Reentry

Reentry into life after a week of sunny vacation can be brutal, especially when it's 55 degrees and raining upon arrival in Seattle. As the work week begins, I'm thankful the sun has made an appearance is will be sticking around for several days.

Sunshiny days remind me that life is beautiful and I am so blessed!

Under a Big Top

While it may appear that I've been under a rock for the past 8 months, in all actuality, I've been "Under a Big Top" as co-chair of my boys' school's vintage circus themed auction. While this was by far the largest volunteer job I've ever undertaken, I am so happy I did it. The friendships I made with my amazing co-chair and team of volunteers will last forever!

Now on to the show. We started "auction season" with our logo and team expectations....

(Found on Pinterest)

Eight months and many hours of work later, 380+ guests filled the venue for the Greatest Show on Earth......

Our silent auction was split into three sections with different closing times :: the blue horse, the orange tiger, and the pink elephant. The animals were cut out of wood, painted then mounted on gold painted PVC. The centerpieces in the dining room were smaller versions of the same animal silhouettes covered in gold glitter. Two dads on the decor team were instrumental in cutting the 66 animals and our decor chair glittered 45 animals in her dining room. Needless to say, I'm sure her house has a "NO GLITTER" policy now. The photo of the big top was purchased on Etsy and projected onto the wall.

When seated for dinner, every parent had a ticket on their plate that read, "Your children are your ticket to the Greatest Show on Earth." And the faculty and staff had tickets that read, "Education is the not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. - William Butler Yeats" It was very important for us to honor the teachers who educate our children day in and day out.

 It was a successful night on all fronts and I'm thrilled to focus on my family and business again!

DIY Fabric Panels

Our foyer was feeling dull and drab without artwork so I set out to find an inexpensive pop of color.  Large artwork can break the bank and it takes time to find the perfect piece(s).  The inspiration for the fabric panels came from a friend who has two beautiful bird panels in her foyer.

I was looking for a bold yet simple fabric to add the pop of color I needed.  After searching through books and books of fabric at a local store, I settled on Duralee Thomas Paul Silhouette in turquoise.  And come to find out I had pinned a photo of the fabric on Pinterest the previous week.  Clearly, meant to be!

I bought one yard of fabric {$65/yard} and two sets of stretcher bars {purchased at Daniel Smith for $60} for a grand total of $125.  You can't beat that price for two 22" x 48" panels.  I'm definitely pleased with the results.  What do you think?

And that's our pooch, Tessie, modeling the "coziness" of our updated foyer!

DIY Necklace Holder

As I was confined to our basement with a sick dog who can't navigate stairs, I decided to work on my latest DIY project, a holder for my necklaces.  Thanks to the lovely, One Fabulous Mom, I love costume jewelry.  It all started when OFM hosted a giveaway of a Banana Republic gift card that was to be used on accessories only.  I'm a simple girl and up to that point, I hadn't even dreamed of wearing bright jewelry to accessorize.  All it took was one $10 purchase and I was officially hooked.

I spend very little on accessories.  Most of the necklaces on this board where purchased from Target, Old Navy, Forever 21 and Loft.  Stella and Dot also made the board but only because I hosted a party.

This board is made from a simple cork board purchased from Staples.  I planned to staple the white fabric I had on hand to the back of the frame but ended up gluing it because of a stapler malfunction.  It may not last with the glue but it'll work for now.  I also wanted to add a small decorative element to the board so I painted the pink strip on the bottom with acrylic paint.  Voilá!

Summer Reading Motivation

In an attempt to motivate my boys to read this summer, I created a game of "Summer Reading Bingo" complete with coupons and a golden tickets as rewards.  And with a new Menchies opening up in the neighborhood, the coupons are going to come in very handy for frozen yogurt treats.  Thanks to Pinterest for the inspiration.

Click here for a free printable of the Summer Reading Bingo!

And here for the coupons and golden ticket!

Happy Summer!

Queen of Halloween

Photo from Brooklyn Limestone blog

I'm convinced that Brooklyn Limestone is the "Queen of Halloween". Seriously, go to her blog and check out her decorations! It makes my measly Joanne's spider and webs look absurd. I'm in awe!

{wordless wednesday}

Halloween Party Games & Activities for the kiddos

Looking for ideas to keep your youngest Halloween party guests entertained? Here are a few games and activities for school or home celebrations:

Skeleton Scavenger Hunt {Family Fun Magazine}

Photo from Family Fun

What You Need

• Large cardboard or plastic skeleton decoration
• Long sheet of paper
• Marker
• Tacks or tape

Instructions

• Trace a large cardboard or plastic skeleton decoration on a long sheet of paper. (Use a skeleton with movable limbs like the one shown here.)
• Next, carefully take the skeleton apart at its joints and hide the parts around your house or yard.
• During the party, ask the kids to "unearth" the bones and reassemble the skeleton by tacking or taping the parts onto the outline. When the skinny spook has been re-created, celebrate by giving each player a small prize.

Halloween Tossing Game {Better Homes & Gardens}

Download and print the Better Homes and Gardens patterns (found here), a sign for the Can Toss game and one to wrap each can. Measure around the cans and cut printed papers to wrap around them; secure with glue. Arrange the cans on a tiered shelf with designated points. Provide the kids with table tennis balls to toss into the cans.

