Author:Lori
Create

Tissue Pom Tutorial

January 6
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Not sure how you feel about decorating in January but after all the holiday celebrations are over, my house seems a little bare!  And even though there’s a part of me that enjoys the new simplicity, I still can’t help but miss the festivity, the twinkle lights, and the pops of color!  I’m so conflicted about how to make that transition from over-the-top to next-to-nothing…do I go all-out Valentine’s Day a titch early or stick with some seasonal snowflakes until the time seems right to invite cupid in?  Seems a silly thing to get stressed over so I decided to fall back on one of my favorite decorating go-to items…pompoms!  I often make a cluster or two of those happy, paper poms to hang around the house.  If you make them yourself they can come in an endless array of colors making them perfect to brighten your spaces or make any party extra festive!  I happen to use them whether I have a reason to get festive or not…they add a splash of color to my home and just simply make me happy!  When I posted some pretty pastel poms on Instagram yesterday I got a couple of inquiries about how to make them.  I know I’ve demonstrated in the past how I create my poms…but since friends were asking and I was making some anyway, I decided to give another quick and EASY tutorial on how to make these joyful little things!  So in between the winter and spring holidays you might be seeing plenty of poms in my home!  Let me share with you how I DIY…

easy-peasy pretty poms!

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Travel

Fun in The Big Easy!

January 4
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Well we’re now into the first week of the New Year!  I hope everyone enjoyed a holiday that was full of celebrations with family and friends, travel, or just having some time to stay snug in your jammies all day long!  I’m lucky to say I had the pleasure of all of the above this year…and those simple moments are often times the very best of them all!  After our Christmas festivities came to an end, my family and I headed to New Orleans for a few days for some colorful sight-seeing, exploring, eating, eating, and more eating!  None of us had ever been there before and weren’t sure exactly what to expect…I guess that’s the fun of investigating new places!  The truth is, we were blown away with the city–how easy it was to explore, the colorful and kind personalities of its citizens, the music, the festivity that never ends, AND the food…oh my was it ever good!  All I can say about that part is that my boys were thrilled but I’m glad to be back on a normal diet! (I sure did enjoy every bite though!) So without going on and on about how we fell in love with this city, let me share a glimpse of what we saw…

living well in NOLA!

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Holidays

Cocoa & Cookies!

December 21
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Well, the big day is almost here and I FINALLY feel fairly prepared for all the celebrations!  Since the last day of school is today, we can soon start baking cookies and getting ready for all the holiday callers!  And it’s a fact that we will be loaded with plenty of gingerbread, sugar, and other varieties of Christmas cookies, so we NEED to have a warm and toasty drink to go with them!  One of my favorite sips during the holidays (and actually all winter long) would have to be hot cocoa!  We serve it up often when the cool winds begin to blow, but there’s something about Christmastime that give us the opportunity to doctor them up in holiday style!  At our annual Christmas Eve Gumbo I usually prepare the hot drink…but this year I thought a Cocoa and Cookies bar was in order!  It’s a perfect opportunity to make it special with plenty of friends stopping by all evening for a cup of soup…AND some sweets and hot chocolate to wash it all down!  If you caught the Holiday Hop last week, you got a good dose of inspiration…including some festive cocoa displays!  Lucky for me, I also soaked in the wonderful ideas that inspired my own cocoa station for my family and holiday guests!  Hot cocoa is easy to make and you really don’t need much to go with it to create a treat table that will delight kids and adults alike!  So with a few days left before Santa arrives, you still have plenty of time to create a holiday treat for whoever may come calling!  Have a peek at what I’ll be serving up on Christmas Eve…

hot, hot, hot chocolate!

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Create, Holidays

Tag It!

December 19
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Christmas is getting closer and if you’re anything like me this year…you might find yourself a bit behind!  Nothing wrong with that though!   In fact, it can be fun to finish all those final touches later in the month…it’s so festive in the house with the tree finally up and possibly some snow on the ground.  What better time to get in the holiday mood!  But that said, it’s easy to fall under some stress worrying about getting everything finished.  If you’ve got some wrapping to do, I’d like to share some simple gift tag fun!  Good for much more than just labeling a gift…you can decorate with them too!  Gift tags can be just as festive on a tree or on the table!  Take a peek at some last minute Christmas fun…and make your season bright!

more than just a label!

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Celebrate, Holidays

Holiday Party Hop!

December 16
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Happy Friday everyone!

…and welcome to the final day of the 2016 Holiday Party Hop hosted by the talented and inspiring mirrabellareations!

