Daisy Dreaming

Casey & Jen's Video Sneak Peek

2012-01-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

Hi all! Every once in awhile I get the honor to be both a guest and do the flowers for a wedding. My good friend Jen was married to Casey back in October. I was intimately involved in all the styling of this wedding, along with the fab Bre from Joyful Weddings & Events, and the beautiful bride herself.

It was an amazing wedding and I was so blessed to be a part of it. I have to say, this group of vendors was THE BEST! One vendor in particular was Modern 8 Films. Be sure to check out their blog post to watch a short video of the wedding day. It will be well worth your 16 minutes. I welled up all over again seeing my dear friends exchange vows and getting to hear Casey's amazing speech for the 2nd time.

All I can say is I wish I had known about these guys when I got married....dang! What a wonderful keepsake. Check out a few more pictures and a funny story about these two here and here! Let me know what you think of the video!

Newport Beach Wedding

2012-01-25T20:09:00.000-08:00

Back in August, I had the opportunity to do Amanda & Stefan's wedding in Newport Beach. What a fun wedding to be a part of! There were so many lovely details that the bride put together with the help of the fabulous Bre from Joyful Weddings & Events.

These beautiful pictures are brought to you by Brynn Alyson Photography. Check her work out here. Don't miss that amazing cake by Sweet & Saucy Shop. Enjoy the pictures!

Congrats Amanda & Stefan! It was a pleasure to be a part of your wonderful day!

DIY Butterfly shadow box

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Happy January 2012! We have been busy bees over here while we've been on vacation. I recently did this quick craft for fun and I love the way it turned out. Trust me, it's super easy, quick, and doesn't cost very much (depending on how much you have at home already).

What you need is a shadow box (Michael's or Aaron Brothers are good places. I got mine at Michael's 50% off), a butterfly hole punch (mine is Martha Stewart from Michael's, again, 50% off with a coupon), and scrapbook paper. I bought a few different kinds, as I wasn't sure which combo I'd like the best.

The shadow box came with adhesive velcro, so that made the project even easier. It is also great because I can re-use in the future without any damage to it (i.e. glue).

Wah-lah! Here is the finished project!

More pictures to come soon, as Drew's room has SO many new fun things! Stay tuned...

My favorite Christmas photos

2011-12-25T19:52:00.000-08:00

We had such a wonderful Christmas together as a family. I got a new camera for Christmas and had so much fun taking tons of pictures. I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you.

This is my new favorite picture....just love my babies.

This was the best family pic we could get with Santa.

Drew did not like him at all. Because my children look so much like their dad, this was validation that my genes are in there too. I hated Santa.

Here Micah and I made our first gingerbread house together. He was so excited. It has been super dry out here lately...his hair is proof!

Here's Drew on Christmas day.
I always love wrapping Christmas presents. I'm mad at myself for not taking pictures of all the other ones, but here are two for my parents.

I hope you all had a lovely holiday. We are enjoying being home with the kids and hanging out together as a family!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T19:36:00.000-08:00

Micah's Big Boy Birthday Bash!

2011-12-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

We recently celebrated Micah's 3rd Birthday by having a letter "B" themed party. Micah actually turned 3 on December 19th, but have learned to celebrate earlier in the month to make it easier on ourselves and our friend's calendars! So, here we go, it was the B-Birthday to the 3rd power.

I take themes pretty literally, so that meant my color scheme was blues, blacks, browns, and beige. I'm sure no one noticed, but I just couldn't deviate! I had this "balloon chandelier" hanging over our kitchen island where all the food was. I put a marble in each balloon to keep them hanging down. I used brown and white Divine Twine to hang then from the ceiling.

My Cricut really came in handy at this party. I used it for all the words on the wall as well as for the hanging "B's" I used everywhere. Once you get going, you really can't believe how many kid things start with the letter B. It really is a perfect theme for a 2-4 year old.

There's the birthday boy taking a break from all the bouncing!

Here is Drew still trying to figure out why all these people are in her house again!

Here is what we did for the lunch menu!

Here's the spread...anyone notice my Missoni bowls? :)

Micah and his best-bud Malcolm eating some lunch.

And we can't forget the desserts! Yum. I made everything but the birthday cake. That was provided by the fabulous girls over at Cake here in San Diego. I froze the leftovers (Banana Truffle) to enjoy at a later date!

You know that every party I always label the guest bathroom. For Micah's camp out party, it was the outhouse and for Drew's kitty cat party it was the litterbox. Couldn't resist this year again!

Whew, what a busy month it has been so far! Micah's party was so much fun...only bummer is of course, we didn't get a shot of him blowing out his candles or a family picture. Oh well, it was a very successful day none-the-less!

If you've missed any of Micah's previous parties, check them out!
1st birthday - Camp Out Style here
2nd birthday - Surf's Up here

My DIY Advent Calendar

2011-12-20T06:45:00.000-08:00

My last project for this Christmas was to do an advent calendar. I knew I wanted to do one this year since the kids were getting old enough to get excited about Christmas. I began to look on Pinterest to get ideas and kind of came up with my own version of a ton of ones I saw.

I went to Home Depot and had a piece of wood cut. I then stained it with this black stain I had left over. I used my Cricut to do the numbers, making the 1, 12, and 24 an inch larger. I thought it would look better if they were not in a perfect line.

After decopage-ing (is that a word?) the numbers on, my hubs helped drill holes through the board.
Here is a stash of knobs I had been collecting over the last couple months. Some are from Home Depot, but most are from the clearance bin at Anthropologie.

I wanted to use golds and silvers as well as hooks and a few colors.

I had myself a little helper during this project.

I hung little bags with goodies as well as candy canes. This project was so fun! Now that I'm done with our advent calendar, I think next year I'll put a lot of time and energy into coming up with really fun activities for each day. Hope you enjoy!

My DIY mantle art projects

2011-12-19T19:36:00.000-08:00

I really love getting my mantle all dolled up for Christmas. Everything this year was a DIY project that I dreamt up in my head. I'm really happy with the way it turned out! The only bummer is I didn't have time to get our new stockings embroidered with our names.

First up, was my idea to use all the doilies I've collected lately. I scored a bunch at the Santa Monica flea market a few months back (.50 cents each). I had some old wallpaper laying around that I just wrapped around a canvas. In the meantime, I used brown and gold spray paint from Home Depot. Warm up your glue gun and wah-lah! It was that easy! You may remember the doily art I did for Drew's room that you can see here or here.

Next up was a large canvas that I painted gold. I picked my favorite Christmas carol, O Holy Night to write out. I did it freehand with a white Sharpie paint pen. It didn't quite show up as bright as I'd like it, especially since my living room is so bright with natural light. I finished up with a brown Sharpie, and actually ended up liking the shadow effect it created.

Lastly, I wanted some pink and green incorporated somewhere, so I just drew these scallops and painted the colors in. I left a few blank and filled in with glue and glitter. Here is a close up shot. You can see they scallops aren't perfectly drawn (or painted for that matter), but I like the imperfections. If you missed my post on my DIY snowglobes, check it out here. These projects are so super easy, there is still time to squeeze in a few of these to make your Christmas decor extra fabulous! Have fun!

A handmade tree star

2011-12-13T19:19:00.000-08:00

Those of you who follow my blog and know me, you know that my dad is SO super talented. My dad is the one behind our handmade beds we sell on Etsy.

He made this tree topper by hand for my sister and her family, and if you look closely, you can see all their initials on the inside (R, N, R, E & C). Love this idea and maybe we'll sell custom stars next year in our Etsy shop!

My Anthro inspired snowglobes

2011-12-11T10:39:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit of a copy cat here. When I saw snowglobes at Anthro in October (see this posting for picture), I immediately thought "DIY"!!!! I studied them carefully for a minute and had a plan! They probably cost under $5 each to make. I headed straight to Michael's, and wah-lah! Take a look at our mantle and a DIY for you on how to make them yourself!

All you need is a 1) mason jar, 2) fake snow and/or glitter, and 3) a small decorative Christmas object like a tree, figuring, or ornament. You'll also need a glue gun and probably something to prop up some of the objects you use. Here's how to do it:

For this one, I was putting this tree in the xtra-large mason jar, so I needed to prop it up a bit. You could grab anything from around the house, but I had this wood spool lying around so it worked great. Just use your hot glue gun to secure it.

It really is that easy! If you happen to make these, please email me or comment, I'd love to see your creations!

Amanda's holiday decor

2011-12-10T00:07:00.000-08:00

My good friend Amanda has such a cute, quirky style and she has been putting that style to great use! She has been crafting like a mad woman lately! All her hard work has paid off because isn't her house adorable?

Amanda just opened her Etsy shop (wooohooo!), Koolots. Be sure to check it out! Great job girl. I'll take 1 of everything!

My Little Jedi

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to be a part of the new issue of the online magazine, My Little Jedi. This is our first advertising venture and we are just tickled pink to be a part of such an adorable magazine. Be sure to check our ad out on page 175.

Please check it out here! In case you missed the September issue, you can find it here on My Little Jedi's website. Plenty of eye candy for you this Friday! Have a lovely weekend!

Glitter Reindeer

2011-11-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hello December!!!! This Christmas, I wanted to jazz up my mantle a bit. I knew I wanted a reindeer and I knew I wanted glitter. I was surprised how easy this was and I'm so happy with how it turned out!

Trust me when I tell you this was SO easy. First up, head to your local craft store and get a canvas. The one I got is a 9x12. I then Googled "reindeer head silhouette" and went to the Images. I chose this one, but there were several other great ones to choose from. I contemplated doing a profile or a full reindeer, but ended up really liking the one I chose. I copied the image and blew it up, printed it out, then cut it out.

I then taped the reindeer to the canvas then used a pencil to trace the outline onto the canvas. Next up was Elmer's glue. You may want to grab a q-tip to help spread the glue. Be sure not to use too much glue, or it will make the outline bleed. Then it's the fun part....pile on the glitter!

Let it sit like this for awhile, then lightly dust off all the excess glitter. Use a tooth pick to help re-define the outline. I did this several times, as it took a good couple hours to dry.

Here she is in all her gold glory! I think this would be adorable in the shape of a tree, snowman, snowflakes, etc. Stay tuned for more Christmas crafts!

Jenifer & Casey's Grey & White Wedding

2011-11-29T09:15:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to share with you some pictures from Jen & Casey's wedding that we did last month! These are brought to you by Lane Dittoe.

Yes, this is the same Casey from Friday's Kooba post. Please check out more of these beautiful pictures at Lane's site here. That's our Quirky Love (You Are The Peanut To My Butter...) print that you can get in any color at our Etsy shop.

