Bunny inspired Easter table

This year’s Easter table is all things sweet bunny, garden vibes! It makes me so happy!

I like to start building my tables capes around one piece. I came across these absolutely adorable bunny dinner plates and checked chargers. I like mixing and matching the colors to keep it feeling more effortless. I layered the blush on blush and the green with the blue, but you could mix and match however you like. I also love these floral chargers mixed in too. We tied in lots of different colors and textures to make it fun. We even kept our fur throws on a couple chairs to keep it cozy and fluffy like a bunny!

Spring tables are so fun because you can mix and mingle lots of cheery colors. I started by laying down a yellow and white striped runner as my base. I loved this water color vessel to hold flowers or as I’m using as an ice bucket for our fave rose’. This added a punch of blue and tied in our blue chargers. I stacked a cute shingled bird house on a cake plate for some height. Sweet elements like wooden wheel barrows ( found in dollar bin) to hold rolls or fresh citrus make for cute lower decor and a happy little lemon branch in clear vase brings in airy height in the corner. I like to make sure I have lots of high and lows layers to the table to make it full but not to boring to the eye.

Next I pulled some springy floral silk napkins and tucked them into burlap bunny napkin rings . I feel like the bold colors in the napkin worked with the plates to bring in some richness and help everything pop a bit more. I added my favorite gold silverware to make a little fancy. Tying in the bright blue in the ice bucket and blue charger again, I used these blue straw drinking glasses.

Christmas Tea Party

The girls hosted their first annual BFF Christmas tea party at nana’s house. It was all things little girl sweetness! They created the menu, helped nana design the table scape, decided on games and picked out adorable party favors. They invited each 3 friends and the dress code was holiday festive. Which of course meant that Peyton needed her crown!

The little ladies snacked on fancy chocolate covered strawberries and easy finger foods like grapes, crackers, cheese and chicken nuggets while they sipped their tea aka hot apple cider. Nana brought out the fine Christmas china to make the table extra special.

After tea, the girls personalized their aprons for cookie decorating. We made sure to add the date to the aprons so as we continue the tradition they have one from each year. How fun will it be for them all when they are in high school have their aprons from all the years past?

We couldn’t love this little bunch of beauties more! They are all sweet, fun and always up for a girly good time! Big thanks to the best nana for helping make the day so magical!

Gifts for Guys

Gifts for Tweens

Gifts for Girls

Gifts for Boys

What the heck do we get with boys?! I combed through all the best picks for all the little guys in your life!!!! We have goodies for the adventurers, for the scientists, for the stealth bombers, for the athletes and for the readers! A little of everything that every boy will love!!!

Charcuterie board tutorial

There is nothing I love to serve more at a gathering than a gorgeous chartruterie board. I feel like there is an anatomy to creating a well rounded and beautiful board. Here are some of the tips and tricks I’ve found make the process super simple!

To start, you need to decide how large of a board you are going to fill. I have three different sizes on hand. It’s nice to have a couple to feed larger or smaller groups. For this particular gathering I was hosting I wanted my largest board. I love this one because of it’s handles to make serving super easy.

There are countless pairings you can do when it comes to what you add to the board. I like to include a couple staples and favorites or at least categories.

You will want to have a variety crackers, meats, nuts, dry and fresh fruit, pickles, olives and garnish. I like to have around 3 types of each category.

I included every day finds all from Trader Joes.

Here is your shopping list to replicate this exact board:

Crackers: Trader Giotto's Rosemary Italian Style Crackers, Fig and Olive crisps, Sharp Cheddar Sourdough Cheese Sticks 

Meats: Salami, Prosciutto and Capocollo

Nuts: Sweet and Spicy walnuts and Fancy mixed nuts

Fruit: fresh pear, pomegranate seeds, dried apricots and dried cranberries

Cheese: Smoked Cheese, White Stilton with apricots and Creamy Toscano soaked in Syrah

Pickles and Olives: Cornichons and Marinated Olive duo in lemon and herbs

Garnish: fresh Rosemary and Sage

Steps:

Place three white ramekins in a triangle shape in the center of the board about 2 inches apart.

Stack each type of cracker in a star shape next to each of the ramekins

Add the cheese next to each cracker pile. I like to make sure the lighter colored crackers are paired with the darker cheeses to make a contrast in color. For example, pair the Stilton next to the Fig and Olive crisps and the soaked Toscano with the plum edges next to the Rosemary crackers.

