memorial day bbq

happy memorial day!  i would first off like to say thank you to all of those who have served or currently serve in our military.  i have so much respect and gratitude for each and every one of you!  in celebration of memorial day, we decided to have a little bbq.  here's a little "taste" of what i made...

it all began with these 2 sprinkle bottles...

chocolate and vanilla dipped pretzels (my specialty ;)..they are not only so easy to make, they are so tasty too!  and without a doubt, always a hit!  i rarely have any left over!)

i didn't want cupcakes, i wanted sugar cookies..and i really wanted to use my new cupcake tower...so why not? :)  spice it up a little with ribbon and flags..and it was my most festive centerpiece! :)

i just found this drink dispenser at costco the other day..and was so excited!  it is sooo practical! one of the best things about it is that the bottom half holds ice..so it keeps the beverage cold!  in this case it was iced tea.  i love it!  

a few centerpieces i threw together atop red and white checked tableclothes.  and a bbq just isn't complete without rockers and a picnic table, right? ;)

it was a perfect day to bbq, enjoy the weather, and just relax!  i hope everyone enjoyed their day as well! :)

birthday lunch for mom ♥

it was my mom's birthday last weekend, so my sister, melissa, and i decided to throw her a little celebration birthday lunch. girls only. ;) which would include my two sisters, my mom, and myself (don't worry, the rest of the family was included in the birthday bbq that night..haha!). we chose the colors red and white to theme, and set the table accordingly out on the patio.

starting off...i have to say i was so excited to find these cushions..really, how cute are they?!


i potted some flowers in a pot...and placed some fresh flowers in mason jars...

i love big, bright white flowers..so fresh.

yummy!

melissa preparing her famous strawberry salad :)

emily was in charge of taking our mom to get a pedicure...so when she arrived home she had this awaiting her :)

the birthday girl aka my mom...along with my sister, emily

melissa made some tasty lemonade, accompanied with raspberry ice cubes...so cute!

who doesn't love red gerbers?

we also made turkey croissant sandwiches with all the fixins, fruit salad, and a couple other sides set around the table

nothing beats spending the afternoon with the girls!

why put in a perfectly posed pic when you can include what really goes on? hahaha!

happy birthday mom! i hope you enjoyed your celebration! xoxo

First tablescape/Fondue party

now that melissa has introduced me to tablescapes, hosted by between naps on the porch (her blog is beyond inspiring) i am in love, and already feel an addiction coming on.  so, i was hosting a girls night, and figured what better time to try out my first tablescape.  

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the colors black, yellow, and white immediately came to mind..

i instantly thought of black square plates, and was delighted when i found the perfect plates and bowls at world market.

i love anything polka dot!  i have had these placemats for a little while now, and had yet to use them.  they were perfect.

izze drinks are not only one of my favorite drinks, but who knew they would also make the perfect accessory?! haha

fondue fork wrapped on top of a napkin with white tulle

i love ribbon, and love any opportunity to incorporate it...so i wrapped some bows around the glasses...

made simple yellow place cards

put some yellow and white flowers (i found at joann) in mason jars, filled with black and white striped tissue paper and tied with a little yellow ribbon.

i found the white daisy with the placemats at homegoods

this was the great cookbook we used for our fondue

sun went down..time to light the candles

here's a few pics of our fondue..we had two bowls of different chocolates, and one big cheese bowl...with all the different dippings our hearts desired :)

melissa made these delicious salads..and yes, they tasted as good as they looked!  maybe i can convince her to post a recipe on her blog ;)

yummy!

a toast to great friends!

decorating + fondue (yummy food) + great friends and conversation = the best girls night!

tissue flowers

i hosted a fiesta playdate for cinco de mayo, and along with lunch, i had a craft for everyone to participate in, moms and kids!  it turned out to be so much fun making these flowers.  we were addicted!  i picked up tissue paper, multi-color and design (polka dots and stripes, etc), white and green pipe cleaner, some mason jars to use as vases, and ribbon to adorn the jars.  sarah was so nice to snap some shots of the flowers everyone made (thanks again sarah)!  i had to share these with everyone because i could definitely envision these flowers being used for countless events, from a garden style birthday or shower, to a fun way to add a little whimsy to a brunch.  i found the tutorial on foldingtrees.com.  enjoy.

hard at work :)

i took a couple pics of the final boquets of flowers ella and i made ;)