I'll be sharing all the details of this wedding soon, complete with how I got the furniture pieces (including that dining table above) on Craigslist, then painted for styling the wedding. Enjoy!

What's up, Buttercup?

2011-11-27T15:41:00.000-08:00

Check out our newest print in our Etsy shop. Isn't she cute? This print came from inspiration from my little Drew. Every morning when I go to get her, she is standing in her crib looking at me with that sweet face and I ask her, "what's up, buttercup?".
This would just look so cute in any little girl's room and would be such a cute gift framed for your next baby shower! Can you imagine giving this with a box of Sprinkles cupcakes?

We offer the option to customize the print color. Check it all out at our Etsy shop to the left or by clicking here.

A Kooba Story

2011-11-25T10:21:00.000-08:00

By now you may know how much I love Kooba purses. I am lucky enough to own 4 of them, most recently my husband surprised me with a new beauty for my birthday.

My friend Jen shares my love of Kooba. Jen has owned the most beautiful Kooba, her first, the Jayden for about 2 years. Anyhow, Jen just got married, and an unfortunate event happened a few days before the wedding. When I met with Jen after her honeymoon, she told me all about it.
Here is an email her new husband, Casey, wrote to whom-ever will listen over at Kooba! It's hilarious....and I'm posting here for your enjoyment, and also hoping someone at Kooba might read this!

My name is Casey Miller and I am the World's Worst Husband.

It all began two days before my wedding on October 20, 2011. My then fiancée was on her way home from work with her favorite handbag, the Kooba Jayden in bourbon. Now I know it may seem like I'm just saying that, given the audience of this email, but it's the truth...hand on heart. My now wife is the most OCD, Type A woman I know (I say that in the most endearing way possible). When she finds something she likes, in this case your handbag, she treats it with the utmost respect and care. I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure she still has her favorite outfit from 3rd grade shrink wrapped in the back of our closet.

I bought this particular purse for her about a year and a half ago from Nordstrom. Since then, friends have been envious, strangers have approached her on the street, all wanting to know where she got that bag and want brand it was. Often she would go online in an attempt to locate another one of these handbags for equally smitten friends; however, each time she came up empty handed. Unfortunate, but at least she had one for herself that she would cherish forever. Until...

Back to October 20. My wife was on her way home from work and had one of those aluminum reusable water bottles in her purse. "Someone" forgot to screw the cap on all the way and what resulted was a disaster of epic proportions. During her car ride home from downtown San Diego, the contents of the bottle were emptied in the purse, which was sitting on the passengers seat of her car. Now most people would be concerned with the contents of the purse in this case (wallet, cell phone, day planner, etc.), or how about the high quality leather seats that now had 16 ounces of Kooba filtered bourbon colored water on them...not my wife...the status of the purse was her only concern. Since I wasn't with her, I can only speculate as to what happened next during those few minutes of sheer panic/terror, but I would imagine it involved a combination of swerving between lanes and her cursing Al Gore and the entire "Green" movement for her stroke of bad luck with this reusable water bottle.

I won't bore you with the details of how the purse was then meticulously emptied on to our kitchen counter, vigorously hand dried and towel swaddled with the care a mother shows a newborn; however, all those things did happen. The damage had been done, but my wife still remained positive and hopes of a full recovery were at the forefront of her mind. After a day in Intensive Handbag Care, the purse seemed to be on the road to recovery, drying and it's color returning to normal. That is, until I, the World's Worst Husband, took command of Operation Handbag Recovery - 2011.

During this October week, we had been plagued by fog and rain and our usually sunny, dry San Diego climate was a damp mess. As I mentioned, the purse's condition was stable, but I thought I would take matters into my own hands and ensure a speedy, full recovery. This, in my self-proclaimed expert opinion, could only be accomplished with the use of our household oven. Now I've been called stupid before, but I am most certainly not dumb. I wasn't going to bake the purse, that's just ridiculous. What I did do however, was let the oven briefly heat up to a dry, warm, 100 degrees, then turned it off and placed the purse in to let it sit overnight. Surely by morning the purse would be back to 100%, I would be hoisted on to the shoulders of my fellow World's ex-Worst Husbands and praised for my exploits and ingenuity. At least that's how it was playing out in my head.

Instead what actually happened, no one would ever have guessed. Actually, the worst-case outcome in this situation is probably pretty obvious while reading this, so I should clarify by saying I could never have guessed.

As I mentioned earlier, our wedding was now a day away, family from far away was staying in our house and a large celebratory meal was being prepared. The events of a day earlier with the purse were out of everyone's thoughts and happiness, love and holy matrimony had replaced them. That is, until I smelled something burning. "Casey, why is there a smoldering purse in your oven?", geez, if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that...!

As it turned out, my wife and I both forgot the purse was still in the oven. Another family member turned on the oven, preheating it to 350 degrees for a loaf of garlic bread. Now, I'm not one to point a finger, but who preheats an oven without first checking for a Kooba Jayden in bourbon handbag inside?...but I digress. So I was then left with having to break the awful news to my soon to be wife that her most favorite possession (myself included amongst those possessions, the handbag still won) had just been baked at 350 degrees like a loaf of cheap bread. This is not an exaggeration...she cried. She cried for her most favorite possession now looking like an overcooked turkey, she cried because she knew that another one of those elusive handbags would probably never be found, and last she cried because at that exact moment she realized that she was marrying a man who although had the best intentions, shared the thought process of a caveman.

I'm sure you're probably reading this thinking; there is no way someone could actually do this. For those naysayers, please see the attached pictures.

Please believe me when I say that I am not looking for any handouts or freebies here. I made this bed and I plan on sleeping in it. However, what I will accept is some guidance as to how I can find another one of these handbags for my wife. I have scoured the Internet; looking at more purses in one month than any straight man should look at in an entire lifetime…all to no avail. This handbag simply does not exist for purchase anymore. Honestly, if I knew of another woman who currently owned this handbag, I would not be above forced home entry and theft. That's how desperate I am and how much this purse means to my wife. But I, of course, would leave behind $600 because I'm not a caveman.
Any guidance as to where I can find this handbag for purchase would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Casey Miller

If anyone knows people at Kooba, let me know!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T20:08:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving! I was especially excited to host Thanksgiving this year because it would be the first time we used our dining room since I redecorated. I was hosting a smaller than usual group this year, so I decided to just be really simple with my decorations.

I did these simple name cards with stamps and I cut out little felt leaves and glued them on. It only took a few minutes and they were really cute!

My accent color in the dining room is raspberry pink. These spray roses did the trick. The rest of the flowers are from our yard. I also used votives with coffee beans. Makes for great smelling candles!
I got these awesome placemats at the Crate & Barrel Outlet awhile back.

And here's Mr. Micah posing next to our pie. Trust me when I say "he liked it". I told him that I ate pumpkin pie just about every day when he was in my belly....but he thought I was being silly.

Hope you all had a great day with family and/or friends. I know I did. I continue to be thankful for everything I have in my life.

Lastly, I thought I'd share a new purchase with you....here's my new entry way rug!

Have a great weekend everyone! Let the Christmas crafts begin!

Pasadena Flea Market

2011-11-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I went up to the Pasadena flea market with my girlfriends Amanda and Kerri. Believe it or not, it was my first time!

Back in September we chicas stumbled upon the Santa Monica flea market, which is miniature in comparison to the almost too overwhelming Pasadena one. This was my big score in Santa Monica...vintage Reader's Digests covered in these fabulous patterns. $1 each!!!! I also picked up a bunch of doilies for Christmas projects.
We quickly realized that Pasadena's flea market was much more pricey and vendors weren't too willing to negotiate. We got there a little after it opened. As we were going in, we spotted Lara Spencer from Access Hollywood. She was there filming a show for HGTV. I was hoping we'd run into Tori Spelling!!!

This picture below was inspiring to Amanda & I for a Christmas project. All of those flowers were made from yarn. Cute, huh?

Here is miss Kerri on a funky chair.

I loved this idea of a big mirror with a planter at the bottom for outside our front porch. I have this miserable little planter to the left of our front door that we cannot get anything to grow in. This looked like a fun solution!

Amanda & I both scored some lamps...Here is how Amanda's lamp looks in her daughter Mia's room!
I am still mourning two missed purchases. One was a cat figurine and one was a faux bamboo table from an awesome seller where I got my lamp from. Here we are...

We had a lovely lunch on Colorado in Old Pasadena. We shopped some more....Paper Source (Kerri had never been, can you believe it?), J.Crew, Kate Spade and a few others. Can't wait until our next trip up!

Baking with my little helper

2011-11-13T20:54:00.000-08:00

Last month, I posted here about some recipes I was really wanting to try. With Thanksgiving looming around the corner, I chose to try pumpkin pie cupcakes, which you can find the full recipe here.

Those who know me well know that I have a love affair with anything pumpkin. When I was pregnant with Micah, I ate pumpkin pie for breakfast on more occasions than I'd like to admit. Micah loves to bake so I thought this would be a fun recipe to try together.

Yummy! The cute cupcake liners are from Shop Sweet Lulu. I had leftovers from Drew's party. Note....if you are thinking of making these and would like to save time, I would buy a pumpkin pie from the store and use that as your topping. The cake is a light, fluffy, cinnamon cake. The graham cracker crust is fun in the little cupcake. Let me know if you try it out!

Birth Announcements

2011-11-11T15:23:00.000-08:00

Are you like me and just LOVE getting birth announcements in the mail? Even though you may have seen pictures all over Facebook or you get one texted to you, there is nothing that compares to seeing a beautiful newborn picture on lovely stationary.

Two of my favorite gals both had babies this fall. I thought I'd share with you their beautiful announcements.
Stacey welcomed Ryan & Reade just 1 day before Drew's 1st birthday. Stacey has a 2 year old as well....I'm hoping we'll be able to hang out again sometime in the next few years! Smile. Is this picture not the most beautiful thing you've seen? Makes me want to jump on a plane to go cuddle these little ones. Can't wait to meet you R&R!

Alice, of Mason & Co. (who you've heard me gush about her talents here on the blog before), welcomed her second son on October 10th. I was so lucky to meet (and hold) Landon just 2 weeks after he was born. I started crying within seconds of meeting him....you just forget so easily how small and precious they are. This picture of Landon, with older brother (and Micah's BFF) Mason, is just so sweet. I can't wait to watch Landon grow up....maybe Drew will like younger men?

Tristan Quigley Designs

2011-11-09T18:50:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to share with you a sneak peek of our family pictures this year. I recently met Tristan Quigley at a community event here in San Elijo. Through emails, we've discovered we have tons in common.

Check out her website and blog at Tristan Quigley Designs. For those of you in San Diego, she's booking up fast so contact her soon for your holiday pictures! Tristan has two beautiful girls, so she definitely knows how to work with kids. Micah and Drew definitely made her "work" for a good shot!

