{Holiday} The Fourth

I hope ya'll had a wonderful Independence Day! I was loving all of the cute 4th of July ideas from Pinterest this year and decided to make this little dessert. Brownie fruit kabobs -- yummmm and how simple? Instead of skewers, I slid the berries and brownies on striped and dotty party straws for some added cuteness. I would recommend using larger chunks of brownies as mine were starting to fall apart because of the thickness of the straw.

Although I forgot to snap my own picture, I also made this salad for the 4th {also found on Pinterest}. I wasn't sure if I was going to like the combination of the watermelon and tomatoes, but it was surprisingly refreshing.

**Officially finished with grad school and the newest school counselor on the block {no job but that's on hold anyway b/c of baby #2}! You have no idea how relieved I am and the huge weight that has been lifted from my shoulders. PHEW!
**I celebrated my 35th birthday the day after the 4th of July -- WHAT? WHAT? 35? Where has time gone....?
**TGIF and have a wonderful weekend!

{Holiday} MUUAH!

Happy Valentine's Day! We are keeping things very low-key this year. I put together a little bin filled with a few inexpensive treats for our little boy. I grabbed an extra pair of lips from his first birthday party {photobooth prop} and stuck them in his gift with a little love note from Mom & Dad. Very appropriate since I basically want to kiss his cute lips off all day long.

My hubby and I are keeping it simple and not exchanging gifts...I have a surprise chocolate fondue dessert planned for all three of us after dinner tonight, but that's it. This working girl is too busy for anything but simple these days...ahhh!



I kicked off this already short week by taking a day off yesterday. My hubby and I headed down to Atlantic City on Sunday evening for the Chef's Ball at The Pier at Caesars {work function}. It was soooo nice....unbelievable setting and food! We stayed the night at the Taj Mahal, got up early, went out for breakfast, and then headed home to grab our little lover boy from his grandparents {Bo's parents got the baby and my poor parents got stuck with our beagle hound ;-}. My hubby had to work, but I enjoyed the rest of the day at home with my little mister, hanging out and getting caught up on making meals for the week among other things.

**I'm feeling refreshed and ready to take on three more days of work, then off for four whole days to spend QT with my boy {and sis & nephew & niece}, throw Dean his 2nd bday party, etc!
**Happy Anniversary to the best couple I know -- my parents! 37 years ago, my mom and dad had a sweet Valentine's night wedding ceremony by candlelight. Their love and devotion to each other, the Lord, and our family is a blessing. Thanks Mom & Dad for being the BEST role models {in every way, shape and form}. Love you both so much!

{Holiday} Will You...?

Goodbye January, Helllloooo February! To kick off the month, I figured I'd share the Valentines I made for Dean's friends & family. When I found a box of 20 ring pops in Walmart for $4.95, I threw them in the cart and figured I'd come up with something.


I played up the "ring" theme and the "pop" theme and created a Valentine proposal.


The tags were created digitally, and I added my logo on the back. I already had the clear bags on hand, so for less than $5, I made 20 Valentines for my boy to hand out. Can't beat that!

**Looking for cute Valentines for your little loves? Check out my Be Mine board on Pinterest for lots of fun ideas!

{Decorating} Valentine's Mantle

Just a quick post showing a picture of my Valentine's mantle. It's so ridiculously simple....just pillar candles {one of them is pink for V-Day}, a homemade bunting and a sparkly heart. That's it.


I also added some dark pink and white hearts and XO that I cut out from felt to the shutter that leans against the mirror on my dining room buffet.

**Off to work on my mid-term presentation & paper for grad school and grade about a bazillion essays -- AHHH -- fun times :-\ Wish me luck -- I need it today!

{Holiday} Chef Dean

Good Morning! The holidays are officially over, and it's back to reality for much of the world. Kind of depressing, but life must go on, eh?

We had a wonderful holiday and very much enjoyed seeing our little man on Christmas morning. I think Bo and I loved it more than he did ;-} My hubby & I opened our gifts to one another on Christmas Eve {a tradition we started when we began dating}, so Christmas morning was all about Dean.

