find joy in the journey

Diner en Blanc

In 2018, eight months after my mom's passing, I threw a Diner en Blanc party to celebrate what would have been her 60th birthday.  It was an absolutely beautiful and magical evening as I gathered with some of my mom's closest friends and family.  I wrote about the event here, here, and here.  The evening was inspired by the Diner en Blanc that she and I experienced together 2 years previous while on a memorable trip to France. 

After that 60th birthday celebration, I decided that I would continue to do this Diner en Blanc each year around her birthday  She loved to gather people and she loved to create beautiful settings for connection, so this seemed like the most perfect way to honor her and keep spreading her light.

Last year (2019) I held a Diner en Blanc at my home and invited local friends and neighbors to join me.  It was a beautiful evening and I was so relieved that the triple digits of summer stayed away so we could enjoy the evening in comfort.

Once again, I loved having Anna as my planner, assistant, helper. If you're wondering about the boot ... she had broken her foot playing soccer a few weeks earlier. And this is her wonderful handwriting on the sign, welcoming guests to our backyard.

For the most part, the pictures tell the story so I will let them do just that!

The setting ....

The table .....

Cutting boards & drinking glasses: IKEA

Small white bowls: Anthropoligie

Glass dessert plates: vintage

Peonies from Trader Joe's

Place settings included a shipping tag with guest's name, a sprig of rosemary, and a small bowl containing powdered lime cookies and meringue from Trader Joe's. 

And of course, banners.

As guests arrived they were able to roll their own beeswax candle that they could take home with them.  I always love having something creative or hands-on as part of a gathering.  I found a candle making kit on Etsy and it could not have been simpler.   

Speaking of my guests ....

Laurie, Susanne, Katie, Melanie, Mary, Lindsay, Me, Erin, Jenn, Lena, Kathleen, Anna, Josie, and Belle

I'm always so grateful when people are willing, open, and excited to try something new!  And I may have pushed them a bit out of their comfort zones (details later in this post), but it's on the edges of those comfort zones when the magic, the connection, and the learning & growing really happens. 

We got a laugh about this repeat of history.  In 2016 I had broken my big toe a few days before our trip to France.  And here in 2019, Anna was wearing the same boot for her broken foot!

Now onto the food ..... Last time, I did a full 4-course meal for our Diner en Blanc : charcuterie, soup, main dish, and dessert.  I knew, though, that as I continued this tradition forward that would not always be the case.  I like tradition, but I also like the wiggle room and freedom to mix it up a bit!  So this year, it was simply charcuterie and dessert.

I created a large spread of choices ... crackers, nuts, dried fruit, meats, cheeses .... and then gave a short lesson on charcuterie.

Charcuterie is a French word and it is a store that sells cold cooked meats.  Charcuterie is literally, "pork-butcher's shop"

Elements of a well-rounded charcuterie

1. Start with a board, tray, and cheese knives
2. Choose a rounded out selection of cheese
   • Soft - Brie, Goat
   • Semi-soft - Gouda, Cheddar, Havarti
   • Hard - Manchengo, Parmesan
3. Add a curated selection of meats like proscuitto, salami, turkey, ham
4. Adding fruits, nuts, and olives are a great way to cleanse the palate
   • grapes, apricots, pears, berries, figs
   • almonds, cashews, pistachios
   • olives, mini pickles, sun-dried tomatoes
5. Choose just a couple condiments.  I like sweet condiments to help balance out all of the savory.
   • honey, fig butter, fruit spreads
   • hummus, chutney
6. Add a variety of crackers and bread.  Choose different shapes, flavors, and consistencies
7. Add in fresh herbs (like rosemary or basil) to make it beautiful

After the little lesson everyone was able to tap into their tastes and creativity to build their own charcuterie board.

What a lovely bunch!

For dessert I made this Lemon Cream Cake from Your Home-based Mom. I have to say I was quite impressed with myself!  I even made a sample cake a couple weeks in advance to make sure the recipe was good and would turn out just right.

As we grazed on crackers & cheese, conversation & laughter filled the air, and the sky turned to night.  I gathered everyone's attention for a group discussion.  In the invitation I had offered an assignment, inspired by Rachel Nielson of the 3 in 30 Podcast.  You can read the details as well as download her party pack for a "gathering of takeaways" right here.

I began by sharing my Takeaways.

3 Tips for Meaningful (memorable) gatherings – These are 3 things I like to include in gatherings, things I learned from observing my mom throw many, many gatherings. Her gatherings always had a lot of heart and people went away feeling lifted up, special, loved. So I have paid attention to the common elements that made up her gatherings and this is what I’ve compiled.

1. Create together – do something with your hands. Craft. Charcuterie. Learning, creating, experiencing, using your hands together – stimulates your brain, and in this shared experience you’re connecting.  In some of her gatherings that looked like building sandcastles, flower arranging, or playing simple games.
2. Find ways to let others share their talents – gifts. (So it is not all about you – people are usually happy & flattered when asked to contribute )
   • Tonight, everyone sharing bits of wisdom and knowledge they’ve earned
   • It could be as simple as making your party a potluck
   • Or more involved like asking someone who is a great baker to teach a pie class, inviting a friend with a talent for music to sing a song, hair-dresser friend to teach hair-braiding class. Also, this becomes a wonderful opportunity to encourage others in their talents – the budding artist, the shy musician, -- helping them develop where they are at and feel supported because someone believes in them.
3. The last 3% -- the details. Find one way to include a simple detail – it becomes the finishing touch to make it just a little something extra special.
   • • Wrapping baguettes in burlap and rosemary, placing 61 candles on the table for my mom's 61st birthday, personalizing wooden sorbet spoons with the name of your party, a nicely-wrapped cookie for your guests to take home at the end of the night

Then everyone took turns sharing their 3 takeaways.  Topics ranged from parenting mantras, methods for meaningful scripture study & prayer, mental health awareness, how to be a good friend, tips for skin care, and more!  It was wonderful!  I loved the variety. Just like woman at that table, we each have unique wisdom, experiences, and gifts to share.  And we need to own it!

I know that some were hesitant to share or didn't feel like they had something meaningful to contribute, but I'm glad they all took a chance.  I think that is easier to do when you know you are facing a kind and receptive audience.

Here's to another beautiful night. 

Thank you ladies for making it wonderful.

Diner en Blanc will happen again this year.  But it will take on a different form. And a much smaller group, due to current conditions in the world.  I can't wait!

diner en blanc // mom's 60th birthday // part 3

A party is nothing without it's guests!  As I mentioned in Part 1, we intentionally kept the guest list small and close.  I wanted it to be an intimate evening of celebration with those female friends & family that were closest to my mom and showed her nothing but love & support.  

