Thursday, April 28

Oh Beautiful Friday

Hey Y'all!

I am so very glad I have survived this week to see another Friday. Now, I hate to whine but here's my week in a short summary:

On Monday, I stepped on a 4ft long black garden racer snake.
On Tuesday, I was hit by Lil One and had to spend the whole day with her afterwards{that I nanny for}.
On Wednesday, I received the fabulous news of an interview opportunity for a job I'm pining over {events!}
On Thursday, Lil One hit me again. This time with a golf club {plastic, but to my face}. Soap in mouth+time-out.
Oh Friday, bring me something wonderful!!!

I really am praying about this upcoming interview. I've been in contact with the position's manager, it is a non-profit foundation where I would be focusing solely on large donors, fund raising, and event planning. Heavenly, is what I call it. After the week with Lil One, I'm anxious to get a new job!!! Thank you for those of ya'll who are already praying for me!

Tonight has been relatively quiet, I grabbed dinner in the rain from Chipotle {cannot live without!} and came home to begin transforming my dining area for our Cinco de Mayo party next week. It's so very calming and fun to me, to drag out all sorts of party props, throw on some music, and go to town! I'm very blessed to have wonderful friends who live here that will be coming over for a fun evening.

While in the midst of my productivity, I have watched {rather, listened} to Julie+Julia and also Breakfast at Tiffanys {have you ever noticed that her couch is made from an old footed bathtub? how green of her!}

I also worked on some cute tissue paper crafts from Martha Stewart's Cinco de Mayo article. Most of the time, I get in the middle of one of "Martha's Grand Idea's" and I begin to curse her stupid creativity. But, tissue paper art is simple enough for me! Can't wait to showcase the real-deal from our party next week.


What do your weekend plans entail? I hope to finish up the decor for our party, add my newest bedskirt to the bed {that was another item on the "101 Things To Accomplish By 2012"}. I scored a fabulous tailored white skirt at Tarjet {love} for $11 on the ENDCAP! Handsome Man would be so proud, he is an avid believer in all wonderful things are on the endcaps ... we shop those first :) Did I make you proud? If I'm feeling overly ambitious, I hope to paint the rest of my dining table and sand the oak table-top to re-stain. But, this probably won't happen considering I have my dining room all set for the party!

Before I go, I must say I'm happily surprised to have another reader :) thanks for your comment and following along!
Also y'all, one more thing ~ if you have any book suggestions, please pass them along to me {let's cross another item off the list. 10 new books by 2012}

xoxo
b

Monday, April 25

Spring / Summer Overhaul

Happy Monday Ya'll ~

I certainly wasn't ready for today after having a beautiful Good Friday off, as well as Saturday + Easter, but I suppose we must all go back to reality sometime!

Ry+I had a lovely weekend, we saw "Water For Elephants" on Friday with our good friends + went to dinner. Saturday was "Moi Time" while he spent the day at the library. Then Easter Sunday was church, early to the beach, lunch at amazing Cruisers {so bad for us, but we had to mark it off the "Ry+little b's Adventure List" which I made in September before I moved here}. After the beach we just enjoyed the day, were a bit lazy and did a lot of laundry and steaming. By the way, Ry figured out that he has a passion for removing stains {thankfully not from my chapstick} in our laundry. Baking soda, scrub with toothbrush, and wash again. Voila! He was so excited. I was equally as excited to be using the FUN  steamer to perfectly de-wrinkle the duvet and sheets! Okay, now that we admitted our lame Sunday evening chores ;) I must divulge on my "Fun" projects from Saturday.

We all know that when left to my own devices I can accomplish a lot or a little...depends on the day! :) Well, Saturday came and I'm still excited + inspired from my "101 Things to Accomplish Before 2012". Which, by the way, I have accomplished a lot just from having put those thoughts to 'paper' / blog.






