party love ♥

valentine inspiration

2012-02-06T10:57:00.000-08:00

my friend, sarah, and i put together this valentine shoot last weekend.

it's always so much fun watching it come together.

we both love valentine's day!

just thought i'd share a few pics for a little inspiration of valentine's day...be it pictures, a party or some decor around the house.

here's a few of the pics i captured..

my ella:)

and niece, layla

ella's friend, luka.

ella had so much fun playing with sarah's vintage cameras..

and i just thought they made for the cutest pics.

even my mom got in on the fun ;)

sarah and i after a fun day!

i took a few pics of my kids a couple weeks ago for v-day cards..

a couple of my favorites.

they are each holding the letter of their first initial..

luke, owen and ella. ;)

happy valentine's day!!

xoxo

zebra & pink baby shower

2012-01-16T09:47:00.000-08:00

we recently hosted a baby shower for my sister in law, julie.

kati, my friend and her cousin, and i had so much fun planning it.

we wanted to do something that was really julie's style...and knew for sure it had to be super girly.

we tossed around a few ideas...

but, we really were stuck on a zebra/pink theme, which we pulled as inspiration from a picture of a baby blanket she posted for the new baby.

i was so surprised to see how much zebra stuff is out there!

we loved the way it came together!

and i loved planning with kati..i think she was the easiest person to host something with in all of my parties! haha! ;)

we ordered the invitations from tiny prints. love that site!!

a few of the treats, cake and prizes...

our friend, maria, aka my trusty cake and treat maker ;) made the adorable cake!!

loved the way it turned out!

kati made her adorable cookies of course ;) sooo cute!

kati also made these cookies too!

i had taken julie's maternity pics..so i had easy access to pictures ;) i printed out a bunch to display around. and then made her a book for a gift too.

kati put this cute sign together..

kati wanted to try and make stuff julie could put in her room.

how cute is this k kati made?

more treats ;) can you guess what the flowers are? pens!:) you know how i love to make pens for showers for the games! these also doubled as a centerpiece and favor that guests got to take home.

maria made the cute cupcakes too!

kati and i put together the goodies we had bought for her and made a clothesline.

pink punch was a must! (raspberry sherbet and sprite..so easy and yummy!)

i would have never thought that i would be able to have a shower outside in january!

but, the weather has been to die for..so i knew we had to take advantage.

and i'm so glad i did..because it was absolutely beautiful out!!

i decorated some lanterns with ribbon and tulle and accented the candles inside...

i love what fresh flowers can add...

everyone knows how much i appreciate flowers! ;)

underneath is zebra oil cloth i found a couple months ago.

i put together this fun tree...

i planned ahead and bought everything at hobby lobby when they just put out their christmas decorations.

i had found zebra bins online that i turned over and used as part of the centerpieces.

more fun candles i accented with ribbon..i also found these at hobby lobby. (love that store!!!)

we served a late lunch...

muffins...

croissants, deli meat and cheeses along with the fixins

i made a big bowl of chicken salad...

and melissa's delicious strawberry salad with candied pecans. always a go to salad for me! so good!

i also made a pistachio salad

and kati made a chicken and rice salad along with some fruit.

we played the what's in your purse game...

it's always fun to watch everyone go through their purses to see what they have..

and then proceed to clean them out or put on lipstick or check their phones..haha!

it was fun! notice the pens. i didn't really take a picture of the final ones..

just different shades of pink flowers and i wrapped them with floral tape

and then wrapped the whole pen in zebra duct tape and attached black or pink tulle bow.

if you noticed on the invitation, we asked everyone to bring a clippie for one of the games.

julie picked her favorite and that was the winner.

and what better way to supply cute clips/headbands for the new baby:)

present time!

after presents, cake and lots of chit chat...

guests signed a note for julie and baby khloe on their way out...

and i had put all of the pens back in the container so guests could pick their favorite one to take home.

maria, me and kati.

another successful shower!:)

and with julie:)

can't wait to meet baby khloe!:)

candy cane laynie invitation

2011-12-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

the adorable invitations melissa made for the baby shower.

the little card on the right pulled out with all of the info.

so much love poured into them.

loved every bit! &hearts;

candy cane laynie

2011-12-21T23:53:00.000-08:00

i had the privilege of helping throw my friend, debran's, baby shower. baby #4!!:)

debran absolutely adores christmas..and having her baby shower in december, it was just meant to be that it had to be tied into the theme somehow.

melissa then suggested candy cane "laynie" because that is what she is naming her daughter.

