust dance floor lined with glittered flamingos…
to a painted sofa that by the end of the night would be transformed into the largest and grandest happy birthday card ever…

{a cut velvet sofa becomes the perfect canvas for graffiti . . and SADIE's FAV quote immortalized by austin NEon artist, TODD Sanders!}
and the junkiness continued. . .
vintage trailer park umbrella paired with sparkling chandeliers. . .
caution. . . have glitter. will use it. and we did . . .
and…it’s the south, y’all we ate (yep…we ate ALOT on this trip)…

{our good friend, jay qualls who also made miranda lambert's cake, swooped in like a superhero & whipped this baby up on site!}
and we drank…
and watched home videos country style…hay bales with quilts thrown on ’em and a homemade screen from a drop cloth…

{i know you can't tell, but this is 4 year old sadie standing on a chair in the kitchen preaching the gospel and hands clasped in prayer}
our oh-so-necessary photobooth made the trip and got a little makeover for the event…

{one of my fave pics. lily, bella, and merritt crackin up in the photobooth. we got to spend lots of time with sweet bella during our stay in west monroe....and she's a bonafide honorary junk gypsy for sure! XOXXO, bella!!}
and the entertainment for the night? well honey child….it doesn’t get any better than this!!!
first up…chancie neal…a downhome girl with a heckuva talent!
next….reed robertson slowed it down with an amazing rendition of hallelujah.
and then…scotty mccreery blasted onto the stage…
this had to be the coolest happy birthday serenade everrrrrrrrr.

{and yep...willie and john luke joined him for a seriously memorable rendition of O Brother, where art thou?}
click here to see scotty’s youtube video from the night!!!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKxINtcj_z0&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/youtube]and then the mosh pit of wild and crazy 16 year olds danced like there was no tomorrow.
they danced. they wobbled. they 2-stepped.
and we, well we were nothing but thankful to be a part of such an amazing event with such an amazing family. it was an experience we’ll never forget. the southern hospitality of this family is something i can’t even explain to y’all in this blog. this family is THE REAL DEAL. they ARE JUST as awesome as you think they are from the tv show.
miss kay looked me in the eye the night we had supper at her house. she looked me in the eye and she shook her finger at me and she said “now when people ask you if they’re just like they are in the show, you can tell ’em. you can tell ’em that we are just like we are in the show. you can tell ’em that this really is my house and that we really do eat every meal right there on that table. i am who i am. i don’t know how to be anybody else. and you can tell ’em for me.” well, miss kay….i’m a little teary right now just remembering that night and hearing your sweet southern drawl that reminds me of my dear aunt alice but i’m tellin’ ’em. i’m tellin’ everybody i meet. i’m tellin’ ’em that you aren’t everything i thought you would be.
you are MORE. i never in my life could have predicted the level of kindness & genuineness that your family is bathed in. y’all are beautiful souls on the inside. and as the matriarch, we thank you for sharing your soul and your family with us. it really is what the world needs now.
and to our new good friend, korie robertson, where do i begin? i thank you. we thank you. from the bottom of our hearts. this was such an indescribable experience for us, our family, our team. you are the hostess with the mostest. you are supermom. you are super business woman. and don’t even get me started on your back flips off the diving board. but seriously. we formed a great new friendship throughout this experience. a friendship that i believe, in my heart, was destined. i do believe God wanted our families to meet. kinda like the migration of ducks, it just made sense. it made sense in the duck & junk universe. all things come home. some friendships are formed at the lunch table in school. some are formed in church. and some, some are formed through the fate of a few tweets…