So, I decided from the beginning of the day that my spring / Easter stuff needed to be put away. But I don't have "summer" specific decor, so the mantle was my inspiration starting point ... no photo of the before but here is the after ... I moss'd up this cardboard {?} "D" from JoAnne's - mentioned a while back I scored with a 40% off coupon and Momma gave me leftover moss from little sisters wedding. Finally, finished a project I had been meaning to start since about .. February. Basically whole project was done for $5. Sweet!



Then I started playing around with different neutral pieces that I had around the house {and in closets, and storage bins, and random drawers} and came up with a very PotteryBarn inspired neutral "summer" mantle!
Lovin' my mercury glass, shells from every beach I've been on, antique carafe, vintage wood piece from a New Orleans porch, and misc. other items!




Well, the not -so- interesting project was then under my kitchen sink. I found 2 perfect bins in my car trunk + cleared out all the crap under my sink. Re-organized and I now open the cabinets and smile!!

Lets see, in the works is also a fabulous Cinco de Mayo party for next week! I spent quite a bit of time working on decor, but have lots more to go.

Hope ya'll had a blessed Easter with your loved ones + have a wonderful week to come!

xoxo
b

Thursday, April 21

101 Goals Until 2012

Well, I am certainly not your typical "resolution" maker ~ which is obvious by the title of this post!

But, I've recently been inspired by my love of Listography {making lists by category} and have decided to make it public, as a little teensie motivation for getting my list of goals accomplished. The growing list of "Projects To Accomplish" sitting on my desk is slowly getting crossed off. Then there are other goals, for business plans and such that will find their way on here.