it was perfect.

and we all went to work brainstorming.

it was so fun!

i had candy canes lining the walkway...

one of the games...

i took two big candy canes..glued them together and painted the sign with chalkboard paint.

instead of dear santa...

naturally it was dear laynie ;)

debran's mom had these candy cane flowers delievered...

we created a sitting area for debran

candy cane tree :)

i put together a red and white tulle wreath to hang

we decided on a long table and lined it with white votives in mason jars

we made place settings out of letter ornaments for each guest to take home as a favor.

oh, the desserts!!

between maria and melissa..we were in treat heaven!!

i created the heart banner by gluing together candy canes (melissa's idea!) and attached them onto a ribbon.

melissa crocheted this adorable wreath

she also made two delicious cakes!!

maria made everything from whoopie pies to dipped marshmallows to cookies and cupcakes.

i set out coffee (let me tell you how convenient a keurig is for parties!!) and mugs with candy cane sticks..and of course all the holiday creamers;)

rachelle made all of the delicious food!

she literally made a holiday feast..turkey, green bean casserole, potatoes, salad to jello mold and more treats!

not to mention all of the appetizers beforehand!!

kati made these adorable cookies!

and of course laynie had to have her own stocking ;)

rachelle, the cook, and me

melissa, a big mastermind behind this, and me ;)

kati also created a fun christmas game!

you had to match up the kids to the christmas movies.

debran, the guest of honor ;)

looking so merry and bright!:)

all of the people who made this shower happen:)

a big thank you to all of these girls.

hope you enjoyed your stroll down candy cane laynie ;)

(i need to still take a pic of the aaaadorable invitation melissa made!!...i will post it soon!) ;)

bibbity bobbity bingo!

2011-10-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

my sister, melissa, suggested we throw a halloween bingo party for a girls night.

i loved the idea! So, we both went to work planning away!

it was a great time!:)

i set up the tables nice and cozy. ;)

topped the tables with goodies, decor, snacks and of course the bingo cards and stamps.

the person who got a bingo picked a prize.

if the next person who won liked a prize someone else already picked, they could steal it. ;)

i ended up finding this frame at a salvage yard..painted it, and attached some chicken wire.

and now i am thinking of it's endless options ;)

maria's pumpkin cake pops :)

melissa's homemade cherry pie

and apple pies

witch broom sticks ;)

more treats came as the girls arrived. there was certainly no shortage of goodies ;)

coffee bar with pumpkin spice coffee, regular or hot chocolate..with assorted fall creamers and of course whip cream ;)

i couldn't resist these cute bat straws ;)

the hosts ;)

all the girls settling in..

all ready to call out the numbers!

bingo!!!

great way to spend a night with the girls!!

it just happened to work out that each girl got to take home a prize!

and some treats too!;)

happy halloween!!

back to school kindergarten party!

2011-08-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

i just had to feature this adorable party that my friend, kati, put together. she hosted a back to school kindergarten party for her daughter and her friends who are all starting school this year. i loved this idea, especially since it's such an exciting time for the kids. i was just expecting a little playdate..and she went above and beyond to make the kiddos feel special. there were cute ideas everywhere..so i just had to share them! i just took the pics on my phone, i didn't have my camera with me, so please forgive the quality. ;)

we pulled up and this was on the garage. oh my. does that not sound like the most futuristic date?! wow..that is crazy to think about!

how cute is this wreath she had hanging from her door?

this was in the entrance...

the kids goody bags (with lots of cute stuff inside) and attached chalkboard cookies. seriously, how cute? go check out her other cookies at kati's kookies.com

our friend, janet, made the adorable apple cupcakes and crayons...

can you guess what the crayons in the box are? chocolate covered pretzels!! so cute!

the placemats

lunchtime!

kati traced all of the kids hands and then proceeded to cut them out for the kids to color. then she attached a clip and magnet to hang on the fridge! love it!

the finished hands. ;)

she had a waterslide for the kids to play on too. they had a great time!

my little ella. i can hardly believe she is about to start kindergarten!

little favors for the mommys. she provided cute napkins and stickers...put a sticker on a napkin and write a cute little note on the napkin to put in their lunch. love this. i already knew i would be putting notes in her lunch, but i love it on a napkin and attaching a cute sticker too!

she also provided a paper and envelope to write a note to your child and give it to them in 2024 when they finish school. loved this!! so much, that i came home and wrote the letter right away. i thought it was the best time right after the party. and i will tell you, i definitely shed a few tears in the process.

