Ooh, La, La!

I'm busy this weekend with an amazing wedding that I can't wait to show you pictures of, but in the mean time, you can feast your eyes on this...

This wedding is absolutely gorgeous. And all of their flowers included amazing succulent bouquets complete with cameos to adorn each.

I love the wooden signs and the touch of vintage mixed in with the rodeo theme. It's always fun to see other people's artsy wonders. You can really mix vintage with almost A-NY-THING and make it look fabulous.

all picture credits to ashleymaxwellphoto.com

The Sweetest Sip and See

A couple weekends ago, I helped with a Sip & See. We had such a sweet time. With this pretty little baby girl being the third in her family, it was fun to have a shower that she could attend!

Originally, we were going to have the party in the garden, but with the rain approaching, we knew we had to find another option. Instead of going inside, I suggested we enjoy the wrap around porch for our festivities. It was such a hit!

party entrance

We loved being out there, despite the spring rain pouring down. We stayed dry, and still enjoyed the outdoor atmosphere...not to mention the absolutely adorable front porch!

a pretty setting with potted mint in tea cups for favors

baby's first bouquet

that each guest brought a flower for

refreshing limeade with sprigs of mint

yummy treats for our tea time

If you have a shower or party coming up, why not set it up on your porch?! It gives a definite Southern Living feel to any occasion.

linking up with In the Studio today.

Love Me in Blue

Friday, maybe for the first time ever, I lied to my Grandmother.

It was her 90th birthday on Friday, and when she asked if we were coming up the next day to see her, I lied and said...

"No, I'm sorry, Grandmom. We're just really busy."

I choked back the chuckles (as did my two children) and we pulled off a fun surprise when she walked in on Saturday and saw us all there.

When my Aunt Jackie asked if I would be in charge of the tables for the birthday party, I agreed without hesitation. However, then, I started to wonder how I could make them meaningful and pretty? It came to me, as it usually does, as I pondered who the celebration was for, and things that reminded me of her.

Ever since I was little, whenever we would go visit my grandparents, I could be sure of seeing the cobalt blue glass scattered all over her house. From vases on the windowpanes to china in the china cabinet, she had collected it for years, and it was her signature color.

She has passed down plenty to me through the years, and so I decided to put some on each table to showcase some of her old favorites.

I was going to go to the Farmers Market on Saturday morning to get a few bouquets for the tables, until I saw my hydrangeas already in full bloom. They had made their debut, and I couldn't have been happier.

I took several of her old recipes and made photocopies of them, and then placed them around the tables. And, yes, I used those cute paper clips!

It was so much fun to celebrate with my sweet Grandmother, telling stories of back in the day, and enjoying our family together. 90 years...I tell you, that really is something to celebrate!

linking up with simple pleasures

Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!

I've been working for the last couple weeks on something. My friends have this amazing business, and more recently they have had an even more amazing idea. They have launched a new "daily deal" but instead of it just being like the other groupons, this one gives back to the community.

Save for a Cause gives you the choice of a local non-profit to benefit from your sale, while you still get the amazing savings of a half off (or more) coupon! It's such a great idea.

Today's deal is coming to you straight from Events by Design! Go see us over at www.saveforacause.com and see how you can have your cake and eat it too!

Linking up with In the Studio!

Artsy...and Crafty

Whew, what a week! It was an amazingly full week of weddings, showers, and all the normal stuff that makes up life. As much as I wish it weren't true, more events equals less blogging. Such is life right now.

I wanted to show you a few precious things

that one of my artsy crafty friends has been making.

This girl is so creative and wonderful. Not only is she one of my best friends, I get to hire her to make cute stuff for events that I'm designing. We've been mulling over how to combine our efforts to make Events by Design more artsy and crafty than ever.

So cute as place cards

recipe holders

bookmarks

or just to add a little flair to notes or gifts.

Just another simple pleasure!

Still Celebrating

We had quite a successful weekend...yard sale went smashingly, and mother's day was even better. After having quite a grumpy pouty night, and whining about having to always clean up, my husband still wanted to surprise me Sunday morning. Imagine that.

While I thought he was at the Mac store getting our computer fixed, turns out he and my two kids were picking out these fun things for me from my favorite jewelry boutique.