So here we go - 101 Things To Achieve {hopefully by 2012}

  1. Refinish the legs of my dining room table {white} and table top {oak}
  2. Attend all of my LifeGroup meetings with girls from my wonderful church in our next book  {The Good & Beautiful Life}
  3. Pull all photos from college from my PC and onto CD's. Organize in some kind of small bin.
  4. Do some form of exercise 4 days a week. I did 5 days a week in college. I can certainly do 4.
  5. Start an Etsy store for crafts and cookies {made to order- custom}
  6. Collect 10 friends or family recipes and try them each. Add on handwritten cards to my recipe box.
  7. Fly to San Antonio to visit one of my best friends & her husband in their first home!! 
  8. Take a trip to Austin, Tx with Handsome Man for a concert of one of our favorite bands.
  9. Shop for produce each Saturday at Market Days
  10. Take my stepdad Larry out to lunch or breakfast + pick up the tab.
  11. Visit Nashville, Tennessee and find the best BBQ in the city
  12. Successfully grow + keep alive our kitchen herb garden {bad track record}
  13. Buy a gas grill with Handsome Man to enjoy outdoor meals on 
  14. Rebuild my iTunes library to define who I am today {and not in college, as it currently stands}
  15. Print all pictures of Handsome Man + I. Begin to scrapbook by our anniversary. 
  16. Attend another major PGA / USGA sanctioned golf tournament
  17. Volunteer at a children's hospital event
  18. Frame my FSU Diploma with Honors tassel
  19. Start watching Arrested Development again {from the start} with Handsome Man. Finish the series!
  20. Read another biography of a fabulous woman. {Last was "The Gospel According To Coco Chanel"} {how about Billie Holiday? Elanor Roosevelt? Katherine Hepburn?}
  21. Take the trip to Atlanta again with my grandma, my mom and aunt for Country Living Fair
  22. Bathe Izzy {pup} once a week. No more stinky pooches! 
  23. Take photos of my events with Ry's camera {learn new angles to shoot from}
  24. Stage events for my portfolio 
  25. Ask an amazing graphic designer to build me a website for my portfolio 
  26. Get out to the driving range + golf course with Handsome Man
  27. Buy nightstands that we can DIY 
  28. Have a fondue date night -in with Ry {my fondue > Melting Pot}
  29. Design 5 events for my soon-to-be business
  30. Get a job working in events {preferably and a non-profit}
  31. Spend a weekend with my little sister - somewhere out of town from where we both live
  32. Read 10 new books. {suggestions?? please!!}
  33. Create 4 of my own cupcake recipes
  34. Collect ALL relatives + friends current addresses and birthdays. Keep in Excel. Update each year!
  35. Pay for someone behind me in a drive thru
  36. Attempt to surf with Ry
  37. Attend FSU Homecoming weekend
  38. Print out Vintage Graphics from {Graphics Fairy} + iron-on transfer them to make pillows
  39. Start a new collection of antiques {ball jars, antique silver, cake stands, christmas ornaments: Done!}
  40. Actually list / sell all the items on my "To Craigslist" list. Bank the money for future vacation
  41. Save money to re-upholster the lovely Pottery Barn couch {hello, PB, please make slipcovers for the seagrass couch}
  42. Take Handsome Man to Tallahassee for a tour of FSU and "my" Tally
  43. Go with Handsome Man to Gainesville for "His" G'ville tour
  44. White water raft the Ocoee River
  45. Get my carry-on bag monogrammed {meant to do that when I got it @ Christmas '10}
  46. Try one new recipe a week
  47. DIY paint, re-finish, re-hardware my 1930s Hoosier cabinet / dining hutch
  48. Make copies of photos of great-grandparents, grandparents / old family I may not have known, and put them in an album {digitize too}
  49. Ask my grandparents to write / speak a memoir for me. 
  50. Purchase 80% of my Christmas + Birthday gifts from local stores and Etsy
  51. Stage photos for blog posts
  52. Send more handwritten notes "just because"
  53. Pick a business name. 
  54. Design a logo + tagline
  55. Get business cards made. 
  56. Choose 10 local stores to place business cards in. Keep track + refill! 
  57. Track business from card placement.
  58. Take recipe box + turn it into a binder with plastic covers for cards{organize!}
  59. Finish sewing Gators stocking for Ry before December 1st
  60. Attend a non-profit formal event with Handsome Man
  61. Build an apron rack for the kitchen
  62. Devise an organizational system {ikea? container store?} for laundry + cleaning supplies
  63. Go on a Girls Vacay with my bests again. 
  64. See a Broadway show {I'll settle for a good one in town}
  65. Have a Mother/Daughter trip to Charleston, SC
  66. Spend a day boogie-boarding with my Daddy, like old times!
  67. Re-upholster arm chair in my bedroom. Maybe re paint too? :)
  68. Host 2 themed dinner parties with our friends 
  69. Get more involved as a couple in our church
  70. Visit an art museum in our city
  71. Complete our "Ry+b's Adventure List" 
  72. Take ballroom or swing dance lessons with Ry
  73. Use coupons more often with groceries
  74. Find a new game we love {for now it's Yahtzee + Boggle, primarily}
  75. Host another FSU-UF football party {staging photos!!}
  76. Actually practice and RUN a 5K with Ry
  77. Grow my savings account more + not touch except for emergencies
  78. For every goal I accomplish, put $10 in my savings account $ !
  79. Practice frosting techniques on cakes + cookies
  80. Take a Wilton cake class at JoAnns
  81. DIY the "lawyers" bookcase ... {fun paint color?}
  82. Complete small projects in my "DIY" computer folder + blog about them!
  83. Order a box-pleat bedskirt {boring. I know. but I'm just about tired of seeing my bed's "feet"}
  84. Day-trip with friends to springs and camping
  85. Make a tiramisu {Ry's favorite that I should learn to make}
  86. Enjoy summer evenings at the Suns ballpark for a game with fireworks
  87. Network with other event designers through their blogs
  88. Find 3 new restaurants we love that are local
  89. TBD
  90. TBD - 101.
So, I ran out of ideas. Maybe my last few should be to make another "101 list" before I finish this one!? And how about documenting each goal / project with the camera ... that would be a whole different list!