We decided not to go crazy with gifts -- Dean is not even two years old and really doesn't quite understand any of it yet. Not to mention, I absolutely REFUSE to go into debt over buying Christmas gifts EVER.


His big gift was a kitchen. And let me tell you....I received a lot of flack about buying my son a kitchen {I won't mention any names!}. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that the fancier ones have, but he loves playing with it, and I'm all for a man that can cook. My future daughter-in-law will thank me one day ;-}


Because of space, I had to go small. After searching for quite a while, I finally found a cute one in Bed, Bath & Beyond {the last place I was expecting to find a children's kitchen}. It was wooden, so I painted it gray to look more boyish.


Needless to say, Chef Dean has been making us coffee and all kinds of treats for the last week. I could get used to this kind of treatment ;-}

**Check in tomorrow to see all the details from our New Years Eve Gourmet Night celebration!

{Holiday} Christmas Cards 2011

Simplicity has been a theme for me this past year, and one of my New Year's resolutions for 2011 was to do just that -- simplify life. I can't say that I've been 100% successful with that {*wink}, but I've definitely tried. Giving my goal one more plug for the year, I applied the simplicity theme to my Christmas cards. I love and appreciate all types of design, but I must say, there is something timeless and classic about a simple look, which I why I went that route this year.


I added very simple wrap labels to each envelope and then hand cut the ends to create a banner look.


Lastly, I added the same picture from the card onto the other side of the wrap label with our return address {teeny tiny but there}.


My mom also wanted a simple card with a picture of the grandbabies, and she choose a very appropriate bible verse to add to her card. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:14. This truly is the reason for the season, and something I am trying to focus on more this year in the midst of all the gift buying, wrapping, parties, etc, etc, etc.

**My Christmas card pic was taken by my favorite photographer, Karen Carpenter Photography.
**My sis nixed Christmas cards altogether this year. She's smart ;-}
**Dean and I are delivering our simple neighborhood gifts this afternoon -- details & recipe tomorrow!
**ENJOY the day!

{Invitations} Thanksgiving

It's officially November, which means I am starting to think more about Thanksgiving. I went bold with my invitations by using a trellis pattern and the colors lime and blue.


These colors accent the dinner napkins I will be using on my table. I'm welcoming the change from the traditional fall color scheme this year.

**More Thanksgiving details to come this month!

{Holiday} Cowboy Dean

In recent years, Halloween has become one of the nights I look forward to the most. Why? Just for the simple fact that I LOVE how adorable all the kids look dressed up in their costumes. The entire night is priceless!

Cowboy Dean was a little cranky and wasn't too keen on wearing his cowboy hat or carrying his stick pony last night -- oh boy.


I thought a cowboy costume would not only be cute but budget savvy. Ummm...not so much. Dean was able to wear a pair of jeans and plaid shirt he already had in his closet, but after buying the cowboy hat & boots, kerchief & sheriff star, and stick pony, this costume started adding up! And I was trying to find a vest and belt with a cowboy buckle too -- my wallet was thanking me for not being able to locate those last few items!


I knew that oversized horse would come in handy some day ;-}

**Whether you were handing out candy or trick or treating with the kids, I hope you all had a fun Halloween!

{Holiday} 4th of July Sweets & Treats

Good Morning! We are still settling back into our summer routine over here after spending an absolutely wonderful holiday weekend at the shore with my husband's family. I wanted to quickly share some easy 4th of July sweets we enjoyed over this weekend.

We watched the fireworks show on the 4th from my in-laws front deck, and I made everyone a little fireworks treat to enjoy during the show. I was inspired by a pic I came across on Pinterest for this one. All I did was tie a few twizzlers together with sparkly stems {aka pipecleaners} in patriotic colors. It doesn't get any easier than that!


I think one of the easiest and most festive 4th of July desserts is layered strawberries, blueberries, pound cake and coolwhip. Again, super simple and so adorable! I actually made my husband and I these little minis as a treat before we left for the shore. So yummy!


