Blurry Days

It's been WAY too long since I last posted.  I think my glue gun has either forgotten my name or packed up and LEFT me... *singing* "BABY, COME BACK... YOU CAN PUT IT ALL ON ME!"


I must craft or bake or build or make or decorate or paint or SOMETHING and SOON!


So, yes, I've been busy and YES, I've neglected you but please promise, beloved blog, that you too haven't packed up and left me... Promise you'll be here when I come up for air... Let me put this into perspective: hubs bought my dream mixer for Mother's Day (ah, he knows me SO well :) to make my baking life easier (and more fabulous)!  Please note: He doesn't wrap gifts very well and used the Lala Loopsy to "present" the gift to me - haha.  So he. and. I.

Isn't she (the mixer, silly) lovely? Wouldn't she inspire you to bake and bake pretty? I know! I am mad at myself for not using her yet... Well, there HAS been a lot of things going on here lately.  Some of which include:

•  We drove to Savannah, for my sweet cousin Nia's baby shower, where I was asked to provide a DIVA centerpiece with the colors black, white, and HOT pink.  Enter zebra-print duct tape, feather boas and pink daisies to create THIS topiary for the tables: 

•  Southern Charm Tea Party - a fabulous event I hosted for my dear friend's bridal shower. The event was jam-packed with DIY details and requires a separate post but below is a little teaser of me and the bride-to-be:

 

• Legends of Hip Hop Concert - an awesome concert featuring Dougie Fresh, Slick Rick, and Chubb Rock.  Little ol' me was asked to provide VIP decor and floral arrangements... One of the centerpiece options are poorly cell phone captured below:

• Bows/Headbands - With summer comes new clothes and summer bows... Let's just say, we've been BOW-tastic around these parts... I owe some tutorials and they are def forthcoming, pink-ay promise, mmK?! Check out the bows munchface wore to the Vintage Wine Festival (where they have AWESOME activities for children ALLLL DAY), 2 thumbs up!

• Hubby's Spa Day Birthday - Let's just say, he enjoyed himself; the pic speaks for itself:

• Of course we've had playdates -  our sister/cousin Chazzy came by for a tea party playdate and, after make-up and dress-up, they baked their own mini pizzas and I was requested to be the restaurant waitress... I tell ya, never grow up, little ladies, NEVER:

I'm no longer busy, I'm blurry... I don't know how things get done anymore, my days just blur on by sometimes.  I just thank God for freezing a few seconds each day to allow me to check things off of my to-do list. I know, I fully EXPLOIT my "in" with the author of time to complete my to-do list every.single.day.  I thank Him for mercy and safety during my travels during late hours and all over the DMV.  I am confident He will provide more time to stop, bake and create soon... So, yes, I've been M.I.A. and I've been busy but trust me, specific updates are coming in the VERY near future for my sanity's sake!


Ta-ta for today!

PINKALICIOUS Party

Pink. Pink. Pink!!

If you haven't had the pleasure of reading the popular Pinkalicious series, you are truly missing out.  After reading it for the first time with Zion, I couldn't help but envision a fabulous party for little girls.  Think about it, cupcakes?? Pink-ititus? Green food cure? It's everything girly and was quickly added to my "Must Host" list.

IDK if I've told you but Zion won some Valentine's photoshoot with an up-and-coming local photographer (I hired her to photograph Zion's Candy Land birthday party but anyways...).  She mentioned that she wanted to host a party for her daughter's birthday and asked my recommendations for a theme. Could it be? Was this my opportunity to finally host a Pinkalicious party?  Familiar with the story, we immediately got to work planning...

1.  The Candy Buffet - My apothecary jars were filled with all kinds of candy (found for a bargain after Valentine's Day). Behind the buffet, we created a wall of "ruffle streamers" and used my Cricut to cut the letters from glitter cardstock. It turned out beautiful! Check it out:

 

 2. I made polymer clay cupcake rings for each guest.  The clay is so easy to work with that i can't wait to incorporate it into munchface's minnie mouse party as well :) 

 

 

 3. I made headbands for each girl.  The headbands were on clearance after V-Day (originally 3/$1 on sale 3/$.50)... They were so cute and I'm sure the girls will have lots of use left in them :) 

4. Wafer Girls - Dipped in candy melts for hair with edible marker drawn faces... I absolutely LOVE how they turned out... SO CUTE!

