2012 Year in Review

2012, you've been quite a year.  Here's why:
Biggest Opportunity: That Time I Met & Interviewed Jonathan Adler
Best Decision (career move): Big News (so, so excited!)
Biggest Publication: Step Aside Fear of Failure! I’m on MSN! 
Best Vacation: Living in a Pinterest Picture: Cinque Terre, Italy
Best Investment: Risks & Tasty Rewards
Proudest Moment: I'm So Proud of Her
Favorite DIY: Rue Magazine DIY - Step by Step
Best Room Transformation: Office Progress: The Gallery Wall Art is Up
Best Recipe: Tasty and Easy Beet Salad Recipe
Best Theme Party: Bandaids & BBQ - Medical Theme Party
Best Birthday Surprise: Birthday Adventure
Best Wedding Surprise: Published: Southern Weddings Magazine

A look at 2011: HERE

DIY Décor for a New Year’s Eve Party

It has become a bit of a tradition that we look forward to every year – our annual New Years Eve party! A few weeks after the invitations were sent I saw these “Pop Fizz Clink” cards from Kate Spade and the décor ideas seemed to flow from there!I kept everything simple and inexpensive. I bought two yards of gold lamé fabric to cover a painting that hangs in our dining room and I used a total of six sheets of fancy cardstock paper from Michaels.I laid out the text “Happy New Year”, “Pop”, “Clink”, “Fizz”, and “2013” in various sizes to be used as drink markers, hanging banners and a cake topper – you can download the files HERE and with an X-Acto knife and scissors use them as stencils for your own party! The entire project took me a few hours and cost me less than $20! Whatever you’re doing to ring in the New Year, have fun and be safe! I look forward to putting on a fancy party dress and toasting my friends in the comfort of my own home!

Download the file to make your own NYE Party Stencils HERE!

P.S.- I plan weddings and events so please Contact Me if you would like to work together on your upcoming event!

DIY Wooden Bead Gum Ball Necklace

I love simple DIY projects that don’t take much time to complete or call for difficult to find material.  This painted wooden bead necklace was the perfect evening project and it also makes for a great last minute holiday gift! Material: - Wooden Beads (I found mine at Michaels)

- White Twine

- Acrylic Paint

- Paintbrush

- Painters Tape

- Straw

Directions:
 1.) String your wooden beads on the straw (you may need to squish the straw a bit to make the beads fit).  This will help to keep your fingers paint free and the beads free from finger smudges

2.) Paint your beads and let them dry

3.) Cover half of your bead with painters tape and paint the exposed half with a different color (I only painted four out of five beads with a second color)

4.) Let the beads dry and remove the tape

5.) String your beads on the twine and tie a knot at the end once you’ve determined your desired length

Perfect DIY Gift for Drop in House Guests

I subscribe to the philosophy that homemade gifts of food are always a good idea.  I wanted to make something simple to have on hand for friends and neighbors that drop by.  My solution – Chocolate covered peppermint Joe Joes with a crushed candy cane topping!

They were fairly easy and inexpensive to make!  I placed the finished cookies in a cellophane bag, tied it with a bow and adorned them with a gift tag from my Etsy Shop!

Material Needed:

- Peppermint Joe Joes (from Trader Joe’s or Oreos)

- Chocolate Chips

- Candy Cane Pieces (crush with a hammer)

- Parchment Paper

- Cellophane Bag & Ribbon

Directions: Melt the chocolate, dip the cookie, sprinkle the candy cane topping and place to dry on parchment paper

I look forward to handing these out to friends and family!  Do you have any easy recipes or gift ideas that you keep on hand during the holidays?  

Ray & Sarah's Beverly Hills Wedding

I’ve known Ray and Sarah since I first began dating Christoph in 2007. You see, Ray is Christoph’s best friend and the jokes date back many years as to who is closer to Christoph. I win – ooooobvioulsy, but Ray and Christoph are extremely close.Sarah is one of the most loving people I know and Ray was fortunate enough to capture her heart. Their Beverly Hills wedding this past October was absolutely beautiful.I was honored when the couple asked me to design signature drink signs for the cocktail hour (more in my Etsy Shop). As a result of this wedding – my drink of choice is an old fashioned.Among many other sweet details from the day was the guest gift – flower bulbs along with a sweet note.  Mine are planted and I wait with great anticipation to see what blooms!Congratulations Ray and Sarah – two people who Christoph and me consider to be a part of our family.