Ladies Craft Night {3 Holiday DIY's}

Well Happy Friday to you all! I wanted to get this post done earlier this week, but if you all follow me on Instagram, you know that we have had some exciting things going on around here! We found out this week the gender of our twins. We couldn't feel more blessed that we are going to have one of each! Eeek! So excited. So lots of doctors appointments ate into my blogging time. But, I think that is a pretty good excuse, don't you?

Last Friday night I had a Holiday craft night with some of my dearest, closest friends. I set out some hors d'ourves and drinks and then we chatted and crafted the night away.

Holiday DIY #1: Book page Potted Trees

I absolutely love how these turned out. They were fairly simple.

Supplies:

*Old Books (found at local thrift store)
*Small Terracotta pots
*Styrofoam balls
*Skewers
*Moss
*Scissors
*Hot Glue Gun
Optional:
-Paint for pots
-Paint Brushes
-Paper or stickers for top of trees

Because we had three projects to complete that night, I made templates for cutting the book pages starting with 4" all the way down to 1 1/2" descending in 1/2" increments.

Of course I don't have pictures on how we assembled the trees. I was talking too much! But, you can probably figure it out. We started with using the templates cutting about 20 pages of each size. Then we picked what moss we wanted (I had options) and hot glued the styrofoam ball to the pot as well as the moss to the top of the styrofoam ball. Next, we pushed the skewer into the center of the ball and started stacking our book pages on top. Starting with 4" all the way down to 1/2". We alternated the pages turning them every couple to create a textured look.

Some friends decided to paint some gold trim on their pot. Some even decided to start with 3 1/2" template making for a skinnier tree. The possibilities are endless I tell ya! 

Holiday DIY #2: Christmas Tags

This was a great craft where everyone could be creative and do their own thing. I placed out lots of supplies like: washi tape, glue, buttons, stickers, glitter, ribbon, makers, chalk pens, etc. I also cut different color and size tags with my Silhouette. If you don't have a cutting machine, you could always pick up some pre-cut tags from Jo-Ann's or Michaels....and don't forget to use your coupons!

Holiday DIY 3#: Sugar Hand Scrub

This little craft was so easy and only takes two ingredients! Sugar & Soap!

Supplies Needed:
*Sugar
*Dawn (Pink) Dish Soap with Hand Renewal
*Jelly Jars
*Spoon
*Label (optional)

First, fill your jar about 2/3rds full with sugar. Next, squeeze your soap to fill the rest of the space to just below the lip of the jar.

Lastly, Stir the two ingredients together. Mix well. I had to add just a touch more sugar to mine to make it a bit more like a paste. That's It!!

Some friends added a little coconut oil to the mix. You could probably also add an essential oil, but is not needed. It smells magnificent anyway and really makes your hands nice and soft. A Must Try!

A great little neighbor or hostess gift and doesn't take any time at all!


We really had a wonderful time socializing all together. I can't believe I didn't even get a picture of my beautiful friends. Oh well...there is always next year!

So what do you all think? Are these DIY's you would like to try?

Have a wonderful weekend! I will have my holiday home tour up for you next week...right after I finish my shopping. Yikes!

Tuesday Treats #17 {Inspiration from around the web}

Hello Hello! Your comments were very thoughtful yesterday. Thank you all for letting me share a bit of everyday life on this blog as well as decorating and DIY inspiration. I mean...where would life be without our families and those special weekends away? Am I right?

Today I have another round up of fabulous ideas from around the web. I love sharing what I find and I hope you enjoy this series as much as I do.

#1: Frozen Watermelon Popsicles 
How great do these look? I can see these being a hit at a party or something easy for the kids to munch on in the hot summer weather. All you need is watermelon and Popsicle sticks! Recipe Here.

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#2: Summer Entertaining Inspiration (by Ikea)

We all love a good summer cookout with friends and family.. don't we? How about this fabulous outdoor party space with tons of great inspiration-- from Ikea, non the less!! Those umbrellas make me smile and want to sip some sweet tea. Most of the products can be found at Ikea. More pictures and sources Here.

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#3: Bed, Bath & Beyond Coupons

So my friend Dina from the blog Honey & Fitz just wrote about how you can use your 20% off coupons for some fabulous online products from Bed, Bath & Beyond. We all have a bunch hanging around our house, but never have the chance to use them on something great and grand. Well there are SO MANY great items online that they don't carry in the store. Check out Dina's whole post: 20 Things to use your 20% off coupons on! You will be shocked at what Bed Bath & Beyond actually carry online. Below are only a few amazing items!!

