A Farmhouse Tailgate Party!

This past weekend we celebrated our oldest son's 14th birthday. It feels surreal writing that. 14! He is an amazing guy, so we tried to make his day special. I loved the tailgate party idea I had seen in the October issue of Country Living. And since my husband had recently acquired a '76 Ford truck, it was meant to be. ;)

Unique Gift Ideas {Custom Photo Pallets}

Hi Friends! I hope you are doing well. I missed you last week!

We landed back in Seattle at about 4:00 am after a beautiful week in sun-kissed, with coconut-pineapple breeze, Maui, celebrating my parents' 50th wedding anniversary! My mom and dad are an amazing couple, and we wanted to celebrate them with some personalized gifts to help show them how much they mean to us. 

So this week, I thought it would be fun to share those gifts with you! 

If you need a wedding, anniversary, housewarming, or birthday gift idea, I hope something you see this week will inspire you. Part of the joy of finding these gifts was working with the talented people who create them.

I received product in exchange for this post. Affiliate links are provided. All opinions are 100% my own.

Lincoln's Army Birthday Party - Part 2! {Boy Birthday Party Ideas}

Some product was received in exchange for promotion. 

Some affiliate links are provided. All opinions are 100% my own.

Welcome to boot camp!

If you missed the first part of this post, you can find it (with the party table, food, and games) here. 
So, after the soldiers had completed basic training and fueled up at the Mess Hall, they lined up and marched... 

A Mini Escape to France (Part 2)

Last month, we hopped in our European rental car and drove from Barcelona to the little seaside village of Collioure, France...

Little Farmstead Keepsake Cakes

I'm excited to share with you my new line of handmade faux-tiered cakes!  

Each cake is one-of-a-kind and makes an ideal centerpiece for weddings, 

birthdays, anniversaries and other celebrations.  

The Sweetest Birthday Cake!

Happy Friday!

I wanted to share some pictures of the most heartfelt cake I've ever been given. My mom made me this amazing cake for my birthday, complete with our family, our exact pets and our house! I was blown away by her attention to detail... I've never seen a cake like it. Truly a labor of love I will always remember!

Lincoln's Baseball Party!

This past Saturday, we were blessed with a beautiful, sunny  and warm day as family and friends came to celebrate (our baby) Lincoln's 6th birthday!

The kids (and some parents) enjoyed a game of baseball, ate lunch and cake together, dove for piñata candy and just enjoyed being outdoors...  

I wanted a vintage baseball feel for the party and used mostly red, white and blue. 

This free pallet - as found (red!) - made an easy backdrop. The tin number six and baseball card sign were purchased at Hobby Lobby. I made the little pennant banner out of ticking material and twine.

This "Concessions" banner is a free printable and can be found here. (Thank you Liz!)

In keeping with the baseball theme, we served hot dogs, potato chips, watermelon and veggies. We don't typically drink a lot of soda. So, as you can see, Lincoln and his buddy weren't wasting any time downing their orange-flavored Fantas! ;)

The vintage-inspired "Ice Cream Soda" sign I had bought last year from Pottery Barn...

Balloons and a Babe Ruth cardboard cutout (that I found at an antique shop) were in front of our driveway so that guests could find the party more easily...

The kids table...

In case you missed it, I wrote about the pallet flag, chalkboard score board and our DIY baseball field here.

Our birthday boy's nickname is "Cubby" - - 
the reason he is wearing a Chicago Cubs uniform! :)

Play ball!

For favors, the kiddos took home a base set (Dollar Tree), bat and ball (Dollar Tree), Cracker Jacks (Dollar Tree) and Big League Chew (Amazon).

It was a happy day, celebrating our little boy who brings our family so much joy...

Thank you for stopping by!

Xo

Sharing with:
Cozy Little House
The Scoop
Coastal Charm
Savvy Southern Style
Share Your Style
French Country Cottage
From My Front Porch To Yours

An Indoor Garden Party & Spring Table Setting

This past week, we celebrated my (amazing!) Mom's birthday at both my sister's and our home. It was a milestone birthday (though she requested I not share the exact mile ;), so we tried to make it special.