Oh Drew...she was being such a stinker and just wouldn't give us a smile. This picture is just so precious though. Can't wait to see the rest of them....something tells me I'm going to have a hard time choosing!

Guest Interview: Morgan from Pepper Design Blog

2011-11-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! Today I am super excited to share with you a new series of blog posts. I will be interviewing some of my favorite bloggers and industry friends about their weddings. Don't you just love to peak in and see other people's weddings? I know I do.

Today, we're talking with Morgan Spenla from Pepper Design Blog. Through her blog, Morgan shares with her readers all the happenings of renovating her home and all the fun projects that go along with it. I love popping over to her blog tos ee what she's up to. Visit her blog and say hello! Okay, here we go....

Tell us about your wedding...when was it? 2007

Location? Vineyard/hills of Santa Cruz (with a spectacular view of the ocean!)

What was your color scheme? I guess it would best be described as all-white with neutral accents here and there (it was outdoors so there was plenty of green, tan and brown to play off of!) - the bridesmaids wore a shade of burgundy redWhat were some design elements or creative touches you put in your wedding? Nearly every element had some form of handmade in it - from the invitations to the flowers to the centerpieces to individual wine tags! I even made my own cake.

If you were to get married again tomorrow, what would be your color scheme and what would your bouquet look like? I think that I would still choose an all-white wedding, though I might pick a more modern accent such as plum instead of red. Oh how neat to relive that day!
What is your favorite flower? Sooo difficult. Peonies when they're in season, they're such a treat in California!

Anything else about your wedding you'd like to share? We shared a beautiful day with family and friends, I wouldn't change it for the world!

Thanks Morgan! If you'd like to see more of Morgan's wedding click here.

Casey & Jen's Wedding

2011-11-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some pictures from the reception at our recent wedding. If you look close you can see our Quirky Love print that you can get here.

I will be sharing more pictures soon from their fabulous wedding photographer, Lane Dittoe. I will have a full post describing all the details and fun projects that went into this amazing wedding.

Micah's 3rd Birthday Party

2011-11-04T20:48:00.001-07:00

I can hardly believe Micah is going to be 3 next month. The theme this year will be all things "B". I'm having fun planning his party....you wouldn't believe how many kid things actually start with the letter B!

Here is a sneak peek at his invitations done by the fabulous Kerri at Cali Mac Ink.

Christmas at Anthropologie

2011-10-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

It is not quite November yet and on Friday, I went to my Anthropologie and I was so surprised (and excited) to see they had out most of their Christmas items. The only store in San Diego to have them on display! They even had the Christmas candles burning to get you in the spirit!

Everything was beautiful as always. It all seemed much more "Etsy-ish" than usual. I am in love with the snow globe/mason jars...I most definitely will be copying and making my own version of!

Check Here to see all the Holiday decor at Anthro. Be prepared to drool.

Wedding Weekend

2011-10-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! We had a busy weekend! One of my good friends got married on Saturday, so I was a busy bee with the flowers & styling, as well as a guest. I worked with so many great vendors and I can't wait to show you the pictures! For now, here is a sneak peak!

Here is another shot from my Daisy Dreaming Instagram. Check it out here and follow me!

Drew's party on Ohdeedoh!

2011-10-14T21:47:00.000-07:00

Drew's birthday was featured on Ohdeedoh this week! Check it out here! Ohdeedoh has been so great to us...if you remember, Drew's room was featured last year. You can check out that post here as well as Micah's 2nd birthday party here!

I'll leave you with some of my favorite pictures of Drew at her party...

If you missed all the details from Drew's Kitty Cat party, click here for the full post.

My Birthday

2011-10-09T14:18:00.000-07:00

I am so spoiled. Kooba & Kate Spade. Need I say more? I have had such a fabulous birthday, that I began celebrating last weekend. It has been a week of great friends, a great husband, and a wonderful family. So blessed!

Fall baking

2011-10-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year. My birthday is on Saturday, which is always a fun beginning to the fall season. One of my friends recently said, "The only way San Diegans know when seasons are changing is when Starbuck's changes their drinks". Sad, but true! However, I will say, we've had two days of rain and it has been great to break out my boots!

Something about this time of year always makes me want to bake. I've got a few new recipes I have my eyes on and can't wait to try! I have a mild obsession with pumpkin, so these are #1 on my list:

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes...need I say more? Find the recipe and full post here.

I saw this recipe today via Half Baked today. Check out the recipe and full post here.

Another favorite of mine I seem to bake several times are Mimi's Buttermilk Spice Muffins. They are so easy and so yummy. You can find the recipe here.

Happy Thursday!

flowers

2011-10-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share a pretty picture with you of a bouquet I did for the house. Peonies, mini callas, and spray roses accented with craspedia and scabiosa pods.

Hope you had a great Monday!

Drew's kitty cat 1st birthday

2011-09-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my daughter's 1st birthday party last weekend. I always start my party planning with a theme. Picking Drew's theme was an easy one. We have 3 kitties (Trina, Maggie, & Pemberley), and Drew just loves her furry girlfriends.

I started with custom invitations done by Kerri seen here. When I was planning, I wanted to make sure to stay away from anything literal cat-like. There are plenty pictures...I hope you enjoy!

The entry way had our photo booth (more below) to the left and giant balloons from Shop Sweet Lulu.

Here is the birthday girl, my Drew Elizabeth.

We made two stations for the kids - Collars and Tails. I made collars out of ribbon, velcro, bells, and cat charms. I also pre-made charms of the initials of the kids who were coming. I made the sign out of wood, hooks and a little Ikea shelf. The kids were able to pick out the collar they liked.

The cat tail station was a lot of fun for the kids. I simply got boas and cut them into various lengths. On the shelf, I had safety pins set out for the parents to attach the tails to outfits. I was so happy that even the boys took part in the kitty cat tails.

Here is Drew with her little tabby cat tail and collar!

What would a kitty cat party be without yarn? I couldn't get enough of these cute and colorful handmade poms. I strung them everywhere I could. It was a great way to bring in color to the party. I assure you that our cats had a great time "helping" me hang these!

Over our kitchen island is where I created a yarn ball "chandelier". I incorporated all the colors from the pom garlands. This project took A TON of yarn, but I was so happy with how it turned out. Now you all know what I've been doing with every second of my free time for the last 3 months!!!

In the kitchen I hung pictures of Drew every month so people could see how she'd grown! I used the baby month cards seen here.

On to the good stuff, the food! Here is a view of the kitchen and main food area.

Also on the menu for the kittens was Mouse-caroni 'n Cheese and String Cheese.

I made "scratching posts" as my sign holders. These were so simple with just a few items from Michael's and wire. Every detail was thought out....I'm sure half (okay 90%) of my guests didn't even notice, but yep, those are cat dishes with Chex mix (to look like food) and goldfish crackers. I used little cups (moms will appreciate that) from Shop Sweet Lulu.

Wouldn't be a cat party without tuna, right?

These custom labels were so fun and tied in great with my favors (keep reading). They are from fellow Etsy seller Chickabug.

On to the desserts....

Here's my toy mouse chandelier!

Another great Etsy seller, Sugar And Flour worked with me to make these adorable (and delicious) kitty cookies!

White cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Yum. Topped with Lucky Charm-ish marshmallows from Bake It Pretty. The mini cupcake liners are also from Shop Sweet Lulu.

What would a kitty cat party be without bird's nest cookies? Those are vanilla Jelly Belly's in the middle.

Chocolate dipped and nonpareils adorned Oreos!

I made a chocolate mousse with homemade whipped cream in these adorable miniature dessert cups. I was SO glad I had leftovers of these!

I also made strawberry shortcake, with angel food cake, strawberry puree, vanilla pudding and homemade whipped cream. So simple, colorful and delish!

I literally never saw my son during the party because he was so busy jumping in the bouncie! Here he is with his pal Mason having a great time.

A few more details. A catnip plant (which my cats have gotten full use out of) with a bowl of Chex mix and another dish full of gummy cats.

There has to be flowers! Here are some simple mini gerbera daisies in what else, but a cat treat container!?!?

Some of you may remember the "Outhouse" sign we made for Micah's Camping 1st birthday, which you can see here. I wanted to do something again to point our guests to the bathroom. Simple and not gross!

Here is the birthday girl while we are singing to her. She's not quite sure what is going on, but I love that you can see her little kitty tail over the edge of her booster seat.

Micah decided to help blow out Drew's candle, which he successfully did without spitting all over her cake!

Here is a picture of the photo backdrop that I made. My dad did the pvc pipe frame for me, and I adorned with fabric, cat toys and of course, my yarn poms!

We had plenty of accessories. I made blank signs for guest to write on, as well as pre-made signs. I made kitty ears and bought some other props.

My Mr. Micah, with his kitty ears. I can't believe I got him to sit still long enough for this picture! I guess he needed a break from all the bouncing!

The little favors were so fun. I got the mini sized bags with my favorite zigzag print from Shop Sweet Lulu (yes, that shop is adorable and I'm obsessed). I got the custom labels from Tiny Prints.

The treat bags had what else, but Kit Kats, Trader Joe's cat cookies, and a good 'ole lollipop. Hopefully all my friends weren't too mad at me for all the sugar!

Lastly, here is Drew opening some presents after everyone had gone and she had her nap. She was so excited (obviously) and got some great new outfits and toys!

I hope you enjoyed our purrrfect day. I had so much fun planning this one! Now on to planning Micah's 3rd!!!!

If you have any questions for sources I didn't mention, please feel free to email me or leave a comment!

Introducing Daisy Dreaming Wire Beds

2011-09-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

Meet our newest additions to our Etsy shop! Inspired by the original that was created for Drew's room, our shop was born. I'm so happy with our newest designs and I hope you like them too! Check them all out at our Etsy shop!

We take custom orders, so please feel free to email me with any questions! I'd love to hear your feedback! Which one is your favorite?

My Missoni purchases

2011-09-14T15:54:00.001-07:00

I have to say, I scored big-time with all my Missoni loot. Yes, I'll probably return some stuff because no one needs this much chevron in their home, but feeling super happy with all my purchases.

I also did some online shopping...I just HAD to have two of the baby blankets and some frames I didn't see in the store. My most coveted purchase is that luxurious throw blanket. Still wishing I would've gotten it in the pink, but still loving the mustard! Yay for Target!

New "Quirky Love" Print Added to Etsy

2011-09-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

You are the flip to my flop and the shake to my bake! Check out our first (of many) prints to come to our Etsy shop! We offer the print in 12 fabulous colors! This print is so versatile...adorable in your little one's room, your bedroom, or even displayed at your wedding or special event.