it feels like 5 years seriously flew by! i can't believe ella is starting school! so bittersweet. but, seeing her as excited as she is only reassures me that she is so ready for this next chapter in her life.

thank you so much, kati, for such a great party. we had so much fun and appreciate you making it so special! xo

ella and kaelyn's hello kitty birthday party

2011-07-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

ella and her bff, kaelyn, both have birthdays in july. so, when debran and i were discussing ideas for their 5th birthday..we decided to just combine them! we also decided to just make it a smaller party with their closest girlfriends and their moms, along with the girls' grandmas and aunts.

we let the girls decide pretty much everything.

the theme..hello kitty.

the colors..pink, red and blue.

the food..breakfast!

the games..apple bobbing (ella) and musical chairs (kaelyn) and both had to have a pinata. ;)

where ever they could help out..we let them.

and we had so much fun planning with them. i love that it truly was their party..and we could help. ;)

the cute invitations by melissa.

and ella helped me address all of them ;)

party day.

the entrance.

ella wrote the sign. ;)

my sister, melissa, just had a contest in which she gave away a yarn wreath similar to one like this. i fell in love with it..and had her give me an over the phone tutorial. haha. i love them..but, let me warn you..they are time consuming! haha! ;)

the paintings were done by the girls during their birthday photo session (you can see the pics here, here, and here). sarah and i both took pics. :) it was a lot of fun shooting together!

the favors.

hello kitty pez, game, notebook, pencil, lipgloss and bracelet.

i made a few buntings...

and a banner...

and a window chalkboard! :) love how this one turned out. so simple too. everyone knows how much i love chalkboards..and i am having so much fun with colored chalkboard paint!!

ella's daddy surprised her with birthday flowers. ;)

i made a rag wreath ...

it's amazing how far a couple yards of fabric will go ;) (as you can see throughout the decor)

hello kitty peeking in ;)

the party was held outside on the patio...

this table was set up for painting..

i created a different frame for each girl...

ella and kaelyn's were the same of course ;)

the girls love to craft and paint together.

so, naturally this had to be incorporated into their party.

the treat station ;)

the girls chose to have a picnic style instead of eating at a table.

the lemonade stand.

which pretty much was the entertainment in itself. haha.

we had the girls color pages to hang.

our friends daughter, averie, was so nice to do the face painting for a reasonable price ;)

the girls loved having her do it.

debran made the adorable tulle wreath!

maria made the adorable cake pops from the bakerella website.

our friend, janet, offered to make us a big hello kitty. it turned out so cute!!

kati, from kati's kookies, made the cute hello kitty cookies.

loved using the aprons from their photo shoot as part of the decor. ;)

the pinata

the girls got right to work at the lemonade stand. ;)

i fell in love with these cute pink aprons from hobby lobby.com. and i made flower clips to attach to each one. the girls got to take their apron home and have a clip for their hair afterward too. ;)

our friend, sarah, made the girls these cute collages.

donut holes, yogurt parfaits and fruit...

mini cupcakes...

maria made all of the bundt cakes and we stacked cakestands to display them...

debran made all of the delicious food!! it was so fun having breakfast at 4 in the afternoon. i think everyone was kinda surprised and loved it too!

french toast..bananas foster and fresh fruit. mmmmmmm!!

pancakes..bacon..sausage..

egg and potato and cheese casserole.

the girls picnic ;)

next up..painting!

so fun watching all of the girls create their masterpieces.

of course kaelyn and ella painted hello kitty ;)

this is what the stand looked like mid party..haha

placing their order ;)

we hung up all of the paintings to dry after they were finished.

bobbing for apples!

musical mats ;)

pinata

more drinks!

cake time!

the cute birthday girls!

they are always so silly!

with their mommies and co hosts ;)

happy birthday to you!!

and they finished the party playing and opening presents.

such a special day for them. i can hardly believe they are 5 now!! boy does time fly.

happy birthday, ella and kaelyn! xo

sweet summer soiree baby shower

2011-07-15T22:37:00.000-07:00

my friend debran, and i have been planning our friend, rachelle's baby shower for months now.

it's been so much fun to plan and watch come to life.

we knew we wanted to surround the theme around summer.

here's what we came up with...

debran made the cute invitations...

and this adorable wreath...

the cute collage by sarah from itsy bitsy photography

one of the games included guessing how many fruit were in this 3 tiered stand...

how cute are these cookies?!! by kati's kookies.

i made the banner out of burlap and fabric..

we set the tables...