My Mom's sister (my Aunt) surprised her by coming from Florida...which made for a very "happy-tears" kind of reunion. Our kids and their cousins had a couple of days off of school so they were able to celebrate with us!

The day we hosted lunch at our house was the first official day of spring. These little nest favors and vintage-inspired mini cake stands were at the adults' place settings. 

Although the weather was only partly cooperating, I hoped the dining room lunch would feel like a garden party. I found the vintage-inspired floral paper runner at Michaels. It, along with the hanging paper flowers, were part of their "Paris in Springtime" line of party products.

A little easel at the birthday girl's place...

Our Mom is the wind (and sometimes the tornado - she's got a lot of energy! :) beneath our family's wings! It was a special time to celebrate all that she means to us...

Thank you for sharing in this special memory with me.

Have a blessed day!

xo

Sharing with:
Coastal Charm
Karen's Up On The Hill
Cozy Little House
Worthing Court
Savvy Southern Style
From My Front Porch To Yours
Share Your Style

{Vintage Cookie Tin} Cake Centerpieces

Today I am excited to be participating in a Holiday Thrift Store Challenge, along with several other blogging friends (you'll find links to their thrifted makeovers at the end of this post!), hosted by Thoughts from Alice.

Here was our challenge: Purchase an item or items at a thrift store, for under $25, to use for Christmas decor in a creative way. Give the items a complete makeover or use them in a creative vignette arrangement.

My thrift store purchase: Vintage cookie tins

My idea: Christmas Cake Centerpieces to be used on dining or dessert tables, fireplace mantels or anywhere else in your home that could use a festive touch!

DIY: Decorative Cakes! {For Birthdays, Weddings, Baby Showers or Centerpieces}

I've made decorative/keepsake cakes for:

Birthday Gifts

Birthday Centerpieces

Baby Shower Centerpieces

Birthday Favors 

Wedding Centerpieces

Bridal Boutique Displays

Dining Room Centerpieces

Once you have a faux cake, you will find yourself using it time and time again! Nothing says, "Celebrate!" like a beautiful cake. These decorative cakes also look lovely as centerpieces on your dining table or displayed in a hutch.

I made these mini cakes and cake stands for favors at my sister's surprise birthday lunch. You can see pictures from the party here.

Here's what you need:

1. Paper mache boxes in varying sizes - I used round, but square would also work well.

2. White (or desired color) craft paint & paint brush. (Sponge brushes work well. The picture below shows the boxes after the first coat of paint. They'll need two or three coats, based on the look you like.)

3. Embellishments to decorate your cake and a hot glue gun to affix them. (For embellishments, I have used everything from french cut lace to handmade sheet music flowers. If you want to give lace or flowers a deeper or aged hue, don't be afraid to dip them in coffee or tea… just make sure to let them dry completely before attaching them to your cake! ;-)

Here's what you do:

Take the lids off the boxes and paint each box and lid separately (only the outsides). 

Once paint has dried, arrange the boxes and lids to form a cake (Begin with larger lid on bottom, face down, follow with larger box, face down. Then smaller lid, face down, follow with smaller box face down, etc.).

Use a small amount of hot glue along the narrow bottom ridge of each box and lid to hold the layers together. 

Now use hot glue to affix your embellishments and decorate your cake! 

(This is the fun part!) 

A tip: ribbon or cut fabric along the bottom of the layers makes for a realistic-looking cake and also hides any excess hot glue from gluing the layers together.

Voila!

I made my own cake stands by turning glass chandelier bulb holders upside down for the base. (I've also used candle holders or vases for the base.) I permanently affixed vintage glass dessert plates to the top. (I've also used china plates.) Use a permanent glue, such as liquid nails, marine glue, etc.

I used Jane Austen silhouettes on the cake above for my Mom's Jane Austen-themed birthday dinner.

Will you try making a decorative cake? For a special occasion or as a centerpiece? I'd love to hear!

xo