Sunday, November 20, 2011

Themed Holiday Decorating....get ready!



Ok so it is more than a month away, and I have held off blogging about this as long as I could.. but now is the time to start thinking about your theme for your holiday decorating...I enjoy changing it up from year to year, which requires me to do a little shopping early to pick up much needed items to complete a look...sometimes its the thrift store, crafty stores or my very fave local Anthro store for inspiration....

So this year I have narrowed it down to three...

"Red, White and Handmade..."
This is a look I tend to default to, because it is easy, and seems to work well when your home is decorated similar..so fun and cute!



Some of these adorable lights
and paper items can
be found at Ikea. One of
my fave places for gift wrap!

"Have yourself a shiny little Xmas"
I have always liked this look, and it looks great if you have a lot of white in your living room...


This Anthro ornament was the inspiration for the next theme...









"Totally Retro Christmas..."
This is my goal theme this year, who knows if I will find the time, but the feeling of
nostalgia that retro decorations brings is whimsical ...

Search through thrift stores, and your garage for some retro items to carefully
blend in with your modern items for a great look!






As you can see from these DIY projects, collecting ornaments
at garage sales all summer pays off... 

Now for the DIY craft of the week..
Snow Globes
This is one kids love...
If you are not feeling crafty no worries
you can pick one up at your local
Anthropolgie Store



Almost any jar works for this project: Baby-food, pimiento, and olive jars are good choices. Look for plastic or ceramic figurines (metal ones are prone to rust) at flea markets and hobby or model-railroad shops. Synthetic evergreen tips are available at many floral-supply stores. You will also need oil-based enamel paint, sandpaper, epoxy, distilled water, glitter, and glycerin (available at drugstores).

If the jar lids are not in seasonal colors already, paint them with oil-based enamel paint. Sand the inside of the lid until the surface is rough. With clear-drying epoxy, adhere the figurine to the inside of the lid, and let the epoxy dry.

Fill the jar almost to the top with distilled water; add a pinch of glitter and a dash of glycerin to keep the glitter from falling too quickly. Don't add too much, or the glitter will stick to the bottom of the jar when it's flipped. Screw on the lid tightly, being careful not to dislodge the figurine. Turn the jar over and back again -- and let it snow.


And the good news is, your snow globe will work in any of the above themes!










Monday, November 14, 2011

Throwing a Anthropolgie Inspired Wedding


I have on and off been looking through different Anthro Inspired wedding pages and blogs, for a little while now, why you ask?....I am engaged to a wonderful man who would probably indulge any kind of wedding theme I wanted, even if it were something silly...Lucky for him I am very inspired by whimsical and homemade themes, which may take a crafty girl and a lot of hard work, but are easier on the pocketbook...

There are so many inspiring blogs and websites that are more than willing to inspire the uninspired, and lets not forget that not so long ago, our very own friend Anthropologie created a wedding line for us!


For some girls, the dress is the most important
part of the process, not for this girl!
The look and feel of the wedding/reception is
a reflection of who you are
as a couple...
personally,
I would rather my one true love and I be
 thought of as fun, crafty, whimsical,
than stuffy, sophisticated and proper.

Here is a peek into my ideas of loveliness on
that very special day!








grouping together recycled jars and bottles
 to display
flowers or candles has a big effect!



These Lanterns are amazing and add so much
to the party feel...
The very best place to buy
is:

Also found at Luna Bazaar are Parasol's
the perfect addition for yourself, or
even your wedding party, or guests!





I think the look of aged photography for weddings
is amazing! It looks timeless!



Lets talk Candy Bars for weddings
Love em...






There are so many ways to incorporate fun and laughter into a
very stressful day...I know easier said than done...


Once again if your not so crafty don't let that
prevent you from having the wedding
you want, enlist crafty girlfriends,
or quickly log onto

Be sure to check out one of my fave designers on etsy,
whom made the sign at the very top of this post
Sweet Peas and Seashells

Some of the greatest inspired weddings were found on:

be sure to search under "Homemade"








Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Cooking with Anthropologie Inspiried Style for Thanksgiving!


You may be starting to think about your menu for Thanksgiving Dinner, I know I have been thumbing through my cookbooks and the most recent issue of Real Simple with great h'orderves ideas and a complete menu for Thanksgiving...my family tends to stick to the basic but have been allowed to throw a few wild cards in, since the younger generation is now allowed to do most of the cooking.

Cooking in style somehow makes things a little more fun and whimsical, I love to put on a cute apron and use my new set of mixing bowls even if my I am just making morning blueberry muffins.

Here are some of my Anthropologie Inspired Holiday kitchen fun, along with two DIY ideas for adding some whimisical fun!


Some Kitchen details to make it fun to cook:

Some lovely items from Anthro




Retro Bowls

A fun cutting board..



wonderful platter...



What could be more fun than mother daughter aprons for the kitchen:



I found this wonderful link for DIY mother/daughter aprons that are sooo whimsical and sweet
It seems fairly simple, and if sewing is not your thing, thats ok, log onto to Anthro
and the two adorables above are available for purchase:



Very simple instructions from Jamie at Prudent Baby


For the 2nd DIY Project, I adore chalkboards for the kitchen the are great for grocery lists and for holiday menu's

There are endless possiblities of colors, shapes and sizes
here is a great simple link to show you the most simple way
which will only take a few hours on a sunday...






Enjoy the Holidays!!!!


***Be sure to visit my favorite paper good crafter on Etsy who made the lovely
Thanksgiving Banner at the top of the blog