 

Long time friend Ruth . . . . and Kristy - I'll never forget the time she came over to visit my mom in those last weeks and just sang to her.

daughter-in-law Jessica . . . . and mom's best friend Sandi. She has been an angel to our family through so much.  Always there, always supportive, always loving & honoring her sweet friend who was more like a sister.  I have a few of those friends who are more like sisters so I know what that kind of relationship feels like.  She was so great and allowed me to bug her when I was working out some details of the party -- my mom is usually my sounding board, so I appreciated her letting me talk through my ideas or get her opinion on things. 

Carlee & Anna - the two oldest grand-daughters.  Just 7 months apart in age.  I'm sure my mom had some grand cousin plans for them in their teenage years.

Mom's sister-in-law Libby and her girls Mikayla and Ashlee.  My mom was such a good aunt to them.  Every year she would snatch up the girls and take them out for a girls day.  Anything from pedicures & painting pottery to shopping & a movie to Disney on Ice.

Ellen & Bev - seriously about as sweet & genuine as they come

daughter-in-laws Heidi & Bree . . . they have been lucky enough to live close to mom & dad for the past many years and to enjoy all the gatherings & connection that come with that.

A few ladies were unable to make it . . . Jill, Nancy, Becca.  They were missed!

After the beginning course of charcuterie we sat down at the table and passed around cheeseboards to enjoy with our baguette.  I took the opportunity to welcome everyone and give some background on why a "Diner en Blanc".  I told the story of the first Diner en Blanc my mom and I experienced in France, the fun details, and the memories we gathered there.  I know that this was a party she had wanted to replicate someday. 

How fitting that we would all be there, dressed in white, celebrating my angel mother.  I know that she was with us.  I mean, how could she be kept from a party like this!  While our hearts were all heavy with the loss of this incredible woman in our lives, I truly wanted the overall spirit of the dinner to be one of celebration.  To celebrate her light in our lives.

When dinner filled our bellies and the candle centerpieces were lit, Anna and Carlee performed a little musical number.  Anna brought the ukelele on our trip, having just learned the chords for "You Are My Sunshine".  Earlier that day she and Carlee played and sang it together in the house and I knew that it would be the perfect  touch to our evening.  Many of mom's gatherings included special musical numbers -- singing, harp playing, violin music, etc. And I know that this was just one of the many ways mom would celebrate and encourage the talents of others --  giving them the kind of confidence that comes when someone enjoys & believes in you enough to invite you to share your gifts (whether polished or emerging) in an audience of accepting & grateful friends.

 

I then took several minutes to share some thoughts about my mom.  I stood up to speak and as I looked at this table of loving faces, glowing in the candlelight, my heart was filled and I held back the tears -- I told them, mom would be so proud of what we are doing here tonight.

She loved to gather people.  And she was so good at it.  She didn't wait for someone else to make the invite, she went first. She knew that connections would come from gathering -- our shared stories, sharing creativity -- and what a necessary blessing that is in our lives.

My dad (who wasn't able to attend that night) left me with a sealed card addressed to Teresa and asked if I would read it at her party.  I did - inside there was a birthday card on which he wrote a letter to her -- a touching and heartfelt birthday wish.  He spoke of their life together, their children, and how he misses her & looks forward to their reunion.  He wrote some special things about me -- that he sees me daily becoming more and more like my mother -- which I appreciated. It truly is the best compliment I could ever receive.  He wrote, "I believe when Heavenly Father decided He would bless our family with only one daughter, that He determined to send us an angel that would bring us much joy."  Opening this letter and reading it for the first time in front of a group of people -- definitely an emotional moment!

As I think about the brightness she brought to all of our lives and how I want to remember & celebrate her, there are several lessons she taught & exemplified that I want to carry forward

Make the effort to gather people for any or no reason at all - it's important

Add a touch of whimsy.

Love. Love more. Love with patience. Speak love. Think love. Love with your whole heart.

Keep your chin up, show up, dress up -- keep bringing joy to others, even when things are awful.  This is one of her greatest legacies that I try to emulate.

After I spoke I sat down and left it open to anyone who wanted to share anything that was on their hearts.  Several women did, and it was such a pleasure to hear them share about her.  I know that everyone has lost something - a friend, a mother-in-law, an aunt, a sister-in-law - and I was grateful that we had this platform, this special evening, to share some of those tender memories and feelings.

Because this was a birthday celebration, we had to end it with cake!  Everyone placed a candle in their individual bundt cake, I added some sparkler "60" candles to mine, we lit them up and sang Happy Birthday!

The evening was absolutely beautiful.  So many lovely women full of grace, gratitude, and love. My heart is full knowing they were in her circle.  

I love how they taught and influenced one another.

I loved having my daughter there to witness what it looks like when women encourage & support one another.  She never attended my mom's parties -- too young.  Here, she got to see what it means for women to come together, to be kind, to support each other, to be gracious, to be classy, to be refined.  I love that she got to see this modeled for her.

Happy 60th birthday to a woman full of joy, love, an eagerness to enjoy life, and to spread joy to others! And even though my heart aches every day over losing her, and the hole that has created in my life .... I am grateful because her beautiful life has made mine better. 

This special dinner was my attempt to follow her example and create something beautiful, because I know that is what would make her the happiest.  Happy Day.

More Diner en Blanc posts:

Part 1 - planning, invitations, set-up

Part 2 - table setting and menu

back to school brunch

Sometimes I spend months planning a gathering (case in point, the Diner en Blanc).  And sometimes I plan gatherings 48 hours in advance!  Both levels of planning match the occasion whether it be thoughtful & detailed or casual & come as you are.  And both types accomplish the all important goal -- gathering people together!

School started on a Monday morning and on Sunday I made the decision to throw a Back to School Brunch on Tuesday for some moms from church. 

I personally delivered a few invites to my carpool mom friends and my ministering sisters.  I found these awesome black canvas baskets (a 2-pack) in the dollar spot at Target. Perfect for holding a few apples, the invitation, and a bundle of back to school quotes tied with black & white twine.  All of the quotes can be found and purchased at Alexa Z Design.

Then on Monday I started texting more women -- giving them literally 24 hours notice.  In all, I think I extended an invite to 20 women in my ward and 14 showed up the following day!

Definitely goes to show that you can plan something casual and last minute and people will be there!  I really think that people crave time together -- we just have to provide the opportunity.  And be brave enough to open our homes.

Other than getting the invites out, all I had to do was clean my house and make some food!  I had several people offer to bring food but I turned them all down because I didn't want anybody to make an extra trip to the store or prepare something last minute just because of my late planning.  In the future, if I did this brunch again I would accept the offers or even make some assignments in advance -- I know that it helps people feel a part of things when they can contribute.

Either way, I whipped up a few breakfast brunch dishes and it was a delicious spread of sweet and savory.  

