Thanksgiving Place Cards

Just thought I'd share a picture of the place cards I did for this year's Thanksgiving table. I used alphabet macaroni letters with some craft feathers that I had in my crafty-closet, and put them on a piece of folded brown card stock. My kids are going to love them! Happy Thanksgiving all!

"O" Boy!

We were so excited to be a part of O Magazine's “Favorite Things” list this year, which featured our monogrammed string gift tags.

This Thanksgiving...

Taking the time to stop and allow yourself to really think about the holiday and what it means, it's honestly not my 1st thought. Thanksgiving 2011 for me, however, is looking back at my year and being thankful for my blessings, looking ahead and being hopeful, looking upward and finding strength and looking inward and finding peace.

For me, it has been a year that deserves a little quiet reflection & appreciation. We truly have so much to be thankful for. When I think about Thanksgiving Day and having all of my family around me...how the house smells delicious and everyone is happy and looking forward to being together... I want to remind everyone to stop and remember what they are thankful for this year.

My centerpiece for this year's Thanksgiving table asks family members to add a leaf to the "Thankful Tree" and share what they are thankful for. Then, in return they may choose one of the hidden-treasure walnuts underneath the tree. Crack it open and reveal a special surprise...perhaps a piece of candy, a little message or a gold dollar coin (you'd be surprised how many different little treasures will actually fit inside a walnut.) This is a wonderful and fun tradition my family has shared throughout the years, and is a great way to mix a little conversation and excitement to the Thanksgiving dinner table.

Pretty DIY Pattern Notepads

If you are anything like me, notpads are one of those things you can't live without. Not only am I an avid list-maker, but I always doodle and sketch out ideas while I'm on on the phone or when I'm just sitting around the house. I can literally go through a notepad every two weeks, which can get pretty expensive considering I like to jot down my notes on something prettier than the average bland white utilitarian notepad.

Recently, I found a way to "perk" up an average inexpensive tear-off pad that my kids always seem to have around for school needs. Using a ruler and an x-acto knife, I cut thin strips of patterned scrapbook paper to teh width of the pads, coat the back with a good smear of the glue stick, and press on the top of the unattractive cardboard at the top of the pad. Voilà!...a beautiful notepad I’m not embarrassed to carry around in public, and it only cost me around a buck. And think of what a cute little gift it would make for another “listy-lady” in your life. Just stack a couple of different size notepads together with a nice writing pen, tie together with twine and a gift tag, and you’re done.

Sometimes, it’s the little things that make you smile!

Happy Valentine's Day

I thought I'd share two quick and fun Valentine's Day projects.
The first one was done by my youngest daughter Claire. She used color tape (I just found out they made it...who knew?), stickers and construction paper to create these cute little hearts to pass out to friends.

This one I just love. My friend Todd and his daughter used a box that some sweet Valentine's treats come in as a template, and recreated them into i-treats. What an adorable idea for kiddos who are a little older.

Hope you all have a love filled day with your sweeties!

Resolving to enjoy the little things

So here it is…a new year, a new beginning. A time when we all get to “clean house” in our lives and try to forget about the unrealized dreams and broken promises we made to ourselves this time last year. As I began to think through my familiar list of optimistic goals for the year that would help guide me to a life of blissful happiness (exercise more, find a new hobby, work more efficiently, cut out sugar, keep a cleaner house…) I realized that my list seemed more like a list of chores than a guide to happiness.

After thinking it through and really asking myself what it would take to make 2011 better than 2010, I began to get some clarity. As a busy mother of three and a business owner, I sometimes focus so much on the big picture that I often forget to stop and smell the roses. Though when your daily list of things-to-do takes up more than one sheet of your notepad, it’s a little hard to schedule in rose smelling. So how does one squeeze in time to enjoy life’s little pleasures despite all the chaos around you? Like Nike says, Just Do It.
I may not have time to train for a marathon, or learn how to knit, or keep my home clean enough to be ready for a magazine shoot at the drop of a hat, but I do have time to create little bits of happiness for myself throughout the day. And hey, let’s be honest…life gets so nuts sometimes that simple pleasures may be the only thing that can get you through that day, and ready to take on the next one.

With that being said, I have decided to resolve to make life more fun for myself and fill my days with little perks and pick-me-ups during this new year. Some of the most trivial things can really change my mood for the better, like getting into bed with clean sheets or taking a few extra minutes in the morning to make an iced coffee. I’ve started a whole list of ideas (which I’ve shared below) that will hopefully keep me smiling a little brighter in 2011.

*Have fresh flowers, herbs, or pretty clippings from the yard and put them in little vases or jars all around the house
*Get a magazine subscription that your husband or kids wouldn’t be interested in or tempted to swipe. Once a month, it’ll turn up in your mailbox and make your day.
*Get a book on tape that you can listen to in the carpool line or on your way to one of the hundreds of places you have to go to in a week’s time
* Keep a large bowl of cleaned and cut lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots so that you’ll have a ready-to-eat salad whenever you need it
*Clean the inside of your refrigerator
*Set the table with pretty dishes and napkins for a special family dinner, but order Chinese take-out so you won’t have to do one bit of cooking
*Make your bed every morning
*Donate the clutter. You are never going to use that Thigh Master again.
*When you do the dishes, crank up your favorite CD and sing along
*Take a personal day off work to go to the movies. Get popcorn and coke, and don’t feel guilty about it.
*Get a car wash
*Fill pretty glass bottle dispensers with hand and dish soap
*Give yourself a facial.
*Have a secret stash of your favorite candy that the kids don’t know about.
*Drink more water
*Go to bed at a decent hour
*Light your favorite scented candle
*Enjoy, because you deserve it

Champagne cage chairs

Wow. Sometimes I think I'm crafty, and then some creative genius comes along and reminds me that I have not yet begun to craft. Seriously, how beautiful and ingenious is this project from The Tamara Blog? I only wish I'd come across this a month ago before the Holidays, so that I'd have a few champagne cages to test my skills with. Oh well, looks like I now have an excuse to buy a few more bottles of bubbly! Tamara even gives a demonstration of how to make these little gems, here. I can't believe how easy it is. I love the idea of setting these out as place card holders at my next get-together. What great little conversation pieces. Thanks, Tamara!

Form and Function

You get form and function with these stylish bags from S. Stein... love them! They even have a collection inspired by the quirky town of Marfa, Texas.