• Birthday,  Celebrations,  Summer

    Surf’s Up Dude! — The Perfect Summer Party for the Surfing Enthusiast

    That moment when you overhear one of the party guests tell his mom “Can I stay longer, I’m having the time of my life!!” Three hours into the party, I was feeling pretty tired and just as I was starting to lose steam, his comment was just the thing I needed to hear to let me know it was all worth it! This Surfing Party was a fun theme for my son who just discovered surfing during our spring break trip to the North Shore of Oahu, HI. What a fun adventure! I couldn’t believe my eyes when my little nine-year-old boy got up on his first try. It was…

  • Backyard Elegance Birthday
    Birthday,  Celebrations,  Summer

    Backyard Rustic Elegance Garden Party

    If you would have told me 20 years ago that I would fall in love with all things burlap I would have thought you were crazy…but it’s true — I did! Seriously can’t explain why something that used to be seen as something kind of old and crummy can be made to look so sophisticated. Well, actually I can explain it…have you looked on pinterest lately? Some truly lovely ideas for decorating with burlap. But I digress…For my 40th Birthday celebration I designed my theme around all things burlap and vintage. Twine, crocheted lace, bulap…even damask printed burlap! This girl loves her neutral colors and this burlap and lace pairing…

  • Birthday,  Celebrations,  Crafts,  Dessert,  DIY Tutorials,  Money Saving Tips

    How to Make a Custom Cookie Cutter

    As I was planning for my son’s Pi themed party, I figured I’d be able to track down a Pi shaped cookie cutter with out too much trouble. (Doesn’t everyone have a need for such a cookie cutter?) I did my usual Google searching and came across a really nice copper cookie cutter on Amazon, but at $23, it was priced higher than I wanted to spend. (Edited to add: I have since seen them on Etsy for under $5, but that wasn’t the case while I was planning the party.) After my online search came to a halt, I called around to some local stores who typically carry unique…

  • Birthday,  Celebrations,  Dessert

    Throw a Pi Party to Celebrate the Math Lover in your Life

    When your kid loves math as much as ours does, at some point you’re gonna want to throw them a Pi Party…and what better day to have the party than on March 14, National Pi Day. According to Piday.org,  Pi Day is celebrated around the world. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159…… I don’t know how many people treat this day as an actual recognized holiday, but in our home it is a day to celebrate! We dine on all things circular: Sliced Cucumber Ritz Crackers Doughnuts Pizza Orange…

  • Remodel

    Planning Stage: Addressing the Problem Areas

    Anytime you invest in a remodel it is vital that you address the problem areas and come up with workable solutions. This was where we spent the bulk of our time in the first 6 months prior to demolition. We spent a long time up front developing a plan that addressed these issues and solved our problems.  Okay, so I just need to get this out there before I go any further. I feel conflicted about what I’m about to say. On one hand, this is a perfectly great kitchen, it has a nice long counter, adequate storage and serves my family well. I should be perfectly happy, right?…but then…