{last picture of the night...the gypsy family...tired,sweaty and happy, happy, happy. the family that works together is the family that stays together.}
the worlds of the duck and the junk collided….and there’s still more to tell…y’all stay tuned.
signing off from gypsyville!!! XOXO!
y’all head on over to april pizana‘s blog for EVEN more pics!!!! we couldn’t fit all of her awesomeness here! big giant thanks 2 her and her family for traveling across state lines for us and the duck family! and thanks to melissa brownlow, todd sanders, winnie mauch, robin crawford (archie’s mom!), & jay qualls for answering the call of the duck with us.
and a very, very, very special thanks to our gypsy crew. to our girls behind the scenes. our girls that keep us in line. that put up with our crazy brains. they keep gypsyville running smoothly….and they try oh-s0-hard to keep our junk organized. (bless their hearts). we couldn’t do it without y’all.
AND be sure to grab a copy of US weekly on newsstands now for even more pics!!!
XOXOXOXOX!
55 Comments
Loved the look ! What a fun party!
I heart this. completely.
Hey, ya’ll…Is this gonna be on TV…and if so, which show. I <3 Junk Gypsies and Duck Commander
I am speechless! Y’all make me proud to be a Texas girl!
What a BEAUTIFUL STORY followed by the pics to match it WOW…… So happy for all of you
Oh wow! What a great concept for a glitzy rednecky party! Love it all!
Great job!!!!!! Sadie looks so happy!!!!!!!!!!
Ok Jolie, now you got me tearing up. I did good til the end, then waterfalls.. I love it all. I only hope that by the time I’m 50, I win the lottery or come into some kind of money, and can have you all whip up a fabulous 50 for me! LOL Amazing job, thanks for sharing! Hugs to everyone and see ya soon! Tricia
How cool!! That’s the way to redneck party!! Great job
Y”all did the dang thing! Unbelievably beautiful! You guys ROCK!!!
One of these days… I’m gonna have me a JG-decorated party! Yep, I’m dreamin’.
aww…what a fun time. And the party was beautifully decorated. Great job!
I am busting and quacking with pride and joy for all of you
Loved the blog and the photos of the whole event. Reminds me of what life should be…taking the simple things/events in life and making them extraordinary !!! It’s all about family, friends and faith.
WOW….I have always loved reading about what you all are up to….but this one one gave me goose bumps!!! Good goose bumps….spiritual goosebumps as my friend Dorothy Shelby says!! What a memorable experience!!
Thank you for sharing. I love DD. I am so happy happy happy to hear the sweet kind words you said about the DD family. And way to go JG great job love your style.
Y’all are awesome! I love you Jolie! Great words, photos & all. God blesses us with many things & I’m glad this blessed y’all! Xoxo
What an AWESOME way to ring in a 16th birthday!!! 😀 I loved everything about it. I especially love the Robertson family, they truly are one special family and I just adore them all!!
Thanks for sharing the pics and your story!!! I was a BIG Duck Dynasty fan before, but am even more so now! Was fortunate enough to get to meet most of them this year @ CMA Fest in Nashville & they truly are a great family with really big hearts!!! They so deserve all the good things that have come their way! I told them they needed to have a contest that would allow the winner(s) to come spend a week with them and experience their life firsthand! Thanks again!
totally AWESOME!!!!!!! what a great bunch of people…the junk gypsy crew, the robertson family, scotty, how very special for sadie!!!! luv ya’ll!!!!!
Girls- Your calling….Have Junk, Have style- Have family- Use it to create masterpieces!!!! What an amazing opportunity with a wonderful Christian family.
Congratulations! Y’all did such a fabulous job interpreting the theme of Redneck Red Carpet! I love all the details from the glittered decoys to the tiara-wearing deer! The photo booth was a great idea, as was the showing of home movies under the stars! How lucky to get to sit down and talk with members of the Robertson family! I would love to talk to Miss Kay. She reminds me of my mom when she was young and I miss her so much! Miss Kay and my mom would have been great friends, I think! I love the show and what it portrays – faith, family, strong values and commitments – what this world needs more of! What a wonderful party from the fantastic Junk Gypsies! Thank you for sharing! Hugs, Leena
Wowsers!!! Love how your two worlds collided! Thanks for sharing this with us!! Looks like tons of fun.
Fabulous fun! Love how your spirit of family and originality glitter in these pictures! What a great night!
