Outdoor Shabby Pink Baby Shower

A couple of weeks ago, I aided in hosting a baby shower for a new mommy-to-be. Knowing that the upcoming bundle of joy is to be a girl, we pulled out all the pinks and threw her an outdoor shabby baby shower. I sincerely wish I had more time to devote to this sort of thing because it really was a lot of fun to plan!

We started with a large back yard, added a few white tents, some shabby décor and fresh flowers. What we didn’t count on but received anyway, was lots of rain and really bad hair! We didn’t let the rain spoil the day; we counted it as good luck instead…just like rain on a wedding day. Prior to the shower, I began “researching” ideas, like I do for most all of my projects. Fabric bunting banners are very popular right now and come in a multitude of themes and styles. I thought they would be a nice shabby addition to the shower and they looked simple enough to make. In another post, I’ll show you just how easy they are! Another décor element that punched up the color factor were tissue paper pom-poms. Talk about inexpensive and easy! There are a multitude of resources out on the web on how to make these. I definitely suggest giving them a try for your next party…or even just for the fun of it! We had a simple brunch menu catered by a local friend that consisted of warm chicken salad, broccoli salad, fresh fruit, and muffins. Lovely choices for a warm, rainy, late morning baby shower. An interesting aspect to the menu wasn’t just the food but what the food was served on. An idea I had been dying to use for quite some time and look forward to building upon in the future. Mismatched china in a wonderful array of shabby patterns and colors! The town I live in has three Goodwill stores and I scoured each and every one of them to find enough dishes to use for the shower. I not only came across steals but some very lovely pieces as well. I think I could have gone hog-wild picking out shabby plates, glasses, and other table pieces of the sort. Fortunately for my pocket book, I was seven months pregnant and unable to carry too many fragile, heavy dishes. Vintage cloth napkins in varrying pink patterns were also used to add color to the tables and give a shabby appeal. I had a friend of mine arrange the flowers using white porcelain vases and pitchers which were actually left over from my own wedding reception. I love these vases and any excuse that allows me to use them! I think any flower color looks nice against fresh white porcelain, especially pink shabby ones! We also had light music playing in the background, which you obviously cant "see" in the pictures. I love mood music, it helps to set the tone to whatever type of gathering you're hosting. But all the sights and sounds dont hold a candle to the wonderful feeling of love that surrounds a new mother-to-be. For all those that gather in her honor, are truly a blessing!

Baby Shower Pocket Invitation

Busy as a bee, that is me! I was asked to help coordinate a baby shower for a family friend so the first thing on the list is the invitation. I pulled out my simple pocket card recipe for a slightly shabby pink, baby shower invitation. The Baby Love labels were cut from Nestabilities ovals and adorned with a simple pink paper rosette. The band was comprised of two pink shades of satin ribbon. The actual invitation card pulls out of the pocket to read details for the event. A quick and easy invitation!

A little of this and a lot of that...

Hello my friends! It's been almost two weeks, where have you been?! Oh wait, its me that's been MIA. So sorry about that, things have been busy. Last week I had several homework assignments due so blogging had to wait, which means my report on the Fourth of July had to wait, as well as all subsequent events. *sigh* Such is life huh? So let me rewind 10 days and give you a brief overview of the holiday.

What started as a "picnic" idea, turned into a full fledged cookout...albeit a small one. The invitees received this little e-vitation that I conjured up at the last minute using some freebie digi stuff and Publisher.

Max started the night before with a "secret recipe" for a chicken rub, which was applied and left to marinate over night. He stuck the chickens in the oven at noon and slow cooked them all afternoon long. Then, he smothered them in Sweet Baby Rays and fired up the grill. De-lish! The chicken was accompanied by baked beans, corn muffins, a couple of salads, fresh lemonade, and for dessert...homemade cheesecake (my brother rocks at cheesecakes!!) and my mom's cherry delight. We were all stuffed, no doubt about it.

I wanted to keep things simple so that I could enjoy the company and good food, so I covered the tables in...sheets! Yep, navy blue, twin flat sheets...from Walmart...at a whopping $3!! Sheets are a really great, and inexpensive, way to tie your party scheme all together. When you're done, just throw them in the wash, fold, and they're ready to use for something else (just not your bed!). In the centers of the tables, I added, again, very simple and inexpensive, arrangements that doubled as take-homes for each family. I love the gesture of sending the guests home with a token of the event! In this case, I picked up a simple potted annual, set it in the middle of a red handkerchief, gathered up the sides, and secured with a rubber band and then coordinating ribbon. Really simple, took a whole 5 minutes to do! Wouldn't violets, or another delicate flower, look darling with crisp white vintage hankies tied with satin and lace? Give that idea a try at your next ladies luncheon or shower. If using them at a shower, you could make them small, add a stake with the guest's name, and it doubles as a place marker and a take-away! Now I want to throw a shower...but I digress!! Anywho, here's how they turned out:


