Here come the holidays!

Tis the Season! board by Kelly. See more Minted.com

Bacherlorette Party Wine Tasting Survival Bags

 

My friend Catie's bachelorette party wish was a day wine tasting in the valley with her friends and family. The details were planned. Lunch spot - check. Stretch Hummer Limo - check. Winery, private wine tour at a wine makers studio and a tasting - check. Great friends and family - check. The last thing we needed were survival bags or goody bags for the day of.

I found the reusable wine totes online at amazon.com. Perfect size bag to hold our goodies and double duty use for the bottles of wine everyone purchased along our trip.

I have just dipped my toe in the waters of free fun fonts. I used fonts I found HERE to create the tags. For those of you who haven't explored this awesome way to create great signage - get to it. It is easy and fun, not to mention how much more spice it add to your projects!

This was the must have item I wanted in the bags. Small, cute pink cans of champagne. Perfect! Finding them was not so easy. Most of the places I tried said they usually carry them but they were sold out. Whole Foods, Cost Plus World Market and Target were all a bust. I was about to order them directly from the Coppola winery when I found them at a local specialty grocery store. 4 cans per box for $16.

The Goods:

- mini can of champagne

- bottle of water

- sunscreen (it was mid August and really hot when we went)

- Granola bar

- almonds

- breath savers

- a funky straw for the champagne

- I HAVE A HEADACHE medicine for the next morning (found at Target)

 

Favor bags like these are great for lots of reasons. Everyone enjoys getting a small gift, especially when it is a surprise. This stuff is all small but useful items for a day trip. And you can add hints of color to your event with the bags. Pick tissue and or tags that coordinate with the theme of the day or even the wedding colors. Have fun with it and your guests will definitely appreciate it!

Pop of Color Bridal Shower

My fabulous friend Catie is getting married in Park City, Utah in September. We can hardly wait to arrive at the mountain and start celebrating this special couple. Her sister Lisa and mom Debbie threw a bridal shower for her. The party was filled with pops of color and hints of love. Every last detail was planned and perfected. Great job ladies and congrats to the soon to be Mrs. Nelson!

Bride to be - love this personalized hanger. Perfect for day of pictures and a great gift idea. Click HERE for similar styles.

Yummy colorful gumdrops in keeping with the theme.

Tower of sweet treats.

The signage and printables were adorable. All in bright, vibrant colors. This one listed the menu.

The food was amazing! And there was so much variety. Perfect for everyone to find something they liked - most people liked it all!

Succulents in small glasses wrapped in colored paper. They were tasteful, adorable centerpieces on the tables. Click HERE for a tutorial on making them.

Such an easy thing to do, but it makes such an impact. Add cucumber, lemon or lime slices to a pitcher of water. Takes standard water up a notch and is a perfect detail for any party.

Great idea for the mimosa bar. Pick your juice - mango, guava or mango passion fruit, then add your Brut (bubbly). Always a great idea to have an interactive drink and or food station to get people conversing at the party. Great icebreaker.

 

All in all the party was a hit. Catie really enjoyed herself. The shower flowed nicely and people really had fun. And the food was delicious. When done correctly the small details come together to make a perfect event!

 

Happy Shower Planning!

Pinterest Favs - Cape Cod Dreaming

I would love to visit Cape Cod. I envision sunny days playing in the water and evenings by a fire pit after a clam bake. Mind you, I don't love sea food but I do love all things nautical and the party decor for a clam bake would make me all kinds of happy!

Sources - Recipe for a perfect trip to Cape Cod - Brilliant blue waters and casual boat rides, Great advice for meeting new friends, Beautiful lemon display for an afternoon party by the shore, Lazy summer days on sandy beaches, Cool watermelon cooloers in adorably quaint mason jars, the perfect crisp, preppy flowers, A little piece of mind.

Happy Pinning!

Tension Rod Ribbon Storage

I love ribbon. Grosgrain, satin, wire, patterned - you name it, I probably have some of it. It adds a cute touch to a package or even a little note with a bow at the top. My problem has always been how to store it. I have tried lots of ways to store them and nothing seems to be the perfect solution. Until now . . . enter the tension rod!

Here is what I started with. Lots of ribbon on small spools.