• Fruit - cantaloupe, grapes, clementine oranges
• Overnight French Toast Casserole
• Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cafe
• Cheesy Ham and Spinach Quiches
• Yogurt Parfait station

This is literally the only photo I got of the actual brunch!  You'll just have to trust me when I say that we had a great group there.

Several of the young moms brought their toddlers and while they were mostly interested in the toys, I made sure to have a little something for them -- some breakfast crackers/biscuits and mini Danimals smoothies.  Even my teenagers go crazy over those little smoothies!  

Here's my fun little hack .... I grabbed a bunch of bendable straws and cut several inches off of the bottom.  This made them the perfect size for the kids' yogurt smoothies -- just stab a straw through the foil seal and breakfast is served.

Again, so easy. So last minute! And such a great way to get people out of their houses and gathered together for a morning of food and fun conversation.

Moral of the story -- don't overthink it.  Just do!

tall candle centerpiece // DIY

Sometimes the most simple things are also the most beautiful.

This long candle centerpiece is the perfect example of that.  In May 2016 I had the opportunity to attend a Diner en Blanc in France, hosted by the style queen, Heather Bullard.  Our dinner took place outdoors on a long table in the shadow of 13th Century Chateau. The table was dressed with simple white linens, white dishes, and these simple - but stunning - long candle centerpieces.  When it came time to host my own Diner en Blanc in honor of my mom's 60th birthday, I knew that I could easily recreate this look with a few simple supplies.  

Here are a few tips on how to make them yourself!

PREP YOUR BASE

Start with simple 2x4's of lumber.  Luckily we had some scraps in our garage and so I collected 4 pieces that were about 13-15" in length.

Mark where you would like your holes to be.  I measured & planned this out so that everything would be even. I needed to make sure that I could fit 15 candles on each board to reach my desired total of 60 (for my mom's 60th birthday). But you could just as easily eyeball it.

Then, use a 1/4" drill bit and drill your holes.  Make sure that you are drilling straight down.  

Yep.  This is me, in a dress, on the floor of my dining room, playing with power tools.  

You only need to go down 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch.  The candles are pretty lightweight and as long as they fit in the holes rather snuggly, they aren't going anywhere.

STAIN

As you can see, the wood is pretty golden - hello cheap lumber!  So I used some Wood Finish stain in Classic Gray (271) to mute & cool down the color.  I apologize I do not have a photo of this step!  But the color turned out just the way I wanted.  I simply used a rag to rub the stain all over the boards - just 1 coat - and let it dry overnight.

CANDLES

I messaged Heather Bullard to learn the source for the candles.  The candles I ordered were 1/4' wide x 15' tall in the creamy color.  You can find them at the Etsy shop Beeswaxtapers, and are available in bulk quantities.  They hand dip their candles from pure beeswax. My order shipped beautifully - they were packaged very well.  I was a little worried about heat issues (we live in Vegas and I was ordering in May) but they assured me the candles would do just fine and they did. 

You'll be shocked at just how thin and beautiful they are in person!

DISPLAY 

It's easy to make a few of them to line a long table -- they become an instant statement piece with minimal effort and cost.

And then when it comes time to light them . . . . wow!  Just the perfect touch of magic.  I love watching the candles slowly melt, wax dripping down on the board and making a lovely mess. :)

diner en blanc // mom's 60th birthday // part 2

It's time to share everything from the Diner en Blanc celebrating my mom's 60th birthday!  I've considered a dozen different ways to organize this post (so much to share!) and I think I've settled on splitting it into 3 parts. 

Part 1 - the reason for the party, the invitation, and the set-up.

Part 2 - the party details.

Part 3 - the people, the program, and the evening magic.  I hope you can feel like you were there with us! Come along with me as I walk you through our evening!

As I mentioned in part 1, I had some great helpers who worked right alongside me to get everything pulled together.  Here's a little look before everyone arrived.

The table setting.  Almost ready.  Awaiting one final touch . . . 

White peonies & hydrangeas on the food table, overlooking the hills.

                                                                                                   

S O M E T H I N G    C R E A T I V E

My mom's gatherings always included an element of learning and/or creativity.  She made sure there was something that the women could learn or participate in together.  From pie making tutorials, to daffodil planting, assembling care packages for cancer patients, to flower crowns . . . she knew that activating our minds & using our hands to create beauty invigorates confidence and feelings of self-worth.  Not to mention it's just fun!  And doing it side by side with other women creates lasting, meaningful connections.

In this spirit, we began the evening by working together to create a charcuterie board.  I provided all the parts and encouraged everyone to add something.

Here is my list of basics for a well-rounded charcuterie board

• Meat: peppered salami, prosciutto
• Cheese: hard cheese (Manchego), soft cheese (Brie), assorted sliced cheeses
• Fruit: grapes, dried apricots, pears
• Veggies: mini dill pickles, olives, cherry tomatoes
• Bread: crackers, crunchy bread sticks, toasted baguette slices.The fig & olive crisps at Trader Joe's are excellent!
• Spreads & dips: jam, fig butter (so good!), balsamic vinegar, honey

 

 

                                                                                                   

T A B L E    S E T T I N G

And now, the final detail for the table setting

My mom once wrote a blog post titled “The Last 3 Percent”. She quotes a book by the same title: “Much of our joy and satisfaction depends on the way in which we complete the last 3 percent of our responsibilities. That vital last 3 percent consists of three things:

• 1 percent is the final detail of work
• 1 percent is the way we feel and think about what we have done - our reasons, motivations and satisfactions
• And the last 1 percent consists of original and creative thinking in which we crown the finished product.”

This idea, this post has always stood out to me. And it has come up in conversations with girlfriends. It’s that final piece of creative effort, of intention, that takes a simple job from just being done . . . to being something memorable. Quoting mom:

“The last 3 percent of effort can make an ordinary, everyday chore into a moment of celebration. It is the wreath on the door, the remembered birthdays, it is the books and flowers thoughtfully placed on the nightstand in the guest room. It is the last precious moments of effort and thought. The finishing details give us the confidence that we have done well - that we have carried our work to the level of loving service.”

This tray of bread was one of the final details of the Diner en Blanc. As we wrapped these baguettes in burlap, tied them in twine and added a fresh spring of rosemary . . . I couldn’t help but think of that last 3 percent of effort. How a small touch like this, a bit of creative intention, would seal my efforts of loving service. For those who would attend that night. And for my mom who would be so joyful over a detail like this.  It's in small things like this that I try to carry her example and legacy of making ordinary things special.  The last 3 percent.

I think this little detail brings me so much joy because I know that my mom would have loved it!  It's the special little touches that make a simple gathering beautiful.

And here is the final place setting.  I just love how it turned out!  There was a mini cutting board at each place setting meant as a spot to hold all the bread and cheese that would be consumed.  That is an essential element of a French-themed meal!