Next add in the meats. I like to fold and twist the slices to make them look less stiff. Tuck in the pieces next to the cheeses.

Divide the pear slices and fan them in a pile on opposite sides of each other on the board. Do the same with the dried apricots. The fruit will create a cross if looking down on the board.

You should be getting fairly full by this point with just a couple holes. You can easily fill the holes with little clusters of nuts and dried cranberries.

Fill each of the ramekins with the olives, pomegranates and pickles.

Tuck in the rosemary and sage for pops of green.

Viola!

Gifts for boys

We have a lot of little guys we shop for this time of year. A total 6 boys in all ages. We love gathering some fun ideas for our cousins. The girls love outdoor activities so we keep our focus on outside fun for our picks. We imagine lots of puddle splashing in these rain boots and camo vest. They can set up a fun backyard camp complete with walkie talkies and camping story book for boys night. The girls have this laser tag set and we think it’s hilarious! It’s one of Erik’s favorites. This kids size golf set is perfect for the little budding athlete. Lastly the endless fun to be had with this kids razor and helmet.

Gifts for girls

We had a really fun time getting together the girls’s picks this year. Dance has become a big hobby so we focused on dance gear a lot. They chose new hip hop shoes, tops for jazz, water bottles, caboodle for show makeup and personalized gold dance bags. Capri has shown some major interest in drawing and is actually a pretty good little artist so we added in some cartooning books and fancy colored pencils. We couldn’t pass up some serious Disney swag like sparkly gold Mickey earrings for Peyton and sparkly Minnie ears for our Disneyland trips. We thought this pink electric scooter was the coolest along with sparkly cozy things like this metallic moto jacket and faire aisle sweater.

Black Friday Sale

Target deals site wide and 20% off coupon for future purchase

J.Crew 50% off your entire purchase with code TGIF

Anthropologie 30 % off everything

Nordstrom up to 60 % off sitewide on fashion, home and beauty

Banana Republic 50 % off reg. priced items

Gap 50 % off with code BLKFRIDAY and extra 10% off with code TREAT

Athleta 20% off with code BLISS

West Elm up to 30% off with code SAVEMORE

CB2 15 % off with code SAVE15

Madewell 25% off with code DEALWITHIT

Ulta savings sitewide

Serena and Lily 20 % off with code GATHER

Old Navy 50% off entire purchase

Gymboree up to 75 % off

Plum Pretty Sugar 20% off with code NECESSARY

J.Crew Factory up to 50 % off sitewide

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Fall inspired pizza

You will be the belle of your Thanksgiving ball with this fall inspired Spinach Artichoke Pizza! I whipped up this bad boy for our Friendsgiving lunch and it was our number one hit with close second being this Spicy Butternut Squash and bacon option. I love the ease of a flatbread style pizza and I tweaked my main recipe a handful to keep my time and mess as low key as possible. I literally got all my ingredients from Trader Joe’s! Make sure to check out my doctored up, easy peasy stuffing from last year! You won’t be sad about it!

Fall Inspired Spinach Artichoke Pizza

You will need for sauce:

1 T unsalted butter

2 cloves minced garlic

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 T all purpose flour

1/2 cup milk ( I use 2%)

1/4 c half and half

1/4 t sea salt

1/4 t ground pepper

pinch paprika

1 heaping spoonful cream cheese

2 T grated parmesan cheese

For crust:

Trader Joes Pizza Crust ( can be found in the bread aisle- it’s in a two pack and rectangle)

For toppings:

8 oz grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 package of precooked Trader Joe’s Just Chicken ( found in refrigerator aisle)

1 bunch baby spinach

1 6 oz jar marinaded artichoke hearts

1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese

1 T grated parmesan cheese

To make:

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

2. In a medium saucepain on medium low heat, add in your butter to melt. Once melted toss in your garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir frequently for about 1 minute. Whisk in flour for 1 minute.

3. Slowly add the milk and half and half constantly whisking. Add in salt, pepper, and paprika. As sauce gets thicker, turn up the heat a bit and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the cream cheese and parmesan until all melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to keep clean up a cinch. Lay your pizza crust on the parchment paper.

5. Spread the warm sauce over the top, then half of the mozzarella cheese. Add the chicken, spinach and artichoke. Finish her off with the last of the mozzarella.

