Category: Favorite Things

Favorite Party Supplies to Have on Hand!

January 17
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You all know how much I love to entertain…and keeping a few party supplies at my fingertips makes it easier & more affordable to invite friends in or surprise my family with an unexpected treat!  I’d like to share a couple facts about entertaining:  it’s not necessary to have party-planning experience to make your guests feel special ~ you don’t need to own tons of party decorations to make things look festive ~ you don’t need to spend a lot of money ~ you DEFINITELY don’t need an actual excuse to celebrate!  So today, let’s look at entertaining more like planning out a meal…you can stock up for occasions just like you do your food pantry!  I’m really excited to show you some of my favorite supplies I always keep on hand to make my celebrations as easy as they are fun!  I’ll even share a peek at how I store them!  Grab a pad & paper and put some of these goodies on the list…

party supplies for “any day” parties!

Ultimate Cocktail Party Ideas & Inspiration!

April 9
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With the arrival of spring and summer on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about seasonal cocktail parties!  Spring is such a wonderful time for celebrating…the warm temperatures, fresh new colors, and frankly, the mere idea of being outside after a long winter are all reasons that this season causes so much excitement about entertaining!  I was recently asked by Wayfair to share some inspiration AND some of my favorite things to help host the ultimate, springtime cocktail party!  I’m sure you can imagine that not only was I beyond thrilled but jumped at the opportunity to fantasize a bit…scrolling through the gazillion choices of products perfect for entertaining in spring & summer style!  So today I’m offering up some cocktail party inspiration, favorite finds, decorating ideas, tips, and even a tutorial to get you ready and excited to host your next event!  A cocktail party can be over-the-top or simple & sweet…but the main reason for hosting is to gather our most favorite people around us!  So today I’d like to begin by sharing a drink table fit for toasting the arrival of spring!  The theme is simple…but one you can build on to create your ultimate party or just a simple celebration of the new season!  So let’s raise a glass…

and celebrate spring with a cocktail party!

Monday’s Favorites

June 5
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It has been a really busy last couple of weeks around here!  School ending, baseball frenzy, parties galore…and my oldest graduating from High School!  I’m actually surprised that I was able to keep my head above water!  So needless to say today I’m keeping it short and sweet so that I can get caught up and wrap up some some things before we FINALLY get to enjoy summer vacation!  And speaking of summer, I’m sharing some favorite things today that are perfect for all your warm-weather gatherings!  With so much happening lately I realized I hadn’t done a “favorite things” in quite some time…and I will remedy that today!  So have a peek at some summertime goodies that I think will be your favorites too!

get ready for summer fun!

Favorite Things

February 16
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Happy Thursday!  I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day doing something that made you feel special!  It was a busy week around my house with several gatherings, celebrations, and events all falling within a couple days time!  And for me, that’s not the norm!  I’m so content to hang at home that when I don’t have those opportunities it can make my week feel a little frazzled!  But frazzled or not, it was an lovely holiday week and BONUS, we now get a 4 day weekend due to a teacher work day and Presidents’ Day…and I’m so thrilled to have that extra time with my family!  So today I’d like to share some favorite things…some festive goodies for those “everyday” celebrations & upcoming holidays, AND a fun and EASY treat from the oven!  I hope you’ll love them as much as I do!  Take a peek…

celebrate simple moments!

Cupid Season…

January 18
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As you probably now know, one of my most favorite things to do is help my friend Amy at Alice-Louise Press change her displays for the seasons!  It’s such a fun day for me…I get to spend time with my pal, get a little creative, rearrange furniture, and check out first hand all the new goodies she gets in!  We’d already done a display “quick fix” after the Christmas season was over…but it was time to add a little Valentines joy AND start making room for wedding season!  So last Sunday afternoon we filled the hours changing it all up…

see what’s new…

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.

Holiday Party Favorites

November 16
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Thanksgiving is just over a week away…and you know that means Christmas festivities will soon begin!  In fact, some people celebrate both holidays at the traditional feast, especially if this is the only occasion they can get together!  So I don’t really believe I’m rushing by sharing a couple holiday favorites now…giving you time to go out and grab them before they’re gone!  I love to entertain, and it’s especially fun during the holidays when the celebrations just seem to be extra festive!  But I also love easy decorations and disposable party supplies which make set up AND clean up a breeze!  Take a peek at a couple of goodies that are just right for celebrations without putting a dent in your Christmas budget…

easy, festive faves!

Favorite Things!

November 11
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Aside from sharing all the goodies within the walls at Alice-Louise Press, I haven’t done a “favorite things” post for quite some time!  With Thanksgiving coming so soon, I wanted to feature some wonderful finds from another favorite place to shop…Target!  If I had the time, I believe I could wander the isles for hours…scouring even the most utilitarian displays in search of that perfect score!  They make it SO easy to stumble across items that somehow call to you!  I can’t even go in for a jar of peanut butter without leaving with at least one extra little thing…I guess they really know what they’re doing!  But that’s another story about the fine art of marketing…today I’ll stay focused on that feast at the end of the month and these favorites to help with the holiday!

get some goodies for Thanksgiving…

Decking the Halls

November 9
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On what might have been the warmest day of the week, what was I doing?  Decorating for Christmas of course!  It was pretty funny that while we were working feverishly to decorate Alice-Louise Press with holiday festivity…we were actually feeling feverish due to the heat!  No complaints, however…I got to enjoy a beautiful day while decorating for the most festive season with my good friends AND with the shop windows wide open!  Not a bad Monday!  And by the end of the day the store was transformed into a holiday wonderland…filled with unique gifts, holiday cards and invites, and decorations to get your home ready for the season!  Take a peek at the magic…

Christmas has arrived…

It’s Apple Pie Time!

October 10
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We have several family traditions that we try to fulfill each year…one of my favorites is apple picking! The bonus on the back end of this tradition is spending an afternoon in the kitchen whipping up some apple pie fillings to satisfy our sweet cravings throughout the year until it’s picking time again!  We usually head to the orchard early in October to get our favorites before the trees are bare but we’ll always make the trip even if we can’t go at the most opportune time!  This year we got really lucky and could squeeze it in while the trees were just dripping with fruit…it also happened to be the Apple Butter Festival that weekend!  So while it was fun to see all the activities, crafts, and food offerings, the lines were almost too long to bear AND our favorite apple cider doughnuts were completely sold out for the day!  But that just means that we’ll HAVE to make another quick trip for a bag full of sugary goodness…like I said, it’s tradition!  Even though we didn’t get our doughnuts, we did spend a perfect fall day filling up our half-bushel bag with a combo of Granny Smith and Jonathan apples right from the tree!  And a week later…it was time to peel, chop, and cook the fruit into gooey, bubbly, sweet smelling pie fillings to keep in the freezer!  So that’s exactly what we did yesterday afternoon…spent some time together making the kitchen smell absolutely heavenly!  And along with the fillings, we HAD to make a pie too…just to make sure everything tasted OK of course!  I’ve shared my grandmother’s recipe before but I’ll include another printable copy…just in case you missed it!  It’s SO good and SO easy…I really hope you try it!

fun in the orchard…fun in the kitchen!