Sources

• White plates, goblets, napkins, & silverware - my mom's dishes
• IKEA - Small 10 oz glasses - VERDAGEN, small cutting board - PROPPMATT
• Anthropologie - small white latte bowls

 

The table's centerpiece was simple & elegant but with huge impact. I recreated the centerpieces that lined the table at our France Diner en Blanc.  I even messaged Heather Bullard to find out the source for her candles -- a shop on etsy.  They are just so beautiful and delicate.  The table was adorned with exactly 60 candles -- for mom's 60th birthday.  

I wrote a tutorial on how to make the centerpieces -- you can find it right HERE!

The girls helped me so much to get things going at the beginning of the dinner including pouring all the drinks. We served water from these glass bottles with stoppers.

And I kind of can't get over what a beauty Anna has grown into.  She's always been beautiful but that added look of young womanhood has really popped out this year, especially in recent weeks & months.  I have no doubt her Grammer would be squeezing & loving on her and just glowing with pride over what a kind, wonderful young woman she is becoming.

I found this delightful & tasty (and white!) French Market Sparkling Lemonade and Sparkling Limeade at Trader Joe's. My vintage enamelware tub was perfect for keeping all the drinks on ice and close-by for refills.

 

                                                                                                   

T H E    M E N U

At the Diner en Blanc that I first experienced, all 7 courses were white of some sort.  Oysters, cheese, fish, bread, white asparagus, etc.

I wanted to play on the "white" theme as much as possible and spent a lot of time planning out a menu that would be white, delicious, and with a few surprises.  Just the way my mom would do it.

For the first course we enjoyed the charcuterie board that we assembled together.  This was our finger food for nibbling while mingling about.

For the 2nd course we sat down at the table where we passed around platters of brie, gouda, and havarti cheeses to enjoy with the baguette.  Anna and Carlee continued their serving duties by dishing out the chilled pear and ginger soup garnished with a mint leaf.  This was the "touch of whimsy" that I knew my mom would appreciate -- a dish that was a little unexpected.  Everyone enjoyed it!  And the mini bowls provided the perfect portion -- just a taste.

For the main course I prepared baked lemon chicken along with an orzo pasta salad.  Both dishes were so so good!  I also added a chilled asparagus side dish and while I would have loved to have white asparagus, it just wasn't meant to be.  Funny, when we were in France they had white asparagus at all of the markets.  I have still never seen it here in the US.

The whole evening was truly perfection . . . with the exception of one little detail.  And I can't tell the story of our Diner en Blanc without this slightly nerve-wracking moment!  We all served ourselves to dinner, sat down, and began to enjoy the meal.  Soon 1 or 2 bees appeared, making trips down the table, annoyingly hovering over each plate of food.  Then there were 3-4.  And it wasn't long before everyone was swatting away a bee or two from their meal.  I guess they were actually meat flies or wasps, and they are attracted to protein.  Meat.  It was so bizarre because in all my time at my parent's house, and meals enjoyed outside (including a ham Easter dinner just 2 months earlier), we had never ever had issues with these pests.  It was even more odd because they made their appearance after sunset -- when have you ever seen a fly/wasp out after dark?  Anyways, I was nervous that we might have to move indoors - they were really that bothersome.  But everyone took it in stride, eating with one hand and swatting their napkin with the other.  Pretty comical, now that I think about it!  We finished the main course and promptly removed the plates & food to the house and wouldn't you know it . . . the flies disappeared and we were able to enjoy the rest of the evening in peace!

Our final course was dessert.  Sandi brought white chocolate raspberry bundlets from Nothing Bundt Cakes.  They were individually packaged which made it perfect to enjoy a few bites and then take the rest home with you to enjoy later!  More about the cakes in the next post . . . 

                                                                                                   

S P E C I A L    T O U C H E S

Almost everyone in that sandcastle photo was in attendance.  Just missing 2 ladies who were out of town.  

The photo of my mom was taken at our Diner en Blanc in France, just a few months before her diagnosis.  This is the vibrant face we all love.

My dear friend Paige sent the "happy" platter to me.  Just so perfect, it had to make an appearance at the party

A Happy Day matchbox.  A dish of white birthday candles and special sparkler candles for "60"

Oyster candles.  This may seem completely random, but they actually have some meaning!  One of the courses featured oysters at our Diner en Blanc in France.  This  was quite concerning for Mom and I because we had never eaten them before, and well - they are kinda slimy!  But we were brave and each chugged one down.  It was quite the experience!  While at my parent's home a few months ago I was flipping through some of my mom's cookbooks and entertaining books and stumbled across a DIY for oyster candles.  So random!  It made me laugh at first, and then I thought "how perfect!"  If you're curious, I wrote up a little tutorial on how to make oyster candles.

There were white banners . . . I had a lot of fun sewing these.  Some were made with white muslin.  Others were made from an assortment of white lace fabrics.  I loved the way the light filtered through them.

And as a special touch I put together a playlist of French songs for background music.  You can get listen to the playlist HERE on Spotify. 

                                                                                                     

Well that all summarizes the dinner, the table setting, and the special touches pretty well.  In PART 3 I'll share all about the magic of the night -- the people, the evening's program, and what this table looks like when the sun goes down and the candles are lit!   

diner en blanc // mom's 60th birthday // part 1

Earlier this month I experienced the most magical evening . . . . a celebration in honor of my mom.

When she passed away last September I was aware that several big milestones were on the horizon.  One of which was her 60th birthday. I decided right away that we needed to honor and celebrate that day in a special way.  It didn't take very long for me to know that the best, most fitting way to do that was with a Diner en Blanc.  

If you remember, she and I got to experience a Diner en Blanc on our trip to France in May 2016.  It was absolutely amazing and one of the most memorable parts of our trip. If she had not become sick just a few months after that trip, and left us a year after that, I am positive that a Diner en Blanc would have been one of her next parties.

In fact, she designed the long table in her backyard after the one we dined on in the shadowof a 13th century Chateau.  Her table, built by my dad, resting on a carpet of pea gravel, was an extension of the dream home she imagined in the rolling golden hills of central California.  I knew that table needed to be the setting for her party.

And what a fitting way to celebrate my angel mother than by gathering a group of her family and best friends, all dressed in white.

It felt completely right and perfect.

I spent months planning out the details . . . trying to create an experience that would feel like my mom.

And I have to say that when it was all said and done, it was perfect.  It was everything I hoped for..  It was beautiful in every way -- and a large part of that was due to the people who were there.  So much love.  We intentionally kept it small - family and her closest friends - a table full of women who loved her dearly.

I have a lot of pictures and details and more thoughts to share.  It's hard to know where to begin and how to put into words everything that was this beautiful evening. Watch for more posts.  For now, I think I'll start with the invitation.  And piece it together from there.

