Birth Announcement Ideas


We're not sure if you've noticed that we are little paper obsessed.  We love announcements, save the dates, invites and overall really just pretty, pretty paper.  So, while we are on the baby theme, here are some lovely birth announcements we found.  We love the on trend painterly looking announcement from Tiny Prints.  It's a perfect way for a modern couple to welcome their baby girl.  The round, clean announcement from Pear Tree is simply sweet.  The "elation notification" is quirky and fun. How elegant is the calligraphy on the announcement from Callie Spondence? And for those who are adopting from across the globe a little something from Minted.  Aren't these announcements just too darn cute?!  Enjoy selecting your own way to introduce your little one to the world. 

Girl Photo Birth Announcements So Fresh - Front : Begonia


Up Up and Away -- Baby Announcements


Elation Notification Birth Announcements

birth announcement - calligraphy

Chyou Birth Announcements




Modern Baby Shower

We found this fun, modern orange and lime invitation from Minted that inspired this inspiration board.  We love the unexpected color combination for a baby shower.  It's bright and cheerful with a modern twist. 



lime pom pom//orange pom pom//drink//tables//flower


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Garden Walk


We like to always like to post some beautiful images on Friday as we head toward the weekend.  Here are some images from a local garden walk that Naree recently went to.  There was so much inspiration and so much natural beauty that you couldn't help but walk away to evaluate and dream about the possibilities with your own yard. 



Nursery Design Ideas


As we mentioned, we have weddings and babies on our mind.  We have written a few posts on weddings, so now onto baby.  We adore design of all kind, including interior design.  A nursery is one of the most fun rooms to play around with because there are only a few times in your life that you get a chance to decorate a baby's room.  A nursery is a special place that you will bond with your child and share quiet treasured moments watching your baby sleep, grow and thrive.  Here are some beautifully designed rooms we love. 


Yellow with Splashes of Bold Red
Spearmint Baby

modern orange mint boy nursery DIY hand painted pattern rug
Orange + Mint
Baby Lifestyles
Warm, neutral tone nursery
Dandelions

Aqua Dandelion Crib Bedding | Blue and White Dandelions and Zig Zag Stripes Baby Girl Crib Bedding | Carousel Designs 500x500 image
Aqua + Touches of Green

nursery-home-shot.jpg
Vintage Circus


Olympic Inspiration


We are truly looking forward to the 2012 Olympics in London.  We love the triumphs and defeats and everything in between.  The stories behind the athletes move us and excite us and we can't wait to cheer everyone on.  We are also royally obsessed and hope to see a lot of the royal family during the festivities.  We have no doubt that London will not disappoint. 

Are you planning an Olympic party during the games?  Any reason is a good reason to get a few friends together.  We found a few party related and not so party related Olympic items we love.  Go ahead buy yourself some Olympic gear, it only happens every four years. 


   


Bachelorette Gift Ideas

Dara has been invited to several bachelorette parties this summer.  Instead of giving the typical gift of lingerie and such, why not give something personal that sparks romance for a special couple.  Here are a few ideas we came up with.  Bachelorette gift giving that is nice, not naughty.

1. Breakfast in Bed
    Breakfast in bed is romantic, cozy and intimate.  Include a lovely tray with
    fabulous jam and real maple syrup.
2. A Set of Monogrammed Bath Robes
    Sweet, cute and fun.  Wrap it up with simple blue or white wrapping paper
    and put a couple rubber duckies on top for fun instead of ribbon.
3. A Picnic for Two
    Make the basket the gift wrapping.  Tie the handle with a beautiful satin
    ribbon or a rustic burlap ribbon.  There are several baskets out there that
    already include all of the essentials for a perfect picnic included plastic plates,
    flatware and blanket, but you could also get creative and create your own
    set that perfectly suites the couple.  You could also include a lovely
    handwritten list of some of your favorite picnic spots. 
4. Anything With The Bride's New Name or Couple's Initials
    I remember first getting married and how excited I would get to see my new
    name written on anything.  Even my new driver's license made me happy. 
    The possibilities are endless from stationery, jewelry, pillows and more.
5. Honeymoon Kit
    Put together a little beach bag filled with decorative passport covers or
    luggage tags, sunscreen, beach towels, travel book or journal. 




