PARTY WEAR: DIY SEQUIN BRACELET

The holiday season is not too far away.  And with the holiday season brings the need to add a little sparkle or tinsel to your party outfit.  Here's a great DIY from Delia Creates on how to make a sequin bracelet to add to your festive attire.  Find the full tutorial here.

ALPHABET WALL ART

Well, our guests have sadly left... and now it's time for me to do some major catch-up.  Trying to quickly browse through all my unread blog subscriptions, I immediately stopped when I saw this great idea from Crafts Unleashed.  Not only can you use it as wall art, but wouldn't it be fun stacking HAPPY BIRTHDAY for a party?!  You can find the letters at craft stores and paint them in different colors.  Find the full tutorial here.

LOVELY STENCILED WINE BOTTLE

Hey there!  You may have noticed that I've been a little M.I.A. these past few days.  We have friends staying with us and we've been keeping busy doing a lot of fun stuff that I've been so beat at night to do any blogging.  But this morning I managed to find this lovely project on homework.  This stenciled wine bottle was made with some Martha Stewart products, spray paint and lace.  Visit here to find the full list of supplies.  And I'm hoping to be back on track by the end of the week!

Ciao for now!

MINI SANDWICH CAKES

Is it a cake or a meal?  It's both! These sandwiches are actually disguised as mini cakes.  They are made with store bought ingredients and Pillsbury biscuits.  The "frosting" is either cream cheese or sour cream.  These would be so cute for a shower or even April Fool's Day!  Find the full tutorial at Rock UR Party by Tablespoon.

DIY MUSHROOM COTTAGES OR TOAD STOOLS

Woodland parties are a really popular theme for girls birthday parties. The decor is completely enchanting and sets a special setting for a party. Here is a great DIY project from Penny Wise for the essential mushroom cottage or toad stool just for that theme.  She was really smart in using upside down bowls to create the tops. And would you believe she used pool noodles for the bottoms?!  Find the full tutorial here. While you're there, check out the cake and marshmallow mushrooms she also made!

UNIQUE BACK TO SCHOOL STYLE WITH DUCK TAPE®

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walmart. All opinions are 100% mine.

My girls go back to school before the end of the month, so we are in full back to school shopping mode! Their school gives us a list of very specific supplies to buy: brand, color, quantity, size.  The supplies go into a box that will be shared by all the kids.  So, unfortunately cute Hello Kitty folders are not a consideration.  But, when either Renee or Siena do get a notebook, pencil, folder or pencil box from the classroom stash, we know we can always jazz them up with a little Duck Tape! Look at the great patterns Duck Tape® offers:

ADD DUCK TAPE® TO YOUR BACK TO SCHOOL LIST: Duck Tape® is an easy and inexpensive way to create, embellish and decorate book covers, name plates, notebooks, pens and more!  Here are just some of the fun ideas I found around the 'net that we'll be using:

• These lanyards from Crafty Soccer Mom are a great idea to hang from kids' backpacks
• The Duck Tape® belt from Dukes and Duchessess is an easy way to upgrade a worn-out belt for an outfit.
• Stylish back to school accessories from Cheryl Style

Buy Duck Tape at Walmart: Duck Tape® is conveniently available at Walmart stores. Check here to find a Walmart near you.

 

DIY CHALKBOARD CAKE

Today is back to school for us! It's still hard for me to mentally adjust to school starting here before Labor Day, but we're ready!  I thought I'd celebrate by posting this fun and creative chalkboard cake from A Subtle Revelry.  Perfect for any school themed event: teacher's birthday, appreciation, retirement.  The outside of the cake is made with chocolate fondant and the "chalk" is made with candy melts.  Find the full tutorial here.  And look for our annual "first day photos" on Facebook! :)

GIRLY FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY

Glitter, pink, crowns and cupcakes... that's what little girls' parties are made of. And this one's no exception! Mom and Dad hosted a family-loving outdoor party for their daughter, Arianna. My favorite element is the chalkboard centerpiece showcasing all of Arianna's favorite things at one.  Thanks to Itsi Bitsi Photography in California for taking and submitting the photos.

