Kalia's 7th Birthday Tea Party

I just wanted to share a few of my favorite photos from Kalia's 7th Birthday Tea Party! The placemats and "menus" were free printables I found online, and my mom made the cute toy cupcakes. I used little picture frames (from Michael's dollar bin), with a photo of Kalia and each girl for their place cards. If you're interested in other details, such as activities and favors, feel free to send an e-mail my way.

Happy Birthday, Kalia!!!

My New Addiction

Hello blogland friends! I hope you're still there. I'm afraid I haven't had a lot of time for blogging lately. Well, okay -- I haven't MADE a lot of time for blogging lately!

Anyway, Kalia's 7th Birthday party is in less than two weeks, and I have been busy "researching" for the big day. She would like to have a tea party, and I'm so excited about the food and decor, but games and activities have been a struggle. Do you have any good ideas?!

Although I don't have a lot of activity ideas, I hit the jackpot with free printables, and I wanted to share some of my favorites with you today. I am pretty much addicted to browsing the web for free printables now. I found a TON of cute ideas on the site EAT drink CHIC. I especially love the picnic invitations, popsicle memory game, and hanky love letters...but really, there wasn't anything on her site that I didn't like! I almost want to throw a picnic party, just so I have an excuse to use those cute invitations! I might print my tea party menu on the sweet hanky love letters.



When you're done at EAT drink CHIC, you should head over to The Pretty Blog for some more eye candy. I am going to use the free printable placemats at the tea party as well. Aren't they adorable?!



If you're looking for some cute, free art for your nursery or playroom, check out the printable alphabet cards over at the handmade home. AhhhMAZING! I haven't even scratched the surface of what I found over the last couple of weeks. There are some great ideas and printables for boy birthdays as well...but we'll save that for another day. Be careful...free printables are addictive! I'll be back soon.



Images:
1 EAT drink CHIC
2 The Pretty Blog
3 the handmade home

Peekin' On Pickin' - Angela's Loft

Hi there! Soooo, this is going to be thee coolest loft you have ever seen in your entire life...I'm pretty sure. My dear, dear friend Angela purchased her antiques store several years ago, and has been working hard at transforming the upper level into her personal (and amazing) living space. You're going to love it!


So here, we have the kitchen. Don't you love the yellow?! So cheerful. Check out the long subway bench behind the dining table...and those chairs! Ooooooo.


The antique doors on the left side of the photo open to the pantry. How cool is that?!


...and here we have the living room. Angela has a knack for hanging art, don't you think?




You can't see it very well in this photo, but that stained glass mirror on the left is one of my favorite pieces.


And here we have a charming little seating area. I love all the attention to detail, from floor to ceiling. Have you noticed the cool rugs and lighting throughout?


Welcome to the office! She used an antique crib, and converted it to a little sofa covered with old feed sack pillows. Super neato.


Here's a better view of the pillows, and I'm pretty sure I recognize some design school projects hanging above the bed. Mine are in the attic somewhere - but I love the idea of displaying them for artwork. Angela often lectures me about my naked walls, so I'll have to hang my projects before her next visit!


Crates on wheels - brilliant storage solution.


I'm willing to bet that none of you have a pair of oversized spectacles hanging in your home - but you're jealous...aren't you?? I am! They came from an old optometrist's office.


Oooooooo...a gallery wall full of Huldahs! A little piece of heaven, folks.


This is where Angela gets her beauty sleep.


Okay, I'm jealous of the closet too. I suppose we could all trade our doors out for some pretty antiques! I love the bracket hooks. She sure has some nifty ideas! (I don't generally whip out the word "nifty", but sometimes it just works.)

Speaking of "nifty", check out the maps. -- SUPER nifty. Don't miss the sofa she had reupholstered!

How cool is this re-purposed shoe rack from a warehouse. It makes a great display piece for Angela's cigar box collection.

Now we get a little peek at the Master bathroom.

Angela re-purposed some old barn doors in the Guest bedroom for some privacy and separation. Sweet idea!