 

I N V I T A T I O N

I worked with a graphic designer in my ward - Right and West - to design these invitations.  They were so beautiful.  We kept it simple and classic.  My favorite part is the vellum overlay featuring a delicate white peony (my mom's favorite flower) and her signature phrase, "Happy Day".  I also slipped in a little photo of her taken at our Diner in Blanc in France.

 

S E T - U P

I had two of the most amazing helpers with me alllllll day Saturday to get things set-up before the party began.  I seriously could not have done it without them!  They were great at helping with the thousand of little tasks that needed to be done.  It was so great to spend the day with Anna and my niece Carlee and to give them a taste of what their Grammer Teresa was all about -- beautiful parties and all the special touches!

We wore our Happy Day t-shirts, we hung banners (of course), and the girls assembled the goodie bags

Speaking of goodie bags . . . here are the contents: 

• a stack of recipe cards from our dinner, tied with twine
• a trio of meringues - from Trader Joe's
• two "Happy Day" vinyl stickers - I had these made at Sticker Mule
• two Raffaello coconut candies
• a mini white french farmstyle bucket - from this Etsy shop

All the dishes stacked, ready, and waiting to be set on the outdoor table

I set out a sample place setting and the girls got to work preparing the rest of the 14 place settings.

Lots more to share in the next post! . . . . . . 

DO SOMETHING // a girls gathering

One trait I think I inherited from my mom is the desire to gather people together.  For big things, for little things, or for no reason at all!  The process of gathering always opens itself to opportunities for creativity, learning, and connection.  Those are the things I thrive on.

While in Oregon I started a scrapbooking group (turned crafting group, turned hang out & eat dessert group - ha!) that met quarterly. I was also in a monthly Bunco group.  And we had a weekly playgroup. Then we moved to Nevada and life changed a bit, new friends needed to be found, and I was in the new position of having my kids in school full day (goodbye play group ticket).

For the longest time I have wanted to create a small monthly gathering for women.  Ideas have bounced in and out of my head for years and I've mentioned it to people from time to time, but I have never acted on it. I wanted it to be something meaningful where we could have great discussions and try new things & create together or explore cool places in the valley.  Trust me, I have LOTS of idea!

That desire to "gather" intensified at the beginning of the year as I thought about what I wanted to bring into my life as well as how I could share my light in 2018.  Coming off of a rough year, I also thought about what I needed to feel happy, whole, and purposeful.  Specifically, in following God's purpose for me and using the talents he has given me to lift others.  I started to formulate a plan and I began making notes, brainstorming ideas, soaking in inspiration and felt pretty excited about it!  But still, the doubts would creep in from time to time - you know the ones.  Is my idea lame? Is anybody going to care? Will anybody come? Will it make sense to anyone beside me? All the crazy thoughts! :)

Then one day as I scrolled through instagram I came across this post by Lizzy Jensen (love her).

@lizzy.jensen - Too many of us let the fear of what others think run our lives, and it's hurting all of us. I believe this is one of the biggest dangers of social media -- that we'll be brainwashed into thinking that what everyone else is thinking/doing etc is more important than what God is thinking about us. The scary thing? When we look to others for affirmation -- or even worse our purpose -- we'll never contribute the gifts or live the life that we came to earth to live.

Here is my challenge.  DO SOMETHING (I don't care how big or small) THIS WEEK THAT YOU'VE BEEN FEELING YOU SHOULD DO. Call that person. Hit send on that post. Quit that job, or start the other. Forgive and forget. In one thing, put away the fear of what anyone else but God thinks and do it.

At that time, I had composed an email with my big plan and it was sitting in my draft box.  After reading her post, I was confident in hitting send.

I decided to DO SOMETHING.  That I was going to take my happiness into my own hands and create this gathering. Another thing I learned from my mom's example was to just go for it.  Don't wait for someone else.  If you want something that is going to bring you happiness, do it - be the person who takes the first step.

So for you reading today, I also challenge you to DO SOMETHING!  If something has been sitting on your mind and your heart, be brave and take that first step. 

Okay!  After that long back-story . . . here is the basis for my girls gathering.

GIRLS GATHERING - THE PLAN

I emailed 12 women to invite them to join me for a monthly gathering, each month for the next 4 months (through the end of the school year). I invited 12 women knowing that with schedules & life circumstances everyone would not be able to make it every month. I'm not a fan of large groups for something like this, but I felt like this number would work great.  I picked a set day for the gatherings (first Thursday) so it would be easy to remember & calendar.  

I explained that my goal at each gathering is to provide opportunities to learn, create, serve, explore, and uplift. Each gathering would include a few specific elements:

• Creating or Exploring - Creating something with our hands, moving our bodies, or exploring new things & places
• Service - Everything is sweeter with service, right?
• Uplift - I always love the sharing of thoughts, ideas, and experiences that comes when great women gather together. To help facilitate that, each month I would suggest a short pre-reading assignment.  Specifically, a talk from the most recent Women's Meeting of General Conference.

Two weeks before the gathering I send an email to share the activities, service, and article we will be pondering.

GIRLS GATHERING - FEBRUARY

Yay!  Let's get this thing started!  

When the ladies arrived we started things off with a simple brunch - yogurt parfaits with homemade granola and warm scones with honey & jam.  Mmm!

I picked up that honey at a market in France almost 2 years ago!  It is the tastiest honey I've ever had.  The jar is just about empty and I'm trying to figure out how I can get my hands on more!

Then we spent a little time on some super simple Valentine's Day projects.  

First, clay hearts.  We used Paper Clay which is really soft & easy to mold with just your hands. 

That's what I did and went for a more primitive look.  I also printed "love" on little paper strips to be embedded into the clay.  It takes a couple hours for the clay to air dry.  Some of us (me) who were impatient went ahead and painted the heart with acrylic paints before it was completely dry.  It turned out just fine - but I don't have a pic of the final product so you'll have to trust me!

I found these ADORABLE templates for Valentine's Day Crowns at The House That Lars Built.  They were so cute!  And the perfect accessory for a group photo!

Then it was onto our service project! We put together freezer meals with the challenge to take your freezer meal home and GIVE it to someone.

To make this go smoothly, I purchased all the ingredients and did some of the big prep work in advance, like cooking & shredding the chicken. Everyone contributed a few bucks to the project and it was perfect.

We made Chicken Pesto Pasta Shells.  You can download the recipe right here - Download Pesto Chicken Pasta Shells.

Love seeing these hands at work.

And the chit-chatting going on as we all take turns.

Look at all those happy, beautiful women serving in the kitchen!

In advance we all read "Abiding in God and Repairing the Breach" by Neill F. Marriott.  We had a wonderful discussion of insights and sharing.  Just what I had been hoping for!

A couple favorite quotes

We are divinely designed to give love and be loved, and the deepest love comes when we are one with God.

