Showing posts with label holiday decor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday decor. Show all posts

6/06/2011

July 4th Craft – Handmade Rocket Garland

july 4th rocket garland diy
Fireworks, backyard barbeques and flag waving parades. Yep. It’s almost here and we’ve been doing a little July 4th decorating.  

july 4th rocket garland how to
Brenda of alphamom’s 4th of July Confetti Popper Rockets inspired me to make our own patriotic rocket garland. She has a great step-by-step tutorial, so if you are interested in doing this project, head to her blog.

rocket garland 4th of july diy
It was an easy craft that the kids enjoyed. Our rockets however, do not include confetti or “pop” – too messy for this mom! They sure look fun in the window, but we hope to hang them outside if the weather dries up!

6/05/2011

Cute 4th of July Decorating Ideas

Throwing a July 4th party or simply want to add some patriotic touches to your home? In any case, here are some darling and inspiring Independence Day decorating and entertaining ideas to get you in the holiday spirit.

cute july 4th picnic table setting stars stripes
{Patriotic Table Setting via Southern Living}

cute july 4th party supplies paper goods
{Red, White & Blue Paper Goods from Shop Sweet Lulu}

cute 4th of july desserts
{Festive July 4th Desserts: top - berry cupcakes via Martha Stewart, flag rice crispy treats; bottom - flag tart via Martha Stewart, chocolate covered strawberries via allrecipes.com, patriotic parfaits via Martha Stewart.}

red white blue july 4th paper lanterns
{Paper Lanterns via Pier 1 and 4th of July Signage via Pottery Barn Kids}

diy 4th july banner
{DIY July 4th Rosette Banner via Country Living}


How will you be celebrating July 4th?

4/24/2011

Happy Easter and Lamb Cake

easter lamb cake mold dessert
Here’s a picture of the sweet lamb cake my mom made for today’s Sunday brunch. It was topped with vanilla frosting , flaked coconut, raisin eyes and a pink jelly bean nose. The cake mold used was my grandmothers! So darn cute... it was hard to cut into!

Happy Easter!

4/11/2011

Our Easter Brunch Table Setting - Cheery & Bright

Cheery Easter brunch table setting
Cheerful floral and striped table linens featuring yellow, green and pink set the tone of this Easter brunch table setting. It is really a sneak peak of Easter brunch celebration, but wanted to share some of the ideas with you.

Cheery Easter Brunch table setting ideas
Whimsical hand painted bowls mimic nests and are filled with paper “grass” and a dyed Easter egg.

Easter egg letter initial place setting
Guests first initials were added to the eggs and acts as a place card. To achieve the letter, I simply adhered a letter sticker to the egg before dying it. Super easy. Alternating green and pink pom-pom trim is wrapped around all white napkins. Adding a decorative trim is a great way to add texture and color to a table without breaking the bank.

Easter cupcake toppers bunny meri meri
A playful multi-color trim was taped to the bottom edge of a white ceramic cake stand. Again, I love the texture it adds. The carrot cake cupcakes {thank you Trader Joe’s} were topped with sweet Easter images by Meri Meri. 

Colorful Easter brunch table setting
The vintage, floral table runner was picked up at a local estate sale. It has no markings and I don’t know where it was made, but I love the mod print and energy it brings the table. 

Easter brunch daffodil butterfly centerpiece
A Tiffany & Co. crystal bud vase is wrapped in a preppy pink & white striped grosgrain ribbon and filled with sunny daffodils and feathery butterflies.  

Easter baby chicks
I also wanted to include an update on our baby chicks {Fluffy & Chipmunk}. They are now just over three weeks old. They are constantly bugging each other. It is quite amusing to watch. It’s also funny that their temporary home is a clear plastic bin with an “Easter Supplies” label. 

Need more Easter decorating inspiration? Hop on over to Kate's Centsational Girl - she is having a huge linky party.

4/06/2011

Easter Decorating & Entertaining Inspiration

Easter is just a hop or two around the corner and I have been busy planning for the joyous celebration. Dying eggs, planning the hunt and selecting the menu for Sunday brunch are just some of the tasks on my party planning list. Here are some wonderful Easter decorating ideas from Martha Stewart that have inspired me and I thought they just might inspire you too.
lace easter egg decoratingbaby blue bird nest cupcakeseaster egg decorating with ribbonhen and chick easter decor diyyellow tulip tired flower arrangement eastermartha stewart easter egg table setting kidseaster brunch frittata w goat cheese
And look what I am going to serve… this Potato, Scallion, Goat Cheese Frittata {above} looks fabulous! Thanks Martha for all of the festive ideas for Easter!

