I’m Always The Hostess: Brunch-Themed Bridal Shower

This past weekend I had the opportunity to throw a bridal shower in honor of my younger cousin, April. And as someone who loves any chance to throw a good party, I started pinning ideas right away.

The Decorations

For ambiance, pastels like light pinks and pale blues took center stage: I crafted a homemade flag banner with leftover cardstock from my scrapbook collection and filled my home with peonies, zinnias and rose of Sharon from the Lawrence farmer’s market and my very own garden.

 

The Food

I wanted to keep everything simple, so I put together a menu that featured all brunch-themed foods. Here is what I included on my brunch-themed menu:

+ Quiche Lorraine (Thanks for the delicious sausage quiches, mom! They were yummy!)
+ Crustless Zucchini & Basil Quiche
+ Maple Bacon
+ Biscuits with jam (Shortcake recipe courtesy Rustic Fruit Desserts.)
+ Donut and fruit skewers (This adorable idea is courtesy Val So Cal.)
+ French Toast Cupcakes

The Drinks

I also put together a mimosa bar. This is the best idea ever, in my opinion. I want one ready for me at all times throughout the day. To create a mimosa bar, simply buy two kinds of juice (I chose orange juice and cranberry-raspberry juice), pour them into decorative pitchers, flank them on either side of a bottle of champagne, and top the bar off with fruit garnishes. This was my favorite thing about the party (aside from the donut and fruit skewers). It was there for the party to make their own mimosa as strong (or as weak) as they like. And the kids loved sneaking away with some of the orange slices.

The Fun & Games

For entertainment I put together a couple of games for the party to delight in: One little game called “The Groom Says,” which is essentially a fill-in-the-blank game that includes statements made by the groom, and another game that involved toilet paper. This one produced lots of laughs and was definitely the favorite of the afternoon. We adorned the bride-to-be and another one of our cousins in toilet paper in an attempt to turn the toilet paper into a beautiful wedding dress. As you can tell, we failed. 🙂

Then of course, we ate, opened presents, and celebrated April’s happiness.

 

So that’s a wrap everyone! Everyone seemed to have a great time, and I had a fabulous time planning the whole thing. I can’t wait to throw another party sometime soon. And here’s my advice to anyone throwing a bridal shower: Keep the menu simple and don’t get lost in all the endless food options. Pick a few key dishes and let them really shine. Also, enlist the help of someone special. My husband kept me sane by helping me clean the house and my mom helped out in every possible way. Thanks you guys!

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

My Favorite Things: Cherished Christmas Decorations

No I haven’t finished my Christmas shopping this year. So stop asking me—the pressure is just too much!

I kid, I kid. Although I do feel the pressure weighing down on me when I talk to people who finished their Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. I haven’t even started mine! I have, however, finished writing my Christmas cards (mailing them is a whole other ballgame) and decorating the house (with lots of help from the husband). So to celebrate this triumphant achievement, I thought I’d share my favorite holiday decorations with all of my readers.

What I love best about the Christmas decor parading around my house is that it’s an eclectic mix of modern pieces my husband and I personally chose as newlyweds and vintage pieces passed down from my childhood. Here are my absolute favorites. Enjoy!

{Our mantel decor was hand-picked from thrifty shops like Hobby Lobby and Target. One stocking for me, one for A.J. and one for Alex, of course.}

{A.J. and I picked these stocking holders up at one of our go-to-stores a couple years back: Target.}

{Our Christmas tree is decorated with a mixture of Hobby Lobby ornaments and vintage ornaments.}

{One of my all-time favorite ornaments is this red rocking horse, dated for the year that I was born. I’m so happy that I have something like this in my Christmas collection to pass down to my future children.}

{I don’t really know the history behind this ornament, but I remember  insisting that I hang it on our tree each year. I adored the cute little horse and his bearded, Hershey’s chocolate delivery man.}

{This adorable reindeer is ready to greet our guests. I loved putting this dashing deer together. It was like a mini-puzzle I got to solve each and every year.}

{This copy of The Night Before Christmas was published in 1972. It has been passed down through a couple generations and I plan to do the same. Until I have little tykes to read this classic story to, its vintage pages will adorn my fireplace.}

What are your most cherished Christmas decorations? Tell me all about them in the comments section below!

Getting Organized: How to Organize Your Jewelry

I love accessorizing, but my jewelry station has been in need of a major revamp for awhile now. It mostly consisted of a jewelry box my husband made back in high school and some additional trinket boxes thrown in. I could never find what I was looking for—necklaces would get tangled, earrings would get lost and it was just a big ol’ mess.

