Carly's Bridal Shower

Good news! My youngest son has found the girl of his dreams {and mine}! They are getting married soon & I had fun throwing a bridal shower for our beautiful bride-to-be Carly. 

Since I have a full time job now, I had to throw in a few time-saving strategies to pull it off. One way I saved time was {*ta-da*} AMAZON. I ordered things like the sash Carly is wearing, the little acrylic containers for the dessert & the gold "love" balloon. The next thing I knew it was on my porch like some kind of pixie magic. Lifesaver! {PS - the love balloon is filled up the old fashioned way. It isn't helium. I used little plastic sticks to lift it to the height I needed.}

I also called in reinforcements. When my dear friend Colette offered to help, I totally took her up on it. She put together a perfect fruit tray & helped in the kitchen. My sweet daughter-in-law Kaela made some delicious chocolate desserts {even though she just gave birth to my grand baby! They are both angels.

We kept the food pretty simple: grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup (served in the little vinyl cups again), fruit, salad & the sweets. I purchased the salad from Zupas & everyone loved it.

I had to go to Costco anyway, so I just went ahead & grabbed some flowers while I was there & threw them in a vase. Their flowers are always glorious. 

We saw this darling "ring" made from cupcakes on Pinterest & I just had to have one. My friend, Kathy, who is a wizard with cakes, whipped it up. I just loved it. It was almost to pretty to eat . . . but we did. 

There WAS a little "mishap" with the balloons. (#FirstWorldProblems)  I went to the grocery store the night before to get them so they would be nice & fresh. Uhhhhhh - not so much. See the ones on the table? That's what I woke up to. Oh dear. I dashed out to another store & grabbed some more. It did still look kinda cool to have balloons on the table though. 

And then, let's talk about Etsy. I heart Etsy so much. I found this beautiful artwork at the San Francisco Crafts shop. Thank you (whoever you are) for making me look good with artwork for invites & fun selfie frames {which matched - she has other colors too}.

And, of course, because my boys were around, there were going to be shenanigans! {See below}.

I think I stewed about the favors the most. I really wanted to do some succulents in little containers. But I just didn't know how to find itty bitty cacti & I was worried about the time it would take to plant them. I opted for these little white buckets {3 for $1 at the dollar store - here they are for a little bit more on Amazon} with gold wrapped Rolo candy in them. 

What a wonderful day to celebrate a wonderful girl.

Christian & Carly - may you be blessed with a lifetime of love & happiness. We'll be here behind you every step of the way. 

Lemons to Lemonade Activity

Every other month or so we have an activity for the ladies at church. Our last activity was called "Lemons to Lemonade". It was an evening to ponder how even life's challenging circumstances can be turned around for good. {Click the blue bar below for more.}

"Local Yocal" - Reid Ranch

Ah, I live in a pretty great state. And once in a while I share some little stay-cation or local treasure. Today I'd like to tell you about Reid Ranch. Honey & I went there with a group & had a great time! It isn't luxury - more like "glamping". We did have a room in a lodge with a full bathroom, but this is a place built for housing lots of people for a small cost. With a vibe that feels just like "The Parent Trap"! And there is so much to do!

We took advantage of the horseback riding & mountain biking.

As well as canoeing at the pond & swimming in the pool.

And when I say "glamping" I guess I'm referring to the fact that the staff BUILDS YOUR CAMPFIRES FOR YOU! I'm talkin' ginormous fires. S'mores anyone?!

Another bonus - all your food is prepared for you & you eat in the little cafeteria. 

There are two lodges & lots of tent pads. We were lucky enough to stay in one of the lodges. It had a great commons area where we could play games with our group.

Source

One of the things that made it even more fun was the staff of young people working at the ranch. The customer service was exceptional. When I complimented one of the managers she said they just try to treat everyone the way they would want to be treated. 

These were the cowboys who helped us on our horse ride. They really knew about horses & kept us safe. These guys stay on site in the barn! Here's their living room {complete with a dirt floor.}

And they sleep in the loft. I think it's safe to say they abide by the motto they see on the way up to their sleeping quarters.

It was so nice to get out of the city & pretend to be a cowgirl in the wild west for a while. The scenery was beautiful & the temperatures were much, much cooler. {Note to self: don't pack your white pants next time!}

Spring Farmhouse Decor

I love to switch out the accessories in my entry way for each season. And since I've been inspired for a while now by modern farmhouse decor, that is the vibe I'm going for here. {Click blue bar below for more.}

The Vintage Whites 2018

Each year the Vintage Whites Market comes to Salt Lake City & it is such fun. {Click the blue bar below to read more}

Styling My Bakers Rack

When my friend was visiting the other day, she commented that every time she comes to my house it looks different. I got thinking about what made her feel that way. I concluded that while all the main pieces are the same, I OFTEN change out the accessories in my home. The best analogy I can think of is that black dress in your closet. You can put a denim jacket with it along with some casual sandals. It looks great. But later - when you pare it with a statement necklace & high heels it takes on a whole new look. 

Let's talk today about styling a bakers rack. Here's mine - empty & ready to accessorize. 

I got this darling bakers rack from Costco many years ago. I paid very little for it, but it's always been one of my favorite pieces. It looks great no matter what I put on it.

All these beautiful white dishes were already in my cupboard. And I thought it might be fun to get them out to enjoy. I've been collecting white since my party planner friends recommended it. They look fantastic with any party & color scheme. Plus they mix & match beautifully. I happen to love green with white. So plants make for a perfect paring. 

And I always recommend mixing in something besides dishes anyway - especially things that make sense . . . .like cookbooks. And don't be afraid to make it crowded -  more is more!

And now for the challenge - go clear off a piece of furniture at your house & restyle it! Let me know how it goes. 

170 Paper Flowers

Once a year our church hosts a women's conference with a speaker and luncheon. About 600 ladies attend and that is A LOT of tables! I was asked create centerpieces. I decided to make paper flowers made from coffee filter.  Why coffee filters? They're inexpensive and the paper is sturdy enough to dye & work with. {Click the blue bar below to read more.} 

Six Top Posts of 2017

Golly, 2017 sure flew by fast! It was a year filled with blessings for our family. I took on a full-time job & keeping my blog going proved to be a challenge. But I was able to do it . . . baaarrrrely. Here were the top six posts.

1) Paper Bag Stars

2) Pretty & Delicious Shower Food

3) Erin's Key Lime Dessert

4) Six Beauty Products I Can't Live Without

5) Ladies Church Party

6) Keys to Happiness Church Lesson

Church Christmas Party Decorations

The very first thing I like to do when planning a church party is to decide on a theme. For Christmas parties, carols provide meaningful lyrics that are perfect inspiration. This time we chose "Oh Come Let Us Adore Him". And just to be different, we decorated in gold & silver. {Click the blue bar below for more.}

Red & White Traditional Christmas Decor