the shower was held outside on the patio...to enjoy the perfect late summer afternoon...

i made these onesies from iron ons..

we bought 6 packs of flowers and cut them up and wrapped them in fabric for the favors...

the petite diaper cake ;)

debran picked up ice from sonic. did you know they sell big bags of ice?! i didn't! it's the best ice around!!

the hostesses...debran and me ;)

our friend, maria, made the cute cake! and i made a simple pennant banner to top it. ;)

maria also made all of this yummy goodness!

strawberry lemonade cupcakes!

maria, rachelle, me and debran :) just so you can put a name to a face ;)

debran made all of the fabulous food!

one of the other games was a water balloon toss. perfect summer game, right? ;) it was so fun and funny to watch how intense the girls got! haha!!

as the sun set, we lit all the candles..

and gathered around the fire..

the next game was to go around the circle and suggest a girl name that began with a different letter of the alphabet. 1st person suggested a name with "A"..2nd person said a name starting with "B"...and so on. rachelle wrote down the names she liked and her favorite won! i guess that didn't really help since she still hasn't decided on a name!! haha!! we tried! ;)

dessert was served

we lined up candles in mason jars along the fence of the entire backyard

carlie won the cute apron! ;)

we hung out into the night...

can you see the little lights to the left? those were the mason jars. it was hard to get a pic of them.

several of us girls went in and surprised rachelle with a stroller. i think she was pretty excited. ;) among many of the other great gifts she got!

happy shower, rachelle! we can't wait to meet your baby girl!! xo

jon's bon voyage party

2011-07-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

my sister, melissa, wanted to plan a surprise bon voyage party for her husband, jon, who will be deploying in july. she wanted a patriotic theme. i took care of the decor and a couple of friends took care of the delicious food! he was definitely surprised! and everyone enjoyed visiting with him and giving their well wishes!

everyone was given a flag for the surprise. when he walked in everyone yelled, "BON VOYAGE!!" per melissa's request ;)

i made a couple of banners....

and a bunting..

and attached a few pics to it.

i couldn't help but pull out my sailor doll...since he's in the navy ;)

i set out a little notebook so friends and family could leave him a note. i thought it would be nice for him to take with him when he gets homesick.

treats and drinks :)

a couple of his favorite treats are mint and oreos..so naturally i had to provide both ;)

i hung stars all over the patio

it was an italian based dinner with canilonis (sp? is that right debran? haha) and lasagna, garlic bread, salad, fruit

and for dessert (i forgot to take a pic :( ) there was an mint oreo ice cream cake and turtle trifle.

guests mingled into the night..

and the kids made s'mores around the fire.

thank you, jon, for all that you do! it was pleasure to help plan this party for you! hurry back safe!

owen's "O" birthday party!

2011-06-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

i thought of a couple different themes for owen's first birthday party..but wasn't overly excited about any of them. and then my sister, melissa, suggested an "O" party...and proceeded with a couple of ideas. she had me at "o." haha! the wheels in my head started spinning immediately! ;)

here's what i came up with...

melissa, of course, made the invitations.

and i seriously think they are my favorite ones to date.

absolutely LOVED them!!

here's how guests received them in the mail (after opening the envelope ;) ).

loved that it looked like a little owen on the front ;)

like little vintage flash cards. so cute. everyone loved them.

party time!!

i created and decoupaged a canvas collage of everything "o."

the sign in

all the pictures of owen were by sarah (itsy bitsy photography)..they all turned out so cute!!

i had fun creating this. :)

oranges...oreos..owl...one.

onion ring chips

this was just a big paper mache "o" that i painted and decoupaged.

i hung swimming rings everywhere...

made centerpieces out of oranges and styrofoam "o's"

hung more hula hoops

the orange table...

owls, oatmeal cookies, o shapes and everything orange

i was excited to rent this obstacle course jumpy..obstacle course in the back and 2 slides on the front..the kids had so much fun on it!!

the owl pinata

the absolutely adorable cookies by kati's kookies!

owls..

ones, o's, oranges, overalls...

the yummy food catered by Kenny and DeBran

appetizers..

the main course..

we went with a southern theme...

corn...

chicken and tri tip...

ribs..

tri tip salad with sweet potatoes, etc.

cornbread and homemade mac and cheese...

onion rings

the food was the hit of the party! ;) delicious!!

games included a ring toss...

sack racing and of course the pinata.

prizes for the lucky winners ;)

they had their turn too ;)

cake time! maria made these adorable and very tasty oreo ice cream cakes! we also had delicious bread pudding too (i forgot to snap a pic of! oops!)

he didn't waste anytime...

and thoroughly enjoyed himself!

yay!!

turning one is so much fun! ;)

favors were sack lunch style...

and included donuts, otterpops, oranges and a lollipop!

such a great day! we really had a great time! and the party was so much fun to plan!

thanks again to all our family and friends for celebrating our little owen with us!! :)

10 year anniversary party!