HOLIDAY HOP

I’m beyond thrilled to have joined the other 18 fabulous hosts who are so completely gifted…it’s really been a joy reading along all week–and also feeling as though I’d like to copy each and everyone of them yet this season!  Not only have I gained so much inspiration for the holidays and beyond, but have had the pleasure of meeting these creative gals and sparking some wonderful new friendships!  If you’re hopping over from custom_maed…I’m sure you had a great time scrolling through her inspiring idea for a holiday s’more kit!  Wasn’t it wonderful?  If you missed it you can back up and check her out…

party hop 17

or see all the fun from the beginning right here!  you’ll find your way to the final stop on the  holiday hop at the end of my post!

partyhop 18

It’s hard to measure up to all the fabulous ideas from the entire week…but I’d like to share some simple tips that might help to make your gatherings jolly!  I can hardly believe that we’re past the midway mark in the month with only 8 more days until Christmas Eve…where did the time go?  But the good news is we STILL have plenty of time to celebrate the season!

get ready for some Fa La La…

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Favorite Things

Christmas Favorites!

December 14
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It’s getting closer and closer to the big day…and I certainly hope you’ve been enjoying the season to it’s fullest!  I’m still not finished with my holiday shopping for my family yet and it seems like I’m on a treadmill…working hard but not getting anywhere!  But even though I’m not feeling very successful shopping for my kids and my hubby, I can still share some fun, little favorites I found along the way!  And I may not have tons to wrap right now, but when I do, these goodies will be just right for dressing up those holiday packages!  Everything I’m featuring today is pretty simple.  Maybe I’m drawn to them because I need some simplicity in my season at the moment, maybe it’s because they’re just simply cute…either way, I’d like to share them with you today!

simple. easy. cute.

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Holidays, Travel

Outing at the Butter Barn!

December 12
2 Comments

One thing I love about the holiday season is the chance to take in as much inspiration as I possibly can!  I have so much fun browsing the shops…you can get so many ideas for entertaining and decorating just by checking out all the displays!  And what would make this inspiration seeking even more fun?  To do it with friends!  On Friday afternoon I had the opportunity to head over to a wonderful little antique shop that I’ve been dying to see!  The Butter Beans Antiques Barn (also known as Butter Beans or Butter Barn) has come up in many conversations…my friends who’ve been there sing its praises and have been urging me to go!  But life always seems to get in the way and shockingly, it’s been over a year since i found out about this darling treasure trove!  So a couple of girlfriends and I hopped in the car and headed across the Michigan border to seek out all the fun!  Check out the link to the Butter Bean Facebook page so you can find out when they open their doors to the public and get plenty of inspiration for yourself!  If you’re in the southeast Michigan or Northwest Ohio area you really need to check them out!  This past weekend they had a holiday open house…let me share a glimpse of the joy!

merry and bright holiday outing…

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Celebrate

“A” is for…

December 9
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I have a child who asks for nothing.  He can never come up with anything that he really wants for holiday or birthday wish lists.  As he has gotten older, there is the occasional “necessity” that comes to his mind…but rarely an idea that is exciting or fun.  And while I’m happy he’s such a content soul, it does make gift giving seasons a bit rough for those of us who want to treat him to a surprise!  With the holidays approaching I begin to have a little anxiety over what to leave under the tree…and bonus, his birthday is in December too!  Now i have back-to-back celebrations to sweat out…trying to pry out the slightest hint of something, anything he might be hoping for!  Thankfully I have friends who not only know my son well, but are willing to lend their creative minds and skills to help me come up with something fun, simple, and sweet for the easy going birthday boy!  Today I want to share this collaborative idea…I hope you can find some gift giving inspiration for any holiday or celebration!

a birthday surprise…

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Holidays

Utilitarian Twist!

December 7
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You know how much I love to recycle my items…I can hardly throw anything away because in the back of my mind I believe there’s a purpose for it somewhere!  Fortunately for my family’s sake, I don’t have a problem discarding things that I’ve not used for a long time…I can pass them along for someone else to create their own treasures!  I’m certain my husband is at least thankful for that!  But in general, I often find that hanging on to certain items and reusing them can save an awful lot of money AND these utilitarian things can be transformed into something really cute and unique!  Plus, there’s lots of common household goodies, supplies, and serving pieces that are just too cute to be tucked away in a cupboard…so why not find alternate ways to utilize them while they’re taking a rest from their intended uses!  At the urging of one of my friends, I’ve decided to share a couple ways I’m decorating for the holidays using some of my utilitarian favorites from my pantry and more!

holiday decor from the cupboard!

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Holidays

Wrap Station

December 5
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I’ve barely begun to shop for all my Christmas gifts this year.  When the kids were little I usually had everything purchased by Thanksgiving, wrapped, and hidden shortly thereafter!  Well, those days are certainly over!  It seems the older they get the busier we are…AND they either can’t come up with ideas for their wish lists or keep changing their minds!  So, I have yet to purchase one thing for my children…but I sure am ready to wrap!  Whether you’ve finished your shopping, are somewhere in the middle, or have not yet begun, creating a fun place to wrap up those treasures can make the holiday feel more merry!  It can be stressful to shop AND it can be stressful to wrap…but I find when I gather my supplies together before I start, the process is so much more joyful!  And since last week I shared some creative ways to wrap up your goodies I thought it would be fitting to share some simple ways to keep organized so you can enjoy the season!

pull out the wrappings…it’s Christmastime!

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