All for now ya'll. I am very thankful for having a reason to celebrate this Easter weekend! We serve a Risen Savior!! Easter Blessings to you! 

xoxo
b

Saturday, April 9

March Madness - No basketball Necessary

Hey Ya'll!

I don't know where the time has gotten to these past few weeks. I know I've thought about blogging, I've talked about it, and I've snapped pictures for my blog ... but all remain unseen until now.

Oh wait-  I remember. Last weekend I was gone, home with my Love to celebrate his mother's birthday + visit with family. The week prior to the weekend, was filled with baking adventures and event design fun.
  • Yours truly made her very first carrot cake. It was divine {humbly}, frosted & for Ma D's b'day
  • Yours truly also made about 2 dozen sugar-butter cookies from scratch {no other way}, cut into shapes of flowers, ducks and chicks for a baby shower for C. Hand piped and royal frosted.
  • Yours truly crafted for hours {thank you Momma} on C's baby shower goodies.  

That left me all but brain dead by the time Friday rolled around. Then we packed it up in the truck and headed home for family time.

So, that's where I've been. It's a tad scary when I have to recount my last steps to know why the heck I've been so busy :) I did have such fun with the cookies that I think I may try my hand at selling them on an order-only basis through Etsy. $10 for 4 isn't bad, right?

C's Baby Shower Invite
Now, I know you're dying to see it, but I can't show pictures of the shower yet, although we staged quite a few, it's not until next Friday. Once the Mama-to-Be has seen her shower in reality ~ I'll share photos. Trust me, you'll want to check back.

Vintage Silverware
I mentioned a post or 2 ago that while Handsome Love was away on Spring Break {lucky} I antiqued my little rusty heart out. Came home with some awesome mix+match William Rogers silverware, dating back to the 1920s, and a 1929 Hoosier cabinet from Hoosier, Indiana. {Love the old furniture stamps}. Here's proof of the damage:





I'll Be Pretty One Day
Please rest assured that once Handsome Love is finished with his first year of law school {May 11 come quickly}, we will be tackling this lovely Hoosier cabinet. I've played around with 3-4 paint chip samples so far, all in a shade of mossy light green .. and we'll update the hardware, paint over that dreaded ugly Southwestern indian design, and facelift it :) I'm sure he's just as anxious as I am about getting done with school, solely for the purpose of not having to look at an ugly cabinet anymore! In the mean time, the picture displays that I did what I could to live with it, for the next few weeks! Any suggestions on painting the insides of the breadbox area? I'm thinking a "pop" color ?!





This weekend is going to be great, we are going on a bike ride tomorrow morning in chic+comfy San Marco. It's kind of become "Our" area. We took our Christmas card photos here, eaten many meals, become favorites at stores, etc etc. Then, we'll jump down to St. Augustine so that He can get his J.Crew fix & then it's off to dinner at Bistro Aix. I was feeling fancy, so I bought a little number in a bright coral silky fabric and can't wait to wear it out!

I'll check back with ya'll and post something on Sunday if time permits.

Love The One You're With.

xoxo
b

Sunday, March 27

MiA : Missing Because I'm in Action!

Well well, the weekend has arrived and it's probably been 2 shameful weeks since I've blogged.
In all honesty, I've thought about blogging a lot recently & just haven't had the moment to sit, meditate, and show off anything creative that I've done lately.
But I did complete 2 projects last week while the Love of My Life was out of town, and I created an inspiration board ( and since have been working on creating those inspirations for the real-deal) ... I've just been waiting to give a big blog post on how awesomely creative I've been ;) ...kidding. But really, I had to wait til I had something worthy to post about!!


