autumn = happiness

It's coming.  And, I love seeing it happen.  I'm pulling out my chili recipes and my sweaters and getting excited about the Fall once again. I even made a Autumn Love board that is making me very happy right now.  I seriously want to throw a party just to be able to design this table.

Peeking around the web, I found several fun easy ways to celebrate this season.  Tatertots and Jello always has a scad of fun ideas, and these are a few of her featured Top 20 Halloween projects.

i mean, really...what's not to love about burlap and lace.

Autumn Bunting @ My Blessed Life

i love this wreath.  it's pretty and elegant with a dab of spook. perfect.

 Simple Halloween Wreath @ Nikki, In Stitches

you know i can't resist a bucket list.

Halloween Bucket List @ Makoodle

Wedding Inspiration at Anthro...{around the corner}

The other week, I happened to stop in at Anthropology.  I don't do that nearly enough.  

It's always been one of my favorite stores, but I don't usually have the time to stop. However, when one of my dear friends had her birthday, and I wanted to treat her to a little something from her favorite store, it gave me more than enough reason to visit.

As soon as I walked in, I had to start taking pics. Not just because it was beautiful, or because it welcomed me in with her wonderful smells...but because I couldn't stop seeing wedding inspiration.

centerpiece material

These fun things have DIY written all over them.  It doesn't have to be bought at anthropology!  Wrapping yarn around cylinders and putting different candle holders inside with buttons could be all of $2 for a unique centerpiece!

eclectic decor ideas

grab some cool old bottles and books and set them out to add to the decor of your event.

unique jewelry for bridesmaids

whimsical fall foliage wrapped in gold paper

another DIY vision!

polaroid picture display

I love finding creative ways to display pictures at weddings.  Polaroids make such a statement, and I love the way Anthro hung theirs here. You could find a spot to hang pictures of the past, or to show off the fun from the day of the wedding.  Your guests will have fun taking and viewing them for the entire time!

i may be the only one that thinks wedding all the time, but hopefully, it will give you a little inspiration!  are there stores that you find yourself feeling refreshed and inspired?

Founders Day Party

Remember when I said I was gonna have a party?  Well, last week we had some friends over for the fourth and we had a good ol' fashion founders day party.   It was a blast! We had sack races, and a watermelon roll, lots of sparklers, and tons of great food.  And, for dessert, we had a pie baking contest...with real non-biased judges and everything!

My daughter is to the age where pretty much any project I can do, she can do even better!  I taught her how to do pinwheels, and she couldn't get enough of them.  We used scrapbook paper we had on hand, and didn't worry about the patterns and colors not being the exact color of the flag.  We accented the centers with cute buttons, and they were fabulous.

In my favorite potluck fashion, everyone brought a side dish and we provided the burgers and hot dogs.  Then, for dessert, those who felt up to the challenge, made a pie for the pie baking contest!  It was great.  We had non-biased judges and everything.

I had fun pulling out all my red, white, and blue anything to make a festive tablescape ready for everyone's yummy food to be displayed.

I always love a bargain...I found some paper fans at Dollar Tree, and with a little ribbon and fabric, they were super cute hanging off my back deck!

With a few things on hand, I  changed my staple of a wreath into a little patriotic decor for our front door.  

More to come on that easy project!

Even though it was one of the hottest days we've had yet, we mainly kept the party outside. The pinwheels made great centerpieces and eliminated the need to spend more on flowers.

We sent people on their way with "cookies for the road". Of course, "Homemade in the USA".

The true test of how much I love my job...I love to do it even for free!

If you're looking for a new twist on your July 4th, this fun for all ages party was a great way to spend the holiday together!

Linking up today with one of my favorite artistic communities over at Studio JRU!

 

10 min. LOVELY home makeover

Who says holiday decorations have to be what you see at the drug store hanging up that cost too much money and are plastic, tinseled, and tacky. (did i say that out loud?) Why not use things that you already have, and just think of them in a new way.

If you haven't found this out about me yet, I'll go ahead and spill the beans...I like projects that are inexpensive and easy to do. This applies to cooking...cleaning...decorating...gift wrapping...and on and on. So, yesterday I had the urge to bring in a few Valentine's day pretties, without the fuss. It took a few minutes to shop the house, but with using the base decor that is already here, I added a few things that I simply love.

Here are my 10 minute makeovers for {lovely} home decor.

At Christmas time, my living room sitting table centerpiece was filled with evergreens leftover from the tree trimmings.

I took the evergreens outside, and replaced with my big red candlestick and some fresh greenery. I'm not a huge pink person, so my V-day color is primarily red. (because that's what I have more of!)

I love mixing the sullied silver with the texture of the wood and paper flowers. Even though this centerpiece is a little more understated, it has a naturally romantic look that I love.