I added a few candles to the tables, as well as some cut out stars that I made the night before with my star punch. I also made napkin rings with those stars and ribbon to hold the cutlery but I didn't get a picture of those. But all I did was punch the star, cut two slits in the middle, then thread the ribbon in one side and back through the other so that both ends are in the front. Pull the "loop" away from the back so that you can insert the napkin rolled cutlery, then pull the ends tight and tie. Hello, simple! I also distressed the stars with some gold ink to snazz them up a bit.

So, after dinner we headed to Purdue to watch the fireworks from atop the press box at the football stadium. Hello, VIP, step aside... A different take on watching fireworks but we enjoyed it. They had a raffle...of which I won the GRAND PRIZE (an awning covered lawn chair)!! Sometimes I can be rather lucky...

Lets see, so after all of that, my three nieces who are home to see their dad for the summer, stayed the night with us. The next day I took them to the lake to see my brother and his family and to just hang out. I've learned that it doesn't matter how old you are, digging for seashells is still fun!

(More on these shellies later!)

I guess I was too busy enjoying the sun and failed to take any pictures. Except for these few of my squirly nephew and his dad...this kid is such a stink!!



You really cant tell in the photo, but this sandman was complete with muscles and a *ahem* "package". Niiiice!

So, after that enjoyable day, we headed back home, the girls stayed the night again, then the next day I took them home with plans to redo, "do" is more like it, their bedroom. Again, no pictures, but we painted the very very white room cocoa brown, then I picked up some white and brown polka dot sheets, aqua solid and stripped coverlet, and a coordinating rug. We took the seashells gathered from the lake, cleaned them in bleach water to rid them of any creepy crawlies, and the girls and their dad were going to finish putting them in jars to add as decor. I had some misc. frames and sea decor to give them so the room had an overall beachy theme to it. Dad liked it and so did they. Just took a couple of hours and we had a whole new look!

Okay, so that almost brings me to current with postings. Oh but wait, there is still so much more to share!! Sorry folks, you'll have to stop by tomorrow to see what I was up to alllll weekend long around this joint. What? You want a hint? Okay, here's just a little inspiration snipit to tide you over...

See you soon!

Let's Entertain!

It's Friday so here are a few snippets of summer entertaining inspiration that can be found on the pages of these two fabulous books:


You can find these and other great books at a discounted price here and here. LOVE these books!

I've had picnics on the brain lately and have been gravitating towards ideas that are outside, simple, and a bit vintage. These pictures depict all of the above.







A few patriotic ideas to get us in the mood for the great American celebration:


And finally, here's the recipe for the Southwestern Layered Salad listed above:

"Served individually in one-pint Mason jars, this salad is great for taking on the road!"

8 oz container sour cream
3 oz package cream cheese, softened
10 oz can tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 t cumin
4 c romaine lettuce, shredded
2 to 3 tomatoes, chopped
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz can corn, drained
1 sweet red onion, chopped
15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 red peppers, chopped
Garnish: shredded sharp cheddar cheese, green onion, chopped

Combine sour cream, cream cheese, tomatoes with chilies, and cumin in a blender; process until smooth. Chill. Layer vegetables in order given among eight, one-pint Mason jars. Spoon sour cream mixture over top; sprinkle with cheese and green onion. Cover and chill for one hour. Makes 8 servings.

I love this idea, but I have to wonder, how do you get your fork down to the bottom of the jar?!

Let's Entertain!

It’s Friday which means I bring to you some entertaining tips and goodies. All of today’s pictures and information came from Country Home, a great magazine I recently stumbled upon and am really enjoying.

I love the outdoors and especially enjoy entertaining outside or alfresco style eateries. Keep these ideas in mind next time you are out antiquing, flea market shopping, or planning a summer get-together.

Just Can It!

A vintage wire basket used for canning jars becomes the perfect companion for organizing silverware at a picnic or alfresco table.

Get Carried Away!

Reuse old tin pans with newly constructed handles as a carrier for drinks or condiments.

Spring Into Action!

A tired bedspring can be awakened with a bright napkin and party snacks. Another idea would be to place a small vase of flowers inside to use as table décor.

Bright Idea

Industrial light covers can be turned into lovely luminaries with simple paper supplies and a tea light.

Standing Tall!