I mentioned in my last post that I had some upcoming events that I was working on, adding to the portfolio that will one day be part of my own business ... 2 weeks from now is my friend Cara's shower and how stinking excited am I that she's having a girl!?! She'll be the most precious thing ever :) And her shower will be pretty darn precious too! Here's the inspiration board  I created for it:

Babies In Bloom

We'll have to call it "Babies In Bloom" - springtime, babies being born, lots of cute baby animals to incorporate, as well as the Mommy's favorite springtime flower - the tulip! I'm working up a sweet bunting banner from burlap and a few dozen cookies cut into baby chicks and flowers. Sadly I won't be there for the event, but I'll certainly be doing set-up! :) Can't wait to see photos from the shower! 

Next up, a score (ie: cheap) project at JoAnn's: 
clay pots for kitchen herbs @ 99 cent clay pots
I bought 5 of them, each with a 40% off coupon
(Thank You "coupon extravaganza")
$6 can of "Prairie Grass" spray paint (40% off + got double use out of spraying the KitchenAid mixer and now my pots)
$2 worth of Burpee seeds
$6 worth of potting soil
$8 for vinyl chalkboard stickers at Etsy courtesy of TLG Crafts {link up}

So, that's about $20 for my cute little window-sill of light green pots; growing lavendar, cilantro, oregano, and basil. Going to have to find some other kitchen herbs to grow in the last one! My little ones are finally sprouting & I can't wait to try them in our dinners.

And then it was time to bring some spring to my doorstep ~ a quick stop at a local garden store found my shopping buggy with 5 petunia's, some coleus, and some tiny blossoming pink bush. Anywho, tossed it all in a container for a bit of color at my front door :) And they remind me everytime I am coming or going, that they might need watering :) ((I am no green thumb))

Well I hope ya'll have enjoyed your weekend ... we spent a great Saturday with 4 fabulous friends, kayaking through some marshland and islands just north of here. The breeze is still divinely cool and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. If I may say so, I think Mr. Ryan was rather impressed with my paddling skills :) and I didn't complain a bit!! *miracle* 
{Oversized Pink Hat: Yours Truly+Beau}


It's been really busy today, after church, I spent hours in my Cath Kidston apron, jamming in the kitchen while baking + frosting baby shower cookies! Can't wait to show a sneak peak!

Love+Sweetness,

B


Wednesday, March 16

Inspiration Boards

These are a few of my favorite boards that I've created in the past ... trying to create some more as I have 2 upcoming events to add to my portfolio in the next couple months.
Just wanted to share a quick inspiration-board treat for your eyes!



Big Blooms For Spring


Southern Graces Inspiration


Go Green for Spring!

Wednesday, March 9

Antique-Inspired Lovelies

Hey Y'all! 

Well, let me start off by saying - "Thank You" designer of Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, and Ballard Designs furniture. You have the most gorgeous furniture, inspired by antique reproductions and for those of us ((like myself)) who crave genuine antique pieces, drool over your catalogs monthly. You're in for a visual treat here tonight & I can't wait to start this "BIG" project. Literally.

Now -maybe I'm the only one in my position ((I'd like to think not)) that is young'er and cannot yet furnish a home full of antiques or repro's for that matter - but you give me endless inspiration for DIY projects galore!

I recently found a catalog "NapaStyle" that uses antique pieces and transforms them into some quite amazing pieces... lampshades made from vintage door plates, chandeliers from wine glasses and telegraph insulators. I am so inspired by the mere flipping of pages in 5 minutes' time that I come home, show my findings to my Love and find myself so very amused by the gorgeous home decor made from "junk" at antique stores all over the country. Meanwhile, he is probably anticipating more antique shop stops, more tools required for projects that I dream up ... and secretly, I know he loves to DIY. He told me so ;)
Pottery Barn

Our first contender was inspired by the Pottery Barn Fall 2010 catalog where they released an "antique reproduction Factory Cart coffee table". Love at first sight? I think so! $600, I think not!


Restoration Hardware
Then, I run into one at Restoration Hardware "Factory Cart" for a mere $1,000 at the time of release.
Somewhere, probably in the midwest, people are digging up these amazing treasures, which ranged in use from hauling cotton bales to factory use for transporting fabrics through factories. Hence their name "Factory Cart". Many originals date back to the 1900s, and were made of sturdy materials that will allow them to be around for another hundred years.