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#4: Why Lighting Matters

I recently came across this article written by Centsational Girl. It talks about why lighting is important in your homes. Whether you are ready to splurge on something grand or you find a fun chandelier at Goodwill, lighting can make or break the look of your room. 

Here is what Kate says about lighting: Great lighting is like the jewelry that makes a fabulous outfit. Your lamps, chandeliers, and sconces are an opportunity to set the style of a space, to add a layer of texture (think industrial or woven shades), or to play the role of the unexpected element. Think of crystal chandeliers in a contemporary space, a minimalist modern fixture in a more traditional room, or an industrial cage pendant in a cottage dining room.

Click HERE to read the full article as well as see some lighting sources.




#5: Gorgeous Traditional Living room with a Twist
And since I can't leave you all without some fabulous decor inspiration, I found this lovely living room designed by Shea McGee. It has many traditional elements infused with some industrial and modern touches. It is the perfect combination of classy and comfortable.

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So what about all of you...any great inspiration I should know about?

Have a fabulous Tuesday friends!

A Valentine's Tea

I decided to host a sweet Valentine's Tea for all of my fabulous friends over the weekend. I wanted to have time to sit, chat and pamper my friends as a way of saying "I love you." Life gets so busy and we never seem to be able to have girl time without kiddos running around or husbands interrupting our schedules. Do you ever feel like this? I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends and I am glad I was able to spend some time with these beautiful women.

There were ten of us altogether... a perfect number for a tea. Since I only had 8 place settings of my china, I had to borrow a few pieces from my mom. It worked out wonderfully and you would have never noticed that certain pieces didn't belong with my set.

It was so fun to be able to use my grandmother's china and silverware that has been passed down to me. My grandmother was a classy lady and I can only hope she was smiling down on our fun girly tea seeing all of her pieces being used. 

These pink napkins were actually part of the centerpieces at our wedding. My mother-in law monogrammed them for us. We have a totally of 22 and I have been wondering what to do with light pink monogrammed napkins over the past 9 years. They worked into the color scheme perfectly!

Ready for picture overload?? Enjoy!!

I really had a lot of fun putting the whole event together.
The Details:  I made the chicken salad sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, strawberry basil, honey & brie crostini and heart sugar cookies. I borrowed some jelly canning jars from my mom and layered some granola, vanilla yogurt & berries to create a fruit parfait. I also went to our local bakery to pick up the macaroons. The small desserts were from Trader Joe's and my mother made her famous heart bread topped with honey butter & strawberries. For tea we had Earl of White and Earl of Grey. Both were delicious! Making all of the tissue paper flowers was the part of the preparation that took the longest.  I made a few each night while watching television. Even though they were tedious, I am so glad I took the time to make them because I think they made the most impact in the room!

I really love hosting parties and since it was such a hit, I think it is going to be an annual tradition! Anyone else want to join us next year?

Throughout your busy week, try to focus on how you can make others feel loved! Isn't that what this holiday is all about!? Have a fabulous week friends! xoxo

Top Ten Pins from 2013

Well hello there my sweet friends! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and have been enjoying this season. We were out of town last week visiting family up North. It was so great to get away and relax while spending quality time with family. I even got to see a friend from high school that I hadn't seen in over 10 years! All of that time is priceless and as I wind down the year and look forward to 2014 I get a bit sentimental. I have a great big post tomorrow looking back on 2013..so be sure to come on back.

Today I am sharing my top ten pins from 2013. There are a couple of my own pinned items on this list, but the majority are things I thought were great ideas and/or inspiration and some of you all thought so too by the amount of times it was pinned! If you aren't a follower of Eat.Sleep.Decorate. on pinterest click HERE. To find sources of each pin below make sure you click on the link below the pictures. Enjoy!

Starting with Number Ten: 86 Repins

Baby Girl Nursery Design

Number Nine: 91 Repins

Classy Half Bathroom

Number Eight: 94 Repins

Rules of Measurement

Number Seven: 170 Repins

DIY Button Letter Art

Number Six: 289 Repins

Bathroom Organization Ideas

Number Five: 333 Repins

Party Ideas: Individual Salads

Number Four: 361 Repins

Kids Organization- Baskets & Chalk Tags

Number Three: 427 Repins

DIY Home Depot Shoe Organization

Number Two: 680 Repins

Relaxed Summer Style

AND..... The Number One Repinned Pin in 2013...

Drumroll......

2154 Repins

Fur Trends: Home Decor & Fashion

I just love looking back and seeing what the general public was interested in during 2013. So funny that I am a  Home Decor blog and my top pins were fashion! 

Were you one of those that followed this year's pinterest trends? 

See you all back here tomorrow for a look back at Eat.Sleep.Decorate. during 2013!!