We already have one custom order for a blown up poster for our next Daisies Of Our Lives wedding in October! The bride wants it displayed on the guest book table. How cute!

Check out our shop on the above tab or click here!

Drew is 1

2011-09-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, on September 2nd, my baby girl Drew Elizabeth turned 1 year old. She was born on 90210 (9-2-10) at 4:30 p.m. She has been an absolute joy to my life. I still remember the day she was born like it was yesterday.

1 day old to 1 year old. Drew has been the best baby anyone could ask for. I have cherished every day...all 365 of them. I cannot wait to see what is ahead for her in the coming year!

Today we celebrated Drew's birthday with a kitty cat party. It was so much fun, but I'm exhausted! Can't wait to share the pictures with you next week! Happy birthday to my sweet, baby Drew.

Our productive weekend

2011-08-28T20:51:00.000-07:00

Wheeew, what a busy weekend...and man, was it a hot one! We had planned to go to the zoo in the evening on Saturday, but it was just too darn hot - so I was busy crafting away and getting the house ready for Drew's birthday party. I thought I'd share some of the fun things I've been working on.

I put the final touches on this huge canvas I did for Micah's room. Micah loves Dr. Seuss, and I love the title of this book. All that is left to do is to hang it up and find a cute globe to put on his dresser.

I decided to give our hallway a little pop of color. It is very pink. I was going for a raspberry, but all in all, I'm happy with it. You can also see a little sneak peek at the decor I started to put up for Drew's kitty cat party. Yarn poms are everywhere!!!

Here is a picture of our family calendar I just got from Paper Source. I put an open frame around it to make it a little more "stylish". It also serves as a place to set the Sharpies.

I also wanted to do a little sprucing up to our guest bathroom. I changed out the mirror to this black and gold one I found at Aaron Brothers (1/2 0ff), of all places. I added a little shelf for some fun decorative items from Anthropologie.

To tie in the hallway color, I did this little piece of art to add just a little pop in the room. I'm hoping to find some great brass piece soon for the wall...just waiting for something to jump out at me.

Lastly, we ended the weekend with our tradition of homemade soft pretzels and popcorn. My baby girl has started walking and has a new tooth coming in, so it has also been an eventful weekend as well! Hope everyone had a great weekend! Stay posted to see my finished dining room and more pictures of my projects for Drew's party!

Happy Anniversary mom & dad

2011-08-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

44 years ago today, my parents were married! Quite an accomplishment these days! For their 40th anniversary, I decided to throw them a surprise party at our house. My mom HATES surprises. That didn't stop me. It just so happened that my sister and her family were out visiting from Tennessee for their high school reunion. With my brother and sisters help, we were able to pull it off!

As with any good party, I started with the theme. I'm not usually a "red" girl, but the 40th wedding anniversary is the Ruby, so it was a great excuse to go all out on the red color scheme. To keep things easy, we just did a few desserts, champagne toast, cake and coffee. I'm disappointed I didn't have enough time to more pictures! Note to self: have a designated person to take all the detail shots while you are scrambling like crazy!

Here are some of the desserts. I kept it really simple with chocolate covered strawberries and my mom's famous jello recipe in little cups. You can't really tell in the picture, but I labored over those champagne glasses for weeks. Each one has a cluster of red gems for a little flare!

Here is the line up of guests waiting for my parents to come in. On the invitation, I had requested that all the guests incorporate red into their attire. 60 people and all....it was like built in house decorations!

Here they are....my mom a little annoyed and a lot surprised! We had told them we were going out to a great new dessert place, so they didn't suspect anything with a 7:00 arrival time.

This is my niece, Casey outside. I had rented a few belly bars and linens for our deck outside. I did red roses and pomanders of red carnations.

Here is a shot of the deck. I used red lanterns and tissue poms hung over the deck.

Perhaps one of the most fun projects from the party was re-creating their wedding cake. I worked with my favorite ladies at CAKE and got their famous banana truffle cake. I sent them a picture of my parent's wedding cake, and did our best to re-create it. It was actually hard to find the flying doves and the cherubs! I set a picture of them cutting the cake next to their cake. The irony of it was that my mom's wedding colors were red and white, so it went perfectly with the theme!

Here they are after their toast! You can kind of see the cake here.

When my cousin Sara arrived, she was looking at the cake and I saw her studying it a bit. She later told me that she thought I had gone crazy with my taste level. She didn't realize until later that I had re-created their cake! Hilarious. I still laugh when I think what she must have been thinking! After the cake, we surprised them with a video we created in iPhoto of all their pictures through the years. This was a collaborative effort between us kids and me sneaking into my parent's house many, many times over my lunch breaks! We toasted them and took this family picture. Since then, we've added my niece Avery and our two kids to the family.

Next year is their 45th. That is the sapphire anniversary....my wheels are already spinning!

Happy Anniversary mom and dad. I love you!

Sneak Peek at last weekend's wedding

2011-08-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday everyone! Last weekend I had the pleausre of working with the talented Bre Nelson from Joyful Weddings & Events on a wedding in Dana Point. It was a beautiful day and everything turned out beautifully! Here are some of the photos I snapped...

Check out some more sneak peek pictures from Brynn Alyson Photography here

The countdown begins

2011-08-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

I am officially less than 1 month away from my daughter's first birthday party! It's kitty-cat theme central at our house. I can't wait to share with you all the fun stuff and ideas I am doing for the party.

Here is a little sneak peek at one project I'm working on. Yep, that's right. It's a toy mouse chandelier.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

The Children's Museum

2011-07-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

We recently had a vacation. Well, let me re-phrase...daycare had a vacation, we had a stay-cation here in San Diego with our kids. Since our kiddos are still pretty young, we opted not to push it and go anywhere. That's not a bad thing, there is SO much to do in San Diego with kids.

We decided to try the Children's Museum downtown for the first time. I was so impressed with everything I saw...there was a bit of "eye candy" and inspiration in every room we encountered. I can't imagine what it was like seeing everything through my children's eyes.

First up was this amazing macrame...well, I'll just call it a macrame chandelier. I loved all the hanging string and dragon/snake looking "things". I'm so technical, aren't I? All you artists right now are cringing I bet!

This was a view from the bottom looking up at it. From the bottom you could tell the white piece looked more like a ghost. Since I'm knee deep in crafting craziness for Drew's party, this really gave me inspiration. I have yarn coming out my ears (kitty cat theme)! If you look up to the stairs, you can see several paper mache animal "heads". The museum is so on-trend!

It was a great surprise to learn that it was finger-painting Friday, which I knew Micah would love. Micah had never painted with his hands before. We have always used a brush, so he was a little unsure at first. He got more and more comfortable and had a great time!

Here I am with the kiddos...I had to have a picture in front of this amazing wall. I wanted to get behind the camera and get some great kid shots, but it was super hot and chances of getting either one of them to hold still with so much going on was going to be near impossible.

I loved this...they had a whole section devoted to chalkboards. It was like a huge graffiti wall done by kids. This was also on the bottom floor looking up. It was like a huge wrought iron fence, but it was made out of cardboard. It was quite stunning in person.

Here's a close up of the "fence" and my girly girl.

I don't know what this is or what to call it, but I love it.

Here is a picture of the rock climbing wall/room. I loved the swirls of paint. Again, I tried to get a cool shot of my kids in front of this wall, but no such luck.

Micah jumped right on to the wall, like he's done it a hundred times before...no big deal. Drew tried.

There was a huge table just full of wood blocks. I'm pretty sure Micah could have stayed there all day. Stacking and falling, stacking and falling, and on and on. I have to admit, my hubs and I looked at each other several times thinking the same thing....where are the anti-bacterial wipes?

Lastly, there was a whole bubble play area outside that also could have kept my kids busy for days. But, we were all getting hungry and quite hot, so we only stayed out here for awhile. Micah looks a little grumpy here, but trust me, he was having a blast. He was more annoyed that I was sticking the camera in his face and saying, "cheese" & "look at mommy" for the millionth time!
For $10 a person, this was definitely worth it. I can't wait to go back and I'm sure the kids feel the same way. What a great way to end our great week with the kids!

Dye Dipped Flower Pots

2011-07-15T09:16:00.001-07:00

Obsessing over this post at Design*Sponge today! I love creative ways to re-invent table arrangements. This definitely sounds like a project in my near future! What a cute idea for an Easter table, huh?

Look how cool each pot looks...each a little different, but giving off a chic tie-dye look. Who knew? They used natural materials as their dye...I'm thinking that seems a little too much for me, so I'll be going the store-bought dye route. For the full post of instructions go here.

This reminds me of the amazing fabric posted on one of my favorite blogs, Coco + Kelley a few weeks ago seen here and here.

More fabrics like this amazing one can be found at Thai Silks. You have been warned...there is amazing fabric at this shop...I've got about 6 prints I have my eyes on!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! If anyone has done any recent tie-dye projects, email me!

Drew's birthday invite

2011-07-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

The invites have finally been put in the mail. It's a kitty cat party! I have been hard at work getting everything ready for the party....lots and lots of projects! It has been so much fun and can't wait to share all the details with you!

Cali Mac Ink did a fabulous job on the invites, don't you think? If you have any custom invite, stationary, or graphic design needs, I highly recommend working with Keri! Contact her at quillin.kq@gmail.com

Happy Friday-Eve!

Finished Entry Way

2011-06-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I am back to share with you my finished entry way. I've been busy trying to get this little wall completed for a few weekends now and finally got around to doing it! I'm really happy with the way it came out.

The last piece to the puzzle is getting a rug. I have a few that I have my eye on, but I'm not ready to commit just yet. I am enjoying looking at my beautiful hardwood floors for a change though...so maybe the rug will wait a bit longer! Here is the one I'm drooling over, but oh that darn price tag!!!! Sigh.

Part of my excitement is the fact that I didn't spend very much at all on this project. Here is a list of my resources...

Wallpaper - Home Depot ($50)
Console Table - CraigsList ($20, formerly brass)
Lamp - Estate Sale ($20)
Mirror - Home Goods ($60)
Hello - Earth In Print Etsy shop
Jonathan Adler bowl, candle stands, vase, design books - already owned!

My new entry way has inspired me to make a new wreath for my front door. Time to mix it up a bit. Check out this post here to see some of my other (and current) wreaths. Hope you all are having a great week!

Unique Ceremony Backdrops

2011-06-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

I have to say, I love when I meet an unconvential bride who is willing to step outside the box. I love doing things a bit different. Long gone are the days of simple arches adorned with flowers. Now people are really putting some personality and some major style into their ceremonies.

I am a firm believer that any little creative touches will leave your guests feeling like they know you better. Plus, if you have a good photographer, they are going to catch all these details and your pictures will end up looking like art. SO much eye candy here...