Finds like these on Etsy
Before I fell in love with this project, I hadn't ever paid attention to wheels and casters. And lumber. And stains. On top of all that, I am a nut about having chemicals in my house ((call me granola, I don't mind!)) and I am searching for a Low VOC, non-toxic interior wood stain to cover the **untreated** pine boards we're using for this project. So far, the brands I'm looking into are SoyGuard, Livos, and BioShield. Since products like paint and stains off-gas for years ((hello, in my house and the environment, no thank you!)) it's important for me to be conscientious in my choosing!

Apartment Therapy
My Love & I have started researching the tutorials for how-to on DIY'ing this factory cart and it's looking promising. I'm so thankful for others who have taken  on this adventure before me, and that it proves, I'm not alone in my coveting PB, BD, and RH in their products!
Prince Ryan is heading out of town next week for his spring break and I'll be here with the Pup... which I'm thankful for her company. She's a professional snuggler and loves to wake me up with a lick on the nose!


We'll start gathering materials and I've got to order casters in the next week, then I'm not sure HOW long it will take us to complete, but you'll get pictures of our progress! 

That's all for now, glad tomorrow is Thursday! Weekend, you're almost here!! 

XOXO
B

Sunday, March 6

All My Love, New Orleans

It's Sunday, Y'all! 

Today's blog is devoted to New Orleans. The city I first visited just 6 months post- Katrina. The only city where I could eat my way around and never have enough. The city where live jazz music floats through the air. Where the soul of its residents never fails. And every day is reason for a party.

My very first trip to NOLA as we lovingly call it, was for the city's annual Jazz & Blues Festival. Forget that Hurricane Katrina attempted to devastate the city, and that more than half its residents no longer would come back, the people of New Orleans carried on. And so it went, Jazz Fest 2005. I ate foods I've never had before, such as "craw-dads", crawfish etouffe, andouille sausage, authentic po'boys, Abita, Zapps, and the list goes on and on. I could write a book on the foods in the Crescent City ((but, plenty of others have and are more equipped to do so!))
My girls and I explored Uptown, Midtown, the French Market, Magazine Street and the Garden District to name a few.
Undoubtedly, I would return.
Come 2006, my very first Mardi Gras in NOLA. Such a fabulous time, and was so thrilled to see that there are places ((plenty)) in NOLA to enjoy a wholesome Mardi Gras parade. Where children sit atop ladders in wooden boxes to catch beads from local krewes and their floats. Where you campout, as if a tailgate, for a day or so to get a good spot, near a good restaurant, and where you have access to a bathroom! :)

If you had told me, 5 years ago that I would have been to that city more than a dozen times, and on the most recent trip, met the Love of My Life, I'd have believed it. The Joie de vivre ((zest for life)) is truly contagious. New Orleans ((and its blessed humidity)) sticks to you.

Naturally, every year, after the Ephiphany and before Ash Wednesday, Carnival is celebrated around the world. The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is so lovingly known as "Fat Tuesday", and of course, this is when this little Bean gets to cookin' her favorite food. Bring out the cast iron skillet, the stockpot, ingredients ranging from Andouille Smoked Sausage to the "Holy Trinity" of Cajun cooking ((onions, green peppers + celery)). Its time to make gumbo, dirty rice 'n beans, and invite over friends to wear authentic Mardi Gras parade-caught beads and share the love for NOLA.

This year, I'm doing it low-key. Due to recent hectic work schedules I am disappointed to say, I am not hosting my annual Fat Tuesday Dinner party. It will just be Prince Ry and myself. And the d-o-g. In true Southern fashion, we're still going all out in the way of food preparations. Although I did cheat this year and buy my King Cake, which in the past I've made. Next year, we'll do it up big. So be prepared to get your green, gold and purple invites in the mail next February. I won't let you down! :)

xoxo
B

Thursday, March 3

I'm Full Of It Tonight!

