Category: Celebrate
Celebrate, Create, Garden

Paint and a Pineapple…

July 25
4 Comments

I LOVE paint!  It can transform any ordinary item into something special!  It’s really one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to make a decorative change…and in my opinion, there’s not much that’s off limits!  Summer is one of the best times of year to have some fun with the colorful stuff…you can spread out the drop cloth and have at it outside!  I’ve got a long list of items that I’d like to change with a can or two of paint…patio chairs, stools, some metal trays, and flower pots.  But the other day I decided to try something unexpected…a pineapple!  I’m sure you may have seen similar ideas before…if not painted pineapples maybe pumpkins or gourds, but I’ve been on a pineapple kick lately so I thought I’d give the tropical fruit a new look! Even though it’s a temporary display if you use fresh produce, it’s completely worth it…and in many cases, you can still eat it after!  See how easy it is to create something wonderful with paint and a pineapple!

unexpected paint job!

Read More →

, , ,
Celebrate, Create

Hen Party

June 20
No comments yet

My family and I have been trying hard over the last year or so to make a point to have small groups of friends in as often as we can!  Everyone is so busy these days it’s practically impossible to see all the people we love to spend time with…and while the timing doesn’t always work for everyone, we’re going to keep right on trying until we’ve gotten to everyone!  So during a week when my husband was traveling I decided to open the doors again…but for girls only this time!  Not only did it provide me with a perfect opportunity to see some of my pals for some girl-time but also allowed me to decorate the patio with a color I don’t get to use often…PINK!  Living in a house full of boys isn’t conducive to decorating with girly colors…even though I find ways to sneak some in from time to time!  But an all out Pepto Bismol fest just doesn’t happen around here…until recently!  So, needless to say, I had a little fun.  Have a peek at my summer inspired, pink and girly gathering!

when the rooster’s away the hens will play!

Read More →

, ,
Celebrate, Create

Sunday Sundaes

June 6
2 Comments

Today I’m going to share a fun treat that I made some time back, not only to dish out to my family but to prepare my first article for our local community magazine Village Life & Home!  I’m so thrilled to share crafting, entertaining, and decorating ideas every now and again in this monthly publication…so if you’re local you’ll see some of my ideas from time to time!  Now that we’ve had some warm weather over the holiday, and the publication arrived in the mail over the weekend, I decided to finally share this simple idea for summer entertaining! Summertime is definitely a season to enjoy frozen treats!  I love serving up cold snacks on a hot, steamy day…and I also know some boys who love eating them!  Several weeks ago when we had the very first glimpse of the heat to come, I decided on a Sunday afternoon to break out the ice cream and create a sundae bar on the patio.  It’s really a very simple thing to do…you can make it as elaborate or minimal as you want.  All you really need is a carton of ice cream and some of your family’s favorite toppings…and I bet if you raid the pantry you’d find plenty of goodies to pile on top without even setting foot in the grocery store!  With plenty of long, summer days ahead and the Fourth of July coming at us soon, a sundae bar would be an easy and festive treat for any celebration!  Get ready to cool off and let your family and friends have some yummy fun creating the perfect…

custom made ice cream sundae!

Read More →

,
Celebrate

Party Like It’s 1920!

May 23
6 Comments

This past school year I took on the task of heading the decorating committee for the After Prom party for our Junior & Senior kids.  It’s been a tradition for many years to create a safe environment to keep the celebration going after the Prom ends, and it’s a collaboration of many parents, school staff, and community members to pull this thing off!  I have to say that it has been a long process but one filled with so much fun and many opportunities to spend time with friends that I don’t often get to see anymore due to life with busy teenagers!  And lucky me, not only was the steering committee a bunch of wonderful girls…but my decorating group was also a handful of some of the best people I know!  These girls not only spent countless hours hashing and re-hashing ideas to transform the High School halls into something spectacular but were also game for some hard labor the week of set-up!  It DEFINITELY was a team effort…and I love these gals even more now that I’ve had a chance to work such long and sometimes hard hours with each and every one of them!  With the other committees being equally diligent to provide entertainment, games, prizes and food…not to mention all the fund raising, volunteer gathering, and financial management (jobs that don’t get enough of the glory)–I think we pulled it off!  So after the big dance the kids shed their party attire, donned some comfy clothes, and partied safely into the wee hours!  And you didn’t even have to attend the Prom to participate in the after party…all were welcome in this evening of festivity and celebration!  Have a peek at our…

Club Gatsby!

