The coolest contraption for your next barbecue

I discovered the coolest way to keep food cold at an outdoor party: meet inflatable serve ware.  Have you seen this stuff before? My neighbors used it at our annual block party and it was so cool!

These buffets are like mini-kiddie pools for your serving table. Fill them up with ice and nestle potato salad, fruit plates, drinks- whatever you need to keep cold!  They are bright and fun, provide easy access for loading up your plate and are less bulky an awkward than serving out of a cooler. The best part is they are inflatable, making them easy to store. You can find them at party supply stores.  The polka dot buffet is from Birthday Direct.  The striped red version is from Birthday Express

They are also available at Oriental Trading, Amazon, Target and more. Just search for "inflatable buffets" online and you'll have many options.  Prices range from $10-$20 each. Isn't this the coolest serving contraption {pun intended}?! 

Fast Fourth of July Wreath

Hi friends! I took an impromptu vacation, which was nice, but I'm so sorry for not posting for ages!

Here is a fun patriotic wreath idea. It is so very last minute but I leave up my Independence Day decor for the whole month of July- maybe you do the same?  The good news is that this is really simple to make so you could whip it up quickly or save the idea for next year.

My wonderful mom made this one so she gets all of the credit.  I don't have a formal tutorial for this one, but read the directions and you'll find it is pretty simple to make.  You can always contact me with questions.

Materials

• Styrofoam wreath form (you could use straw as well)
• Yarn - it usually takes between 1/2 to 1 skein (ball) of yarn- it depends upon your wreath form size
• Scraps of fabric 3-4 inches wide ( we used a star-spangled printed cotton,  blue felt and burlap)
• Needle & thread
• Hot glue gun & glue sticks
• Scissors
• Optional: Holiday sign to hang on the wreath. My mom bought her vintage sign at JoAnn's. You could tuck a flag in the wreath instead or you could also use a free printable patriotic sign.  I've collected a few on my Pinterest boards.  Feel free to look through them here and print them if you want.

Instructions:

1. Hot glue the end of your yarn to any spot on the back of your wreath and begin wrapping the yarn around the form.  Keep the wrapping tight for a uniform look and make sure to cover the Styrofoam as you go.

2. When you have covered the form entirely, cut the yarn from the skein and glue the loose end somewhere on the back of the wreath.

3. Embellish! We simply added round fabric pin wheels to the wreath and pinned the sign on it. They are similar to the fan I made for this wreath. You do a simple basting stitch down one length of the fabric, then pull the thread until the fabric gathers, form it into a circle and glue it together. Here is a link to a tutorial  that I found online that explains making fabric pinwheels from Happy Together.  (They are quick, I promise).

Thanks for sharing, Mom!

I hope you have fun plans for the holiday!

Current Obsession: Antique Farm House

Thrift shopping and yard sale scouring are not my strong points- I wish they were. Truly. I see so many amazing treasures that people find. I simply don't have the gift or the patience but I love the look of beautiful, old,-time-worn pieces and I love a good deal.  Enter Antique Farm House.  I stumbled upon this site as I was perusing the blogosphere.  Oh mylanta!  It's pretty amazing. It is a deal-a-day (or deal every few days) site offering great, unique home decor at reasonable prices.  Many of their products have a sort of aged feeling to them and make me positively weak in the knees. There are several offerings at a time but they sell out fast and once they're gone, they're gone.  Here are some favorites I've spotted recently. 

 You can visit their site and drool peruse their products here.  You can also sign up for their  email list, so that you are always aware of their events.

The Simplest Preschool Snack

Hi friend! I hope Mother's Day was fabulous for you!

Today I'm sharing the simplest preschool snack- it was a hit with my daughter's class. This treat gets check marks for fun, simplicity and good nutrition.

Fruit Race Cars

• Apple slices
• Grape slices
• Tooth picks
• Whole grapes

I sliced the apples and the grapes ahead of time.   The kids put the two tooth picks in each apple slice and added grape slice wheels.  My daughter thought each of the cars needed an antenna, so we all added another toothpick on top and put our grape antenna-topper on it ;)

The Ballet Boutique ( for the ballet flat fanatic)

I love a great pair of heels as much as the next girl but for every day, flats are where its at for me.  Have you seen the Ballet Boutique from J. Crew?!  Talk about eye/shoe candy!  There are so many pretty options for ballet flats. They are all so lovely they belong in a shoe museum (Is there such thing? There should be)!  Check them out here.

Trendy walmart shower curtains (stay with me here)

Shower curtain shopping, I've learned, is no small feat.  You're going to have one big piece of fabric staring you in the face on a daily basis, so it's important to select the right one.  There are some great offerings via the World Wide Web, but I think the one that surprised me most was Walmart.com. Yes. I said Walmart.

They have more offerings than just about any online retailer that I've found.  While you have to sift through some less desirable options, I was pleasantly surprised with the number of on-trend shower curtains they have.  I don't think I've ever lumped Walmart in the same category as Pottery Barn or West Elm, in terms of style but where shower curtains are concerned, Walmart seems pretty hip to me.

