Great deal on Crocs!

Check out Zulily today for a great deal on crocs. My son lives in these during the warmer months! So easy to just slip on and go. I think these bright green ones are pretty cute!

And thanks for your patience while I get my shop up and running again! And it will be worth the wait...today I'm starting a photo shoot for some new party items...stay tuned!!

Here it is again...

See I told you it keeps popping up in party decor...here it is again! This time the lovely Ikea frame is showcased at a gender reveal party featured on Amy Atlas.

Yep, still loving this idea!

Beef Stew for a Rainy Day

It has been raining around here. A LOT. Yesterday, it rained so hard that a massive puddle formed in our backyard. And the wind was so strong I felt a bit like Dorothy. So we hunkered down for the day and I decided to make something warm and cozy for dinner. Nothing's better then a slow cooker for that type of meal. I decided to go with Emeril's beef stew recipe on Food Network. I was not about to run out to the store, so the stew lacked the frozen peas it requires. And making Emeril's Essence was one more step then I had time for, so the beef was simple browned with salt and pepper. But despite these changes, YUM! It turned out quite good if I do say so myself.

I served it over some whole wheat noodles tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese. Noodles are kid friendly and that's why I chose them...but I think it would be great served plain with a big chunk of crusty bread too. A simple side salad finished of the meal.

So if you are in need of a new recipe to try this weekend, I say give it a try! Easy to throw everything in the slow cooker, and the house smells good all day. Oh, and the recipe says it takes 8 hours in the slow cooker? Well, I did about 6 and it was great.

Happy Weekend!

Etsy Sweets

Have you checked out the array of sweets available on Etsy? You could plan your whole party around some of these beauties!

I think my absolute favorite cookie is the French Macaron. How gorgeous are these from Sparkles Kitchen?

And there are a ton of amazingly decorated sugar cookies. These airplane and car ones from Sugar & Flour could fit perfectly into a Pretty Smitten party!

Or build a party around these adorable Dr. Seuss cookies from Batches. Our striped pattern in bluebell and red would go perfectly!

Also from Batches...Sock Money cookies! Too cute!!

Cake pops have also made an appearance on Etsy. These are always a fun party favorite. Some of my favorites come from the shop Moms Killer Cakes.

And without the pop...cake balls from LolliDreams. Chocolate and mint, YUM.

So have I activated your sweet tooth yet? I'm pretty much ready to devour some chocolate.

Happy Thursday!

An Ikea frame

I keep seeing this Ikea frame pop up in party decor...and I love it!

A Blissful Nest

HWTM

So cute, right? I think it would be a great way to showcase your birthday girl's initials or age, as done in these parties. Or feature a quote, lyrics or words from a storybook. So much could be put in this frame to enhance your party decor. Plus, simply spray paint it any color to match your color scheme. Perfect!

And thanks to everyone for your patience while I got my computer up and running again. Let me tell you, having your hard drive crash is not fun! But I seem to be organized again and I've learned a very important lesson...back up your computer EVERY NIGHT. Yes, going forward I'm going to be that neurotic.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Hard times for my hard drive

I love my laptop. Love, love, love it....it's a Macbook Pro and has thus far it has treated me well. But today? We had a disagreement. I turned it on bright and early this morning only to be greeted with a blank screen. Followed by a question mark. Hmmm, that can't be good. A trip to Apple confirmed it....not good, the hard drive crashed. So they are installing a new one and I'll have my computer back up and running again in 3 days. Argh, 3 days...that seems like a very long time. I had to steal my husbands laptop away just to write this post (side note...tried to write a post on my iPad, but wasn't able to type in the main posting area??? seems odd). So anyway, you probably won't hear too much from me this week. I know, you're so sad, right? Once I get my laptop back I will have to do some catch up work on the files that weren't backed up but hopefully I will get going again soon!

Hope you all have a great week.

Blueberry Pancakes

It's blueberry pancake morning around here and I've got a little helper.

Happy Saturday!

Friday Find

Happy Friday everyone! Any big plans for the weekend? We have a mini photo shoot with our favorite photographer, Jill Carmel, tomorrow. Yippee! I know she'll get some amazing pictures of our little ones. And then Sunday my Dad and stepmom are visiting from Sonoma. Fun!

And now on to my Friday find...browsing Centsational Girl the other day I came across these flats.

Don't they look super comfy? And they fold up into a little pouch, perfect for a quick switcheroo on the go when those heels you picked out that morning just don't seem reasonable anymore. They come in a few different colors, and the best part? $15. Seriously. I think I'll just have to get some (you know how I love me some cheap flats). And I love the idea of keeping a pair at home just to wear around the house, a cuter version of slippers! Right now I keep these Uggs for inside use only. But as the weather gets warmer, they might need a replacement.

Happy Weekend!

*Color Combo* Pink and Aqua

Pink and aqua...sweet, soft, girly and perfect for Spring.

Image Credits:

1. A party on Icing Designs

2. Our very own Pretty Smitten Elegance pattern

3. Kate Landers Events

4. P is for Party

5. HWTM

6. Fairy Wonderful

Sweet Paul

A little weekend reading took me to the digital magazine, Sweet Paul. The latest issue was completely devoted to kids and full of recipes, DIY projects and adorable photos. Here are few of the highlights...

My favorite thing has to be this polka dot milkshake. A strawberry milkshake with marshmallows creates the look. How perfect would this be for a pink and white polka dot party?

And these monster hand tattoos would make fantastic party favors or party activities...I can see building a whole party around them!

There were also some great recipes. Loving these Ricotta and Parmesan Frittatas.

DIY crafts too...a pom pom wreath. Another great party decoration, just imagine the colors this could be made in!

And last but certainly not least, look what they've done with cardboard boxes! How cute are these?? And my thought is, wouldn't it be fun to assemble one before your party, and then let the kids decorate it? The painting could be a fun (messy though of course)...but you could always just cut out a bunch of big shapes, like the star and flower, and let the kids stick them on. Crayons work great on cardboard too. And then your little one has an amazing playhouse afterwards.

Read the entire magazine here. You'll be entertained and inspired, I promise! Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Happy Weekend!

This image just makes me happy. Hope it does the same for you.

via

Custom Sofa Design

Has anyone heard of this online sofa shop? I've had them bookmarked for a while now and I'm so curious about the quality! Some really great styles and the prices are pretty dang good. Plus LOTS of fabrics to choose from.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Anton

Calisto

Carol

Una

Metropole

Destiny

Aubrey

Belize

I think I'll have to order some fabric swatches. The hunt for our new living room couch has begun!

Happy Friday!

*PS Clients* A tractor, a fiesta and some orange polka dots

A few recent projects...

Cupcake toppers done in a John Deere theme...so cute for a little boy's party!

A custom Fiesta themed invitation and cake topper. This little girl is going to have a fun 1st birthday!

And an orange and teal party for Hudson. This might be my new favorite color combo.