6. Slide the pizza into the over for about 12 minutes or until all cheese is melted and golden. Sprinkle with shaved parmesan and grated parmesan. Let cool slightly before topping your favorite cheese board with this beauty. Slice and enjoy!

7. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Holiday party looks for girls

I gathered up all the prettiest dresses, accessories, outerwear and shoes for your little ladies. Nothing cuter than a little girl who feels fancy! These picks are great for a fancy Nutcracker evening, Christmas day or a holiday party.

Gifts for Mom

Time to spoil those mamas in our lives wether it be our own mom or our mother in law. These ladies are such MVPs! Help make them feel pampered with cozy slippers or personalized scarf, loved with a personalized calendar filled with your family pictures, and pampered with a pretty bauble or luxurious fragrance.

Gifts for Teachers

Teachers can be tricky to shop for! I always want to give them something special but not to personal. Tough!! This year a lot of you were requesting a guide for teachers gifts and I was up to the challenge. I’ve gathered up all the best gifts at super reasonable prices to spoil your kiddlets teacher. From classroom treats to yummy sweets to beauty indulgences, I’ve got you covered!

Best gift for the ladies in your life

We all have that one lady on our shopping list that is tricky. The friend who seems to have everything, the mother in law you want to make a good impression on, the little ladies that you don’t want to have any more toys or the bridal party that you want to spoil. I have you covered this year with the most luxurious gift for any and all of those ladies. Plum Pretty Sugar is the ultimate gift for anyone looking to give something special.

Plum Pretty Sugar has created the most gorgeous feminine loungewear with the softest materials. I feel like a princess padding around my house in these stunning pieces. Having something pretty to slip into for the day really sets the tone. From robes to pajama short sets to bridesmaid dresses, Plum Pretty Sugar has a little treasure for everyone on your shopping list.

We are getting to the age with the girls where they are wanting to be big girls and be like mommy. When I saw these sweet mini versions of this lavender lace robe, I just about died. They felt so fancy in their special peices. These luxurious robes are perfect for matching sister sets or bridesmaid robes.

Gifts for the Hostess

Friendsgiving lunch

As I’ve gotten older I have grown to value my friedships so much! I have gathered quite a group of different ladies as my inner circle but man are they all crazy special to me in their own ways. I wanted to celebrate these girls with a Friendsgiving lunch.

After visiting Napa a couple months back, I’ve been in love with the easy breezy entertaining style of that area. I envisioned a menu full of Thanksgiving flavor but all family style. I wanted this lunch to be no fuss but still fall inspired. I chose a variety of flat breads and yummy mixed salads.

For our setting, I made soft blues and rustic tans my main pallet. I added foliage from my yard to give settle pops of color. A coastal feel always is my go to favorite so of course we added some of that ambiance with crisp white china and stripped napkins. My favorite fall accent was the sweet custom made maple leaf place cards from Delovely Designs. I think any custom element makes guests feel like you put in some extra love for them and it works as a great little party favor.

Holiday entertaining essentials

The holiday season has fully commenced and I am in major hostess with the hostess mood! To kick off November, I am hosting some of my favorite girls to a luncheon for Friendsgiving. I love setting beautiful tables. I feel like the effort really sets the tone for the party and let’s your guests feel how important they are to you by making it pretty. Over the years I have gathered some tried and true staples to make any table theme gorgeous. Here is my round up of home entertaining holiday essentials that work with any season and feel.

Gold flatware goes with everything for every season. I grabbed 6 settings of this gorgeous flatware last year and find they are all I use now for entertaining. They elevate any place setting and give it a little shine with a modern design.

Neutral chargers are my staple. I use these ratan chargers for literally every gathering. You have seen them in both Fall , Spring and Christmas gatherings. They go with everything and give a nice texture to a tables cape

Candle sticks add a little height and drama to your table. I like level changes through my settings. Simple candle sicks allow guests to still see each other but get some ambiance.

Serving bowls and platters are the most basic essential in setting any table for a gathering. No matter if it’s a potluck or a full spread it is lovely to have a cohesive feel to your serveware. I like to mix strong white peices with airy glass bowls for salads.

Versatile drink ware can both serve for everyday use or for any gathering. I keep a nicer set of plastic cups both big and small on our exposed shelves. They look pretty and are super handy to grab when entertaining.

Basic white china can be mixed and mingled any way you like. I registered for this beaded white china for our wedding and still use it for every gathering 11 years later. It’s simple yet the beaded rims add a little sweetness to my tables without being to distracting.