What fun you had with the family.
I have heard a lot of my customers from The area that the family is just like they are on TV.
What a blessing fir America. Beautiful job girks and teami love you Junk Gypsy girl. Love Linda and the family. Gypsy Hart Cowgirl
LOVE LOVE LOVE everything!!
Looks, cool, sounds cool and i am sure was crazy cool!! what a fun, special experience for all!! Happy happy gypsies!!
I am thrilled for you!!
I was transported to my Mimi’s front porch swing on a warm summer’s night, full of red watermelon (with seeds), yellow sweet corn on the cob, and strawberry soda, listening to my Uncle John’s stories, chasing fireflies and saying “hey neighbor” to every passerby.
As always – I am in AWE!! That was truly redneck gypsified gorgeousness.
Two of my fav.’s “Duck Dynasty & Junk Gypsy” does it get any better than this, I think not! Loved everything about Sadie’s Sweet 16….it was Redneck & Gypsy stamped all over it!
Wow!!!! How awesome! I love everything you did. The Duck Dynasty and the Junk Gypsies, it doesn’t get any better than that.
Amazing… I also got teary reading, (thanks Jolie!) This was a blast to see and read about being both a JG and DD fan! You good ole’ East Texas Aggie girls are doing some very cool things! Impressed!
love, love, love this all! Jolie! You got me all teary eyed while I sat and read this in my cubicle at work girl! I am so glad y’all had a great time and Sadie was so lucky to have y’all put together this fab party! Great work as usual! So glad to hear that Miss Kay is as amazing in person as she is on tv! Hugs from Conroe, TX!
What a great story and it made me smile and cry… I love both shows because this is the real deal and down to earth people… This is AMERICAN!! Thanks so much for sharing…
Jolie – what a beautiful, extraordinary story and superb decorations!
It was such a pleasure spending time with your own beautiful family during Sadie’s Birthday Festivities. You guys are down-to-earth, precious, real people, not to mention crazy talented! I was blessed to have met you guys and look forward to seeing you again down the road.
Love, LOVE, LoVe it girls…ya’ll work magic!!!!
Love, love, love everything about this sweet 16! Looks like a celebration of family and their baby girl!
So much fun! Thank you for sharing such an awesome celebration 🙂
Such gorgeous beauty in all you do! I loved this post, right down to all the comments. This is so creative , resourceful, fun and full of down home love. Can’t wait to see more!
what a fine time!! Love, love, love this blog!!
WOW !! I am blown away at the gift ya’ll have! I can’t think of anything more of a blessing than to be able to create and work with your own sister. Being a mom of 3 GIRLS, YES ALL GIRLS I can appreciate seeing the love you too have for what you do. KUDOS to your mom and dad “They did good” 🙂 Just hope one day I can give my girls a special day like Sadie. XXX OOO from Culloden Ga. girls! ROCK ON !!
WoW!! I don’t think I would ever take that tent down!! What a fun and beautiful event y’all put together!!! I love, love it all!!! Y’all are so awesome!!
Incredible job! You girls and your company are so amazing!
i write from germany – you can´t believe, that it´s my biggest dream, to see you ever in my life in real on such a great location. i love you and your team so much – and i believe in the american dream, the reason to say every day: never give up! THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!!
xxxxxxxxo, martina♥
WOW! You guys did an amazing job – such creative ideas!!!! No better story than a red neck making it big! Can’t even be jealous – they worked hard for what they have! You 2 too! Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.
SO fun!!! Love it all! I wish I had a tenth of your creativity! ❤
This has to be the MOST amazing blog post EVER… I HOPE they put this on their new season. What a FABULOUS transformation of a plain old tent. Sadi is sooooo pretty and I would LOVE to meet the whole dang family, even old Uncle Si, lol. Great job girls and what a pleasure to look at all these amazing shots.
YOU GIRLS ROCK AND SO DOES DD.
Love from Canada.
xoxoxoxo
Wow Super amazing work! Awesome pictures love seeing them on TV! Thanks For Sharing!
Valuable info. Fortunate me I discovered your website by chance, and I’m surprised why this accident didn’t came about in advance! I bookmarked it.
I just LOVED everything about the whole concept…….that had to be the best sweet 16 i have ever seen…..but i LOVE everything that you all do!!! your amazing and so inspiring…..thank you for everything that you do <3
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