what matters most?

Wouldn't people everywhere start an amazing thing if we all saw the things that truly mattered most...Is that thought even possible or is it impossible because the things that truly matter most in life are different & vary to every person? Feel free to share your comments & thoughts...




Until next blog...

...when skies are grey!

I can just see this in a nursery or little boys room! Would also be really cute in a bathroom! Such a fun, sweet print! Enjoy!

Until next blog...

it's 11.11, make a WISH!

You're invited....

to take a peek at our daughter's first birthday! She was born on 11.11 & with her turning 1 on 11.11.11, we knew we had to make it extra special! So I decided early on with a Make a Wish theme.

Here are a few of the details... (all photography is courtesy of jenny.lynn photography, message me for her info!)

Step 1: Invitations [photo below]

Have you ever envisioned something & set out to find it, but you come up empty handed? Yup, you guessed it...that happened to me in the invitation department! I thought it would be cute to have star wand invites...out of ALL the invitation places (online, etsy, & around town), I pretty much came up empty handed. And I just wasn't finding anything that I had envisioned. Then I decided, well I will just buy star shaped invitations, embellish them, & turn them into wands! Eeehhnt, WRONG! You can find lobster claws and even tequila bottles (complete with mustaches)- shaped invitations, but NOT stars! ((now that I've made this claim, they will all of a sudden appear e v e r y where like magic!)) So last resort to fulfill your vision? Call in the brother-in-law to draw the stars on a computer for you, you come up with the wording, & take them to Office Depot to print them....and yes, hand cut them allllll out :D Thank goodness for family! {wish for mommy= GRANTED!}

Step 2: Decor [photo below]

decor=glittery, stars, girlie...wishes!

1) made a ribbon garland! Super easy (time consuming, but easy!) just sewed (with thread that was my memaw's!) misc. ribbons/trims to a 6ft piece of pom-pom trim! Then bought an empty frame in the "custom" framing department at Hobby Lobby (a little tip, they sell mess-ups from people who placed an order & weren't happy or decided on something else etc!) then my wonderful mr spray painted it for me! Then I just painted a wood #1 (craft section, yes @HL) & hung it in the center! {wish for a cute backdrop for her cake smash & double as cute party decor in general (plus a keepsake I will add to her big girl room some day..) = GRANTED!}

2a) inside the china cabinet: I removed all of our china off of the middle shelf & replaced it with everything from when she was born...all of her firsts: hat, shirt, bow, blanket, pacifier, bracelets, etc...a collage frame with pics from our maternity shoot, as well as a photo from her newborn shoot & a large picture of one of her announcements & her going home outfit. I ended up liking the way it turned out so much, that I haven't brought myself to take it all out yet! 

2b)make a wish banner...would LOVE to take credit for it, but unfortunately the invitations took a little more out of me then I expected, so I ordered it off of etsy! From Little Pumpkin Papers, SUPER, SUPER cute things & I was able to do a custom order! Which I also got

3) wish tree: tags from too! I customized a star tag she already offered & decided to use them for Alivia's Wish Tree. I had it set up on a table with pens & asked guests to "make a wish" for Alivia! I thought it would be a perfect keepsake & absolutely love the personal touch it adds. In fact, afterwards, we decided this will be one of our traditions. A wish tree every year for birthdays. {traditions started = wish come true!}

4) this pic gives you a little glimpse of it all together! The centerpiece at the front of the pic was handmade by her Nana's best friend, Lana's Lullaby Cakes & Cards, she is one crafty, talented, & amazingly awesome lady!

Step 3: More Decor...[photo below]

1) another find in the HL custom frame department & another awesome spray paint job by my mr! My inspiration started here on Pinterest. I was discussing things with my (soon to be) sister-in-law "SNL", how cute I thought it would be to do 1 picture from every month! So we did it! I'm a little biased but I think it turned out perfect! It seemed to be a big hit too! Everyone enjoyed getting to see how much she had changed & grown from 0-1!