Of course my hubby laughed when he saw the little decoration I added to the top. He said, "Hmmm, blog post?" Haha -- he knows me just a little too well!


Quick weekend recap:: My favorite part of going to the beach is not going to beach at all actually -- we take the boat out to Champagne Island {just a short boatride away} early in the morning and have the entire place to ourselves for hours. It's pure bliss! My angel face {and his sister Ginger -- woof woof} have a blast running all over the place.


My 34th birthday {YIKES} was yesterday, so we celebrated on the 4th at the shore with Bo's family and will be celebrating with my family tonight. Dean helped me blow out my birthday candles.

**Hope you all had a great holiday weekend!
**DIY projects coming SOON {currently working on them}!

{Holiday} Independence Day

{photo via The Sweetest Occasion}

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! Enjoy the long weekend with family & friends!

America the beautiful -- we are so blessed to live in this wonderful country!

{Home Decorating} Patriotic Mantle

I always have and always will LOVE Independence Day. It's one of my favorite holidays, and rapidly approaching, so I did a quick mantle makeover in the name of red, white & blue.

It's just the way I like it -- SIMPLE.


I used some sparkly stars from Target's dollar bins {last year} and some sparkly star picks from Joann's {this year} to add some patriotic flare.

**Check out my Fourth of July Flair board on Pinterest to see more adorable Independence Day ideas {and I'm still adding to it}!
**BRING ON SUMMER!!!

{Holiday} Happy Memorial Day

Wishing you and yours a HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!

**To those that have made the ultimate sacrafice for our freedom, I sincerely honor you and thank you for your service to our country.

**Since it's the official kickoff to summer this weekend, I figured I'd share a pic of something that not only screams SUMMER to me, but also reminds me of what my grandmother's childhood on the Wildwood boardwalk might have been like.

Year 1920's & 30's :: Mommom Dart's {Dorothy June} grandfather owned a salt water taffy shop on the boardwalk {Lowe's Candy & Fudge}, and her family lived in an apartment above the shop until she was eight years old. My mom has old black & white photos of my grandmother and her brother on the boards as young children -- they would play on a nearby carousal and then collapse on the benches that line the boardwalk afterwards :-} I could sift through those delicate, old photos for hours.

Year 2007- present day :: We spend a lot of time in North Wildwood over the summer with my hubby's family, who reside in Grassy Sound, a small community of homes that sit on the bay. We usually brave the boards, which is a much different place now than when my grandmother grew up there, at least once during the summer. I always make sure I walk by the place where Mommom Dart spent her early years. A Dunkin' Donuts has replaced what used to be the salt water taffy shop. Standing, staring, imagining, I conjure up vivid images of my grandmother as an innocent, curly-haired girl spending her days on that sunny, full-of-life, where-dreams-are-made block on Pine and the boardwalk.

Ahhh -- a girl can dream, can't she?

{St. Patrick's Day} Shamrockin' Dessert!

Top o' the mornin' to ya'll! I have a festive St. Patty's dessert idea to share {I made these the other night for a girls' night}. It was ridiculously easy -- I layered brownies, chocolate pudding, and coolwhip in footed glasses. You could also layer in some crushed oreos too or anything else you wanted.

Taking inspiration from TomKat's adorable St. Patty's wreath {never did get around to making it}, I simply cut burlap {which I already had in my fabric trunk} in thin strips, tied it around each glass and tucked a sparkly shamrock I bought from Joann's Fabric store in the knot. Then I added little toppers to each dessert by gluing green embellishment balls leftover from some Christmas crafts to a lollipop stick and then sticking them in the middle of each dessert. PIECE OF CAKE!


**You could make this kind of dessert for any occasion. Not to mention, they'd look fabulous on a dessert/sweets table. I'm thinking poundcake, strawberries, blueberries and coolwhip for July 4th. Or red and green jello with coolwhip for Christmas. Ooooohhhh, the possibilities are endless. Kiddies would love these simple dessert treats too!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

{St. Patrick's Day} LUCKY

Being a HUGE lover of nice stationary and cards of all kinds, I look for any excuse to make and send cute cards of my own. It's especially fun to splash my little-sweet-face-boy all over my creations and send them to his grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins.