Happy Thursday Ya'll!

This is a loaded post ... beware!

I am so tickled that it's nearly the weekend since I've worked nearly 50 hours with Lil'One this week. Boy, am I so not ready for motherhood anytime soon! Phew!! ((Thankfully, not an option at this point either))

Well, earlier this week I stopped in JoAnns' for a quick browse of fabric and spray paint ((you know me, don't love it? spray it!)) and came out with a bit more than I bargained for. Thankfully, I was able to find a great color paint called "Prairie Grass" and some adorable "prairie grass" green & white damask cotton fabric to re-cover the dining room chairs. We're going green, white and some accents of black in the kitchen / dining room down the road, so I am getting started now.


My cute chairs, that were re-covered about a year ago ... from my deal on an end-of-the-bolt fabric from Calico Corners, just didn't "speak" to me anymore. And my chairs need another coat of paint, so before I got attached and screwed the chair seats back into the chairs, I recovered and added 2 layers of polyfill batting to cushion our tushies! Prince Ryan ((as Lil'One lovingly calls him)) likes the damask fabric and my choice of green... thankfully!

The next project was the hand-me-down mixer from my sweet friend MegLegs ... she was so sweet to pass it on when she got a brand spankin' new one for their wedding. It came with a gorgeous tea towel, cute cuppie wrappers and she painted it a fun turquoise! It's now much more subdued to match the rest of the decor / upcoming decor. I must say, I'm proud of my taping skills and I'm loving the color. 

Sometime this weekend, the awesome vintage blender from the 70s ((Osterizer, hand me down in avocado green from Mama B)) will be getting a facelift with "Prairie Grass" too! I'm sort of OCD about having appliances out on my countertops, so at least if I make them all match, I might be able to live with it!! :) 



Tonight, I said "Farewell" to a sweet vintage French style hutch that I bought when I first moved to the west coast after college. It came from the Racetrack Road Flea Market and only cost me $100 - this was my first "haggle" experience too! I vividly remember calling my Momma & asking her "How do I get him to lower the price??" .. thankfully the sweet older gentleman took me up on my first offer, and took $50 off! Whoo-hoo!
Today I turned around and sold it for $250. Not bad :) I've got my eye on a sweet little white shabby buffet from a cottage shop on the beaches, but I think I'll wait until Prince Ryan, his sweet Ma and mine are in town next weekend and we'll all go check out the little stores. Or maybe I'll be super impatient and drag him there this weekend :)

As far as "Side Work" goes, I am finally getting in some work on a gorgeous wedding event coming up in June. It's a wedding of a good friend that I grew up in church with who has an amazing vintage / ethereal style. She'll be a gorgeous bride, as she's gorgeous everyday! We'll be heading out to check out her venue sometime in the next few weeks. Until then, I'm collecting ideas, sketching layouts, and dreaming up some lovely ways to trade a "cake table" for a "vintage ice cream parlor" themed dessert table.



As promised, here are a few photos of the sweet birdie treats that C & I made for Valentine's Day. Simply mix gelatin, birdseed, and some cornsyrup together, pour (or rather, mold) into Reynold's tinfoil heart pans.
We allowed them to dry for about 6 hours and poked holes in them to string with ribbon or raffia.

"Love is for the Birds" ... birdseed tree ornaments ... now, y'all that know me know for dern'sure I am petrified of birds, so I never hung these outside but they sure are cute! I'll be attaching them to my Mothers Day packages for those lovely momma's in my life!









   And now that everyone has gotten their card, here are the little handmade cards I made for a few special people!















Well, ya'll have a beautiful weekend. Do something you love. And be with  the ones you love.
I'm off to make chocolate covered strawberries ((which are divine right now!!)) with my Prince! 

XOXO
B