. . . . Heavenly Father will help us love even those we may think are unlovable, if we plead for His aid. The Savior’s Atonement is a conduit for the constant flow of charity from our Father in Heaven. We must choose to abide in this love in order to have charity for all.

When we give our heart to the Father and the Son, we change our world—even if circumstances around us do not change. We draw closer to Heavenly Father and feel His tender acceptance of our efforts to be true disciples of Christ.

I also asked everyone to bring a favorite freezer meal recipe with copies to share.  Pretty great that everyone went home with a folder full of new make-ahead dinners to try!

Our first girls gathering was a success and I can't wait to share our other gatherings with you!

pop-up birthday party

As you well know, I'm one of those moms whose kids are in school all day.  Been in that category for 6+ years now.  One thing that moms in that category often like to do is go out to lunch.  Mmm, mmm.  Grown up girl bonding time over a salad, tacos, or pizza.  And we especially like to go out to lunch when one of our fellow mom friends is celebrating a birthday.

A few months ago it was birthday time for my friend Katie so I sent out a text message to gather the moms at the lunch spot of her choice, Panera Bread.  But this birthday was special - her 40th - so I decided it was necessary that this lunch date included a little something extra.

A Pop-up Party!  

With some quick & thoughtful decorations from Target, incorporating her favorite color (green), and other personalized touches it was a hit!

Easy pop-up party elements

• Paper doilies as placemats
• Chalkboard place holders with personalized messages
• Tissue banner hung with colored masking tape
• Wood Monogram - also adorned with a strip of colored masking tape to keep the color continuity
• Balloons
• Cake / Cookie banner - made with kabob sticks, baker's twine, and colored masking tape.  Simply fold pieces of tape over the string and snip the edges to give it banner flair.

All of this easily fit into one bag and I was able to arrive early, hoard a group of empty tables, and set everything up!

I brought the cake stand from home and purchased cookies and brownies right there at Panera.  It served as a great centerpiece and dessert!

I found this darling lantern at Target and decided to fill it with succulents.  After attaching a ribbon and a tag with this play on words -- "40 does not succ" -- the glass lantern served a dual purpose as fun centerpiece and gift for the birthday girl.

The pop-up birthday party is ready to go!

Nothing too fancy.  We are in a Panera Bread, after-all.  :) But enough to make it feel festive, like a celebration, and give this birthday girl something to smile about. 

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Inspiration for the pop-up party came from my mom.  She has done this party format on several occasions for baby showers, birthdays etc. Check out one of her Pop-up Baby Showers!

Okay, and now let's talk about a crazy coincidence . . . I'm reading over my mom's post and guess where they held their pop-up party???  

None other than Panera Bread!

Apparently that is THE place to go!  Be sure to plan your pop-up party at Panera!  

And if you want more inspiration . . . Here is another pop-up baby shower my mom did for my sister-in-law, Jessica.  This one was not at Panera. ;)

chipotle fiesta

So you may or may not know this about my husband, but he can be a little obsessive.

Case in point. Last summer Chipotle was offering a rewards program . . . something like every 10th meal for free, etc. along with some even bigger rewards.  Scott is an economist so he is all about maximizing value vs. effort and when he saw the BIG reward and what it took to get there, he did his mental calculations and determined that he was IN.  And this is where the obsessive part of his personality comes in because when he sets his mind to something he follows through 100%.  

Basically, he had to eat lunch at Chipotle 14 times a month for 3 solid months. You can bet he did it.  And the big reward was a catered Chipotle party for 20 people.  Thanks to his hard work, it became the perfect excuse to gather friends for a party!

So it was a win-win because he got Chipotle for lunch, we got free food, and I had a reason to throw a party.

And all the fun decorations & planning that go with it.  I just love this stuff and it has been a while since I had a reason to plan a party.

Hello?  Mini cactuses . . . so cute!  I found these little guys at Lowe's for $1 a piece!  I was super excited to see that they even had color flowers on top - score!  Until I looked closer and realized that the flowers are fake and attached with hot-glue!  Seriously.  But for a buck . . . hey, it works.

I potted all of the cactuses with a succulent and then our guests got to take one home at the end of the evening.

I found a big serape blanket, cut it into 3 long strips, and hemmed the edges to make these table runners.  I love the color!  And little candles placed in random votive & mason jars provided ambience.  Although, my friend later informed me that this was a huge missed opportunity to incorporate the Virgin Mary candles from Wal-Mart!  Doh!

Add a few mini donkey pinatas, bowls of chips, and you've got some table decor that is super easy, colorful, and fun!

Our guests arrived and so did the food!  Holy food!  All of this - plus the fixings of 4 different salsa's, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, guacamole, tortillas, - plus the chafing dishes, for FREE!

I made some Brazilian Lemonade to go with the meal and it was a huge hit.  We had a great time sitting around the table, visiting, laughing, and catching up on recent events & changes in life.  Our ward had recently been split and we were now divided among 3 different congregations.  So having this opportunity to get together and hash out some of the changes and give updates on new callings, etc. was awesome.

Part 2 of the evening included . . . . a pinata!  Because, why not?  Adults can have fun with a pinata too.

The thing was ENORMOUS! I sent Scott to a pinata store across town that I had heard about and he came home with this giant thing.  Not only did it have a big interior chamber for candy & prizes, but on either side it had compartments for big bouncy balls - 14 in all!

The kids spent the entire evening having their own party on our balcony.  As you can imagine, they were SUPER stoked when Scott gave them the opportunity to CONTROL the pinata!

It was a beautiful evening - a tad on the chilly side, but not too bad. And our patio lights were sparkling!  Nights like these make appreciate and fall in love with our yard even more!

After everyone got a whack at it while blindfolded with the pinata stick, we went for round 2 with a baseball bat and no blindfold. Once the pinata exploded there were bouncy balls, twix, hot tamales, and packs of gum scattered all over the patio.  Everyone dove in to get their share, but nothing like a 6 year old birthday party. :)

Part 3, dessert!  I found this amazing dessert on Pinterest -- one of those that you think, "ya, right that will work".  So I tested it out first, and sure it enough it worked and it was delicious! Churro Ice Cream bowls!

I prepped the bowls ahead of time and stuck them in the freezer so that during the party we just had to do the deep-frying and everyone coated their own bowls in cinnamon sugar.  They were deeee-licious!  The perfect dessert to accompany a Chipotle fiesta.

It was a great party and I'm so glad we created this excuse to get together.  We really don't do it often enough.  I've come to firmly believe that we need these kind of connections & gatherings in our lives to help keep us sane!

Night Owl Party // favors and food

It is time for part 2 of Anna's Night Owl Party.  Last time I shared all about the invitations and decorations.  Today I want to talk about the favors and food!

Favors are one of my very favorite things about a throwing a party.  Pulling together a few small items around a theme is always a fun, creative challenge.  When I have guests over for a party I want to make sure they go away with a small token that lets them know I truly appreciated them for coming.  I also want the favors to be as meaningful and useful as possible.