I found Dean's "Mr. Lucky" shirt at Kohls a few weeks ago for a steal {and actually had a really cute headband thingy with shamrocks -- BUT -- my husband had to remind me that we actually have a son and not a daughter. Sometimes I get a little carried away ;-}


I also made some really quick and simple St. Patty's address labels to dress up the envelopes. Presentation -- need I say more?

I have TONS of projects I'm working on this month, so stay tuned!

COMING SOON ::
~ A few YUMMY recipes
~ Updated family room pics {sorry -- I've been majorly slacking in this area}
~ Easter/spring simple decorating
~ Craft room wall storage
~ Alisa's bridal shower invites
~ Jake's first holy communion invites
~ CeCe's 1st birthday invites & related party goods
~ Greg & Erin's rehearsal dinner invitations
~ Ella & Tommy's birthday invites & related party goods
~ Daryl, Avery & Ella's bedroom wall art
~ Doug's 50th surprise party invites
~ AND MORE!

**And I thought I was going to be able to relax a little after Dean's party -- LOL!

{Heart's Day} Will You Be My Valentine?

To kick off the first day of February, a.k.a the month of LOOOOVE, I wanted to share the little valentines I created for Dean to give to his grandparents, aunts & uncles, and cousins. I took a quick picture a few weeks ago of my little lover boy with his sweet, sweet smile and added it to his card. Ahhh...I can't resist that face!

I also tried something a little different with the labels. I didn't have much time, so this address tag was a little easier and much faster to whip up than my usual wrap labels. I kinda like them!

**I'm loving that it's finally FEBRUARY, my new favorite month of the year thanks to R. Dean. I've been reminiscing and reflecting BIG TIME about this time last year. So much to say, so little time but to sum it all up...WE ARE SO UNBELIEVABLY BLESSED!!!

{Gift Idea} Sweet & Simple

Dean and I will be delivering these "sweet" & simple gifts to my neighbors tomorrow afternoon. They are just a very small token to say Merry Christmas. These would also make great gifts for co-workers, friends you don't exchange big gifts with, mail carriers, recycle men, etc.

I ordered small red polka dot gable boxes from Polka Dot Market {link on my sidebar}. PDM has adorable products, and I also got the idea to make and add the peppermint bark to the boxes from Sally, the owner. I used Paula Deen's recipe, which is so easy and very yummy!


Once I lined the boxes with wax paper and filled them with the bark, I attached these little recipe cards I made. {I spelled boiler incorrectly...it says b"r"oiler if you read the recipe. Good going, English teacher. That's what I get for proofing it for the first time while posting it on my blog....oooops}!


YUM!

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY LATEST GIVEAWAY TO WIN A 2011 MINI DESK CALENDAR!

{Invitations} Holiday Kiddie Party

I'm throwing a little holiday party for my nephew Jack, niece Maura, and son Dean. It's really just an excuse to have my sister {and her kidlets} over for lunch since I rarely spend time with any of them anymore :-{ Praying, praying, praying for an opportunity for their family to make their way back to New Jersey after living in Virginia for the last three years.

I've got some little crafts planned to keep Jack busy while us girls {my mom too!} have lunch. And I'll be creating a holiday cookie bar for everyone to munch on.

Funny how things change...last year I threw a Christmas cocktail party with a specialty martini and now this year I'm throwing a cookies & crafts party for the kids. What a difference a year makes! Wouldn't trade it for the world :-}

{Decorating} HELLOOOO Christmas!

Thanksgiving is over, and I didn't waste any time moving on to Christmas. Fall decor down, holiday up! One of the things I look forward to most is decorating the mantle above my fireplace. It's not very big {and I would secretly LOVE a great big one some day in the future}, but it suites me quite well for now.

