A Pretty Crate & Barrel Box

I've mentioned before how the Crate & Barrel box has been my nemesis through 16 wedding seasons. (Yikes! Am I that old?) I once again triumphed in the fall, with a fun package that I prettied up for my friend's September bridal shower.

I used pretty green paper to cover the Crate & Barrel name, then stabled peach tissue paper that I had from my own incomplete wedding projects around the perimeter for frilly goodness.

Incidentally, I believe this package led to me tying 90 party favors for her October wedding. Lucky me.

A Sparkly Brunch

I hosted a super cute brunch for my girlfriends this weekend. Our group has some important December and January Birthdays and one newly engaged friend. I thought a sparkly, confetti-themed brunch celebrating our good friends and good will would be a great way to kick-off the new year.

I scheduled this spontaneously right before the holidays. I was inspired by a sparkly party that I saw in a 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living that had lots of sequins and paillettes. This evite design sealed the deal on the theme.

I picked up red, purple, and fuchsia glitter wrapping paper from Paper Source, I happened to have a gold Chilewich runner from a sample sale, and I found a pack of eight fuchsia napkins at Home Goods for 99 cents. It was party kismet.

Whole Foods had these PERFECT fucshia and purple flowers.

I used my circle punches to make "confetti" for the place cards and napkin rings. Each place card and napkin ring had a unique pattern.

 

I also made some party hats with the glitter paper and crowns by stapling crepe paper fringe onto dollar store crowns.

I started making some "HAPPY" signs to hang above the mirrors, but, as always, time got away from me. I didn't get past the "H" and "Y."

I forgot to take a photo of the food spread. The menu included:

• Mimosas
• Orange LaCroix and O.J.
• Bacon, Leek, and Gruyere Quiche
• Ham, Shallot, and Cheddar Quiche
• Vegan White Bean Quiche (made by my friend)
• Hashbrowns
• Mixed Greens served with Fresh Vinaigrette Dressing
• Fresh Berries
• Bread and Butter

It was the easiest meal I've ever hosted! I had intended to make fresh brownies and sticky buns, but that Friday snowstorm threw a loop in my plans. I got some delicious bakery from Whole Foods, which was a million times better than anything I could have made myself.

I sent everyone home with a Godiva chocolate candy bar wrapped in glitter and more "confetti."

Our casual brunch turned into a four hour luncheon! It was so fun and a great respite from the snowy weather.

P.S. I used some scraps to make "Thank You" cards for the hostess gifts I received. I think that I want to make some "Tina" cards like this. Might as well use up the glitter spares before they become soooo 20XX.

366: Week 3

This 366 project is tougher than I expected. First, because when I'm busy, I forget to take pictures. Some days I'm grasping at straws and other days, I have too many. I finally decided to go approach this as a diary and select the photos that represent what made me happiest or had the biggest impact on that day. Hopefully, I can use some of the "pretty" ones in other posts.

Day 15:
Almost two full weekends of working until my bones ached, I have the Craft Room
all cleaned and organized. My friend took the bookcase and TV stand
off my hands this week, so it's even cleaner now.

Day 16:
My clean desk greeting me for a Work from Home/Big Deadline day.

Day 17:
I've been working so hard at knocking off the To-Dos
and working my way through the giant "Projects" list in my iPhone.
Our honeymoon album arrived this week!

Day 18:
I caught the "Revenge" pilot on the flight home from Paris.
I'm now embarrassingly addicted to this show. 

Day 19:
MENTAL HEALTH DAY! I sat down around 8:30 a.m.
with the intention of working on this scrapbook until about 11:00 or so.
Andy called to check-in and I asked what time he was going to lunch.
He said he already had...it was 1:45 p.m. Oops!
Great Mental Health Day!

Day 20:
I knew about the snowstorm for two days, so I naturally waited
until it started to go grocery shopping.
Four 15-minute errands and two grocery store stops took six hours.

Day 21:
Even with two days off, I'm up at 1:37 a.m. the night before a party setting the table.

Sparkly Baubles

I am hosting a "sparkle and shined" theme brunch this weekend. I asked my girlfriends to wear something sparkly, but I'm having a hard time finding something for myself to wear that's both flattering AND affordable. I'm thinking about just blinging it up. I have quite a few sparkly necklaces, but I'm bored with them. I'm kind of liking the odd subtlety of this necklace.

{Source: Anthropologie}

Speaking of sparkle, this necklace is on clearance at Macy's. I've been stalking it weekly to see if it's still there and if the price has dropped. It's on open display, so I hope that people aren't trying it on and scuzzing it up. Ha! If I get it, I'm going to make Andy take me to dinner just so I can wear it. 

{Source: Nordstrom}

366: Week 2

DAY 8, 01.08.2012:
Wide Awake at Bed Time

DAY 9, 01.09.2012:
F@^K. It's January 9th.

DAY 10, 01.10.2012:
Working from Home.
I was literally online from 6:30 a.m. to midnight
with one Diet Pop and one Noodles with  Butter break.

DAY 11, 01.11.2012:
Morning Rush Birthday Cake Run

DAY 12, 01.12.2012:
The First Snow of 2012  

Day 13, 01.13.2012:
Swimming Pools, Sausages, and WAY TOO MANY Soliloquies.

Day 14, 01.14.12:In the home stretch of spring cleaning.
These closet doors haven't closed in over seven months.

The Calm During the Storm

The trees were so beautiful on my walk home tonight. Living on a busy street, our window of pretty snow is limited. I was heading home late tonight and was lucky enough to catch a break in traffic and enjoy a little snowy serenity.

365: Week 1

I tried starting a 365 project on my birthday, in hope of practicing my camera. I last about two weeks or so before I got busy and fell behind. I decided to try a Hipstamatic album this new year for a few different reasons: to practice composition and for visual motivation to break out of the ruts I tend to get myself into. And since it's Hipstamatic, I will ALWAYS have my camera with me and won't have to do any processing. Hooray! Processing is what kills me.

Day 1, 01.01.2012: Hanging onto the holidays at my parent's house

 Day 2, 01.02.2012: So long, Santa!

 Day 3, 01.03.2012: Back to work

Day 4, 01.04.2012: New Year, New Possibilities
The P.S. calendar wasn't my favorite design,
but the numbers are big enough to be seen across the room
when I'm on calls and the bright colors really cheer up my drab office space.

Day 5, 01.05.2012: Busy Work chaps my hide.

Day 6, 01.06.2012: 5 Point Breakfast

Day 7, 01.07.2012: Crafting in the Car en route to Dad's Birthday Party

My goal is to drop the week's photos into a blurb album every weekend. So far, so good!

My Dad is 60!

A wrapping paper table runner. 

Place Cards...

 ...turned Party Hats!

 Each party hat had a photo of my dad and the wearer.
(Except for my bro.)

My dad's had a pix of him and his aunt/mom.

Andy and my mom were the only ones who humored me and wore their hats,
as my dad and brother were worried about "ruining their hair." They are both total curmudgeons.

 My #60 fell off in the car. :(

To make the hats, I unassembled a cardboard party hat and traced it onto 12X12 and 8.5x11 cardstock from Paper Source. I used crepe paper streamers to make fringe decorations. I used my Sillhouette SD to cut the 60s, which I attached with floral wire and scotch tape, and the blue ovals for the photos, which were attached with foam squares.