2011-06-23T22:54:00.000-07:00

my husband, bobby, and i are celebrating our 10 year anniversary this year!! i can hardly believe it! after a few ideas, we finally settled on celebrating in catalina island with family and friends for the weekend. we rented a beach house at the hotel, which was perfect for the party. i am so happy we decided on this..the whole weekend was perfect! really so much fun! i highly recommend it for anyone in the area!!

my challenge was obviously being very limited on what i could bring over. so, i tried to get creative on adding my little touches. here's what i came up with.

a chalkboard guiding guests upstairs to the house...

i made several banners like this...words associated with our 10 years. :)

i put out a sign in...

these flowers are actually stickers from the martha stewart collection.

our cute collage by sarah from itsy bitsy photography.

this dresser was actually in the master bedroom...it was love at first sight. i knew i had to incorporate it into the decor. it totally matched my color scheme. i wish i could have brought that home. haha! ;)

my sister and i made the paper flowers on the mantel.

my sister, melissa, made this adorable cake!! it was the centerpiece of the party! i absolutely loved it! i told her i had bought the bird toppers...and i was making the bunting..and she came up with the rest! a tree trunk with a nest on top! darling! i feel so fortunate she is so talented and whipped it up that day! thanks again, melissa!! xo

love the nest with the 3 eggs to represent our 3 little ones!

and just in case you were wondering what was on the inside...german chocolate with a yummy coconut filling. it was absolutely delicious!

she made a smaller "tree trunk" for bobby...strawberry. his favorite.

the party was held out on the patio.

instead of doing real flowers (the thought of wasting all of those flowers made me cringe) so i knew i wanted something handmade. paper flowers! melissa also helped me make those as well!

i sewed fabric squares and accented them with doilies to go underneath the centerpieces.

the favors were little muslin bags that read, "all you need is love," with chocolate inside. i stamped, wrote and attached plantable tags. you simply plant the tag and wildflowers bloom!

all of the centerpieces were different...

my daughter, ella, made this one all by herself for the kids table. :)

dandelions ;)

i made the pinwheels out of fabric, felt and cute buttons ;)

i decided the chocolate probably wouldn't do too good in the sun..so inside they came. haha!

our view was great! and we even got visitors ;)

pictures from our fun 10 year photo session :)

i strung felt flowers to a ribbon to accent the buffet table

we had italian. one of our favorites. pasta, chicken parmigiana, veggies, salad, rolls and even fancy mac and cheese for the kids ;)

we feel so blessed to have been able to have such a neat celebration with our family and friends.

it truly was such a memorable night. :)

check out this giveaway!!

2011-06-17T09:46:00.001-07:00

melissa at huckleberry praire is giving away 3 ten item giveaways!! absolutely delightful!!

you must go enter!

i am really hoping i am one of the lucky 3!! ;)

go enter here!! good luck!! :)

cinco de mayo fiesta

2011-05-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

last year my friend, debran, and i hosted a cinco de mayo party at her house. but, this year, we're referring to ourselves as hostesses lazy style. haha!! this year has been a lot simpler party wise for the both of us. everyone still has a great time whether you go all out at a house, or just have a gathering at a park. the easter party we hosted at the park a couple weeks prior worked out so well, we decided to just host a cinco de mayo party there too! :) the aftermath is a lot easier to handle than at one of our houses. the kids have so much fun running free with lots of room to play. and the moms actually get to relax too! again, we made it potluck style and we supplied the pinata!

kati's kookies :) soo cute!

the burro ;) thanks maria for finding him!

pico de gallo

our spread...yum!

sombreros hung on the trees

the lazy hostesses ;) haha

we hung the pinata from the basketball hoop. it worked out perfectly...

well almost perfectly. haha. i guess he was a little too heavy from all the candy!

but he still held up ok ;)

caaannnndddyyy!!

another fun celebration..and with no stress! ;)

easter party at the park!