Images courtesy of 1) & 2) Jesi Haack Designs 3) & 4) Once Wed 5) Pinterest 6) & 7) 100 Layer Cake 8) Jesi Haack Designs 9) The Bride's Cafe 10) Ruffled 11) Style Me Pretty 12) Ready Made 13) 100 Layer Cake 14) GreenWedding Shoes 15) This Modern Romance 16) Shop Ruche 17) Style Me Pretty 18) 100 Layer Cake

Don't you just love how all the pictures are so colorful and interesting? Which ones are your favorite? If you are already married, and you could do it all over again tomorrow, which backrop would you pick?

2011-05-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to finally have my Pinterest account set up! If you want to see any of my pin boards or follow me, check me out here! I've already been busy pinning away! Sorry for the spacing issues in this post...blogger is so annoying sometimes! :)

I'm so excited to let you know that the re-design of Daisy Dreaming is almost complete! I can't wait to unveil the new design!

Today I leave you with a few pictures from this lovely wedding posted on 100 Layer Cake. To check out all the wedding pictures, click here. I cannot get enough of the creative use of ribbon in this wedding!

Have a happy Memorial Weekend!

hints...

2011-05-23T19:41:00.001-07:00

The theme has been decided and the plans are well underway. Yes, some might think I'm crazy to be planning my daughter's 1st birthday so early (she's 9 months old). I honestly think I started planning her party when she was in utero! But, there is a method to my madness!

I'm really excited to share with you details of her party in the coming months. Here are some clues to the theme...see if you can figure it out!

I was chomping at the bit to make my first purchase from Shop Sweet Lulu. I think I could've bought everything, but I had to control myself.

So, what do you think? Have you figured out Drew's birthday theme???

A few updates around the house

2011-05-17T08:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday! I was able to do some painting this weekend....that means the kids took a long afternoon nap! Here is the new one I did in my living room. Nothing too fancy, just love the color combo. I was so excited to get all my dining room chairs back from the upholsterer over the weekend. Here are my $20 Craigs List chairs transformed. I love them!

Here is a good before picture of these chairs:

Here's Pemberly quickly breaking in the new chair. I have since had to cover all the new chairs with towels and blankets to keep these cats off!

More pictures coming soon as my dining room is almost complete! Yippeee!

Rachel & Mike's Wedding

2011-05-13T11:46:00.001-07:00

Rachel and Mike got married on a beautiful day is sunny La Jolla. They were married at Mary Star of the Sea. Rachel was so sweet and a dream bride. They were having a very intimate, small reception and decided to do the flowers themselves, but really wanted special bouquets. I love when a bride can recognize that your bouquets really can enhance your wedding pictures.

We wanted a whimsical, fun bouquet that went well with Rachel's gorgeous dress. We used white roses, gardenia, lisianthus, and a hybrid baby's breath that went beautifully with the lace in her dress. We accented the bouquet with an antique broach to tie in her sash. Lastly, we used a few of these delicate white feathers to coordinate with her bridesmaid's, but made sure it didn't over-power her bouquet. I was so happy with the finished product...what do you think?

How stinkin' adorable are these bridesmaid's dresses? I love the color and the neck-tie. These bouquets consisted just of white lisanthus and the same white feathers we used in Rachel's bouquet. They were literally, light as a feather! Enjoy the wedding...

All pictures are courtesy of the very talented Suzanne Hansen of She Wanders photography. Check out her work and blog here.

Hope everyone enjoyed this wedding as much as I did! If you have any need for florals for your wedding or event, email me kelsey@daisiesofourlives.com

BHLDN Love

2011-05-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure I just died and went to heaven. BHLDN is Anthropologie's bridal line and they just came out with party supplies today on their website. There are so many great pieces on their site, it was hard for me to narrow down my favorites!

I am SO loving this dress. My husband and I recently celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary...man, that would've been a great excuse to throw an anniversary party and get myself this beauty!!!

This is a bouquet made of paper. I can't imagine how much time it took to make, but that sounds like a fun project...hmmmm, the wheels are spinning....Drew's table with the felt tea set could use a centerpiece....

There is a growing trend for guys not to wear flowers as boutonierres. This one might be a little too frilly for some grooms, but I love this trend.

I recognized these cuties immediately. I have been a long-time follower of Ann Wood. She always sells out of her little birdies. Check out her website when you get a chance...I think Drew needs the Buttercup Girl for her room. If you're having a more whimsical wedding, these two would be adorable on top of your cake.

I'm dying over these notecards. I think I must have them...immediatley.

Where were these 6 years ago????

Chalkboards are all the craze still...in interior design (mostly children's rooms) and definitely for parties and weddings. I really like the shape of these and the fact that you can hang them like gift tags...brilliant!

Glitter numbers? So fun. It would be really cute to make a banner of your wedding date hanging on church doors, aisle, or anywhere at the ceremony. It would also be really unique to have your child's birthdate hanging in their room. Too bad they don't have a dash!!! They also have glitter alphabet.
I don't think I'll ever get tired of garlands. The dot garland is so fun. The pennants are made of velum, which are very light-weight and semi-translucent. Both come in a few different colors.
I am just now getting into the tape craze. I love these black/white/silver combos. Check out Happy Tape too...so many to choose from. I haven't bought any yet because I'm afraid it will be like my favorite candle...It's just too pretty to burn it. Does anyone else do that? But, I know I'm going to use some for Drew's party...just haven't decided which one I want just yet.

This is thick twine. I love this color combination. Baker's twine (they also sell) is big right now for parties, but these are thicker and could be more useful for wedding decor. I could see these twisted around a glass vase or used to hang vases. They also come in several color schemes.

all images courtesy of BHLDN

Wow, one could go broke very quickly, right?!?! Check out BHLDN's full line of gowns, shoes, jewelry, and party decorating on their site. Maybe you'll find a perfect piece for your next event!
Let me know what items are your favorite!!!

Cardboard Box 1st Birthday Party

2011-05-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have kids, you know one thing - you give your child a brand new toy and they are more interested in playing with the box or wrapping paper than they are with the new toy. Anything that is not a toy is more fun, so when I stumbled on this cardboard box 1st birthday party, I thought it was truly genius!!!

The ladies of hello! Lucky stationary & invitations are the brains behind this theme. I have on several occasions used their stationary...most recently I bought these as my Thank You cards when I had Drew. Adorable, right?

Back to the party...here are some pictures, but be sure to check out the full post on the hello!Lucky blog. A theme with built-in entertainment for the kids all in one. So creative!

I love the B.Y.O.B. on the invites! If you have a guy in your life who likes to get involved, this could be the perfect theme....give him an razor blade and a few ideas and he could really help out and be a part of the creations! Maybe he'll think your less crazy if he gets to participate! Smile.

Photos courtesy of hello!Lucky

This party got me really excited for Drew's 1st birthday party. I've been gathering a few items here and there. New posts and details to come soon!

Katie & James

2011-05-01T20:44:00.001-07:00

Oh La Jolla...you are so beautiful! Yes, I'm a little impartial because I got married outside in La Jolla, but there aren't very many better places in San Diego to get married outdoors. One of the best venues in La Jolla is the La Valencia Hotel.

Take a look at the wedding of Katie and James. Katie is so sweet and I had so much fun working her. Take a look...

Katie's bouquet consisted of white mini calla lilies, roses and roses. This simple white bouquet looked perfect against Katie's intricate and beautifully beaded gown.

All photos courtesy of Kim Bly Photography. Thanks Katie!!!

Our weekend

2011-04-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend and Easter! We had such a busy (and fun) time! Saturday was errand day and just hanging out as a family.

I decided to make some cookies for Easter...Micah was the first to try the finished cookies and said, "I'm a mess"!

Drew's first swimsuit arrived in the mail on Friday, so we had to try it on...check out these thighs!!
On Sunday, after a sunrise service on the beach, we went to breakfast then on a whim, decided to head down to the zoo. It was so much fun!

We saved the egg hunt for after nap time, which it ended up misting and being super cold (by San Diego standards anyway), so it was a rushed hunt. Micah wasn't all that interested...maybe next year!
Drew had fun playing with the carrot-egg with jelly beans...it was like a homemade rattle! For those of you who read my post about Easter last year (check it out here), you know I was looking forward to Drew's first poem from my mom. Well, we got two!

To our little, doll baby, Dewey...
You make us laugh and we go ha ha,
You make us sing and we go la la,
You cry when you see us and we feel ___ ___

If you didn't figure it out, Drew's first Easter gift was a Blabla doll! How cute is that? Drew loved her new doll instantly! Here was the second one...

To our sweet little cupcake, Drewey...
Well, our eyes have twinkles,
And your thighs have wrinkles,
But you'll have funsie in your onesie from Sprinkles!

My mom said that she is now officially retired with the poems...I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that she comes out of retirement next year!

Chic & Cheap Nursery Feature

2011-04-20T21:39:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Chic & Cheap Nursery featured Drew's room! Check it out here!

Chic & Cheap Nursery is an interior design blog dedicated to providing design advice and inspiration for new and expectant parents. Nicole also offers online interior design...please contact her if you're interested!

Here are some fun new more detailed shots of Drew's room that I'm happy to share with you all! I had to start off with a picture of the little lady herself...

xoxo,
Kelsey

Amanda & Jason's wedding

2011-04-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite weddings that I got to be a part of was Amanda & Jason's wedding that took place at Calumet Park in La Jolla.

Isn't Amanda's necklace gorgeous? It was a chunky sea glass necklace (and matching bracelet) from Villa Moda that went perfectly with a beach wedding. She wore a simple Nicole Miller, with beautiful button detail all down the back.

How cool is that aisle runner? Amanda's mom made it and the kelly green really popped off the grass. It was such a fun touch. Amanda's bouquet goes down in history as my favorite. ever. Green cymidium orchids accented by feverfew, lady's mantle, and baby eucalyptus. This bouquet was a perfect representation of what Amanda wanted...a Wisconsin girl + a California guy = beachy, modern & romantic wedding.

Each of the bridesmaids were given the same fabric, but where allowed total creative freedom to make their dress their own. We did super simple and elegant white calla lily bouquets.

The reception was at Old Venice in Point Loma. We kept the decor very simple, clean, and modern. Each table had the green cymidium stems and the spider mums. The third vase we alternated vibrant colors at each tables, like the pink mini callas pictured above. We floated these cymbidium heads in water in square vases all over the reception...at the bar, cake table, etc.

All photos courtesy of Suzanne Hansen of SheWanders. Check our her amazing work here.

