Sunday, December 17, 2017

5 Golden Rings Holiday Party

Last Thursday was my holiday party at work.  We've been following the 12 Days of Christmas for our themes and this year was 5 Golden Rings.
I made these Golden Rings with styrofoam wreath form from the Dollar Tree, spray painted gold.  Cody drilled a pilot hole in them for me and then I made the hole a little bigger.  I used disposable wine glasses from DT that went through the hole and held the ring upright.  A few gold poinsettias, an electric tealight and some sparkly dangles finished them off.  I loved this simple and cheap centerpiece so much! 
For some other last minute centerpieces, I used a gold charger with a small wreath and an electric candle. We used gold mercury glass candles on all of the tables with more tealights. 
The mantle was decorated with 5 wreaths (5 Golden Rings) that were decorated in gold.  We put gold overlays over the white tablecloths and even though I am not a fan of gold, this was a beautiful holiday party! 
I created the menu and made sure that everything was round in shape.  Shrimp cocktail ring, spinach and artichoke pinwheels, kielbasa coins wrapped in pastry, mac and cheese cups, firecracker chicken meatballs, veggie and cheese wreath, garlic rolls and a honeycrisp salad ring.  For dessert we had apple crisp cups and peppermint brownie bites.  Everyone raved about the food! 
Last years theme was 4 Calling Birds and I created a Woodland theme to go with it.  Instead of calling birds, I used Cardinals.  I created birch branches using empty wrapping paper and paper towel rolls and the centerpieces were tin buckets with burlap, red ribbon and an icy nest.  
Our menu was woodland themed deliciousness!
The theme for 2015 was 3 French Hens.  I created centerpieces using empty wine bottles.  I glittered cardstock Eiffel Towers and Fleur de lis that I attached to the bottle with some wintry greenery.  They were placed in the middle of an icy wreath.   
Our menu was French inspired and we even had macaroons for dessert. 
2014 was my first year working in this department and the theme was 2 Turtle Doves.  This time is was Winter Wonderland inspired and this is the only picture I can find from my centerpieces.  
Next year we will go with 6 Geese a-Laying.  If you have any ideas for me for that, please let me know!  

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Sunday, November 26, 2017

Icy Boxwood Wreaths

Yep, it's been over 2 months since my last post.  I just haven't really had anything blog worthy to post about I guess.  Today I do have something to share with you though!
Back in September, I was contacted by commercialpalmtrees.com  to select a product to do a review on.  They sent me a link to silkplantsdirect.com and told me to choose a product that was under my spending limit.  Everything was out of stock so after some communication with the person who contacted me, we narrowed it down to these Icy Boxwood Wreaths.   
They came quickly straight to my address and when I opened them up, they were nice and big and full of sparkly ice.  They sat in the box waiting to be put up somewhere around my house.  Since I don't decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving, this weekend was finally the time to bring them out. 
At first I had planned to put them outside, but I decided that I wanted them to last a little longer and chose to hang them inside.  I received 4 of them and hung 3 of them up today.  I just used some sparkly red ribbon to hang them in each of my bay windows in my living room and I absolutely love how they look! 
This year we decided to put the Christmas tree up in our living room and the wreaths hanging in the windows was just the perfect finishing touch.  Our living room feels extra cozy and festive and I love it! 
If you are looking for some lovely palm trees or other silk plants, definitely check out these two websites and find something for yourself!  Would you like to do a product review?  Let me know and I can get you in touch with the company and you can receive some great products too!
I will try to be better and post more often but in the meantime, check out my Instagram to see what I am up to on a more regular basis!

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Saturday, September 23, 2017

Fence Picket Pumpkins

It's no secret that I love pumpkins and each year I like to add a few new ones to my collection.  I have seen such cute ones on Pinterest and wanted to see if I could make some of my own.  My brother-in-law had some wide fence picketts that I drew the shapes onto then he cute them out for me.   
I used watered down acrylic paint to soften them up a bit but still leave the wood grain showing through.  Cody drilled holes for the funky stems and then screwed them together for me. 
I used burlap to mimic the tendrils on a pumpkin.  I couldn't decide if these should go outside or inside...for now they are inside! 
The hole in the biggest one adds so much character.   
I didn't white wash the back of them so if I wanted to, I could turn them around and achieve a different look. 
Here is a little fall vignette that I have up against my wall.  See those stacked boxes behind the wreath?  It's new flooring!  Lowe's was having one heck of sale so we bit the bullet and bought enough to re-do the whole house. 
Cody started in the kitchen but has a long way to go.  So far, I am loving it and can't wait to get it all done.  Here is a picture, with Cody modeling his favorite pair of Jordan's!  
The Tuesday after Labor Day, Bella was hit by a car and broke her leg in 2 places.  Thank God it was just a broken leg, we could have lost our baby girl.  A surgery and a couple thousand dollars later, she is on the mend!  She has a cast on her leg and has some follow up appointments but she is back to her normal crazy self! 