While I'm spilling the beans, I guess I should also tell you that I'm not a big heart fan. (gasp). But, the kids of course love decorating with hearts this time of year. So, I found a way to incorporate them, without having them take up the entire house. Their little hearts can be strung around the house in ways that are celebrating their artwork, without giving me twitches from all the hearts.

In another corner of our home, I have this old drop leaf table that I've turned into a desk(ish) of sorts. It's a quiet little reading corner, and I love all the books that came out of my hubby's grandparents home. So, with a few books about love, and a pretty sign my sweetie made me, now I feel like it's spruced up for the season.

My bunting from a former wedding was perfect to hang in our kitchen doorway. I like it so much, I might just leave it there for good!

Buntings are more involved, I know...but a really fun way to make them with the kids is to do them with scrapbook paper. You can cut out the triangles from pieces of paper you have, staple them over a piece of twine or string, and hang them up to create a beautiful doorway design for any season!

If you have chalkboards, change out your quotes or scriptures to focus more on love. That's something I need to be reminded of no matter what the season is!

What do you have at home that celebrates this season?

(The After) Birthday Brunch

Turning 30 may not always feel like something to look forward to. It brings with it the feelings of losing youthfulness, becoming more "mature", and truly being an adult. However, even though the world and culture around us tells us to fight our age... to "defy" age, there's nothing like embracing the milestone with a good ol' party.

When Alisa and I first met and talked about her vision, I was thrilled to see all the creative ideas she had. I knew that this party would be one that I would absolutely love to design. What's not to love about food on sticks and flowers in tea cups?

As any event I design, I have a plan of how I want everything to look beforehand, but pulling it all together and seeing it come together, is always my favorite part.

This is a list of the must haves...something I always like to have when I'm planning.

This is how it all came together...

It was so much fun, and everything turned out fabulous! And with all the details taken care of, Alisa could truly, "keep calm and turn 30."

Linking up with In the Studio.

A Twist on a Tradition

Last year, we had a super fun and very girlie Christmas Tea Party for the girls in my daughter's class. This year, we continued the tradition, but tweaked it just a bit! Since the drink of choice last year was the homemade cocoa, we decided instead of a Christmas "tea" party, we would make it into a...

Christmas Cocoa Party!

(How cute is that...if I do say so myself.)

The great thing about this party, is that it could be a Valentine's party, a winter themed birthday party, for either girl or boy, or just fun playdate for the colder months. Who doesn't love a good cup of cocoa?!

menu:

We knew that we would have some of our favorite goodies, and then some additional Christmas cookies to make it more...well, Christmas-y. We simplified beverages, and had one hot and one cold choice...our homemade hot cocoa, and fruit infused water. The girls had a blast fixing their little dainty plates and definitely came back for seconds...and thirds!

activities:

1. craft time

Last year, the girls loved the craft time, so I wanted to continue that tradition to this year's party. Because I had no idea what I was going to do up until the day of the party (truly), I figured I needed to use something I had on hand...something that was easy...and something that would be fun for them to use again. So I decided that their craft would be mini Christmas garlands!

my little sister being "in charge" :)

It was so cute. They each picked out their own little ribbons and scraps, and loved making them. The mini garlands ended up being about 1/4 of the original garland size, so perfect for their bedroom door, hanging on their bed, or just a little flair for somewhere in their room or home. And, you know me, I love any activity that can double as a favor!

2. toy exchange

My daughter has loved playing the gag gift game every year with our family. She's old enough now to get it, and loves how funny and random it can be...plus the part about opening a present is pretty fun, too. So, this year, she asked if we could play the gag gift game at this party. I thought it would be fun if the girls used one of their own toys (gently used and ready to move on!) as a gift. It was so much fun. The girls got to each take home a "new" toy, without spending a dime. They loved the surprise of opening up a gift to take home! A second little take home goodie.

picture credit: http://realmomkitchen.com/654/classic-hot-cocoa-and-a-hot-cocoa-bar/

3. storytime

After all the goodies and festivities, I like to gather all the girls together to read a Christmas story. It's a great way to share what we believe Christmas is all about with her friends. The girls always love sitting around and hearing a new (or familiar) story.

I think my favorite thing about this party, is that throughout the year, the girls will remember things about the party, and will ask things like, "Are you going to have us over for..." or, "Remember those little white cookies you made?! Can we have those again!"

To know that there are sweet little girls that get as excited about parties as I do, is a joy. I'm so glad my daughter and I can partner together on fun ideas for gathering people together to celebrate life.

my stepmom and i being silly hostesses!

Valentine's Adaption:

menu: Valentine candy, heart shaped cookies, fruit, cheese cut out with heart cookie cutters, hot cocoa, and fruit infused water

activities: Making Valentine's for people with scrapbook paper; mini garland using mainly pink, red, and white; Valentine day story