DIY window box cornices

2011-04-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

Check out this post from Ohdeedoh today entitled, "What a difference a Curtain Makes". There are many examples of different kinds of window treatments, including box cornices, like I made for Drew's room, which they feature here.

This truly was a super easy project that anyone can do. The great thing is that when you get tired of the fabric, you simple just need to take out the pins and replace with new fabric.

1. Buy a sheet of foam board from Home Depot

2. Carefully measure then cut the foam (tip...this is messy...do it outside and NOT on the carpet! I think I'm still vacumming up particles)

3. Glue the end pieces on and then to make sure they are extra secure, add some sturdy T-pins

4. Cut the fabric and batting in large pieces, then carefully fold and pin around the foam

5. They are light as a feather and hang very easily.

I'm thinking of doing the same thing in our Bonus room, which really is play land for the kids. There isn't enough time in the world for me to do all the projects floating around in my head!

My mantle & Craigslist projects

2011-04-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Nicole over at Me Oh My (she has such fab taste...I want to copy her entire home - check out her blog if you've never seen it), I loved her chevron print over her mantle. Since I have a newly found love for painting, this seemed like a project right up my ally! Check out how it turned out:

Yes, it took forever.

In the same room, this is my $20 mirror from Craigslist that I painted white. It sits on the same wall as the chevron print, on the other side of our media center. It's a perfect spot for this fun mirror.

This console table was also a Craigslist find for only $25. It was brass, but I was really attracted to the shape. I got some steel wool and spray paint, and wah-lah! This entry wall isn't done with it's facelift yet. I have some raspberry printed wallpaper on its way. I think it will look really great in this little "nook".
Those retro lamps I got for $20 (for the pair). They were Pepto pink, but in great condition. There is a little light at the bottom that illuminates through the fabric on the bottom (like a nightlight) on the first switch. I'm not sure what I'll do with the shades yet. My dining chairs that are being re-upholstered as we speak are cream, so this may come together nicely.

The sideboard was also a CL steal for $100. It's a nice piece of furniture. It will be the last thing a re-do in that room. Since my color scheme are blues, I was thinking a light gray, with white accents, but I'm not sure yet. Lastly, that's a painting that I'm working on right now.

Hope everyone had a lovely Monday!

Made By Girl LOVE!

2011-04-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! I am so stinkin' excited to share with you that some new pictures of Drew's room was posted by the ever-so-talented Jen Ramos at MadeByGirl today. Check out the post here

image via Made By Girl

There's little miss Drew, hanging with all her pals, including her new kitty blabla doll.

I had recently got the bug to start updating Drew's room a bit. I felt that the walls were still a little bare, so I got some great new pieces that I think really make her room look even better.

Above Drew's crib I added the famous LOVE picture from MadeByGirl. Please check out her shop here.

I moved my squirrel lady print from Berkley Illustration over her crib as well. I just love this squirrel print too much...I wanted to look at it more often! I also added the adorable "You are my sunshine" print from Jessica Shift. Check out her shop here. Lastly, I saw this fabric from Hawthorne Threads (where I get all my fabric) and just knew it had a place in Drew's room. I wrapped a small canvas and put it up. I love how it coordinates with the wallpaper giraffe.

As soon as I saw this print from Gus & Lula on Etsy, I knew I had to have it. I love all the different colors in it, which goes perfectly in Drew's room.

Here's a new shot of Drew's bookcase. Did you see the adorable mini telephone? It's pink polka-dots from PB kids...it actually works! I can just imagine Drew talking on it when she's older. Hilarious. I've also added an adorable watercolor card rendering of Darcy and Elizabeth that I got here. I'm still trying to find the right place for it. The mustard colored doile art I did.

For those of you who have been asking, our Etsy shop is not open yet. Still trying to create enough stock of the handmade wire doll beds. We'll have different colors and a few other items coming soon. I'll be sure to post when they are available!

If you have any questions about anything else in Drew's room, check out my blog post here. Also, if your a Facebooker, become a fan!!!! The re-design of Daisy Dreaming is coming very soon...sit tight! I can't wait to share with you all the new and exciting things happening!

Thanks again, Jen! Can't wait to see your new Cocoa & Hearts store!

xoxo

Easter Time, already???

2011-04-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or is 2011 flying by? Easter was always one of my favorite holidays growing up. My mom is a super-talented writer and every year, we would get poems or riddles in our eggs that we had to solve in order to get our present! She retired the poems many years ago, but as a special request, I asked if Micah coulg get his first poem last year. Here it is:

CONUNDRUM FOR MICAH JAMESON: To be attempted by his father...

Will you be a Bronco or a Charger fan?

That is the question for you, little man!

Maybe to be safe, just answer "I don't know",

Or be a half-breed...a Bronc-er or a Charge-o!

Whatever the case, be wise as a fox,

But for now, we'll let you walk in your Boulder ________!

For those of you who couldn't figure it out (it's okay, Jason didn't get it either), the answer was Crocs! Isn't my mom talented? I keep telling her she needs to write a children's book one day. I can't wait to see what Drew's first poem will be this year (that is a hint, mother, if you're reading...)! Last year, we went to a sunrise Easter service on the beach...gotta love San Diego! It was beautiful and Micah had lots of fun digging in the sand. We had my family over for an early Easter dinner. Spring is an amazing time at the floral trade center. My brain goes into over-drive. In general, pastels aren't my cup of tea, but I really had fun with this palate. Check out the table... I used two varieties of tulips, anemones, ranunculus, sweet peas, and feverfew. It smelled amazing! I had some leftover fabric laying around that I turned into placemats and tied the napkins with the scraps. It was a very easy project that you could easily use wrapping paper or even wallpaper. The china is from my grandma's wedding! I also used little doilies as a runner. Feverfew is one of my all-time favorite flowers. Who doesn't like mini daisies? Anything miniature is cuter anyway. They remind of one of my favorite scenes from Emma, when she realizes she loves Mr. Knightly. Gwenyth is picking daisies in the field waiting for his return. When she gets he-loves-me-not, she calls them "a drab little flower". I was really into baking and decorating cupcakes last year. I made these Easter basket cupcakes for everyone to take home. I found the idea on Bakerella's website. Aren't they cute? I'm not sure what my decor will be this year. Heck, I don't even have a dining table right now...better get on that! Anyone have any ideas they want to share for their Easter table?

Chandelier

2011-03-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was pretty productive. I got started painting some of my Craigs List chairs since my upholsterer is coming to get them this Saturday. As you know, I'm in the process of re-decorating my dining room. I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with my chandelier. It's one of those non-special, huge chandeliers that came with the house...never been a fan of it, but it did the job. I was hoping to save some money and just switch out the light bulbs, give it some paint and be done with it. Keep in mind my dining room has like 30 feet tall walls, so I was not eager to have to get scaffolding just to take it down and install something new. This was my inspiration, seen here on Design*Sponge: On Saturday I finally made it to Home Depot and got the globe bulbs. I was really excited to get home, install them to see how fabulous it was going to look. Well, it was not cute. Even my husband said, "I do not like that at all". I agreed. Now to begin a search for a perfect chandelier. I remembered awhile back seeing a chandelier I had liked by Troy Lighting. I went to Lighting Universe to see if they still had it in stock....they did (yay), but the price was still way too much (b00)! It was listed online anywhere from $560 - $600 in all the google searches I did. Here is a picture of it...isn't it fab?

Photo courtesy of Lighting Universe

Since I didn't put anything into a "chandelier budget" into my project, I knew I had to get creative. I looked at a lot of the standard sites and even ebay...no luck. None were big enough for my space or just way too expensive and lacked personality. At about 10 p.m. last night, instead of going to bed, I decided to just jump on Craigs List to see if they had anything remotely cute. I had one of those no way!!! moments. I typed in "chandelier", clicked search, and the 3rd one down was this VERY chandelier (above) listed for $300! I coudn't believe it. Apparently this person bought it, decided they didn't like it and couldn't return it for some reason. I emailed the seller and I am now a proud owner of this amazing chandelier for the bargain price of $250!!!!! Have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE Craigslist? My whole dining room is turning into finds from there! Anyone else addicted to CL or have any fun finds they want to share???

Revisiting our wedding flowers

2011-03-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

Happy 5 year wedding anniversary to my husband, Jason! It's hard to believe that 5 years ago today we were married in La Jolla, surrounded by our closest friends and family. What an awesome day that was!

Below are some of my favorite pictures from the day. All photos are by the fabulous Suzanne Hansen Photography. Check out her amazing work here.

Here is a picture of my hair before the humid beach air messed it up(made my naturally curly hair super frizzy).

We chose to see eachother before the wedding, so we'd have good daylight for pictures. This picture was taken right after we saw eachother. I loved the back of my dress. The knot in the back is what sold me. It is an Elizabeth Filmore from The White Dress in Newport Beach.

This picture was taken in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art, where we had our reception. This picture just makes me laugh. Suzanne has always been able to get us to be silly.

The ceremony....quite possibly the most beautiful spot in all of San Diego.

I did my own flowers - I wouldn't have it any other way! How could I hire another florist (I'm too much of a control freak!)? I was very happy with the way my bouquet turned out. It's funny what you find inspiration from. Mine came from the tie we picked out for him to wear. I found a vintage broach at an antique store that I put in my bouquet that helped coordinate with my earrings.

This is perhaps one of my favorite pictures. This was taken in the Museum...how cool is that mural behind us? I wish I could remember what Suzanne said to us to provoke these weird poses, but I also love how much it shows off everyone's outfits.

Instead of doing a seating assignment table, I did a tree. I used a manzanita branch and blinged it out with real crystal chandelier strands. It was really pretty the way it moved around. I had many brides use it since my wedding.

Since we had the reception at the Museum of Contemporary Art, I wanted to bring in a creative way of doing the actual table numbers. I have been a long-time fan of Bella Pilar art. You may have seen her line of greeting cards at Papyrus. I contacted her to do these table numbers, and she was so nice to do them for me. We matted them so they really looked like their own piece of art. I got the mini easels from Ikea, and stained them brown. I was so happy with how they turned out.

Since I was doing my own flowers, I couldn't do intricate centerpieces. I had chosen to do square tables, which usually requires multiple centerpeices. Since the museum has an amazing ceiling, I knew I wanted to do something with height. I chose simple, but beautiful dendrobium orchids. We also put a cherry blossom tree branch in the middle centerpiece. I strung crystals in between the 3 vases. At the bottom, we had square vases filled with Hot Princess pink roses and white hydrangea. How cool is that blue wall?

Here is a great picture of the room. You can see the back wall was a red tapestry....that bothered me at first (the museum changes up its walls every quarter). In the end, it added so many interesting photos. The head table was behind Marilyn Monroe!