Here are some of the trendy finds from Walmart.com ( I was not paid or otherwise coerced by Walmart to show you these ;).

*Please note: These findings are from Walmart's website only.  Many of these are not available in their stores.

Geometric patterns: 1, 2

Gray and yellow: 1, 2

Bold florals: 1, 2

 Ruffles: 1, 2

Stripes: 1, 2, 3

 
 

Pretty patterns: 1, 2, 3

The Great Shake Out (emergency preparedness)

Today at 10: 18 a.m., the state of Utah is participating in the first state-wide earth quake drill:The Great Utah Shake Out.  California has done this sort of drill as well. It certainly has me thinking about emergency preparedness. You can go to shakeout.org for more information.

Learning that I live practically on top of the fault line that runs through the state, has made me re-evaluate how prepared my family is for an emergency. One area that I fail miserably in is having water storage for an emergency. I would venture to guess I'm not alone.  It's easy to underestimate just how much water we use and need on a daily basis for drinking, cooking and hygiene ( most sources say 1 gallon per person per day).


Whether you live in Utah or anywhere else in the world, this site has a lot of good information about getting started with an emergency plan and emergency preparedness.  You can also check out FEMA's website for information.

Do you have any tips on simple ways to prepare for emergencies?

Famous Free Fonts

Happy Monday, friend!

In my endless pursuit of fonts, I found some great free fonts that look very similar to famous fonts you'll probably recognize.  Nearly all of these reminded me of my childhood. How about you?

Links to the fonts are listed below.

Swatch it

Madonna

Gabriel Weiss' Friends

Hollywood Hills

Waltograph

Simpson Font

Pez Font

Hurhseys

Doctor Soos bold

The Flip Flop Face Off (guest post)

I know I promised pictures of my wheat grass table scape, but it was a magnificent organic failure.  I was growing more mold than grass, and all efforts to salvage it failed. So I threw it out without even a photo. I am sorry, but on the bright side, I think I may have enough material for a great post on how not to grow wheat grass.

Thankfully I have an excellent guest post today from Susan who blogs at Beauty and the Beach.  She'll be discussing another Springtime favorite (with no green thumb required): flip flops.  I think you'll love it!

Flip-Flop Faceoff: Havaianas vs. iPANEMA

When it comes to summer footwear, a pair of  flip-flops is definitely the most essential style.  Even if you generally go for fancier footwear, flip-flops are a must-have for the beach, pool, running a quick errand or even a not-so-clean shower (yuck).  But before you run out and buy your new flip-flops, you should get to know two of the most popular brands: Havaianas and iPANEMA.  Read on…

Havaianas

The Havaianas brand was established back in 1962 and was created by Brazilian company, Alpargatas.  The first pair was inspired by a popular Japanese style of flip-flop (the Zori) and to this day, Havaianas flip-flops still feature that same textured rice pattern from the ‘60s, which can be seen in the footbed.  In addition to Japanese influences, Havaianas have always been inspired by the laidback Brazilian lifestyle and with each pair of flip-flops, the brand tries to capture its native country’s spirit.  Every year, the brand comes out with new styles, designs and patterns, featuring every color under the sun.  All Havaianas feature a firm rubber footbed that doesn’t lose its shape after just one wear.  For women, some of the most popular styles are the “Top,” “Slim” and “High Look.”  Most styles retail between $20-$30, but Havaianas makes styles for any and every budget; they even have styles embellished with diamonds and Swarovski crystals!  For all of these reasons and more, Havaianas flip-flops have become one of the most popular brands in the world.

   

iPANEMA

Like Havaianas,  iPANEMA flip-flops were also born in Brazil.  The brand was named after and inspired by the Brazilian beach town of Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro.  Perhaps more than any other city, Ipanema showcases the true spirit of Brazil and iPANEMA flip-flops try to mimic that laidback beach bum state of mind.  The textured flip-flop footbed even pays homage to the famous mosaic boardwalk in Ipanema!  Unlike Havaianas, classic styles of iPANEMA flip-flops feature a softer, squishier footbed, although other styles have thinner, firmer styles.  iPANEMA flip-flops come in assorted colors and their printed styles feature unique wrapped patterns that carry over the edges.  But the best thing about iPANEMAs is that all styles are made from recycled MELFLEX material and are 100% recyclable.  Custom MELFLEX appliqués and embellishments are added to certain iPANEMA styles to lend a flirty feminine touch to an ordinary flip-flop.  The brand has already been established in fashionable cities all around the world, but they’re first starting to make their way into the states.  Most iPANEMA flip-flops retail around $18-$25, making them one affordable and fully functional flip-flop!

So now that you know a bit about the two best-selling brands of flip-flops, what’s it going to be?  Are you going to go for the tried and true Havaianas or be the girl from Ipanema with IPANEMA flip-flops?  Either way, you can’t go wrong with summer’s hottest flip-flops!

Susan is a blogger for Beauty and the Beach, a swimwear and fashion blog by InStyleSwimwear.com.  Check them out today!

Are you growing wheat grass?

I'm up to my eye balls in sprouting wheat grass! Are you growing some?  I love it for Easter, but it's great any time in the Spring. I've got a new wheat grass tablescape to show you (hopefully tomorrow).  For now,  here's a sneak peak at a little Easter vignette I did.  I'm growing it on paper towels again.


 Click here to read last year's tutorial for growing wheat grass -it's easier than you think!

DVF for Gap Kids

What do you think of Dian Von Furstenberg's line for Gap Kids?  Pretty fun.

  

Here are a few of my favorites:

The baby espadrilles are pretty ridiculous-ridiculoulsly cute, that is.

These wrap rompers  are fun

This bold-print dress also scores high on the cute-o-meter

I love this whimsical heart print

This is such a sweet little swimming suit. I love the little skirt!

But Diane, darling, WHAT ABOUT THE BOYS?  Did I miss something? NOTHING for the boys? 

I was pretty disappointed.  

Quick and Easy Invites for a Recipe Swap party

I'm getting ready for a fun recipe swap party at our church! The idea is pretty simple: party guests prepare their favorite dish (serving it in small sample sizes).  They also bring a copy of the recipe to share. We set up a buffet table for guests to layout their dishes. Party goers sample everything and chat!  The host copies all of the recipes and sends everyone home with the collection of new (and tested) recipes!  

I  used a recipe card as the invitation- and it couldn't be simpler to make.  I found this bright, happy Retro Fleur Recipe Card Template from Free Printables Online.com.  I downloaded it to my computer and used some hand written fonts (Rock Salt and Dakota) to make it look like a real recipe card (you could just print the blank templates and write the invitations by hand if the guest list is small). Write the invitation in a recipe format. Print the recipe cards on card stock, cut them out and you are done! It would be fun to tie a small dollar store kitchen utensil to the invite- we skipped this step due to budget restraints and a very LONG guest list.

Three cheers for color (and Target)

In my eyes, Target can do no wrong.  I've even asked to be buried there when my time comes.  Have you seen their new color-soaked commercial?  It is so fun!  I love the concept, the music, the choreography and of course the products. Three cheers for color and for Target!

my favorite free fonts

I've been collecting some great new fonts via blogs and Pinterest lately and enjoying them thoroughly as a self-proclaimed font addict.  I decided to return the favor and share some of my go-to favorites.  All fonts are free for download  (Click the font name below to link to the download for that particular font).

Viper Nora

Channel

Alegre Sans

Carnevalle Freakshow

Payday

Doris Day

Neou

(the secret to a simple) Strawberry Shortcake birthday Party

Friend, I have the secret to making your children's birthday parties extremely quick and easy.  Are you ready for the inside scoop?  Here it is:  run out of time. It's true. I've never had a simpler party to prepare for that my daughter's Strawberry Shortcake birthday party simply because I didn't have much time.  It's funny, but true.   I admit to getting carried away when it comes to party planning. The longer I have to prepare, the more complicated the project becomes.  I pinned lots of birthday party inspiration on Pinterest. I had loads of intricate plans and then life happened. Having a short amount of time forced me to keep it simple.  

I made a quick trip to Zurcher's for all of the licensed Strawberry Shortcake party supplies.  I also found the polka dot balloons there. You can purchase just about any theme or licensed-character party supplies from Zurchers.com if you don't have a store near you. 

I used the same DIY cupcake stand I used for my son's birthday party. The cupcakes were pretty atrocious-looking (another side-effect of running out of time) BUT they tasted great- and really, that is all the kids cared about.

I found the polka-dot napkins at Dollar Tree and tucked them in glittered party boxes also from Dollar Tree.

 I shopped my daughter's bedroom for a few little details: the vase full of pink carnations, a pink and green storage basket to hold party favors.

 My daughter came up with this  party game idea all on her own and it was a hit: Pin the Seed on the Strawberry.  It follows the same format as Pin the Tail on the Donkey.  I printed a BIG strawberry shape from Photoshop .  We cut out seeds from basic card stock, blindfolded each kid and sent them on their way with a seed.  Obviously, this was a big target, and better geared toward younger children.  I think this idea could be adapted to almost any party theme.

 I designed cupcake flags in Photoshop, printed them on card stock and stuck them on toothpicks.

 

The Strawberry-shaped marshmallows are one of my favorite elements of the party! Pretty candies are always my go-to cake decorations to camouflage my complete lack of cake-decorating skills.  The marshmallows made a perfect and SIMPLE decoration for my otherwise pathetic cupcakes. The strawberry marshmallows are available at WalMart in the baking aisle with the regular marshmallows.  They come in a package of 12-15 for about $2.00 per package.  Did I mention they have a chocolate filling?! Pretty amazing find!

 I propped the cute paper plates  from Zurchers in a clear napkin holder- making them a decorative element. I did something similar at my son's party.

Pressed for time or not, my daughter loved it, so I am calling it a success....even if there were no decorative cupcake liners ;)