My favorite thing about the Guest bath would have to be the distressed piece of furniture used for the sink.

Here's a close-up. I'm drooling over this one!!

Well that, my friends, is the last room on our tour. If you need some similar eye candy, you can browse Angela's website...or better yet, visit Angelique's Antiques in Hazel, Kentucky.

And the winner IS...

Jennai! Kalia and I put numbers in a hat, and she picked lucky #7. Congratulations Jennai! I will pass along your $50 CSN gift certificate. Forgive me for the delayed post.

So, was the weather crazy in your neck of the woods last week? Kalia has been home from school since Tuesday! I'm going a bit stir crazy. I'm SO ready for Spring, and this Birthday party I saw on Ohdeedoh is a little Spring-esque, and incredibly inspiring. I'm already thinking about Kalia's October party! Don't you love the hankie placemats?!

Images: Marissa Noe Photography / Ohdeedoh

$50 CSN Giveaway...

Hello friends! I realize I have been slacking in the blogging department, but I have an announcement and a giveaway for you today!!!

First, I would like to announce that we had our baby boy!!! Actually, he was born in November, and we named him Bennett, meaning "little blessed one". His middle name is Jude, in case you were curious. We are really enjoying his smiles, and he gave me my first eight-hour night of sleep on Friday. Hooray!! He is keeping me busy, but I DO have plans to pick up blogging again in the near future. In fact, my friend Angela has been busy setting up her loft apartment right above her antiques store, so hopefully I will be sharing photos with you soon. (No pressure, Angela!)

Now, for the giveaway details -- I'm sure you are familiar with CSN stores by now, and they are offering a $50 gift certificate to any of their 200+ stores. Yay!!! You should check out their furniture site, where you can find adjustable bar stools, headboards, sofas, and much more. You can shop home decor, housewares, baby and kids, and just about anything else you can imagine! To enter the giveaway, just post a comment with some form of contact information, and just for fun, tell me about the best deal/bargain you've ever found. I want to know about the item, and how much you paid for it. I love a good bargain story!

Just so you know, if you happen to win, shipping is not covered by the gift certificate. I will announce the winner on February 5, 2011 -- so just be sure to enter by midnight on the fourth. Good luck!

Image: Mary Ruffle

PS I'm SO ready for Spring and flowers, how about you?!

And the Winner is...

Gina from The Crave to Save -- Congratulations Gina! Enjoy your $65 gift certificate to CSN!!! Thanks to all of you for the great knock-knock jokes! I can't wait to share them with Kalia, so we can finally hear some variety around here!!!

Image: decor8 / danielle thompson photography

$65 CSN Giveaway...

...in exchange for Knock-Knock Jokes!

I know, I know! I haven't done a post in ages, and I don't have a great excuse for you, since the baby has not yet arrived. I guess I have just been busy preparing for his arrival.

Hopefully, I can make it up to you with a fabulous giveaway from CSN Stores!!! You wouldn't even believe the selection they have to offer from their 200+ stores, where you can get anything from a drop leaf table, to bedding or lighting, or something for your kiddos -- and just in time for the Holidays! The winner will receive a $65 gift certificate to use on any product from any CSN site. How great is that?!

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post including your name, and your best knock-knock (or short) joke. (We must teach Kalia some new jokes -- IMMEDIATELY!) Jokeless entries will be accepted, but let's say a joke will give you an extra entry. Good luck to you all!

PS I will announce the winner on Saturday, November 20, 2010. Please leave your comment by midnight on Friday, November 19, and I am going to do a good old-fashioned 'name in the hat' drawing. I'm an honest person - I promise! Oh, and the $65 does not cover shipping.

Image: ateliegaaya.blogspot.com

Craigslist Junkie

Soooo, I am trying to find a unique, masculine dresser for our baby boy, and in the process of scouting, I have become a Craigslist addict. It's soooooo addicting! There are some great deals on there, only you have to scoop them up IMMEDIATELY, or you'll lose 'em to some other Craigslist junkie. I have also figured out that you have to sound incredibly interested - or practically even commit to buying before you see the piece, or you'll miss your opportunity. Anyway, I am going to check out an antique bedroom set this evening, so wish me luck! Here are some of my recent Craigslist finds and scores. I know these are dreadful photos, but you get the idea. I'll bet I know where you're headed next! I'll make it easy for you: Click HERE!


