Gathered a few favorites things for entertaining and gardening this summer. It’s nice to add a twist to the basics that’s unexpected like the “Cape Cod birdhouse” painted in a pale mint color and soft blue hose that should be on display. I am eyeing the citronella candle in the square container. What about you?
A wonderful time to enjoy the garden and the beauty that can only can be observed early in the morning. It was about 6:30am when I decided to take a stroll through the garden as the sun started to peak through the cool, misty air. I came back around the second time with my camera and took these pictures with the dew still clinging to the leaves and flowers.
Boutique THEO is a great place to start planning a special event, to look for a gift, find something for the home or needing a little inspiration.
Boutique THEO is the creation of two childhood friends, Jennifer Delesie {Delesie Photography} and Charlotte Hale {Plum Pretty Sugar} and along with Lisa Vorce {Event Design & Production} as the Creative Director. These talented ladies have established themselves prominently in the wedding industry and now combined their expertise to help others plan special events through “shop the look” in their online shop. It carries a wide range collection of decor and accessories for special events, individuals, the home and for gift giving {my personal favorites are the creamware cake stands}. They also have a blog site featuring ideas, how-to projects and beautiful inspirational photos {like the image below} to help you get started. I encourage you to go and take a peak. ⟶
Thank you ladies {and Aaron} for letting me share these beautiful images from Boutique THEO.
Football season will be coming to an end a few days from now and the Super Bowl game will determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL). Bill and I grew up watching football every Sunday, the New England Patriots for Bill and the Denver Broncos for me. And as for our kids growing up in Washington state, the Seattle Seahawks. Here I have put together a few snacks and crafts for Super Bowl Sunday: a big bowl of popcorn, pizza, treats and your favorite drinks all on a football field table cover.
.
The football field table cover project came from Karin Lidbeck-Brent’s Fall tailgate party ideas. This was fairly easy to make using brown Kraft paper, masking tape to make straight lines and a black Sharpie pen to write the numbers.
.
The football favors are fun to make. Copy the image onto your computer and adjust the size. I printed the image on one side of the paper and fold it in half. Keeping the image on top and as a template for the other half and cut the pieces out. A total of 4 football pieces and one lace. Use a glue stick, to glue the edges together to form a football. Fill it with treats and seal it up. football template {click here}
.
I had my little helper Caleb put together the pizza, all I did was rolled the pizza dough out and put it in the oven. We made 4 pizzas from the two bags of Trader Joe’s pizza dough.
Ingredients
Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough (1 bag makes 2, 12inch pizzas)
1/4 – 1/2 Cup Pizza Sauce
8 – 10 oz Mozzarella Cheese
Pepperoni slices
Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Line the counter top with parchment paper and sprinkle with flour. Take the pizza dough out of the bag and divide it in half. Roll them into balls and let them rest on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes.
Roll out the pizza dough with the rolling pin to about 12 inches in diameter.
Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on the pizza dough (almost to the edge). Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese and top it with pepperoni slices.
Lift the parchment paper with the pizza and set it on top of the pizza stone in the oven (a cookie sheet will work just fine). Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes.
After I finished putting together the football field table cover and started to gather the food for the table, my 8 year old son Caleb came to me and said he wanted to help. I said, “That will be great!” Right away he went to work without ever asking what he could help “me” with. Our dining table is about nine feet long, lots of room for us to share. While I was working on one end, my son was at the other end of the table quietly working on his Lego project. As you can see, we had two visions of what to do with the paper football field, you either eat on it or play a game of Lego football. He had a great setup with grand stands, fans, mascots, announcers, and a field with goal posts and players. I thought he was pretty clever.
A few simple essentials to celebrate special occasions throughout the year
Basic fruit punch•confetti •all-purpose tissue flags•birthday calendar reminder
.
Fruit Punch
This is my favorite punch to serve kids. It’s a simple recipe and very forgiving if you want to change the flavor or the color of the punch.
Fruit Punch
1 (12 oz) can frozen apple juice
1 (12 oz) can frozen pink lemonade or lemonade 1 (6 fluid oz) can unsweetened pineapple juice (optional) 2 (2 litter) bottles ginger ale ice
Directions
In a punch bowl, mix together apple juice, pink lemonade and pineapple juice (optional). Add ginger ale and ice then serve.
* Make ahead, mix the first three ingredients and refrigerate it. Just add ginger ale and ice when ready to serve.
1. Cut tissue paper in a rectangle shape with fringe on the two ends. 2. Cut three (4 1/2 – 5 inch length) ribbon pieces and wrap it around a skewer once then tie it 1/2 inch from the top. 3. In the middle of the cut tissue paper, place a piece of double sided tape and attach it to the top of the skewer.
.
.
These little flags are great for picking up hors d’oeuvres and snacks or topping off cupcakes, cakes, drinks and gifts.
1. Take one sheet of tissue paper and fold it a few times until it’s about 4 to 5 inches in width & length. 2. At one end start cutting a long strip to the opposite end, repeat this every 1/2 inch. 3. Stack half of the strips together and clip them into little pieces 1/2 inch or smaller. Repeat this step until finished. 4. Fill a glassine bag with confetti and fold the top down and tape it.
.
Birthday Calendar
Use this birthday & anniversary calendar as a quick reference and stay informed of all the special dates.
Sherwin Williams color choice for 2013 is Aloe. Here’s why they picked it as explained by Jackie Jordan, Sherwin-William’s director of color marketing, “This is no ordinary pastel — Aloe is funky and glamorous, demure and free-spirited. While Aloe’s vibe can verge on retro, when paired with caviar blacks, crisp whites or soft grays, suddenly Aloe has a new soul and attitude. And Aloe is highly adaptable, making it a perfect pick for everyday spaces such as a breezy sunroom or a well-dressed living room.”(source ~ apartment therapy )
. . . . . . .
Pantone LLC’s Color of the year for 2013 is Emerald. The executive director of Pantone Color Institute, Leatrice Eiseman said the following, “The entire green family has been so strong, upcoming through the ’90s as we’re paying attention to nature, so the family isn’t new, but what we needed to look at and revisit was the psychological background: Emerald is such a balanced color, and balance is something to pick up on and listen to. It’s a color of growth, renewal, healing, unity and regeneration — words we’re all so in need of at this point of history.” (source ~ Bella & image ~ Elegance & Simplicity )
. . . . . . .
At Benjamin Moore’s website, these are the most searched colors by the general public. (source ~ Re Do It Design)
{English Bluebells}
{Strawberry flowers}
{chives}
