Fun Idea: Chalkboard Cloths & Placemats May 14, 2008

I saw this very cute product and idea from Dianne of Desperate Diva and I loved it! I love easy ideas like this that are not only unique but are also a conversation starter or memory maker. They serve a purpose beyond CUTE. Love that.

This would be such a nifty idea to celebrate someone’s birthday (have it on the table with birthday messages) or to honor any special person or day. Leave a love note for your sweetie. You could use it to share family activities or plans at the breakfast table, a memory verse for the week, an inspirational quote, a menu, or keep kids busy when they say they are bored (as my son says at least five times a day). Or, use them as a fun party activity! It would definitely create memories!

You could also do similar things with regular sheets and fabric pens, or even rolls of paper spread out on tables. Or, get out your chalkboard paint and use it directly on a table.

For the chalkboard cloth or placements, I believe Desperate Diva also has clear protectors you can put over the cloth in order to preserve what you wrote while you use the table.

Thanks for the great product and idea, Dianne!

Happy Creativity!

Cute Table Idea for Kids’ Party or Baby Shower April 17, 2008

Speaking of beds, I just saw this cute idea and thought I’d pass it on for you all to see (and save it to my blog for future reference.) This would be so cute for a child’s birthday party, slumber party or a baby shower. Top a table (banquet tables would work great) with patterned sheets or tablecloths and make up to look like a bed with pillow, stuffed animal and a bedtime story! Easy and cute! My kind of idea.

Photo from Real Simple: Simply Stated

St. Patrick’s Day March 16, 2008

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!

Hi blogging friends! I have been in NYC all weekend and will be traveling back to Portland late afternoon on St. Patrick’s Day (assuming I can get out of New York City during the world-famous St. Patrick’s Day parade and festivities that will be going on near our hotel!).

I intended to visit more of your blogs (and do more posts) during my stay here in NYC via my laptop, but my internet connection has not been good. So, I apologize for being scarce! I’ll be around as soon as I can to catch up, I’ve missed you!

Just in case:

If you would like to own a piece of the Irish countryside (and who wouldn’t I might add), click here! For only $49.99 (with free shipping!) you can own your own plot of land. Your castle would have to be mighty small however.

castle photo: www.backgroundsarchive.com

Easter: Inspiration March 9, 2008

Williams-Sonoma never fails to inspire me around the holidays.

These adorable papier-mache eggs would be a beautiful addition to the Easter basket. Most of our eggs are plastic, I’ll be honest, but sometimes I stick something special in our kids’ baskets to be a keepsake. I was more into special little things like this with our girls, however. Unless these eggs had spideman printed on them, our son wouldn’t even care.

What a cute bunny pan! If I was into baking I’d make bunny cakes for sure.

You could make this yourself. A nest wreath with candies in the middle — easy centerpiece.

Ok, now, I adore those straw bunnies, birds and chicks. I must have them! They are so life-like. They’d be adorable perched on the table or basically anywhere. I love them.

The Easter Egg tree is a seasonal tradition in many European countries. You could make this with branches from outside.

These little chicks are just the fluffiest cutest little sweetie chicks ever. These are another good example of the kinds of little surprises I always loved sticking in plastic eggs to surprise my girls when they were little.

Super easy decor. Love the eggs around a pillar candle.

Of course, baking sugar cookies in fun Easter shapes would make the holiday special.

All of these items can be found at Williams-Sonoma.

Easter: Centerpieces & Placecards March 9, 2008

At our house, Easter is favorite opportunity to create a festive and memorable table. While we celebrate the true meaning of Easter and that is what is most significant to us about the holiday, we also enjoy the traditional Easter decorations such as painted eggs and cute little bunnies. It feels great to put away the more wintry decor and set up vignettes in spring colors. The Easter table is one of our most memorable of the year.

Easter Sunday our family expects the Easter bunny to stop by and hide candy while we are at the morning service at church. Once we return home, just before brunch, the kids run around the house with their Easter baskets gathering up the eggs and candies hidden throughout the main rooms of the house. Our Easter bunny is pretty sneaky about hiding the candy and we usually find some of it the following winter. Nothing like a petrified jelly bean stuck to the back of a drawer in mid-November.

Here are a few ideas I pulled from Better Homes & Gardens that might get our wheels turning for some creative table decorations!

You could use just about any candle holder to showcase eggs!

The tulips and white eggs look so pretty in a clear glass bowl.

I love this fresh and natural looking centerpiece.

These little baskets look adorable tied to the back of a chair!

Of course, a nest always looks like spring! Fill it with some candy eggs!

Using wheatgrass from a pet store makes the perfect soft bed for an egg placecard.

You can’t go wrong with a chocolate bunny. Being able to eat your decorations is always a bonus in my world.

Creating a sweet “egg” tag to tie on a napkin is something even I could do.

For these ideas and lots more, visit Better Homes & Gardens online!

Sweet Escape: Valentine’s Day February 9, 2008

Wishing you and your honey were heading to a quaint B&B for Valentine’s Day? Dreaming of boarding a plane to Paris for a romantic getaway? Needing a day of relaxation and pampering at a spa?

Yeah, me too, but most of us only dream about those kinds of experiences. Real life is usually not that romantic or dreamy. If you have kids at home or a shortage of funds (or both), any dream of a real Sweet Escape this Valentine’s Day will likely result in disappointment (or will at least require a lowering of expectations.)

Finding contentment and creative solutions in the life we have is part of finding beauty everyday. We can’t all pack our bags and head off on romantic getaways, but if we rev up our creativity, Valentine’s Day can be anything we imagine it to be! Need some inspiration? Check out The Inspired Room at CWO this month!