Author:Lori
Create, Garden

April Showers Bring…

April 20
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Can you believe that it’s approaching the end of April already!?  We’ve had such a roller coaster ride with the temperatures that it really makes me feel like I don’t even know what season it is from day to day!  But the reality is that spring has sprung and May is on its way!  One of my favorite memories as a child is making May baskets with my mom and secretly delivering them to the front doors of neighbors and friends as a springtime surprise.  I love this tradition and still TRY to keep it each year!  Even though it may not always be in a basket or delivered as a ring-and-ditch, doorstep surprise…each year I choose a different friend and offer up a tiny bunch of posies to celebrate spring!  I’ve discovered that delivering May Day baskets is a tradition that is unfamiliar to some.   I grew up thinking it was as much a holiday as Valentine’s Day…and if you’ve never celebrated it before I guarantee that it’s as much fun to deliver as it is to receive!  Last year the May Day elves left me a darling gift hanging sweetly on my doorknob…and though I figured out the identity of the lovely girls who left it…part of the fun can be the wonder!  However, today I’d like to share a fun and easy way to offer up some springtime blooms that you can deliver by hand.  I decided to share this a tad early so you can be prepared for the fun…May flowers will be sure to brighten someone’s day!  See how easy it is to spread the love…

deliver a May Day bouquet!

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Create, Favorite Things

Washi Wonder!

April 18
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It’s no secret that washi tape is good for almost any kind of crafting, decorating, or wrapping up pretty gifts and favors!  I LOVE that there are so many choices out there now in hundreds of colors and styles…making it so easy to find tons of favorites!  I use washi tape a lot when i entertain, i really like it for adhering food labels to tables or serving dishes and it’s wonderful for taping up banners and buntings since it won’t damage walls or furniture!  But I have to admit, I really haven’t done much else with it…even though I see fabulous ideas from fellow bloggers and on Pinterest!  So while I was shopping for some crafting supplies for a school event, I spied some sweet paper products including washi tape…and fell in love!  I’m telling you, washi tape is perfect for everyday celebrations…making ordinary events seem extra special with simple decorative touches!  See how this fun tape, combined with minimal party supplies made my simple movie night look marvelous!

never settle for wishy-washy…

make it washi-wonderful!

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Garden

Sprout!

April 15
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Even though we’ve had the weirdest weather recently, preparations for spring and summer must move forward!  We were teased with summer-like temperatures early on only to have spirits crushed by freezing winds and even snow!  But the reality is that spring and summer will eventually get here and I need to be ready to plant my garden when they do!  Each year my family decides what veggies we’re going to plant in our tiny garden…and though we now stick to mostly planting our favorites, we always try one new addition!  But this year we’re trying something we’ve never done before when it comes to planting…we’re starting most of our garden from seed!  So when we got home from our trip to DC I literally froze my fingers off at the potting table trying to get this garden started!  No matter the cold temps, working with dirt is a messy job so it HAD to be done outdoors!  But the wonderful thing was knowing that these tiny seeds would soon be a reminder of what’s to come…sprouts mean springtime!  And while we wait until they’re big enough to plant in the ground we had some fun with another whimsical project involving seeds…

it’s time to start planting!

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Create, Savor

3-2-1…Cake!

April 13
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It’s so much fun to spend time in the kitchen with kids…something I’ve enjoyed doing ever since my boys were little!  It doesn’t matter whether we’re preparing a grand meal or the simplest of snacks…when our family gathers in the kitchen it really does feel like the heart of the home!  I don’t claim to be a great cook or baker…but I LOVE to do both and hope to pass some of that passion along to the boys.   So through the years I’ve always kept my eyes open for fun recipes that will keep them active in the kitchen!  I was reminded recently of one of my favorite baking projects and thought it was definitely worth sharing!  Not only is it easy, but it’s tasty AND fun for kids (or adults) of any age!  Let me share with you how three little steps is all it takes to…

let them eat cake!

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Create, Decorate

Personal Gallery

April 11
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If there’s one thing I love seeing in homes it’s a gallery wall!  Not only do they look great but they’re such a wonderful way to display the unique personalities of all who live within those walls!  It’s also lovely to highlight cherished photos or mementos that can take you on a stroll through memory lane each time you pass them!  The other thing I absolutely love about a gallery collection is that there are NO rules…which is the kind of decorating application that I follow religiously!  You just gather the things you love the most and start creating!  Today I’d like to share some simple suggestions and tips for creating a gallery wall for any room.  Have a peek at the one I started…

reveal your personality on a wall!

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Travel

DC in Bloom!

