The Happiest Place On Earth

Tomorrow I'm hopping on a plane and heading down to California for a wedding and three fun filled days in Disneyland and Universal Studios. Don't worry I'll say hi to Mickey and Minnie for you! See you back here next week!

How Does Your Garden Grow

I dream of having a garden. Someday I'll go out in the evening and pluck fresh veggies to serve for dinner. I'll cut bouquets of flowers to decorate my home. And I'll let the grass tickle my feet on a hot summer evening. However, for the time being I live in a condo where space is a bit limited. That's why these contained "grass gardens" from A+R are so much fun. They add a little green to a small space. And just think, mowing the lawn is as easy as snip of the scissors!

I think I owe you an explanation...

For the past few months my blogging has become pretty sporadic, and I thought it was about time I offered an explanation...We've been busy growing our family!

This is Baby Lewis' first picture from a few weeks ago. Our doctor asked Adam if he was the dancer in the family because our little baby has got some moves! During the ultrasound he or she was moving all around and looked like they were shaking a hula hoop. It was adorable and we were glued to the screen!

Baby Lewis is due to make their grand appearance on December 20th and we could not be more thrilled! I've started another blog for all of the baby updates, so this blog will still stay dedicated to entertaining, style, inspiration and creativity (just don't be shocked if the posts are a little less frequent! Ha!).

A Modern Day Robinson Crusoe

(Photo courtesy of TreehousePoint)

With the economy in it's current state and travel expenses being quite costly, many families are looking for ways to enjoy their summer a little closer to home. If you live in the Seattle area make sure you check out Treehouse Point. You literally can sleep in the treetops while enjoying the beauty of being surrounded by nature. Just don't be surprised if you're woken up in the morning by the birds who are nesting right outside your window! They offers two treehouses, a deluxe cabin tent ("glamping" anyone?), as well as two suites in their main lodge. Treehouse Point also opens their doors for events like weddings, rehearsal dinners and is looking into hosting educational events for elementary school classes. It's only 22 miles outside of Seattle, but I'm sure it will feel like you have stepped foot into another world.

Going To The Chapel Lingerie Shower

As promised, here are the pictures from Kellie's lingerie shower last weekend. Kellie's colors for her wedding are red and teal, so we took those colors and ran with them. The theme was "Going to the Chapel", although we maybe should have named it "Going on the Honeymoon" because Kellie is officially stocked and ready to go for the honeymoon!

Tissue paper flower balls in different sizes were hung from the ceiling. They are really easy to make, and directions can be found here. It's a cheap decor item and they make such a big statement.The inspiration for the buffet table was a wedding tablescape designed by Amy Atlas. We were so excited to find that one of my favorite party stores carried these gigantic balloons in red! Talk about a statement! These balloons measure over 3 feet wide and we had to borrow a van to pick them up. "Going to the Chapel" hung on a ribbon over a table filled with the bride's favorite desserts.

One of the things that the bride had hoped to incorporate into the wedding reception was the couple's love for milk and cookies. Unfortunately she wasn't able to do this, so we surprised her with the treat at the party. My husband made Chocolate Chippers, a family recipe that has been passed down through generations. The cookies were packaged in clear cellophane bags with red sizzle pack. A local graphic designer made the "Cookies & Milk" label, which we then sewed onto the bag. Milk was served in an old fashioned milk jug kept cool in a galvanized bucket of ice. Adorable!

One of the desserts served at the party was cheesecake cut into circles and served in a thick muffin cup. They were topped with a drizzle of cherry pie filling...which just happened to fit perfectly with the color scheme!

We played a hilarious dvd game testing the bride's knowledge of her groom. Thank you to Callie and Brianne for all of their work in putting it together! The second game we played while Kellie opened her gifts. All of the girls had to decide on a name for the outfit. Like "Sexy Panther". Ha! The names were written on a card and then during the honeymoon the groom will select a card, and that's the outfit the bride will wear. Everyone got really into this game and came up with incredibly creative names.

Everyone was sent home with take out boxes filled with more of the bride's favorite treats. I think we were all on a sugar high by the end of the night!

It was such a fun night full of laughs, good friends and sexy lingerie! Less than a month until the wedding!

The Five Minute Centerpiece

This last weekend I had the honor of co-hosting a lingerie shower for my soon to be sister-in-law, Kellie. I planned it with the help of her sister and another bridesmaid, and I can safely say that we had just as much fun planning the event as we did on the night of the party.

The bride's wedding colors are red and teal, so that set the foundation for our color scheme. The evening was a screaming success and I'll share oodles of pictures tomorrow. For tonight I just wanted to give a small preview with a diy for the centerpiece we used on the buffet table.
I am on a budget and don't have a lot of extra dough to spend on decor, so I got crafty and searched my house (and my mom's). The vases and candles were items we already had on hand. I think it's a great idea to invest in 3-5 similar looking clear glass vases. You'll always be glad to have them on hand. 3-5 is a good number because in decorating you always want to group odd numbers of items together. It's more pleasing aesthetically to the eye.

I tied red and teal ribbons around the vases and filled them with bright colorful flowers. To give some height to the grouping I used a white cake stand that I already had on hand. So simple. So chic. So quick!