French Bed : $1950 -- this one is still available, as far as I know. It's a little out of my price range at the moment. Would it be offensive to offer $150?? (wink, wink)


Guess how much I paid for this little desk...$25. It needs a little TLC, but overall, it's a great piece for the price. It currently holds art supplies in Kalia's playroom.


We bought this table last year for $40! It's another project we're attempting to tackle before the baby arrives. It will be beeeeautiful when it's done!

I'm absolutely kicking myself for passing up this armoire. It was advertised on Craigslist, but was being sold at an estate sale. We were first in line to see it on the last day of the sale, so it was 50% off, at $140. Randy and I took too long discussing it, and in the meantime, some lady declared her intentions to buy. Ugh!

I think this one was selling for $130, but it's too small, and too feminine for our baby on the way. It was still tempting!

Happy Craigslisting!

Cherry on Top

I would like to introduce you to my friend TJ from Any Given Moment. She has become a blogging friend, as well as an e-mail buddy, and she's pretty swell! Recently, she gave out some blog awards, and I am supposed to choose one from the three she received. I am going with the 'Cherry on Top' Award - basically because it's cute, and it involves cupcakes! I would like to pass it on to 5 deserving bloggers.

1. TJ at Any Given Moment (Right back at ya!)

2. Ms. Bright at The Bright Life (We attended the same high school and college, and I LOVE her blog!)

3. Christina at Full House (She definitely has a beautiful blog - with that 'little bit extra'.)

4. Such Pretty Things (This is one of my daily reads. I LOVE it.)

5. Rebekka at Dear Friend (Rebekka was my first college roommate, and I love keeping up through our blogs. She sells adorable artwork on Etsy, as a fundraiser for her upcoming adoption.)

Pass it on. Thanks for the cute award, TJ!

Horsin' Around

Hi there! I just wanted to share a few photos from our little trip to Lexington. We drove by that beautiful horse several times, and I just loved how it reminded me of a teacup. I felt like such a tourist, getting out to take photos (especially since I actually lived in Kentucky for about 8 years!), but I just had to have a picture. Turns out, the horse was labeled 'Teacup'!

We took Kalia to see Keeneland, and although it's not racing season, she seemed to enjoy herself. The grounds are absolutely beeeeeautiful. Remember the movie Seabiscuit?? Well, Keeneland was one of the filming locations.

We also met some old friends for dinner at Saul Good, and I just adored the atmosphere. It was the perfect combination of glitzy chandeliers, red velvet tufted booths, and ornate mirrors. The fondue wasn't bad either!

I hope you're having a good Monday -- this is Kalia's second week of Kindergarten. I really thought I would be fine, since she attended the same school last year for Pre-K...but once I dropped her off, and walked out the door on the first day, I couldn't keep the tears from spilling over. Either it's just the pregnancy hormones, or what they say about sending your kids off to Kindergarten is all true!

On another note, did you watch Design Star last night?! I won't spoil it for you, but I really enjoyed the last two weeks of the show. Oh, and did you see Southern Girl Desserts on The Antonio Treatment last week?! It was fun to see a cupcake shop makeover, and I got some great tips on frosting and decorating cupcakes. Hopefully you can catch it again, if you missed it. I'll be back soon with an award post, and some party inspiration for Kalia's October birthday!

Holy Hohan!

What happened to July?! I can't believe Kalia will be starting Kindergarten next week! I hope you all had a lovely summer. I just wanted to share these beautiful dress photos from Maria Lucia Hohan's showroom, taken by The Cherry Blossom Girl. Aren't they gorgeous?

I will be back soon, to share a few photos from our li'l trip to Lexington.

Images: The Cherry Blossom Girl