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Sunday, August 27, 2017

Dining Room Makeover Coming Soon!

As summer is slowly (and way too warmly) coming to an end, I am starting to think about projects that I want to get done once we are stuck inside the house.  We have lots of things that need to be done but my number one thing is my dining room.
I am slowly doing little things here and there.  New white curtains.  Painting my mirrors white. Decorating.  I want my dining room to be all white with touches of soft pink and aqua so that it looks crisp and clean and oh so pretty! 
On the list of things to do include painting the walls, painting the chairs, painting the hutch and a new chandelier.  I could probably handle the chairs myself but the walls and hutch will need Cody's touch. 
It seems like with each wedding I did this summer (8 in all), I got to bring home a little something that fits perfectly in my dining room.  A lantern from one, candle holders from another, a throw to use as a tablecloth, flowers, etc.  I love being able to bring home a tangible item from someone's special day.
I can't wait to finish my dining room makeover.  These pictures will serve as my before pictures and I can't wait to show you my after pictures soon.  
Stay tuned! 

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Sunday, August 20, 2017

Bite Sized BBQ

Another school year is about to begin and to welcome back our fellow staff members at work, we hosted a Bite Sized BBQ.  This simple invitation that I designed was my inspiration for the rest of the party.
Our catering company ordered black linens with red gingham overlays.  I used Mason Jars for my centerpieces.  I found the perfect red gingham ribbon at Michaels and tied a piece of twine around it.  I tried to be resourceful and use flowers that I cut from around campus, but I needed more and bought some yellow daisies too.
We set 6 cocktail tables and 2 picnic tables on the sidewalk right outside of our building.  The temperature was perfect and made for a really fun event. 
The day before the party, I took pictures of our events staff, both head shots and group shots.  I then made a flyer with our bios and information about events to hand out to our guests.  Now my boss's boss wants all the departments to do one of these! 
Our yummy food consisted of bite sized goodies:
*Pulled pork sliders
*Tortellini salad sticks
*Crudites with ranch or hummus
*Street corn
*Fruit salad
*Strawberry shortcake shooters
*Lemon mousse shooters
*Beer, wine punch & agua fresca
The food was delicious and everyone raved about the little event we put on.  About 60 people showed up and I think we pulled off a very successful Bite Sized BBQ! 

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Thursday, August 10, 2017

Solar Eclipse Survival Bags

We are gearing up for the Total Solar Eclipse that will be happening on August 21st.  The area in Idaho where I live is prime viewing space so of course we have to have a party!  It's a work day and no one wants to miss it just because they are at work.  The powers that be said a party was a great idea and everyone is invited!
This is the invite that I designed.  Our mascot is the coyote so I had to make sure he was featured! 
We have an awesome planetarium in our science building so tomorrow, we are having 2 special eclipse shows for everyone to come to so they can learn a little more before the big event.  We wanted to make it extra fun with "Solar Eclipse Survival Bags". 
I went shopping yesterday for the supplies:
*Sun Chips
*Capri Sun 
*Milky Way
*Starbursts
*Moon Pies 
All of this stellar yumminess is inside a paper bag that has a sticker that matches the invite.  People that come to the planetarium shows are in for an experience that is out of this world!
On the day of the eclipse, we will have fun eclipse glasses to give out to everyone.  We got some fun designs and made sure they were the proper ones to protect everyone's eyes.  Do you have anything fun planned for this event?

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Sunday, July 16, 2017

One Can of Spray Paint, So Many Ideas!