What an amazing day that was. I really can't believe it was 5 years ago already. Hope you enjoyed the pictures...it was fun for me to look at them again!

If you're interested in Daisies Of Our Lives doing the florals for your wedding or special event, email me - kelsey@daisiesofourlives.com or leave a comment!

Dining Room

2011-03-18T13:16:00.001-07:00

I have been wanting to re-decorate my dining room for a VERY long time. Ever since we moved in, I never really liked it. It was just too rustic for my taste. I have slowly but surely been selling our current furniture on CraigsList to try to make a dent in my budget.

A lot of people don't use their formal dining room...but we do. I always host Thanksgiving and all the other family get-togethers. Plus, everyone walks by this room (it is right off the entry) to get to the main living space. There is no hiding it.

There are a few design dilemmas I've had to work around. First are our 30 foot ceilings. Second is the little "nook" space that is in the wall where the sideboard/buffet should go. Lastly, from the moment we moved in I never liked the slate I chose to go around the fireplace

I decided that my design aesthetic for this room would be a combination of retro (60's/70's) mixed with modern touches. I have diligently been on Craigs List just about every day for the last 6 months trying to find the perfect wing back chairs and lamps....and yes, I found them! Oh and if you've never heard of Craigs Easy....it is a lifesaver! They need a little love, but they're going to be fab! More to come on those...

Here are some of the pieces I'm planning on getting:

West Elm rug, Anthropologie curtains, Mor (the most annoying commercials in the world, but, they have a big enough table for us) dining table, Anna Maria Horner fabric for accent chair

Our upholsterer comes on Saturday to pick up 9 chairs....yes, 9 chairs that he'll be re-upholstering for us. I'm going to be using my two wing back chairs from CL as my end chairs...I really want to upholster them in this beautiful raspberry color to bring some femininity to the space, but not sure I'm brave enough! May stick with a nice royal-navy blue to match the curtains. All the rest of the chairs are going to be cream.

More to come on the dining room!

Happy Weekend!

2011-03-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

The weekend is almost upon us! Hubby is home from traveling all week and I'm so excited to have some family time!

My baby girl, now 6 1/2 months (how did that happen?) has decided to cut her first two teeth and roll over all at once. She is already pushing up and trying to figure out how to bring those knees forward...uh oh. Not ready for this.

I'm really excited that a few new things are happening. First, the blog is under-going a long overdue facelift. I can't wait until we are ready to push it live. Second, my good friend Jen got engaged! Yay! Wedding is set for October. More to come on her wedding. Lastly, I have decided on a theme for Drew's big 1st birthday! Let the psycho-planning begin!

I came across a lovely blog called Me Oh My! via my daily visit to Made By Girl . She has such great inspiration for my home. From what I can tell, she lives in a "cookie cutter" home like we do. My challenges with our home is that there is no real personality to the house. She has done such a lovely job and gave me plenty of ideas!

Have a great weekend everyone....it is supposed to rain in San Diego, but we are still managing to squeeze in a bbq with some good friends. Chao!

Baby Month Cards

2011-02-25T14:52:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have little ones, you know they grow so fast. Their baby days go by with a blink of an eye. My little Drew is 6 months this week. It's hard to believe that 90210 (09/02/10) was that long ago! :)

I made sure that I captured her growth, because I didn't do it with Micah. As I look back on his pictures I often wonder, "now, how old was he in this picture?". I was so crazy with the little ones that I unfortunately didn't get 1, 2, or 3 months, so I'll have an incomplete year, but I'm really happy with these last two. It was super easy to make. I encourage you to do the same...or else mommy brain will get the best of you too!

Have a great weekend everyone!

A funky, colorful wedding

2011-02-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

I have to say that I do love a funky bride.

This wedding is like eye candy to me! I stumbled across these pictures on Martha's website and the flowers are from Flower Wild in Santa Barbara. She does such beautiful flowers...very inspiring. I spent quite some time on her blog today enjoying her gorgeous bouquets. How fun are all these colors and their tights? It makes for some great photos that are really eye-catching. The bride's red lipstick pops out and matches all the shoes! Love it!

I am dying over all these fun sun umbrellas they had at their ceremony. That is a great new take on the parosol craze a few years ago.

These black and white linens at the reception are so funky but still classy. I love how the hot pink flowers look on the table.

Check out more pictures from this wedding here!

Micah's party on Ohdeedoh!

2011-02-10T13:04:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to share with you all that Micah's 2nd birthday was featured on Ohdeedoh today! Checkout the post here. To see the full post and more pictures and details from Micah's party, click here.

If you remember, Drew's room was also featured back in December!

LOVE, Love, Love Ohdeedoh!

stairs & lots and lots of pictures

2011-02-09T15:41:00.001-08:00

We have a lot of wall space in our home. Thank goodness I have the incredible Suzanne Hansen from SheWanders as a friend. Suzanne has been taking fabulous pictures of us since our engagement, way back in 2005. I finally got all our pictures hung and here is how it turned out:

Everytime we walk up the stairs, Micah likes to point out "mama" and "dada" and "Do" a.k.a. Drew!

The second story wall is finally done. It really is an "art" to hang all these pictures properly.

If anyone is in need of a fabulous photographer, Suzanne is available for travel world-wide (hence, SheWanders)! Suzanne is great with kids too.

Now on to my dining room re-decorating project! Yay!

play mat becomes an incredible rug

2011-01-21T13:14:00.000-08:00

People are so darn creative. I am just in love with this idea that I came across today via Design*Sponge. One of my favorite things to look at on the Design*Sponge blog are all the Before & Afters. I love to see old things re-invented or just creative uses of everyday things. For those of you who like Ikea, the IkeaHackers blog is really fun...when Micah moves to a big boy bed, there is a great idea that I'm going to do for a bedside table that I got from this site.

Check this out....Sarah from Sarah.Wandering this gal used one of those standard, ugly (sorry moms, but they aren't cute) jig-saw puzzle foam mats that you get from Toys R Us, Target, or any other big box store. She completely re-invented it and painted it (freehand) so it looks like an amazing rug! She posted all the DIY instructions here.

Images via Sarah.Wandering

I'm trying to go through my house in my mind to figure out where I can do a project like this...too bad I have mostly carpet. I am thinking a fun spill-mat in the kitchen for Drew could be fun since it's almost time to start solids (how did that happen?).

Happy Friday everyone!

My fancy DIY bulletin board

2011-01-16T20:41:00.000-08:00

I've been working on our office for a few months now. I wanted a fun cork board for my wall to fill up with inspirations, my new Paper Source calendar and miscellaneous reminders. I knew I didn't want your run-of-the-mill bulletin board. I had the idea after seeing a fabric board at my local Home Goods and thought, "hey, I can do that". My desk chair is blue and pink with nail heads, so I wanted to try to match it. I went and bought a basic bulletin board (why are they so expensive? this one was just under $30) from Office Depot, a yard of linen, tacs and wa-lah!

I will say, it did take FOREVER to push in all the tacs to look like nail-heads. My fingers were a little sore after, but it was worth it! I'm so happy with the way it turned out and can't wait to start to fill it up!

I also had the idea to glam up the push-pins. This was super easy...all I did was glue on rhinestones to the heads and look how fun these are? I was thinking of doing a few hot pink ones as well.

Here is a picture of how the office is coming along. Look at my cute new pillow I just got on clearance from Anthropologie! Maggie snuck into this picture! I'm planning on changing the lamp shade on the table lamp to bring in some color to that side of the room.

I will have more posts to come on our office as we work to finish it. The total cost of my bulletin board project was just about $40!

A Sweet Birthday Party

2011-01-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

Shortly after Drew was born, I had my own birthday. I knew that I desperately wanted to see and go out with my best girlfriends, but with a 5 week old, that just wasn't going to be possible. I was trying to come up with a very low-key and simple birthday party that I could have at my house. I made sure to send out invites right before Drew was born.

I'm not much of a cook, but I do love baking. Whenever I see a good recipe on-line or in a magazine, I always keep it in hopes that I will try it at some point. Needless to say, the dessert section of my recipe book was exploding. And then the idea was born. I guess it was kind of like a Cookie Swap party that you do around Christmas. I gathered a list of all of recipes that I most wanted to try, emailed my gals something like this...

I'm throwing myself a birthday party! Figuring I will be really dying for some good girl-bonding time, plus, I'm presuming that getting away for lunches and dinners with you ladies one-on-one will be a thing of the past once the little girl arrives. Here is the plan...

We will be eating dessert...lots of it. I will provide beverages (WINE). For each of you that can come, I'm assigning you a special dessert that I've been dying to try. I promise, they aren't difficult or overly time-consuming. If you must bring a present, then there are rules...you cannot spend more than $10 and it has to be one of your favorite things!

Once the RSVP's started coming in, I emailed them the recipe that matched with their comfort level in baking. I had a TON of recipes, so some of my friends I sent about 3 to choose from and they picked. I couldn't resist and decided to make Snickerdoodle cupcakes myself.

For the decor, I chose black and white damask. The theme was born when I saw the butterfly wine glass labels from The Posh Event on Etsy.

I did little gift bags for the girls. I bought plain black bags and did a little tissue pom out of a black napkin as a cute accent on the handle (see picture above). In each bag, I bought a large disposible tupperware, because I knew we were going to have tons of leftovers. I also included a print-out of each recipe.

For the dessert table I made these flowers out of napkins. The DIY instructions can be found here. They would look awesome strung together as a garland, but I had no time! The napkins I had leftover from my baby shower, which you can check out here!

Here was the line up (clockwise): Pumpkin Squares (candy corn on top), Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies, Biscoff Cookie Cheesecake bars, Chocolate Eclairs, Oreo Cupcakes, Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnut Cupcakes, and Snickerdoodle Cupcakes (center). How heavenly do they sound? I have to say, they were ALL delicious! But as you can imagine, we all had sugar comas after!!! Cute plates were found from Target and went with my theme perfectly.

Honestly, everything was sooooo good. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite. If you are interested in any of these recipes, leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

Here are just a few of my awesome $10 gifts. Some of the other items I got (but not pictured) were an adorable apron and a pair of yummy soft socks! I loved the dishtowel below so much (thanks Amanda!) that I went out and bought another one.

Here is a picture of my beautiful and awesome friends! My best friend Shannon is holding Drew....look how tiny she was! Once I had all my friends in my living room and after looking at this picture again I realized that I have a lot of blonde friends!?!?! It was a lovely afternoon of just visiting and some of my friends were able to meet Drew for the first time. I think all of the husbands enjoyed the leftovers as well. I know mine did! I will say though, having all the leftovers in my refrigerator did NOT help shed the post-baby weight! :)

For those of you short on time, I highly recommend this idea. We are all so busy with family, work, and other obligations these days. Having this time was a good reminder of how special the bond is between women. I know I value my friendships with each of these women (and a special few who wern't able to make it)! I'm hoping to do it again sometime, but maybe with a different food item other than dessert. Maybe a wine and cheese party? Anyone else have any good ideas?

