Ugly Wins!

As I was browsing ideas for our Christmas party, I came across a blogger who stated that ugly sweater parties were "so last year."  I don't know about you, but I'd enjoy one every year! ;)  Maybe next year we'll have a pretty sweater contest and encourage our guests to don their best duds.  And then again, maybe not! :)  Anyhoo, we had a blast at the Christmas party we hosted for our couples Sunday school class.  Food, games, laughter, tacky sweaters...yep, doesn't get much better than that!

I put together a simple, easy, and inexpensive dessert table for under $20.  I used leftover wrapping paper and ribbon to transform my Ikea picture frames into oversize gifts. :)  The rest of the Christmas decor was purchased at Target and Walmart.

We had gingerbread men, Oreo cookie balls, and turtles. :)

We also had vanilla flavored cotton candy...I'm a child at heart! ;)

Candy canes and coal for all the men...I mean, the naughty guests. ;)

Thankfully, we didn't have too many leftovers since I have absolutely no self control when it comes to sweets! :)

Here are some of the sweet ladies from our class!  I'm so thankful for each and every one of them. :)

 

And, finally, here's a pic of the hubby and me!  I had to get one of Josh in this shirt because I'm pretty sure it's a sight I will never see again. ;)  I still think he looks handsome.  It must be love! :)  We had a great time and are looking forward to our next get together!  Super Bowl XLVII!  Maybe we'll have an ugly jersey contest.  I'm not naming any names! ;)

Now it's on to New Year's Eve!  Ours will most likely consist of watching the ball drop from the sofa and throwing homemade confetti. :)  What about you guys?  Anyone have any plans that are more classy and fabulous than mine?  Doubtful, I know! ;)

It's a Big Boy Room!

Planes, trains, and cars, oh my!  Blake's getting a big boy room!  When I designed his nursery, I kept everything very simple and classic.  At two years old, Blake has many things he loves, so I wanted to incorporate those into his new room.  He actually sat right beside me and helped me design this inspiration board.  He LOVES the alphabet print, clock, transportation prints, car pillow, truck night light, and roadway rug. 

 

As always, we're on a tight budget, but I think we'll be able to create a fun and functional space for our little guy who is so full of life!  And I actually convinced my hubby to take me to Ikea next week!  Woo hoo! ;)

A Few of My Favorite Things

Last night we got the kids dressed up in cute costumes.  I packed baggies with candy in case we had visitors.  We walked outside into the cool, autumn night, piled into the family vehicle,and went to church.  The kids had a blast and we had the privelege of hearing Brother Randy Wright preach again.  What a blessing!  We ended the night with sweet fellowship at Chick-Fil-A.  Can you say cookie sundae? ;)  Now for some kiddie cuteness!  So, Blake dressed as a tall, dark, handsome man!  Appropriate, right? :)

And here's Clark Kent! 

 

 

And Cole was a sweet little puppy dog!  Also quite appropriate for his personality. :)

 

While I had my chevron fabric out, I snapped a few pictures of two of my recent purchases that I'm excited about!  Here is our family Christmas card for this year (front and back).  I love the way they turned out! :)

 I've been looking for a mint/seafoam statement necklace for a while now, so I was super excited when I found one as I was shopping for Blake's nerd glasses.  Not my typical store, but I found it at Rue 21.  And for $9!  That's what I'm talking about! :)

 

And this lovely yellow fabric that works great as a backdrop?  It's about to become curtains! ;)  Can you guess which room it will be going in? :)

Designer Inspired

 

I love designer fashion, jewelry, home decor, you know name it!  And then there's reality.  I'm a stay-at-home mom with two kids.  We buy diapers and wipes.  We pay for college classes and books.  We have a mortgage and a car payment.  Like most people, we live on a budget.  And, honestly, I don't think I could spend $1,000 on a purse anyway. :)  However, what I love to do is draw inspiration from high-end designers and brands.  When we found out we were expecting, I started browsing Serena and Lily, Restoration Hardware Baby and Child, and Pottery Barns Kids for ideas.  I came across this room from Serena and Lily.