2) birthday girl dress: I kept going over & over what will she wear for her birthday...I knew a tutu outfit was last resort because (yet again!) I envisioned something different. But this time, I didn't exactly know what I had envisioned. And actually I have to be honest, I ordered this dress before I even knew/planned on using it for her birthday! I sent a pic of it to my best & asked for her opinion...it's great to bounce ideas off of people, especially ones who will be honest with you & it always helps me to come up with even more ideas when I say it out loud or even just send it in a text! So I sent it to her & then all of a sudden it needed a belt & a headband & BAM, birthday outfit had been born! SNL & I went off on an excursion to Joann's to find the fabrics for the flowers/ rosettes! SNL did an amazing job on it too I might add! She even added small broach-like buttons from my wedding shoes to her belt & one to her headband! Another personal touch that I adore! {wish for personal touches= SUCCESS!}

3) some of the table decor...bought two little glass jars+glitter+tags 1)first birthday 2)wishes + painted a chipboard #1 = part of the table decor

4) birthday wreath: found a star at the party supply store+painted an A from HL+tied it on with ribbon= TaDa Little A Wreath (already had the tiffany blue door ;D)

Step 4: Cake & Cuppycake Decor [photo below]

1) Cake for ALL! (1 tier white+1 tier chocolate= all cake lovers covered)

2) Cuppycake for ONE!

Step 5: CAKE smash SMEAR!! [photo below]

1) smash cake apron: designed/made by her Aunt (SNL)! We picked the fabrics out at Joann's. Turned out AAAAAA-dorable & she looked so cute in it with her little bloomers & cake headband!

2) cake headband from a local gift shop+custom cake banner+ONE giant cuppycake= One happy Little A. She is such a little texture person...always has been from when she was even teeny-tiny. Always wanting to touch everything...so naturally she LOVED squishing, smearing, sharing, throwing, slinging, & nibbling here-and-there on that giant cuppycake!

3) just SOME of the cake smearing damage! BUT well worth it! {wish for memories to be made= without a doubt!}

Step 6: First Birthday Memories [photo below]

1) I had THE best time envisioning, planning, & throwing this First Birthday Party! I couldn't have asked for a better memory for our daughter. I can't wait for her to look back when she is older & see just how special she has ALWAYS been to us, even from the very beginning. I realize that when they are this young, "they aren't even going to remember", but the pictures will show her, all of the wishes people wrote for her will tell her, & all of the lifelong keepsakes will let her know that she is our little wish come true!

{the wording to the right of the picture is what I personally came up with for her invitation! I thought it was just perfect & seemed to just come to me so I stuck with it! amazing how one very special birthDATE can inspire a whole theme!}

I couldn't have done any of this without my amazing mr...all of her grandparents...all of her aunts & uncle...the best...all of our family & friends...and especially our little wish come true, little a herself! I could never thank everyone enough!!!

Until next blog...

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deck the [kitchen] window!

As if you couldn't tell, I really love Christmas time... & all of the decorating is just a bonus! I decided to share a short little post about some other Christmas decor I've done around the house lately. This one is in our kitchen window. I promise two things about this...1) it is beyond easy-peasy & 2) you can do it on the C H E A P! Really, I promise!!

The basics...all you need is 1}a tension rod (purchased mine at walmart for like $3 or $4) 2} ribbon in any color you wish! (purchased from Joann's, left over from little a's birthday party) 3}ornaments (pink striped ones are from hobby lobby & the teal sparkly ones are from walmart)

So there you have it, you can do it in a SNAP & on the CHEAP!

Until next blog...

dreaming in fashion...

something old into something {tiffany} blue

A few months ago some friends called my husband to see if he could come help load and haul away their china cabinet. They had decided they didn't want it anymore and were going to send it to goodwill. So off he went to help. I remember thinking after he left, "hmm I can't remember what it looks like? I wonder if it's something we could use?" Literally in the next few minutes I got a text from my hubby, "are you interested in this?" (I had been saying on this blank wall across from the dining table, I either wanted to find a china cabinet or have a built-in that kind of looked like one.) So he sent me two pictures of it and I told him, just bring it home, we could paint it and if we still don't like it, we can just continue it on to its destination.

He got it home and we decided we could paint it....yes, tiffany blue. I took my recipe box lid with me to lowes to match the paint. We lightly sanded it (nothing too serious), dusted it off and then just started painting it. Now I don't know for sure, but I think because we didn't heavily sand it, the paint didn't go on very "solid" at all. We took a step back and it looked like it was done on purpose, kind of distressed. So we ran with it...we painted the whole thing, one coat, let it dry and that was it. We loved the finished product. I do still wrestle with do I want to switch the knobs, change out the bottom cabinet doors & line the inside with fabric/paper, but for the most part I am very pleased with it!

You never know what something can look like unless you just go for it! What's the worst that can happen? a) You either have to redo it and keep trying until you get it to look how you want or b) you send it on to someone else who will like it and/or do something else with it. You have nothing to lose!
So always oblige to help move something away, look on craigslist, or stop by that garage sale, you never know what you can end up with and re-create! You just might be able to turn something old into something {tiffany} blue! (or white, black, pink, green...whatever color your little heart desires!)


Until next blog...