Read More →

, , ,
Celebrate

Breakfast “Thank You”

May 9
No comments yet

Saturday turned out to be a wonderful morning for a breakfast on the patio with the girls who volunteered to be on my decorating committee for After Prom.  We’ve been working hard to come up with all the decorations for this school function happening next weekend!  The After Prom Party has been a tradition at our school for years and a wonderful way to keep our kids safe and entertained for the late-night hours following the Prom!  It has actually become quite an event which requires loads of work from all the committee members to create a memorable evening.  And like most school events, it also requires sticking within a budget.  This means lots of pounding the pavement for donations and in the case of our committee, also a TON of hands-on crafting and finagling of props to create the biggest bang for our buck!  We started brain-storming last fall and have been working toward this event ever since!  My committee has put in plenty of personal time…and we also have the biggest, single chunk of time approaching when we begin the process of setting up on Friday!  So to show my appreciation for all the assistance from my friends, I decided that a “thank you” breakfast might be a nice idea!  So Saturday it was, a morning of thankful fun!  The early hours of the day did require a sweater, but it turned to be a fabulous way to begin the weekend…sipping warm coffee, munching on breakfast goodies, and spending time catching up on things other than After Prom!  I’m so grateful for all their help…it really has been a collaboration!

a simple gesture of thanks…

Read More →

, ,
Celebrate, Holidays

It’s Time for a Fiesta!

May 4
No comments yet

Tomorrow is the 5th of May–Cinco De Mayo!  I’d mentioned on Monday how busy the month of May can be…and it seems like there’s more than enough on everyone’s plate these days when it comes to every member of my family!  As the kids have gotten older it just seems commonplace to be super busy, something I’m SLOWLY getting used to!  None-the-less, I’m determined to have a Cinco De Mayo celebration and have been preparing my decorations for days now!  So I’m sharing the fiesta fun that will brighten our table tomorrow…and since everything was already prepared, I took a trial run so I could snap some pics before hand!  I hope you can find some inspiration from my holiday decor–have a peek at our

Cinco De Mayo celebration!

Read More →

, ,
Celebrate, Create, Holidays

Pint-Sized Pinata

May 2
2 Comments

I’m getting so excited for my little family soiree on the 5th!  And as I mentioned last week, the beginning of May is packed with events…May Day, Cinco De Mayo, and Mother’s Day, making it hard to find time for all three!  But this year I’m determined to do it even though I also have the job of heading up the decorating committee for our school’s After Prom Party the weekend following Mother’s Day!  When you’ve got tons on your calendar it helps to prepare as much as you can before hand!  I really try to complete as many of my decorations ahead of time regardless of my schedule…it makes for an almost stress free set-up!  So with all these events looming, I’ve been working a little ahead for just about all of them!  Today I want to share another easy centerpiece that will compliment my balloon chandelier that I made last week…and it’s still looking good!  My Cinco De Mayo table is going to be festively colorful so what better to sit in the center than a tiny pinata!

fill a pinata…without candy!

Read More →

, ,
Celebrate, Create

Balloon Chandelier!

April 27
No comments yet

I’ve been having so much fun with balloons lately…they’re so festive, inexpensive, and perfect for more than just birthday parties!  While preparing for some Cinco De Mayo merry making, I created a colorful, hanging balloon centerpiece for our little celebration.  And though May 5th is a week away, I wanted to share this decoration now since a whimsical balloon chandelier could work for any event!  It’s really easy to assemble and will last for days…maybe even weeks…so you can make it ahead and check one thing off the party to-do list!  So if you’ve got an occasion that could use some easy festivity…take a peek at how simple it can be to make

a colorful & festive chandelier…

Read More →

, , ,
Celebrate, Create

Patio Party!

April 6
No comments yet

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!

Read More →

, ,
Celebrate, Holidays

Egg “Pop”!

March 23
2 Comments

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!

Read More →

, ,