BACKPACK GIFT BOXES

I found this little gem via Party Frosting.  I thought it was so cute, I wanted to share it with you here! They're made with scrapbook paper over Crystal Light boxes.  The gift box is perfect to fill with a treat and tuck into your kid's backpack as a first day of school surprise, or for a back to school party.  They would even make cute favor boxes for a camping party.  Find the full tutorial at Basic Grey.

ROASTED VEGGIE AND GOAT CHEESE TART

We had another barbecue last weekend, which meant another appetizer to prepare and bring!  (I think everyone's cramming in the barbecues before the end of summer.)  I've mentioned before how much I love semi-homemade recipes.  Well, this veggie and goat cheese tart is super easy because it uses pre-made pie crusts. Plus, I love the rustic look of it. I just warn you the shell is a bit fragile, so careful when serving it.  The recipe makes two tarts, which is good because they went quick! You can find the recipe here at Recipe Girl.  (And yes, once again I took a quick picture before I left. So, please excuse the crooked pan.) Bon appetit!

DIY YARN BANNER

If you love fringe, you'll love this DIY project from creativebug.  Don't you just want to run your hands through all that yarn??!  Cut with different trim, this project makes a fun element to add to your wall decor, but would also be a lot of fun for a party! Find the full tutorial here.

COLORFUL DIY ROBOT PARTY

With a little love along with some nuts and bolts, this mom and grandmom put on a fun robot birthday party for one lucky boy! Just a few of the DIY details include thank you baskets made from metal cans and random lug nuts to create unique robot faces.  The amazing party hats were designed with scrapbook paper and embellishments. Even the large robot mascot was built with household items like cardboard boxes and spray paint.  Huge thank you to Love It Forever Photography in North Carolina for photographing the details and sharing it with us!

Lovely Vineyard Wedding

If you're hosting a wedding or celebration with a wine theme during harvest season, you're probably in major planning mode, since it's only a couple of months away.  This beautiful wedding photographed and submitted by IQphoto Studio marries vineyard sophistication with personality.  I love the intimate touches like the Raiders cake and display of personal photos. And of course, the venue itself is just beautiful! Cheers!

Easy Tortellini Pasta Salad

We went to a friend's house for a barbecue last weekend.  When I asked her what I should bring, she just answered, "Bring something Italian. My husband loves your Italian cooking.".... Okay... I don't really think of Italian food when it comes to barbecues, but of course there's a good ol' pasta salad.  So, I decided to make a tortellini salad.  I love the different colors - red, green, white - kind of like the Italian flag. ha! (I took a quick photo on my kitchen table before walking out the door!)  Let me tell you - there were only 3 couples there and this whole bowl went arrivederci! My poor husband was hoping for leftovers.

I got the easy recipe from The Alchemist.  Before you jump over there to check it out, just two notes on what I did differently:
- I only used about 1/2 bag of baby spinach
- I used Ken's Northern Italian salad dressing

Now go to the recipe here and make it for your next barbecue! :)

BEAUTIFUL BARN PARTY STYLED SHOOT

Some may be down because Summer is coming to an end soon, but you can't deny all the wonderful colors and decor that Fall brings.  Look at this beautiful styled barn shoot photographed and submitted by Nichole Taylor Photography in British Columbia, Canada.  A few of my favorite details include the twig cupcake stand and rustic potato chip bags.  (Where do I get those?!) Pops of color were brought in with florals designed by Platinum Floral Designs.  The light, flowing dresses designed by Discarded Couture brought in a soft, ethereal mood to the overall setting, which they also designed.  Let this serve as inspiration for your Fall entertaining!

Photographer: Nichole Taylor Photography
Event Designer (including dresses): Discarded Couture
Floral Designer (Florals and floral head wreath): Platinum Floral Designs