In addition to some greens with twinkly white lights, I also decorated my mantle with some silver candle holders I found at IKEA for a pretty reasonable price. Shimmery candles and a big sparkly Christmas ball adorn the holders. Also on the mantle are an old tree topper {snowflake} and a shimmery red Christmas tree. I'm fairly traditional in my color choices and decorate with mostly red, silver, and white {and throw a little lime green in the mix because it's my favorite color}.


Shopping Guide:
Lighted greenery, sparkly Christmas ball, snowflake tree topper, mirror ~ Target
Silver candle holders ~ IKEA
Candles ~ PB Outlet & Bath & Body Works
Red Christmas tree ~ Bath & Body Works

BY THE WAY...I LOVED HEARING ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY COLORS!

{Entertaining} Thanksgiving at my House

Dessert Buffet: I used my good ole' sideboard in my dining room to display my desserts. I'm so glad I purchased this piece of furniture. It serves as a storage unit for dishes, placemats, napkin rings, etc. and also provides me a spot to display dessert or whatever I want when I'm entertaining. And it's perfect because it's right next to my dining room table, so my guests can not only see the dessert display, but the sweets are within arms reach of the table!

I also love using white dishes and platters for my dessert displays. The white is a nice contrast with my black furniture, and it allows me to add color accents through ribbons, food tags, menus, decorations, etc. In addition, using tiered plates and serving pieces allows me to add varying heights, creating some dimension to the display.

My mom's birthday was on Thanksgiving this year, so I ordered a small birthday cake and created a topper to coordinate with the menu and colors I used. Also, I added a pretty fall tree with hanging acorns, a bundle of wheat tied with a ribbon, and some little tealights in glass cubes to decorate the space.


I love this new addition to my dessert display that I found at TJ Maxx for peanuts! I pinned my dessert menu to the open area, but you could also use this for pictures or whatever else you wanted to display. It could also be painted to add a pop of color to the dessert table.


The setting of our Thanksgiving meal was my dining room. I used a maize colored table runner with a slight sheen that I found in the fabric section at IKEA.


My centerpiece was incredibly easy to make! I was inspired by a picture I saw in the PB catalog that showed apothocary jars filled with different fall items. So, I filled my own apothocary jars with leaves from my yard and pinecones & acorns from Target. Then I added some multicolored corn from my local farmer's market, a sparkly pear, and a candle on a chunky candle holder. I arranged them all on a black tray and voila! It was inexpensive, easy, and festive.


The dinner menu hung from my grandmother's old bookcase that I inherited. I spraypainted a wooden dowl black and threaded it through a round paper thingy {haha...can't think of the name!} that came inside a poster I ordered for my classroom. Then I used brown bag paper, which I also snagged from my classroom supplies, and glued it on the round paper thingy. Next, I tied some ribbon to the dowl so it could be hung. Lastly, I used a black Sharpie marker to write out my menu.


The birthday girl {aka my mommy} with my son.


So THANKFUL for this baby, who is suddenly on the go 24/7! He's army crawling all over the place!

I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED YOUR THANKSGIVING WITH YOUR LOVED ONES!

***DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY LATEST GIVEAWAY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WINNING A CUTE HOLIDAY PARTY PACK, WHICH INCLUDES 8 INVITATIONS, 10 TENTED FOOD CARDS, & 12 FOOD PICKS! DEADLINE IS TOMORROW!***

{Sneek Peak} Thanksgiving

Turkey Day is just around the corner, which means I've got to get a move-on with my tablescape ideas! They're all up there...somewhere ;-}

Tonight I decided to experiment with the place settings. I created a little name card for each guest, and I'm liking the way they look propped in a pinecone. I bought my pinecones last year at Target {I also have some in a glass hurricane with some acorns}, but you could just as easily collect some from your backyard. The kids might enjoy collecting pinecones and acorns, too.


I tend to stick to a pretty traditional menu foodwise, BUT I'm working on a unique way to visually display the items on my menu for my guests....STAY TUNED!

FULL TABLESCAPE POST AND ALL THE OTHER TURKEY DAY DETAILS COMING SOON!