Friday Finds

Here are some pretty things we are currently coveting.  Joy at Sage & Berries is an amazing artist and her work simply speaks to us.  It is soft, colorful and beautiful.  The laptop skin is just one of her amazing designs and you must check out all she has to offer. 

Party in Style
How fun is this confetti tumbler?  A few of these cuties would be great for a dinner party.  We are big fans of the lovely creations by Amanda Judge and now she has a line of affordable party dresses.  Any reason is a good reason for a pretty party dress.  

Be Pretty.  Be Green.
Send a little note to someone special with repurposed vintage map stationery by Love & Laughter.  Yes, those are waste baskets.  The Bow Bin Baskets are a wonderful combination of modern design and traditional craftsmanship with its' materials of sustainably harvested rattan and plastic. Want one? We do too.




Have a pretty, pretty weekend!








{Party Palette} Lavender + Lace


Today's post is inspired by a little trip I took to a local lavender festival.  Lavender is such a magical little flower that touches all the senses.  The delicate little buds are not only beautiful to look at and have the most intoxicating fragrance, they also have the power to soothe and relax.  You can also cook with it.  It truly is a magical flower.  I have one lavender plant in my garden that has exploded this year and I would like to have an entire row of lavender in my garden one day, but until then I will dream about lavender. 

I adore the idea of a feminine theme like lavender and lace for a bridal shower, wedding or even a ladies luncheon.  We have pictured below some lavender white chocolate chip cookies from our blogger friend Chelsea over at Chelsea's Culinary Indulgence.  She also have a great summer recipe for strawberry lavender ice cream.  Please also be sure to check out the Michigan made Little Flower Soap Co. too.


Sources
Elizabeth Anne Designs
Fire & Lavender Dinnerware, The Picket Fence
Lace Invitation, Martha Stewart Weddings
Blossom Runner, Hayneedle
Lavender and Lemongrass Soap, Little Flower Soap Co.
Lace Wrapped Favors, Martha Stewart Weddings



What to Wear to a Bridal or Baby Shower

As we mentioned earlier, we are currently surrounded by people who either are a) getting married or b) having a baby.  We are so happy to be sharing these moments with so many people in our lives, that we decided to write a few posts about these subjects.  Here are a couple cute ideas for what to wear to a bridal or baby shower. 
Why Naree Likes This
I love color especially during the summer months and this dress certainly has that punch of color I am looking for.  The color of the dress is called Tuscan Summer, need I say more?  The nude shoes don't overpower the dress and allow the dress to be the showcase.  I love the green accents on the lovely floral clutch.  Classic, bright, girly, me.

1. Fusion Drape Belted Dress in Tuscan Summer
    French Connection
2. Orange Flower Bag
    Julia Cherry Designs
3. Avia by Arturo Chiang
    Piperlime




Why Dara Likes This
I like that since it already has the gold dots to it you don't need to accessorize so much. I'm a minimalist when it comes to accessories.  The staples that I have to wear are my earrings and occasionally a necklace. This can easily be played down by wearing sandals or played up with wedges or heels to add height, if you're short like I am. The dress comes in white or black. I tend to try to avoid wearing a head to toe white outfit at wedding showers as a precaution in case the bride decides to wear all white. This ring is simple and understated also unique since it doesn’t go down the entire finger.


1. Golden Dot Maxi Dress with Belt
     Queen's Wardrobe
2.  Plain Jane Mid Knuckle Ring
      Tobi
3.  Gold + Black Shoe
      Piperlime


Our Weekend


Our weekend will be filled with flowers, family, friends and fun.  Our agenda includes a lavender festival, garden walk, a bridal shower and two graduation parties. Whew!  Exhausting, but fun filled days will be ahead of us.  What will you be doing this weekend?