Enough was enough, so I went scouring shops for stylish storage options. I made the decision that, even though I would keep some of my rarely worn pieces safely stowed away in my closet-bound wooden jewelry box (such as my replica Heart of the Ocean necklace—don’t judge), I wanted my favorite jewelry pieces on display where I could see them. They are decorations in and of themselves.

This is what I’ve come up with for the time being. Most everything here was half off from Urban Outfitters. I love the small brass keys I found as well as the colorful dishes I’m using to store my bracelets. To replicate my set up, here are a few things you’ll need to find.

• A stylish mirror. I found this beauty at Hobby Lobby. Although I have it safely secured to my wall, I like that it looks like it’s just casually leaning there.

• Cute storage solutions. Mix it up. I particularly love my white stacked floral tray. I can store necklaces and bracelets in it as well as hang earrings from it. Include trays, hooks, stands, bowls and dishes to your jewelry display. Just don’t over-do it and avoid the potential for too much clutter.

• A scented candle. Check out Thymes for botanical candles that fill a room with floral fragrances. Their containers are beautiful and their scents are sensational.

• Fun picture frame. Add personality to your jewelry station. This particular photo is from New Year’s Eve in 2010.

Do you keep your jewelry on display? How do you manage to stay organized?

What I’m Craving: Anthropologie Bowls

I have been enamored with these bowls ever since I stumbled upon their existence on anthropologie.com. Like a nut, I would visit the website every so often just to say hi. I wanted to buy them online but I couldn’t justify spending the money on shipping when there is a perfectly good Anthropologie in Kansas City, which is just a 45-minute drive away.

Unfortunately, I never go to that part of the city, so my obsession lingered. That is until last month when Anthropologie offered free shipping on all of their online purchases. Score!

Now I am the proud owner of my very own set of Anthropologie bowls, and I just love them. (I love them so much that I don’t want to use them!) The designs are beautiful and the colors are very vibrant.

When I received my Anthropologie package I was very excited to unwrap the bowls from their heavy bubble-wrapping—it was like Christmas in September. I planned to use these bowls to serve bulgur salads, soups, cereal and more. But once I started to unwrap, I found that I kept unwrapping. And then I unwrapped some more. I unwrapped until the size of each bowl was less than half the size of its bubble-wrapped predecessor.

Now I have to figure out what to do with these adorably tiny pieces of dinnerware. These bowls, which are 2 1/4 inches high and 4 1/2 inches in diameter, are not soup bowls. They are dessert bowls at best.

What do you think? Should I use them as purely decorative knickknacks? Use them to hold my best bracelets on my dresser? Or use them to serve summer sorbets (a little late for that now, I guess) and other delicious desserts?

What I’m Inspired By: Pinterest

I have a new love in my life and its name is Pinterest. If you have no idea what that is, you’re in for a treat.

Pinterest, a virtual inspiration board, allows you to “pin” and organize your favorite finds on the Internet. Sifting through modcloth.com and come across a dress you want to save for later? Pin it. Reading your favorite blogs and happen upon a DIY project you want to try? Pin it. Looking for dinner recipes and chance upon a delicious Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcake recipe you want to bookmark for the future? Pin it! (Seriously, these cupcakes look delicious.)

The best part about this website is that you can follow your friends and browse boards, insuring inspiration every time you log on. And for a blogger like myself, I’m always on the lookout for inspiration.

I’ve created a handful of pin boards, some of which include Styles I Love, For the Kitchen and For the Home. Check them out and make your own. Don’t feel limited to fashion, cooking or home decor boards. You can create any kind you want.

Here are some of my favorite finds that I never would have discovered had it not been for Pinterest.

{These look easy and fabulous. See my pin here.}

{I love this sparkly skirt. Especially paired with a cream button-up blouse. See my pin here.}

{To the left, office inspiration. To the right, I love this idea! I need to re-organize my own dresser, and this is adorable. See my pins here, and here.}

{Watermelon Daiquiris? Yes please! I think I’ll make these for my upcoming bbq. See my pin here.}

{Adding memories throughout the year and then reading them on New Year’s Eve. What a cute idea! See my pin here.}

To join Pinterest, request an invitation from a friend or from Pinterest itself. It took me less than a week to receive my invitation from the website and less than a few minutes to get started. I recommend trying it. If you do, please follow my pins. And if the mood strikes, pin some of my blogs to share with your friends!