Photo from Better Homes & Gardens

Roll a Jack-O-Lantern {my own interpretation of a game at Oopsey Daisy Blog}

FREE printable from PaperCourt Press

What you need

Pumpkins cut out of construction paper

Eyes, noses, mouths and teeth cut outs (or markers for the kids to draw the features)

Dice (I'd love to find a huge die to use for little kid's kindergarten party but a small set will work just fine.)

Instructions

Roll the die and let the kids create their crazy pumpkin!

Easiest Pork Tenderloin recipe

The busiest time of year is among us so I'm here to share a scrumptious easy weeknight dinner :: Amazing Pork Tenderloin in the Slow Cooker.

Ingredients

1 (2 lb) pork tenderloin

1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix

1 cup water

3/4 cup red wine

3 tablespoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons soy sauce

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Place pork tenderloin in a slow cooker with the contents of the soup packet. Pour water, wine, and soy sauce over the top, turning the pork to coat. Carefully spread garlic over the pork, leaving as much on top of the roast during cooking as possible. Sprinkle with pepper, cover, and cook on low setting for 4 hours. Serve with cooking liquid on the side as au jus.

It was delicious and moist and so very easy!

EAT, DRINK, and BE SCARY! dinner menu

If hitting the streets in a polyester costume on Halloween is not up your alley, an EAT, DRINK, and BE SCARY dinner party is a perfect way to spend the evening with friends.

Once your guests sit down for dinner, start your goulish meal with a warm bowl of Green Gruel with Eyeballs.

Photo from Epicurious

or for a more elegant presentation, Spiderweb Soup (use yogurt or creme fraiche to draw the spider webs)

Photo from Le Chat Gourmet

For the salad course, a Warm Butternut Squash and Arugula salad hits the spot.

Photo from Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

And for the main course, Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Horseradish served with a side of Potato Ghosts.

Photo from Epicurious

No party is complete without dessert so try Epicurean Mom's No-Bake Spiderweb Cheesecake.

Photo from Epicurean Mom

Later this week, I'll have drink recommendations to round out your Halloween dinner party!

FREE....

Now that I have your attention there are FREE cute Halloween printables at Better Homes & Gardens.

I'm definitely adding these vinyl embellishments to my IKEA lanterns.

Last chance for Halloween invitations

How about this lovely black, white and orange chevron invitation? I think it's perfect for a Halloween dinner party!

Boo! Back with more Halloween ideas....

At Back-to-School night yesterday, I signed up to help with little kid's Kindergarten Halloween party. There are both peanut and gluten allergies in his class so I've been all over Pinterest looking for inspiration. So far, I've found a few great ideas!

Skull Lollipops -

Leave it to Martha to come up with this adorable party favor idea. And my google research says that marshmallows are gluten free. SCORE!

Photo from Martha Stewart

Pumpkin Veggie Tray -

I love this idea but I'm not sure it'll fly in a class of 5- and 6-year-olds. However, it does fit the "gluten free" and "peanut free" bill and it's healthy to boot.

Photo from Taste of Home

Fruit Bat Kebabs -

Photo from One Charming Party

Supplies: fruit (green grapes, strawberries, pineapple, etc.), skewers, plastic bat rings, hot glue gun and scissors.

Simply cut the ring part off of the bat rings. Trim the skewers shorter if needed. Hot glue the bat to the top of the skewer. Slide the fruit onto the skewer. Trim the pointy end off the skewer if desired.

Don't be SCARED....

Halloween planning doesn't need to be FRIGHTENING!

Check out these simple ideas to be the "ghoulest" person on your block...

Tombstone Taco Dip from Better Homes & Gardens

"Ghouls Night Out" from Country Living Magazine

The Floating Ghost from Every Day is Crafting Day blog

Invitation by PaperCourt Press

Check back next week for school Halloween party tricks and treats!

DIY Dining Room Art

Traditional Home

While thumbing through a recent issue of Traditional Home, I found the above inspiration for our bare dining room walls. The room desperately needed color and I didn't want to break the bank. With the help of Adobe Illustrator, IKEA and 3M Command Strips, I created the artwork for less than $100.

I love that as you walk up front walk of our traditional home, you see a modern pop of color through the front window.

3...2...1...Blast off!

For your aspiring astronaut's next birthday celebration!

Prepare for Blast off....

3....2....1.....

It's Party Time!

Check out Space Party inspiration from Family Fun, Frost Me, and Martha Stewart.

Settling in....

We've moved and that'll be my excuse for not posting in two months. We're settling in and decorating. When I find a few spare moments, I'll share before and after photos of our remodel. In the meantime, I'll leave you with this photo of our view and new Windsor Smith drapes. I'm in love!

It's not too late for cards....

If you missed Holiday cards, why not send New Year's Cards? Check them out at PaperCourt Press!

CYBER MONDAY 40% off holiday cards

No time to chat...I'm busy making cards! Don't miss this opportunity to take advantage of our biggest sale yet!

Thanksgiving Sale!