DIY Cupcake Stands

2011-01-04T09:51:00.001-08:00

I found these super cute (and super easy) DIY cupcake stands on the Modern Moments blog today. Can't wait to try this out for our next get-to-gether. Check out the full post and instructions here .

Photo courtesy of Modern Moments blog

These would be a fun favor for your guests as well. Think of all the creative uses for it...

*put a tiny dish on top of it for your rings next to your sink

*on your desk at work, fill a little dish full of M&M's or some other treat

*set a small mason jar on top of it with some flowers in it

If anyone makes these, report back with pictures!

Samantha

2010-12-31T17:56:00.000-08:00

My friend Stacey's daughter Sam turned 1 recently. When I asked Stacey what Sam wanted, instead of an outfit or a new toy, she wanted something for a bare shelf in her room. Sam's room is chocolate brown, pink, and white. Stacey left it up to me with what I wanted to do, so here is what I came up with!

Happy 1st birthday, Samantha!

Christmas Presents

2010-12-26T20:58:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I may be a rare breed because I love wrapping presents!! This year was no exception! Check out some of my favorites...

Happy Holidays everyone!

Micah's 2nd birthday - Surfs Up!

2010-12-19T14:47:00.000-08:00

We've had a lot going on in the Jones' household these last few months! A new baby, a new job, travel, a crazy toddler...the list goes on and on. I obviously didn't have as much time to plan an elaborate party for Micah, like I did with his Camp Out 1st birthday, seen here. I started planning his party last year about 2 months in advance...with a newborn, that was not possible this year! I was so excited to have Micah's 1st birthday party featured on The Cre ative Hostess blog, that I wanted to try to do something special again, but a bit toned down.

This year, I was on a strict budget from the hubby and I was up for the challenge! I will say, having a baby so close to Christmas has some challenges when planning a party. You run out of time with the craziness of Thanksgiving, Christmas and just having enough time to find what you need. Not to mention most of your friends and family having a lot of other social obligations this time of year.

I was inspired by the Retro Surf Party seen here on the HWTM blog and it gave me a lot of great ideas. In my planning process, I began to search the web for some more ideas. For me, I always start with the invitation. I searched iStockPhoto and found some images, and my friend Alice, who designed Micah's 1st birthday invites, designed these for me this year.

I always like to make a great first impression, or to set the stage for the party right off the bat. My very creative dad likes a theme just as much as I do, and made all the great signs, as well as the surfboards that you'll see throughout the party!

After guests pass through our dining room, the entrance to the kitchen is where they enter party-zone. Below is another sign that my dad made, as well as a surfboard with Micah's name on it. I took Micah's easel down from his room, bought some chalk, and copied the "surf report" from I Love Parties that was posted on the HWTM blog (mentioned above)....it was just too cute with all the "2's"!

The streamers were the biggest time commitment. I actually wanted to have a ton more streamers on the ceiling, but time (and my neck) didn't allow. But what a fun, inexpensive way to add some color and visual interest to your room. I tried to make them look like waves. The streamer "curtain" was a great way to not have our gigantic Christmas tree to be a focal point when you walked in....plus, it was a huge hit with the kiddos! I'm not usually a big fan of balloons for birthday decor, but Micah loooovvvveeessss balloons. We barely can make it out of a grocery store without getting him one.

One way to cut down on the cost (and stress) was to not serve lunch. I decided to have the party in the early afternoon and serve light snacks, drinks and sweets.

Perhaps my favorite detail of the entire party was the "surf wax". Again, my friend Alice who designed the invitations, made these adorable labels for me. I made Rice Krispie treats, cut them out with a 3 inch round cookie cutter, wrapped them in saran wrap, then stuck the label on (label paper bought from Paper Source).

What can I say, I love cupcakes! I enjoy coming up with fun ways to decorate them too. Budget didn't allow to get my favorite banana truffle cake from CAKE this year, as we did for Micah's 1st birthday and my baby showers. I used the cupcake stand that I made for Micah's party last year, except I swapped out some of the material with some fabric I had on hand. The "sand" is graham crackers and those surfboards are sugar!

I love incorporating fabric into party decor. I made this boardshorts banner out of fabrics I had from Micah's room and some thread. I found the mini clothespins on amazon.com for $1.99. I was really happy the way it turned out!

For the kids (and some of the adults), we had temporary tattoos for them to wear if they wanted. I got them from Oriental Trading. The kids had fun putting them on. Micah couldn't quite figure out what was on his arm and kept trying to scratch it off. For San Diego and a surfer party, I was a little disappointed that we had rain. I knew it was in the forecast, so I brought down Micah's Ikea table and chairs from his room for a craft table. I bought some color-on frames and got some extra kid's menus from Islands!

For the food, we had a good mix of sweet and salty. For the sweets, I made mini jello cups, with a gummy shark floating at the bottom. We also had bubblegum balls, "2" sugar cookies, the above mentioned Surf Snacks and the cupcakes. For salty, I did blue corn tortilla chips, with a white queso dip as well as a pineapple salsa. We also had rainbow goldfish. For the drinks, I made lemonade, got some blue Mt. Dew, blue Gatorade, and was thrilled to find Surfer Cooler Capri Suns for the kids! The hula girl straws are from Oriental Trading.

For the favors, the adults got gummy sharks. For the kiddos, they also got some gummy sharks, surfer stickers, and plenty of temporary tattoos for home.

All in all, I was able to do his party for just under $200. I was really happy with the way it turned out and I know Micah had fun, which is the most important detail of all!

Happy 2nd Birthday to my sweet boy, Micah! Surfs Up, Dude!!!

Wreaths

2010-12-08T13:03:00.000-08:00

Here are some wreaths that I have made.... they are really simple to make. I went to Michael's and got the foam wreath, some yarn and felt. The fabric and ribbon was extra scraps I had around the house. Here is a picture of the first wreath I did for our front door.

Below are some of the others I made...one for my mom and one for my friend Alice!

This last wreath is my wreath that is up right now. I'm going to be using it as a "template" going forward, probably just switching out the felt and fabric flowers as my tastes and the seasons change. I am currently working on a Christmas wreath...check back soon for the results!

xxx

Ohdeedoh

2010-12-04T15:56:00.001-08:00

I am so thrilled to announce that Drew's room was featured on Ohdeedoh!

Thanksgiving table decor

2010-11-27T16:04:00.000-08:00

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I am in the middle of redecorating my dining room. So, this was the last year that I was going to have that rustic look for Thanksgiving. The current furniture in my dining room lends itself perfectly to the holiday.

I was excited when the fabulous Hostess with the Mostess blogged free downloads of very cool, Celebration Mod printables. I used them to decorate candles & vases, as well as for place cards and napkin rings. For my table, I went to Joann Fabrics and just got a few fabric quarters to lay as a runner. I also used some leftover Anna Maria Horner fabric I had from re-doing my kitchen chairs. I also used the fabric to change my color scheme from my Halloween wreath on my front door to a more Fall-like wreath. I grabbed some greenery from our yard and made some paper napkin flowers and I was done!

For the dessert table, I made fun little "banners" for the pies and used some leftover trays, napkins, plastic forks (who really wants to do more dishes by dessert?) from Micah's 1st birthday.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Drew's Room

2010-08-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

When I learned I was having a little girl back in April, I have to admit my mind began to go nuts with ideas of how I'd decorate her room. I knew what I didn't want...something overly "girly" or overly "baby". I had remembered a picture of a room that had caught my eye years ago from Domino magazine, then it was later published to their book.

After deciding this room would be my inspiration, I searched for many hours on the internet trying to find the actual article from Domino magazine (now out of print), so I could figure out where to buy a lot of the items used in the room. I finally (somehow) figured out which issue it was from, then found it on Ebay. I didn't win the auction, so on a whim I emailed the seller telling her I was just interested in 2 pages...she was nice enough to scan the two pages and email them to me! So, it all began....

My first purchase was the fabric for the windows from Mod Green Pod, called Butterfly Jubilee. It wasn't exactly the same, but I was so in love with it I didn't care. The original print in the magazine was a chocolate brown butterfly with cream damask background. Mine was black butterflies with a blue damask background. My dad and I made the cornices for about $10 in supplies...all it took was some glue, foam board, batting, and some pins.

I searched high and low for a good black & white ticking stripe fabric for my chair (chair was originally red, from Home Goods) that I had laying around in storage. The pillow is from Etsy, at BedBuggs Boutique.

One of my favorite parts of the room is the giraffe silhouette, made from vintage wallpaper. This came from Inke, all the way from Netherlands. The crib and dresser are from the Baby Mod line at Walmart. The desk lamp is from Target, and the lion art is from Avalisa. The chandelier lamp over the crib is from Ikea.

The table and chairs are from Target. The adorable felt tea set, inclusive of tea bags, was found on Etsy, at the Sew Cute shop.

On to the bookcase. This beauty is from Oeuf. I got mine from the adorable online shop, Fawn & Forest. I spent a lot of time searching for a less expensive look-alike all over the internet, but nothing compared to the design of this bookcase. I knew I had to have it. The "d" art is also from Avalisa. The fox/flower print is from Etsy, at the Yumi Yumi shop. I found the orange lamp at Marshall's for a steal...$19.95!

I had so much fun filling up this bookcase. I pulled things that I already had, along with some items from my childhood, including the piggy bank, many of the children's books, and a few coffee table/interior design books I had. I seem to get crafty when I'm pregnant. I'm not an artist, but I was shopping in Joann fabrics and walked by some doilies and had a revelation of sorts. I went to Aaron Brothers (hit the penny sale, thank you very much), bought some canvas' and paint and the result were some fun little pieces of "art". I used some felt and some scraps for the giraffe silhouette as well. My dad made me the adorable little doll bed out of wire and a dishtowel as the bedding! Below are a lot of detail pictures of items on the shelves...

A few finishing touches for Drew's room. The coat rack and pink rug are from Land of Nod. The adorable hanger is from Etsy, at the Lila Frances shop. The faux sheepskin rug is from Ikea. The porcelain kitty is from a local antique store and the mini vase I found on clearance from Anthropologie. The adorable squirrel lady print is from Etsy, at the Berkley Illustration shop.

I have had WAY too much fun decorating Drew's room. I am really pleased with how it's turned out...now we just need Drew to arrive!

Pretty in Pink baby shower!

2010-08-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

I was so blessed to have been thrown a fabulous shower by my mom and sister-in-law last weekend! Enjoy!