 

 

 

 

I loved the navy and white stripes with the grass green accent color.  I felt like it was a great crisp, clean look that was all-boy. :)  So, I totaled the cost of the bedding for the Serena and Lily room.  Just the bedding - duvet, pillows, sheets, etc.  This price does not include any furniture or decor.  And the grand total for this look was $836.  Gorgeous, but waaay out of our budget! :)

 

 

 

 

And this is a shot of Cole's Serena and Lily inspired nursery.  For the fabric backdrop, I found this rugby stripe shower curtain at Target for $15!  I ordered the letters from an Etsy seller and painted them with Serena and Lily paint in Grass green (Serena and Lily paint sample, $6).  For the pennant banner, I ordered free fabric swatches from Serena and Lily and bought the other fabrics at Hancock for $3.  I ordered the crib sheet from Serena and Lily when they were having a 40% off Nursery event, and the crib skirt was another DIY project ($6).  For the green accent pillow, I covered a pillow I already had with an old cable-knit sweater I didn't wear anymore (FREE)!  So, the grand total for all of Cole's bedding and crib wall decor came to $97! :) 

 

 

 

 

Although I couldn't afford to order all of the items straight from Serena and Lily, I was able to create a similar look for a fraction of the cost.  I'd say our motto around here is design on a dime, but it's actually pretty on a penny! :)

 

Do you guys have any awesome tips for creating high-end looks for less?

Something Blue

 I'm sure you've all heard of the sweets stylist, Amy Atlas, but if you haven't, be sure to check her out!  Her work is absolutely amazing and her dessert tables are incredibly inspiring!  As I was brainstorming ideas for my sister's bridal shower, I came across a gorgeous dessert table she designed for the Wedding Library that gave me an idea for the theme.

In other words,

 

 

We decided on a color scheme and theme that was perfect for a bridal shower:

  

 

 

The invitations were designed by Amber from Announcing You.  She always does such a wonderful job! :)

 

 

I used leftover wood I had from another DIY project and fabric from Hancocks to create the backdrop.  I was so excited when I found the silhouette mirror for $14.99 at Ross!

 

 

The pearl Sixlets and candy scoops were from Party City and everything else was purchased at Sam's or Walmart.

 

 

I found the frame at T.J. Maxx and painted and distressed it to give it a more vintage feel.

 

 

 

I ended up spending just under $75 for all of the decor, desserts, candy, etc. :)

 

 

I love drooling over Amy's work and using it as inspiration for my own budget-friendly, much less perfect dessert tables!  Her "Perfectly Preppy" dessert buffet already has me brainstorming for Cole's first birthday party! :) 

 

 

 

Easy Peasy Dessert Table

This past weekend we hosted a couples get together at our community clubhouse.  We grilled out, played games, and had a great time of fellowship!  We played a hilarious round of charades and a game called Mad Gab that I absolutely love! :)  We wanted to have a theme for the event that played off the 'Battle of the Sexes' idea.  With it being football season, I started brainstorming football terms and girly words that started with the same letter.  I ended up deciding on Pigskins and Pearls and thought brown and pink would be perfect colors for the decorations.  I knew I wanted to do a dessert table, but was limited on time and money.

I made the backdrop using foam presentation boards I already had covered with wrapping paper from the dollar section in Target.  I used posterboard and a printer to make the sign.  The four square serving trays are actually china dinner plates I found at Target on sale for $2 a piece.  I added pink scrapbooking paper to them for a pop of color.

 

To save on time, I bought everything pre-made except for the sugar cookies.  Although I made these, they were super simple and easy.  Pillsbury pre-made sugar cookie dough, Betty Crocker cookie icing, and pearl sprinkles.  The hubby said they were the best cookies he's ever had!  And they end up coming out to under $.50 a cookie versus $3 or more a piece for specialty cookies.

 

I lined the cake stand with a piece of pink and white chevron scrapbooking paper and bought ready to serve mini cupcakes.

 

The apothecary jars held Whoppers and strawberry milkshake Whoppers.  We also had chocolate covered oreos, strawberry wafer cookies, and football shaped brownies.

 

It took less than two hours to make and set everything up, and best of all, the total cost for this dessert table came in at just under $25! :)

 

Do you guys have any budget-friendly tips for dessert tables?  Do share! :)

Get All the Good Dirt Here!

 I have a confession to make.  I'm an apothecary jar addict.  I seriously have a slight obsession with them!  ;)  They're in the bathroom, kitchen, and have now found their way into our laudry room. 

 

 

I'm hoping to give this room, like all of the other rooms in our house, a bright, fresh makeover soon. 

 

And my inspiration is one of my favorite laundry rooms of all time!

 

 

 

 

I'm hoping maybe a mini-makeover will make laundry more fun.  Probably wishful thinking! ;)

 

Do you guys have any fun laundry room inspiration to share?