Lots of seating is a must! We just updated our dining room and have capacity for 8-10 seats at our new dining table. I keep a handful of extra chairs that match tucked away for occasions with more guests. That way you don’t always need to keep the leafs out on your dining table but are able to accommodate extra guests if needed.

Cheese boards are the chicest appetizer display in my book. If you have been following my Insta stories you know I am having a complete obsession with charterturie boards. They are perfect in any setting.

Speaking of snacks, make sure to have plenty of cute snack bowls available to add to your cheese boards, scatter around the house or add to your tables for smaller condiments.

Our Cozy NYE Party

As I sit and gather pictures for this post my house is still full of glitter and balloons are still floating. We had the best time ringing in the new year with some sweet friends!

If  you follow me on Instagram you saw my story about not having much a decor meter. I either go full out and have a whole styled decor situation or I do nothing. Not great at the middle ground.  I decided to keep my crazy down to a normal level and do a festive drink station and only a couple other sparkly accents.  I love how our little champagne bar turned out!  

 I wanted to keep the vibe celebratory but super comfy and simple.  We had each family wear their comfiest pjs and bring a little something to eat.  I put together some sparkly cupcakes and a charcuterie board along with a handful of pizzas and sipped on Chandon.  

The kids started the night with a round of Twister while us adults got into my pile of games.  I have been really wanting to start hosting game nights so this was the perfect excuse to bust out the games.  Us girls broke open What the Meme and the boys joined us for Telestrations, Left Right Center and Cards of Humanity.  I had never played Telestrations but it quickly became my favorite!  My tummy muscles hurt today from laughing so hard.  

We were hoping to pop our poppers and do an early East Coast ball drop to keep it an early night.  We quickly ditched the idea of turing in early and kept the fun going until 11:30.  I had a handful of poppers for the kids and some super big crackers for us adults.  Our house was quickly full of glitter!  I have to say it doesn't bother me one bit!  

Cheers to you and a sparkly 2018!  I can't wait to share new content, videos and travel with you this year! 

2018 Goal setting gathering

It's a sparkling fresh new year and time for new goals and dreams!  One of my best friends is a major promoter of vision boards.  I make pretty thorough goals for myself throughout the year but never have made a vision board.  We thought how fun would it be to do our vision boards together and have a couple more of our favorite ladies play too.  It became a thing!  Goal Gathering!  I like a name for get togethers!  

We kept our gathering small and intimate with just 4 of us.  I put together a Charcuterie board with yummy snacks and we sipped on mini Chandon splits.  

A couple of the girls have done intense courses on goal planning for their businesses and helped create a format for both our big goal lists and our vision boards.  We broke down the goals into categories.  

Here is how it looked: 

Family: to encompass anything family or relationship related.  This would include family camping trips, quality time with each child, date nights or getaways with your hubby, lunch dates with parents, special notes and coffee dates with friends, etc. 

Spiritual: faith based goals like incorporating a daily devotional into your morning routine, attending a women's bible study, making Sunday's a priority to attend church, read faith based books, etc. 

Physical: this could be the obvious like getting back to the gym or cleaning up your eating.  This category could also be things like bleaching your teeth regularly,trying that new haircut you have been eyeing, doing weekly at home masks or practicing yoga daily.  

Educational: this category could be business related or personal development related.  I am going to take an official photography class to learn more about my camera.  You could make it a goal to go back to school, attend conferences in your field or reading educational books like biographies or biz books. 

Business /Work: this category can include your work goals for promotion or even little goals like keeping your office drawers organized regularly.  

Material things: this is a bigger category.  This would include the material things or projects you are aiming to gain or finish in the year. This category can also include getting debt free or adding to your savings. Some of my material goals this year are to add built ins and a powder room to the house.  I also want to create my garden this year.   

Then you get to my favorite part!  The vision board making!  I am super visual person and really get inspired by beauty.  We chose our most powerful goals for the year and found inspiring images for each from Pinterest.  We all found the most inspiration from pins we have already gathered on our boards. We then  used Canva.com  templates to upload our images and create our beautiful vision boards.  

I hope you are more than inspired throughout the year to attain your goals and dreams!  I am a huge goal setter and believe in 1, 5, 10 year goals!  I'd love to see your vision boards too!  If you create one add it to Instagram and tag me in it! Cheers to a gorgeous 2018!