Way back in May, the week of Mother's Day, my mom and I went to an event called "Dirt & Donuts".  For $25 we got to plant flowers in a fun container and dine on some fancy donuts.  It was my gift to my mom for Mother's Day.  
This cute old barn was full of fun stuff that you could buy.  If I was rich I would have come home with so much stuff!  The lady that owns the place has the best ideas when it comes to planting flowers in unusual things.  Since I have been on a container kick in my own garden, I was getting all sorts of ideas!  Now when I am out and about, I always look at things in a new way. 
I loved this wood ammunition box that had some bird houses on the back.  I have a box just like this and will soon be transforming it into a planter that looks like this.  I am also going to try my hand at starting all my flowers from seeds next year.  Cody is out back starting a little greenhouse for me right this second! 
We got to pick out a fun planter to put our plants in.  They had bundt pans, cake pans and bread pans that were painted up really cute.  I spotted the cute double bread pans in my favorite color and crossed my fingers that no one would take it before I got there since it was the only one in this color.  There were two pans screwed onto a board.  In one side I planted strawberry mint, parsley and rosemary.  The other side had purple alyssum and pansies.   
I loved this idea so much, that I went out and found more bread pans to paint and plant.  I went to Lowe's and picked out a spray paint that I thought would match and guess what, it was a perfect match!  It's a Valspar color called Tropical Oasis.We painted them up, dry brushed on some white and screwed them to boards.  I then planted some dianthus and other flowers in them.  Cody added them to the top of the fence and they are the perfect fence topper.  I still need to get some more to go down the whole length of the fence. 
Since I love the color of that spray paint so much, I made a sign for outside of my front door.  Cody built the sign for me, I stained it and added the white vinyl letters, spray painted the jar and attached it with some wire.  Silk hydrangeas are the perfect fit but I will be able to change the flowers with the holiday and the season.  I went and bought more spray paint because I have some other fun ideas in mind and I love the color!  One can of spray paint definitely helped get my creative juices flowing!

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Tuesday, June 27, 2017

June-The Wedding Month

“Oh, they say when you marry in June you’re a bride all your life,
and the bridegroom who marries in June gets a sweet-heart for a wife."



No wonder June is the most popular month for weddings.  And this year, I definitely agree.  Since the end of May, I have had 6 weddings. So that's where I've been, in case you've been missing me...
As the Special Events Coordinator at my job, I get to handle any external events, particularly weddings.  My very first wedding consultation bought the big package which meant I got to be their coordinator for anything and everything.  One of the things they wanted me to do was make their centerpieces.  I ordered fresh flowers and got to work the morning of the wedding putting the centerpieces together.  I love the way they turned out and so did the bride.





The ceremony was held outside in our amphitheater and it was a scorcher that day.  Everyone was aanxious to get into the reception where there was air conditioning.  I made arrangements for the altar as well but the hydrangeas did not stand up to the heat very well.
It was a smaller wedding, about 85 people and it was on a Sunday.  The bride was very laid back, which is always nice! 
The next weekend, a couple got married at a church down the road and then had their reception in our quad.  Again, I was tasked with putting together their centerpieces.  They had collected vintage glass containers and jars to put the flowers in.  There were about 38 total centerpieces. 
They gave me a picture of what they wanted and told me how many flowers were to go in each one.  Once I got going, I got them done fast and the bride loved them! 
It was another hot day so all of the trees on the quad were a life saver with their shade.
I also helped catering set all the linens, flatware and party favors on all of the tables.  I wish I could have snagged some homemade caramels for myself! 
Next up, my cousin got married and I got to photograph her wedding.  The sky was ominous and we did run into a little rain but the wedding was still beautiful.  I will take ta little rain over scorching heat any day! 
The following weekend, one of my closest friends from college got married and the greenbelt where her wedding was held was perfect for pictures.  Their ceremony was just immediate family (about 20 people) and then they held a reception for friends afterward.  We all had a lot of fun! 
The third wedding I photographed was a co-workers stepdaughter.  She didn't care what pictures we took and the sun was so bright, I am very disappointed in my work with this wedding.  Hopefully she will like what I was able to capture. 
And last but certainly not least, my very own niece got married on June 24 and I got to be so involved with every aspect of her wedding.  I helped my sister plan it all, I made all of the fresh flowers, took photos, made the invites and everything in between.  I can't believe that my little niece is married but she married a great guy and I couldn't be happier for the two of them! 
I think of all the wedding bouquets I have made, the one I made for my niece is my favorite! 
The month of June was a busy one and I am definitely ready for a break!  I have one wedding I am coordinating in July and August and 1 wedding I am coordinating and photographing in September and that should be it for weddings for the rest of the year.  But I wouldn't say no if another one happens to come my way because I love weddings!

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