2011-05-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

debran and i put together an easter party potluck at the park. everyone brought something to contribute for lunch and treats, and the kids did a craft and easter egg hunt (each mom brought a dozen eggs for each kid). it's so nice to have it at a park (which we had all to ourselves!) where the kids can run wild and play all day. they were pooped when we left..uhh..like 4 hours later. haha! we all had a so much fun! :)

the adorable cookies kati made..go check her out her cookies here.

and her famous cake balls! or should i say eggs? ;)

we made these cupcakes..

and yes i am too lazy to rotate this pic so i am going to leave it as is. haha

the kids were distracted with a craft...

while the mommy's went to hide the eggs.

ella's egg

owen got a little caught up in the basket. haha

couldn't resist taking this pic..the mamarazzi. haha

cheese

and they're off! the kids always have so much fun with the egg hunts. love watching their giddy excitement!

a fun, relaxing easter celebration! everyone had a great time!

featured!

2011-04-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

i am so excited to have my easter party from last year featured in celebrations deconstructed!! thank you so much kim for the honor. you must check out the magazine...it is totally adorable with fabulous ideas! love it!!! :)

ella's pettiskirt

2011-04-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

i have had several people contact me and ask where i got ella's pettiskirt she wore at her candyland party. so i figured i would just add the link.
i bought it from chic baby rose on etsy. so much adorable stuff..you must check it out!
here is the listing for this skirt here. i absolutely loved watching ella run (and jump) in it. ;)

luke's buzz lightyear bday party

2011-03-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

when i asked luke what kind of birthday party he wanted this year, without hesitation, he said, "buzz light!!!!" (he has always left off the "year" haha) immediately. so, buzz lightyear it was! he has been so excited for his birthday party. it makes it so much more fun to see them light up at every decoration and understand the celebration is for them! i decided to keep it small this year. just family and his 3 closest friends (his age) and their families. i feel like when it's a huge party it becomes overwhelming at this age, and he gets lost in the shuffle. so, as much as i enjoy celebrating with everyone..it really comes down to it being about him. and i was less stressed out, which was nice for a change. ;) it worked out great. he had so much fun enjoying his day. :)

drink area

love these kids cups..smaller with lids and straws! just had them write their name on their cup. and didn't have to hassle with a million juice boxes everywhere!

i had luke color buzz lightyear and then cut it out of the coloring page and pasted it onto a canvas and added a few stars. his little artwork for decoration ;)

ella colored one too!

i let luke pick out which jumpy he wanted...and of course he picked the rocket!! ;) perfect!

i put together this frame ;)

space pops! (aka cake balls ;) )

large chocolate dipped marshmallows

prizes for the games

the labels were leftover invitations i had. all the info was on the back. i actually made them..first time. yay! ;)

i made these stars on my silhouette :)

i found these stationary sets for favors for the big kids and little tambourines for the babies ;)

i used buzz lightyear's friends (toys) as decorations too

activities for the kids...bubbles, jumpropes, paper pads with crayons and markers

bubble wands

i set up a solar system in the kitchen..with buzz flying through of course ;)

no accuracy whatsoever in the placement of the planets. haha!

we had oscars cater pizza and breadsticks and i made pasta, salad and a fruit salad...all luke's favorites!

luke's bff, brandt.

i think luke was more excited for the pinata than anything else! haha! or maybe it was his cake! ;)

my friend, maria, made these "moon rocks" out of marshmallow creme and crushed oreos

and she also made this fabulous cake!! all luke kept talking about was a buzz light cake. and he was so excited to see this!

my friend, kati, made the cookies above. seriously, how cute? huh?

and my friend, debran, made the toppers for these mini cupcakes. adorable.

are these girls talented or what? they are currently working on a website..and i will post it when it's up and running!

the kids had fun with bubbles...

and luke's soon to be uncle even came by on the firetruck to surprise him! such a treat! he was a little hesitant of it..but the rest of the kids loved it! haha!

potato sack races!

happy birthday my lukey light!! i love you!! xo

birthday bbq

2011-03-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

my friend, erica, and i planned an impromptu birthday bbq for our friend, jessica a couple of weekends ago. here are a few pics of the night...

my newest find...love it!

i attempted a balloon wreath...

coke in the bottles taste so much better, agreed?

the cake from 'nothing bundt cakes'

we made chicken and steak kabobs...and bobby was so nice to bbq those right up for us ;)

they were so yummy!

we paired it with bread, rice, fruit and salad.

jessica (the birthday girl), erica and me :)

the kids had fun playing and blowing bubbles...

and we ended the night with s'mores...

the kids had so much fun roasting their marshmallows.

happy birthday, jessica! :) we had fun celebrating with you!