I decided to make some very simple drawstring bags to hold the party goodies.  Once again this night owl fabric came in super handy with the perfect amount of cute.

Inside each bag the girls received a pair of owl knee high socks (a major score at Target!), a few bracelets tied together with baker's twine, and a couple mini Hershey bars.  Just a few simple things that the girls would enjoy.

Anna really enjoyed handing these out to her friends as they left at the end of the night.

Because our party started at 5:30pm, food was a very important element of the night.  The girls were hungry! I picked up a few pizzas and prepared a spread of food to go along with it. We ate dinner at the beginning of the party and then I left the food out all night for snacking.

A big fruit salad and a platter of carrots & cucumbers were a hit with the girls. I was happy to see that they love to eat healthy!  That being said, I had to throw in some chips as well.  I figured out how to make Cheetos look cute by serving them in these adorable french fry containers!

My favorite part of the food, though, has to be the cupcakes.  Could anything possibly be any cuter?

And talk about the easiest decorating job ever!  Split open an Oreo and add a few Reese's Pieces for eyes and beak.  For someone who is cake-decorating challenged, this is right up my alley.

With the food ready to go and our pajamas on we are ready for guests to arrive and the party to start!  Stay tuned for part 3 - Party Activities!

  

 

Be sure to check out more Night Owl Party posts:  

Invitations and Decorations

Party Activities

Night Owl Party // invitations and decorations

To celebrate Anna's 9th birthday we had a Night Owl party for a handful of her friends at our house.  September had been a busy month and I finally had a moment to think about it, oh just about 2 1/2 weeks before the actual party.  Ack!!  Anna and I scoured Pinterest for theme ideas and she quickly latched onto the Night Owl theme.  It is almost the same idea we used for her 6th birthday party - Pajama Glam.  There were still pajamas and even feathers, but this time there was a little less Glam and a little more "girls just want to have fun" vibe rolling through the evening.

The party turned out so well!  The girls had a fun (crazy!) time and I even enjoyed myself . . . a lot!  I plan to share the details of the party in a series of three blog posts.  First up, invitations and decorations!

With a little text work in Word, some help from my Silhouette Cameo, and cardstock that was already in my stash I was able to whip up these amazingly simple, but incredibly adorable invitations.  Aren't owls the cutest?  (Font: Lullaby)

We don't throw gigantic friend parties - when Anna was 6 she could invite 6 friends, and for this party (age 9) she was able to invite 9 friends.  So far this system has worked really well for us.  7 girls were able to come plus Anna, which made a perfect group of 8.

The table was all set for the girl's arrival.  I found these fantastic purple glitter owls in the Dollar Spot at Target - what a score!! Actually they were $3, but still.  AND I will get even more use out of them in my Halloween decor this month.

 We had been toying with the Night Owl theme when I made a trip to Hobby Lobby and BAM!! I happened upon this sleepy owl fabric and the party was a done deal.  Really, how did we get so lucky??

For the table runner I did not do anything fancy at all.  No hemming, no measuring.  Just used a strip of fabric that I cut with pinking sheers and there you go.

Playing off the fabric I decided to use pink, aqua, purple, and black as our party colors.  I love the black and white striped paper straws in those clear plastic cups (the cups & lids are from Smart & Final - I keep a stash at home for serving Italian Sodas).

White paper lanterns and hanging stars (also cut from my Silhouette) helped to center the table and bring in that night time theme.

Moving into the family room . . . . . These purple garlands are my favorite cheap party decor trick!  To make one:  take a long plastic table cloth (54 x 108 in my case) and cut it into long sections.  Use the fold creases as your cutting guide.  Don't worry, it doesn't have to be perfect!  I ended up with 4 sections that were roughly 13 in x 108 in.  Then fold that piece in half so you have a garland that is about 6-7 inches tall.  Take your scissors and cut fringes through both layers of plastic and stop about 1 inch away from the folded edge.

And ta-da!  Fringy banners for cheap!

As you can see I hung the banners from the ceiling along with some stars (making sure that the ceiling fan was off and stayed off all night).  :)

Below we set out two twin size mattresses with pillows to add to the slumber party feel.  Even though it wasn't a real slumber party.  The girls really enjoyed hanging out in this room.  It was really nice for me - as I was running the party solo - because it entertained them as I prepared for the next activity.

That wraps up part 1 of Anna's Night Owl Party!  Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3:

Food and Favors

Party Activities

  

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 Here are a couple fantastic blogs where I gathered some of my Night Owl Party inspiration:

• Kara's Party Ideas - Night Owl Sleepover Birthday Party
• Snowy Bliss - Night Owl Party
• Hostess with the Mostess - Peace, Love, and Owls

pre-mother's day party

Recently I had the opportunity to throw a small book launch party for Motherhood Realized.  The timing was perfect, just a few days before Mother's Day!  It gave us a chance to gather and reflect on motherhood.

And enjoy some Italian Sodas.  Mmmm.  The ladies who attended were so wonderful and brought snacks to share as well.

Every time I gather with a group of women and have the chance to get down to the meat of motherhood, womanhood, and really just listen and learn from each other . . . . I always feel so refreshed.

And then I wonder why we don't do it more often!  It can be difficult sometimes to move past the park/playgroup small talk, but when we do (with others who are tender towards & understanding of our hearts) it can be so enriching.

We need each other.  (I love this podcast on this very topic).

So I loved having this opportunity to meet with a few friends, peel back the layers a little more, realize that we have the same concerns/conversations/hopes for our kids, and just enjoy being together for an evening.

We watched several video clips of Motherhood Realized authors reading excerpts from their essays.  And we discussed what stood out to us, what we learned.

Here is one VIDEO if you'd like to take a peek!  Topics include really listening to your children in an effort to  build trust & communication lines, getting through our personal tunnels and finding light, and redefining what is a "good mom."

Before the party I sent everyone a copy of one chapter from the book (you can also get it HERE) so that we could read it ahead of time and be ready to discuss.  The essay was a good reminder that your children want you!  We don't need to compare ourselves against someone else, or try to be the unrealistic supermom that is born from everything that we see on Pinterest.  Our kids could really care less - they just want a mom who loves them and who is happy.

I love this quote from the cover of the book.  It sums it all up:

"Motherhood is rarely what we think it will be.  But when we gather with other deliberate mothers and share our most powerful perspectives -- like the ones in this book -- our mothering experiences can become even better than we hoped."  -Linda Eyre, New York Times bestselling author

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I was thrilled to find these cute printables that really pulled things together and made my party a breeze!