3/28/2011

Simple Handmade Flower Garland & Chicks!

paper flower garland hand painted
Last week we experienced a huge rain storm and the kids were going a little crazy inside. So, I decided to have them help me decorate for spring by creating flower garland to hang in a window.

kids painting paper flowers art
Using pre-cut paper flowers, pastel water colors, pom poms and grosgrain ribbon the kids created some beautiful flowers. 

hand painted paper flowers kids
I was impressed with the different color schemes, textures and patterns. It was a simple project and such a fun, inexpensive way to decorate for spring.

baby chicks yellow brown
baby chicks
And what better way to celebrate spring than with some baby chicks? You may recall that we’ve been thinking about raising backyard chickens for sometime. The chicken coop hasn’t been built yet, but the chicks have arrived. Their names are Fluffy and Chipmunk. Can you tell which one is which? {wink, wink} We are crossing our fingers they are both hens. A rooster would have to be sent to a farm.

If you have raised chickens , I’d love to hear your advice!

Linking up to Centsational Girl's springtime party too!

12/24/2010

Peace on Earth and Let it Snow...


I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
~ Charles Dickens


May peace be with you and your family.

xoxo

* Lake Tahoe photo source.

12/20/2010

"Nice to Have" Gift Guide

Needs and wants. Quite frankly, I don’t really need any material goods – as the Beatles' sang, “Love is all I need!” However, here are some very nice to have that I wouldn't turn down and you may consider for your list or someone special this holiday season.
holiday gift guide for her 2010
1. Vintage Dutch Cup & Saucer – Jayson Home & Garden; 2.Tree of Life Pillow – Alexandra Ferguson on Etsy; 3. Siberian Tiger Pull-Through Scarf – Kate Spade;
4. eTablet Metallic Leather Case - Tory Burch; 5. Live What You Love Letterpress Poster – Hijirik Studio on Etsy; 6. Tiffany Keys – Blossom Key Pendant – Tiffany & Co.; 7. Pop Menagerie Elephant Ornament – Jonathan Adler;
8. Beaded Fur Bootie – Tory Burch

Happy Holidays!

12/17/2010

Christmas Breakfast with Elf on a Shelf

The Adventure’s of Tartanscot had a Holiday Decorating Contest and here’s my entry…

elf on shelf christmas breakfast table
It's a joyful Christmas morning and the table is set for breakfast {well, brunch most likely!} The vintage "elf on the shelf" inspired the traditional red & green color scheme. I love when period styles are blended, so there's a mix of modern, vintage and contemporary elements.

elf shelf christmas breakfast table above
The table features two table runners crisscrossing, both with fun prints. One is actually two dish towels from Crate & Barrel put together {shhh}... can you tell which one? The centerpiece consists of a sparkly snowman, Swedish Kosta Boda crystal snowball votive and red roses {Trader Joes, thank you very much!} with heather {from the garden} in a milk glass bowl (from an estate sale}. Here’s how to make the floral centerpiece.

elf modern christmas table red green design
Glittery, lime green snowflake ornaments are used as napkin rings {from Crate & Barrel}.

elf tabletop snacks for santa
The table even includes a note to Santa with nibbled snacks from the wee hours of the morning.

elf tabletop red glass ornaments twigself on shelf christmas table design ideas
And as you can see, that little elf keeps hopping around... he just wouldn't sit still!

To see more festive Christmas tabletops, visit Between Napa on the Porch.

Happy Holidays!

*all photos by Cristin Priest for Simplified Bee®

12/13/2010

Beautiful {and Simple} Ideas for Displaying Christmas Cards

vintage santa sleigh for cards
Receiving Christmas cards from family and friends is one of the big highlights of the season. We collect and display ours in a vintage wicker sleigh. And we have done it this way for several years. But after researching this post for a Simplified Bee reader who asked for creative ideas for displaying holiday cards, we might have a different approach next year.

martha stewart holiday card display
Here is a simple and elegant way to display holiday card using an existing mirror. Martha Stewart used Lametta tinsel to create three swags perfect for hanging season’s greetings.

christmas card display idea country living
Using a picture frame and twine, holiday greeting cards are displayed beautifully with other festive décor. Thank Country Living for this idea!

christmas card garland clothes pin
Hang Christmas cards along a fireplace mantel with twine and colorful clothes pins. So simple! DIY or purchase a kit on Folksy.

christmas card display cabinet ribbon
With a little ribbon crisscrossed, this cabinet becomes a wonderful place to display cards. Brilliant idea found via Living Livelier.

christmas card door ribbon display how to
Hanging cards on a door with decorative ribbons is also a fun idea. Here is the how to via Country Living.

christmas card display board domino
For an eclectic look, layer holiday cards on an existing cork board is also a great idea. This one is from Domino via Centsational Girl.

christmas tree ribbon card display board
Love Kate at Centsational Girl’s corkboard turned card holder using fabric, ribbon and a little nailhead trim - just add some time and it is a simple diy project. Here’s the how to.

window holiday card display idea
And here is Kate’s chain & jingle bell Christmas card display from last year. Isn't this creative too?  Here’s how she did it with even more inspiration!

Happy Holidays!