A metal bucket and some vintage napkins are used to create an adorable beverage station.

Hold That Thought!

Vintage candle molds become handy holders of all things pretty with nothing more than pieces of ribbon used to bring out their natural beauty.

Father's Day Shortcake

All of my posts have posted in reverse order today, so I apologize for that.

It has become my recent tradition to take my dad strawberries and shortcake for Father's Day. He doesn't like gifts usually, says he has enough shirts and doesnt need anything else. He doesnt need homemade strawberries and shortcake with real cream either but I think he deserves it at least once a year, so that's what I take him.

I'm all about presentation, when at all possible, so I wanted to do something simple yet creative for the dads' gift. I picked up a few cute baskets at Hobby Lobby for just a couple of bucks as well as red bandanas. I was only able to fit the shortcake in the baskets so the strawberries and cream were kept separate.



Im sure you could find these baskets in various sizes so keep this idea in mind next time you have a carry-in, reunion, or other summer-time party to take food too. It is a really inexpensive and easy way to liven up your presentation.

Oh, and here's the Father's Day card I made. Very simple...as I was just learning how to use my new dies!

Let's Entertain!

June. I lovey June! There are so many wonderful things about this month; my birthday, our anniversary, my birthday, my parents anniversary, my birthday, summer arrives, flowers, sunshine, my birthday… June is the most popular month for weddings, mine included, and with weddings come parties and entertaining. Even without wedding events, June is a great time to, shall I say, celebrate, or to simply entertain friends and family. That is, if you’re into entertaining. Because I miss planning our wedding and am no longer planning faux events for my classes at school, I’ve decided to dedicate some June posts to the art of entertaining.

I’ll try my very best to bring you some tips and ideas, pictures, and maybe even some recipes to kick start some entertaining excitement. Hopefully you will reap some benefits of me needing to get my virtual event planning fix. I’ll shoot for Friday posts to give you something to mill over for the weekend. But in the meantime, here are a few photos of an Italian Summer Picnic to get us started:









(all photos curtosy of www.barillaus.com)

Happy Easter!

Spring finally arrived a few days ago, although you wouldn't know it based on the snow we received today. Yep, big gloppy flakes that thankfully will not amount to a hill of beans.

I hosted Easter dinner with my parents this afternoon. What fun! I cant believe how much prep time it takes to prepare a meal for only four people. I makes me wonder how my mom did it for nine people every single day...two or three times over even. I enjoy entertaining, picking out the menu, setting the table, arranging pretties to make things nice. I got to break out some of the vintage napkins and tablecloth that I purchased for use at my wedding...Ive been waiting for the perfect time to do that! What's your favorite part of entertaining? Or maybe you'd rather be entertained by someone else...

Here's what I put together for this afternoon's lunch:

Baked Ham with Dijon-Pineapple Sauce

Scalloped Potatoes

Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce

Corn Pudding

Spinach and Baby Greens

Apple & Mandarin Orange Salad w/ Strawberry Vinaigrette

Yeast Rolls

Iced Tea

Carrot Cake

I highly recommend the Dijon-Pineapple Sauce! It was a delicious addition to the ham (which was already awesome on its own) but I think it would be extremely tasty on just about anything pork....especially chops. It was super easy to make and you can find the recipe by clicking on the link above. The only thing I did different, I didnt baste the ham with the sauce during the cook time. I just added all the ingredients together and served it on the side. It makes 3+ cups Im sure.

The apple salad was just something I dreamed up, luckily it didnt turn out too bad. Some Granny Smith and Gala apples, two small cans of mandarin oranges, dried cranberries with almonds, all tossed with a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette. This would be a great summer time salad!

My mom made her signature yeast rolls, which were totally delicious! You just cant get rolls like hers from the store and it really isnt a holiday without 'em.

And to top everything off, after we gave our bellies a rest of course, was some homemade carrot cake. Okay, so Ive never made real carrot cake before...so this was a test. Grating a pound of carrots was the most time consuming but in the end...totally worth it! Some time ago, and I have no recollection as to how, I stumbled upon this lady's blog. Mmmm, she always has delicious looking treats! Anyway, I just happened to pay her a visit the other night and she had a carrot cake featured...perfect, just what I was looking for. Yep, super de dupper delicious! The only small detail I maybe would change, is the frosting. Very sweet, but maybe that's me because I like a cream cheese frosting that you can actually taste the cheese in. The only change I made to that recipe was that I used orange extract instead of orange zest. I dont own a zester...maybe I should? How often do you zest things?

The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and enjoying each other's company...and eating jellybeans... I hope your Easter was just as nice!