Airplane Themed Birthday Party

A friend whose son was turning two wanted to have a vintage airplane theme birthday due to his love of airplanes. We wanted to make as much of it out of diy projects that we had discovered or created on our own.

For the tables we made airplanes out of clothespins and popsicle sticks that were painted. On the end of them we attached little flags that read "Teigan Airlines. Flight 2". Naree's husband had airplanes that he made when he was a child which were incorporated as well.

The dessert table consisted of cake push pops, cupcake building station, and airplane shaped cookies. The cupcake station allowed guests to decorate their cupcakes which ever way they wanted. We had holes drilled in top of the mason jar lids for the sprinkles, making it easier and mess free.  The cupcakes were also topped with airplane shaped cutouts made from old maps that the birthday boy's Mom purchased from Perfect Package. The airplane cookies were decorated in colors similar from the printables designed by Bee and Daisy.  The cookies were especially a big hit for the birthday boy.

The printable pinwheels were hung on a tree and created a nice touch when swaying in the summer breeze.  We also decided to do was create a menu at the beginning of the food table.

The entrance into the house was adorned with a string of clouds and had the clothespin and popsicle stick airplanes hanging off of them. In the end we created a memorable and personal second birthday for the birthday boy.














We wanted to extend a special thank you to Amanda for her use of these lovely photos.


Weddings + Babies

Do you have have times in your life when it seems like everyone is either getting married or having babies?  We do and it's happening to us right now.  Our year will be filled with weddings and babies. Those are wonderful things to celebrate and we are all about celebrations.  With these events happening to so many loved ones around us, some of our upcoming posts will be on (you guessed it), weddings and babies.  We will cover everything from showers to baby gear and everything in between.  There will be lots of happiness, excitement and pretties ahead that we will be sharing with you. 



{Party Palette} Blueberry

This party palette is inspired by a summer berry that stains our fingers, face and clothes with its' lovely hue of blue.  We especially adore the playful blueberry flour sack napkins from Waiting on Martha in its' fun little packaging.



Row 1: Blueberry Flour Sack Napkins, Waiting on Martha
Row 2: Leila Maxi Dress,Velvet by Graham & Spencer via Cashmere & Wit
             Blue Drink Glasses, Burke Decor
Row 3: Blueberry Butter, American Spoon
           Diamond Indigo Ikat Pillow, Wisteria




Arrow Inspiration


With characters like "Katniss" from Hunger Games and "Merida" from Brave carrying around a bow and arrow, no wonder arrows have become so popular in design.  Arrows would make a unique theme for a bridal shower or even a wedding.  Here is some inspiration we found.  Keep an eye on the archers this year at the Olympics.  We are sure they will be hot too.




Sources
1. Hostess with the Mostess
2. Green Wedding Shoes
3. True Connection
4. Jane McAdams Press
5. Anthropolgie




Wrapping Paper Find


We are a bit paper obsessed from pretty stationery to unique wrapping paper, we love it all.  We found these ultra cool wrapping paper kits from Toodles Noodles and had to share them.  Wouldn't you love to give or receive a gift wrapped like these?








Strawberry Picking

Today's post has little to do with celebrating life with a party, but more about enjoying the simple pleasures of life.  My husband and I recently took our youngest daughter Amelia strawberry picking, while our oldest daughter Ellie was with her grandparents.  It was a spur of the moment little outing that made our little 3 year old smile with delight and it only took less than $5 to make this cherished family memory happen for us. 

We are fortunate to live by serveral farms, so we drove about 15-20 minutes north down quiet roads past fields of corn and soy beans.  We continued to travel with the windows rolled down on a dusty country road past apple, cherry and peach trees, past rows of peas and raspberry bushes and toward the strawberry field.  As we got closer the sweet smell of strawberries filled the air.  Amelia happily walked through the rows of strawberries and bent down to pick the berries as the summer heat swirled around us.

So today as we head toward the midweek break with 4th of July, I just wanted to take some time to share with you some photos of a simply splendid day, enjoying the simple things in life.  Happy 4th of July!