April 8
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Our spring break plans were somewhat different this year…normally we spend time in Florida hanging with my parents who reside in the sunshine state all winter long!  It’s so great to have a place to stay near the beach, with a washer and dryer, AND a chef…since my mom knows her way around a kitchen!  But we were thrown for a loop this year when we realized that my oldest, who’s taking some courses at The University of Toledo, was not on break at the same time as our school!  While he was on vacation as far as the High School was concerned, the University…not so much!  And since he had an exam during that week we couldn’t even consider skipping…not that we would promote that, but for Florida–maybe!  So we found ourselves scrambling to find something to do during our break!  And though we couldn’t relax on a beach, we did have enough time to head to Washington DC for a weekend getaway…so we packed up and hit the road right after the exam on Thursday!  We’ve been to DC several times to visit my husband’s family but I’ve never seen the cherry blossoms in bloom and was really excited to catch a glimpse of what I’ve heard was a magnificent sight!  And what a sight it was…and today I’d love to share it with you!

in full bloom…

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Celebrate, Create

Patio Party!

April 6
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I’m not sure what happened exactly to all the warm weather…but I refuse to let this cold spell dampen my spirits when it comes to preparing the patio for those much anticipated gatherings!  My family practically lives on the patio from the first warm days in spring all the way through the final days of fall…enjoying each and every second of the great outdoors!  We don’t have a grand patio by any stretch but we are fortunate to have a covered one.  Not that it really makes a difference in enjoying the outside elements…any outdoor space will work when it comes to creating a place to extend your living areas!  I love the casual style of outdoor decorating and entertaining…there’s something so relaxed about being outside that lets you throw caution to the wind and have some fun with your spaces!  One of the ways I prepare my patio for all those summertime parties and casual dinners is to create a space similar to my own dining room…including an outdoor buffet!  It’s so easy to add elements of your indoor spaces to the outside ones…and if you love to shop garage and rummage sales as much as I do, you can do it on a dime!  Of course, you can find wonderful patio furniture specifically made for the wear and tear of the elements and you can definitely mix and match just about whatever you want to make your space uniquely yours!  So get ready to create an outdoor haven just right for your family…today I’d like to share what I added to mine!  I hope you can find some inspiration from my garage sale creation made specifically for…

celebrating on the patio!

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Favorite Things

Five Dollar Favorites!

April 4
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I Hope everyone had a wonderful spring break…if you had a break last week!  We rolled in last night from Washington DC…always a fun time and the best part–the cherry blossoms were still blooming!  It was my first time seeing them in all their glory and I can’t wait to share all the beautiful sights later this week!  But in the meantime…when I find wonderful little trinkets and treasures–I just HAVE to share them!  And today the fun things I’m sharing are all under five dollars!!  I love to have fabulous go-to items for gift giving and entertaining…you never know when you may need a quick hostess gift or a favor!  And I’m also thrilled when I can find economical goodies that look like a million!  Spring is finally here, ready and waiting for all those patio & backyard gatherings to begin…so you might need some goodies to make your party complete or to give a token of thanks to that special host!  Let me share with you some five dollar favorites you may want to add to your list!

love it big…spend little!

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Holidays

Set the Easter Table…

March 25
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Happy Good Friday everyone!  I can hardly believe that this is Easter weekend already…but the warmer temperatures have certainly disguised the fact that the holiday is early this year!  And since it’s been warm, I’m thrilled to now have my daffodils blooming a bit early too…which is a true indicator that it’s time to decorate my holiday table!  This is a task that I ALWAYS look forward to, and enjoy planning it almost as much as sitting around it!  So since the holiday is upon us, I’ll keep it short and sweet today…just focusing on a simple table to celebrate the joyous season!

gather ’round the table…

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Celebrate, Holidays

Egg “Pop”!

March 23
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As my kids have grown I’ve tried to tweek our celebrations to fit their ages and current interests.  I’ve always been a big proponent of allowing my boys to be KIDS for as long as possible…you only get to do it once!  And as they grow, as kids tend to do, I will never stop the celebrations, the after school snacks, the crafting and baking…I just need to change it up and grow it up without loosing the youthful whimsy!  Even though they occasionally tease me…they certainly seem to be enjoying it!  I don’t believe I’ve ever had to FORCE them eat a special treat or to search for a clue leading them to a hidden holiday gift!  I want them to keep all those special memories…and the fact is that the older they are, the more vividly they may remember them!  So, as long as they’re in the house they’ll have those opportunities to just be kids!  Of course, there’s no stopping the growing up part…but I can certainly keep some of that childlike enthusiasm alive along the way!  This brings me to today’s post–it’s almost time to hide those Easter eggs…a tradition that we still keep at our house!  We don’t hide them outside anymore and we make the hunt much harder every year that they get older…sometimes so difficult that we find a stray egg or two several weeks later!  So this year I was trying to come up with something a bit different…and I think they’ll have a blast with this one!  I’d like to share with you a cute idea that would really be fun for kids of ALL ages…

put some “kaboom” in your egg hunt!

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