5. Games/Activities. I really wanted the themes of the book to translate into activities. Of course there was a moonbounce for the girls to play in while we awaited guest arrivals and once all activities were done (they needed to bounce off some of that sugar). The party started with Grandma reading the story while the girls ate their bagged lunches.  After the story, girls decorated their own Pinkerella tiaras with cupcake stickers and wands.  On their way upstairs, each girl was blindfolded for Pin the Cherry on the Cupcake (mommy painted it for the girls).  Once everyone was upstairs, we re-enacted the story's park scene where she blends in with the peonies and butterflies.  I turned on the Yo Gabba Gabba "Happy Birthday" song and the girls had a blast giggling and twirling in the tissue paper cut outs.  I had the girls get in a semi-circle while mom lit the cake candles and placed it in the center; it made for an awesome photo op. Check out some photos:

Gramma reading the book.

Decorating tiaras. I got the crayon "cupcake wrapper" in a post-Valentine's Day sale for $.10!!

Pin the Cherry on the Cupcake

I can almost HEAR the giggles!



The BEST moment of the party!



Gramma-made Cake

  

The smile only a Pinkalicious Party could bring :)

I'm linking to the following websites (first time and I'm feeling fancy)!

Goodwill Hunting...

Home is a place where memories abound! A place with the purpose of giving visitors a glimpse into intimate moments of its owners' life journeys...


I enjoy telling my family's story and I LOVE the challenge of doing so with the design of our home!  IDK about yours but my story isn't on some shelf at some expensive store so I don't stress making my home look like the catalog (anymore...well, as much).  That's right, my home won't have that perfectly pair of coordinating high heels strategically placed in front of a sofa with the perfect book turned to the perfect page and the throw tossed *just so*...it won't. Well, at least not at this point in my life ;)


The best tip I can give to someone looking to spruce up their domestic life is... THRIFTY is NIFTY! You can find unique pieces no one else will have by visiting Goodwill, Salvation Army, Village Thrift Stores, Antique shops, etc.  The ahhhh factor doesn't come from having nice things fresh out of the box but by having conversation pieces which spark visual interest and have sentimental value.  Things I always check out:


- Breakables - Apothecary jars, plates, vases, cups, etc. They're all cheap and you can almost always find something unique for a great price.

- Frameables - Frames, framed prints, just prints, vintage posters... They come in all sizes and are WAY cheaper than the retail stores... Try an eclectic gallery of frames spraypainted the same color.  Gallery groupings always add visual interest and highlight pictures, frames, and keepsakes for guests to see.


- Sewables - Linens! Everything from placemats and table runners to curtains and sheets...I LOVE to find unique prints and re-purpose them into something else. For example, instead of going to the pricey fabric stores, I bought a an old bridesmaid sash for $.40 and used a small corner of fabric to make this headband:

- Furniture(ables?) - I love to check out the old dressers, side tables, armoires and chairs! I secretly don't think I could EVER have enough of any of them. I need an armoire for the sunroom (to tuck all of the munchface's toys into) and for my hall (to put towels and linens in) and for the basement (for game/man cave storage) and for the home station (to hold homework stuff)...


- Wearables - I love to buy vintage mens' belts, old clutches, and even beaded necklaces... I don't typically hunt for fashionables but I always check out the belts and the accessories (usually at the register). Munchface loves to check out the wedding dresses and I'm sure her dress-up trunk will be filled with old bridesmaid/wedding/prom gowns.


MORAL of the story: don't get so boxed into furniture stores and creating a space where every furniture stain matches perfectly...you might find yourself creating a space for someone else and losing yourself in the matchy-matchy!

Uplifting Sisters Guest Post

I am SO excited! I wrote the first blog post featured on the Uplifting Sisters Blog...OMG! To be affiliated with an organization that does so much for young women is an honor and the FIRST POST?! I mean, talk about being HONORED.


Wanna see????? I know you do! Check it out here.


OMG. Guest blogging? I think I found a new obsession!