valentine's table

2011-02-19T15:21:00.000-08:00

i had fun creating this valentine's table with ella. we celebrated valentine's and went to dinner the saturday before and then did a family valentine's dinner the day of. i decided to do just a little something to make it cute and special. we made treats that morning and i had bought all of the place settings at target earlier in the month.

i found the biggest marshmallows when i was shopping at target the other day. and i just thought the options were endless. it even suggested on the bag to create pops out of them with a pretzel stick! i knew i wanted to dip them in chocolate, but i thought that was even more perfect for the kids. i'm sure i will be using that again very soon.

here's a closer look... then i made a few other treats.

just enough for the family ;) i had to try out my newest stand of course ;) isn't it cute?

we ate dinner by candlelight that night. it's the simple things that make it feel that much more special. nothing fancy.
hope everyone had a great valentine's day! ♥

vintage bird baby shower

2011-02-02T15:58:00.000-08:00

my friend, sarah (itsybitsyphotography.com), threw the cutest vintage bird baby shower for her best friend this past weekend. i love birds..and think this is such a cute theme for a baby shower. i went over before to get a sneak peek, help where i could and take some pics..because i had to share all of this eye candy with you! ;) thanks for sharing, sarah! you did a great job!

sweet details everywhere!

where all the food was going to be served...

love this idea of vintage hankies in lieu of banners

our friend, maria, decorated these cute cupcakes...

and maria made this adorable cake too!

an impromptu new years eve party

2010-12-31T19:48:00.000-08:00

it pretty much happened like this...bobby loves new years..we never really get to do anything because of the kids..so he suggested we have a party..movie night upstairs for the kiddos..game night for the adults downstairs. it took a little convincing considering we just got done with christmas..but i'm easily talked into a party. haha. we had a great turn out and had so much fun ringing in the new year with friends! we literally planned this days before, so not a whole lot of thought was put into it..haha..but here's what i came up with. ;)

this was bobby's hat ;)

we picked up two bundt cakes from nothing bundt cakes (red velvet and white chocolate raspberry)

threw up some cheesy decorations..it's new years, you're allowed to...right? ;)

we had no shortage of drinks..they consumed 3 counters haha

i made some treats :)

ella insisted we get necklaces

i picked up so many of these cone hats..i loved them! ;)

ella's tiara

so many people brought food...we were eating all night!

we ordered lots of pizza and breadsticks

we had 2 salads, meatballs, pulled pork, rolls, bean dip, chips, hot wings and treats among many other things

yummy desserts

averie helped keep the kids entertained. she did a great job..the kids love her! the kids were also served individual popcorn bags, m&ms, licorice and juice boxes..and whatever else they wanted ;)

the guys played ping pong and poker

the girls minus carlie who showed up a little later ;)

the kids finally settled down after playing and watched a movie. they all came in their pjs and brought pillows and blankets. a lot of them fell asleep.

countin down!

champagne for all! :)

and we finally played (kinda) a late game of win, lose or draw..with about 5 delirious players. hahaha!

happy new year!!!

christmas

2010-12-30T10:05:00.000-08:00

i thought i'd share some pics from christmas...

here was our dinner setup on christmas day.

ella helped me with the kids table...she actually made the arrangement on the table while i was making the others.

some of the treats i made that day...cranberry pistachio chocolate chunk cookies...

magic bars of course ;)

dipped mint oreos

dipped mugs for hot chocolate

ella really enjoyed baking any chance she got. ella and her friend, kaelyn, making gingerbread cut outs.

they had so much fun creating!

(our christmas card)

wishing everyone a merry christmas!!

(an ornament ella made at school) the definition of christmas! :)

hope everyone had a great holiday season!! :)

some favorite holiday recipes

2010-12-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

thought i would post some of my favorite recipes i have tried out this christmas. all of them are really easy..which is just my style ;) and very tasty! and with that being said, my top 3 recipes:

magic cookie bars aka holiday magic bars:
this is my grandma's recipe and she used to make these every christmas. and boy did i ever look forward to them. i think she knew that she couldn't come over on christmas without these. haha. they really are one of my favorite treats ever!

