Hostess with the Mostess®

Fun new Surprise Giveaway for you today! This one comes from How Fast Time Flies, which is a fabulous digital scrapbooking website that carries cool designs for everything from baby books to wedding albums to memories of everyday life… there’s even a full HWTM collection (81 different templates) designed by yours truly. =)

This week, we’re offering up a $250 gift certificate to spend however you like at the How Fast Time Flies website… pages are $5.50 each, so $250 that should get you started on a fantastic memory album or two!

Featured here are a few examples of pages created using some of the Halloween and Autumn-themed HWTM templates.

(More examples + details for how to enter below)… Read More…

We did a local news segment yesterday on pink party ideas for National Breast Cancer Awareness month and one of the ideas I shared was the Pink Ribbon Trio centerpiece posted earlier this month.

I wanted to try something a little different with it this time and was excited about the results, so we took a few pictures last night to share with you…

Instead of pink hydrangea and pink roses, a little tropical flair was incorporated with pink protea and papyrus leaves, which is the cool almost palm-tree-looking greenery pictured here. It’s really inexpensive too – I paid $3.50 for a bunch of 5, and they’re huge! Check out the cool view from the top: Read More…

We’ve covered a ton of Halloween dessert & treat recipes this month, but not a lot of ideas for when you (or your kids) need to eat something other than sugar! So here are 10 creative ideas for Halloween-themed meals that loved ones & party guests are sure to get a kick out of…

1. First up is this super-cute “Boo Spaghetti” idea from Jeanne Benedict. Gotta love it when something is this simple & cool! Dish up individual servings of pasta for your family or dinner party guests so that each person guests their own (pre-baked) “boo“.

*****

Next up, some clever ideas from BHG that prove it’s all about presentation…

2. Adam’s Ribs –  A knife stabbed into a sweet red pepper & displayed between 2 racks of spareribs makes for a decidedly Halloween-appropriate Halloween dinner!

3. Slithering Snake Sandwich – This pizza-like hoagie is such a cute idea – kids will eat this one up (both literally and figuratively)! Read More…

On the lookout for some fun Halloween recipes? Check out today’s HWTM post over at Simply Stated – Halloween Recipe Roundup: Eerie Eyeballs, for 8 creative eyeball-themed ideas that run the gamut from super cute to downright creepy!

And now for Part 2 of the gorgeous Anthropologie Owl Baby Shower! (See Part 1, posted earlier today, for more background on this shower & the creative women involved.)

Pictured here are some images of the fabulously creative party decor, which included a cool, vintage-style name banner and picture garland, as well as one of my personal favorite details of this shower – the adorable, handmade owl fans! So cute…

Read More…

Blown. Away. Yep… that pretty much sums up how I felt after receiving images of this gorgeous “Anthropologie Owl Baby Shower“. Wow!

From frozen lemonade served in mason jars to owl-shaped paper hand fans to stunning floral arrangements displayed in pretty bottles and vintage vases, this party is overflowing with charm and thoughtful, creative details…

The baby shower was held in honor of Carlie from Gabriel Ryan, and it probably won’t surprise you to learn that there were some very talented people involved in putting it together… including Carlie herself, Jesi from Jesi Haack Weddings, Carissa of JL Designs, and Melody of Sweet and Saucy Shop (wait ’til you see the gorgeous dessert buffet, below!).

There are so many inspiring ideas and beautiful photos (courtesy of Gabriel Ryan) to share that I decided to break this post up into 2 parts.

Here in Part 1, you’ll find lovely images of the flowers, decor, jewelry favors, and dessert buffet… starting with this incredible shot of the table centerpiece that I honestly want to blow-up poster size and put on my wall! Read More…