Cardboard Box 1st Birthday Party

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!