Steal This Look

I've been jumping back into the swing of things since we were out of town for the Memorial weekend. Did you have a good one? I plan to be a little better about posting. I feel behind in the blog world.

Okay...I added a few personalized necklaces to my shop ,and my favorite one that I love is the single initial necklace. It's a perfect layering necklace and falls right below your neckline. A great way to show your admiration for a loved one.

And it's a must-have style that is seen on many celebritities. Nicole Richie and Katie Holmes wear the Jennifer Meyer initial necklace for $1500! But you can get mine for much less!!

City Flats

The GAP's city flats are what I live in during the springtime. They are the perfect girl-on-the-go ballet flat and are so comfortable and cute! They are made out of soft leather and have a matching drawstring pouch so you can keep them in your purse when your feet have had it with the heels you've worn all day. And to mention that they are cheap and come in assortment of metallic colors.

Thrifty Shopper

Don't you love it when you get a really good discount on something? You feel like you won the jackpot!

Calligraphy Stamps

One of these calligraphy stamps from Primele would be the perfect gift for someone who just bought their first home. And a set of cards along with the stamp would encourage letter writing, which is becoming a thing of the past.

Paris Soiree

I'm SO excited to share with you my gourmet girls dinner that I hosted. My partner Ashley and I hosted last month, and we are so happy with how it turned out. It was magical and very Parisian! Ashley did an amazing job on the French-themed food, and I was happy that all the decorations came out just the way I wanted them. All the decoration resources are at the bottom of the post.

The styling and colors of the party came from the invitations that I designed. I wanted to do a black and white theme, but needed some pop of color so I added an eggplant color for my accent. I had this black velvet damask wrapping paper laying around my house that needed to be put to use. So I used the wrapping paper for the envelope liner...and for MANY other decorations. Oh the joys of paper!


The dinner was held at the home of Ashley's parents, which is elegant and very French. Really no decorations were needed...but I decided to add a few. I took vintage black and white umbrellas and hung them upside down from the ceiling. I used the 3m hooks to suspend the umbrellas and they left no marks on the ceiling. Great way to make a grand entrance! The umbrellas gave that Parisian feel and made the party intimate and whimisical.


Feather centerpieces gave a little burlesque drama--I was definitely thinking Moulin Rouge and Cabaret.

You can never go wrong with flower centerpieces of peonies and tulips, and this is where the eggplant purple was incorporate in the table setting. Do you see where I used my damask wrapping paper?

Ashley created an amazing French-themed menu. Every bite was to savor. The menu design was similar to the invitation. I forgot to take a picture of the actual menu!


All the girls received white silk fans with an eiffel tower tag and french macaroons as party favors.


In the dining room, there is a beautiful buffet credenza so we decided to display the desserts. French pastries--chocolate eclairs, fruit tartlets, creme brulee and chocolate cake with ganache. They were delish!



Appetizers were served on silver trays and were all bite size. I ate so many of these!

My favorite dish was the entree--sea bass with a saffron jus. It melts in your mouth.
My partner Ashley and I finally enjoying the night.

The night turned out wonderful and we loved how everything turned out!

Resources:

Rented Umbrellas--Bella Umbrella

Ostrich Feathers--Hollywood Fancy Feathers

Eiffel Tower Vases: Wholesale Flower & Supplies
Flowers--WholeFoods

Black & White Tablecloth--bought fabric from Fabric.com
Metal Eiffel Tower--Target
White Silk Fans--Michaels

email me if you have any questions. The recipes will be posted next week on Gourmet Girls.

Our Weekend

Toe sucking!

When the tide is low, crab hunting at the beach is quite entertaining.

Saturday mornings are spent at the baseball field

Chloe's first time swinging

Stella's dance recital. She was amazing!

Reese for Vogue

Have you seen the movie Water for Elephants? It's on my to-do list. I've heard really good things about it. I saw these pictures of Reese in Vogue and love the spread. She's makes the circus look elegant.

Messy Bun

A high messy bun is what I've been wearing quite a bit these days. It's the perfect hairstyle for the rainy days we've been having. Glad to see that they are somewhat stylish these days.

Here's a tutorial on how to get the perfect messy bun.

Jcrew's messy bun

very boho-chic

Central Park in Spring

Check out these beautiful pictures of Central Park in the Spring. Gorgeous!

photography by From Me to You

I am a Mom

As my kids have grown older, mother's day has gotten so much fun. I love the cute pictures and school-mom projects they surprised me with. The extra hugs and kisses and dragging daddy out of bed so he can make breakfast in bed for me...at 7 in the morning...brings a smile on my face. The coupon books they made me are the best and I'm taking full advantage of them!

Sometimes I still can't believe I'm a mom to four children! Even though I carried them and bore each one and went through that whole pregnancy process. And have the battle scars to show for! I'm still amazed that they are MY children, and I am the one responsible for them. I love them to pieces and feel so bless to have them in my life. With all the cries, messes, loudness and craziness, they truly bring so much joy into my life.

May Flower Door Baskets + Printable Flag Garland Freebie

Spring has definitely sprung in my neck of the woods. My lilac tree, daffodils and tulips are in full bloom and their sweet smells fill the air. For mother's day we thought it would be fun to make May Flower Baskets for some of moms in our neighborhood. These flower baskets were so much fun to make and really put a smile on our neigborhoods.

The baskets were made so they could be hung from the door. It was nice to add some of our garden flowers to the flower arrangment along with some store-bought hyacinths.

We made the "baskets" with canning jars that I had in storage and ribbon. Really easy to make.

1. You cut your ribbon about whole length of your arm (2 ft).

2. Unscrew the lid off the canning jar and place your ribbon between the screw lid and the glass jar. Screw the lid back on the jar and tighten to secure the ribbon for hanging.

3. Cut another ribbon the length of the lid's rim

4. Hot glue the ribbon around the rim of the lid

5. Fill the jar with water and arrange your flowers

6. Download the free FLAG GARLAND PARTY TAGS that I made for these baskets, but can be used for so many occasions--gifts, party favors, labels

7. Cut out and write a note and attach to the basket

My kids were the messengers and had a fun time secretly decorating the neighbors' doors. And it was fun watching their surprise looks turn into smiles. Such a fun way to celebrate springtime.

Last Chance: 15% Discount

All the mother's day orders have been shipped out, but the 15% discount is valid through Sunday. Better late than never! Click to shop.

Marysia

How adorable are these swimsuits for little girls?! The ruffle detail on the striped one piece is my favorite.