The kids picked out my jewelry all by themselves! My sweet little boy picked out those earrings, and my artsy daughter picked out that fun ring. My hubs added a few more "well earned treats". All. my. favorites.

I love being so well known. My mom used to say, she really only wanted three things for presents: 1. chocolate. 2. jewelry. 3. lingerie. And you wonder why I am the way I am.

I miss her even more on days like yesterday. She would have loved my little ones so much, and would have always found a way to celebrate life with us. She was an amazing mother, and even though I can't celebrate with her on Mother's Day, I'm so thankful to have had her for the time I did.

Happy (late) Mother's Day to all you beautiful Mamas. Know how thankful we are for you! And even though our handwriting might look a little less messy, we'd still say pretty much the same things.

A Long Awaited Visiter

The last few weeks, I've been waiting for a friend.

I knew she was coming,

But I wasn't quite sure when she would arrive.

She surprised us on Saturday with her striking pose

And her delicate layers.

I'm so thankful for her company every Spring.

Love peonies, too?

Use them this Spring for a special event...

or choose them for a bouquet.

They're sure to steal the show...well, almost.

Linking up to Simple Pleasures and Imperfect Prose.

bouquet picture credits: http://www.oncewed.com/index.php?s=peony

Yes, Yard Saleing is a Verb

Saturday, I woke up and after making coffee and showering, the kids and I headed out on an early morning hunt. If you've known me for a while, you know I was very excited, because I hadn't gone yard saleing for at least a year...maybe more. It was definitely time! My kids both had $5 to use from their own money, and they were possibly as excited as I was...possibly being the key word.

We started, and kept our eyes open for signs like this one.

The first yard sale we stopped at, the host was selling a big bag of Littlest Pet Shop animals. My little girl was so excited, until we saw the price tag on the bag. It was going for the low price of $20...sense the sarcasm. She said she would come down to $10, but no lower. You can imagine my response. My daughter, full of hope, pleaded for me to ask if she would take $5 for the bag, because that was how much she had to spend. We were turned down, and she was left utterly disappointed. I tried to reassure her that she had plenty of Littlest Pet Shops of her own, and that she may find something even better. It didn't help...

...until we came to the next yard sale.

We quick asked how much this well known doll was, and weren't surprised to hear "$10". My little girl mustered up the courage to hope, and we asked the older girls if they would take $5 for Samantha. They were overjoyed to come down on their price for a little girl with that look of eager anticipation in her eyes. Then, they went inside, and even found an outfit "included in the price".

Samantha was the American girl doll that I had as a little girl. She's been my favorite ever since, even though you can't buy her anymore. My daughter has asked me time and time again, why I didn't have it anymore, and how she wished that she could have had her. I did too.

It never ceases to amaze me, how surprised you can be with what you are given in life. You might not expect it to come the way that it does, and most of the time there is heartache involved in the process, but still, the blessings do come. At the right time. In the right way.

I loved sharing that moment with my little girl. To be able to see the joy that filled her face when she realized what she had held out for. Truth be told, I would have bought her that doll even if it had been $30, but to see the way the Father worked it out for her was such a sweet surprise...for both of us.

After returning home and putting stuff away, I began thinking how we needed to purge some of our own things. A few years ago, I happened upon wonderful preschool toys, games, and books that were perfect for my kids. However, given they're both a few years older, it's time to pass these treasures along to others ready to enjoy them.

All this to say, we've decided to have a yard sale this coming Saturday!

There will be a lot of goodies...including delicious lemonade that will be sold for only .50 a cup (it was going to be $6.00 a cup, until I explained the supply and demand rule to my daughter). If you're local, come by! We'll have lots of mis-matched furniture, monogrammed bags, cute clothes and shoes, polly pockets and preschool books. Email me if you're not a killer and I'll give you the address (after a very intensive screening process).

picture credit: http://craftiestmomontheblock.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-to-have-great-garage-sale.html#comment-form, http://www.tiedyetravels.com/2010/10/scenic-seven-survives-ii-descent-into.html, http://www.ehow.com/how_8229888_make-rummage-sale-signs.html