What you need:

• 1 tension rod - I found mine at big chain home improvement store in the curtain section. Mine was very small in diameter adjustable for length.
• small drill - in case some of your spools don't have a pre-cut hole in the center
• small push pins - to pin your ribbon so you don't have hanging pieces

I have a small space below the lowest shelf in my den and the rod fit perfectly underneath.

I organized mine by color. I love the way it looks, it is neat and tidy and very functional!

Happy Organizing!

Berry Wash - Making Berries Last Longer

We love berries. Love them. One of the best parts of summer! And this year the kids have started going berry picking which adds to the fun. When they are fresh and in season, we have them at our house. I did some research on ways to help the berries stay or last longer without freezing them. This seemed like the easiest and quickest option. And it worked! Bonus!

All you need:

Vinegar

Berries

A Place to wash them

I cleaned the small part of our sink really well. Then filled it with 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water and put the berries in the water. I was concerned it would change the taste of the berries but it was so diluted, it didn't change the taste at all. I kept them in the water for less than 5 minutes, removed them and put them in a bowl in the fridge. They lasted for well over a week and kept up their shape. Definitely worth the little extra effort!

Pinterest Favs . . . SUMMER!

Ahhhhhhh, Summer! It is finally here. In the Pacific NW we have been waiting a LONG time for this. Long days, warm nights, playing in the water, refreshing beverages and picnics in the park lounging on soft, worn quilt. All things that make Summer fabulous. We can't wait!

Ocean, RoadTrip, Lemon Love, Canoe Cooler, Peony Wonder, The Life Guard, Porch Swings, Picnic in the park.

Happy Pinning!

Mood Board Love

So . . . I have a new favorite app. It is called Moodboard and it is amazing. You can create vision boards for any project, event, remodel - anything you are doing. It is easy to use. You can upload pictures from your iPad or get images directly from the Internet. There are lots of finishing touches that can make your board look extra special. Borders, arrows, color swatches and more.

It is a little more expensive than most apps at $9.99 but if you do lots of projects or planning of events, it is well worth it. There is a Moodboard Lite app for free. I would recommend trying out the free version first to make sure you like it. I am sure you will!

See below for a few of the Mood boards I have created so far.

This board is for my friend Alissa's condo organization project. One great thing about the app - when you cut pictures from online, the app saves the source so you can get right back to the link.

This board is for my friend Cate. She is working on the details of her escort cards and display presentation for her wedding.

The final board is what I sent our nanny to let her know what I was planning for our 4th of July theme. Different food ideas for the little people and crafts for them to do. We do different themes every couple of weeks and this is such a simple (and fun) way for me to share the ideas with her.

Happy Creating!

Patriotic BBQ Planning

We cannot wait for 4th of July. We are going to be at my parents cabin in the mountains. There will be lots of family time, relaxing, BBQ's, patriotic parades, swimming and all things red, white and blue! I am so excited. Here are a few of the things I have planned for our celebration.

 From top left - Berry Parfait, Bright Blue Poms, Berry Salad, Red and Blue Lanterns, Patriotic Straws, Tin can craft, Fruit Pops.

We will have lanterns out on the deck with tea lights. We are planning to try the tin can craft this week and those will be on the deck too.  The bright blue poms add a great pop of color. Lots of fun, festive fruits to add color coupled with good old fashioned BBQ foods. I love the fourth more and more each year. Everyone is in a great mood and it is a fabulous time to celebrate the start of summer. Can't wait!

Happy Celebrating!

Artichoke Jalapeno Dip with a Twist

This is probably the easiest recipe in the world. I don't even think I can call it a recipe. Maybe a blend. My friend Vanessa had this dip at a party years ago and my husband and I fell in love with it. We make it for all of our parties, BBQ's, everything now. And EVERYONE loves it. We even get requests to bring "that awesome dip you guys make". So are you ready for it???

Mix (stir together) equal parts Artichoke Jalapeno dip (our favorite for this "blend" is the Costco version but you can find this at any grocery store) and Non Fat Plain Greek yogurt. If we are making it for a large group of people we will use about half of each container. And then adjust accordingly for smaller groups.

We always serve it with tortilla chips and a crusty bread for dipping. Yum!

Happy Dipping!

Blog Feature - Happy Hour Moms!

The Navy Stripe's 50 Shades of Grey Book Club party is being featured on Happy Hour Mom blog! I was so excited when Toni from HHM blog contacted me and asked if I would be interested in being a part of her 50 Shades party ideas post. For one, I love the book and two, I was honored to be asked. Yay!! Check out her post by clicking here.