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine (i use butter because i refuse to use margarine, with it being so bad for you)
1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 can eagle brand sweet can milk (and i have used other brands and they turn out just fine ;) haha)
1 pkg (6oz) semi sweet chocolate chips (i use ghiradelli milk chocolate chips)
3.5 oz flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans)

preheat oven to 350
in 13x9 in pan, melt margarine in oven.
sprinkle crumbs over the margarine
pour sweet milk evenly over crumbs.
top with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts.
press down gently.
bake until golden brown. cool. enjoy this little piece of heaven. thank you, grandma (oh, how i miss her).

chocolate-covered peanut butter balls:
i got this next recipe out of the farm chicks christmas book my mom got me. and they are sooo good!

makes 60 balls (you can cut the recipe in half to make less)
2 cups chunky peanut butter
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
4 cups confectioner sugar
3 cups crisp rice cereal
2 cups dark chocolate chips (12 oz) (again, i use ghiradelli milk chocolate chips)
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper and set aside.
cream the peanut butter and butter together in large bowl with electric mixer and set on medium speed until fluffly (2-3min)
add the confectioners sugar with the mixer on low speed, beating until combined.
stir in the rice cereal with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated.
roll the dough by the tablespoonful between your palms, into balls about 1 in in diameter.
place on the prepared baking sheets.

place the chocolate chips and shortening (i almost always skip the shortening) in a small bowl on high for 30 sec..remove and stir (keep repeating until melted). then using a fork (i like to use a spoon) dip each ball into the chocolate, coating well and letting excess drip off. transfer the balls to the prepared baking sheets. allow to cool until set. and you can also refrigerate them (i think they taste the best cold!).
enjoy! :)

brownie buttons:
i got this recipe out of my new holiday favorites cookbook by gooseberry patch. this recipe is so simple and good it's ridiculous!

16oz pkg refrigerated mini brownie bites dough
11 oz bag mini peanut butter cups (reeses are the best ;) )

spray mini muffin cups with non-stick vegetable spray (i like to use mini muffin liners).
spoon brownie dough evenly into each cup, filling almost full.
bake at 350 for 19-20 min (i only put them in for 10 min like the brownie pkg says). cool in pans 3 to 4 min.
gently press a candy into each baked brownie until top of candy is level with top of brownie.
cool 10 min in pans.
gently twist each brownie to remove from pan.
cool on a wire rack.
enjoy! :)

more baking goodies and fun!

ella enjoyed baking with me a lot this christmas!

the cookies we made for her class cookie exchange.

baking is fun..but the clean up is not so much. haha

the tray we made for bobby's office :)

i also filled recipe boxes with the same treats and recipe cards/recipes of the treats inside, for friends...but i forgot to take a picture. oops! haha!

i hope everyone enjoyed baking over the holidays as much as i did! :)

my annual ornament exchange party

2010-12-16T21:12:00.001-08:00

my annual ornament exchange/treat party.

oh, how all of us girls look forward to this night so much. it is so fun to just take a night off from the hustle and bustle of the holidays, and just enjoy chit chat, treats, and lots of laughs. here are a few of the pictures from that night. we had such a great time. :)

bobby surprised me with these flowers. he is too good to me. it really was so pretty and fit the theme perfectly. it also gave off that pine smell, which my tree does not since it's fake..haha. anyway, i just loved it. :)

here is one of the arrangements i made.

and i made these brownie buttons :)

had so much fun making these labels on my new silhouette. it's so great..and i am so excited for it's endless party options! :)

hot chocolate/coffee bar

i was loving my pink tree i got this year. ;)

can you spot mr. owen? ;)

sneaky ella ;)

and the endless treats. oh my. so good.

some rag wreaths i made

i bought the top sign with the ornament party in mind...and have since left it up. :)

a couple of favorite ornaments i bought this year. thank you etsy. :)

we ate, we chatted, we laughed, we took pics, we ate more,we did the ornament exchage..so funny, chatted more. ahhh..such a fun night. love you girls! :)

bobby turns 33!

2010-11-12T22:55:00.000-08:00

we celebrated my husband, bobby's, 33rd birthday this past weekend! dinner with friends on saturday night and a small party with family on sunday. :)

love my little owen peeking through ;)

my daughter, ella, made this for daddy. so cute.

i went with a blue/brown/green color scheme...i created this centerpiece...

made a couple of banners...

and hung a few lanterns

everyone enjoyed eating the candy during the party...

made some strawberry cupcakes...bobby's favorite!

the kiddos helped me blow up balloons

i made chocolate peanut butter balls (so yummy) and cheated and bought little lemon cakes ;)

all the kids jumped away and played

bobby bbq'd the greatest tri tip and asparagus...and i fixed up some mashed potatoes, salad, fruit, and rolls.

and i bought a red velvet cake from nothing bundt cakes.

and it was delightful!!

happy birthday, bobby! xoxo