BHLDN - Secret Sale

Just an FYI... BHLDN, Anthro's wedding site is having a secret sale. Up to 60% off party dresses and assessories. Even if wedding planning is far behind you, there are some pretty little things that are wedding guest or nice evening out appropriate. 

sale valid through Friday, July 22nd @ 10 AM EST

Happy Vee's Perfect Day

Happy Vee's birthday was this past weekend, so we spent his special day doing (and eating) all of his favorite things.

We started off the morning with buttermilk pancakes...

but not just ANY buttermilk pancakes...

the birthday boy loved the pancakes, especially the pink & orange ones (his favorite colors)...

and i got to satisfy my "rainbow" obsession ;)



Then we headed to the park for play and a picnic...

weeeee!

After a nap, the new toys were broken-in...

and fortunately, so far, none are broken! these bruder trucks are realistic and loaded with fun options.  they've been keeping the boys busy for long periods of time... thanks grandpa and grandma!

We finished off the day with a family dinner and a birthday sundae...

little man loves his maraschino cherries!  happy 3rd birthday happy vee!

next up... the Bubble Birthday Party!

Oh Martha Monday - Mason Jars

Not just for canning anymore 

 I've seen these glass beauties gracing many blogland parties as cups (presumably holding ice cold lemonade), but there are many other fun and practical uses for mason jars.  Here are some ideas from Martha.

this is a great idea!

sewing kit in a jar

plant-marker protector

glass paint votives

this raspberry orange zest jam recipe sounds delish.

package up the preserves with custom lids-- jam lid label and also these custom canning labels

 if you have or find vintage mason jars, they make lovely centerpieces.  love these aqua blues. i wonder if any of my grandma's canning supplies are still around?  probably not... wish i had saved them.

We had a busy weekend and I'm still recovering... Monday at 5 PM.  I'll be ready to start the week tomorrow! :)

Hope your day was happy!

Weekly Inspiration ~ 7.15.2011

This week I was inspired by...

diy felt craspedia- i've been wanting to try a felt roving project.. this might be it!

via design*sponge :: tutorial by dans le townhouse

 

rainbow parties.  can't get enough of them really.

via kara's party ideas (top photo) ::  little.lovely (bottom photo)

this refurbished peacock blue chest (be sure to click through and see the before!)

via centsational girl

plastic spoon laurel wreath... who da thunk it?

via the nester

iced coffee, the perfect hot day pick-me-up. and no, it's not just about adding ice.

via pioneer woman

Have a wonderful weekend! And if you're in Southern California...Happy Carmageddon! Er, make that "happy stay at home" or "happy better get of of town quick".  It's big news here because they're shutting down a major freeway in the LA Metro area for 53 hours.  You've probably heard about LA's terrible traffic on a regular, non-freeway closure day... Imagine what happens when thousands (millions?) of those cars find alternate routes.... eek!  Yeah, we'll all be happy when it's over.  We're laying low this weekend and staying off the freeways.  Only glitch... The Mister got American Idol tickets (my Mother's Day gift) for tonight... hopefully we'll be able to get back home before they start closing down the on & off ramps.  Shall be interesting!  But I wouldn't miss it for anything... and I'll be able to report back if Scotty is really all that and a bag of chips. :)

Bubble Birthday Party ~ Invitations

One of my favorite parts of planning a party is creating the invitations. Not only do invitations set the theme, but they also give me an excuse to play with a few of my favorite things-- photoshop, paper and glue.

I find that if I'm not designing an invite on the computer, it's best to have a rough draft.  Some people are good at creating on the fly... Not me! I need to plan things out or I end up wasting a bunch of expensive paper.  So here's my rough draft:

And after a few tweaks, here's the final product:

i've made the invitations for all of our boys' birthday parties, some with results better than others, but i think these bubble-inspired invitations are my favorite of the bunch. 

Oh Martha Monday - Creating with Stamps

Try as I might, drawing freehand is not my strongest suit.  I can draw a mean stick figure... but that's about it. This is where stamps come in-- They can add color and personality to just about any project.  This week I'm going to try out some fruit and vegetable stamping with the kids.  Should be fun!

Here are some pretty stamp projects from the folks at Martha.

potato stamp craft - printed tote

and another potato stamp craft - stamped cards

stamped book bindings

stamped stairs

pencil eraser stamp craft

vegetable stamp craft (radicchio)

button stamp gift wrap

apple-print bag

Happy Monday!

Architectural Letter Wall Art

"You are feeling very slee"... Zzzzz

i've had this idea on the brain for quite a while (march of last year, to be exact)

i love the idea of the z's representing sleep, but i wanted to be sure that the overall look is industrial and masculine-- i think the simple letter shape, silver color and the thumbtack "rivets" pull it off.

at first i wasn't sure how to bring in the car theme (which is *very* important to smarty pants)... until it hit me-- zoom!

this is an easy and very inexpensive project-- paper mache letters (@joann's for $2-$4 each) covered with decorative silver duct tape and thumbtacks.  i purchased one 12" letter, two 8" letters and i handcut the two smallest letters from a cardboard box.  they are hanging on the wall with command strips... that's it!

there's a fun 3d aspect to the project too.

not too bad for a project that cost less than $15!

As you can probably tell by the awkwardly blank wall space, Smarty Pant's room is still a work in progress...

still need to come up with something for this wall... perhaps a message board (??)

and i'm thinking of putting in a little eclectic wall gallery to the right of his bed... still looking for all the right pieces to fit the industrial/automotive theme.

[for more details on the developing Car-themed room, click here, here , here & here]

Although it seems as though the hot weather has sapped my creative energy, I'm relieved to find that I am capable of actually completing a project this summer.  Yahoo!  Now back to the pool I go to celebrate!!  :) 

Happy Weekend!

linked to: