Sweet Pink and Bad Black: 50th Birthday!

It was my Mom's 50th birthday the other day. Wow, a variety of emotions swirl in my mind as I rewind the years in my head. My mom has lived an incredible life, living it very much to the fullest! She has blessed many people, especially her family. She is our foundation and we so enjoyed celebrating her LIFE with this bubbly party.

You all should know that I absolutely thrive on planning celebrations! So, I am going to waltz you through step by step on the planning of this family bash. :)


The theme was pink and black, and polka dots, with a splash of retro mixed with contemporary. EVERYTHING was pink and black!!

I made the table runner out of scrapbook paper pages and ribbon.

I bought plastic cups and embellished them with scrapbook stickers.

I also replaced the lightbulbs with 2 RED and 2 PINK lights to give a fun effect.

I made a round pink carnation (50 carnations) centerpiece (See this post here) and bought black disc marbles to decorate with as well. The marbles don't show up in the photos because of the dim lighting.

What did Grandma get inside all of those pink-wrapped presents?? WOW...(the faces say it all)


We even planned for most of her gifts to be pink and black and retro. She got a black apron from Heavenly Hostess, (click here to see it). She received a lot of pink and black fragrances from Victoria's Secret, vintage bath products, a pink ice cream scoop, a classic pearl necklace, etc.

Even the food was pink!
I made a fresh raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing that was pink of course.

Pink lemonade was served.

Also, a fruit jello/pudding that was pink(ish). I cut pink marshmallows in round discs and put pink sugar on them to maintain the color and polka dot theme.

We had bowls of pink whopper candies and pink strawberry marshmallows too.


And the cake was too cool! I got it from a local cake shop and it turned out lovely!



This is the menu I prepared:
~ Blue Cheese, Bacon, and Chives Stuffed Pork Chops
~ Baked Zucchini Chips
~ Garlic Parmesan Red Mashed Potatoes
~ Homemade Honey Wheat Bread
~ Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette, Roasted Almonds, Feta Cheese, and Red Onions over Mixed Greens
~ Strawberry Cream Jello pudding



I had to add a sappy touch too...I got a photo of when my mom was little and I copied a poem called "Daddy's Girl" that my Grandpa wrote for my mom when she was little onto the photo to create a banner.


Before the lights were changed to red and pink ;)

And after...




We all had an exciting evening, a perfect way to start her first day of being 50.

Out of the Box Flower Arrangements

Put on your florist apron and prepare to create an arrangement that looks like it came just from the flower shop! It is not your usual arrangement, BUT that makes it all the better. :) The drawback of this project is price, it's not a budget craft. It is perfect for a party though! I made this for a table centerpiece to use at a party. It is so simple that I just had to share with you all! (Come back tomorrow for pictures of the party!!...you won't want to miss the looks of this very cool party!)

Supplies needed:
Kitchen shears
round flower foam
50 carnations (yep, 50!!!)

First wet the foam globe thoroughly.

Then pat on a package of the flower preservative powder over the whole globe.

Cut the stems off of the carnations leaving about an inch left.

Gently stick each carnation into the foam globe around the entire circumference. Next line the circumference again but this time do it crosswise.

Now just finish filling in the four gaps with flowers until it's complete!

There you go! Isn't it adorable? :) Don't forget to see the rest of the table HERE.

This is a Works for me Wednesday post, for other ideas that may work for you click here!


This is also posted on The Lettered Cottage.

Scenes from our Easter Sunday

THE DECOR
My Mom arranged creative, festive, and perfect detail with the Easter decor, throughout her house. My personal favorite was the table setting...absolutely gorgeous!!





THE FOOD
Traditional and simply delectable...with buttermilk pie and chocolate goodness to wrap it up!

THE PEOPLE
Snapshots of our day as the guys walked the dogs by the lake after dinner....as each of the boys got a gusty ride on the Snap-On Tools chopper...watching Skyler be so engrossed in reading Beatrix Potter, and the boys showing off their shades compliments of the Easter Bunny.





P.S.
I have to add one more shot of the boys getting swords at the mall the other day with their Bunny Ears...being Momma's little Super Heros!

H A P P Y E A S T E R ! !
Thank you MOM for making this day so special and for being a perfect hostess xo

Thank you for the Cross

Matthew 28:6 "He is not here. He is risen just as He said."

Do you know what makes Easter and Springtime so marvelous?

New Life.

We get a FRESH opportunity every single year to reflect on who we are, who we have become, and if we like what lies beneath our skin. We are reminded of the beauty of a clean heart and a fresh spirit within.

New Life abounds in the Spring...from the slivers of solid green grass, to the delicate birds' nests filled with worms and feathers...and of course, the New Eternal Life that Jesus promised as He carried the cross and left the tomb.

Time for Spring Cleaning?
HAPPY EASTER!!

5 at a Time *Works for me Wednesday*

Since being FRUGAL is the new trend, I wanted to share an idea that has worked very well for our family the last couple of years. We have a mason jar that sits in a highly visible spot in our house. It is our "5 at a Time" jar. And it gets filled up with ONLY 5 dollar bills!

How?

Well, as most of us know, we all spend less money if we use hard-to-part-with-cash instead of our slippery debit cards! So, the first tip is to carry cash for your spending.

Then......

EVERY SINGLE TIME that you are given a 5 dollar bill back in change, it goes directly into the 5 at a Time jar! 5 dollar bills are not allowed in your purse, wallet, pockets, or nightstands. And you certainly can't spend any 5 dollar bills! ;)

So, simply make a habit of stuffing your 5 dollar bills in the jar and watch it fill! It will be a fun project for your family and you will be AMAZED at how much you can save that way....within a short time, you'll have an extra 300 bucks!

Will this work for you? Let me know and check out other Works for me Wednesday ideas here!

Floss until they're squeaky clean

Did you know that brushing your teeth alone isn't sufficient for healthy teeth? That annoying bad breath bacteria and other plaque stays nestled down between your lovely whites even after a good brushing. Everyone should treat their set of sparkling teeth well by flossing every single day...not twice a month...or 3 times a week...BUT every day. It is best to floss for about 2-3 minutes. Wrap the floss around your fingers like the photo below and get after it!
Your lovely whites deserve it! So...go ahead and floss right now...your laptop will still be here when you return in 3 minutes.

A Sample of my Kitchen Library

I have some special books that sit on a step stool near my kitchen that I would LOVE to share with you. These are only a handful of my favorites! Enjoy...


If you haven't heard of Longaberger, you're missing out! They are the true, genuine inventors of using baskets in home decor. And their baskets simply don't compare to the knock-offs! They are handmade and full of quality. With my mom's help ((wink)) I've managed to aquire quite a collection. This is a beautiful picturebook of incorporating baskets into your entertaining.


This darling book is cheerful and fun! It will motivate you to make your house a home ASAP. :)


If you have kids that don't like to eat healthy food...this book uncovers the secret to your success in getting those stubborn little mouths to swallow the wholesome stuff!

Fun and popular, this book is an almost painless way to cut your calories and still enjoy the yummy goodness of the food we eat.


I was recently surpised when this book showed up on my doorstep from the mailman compliments of my mom!! :) And, I have enjoyed every page. It's your modern look at country. Fresh and warm, each page is a treat!


One of those life changing books for any women who has ever been called the Keeper of her Home! A must read...


This last book has been a long time favorite for me. It is a staple in my kitchen. If you are serious about providing your body with healty fuel and if you are eager to get trim, Eating for Life holds ALL the answers.



I'll share more of my personal library later....xo

Target Treasures

YES! I have a mad affection for Target. I usually want everything displayed on their end isles. This bright and cheerful Spring collection was no exception. BUT...I didn't love these enough to pay full price. Sooooo, I waited and waited until I spotted those satisfying square, reddish-orange CLEARANCE stickers stuck on my desired dishes. I paid around a $1 each for these. They're made out of hard plastic, but they are delightful!