Happy Blogging!

50 Shades of Grey Book Club

Our 50 Shades of Grey Book Club Party was so fun. Everyone was thrilled to talk about the book. Our conversations ranged from topics like the controversy surrounding the book from critics, how many strangers we have met because we have seen them reading the book and started talking about it, to the fact that even a few of the book club husbands have decided to read the book. It was such a fun night we decided we aren't done talking about the books yet. We are heading to the Heathman Hotel in a few weeks for some evening cocktails and more chatting about all things 50 shades! Fun! 

As guests arrived they picked up their name tags and favor bags and headed in for a cocktail.

Name tags and party favor bags. Click here for the details.

 I had a good time coming up with a few fun food items in keeping with the book. And there was a Greyhound station for everyone to make their own cocktail. Click here for decor vendors.

Salted almonds for the 'salty' item. Jalapeno chips for a 'spicy' touch.

 Godiva white chocolate vanilla bean squares and vanilla wafer cookies for our sweet items. This covered how Mr. Grey describes Miss Steele - very vanilla!

The Greyhound! Yum!

By chance (admittedly planned by a few) everyone wore grey to the party. It was very fitting!

Happy Book Clubbing!

50 Shades of Grey - Book Club Party Favors & Name Tags

I am the first to admit I have never been to a book club before. When I was planning our event I thought party favors were a must. Apparently that isn't the norm but I loved the idea and the guests all enjoyed them too!

I found nail polishes with 50 Shades themed names - All Tied Up, Sexy Divide, Sugar Daddy, Sexy Story and Smokin' Hot - at Target.

I wrapped them in tissue and put them in Chevron bags I purchased at Polka Dot Market. I completed each bag with a name tag. I chose the colors best suited for each guest. Easy and fun!

I loved how they called each other Mr. Grey and Miss. Steele all throughout the book. Of course my guests all needed name tags! I bought plain labels at Target and grey and white striped washi tape at the Etsy shop Pretty Tape.

I just added a few strips of grey tape to add a little 'grey' to our name tags.

Pinterest Favs - NEON!!!

I am LOVING neon right now. Just little pops of color here and there can really spice up an outfit or room. I have a fun neon pink scarf and right now I am rocking bright pink nail polish. It is fun, fresh and makes me excited for summer! Hope a little neon can brighten your day too!

Sources : (From top left) Bracelet, Business Cards with Neon Edge, Fabulous Matches, Sandal, Purses, & Sign, Flowers, Essie Nail Polish and Packaging.

Happy Pinning!

Quick Tips - The Perfect Smoothie

Our kids are on a huge smoothie kick. And I love it. They get a ton of fruits and Greek yogurt. I am going to start adding kale and spinach too. Great start to the day! With as many smoothies as we have been making I was started to get frustrated with the frozen berries and fruit were not being blended. I talked with our nanny Bobbie and she told me how to fix it . . .

Put the liquids in the blender first! This seems so obvious but I always did it the opposite way. Now I add the juice and then the yogurt.

Then I add the frozen fruit and bananas or other fresh fruit.

Blend away! Tada! Smooth, delicious drink.

Happy Blending!

Quick Tips - Easy Pizza Cutting for Kids

Pizza! Yum! We have started a tradition of having pizza and Cesar salad at home on Friday evenings. The kids love it and so do we. Anyone with kids knows it is a pain to saw away at the pizza trying to get it in small enough pieces for the little mouths we feed. My friend Vanessa shared this tip with me and it changed my life (well, it changed my pizza cutting life! :)).

 Secret tool . . . KITCHEN SHEARS!

Step 1 - Cut off the tip of the pizza.

Step 2 - Turn the slice and make three or four small cuts about 3/4 inch long.

 Step 3 - Rotate the slice again and cut at the base of the three small cuts you just made. The bite sized pieces will fall on the plate.

Step 4 - Repeat until you have cut the entire piece. 30 seconds tops. Faster and easier than even a pizza cutter!

Happy (cutting) Eating!!

Quick Tips - iPhone Speaker Fix

IPOD SPEAKER

This is such an easy, cool trick. Put your ipod or iphone in a bowl and it magnifies the sound. Perfect for when you are without speakers. The bowl makes it sound like you are using speakers! Love it!

Happy Grooving!