Italian Soda printables : Our Best Bites

Mother's Day party printables : One Charming Party

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Power of Moms has a program that can help you put together a monthly gathering just like this - Learning Circles.  It is part book group, support group, and girls' night out.  For more information on starting your own click on the button below:

ladies' christmas lunch

Last week I had a few ladies from church over for a Christmas lunch at my house.  Wow, I can hardly believe that was just last week - so much has happened since then!  This idea had been simmering in my head for quite a while so I decided to go for it.  In total there were 9 women invited -- everyone was connected to me somehow through visiting teaching -- and 6 were able to attend (plus 1 little lady).

I loved the opportunity to set the table all pretty.  The Christmas dishes are a hand-me-down from my mom.  I found the gold chevron paper placemats at a local boutique.  And gold Christmas crackers were picked up from Target.  It was all very easy to put together.

The bonus of hosting a lunch (or dinner) at your home in December is that your house is already primped and pretty for Christmas!  So, not a whole lot extra has to be done.  Make the food, sweep the floors, set the table.

We served ham and swiss rolls, caprese skewers, roasted red pepper dip with sourdough bread & veggies, and salad.  I found this amazing recipe for crockpot hot chocolate so I had to whip up a batch.  It did not disappoint.

I also sent everyone home with a bottle of my homemade vanilla.

We had a great lunch!  We visited, laughed, and told jokes & played charades from our Christmas crackers.  Then I had them all gather in the family room so I could share a spiritual/Christmas thought.  This year I purchased the book Christmas from Heaven and it comes with a special DVD.  This DVD includes a 12 minute portion of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Christmas Concert from 2012.  In this clip, Tom Brokaw narrates the story of The Candy Bomber -- the true story of an American WWII pilot in Germany, his simple act of service, and how it grew into something much bigger.

So I showed this clip to the women.  It is such a touching story, with powerful music and theatrical presentation, and Tom Brokaw's words to pull it all together.  It gives me goosebumps!

The over-arching theme or moral of the story was: From small things, come big things.  

We can spread love and cheer and lift others' hearts . . . no matter how small the gift.  I love that message.  

a pinterest party

Sometimes I throw a party and then 5 months later I get around to writing a blog post about it.  This is one of those times.

I always love a good craft night.  For years, I would get together with my Oregon girlfriends for a quarterly craft night.  It started out as a crop at the local scrapbooking store, then our craft nights moved to one of our homes, and after some time we weren't doing much crafting at all (too busy talking!) but it was a great excuse to get together on a regular basis.

I was desperately craving something like this because it had been much too long since my last craft night, or any kind of girls night.  So I decided to pull together a pinterest craft night, seek out other creative-minded women, and have a go at it!

Even though a lot of the party coordination and inviting was done through email correspondence I could not possibly NOT send invitations in the mail.  

Super simple.  The font is Pacifico (pretty darn close to the Pinterest logo).  The little adornment is a cupcake wrapper and a 1" card-stock circle.

For the night of the party I set up a work station in the middle of my family room and set out all the supplies we would need.  It really helped to divide the supplies for each project into separate bins and piles.  It was really easy to move from project to project and have the supplies ready to go.

 

I asked everyone to bring a treat to share from Pinterest.  Don't we all have dozens and dozens of recipes we have pinned but never actually made?  Well, here was their chance.  I contributed Almond Joy Cookies (one of my favorite cookies now!) and these Rice Krispy Treat Sparklers (the 4th of July was only 2 weeks away).

Now, for the projects!  We did 3.  

The first was a canvas project inspired by several pins I had made.  I showed the women all the examples, provided supplies, and then encouraged them to use their creativity!  

The examples:  

• God Bless America glittery canvas and this all-white version from eighteen25
• Quote canvas  from Southern Bell Soul, Mountain Bride Heart

I went for the second option and created this

I love this effect!  It's so easy I just want to pull out a bunch of canvases & mod podge & paint and go to town.  One thing I did learn . . . after adhering the dictionary pages to the canvas, I really should have added a top coat of mod podge before adding my vinyl letter stickers.  When it came time to peel them off they tried to take the book pages with them.

Project #2:  This darling wood bead necklace from A Girl Who Makes.  This one was pretty fun to make.  Deciding on which colors to use was the hardest part!  

Project #3: Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub from Our Best Bites.  This was so easy to make it's almost ridiculous.  I asked everyone to bring a small container with a lid to take their scrub home in.

If you come to one of my parties, chances are I will send you home with a cute little favor.  (I love party favors!)  In addition to the projects everyone made I put together these chinese take-out boxes.  Inside there is a rolled up recipe for the Almond Joy Cookies tied with baker's twine, one cookie inside the chevron bag, and the recipe for the sugar scrub.

I think that everyone had a great time and I had several requests to do it again.  I would love to bring back craft night.  It's such a great opportunity to get together and work on projects (even if everyone is working on different projects), visit, share treats, and just have a relaxing evening away.

 

 

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favorite things party #2

In 2011 I threw a favorite things party and it was a huge hit.  It was also somewhat meaningful for me because I threw the party one month after we announced to everyone that we were moving from Oregon to Las Vegas.  My last big hurrah, you could say.  The last gathering that I held in our home.

Ever since then I have wanted to throw another favorite things party.  And I even tacked it onto my 101 in 1001 list (#96) to make sure it would happen.

In January of this year I started thinking about it and kinda pegged September as the month to shoot for.  As the month approached I wondered if I was ready, did I have enough people that I could invite, would people even come, trying to get a sense for where I stood . . . I waffled around a bit.  Scott told me I had to do it because it was on my list! (that makes me so happy that he reads my list).  So I decided to just go for it.

I sent out 16 invitations and got back 10 RSVP's (one later had a conflict, so 9 attended).  Phew!  People came!  And we had a really good time!  Someone told me that it was so nice to get together and get to know each other better.  I know!!  That was my goal.  :)

I have learned that I am horrible at getting pictures during a party (totally slips my mind), but I have lots of pictures of the set-up.  Enjoy!

I found that woven silverware/napkin basket at Target on clearance ($3.88) and it became my color inspiration.  Kraft + shades of aqua + a touch of gold.  I designed the invitations in Photoshop Elements and added two little pieces of washi tape to cutify.  

Text:  "Think of something that you LOVE (under $6).  Bring FOUR of that item.  We will draw names and everyone will go home with FOUR new favorite things."

You can really set this up with any dollar amount and quantity of items to bring.  I like the 4 / $6 because your guests end up spending less than $25.  That's a dollar amount that should be manageable for everyone.

I tried to keep the decorations simple, pretty, cohesive, and inexpensive.  I had fun decorating for this party because it gave me an opportunity to test out some of the fun ideas that I have found on Pinterest.  Like the balloon garland above.

This is the "welcome" table.  The chalkboard was a tin Christmas sign that I sprayed with chalkboard paint -- easy re-purposing project.  And the aqua fringe on the table is actually a plastic tablecloth.  I cut a strip the length of the tablecloth (and probably 20-24 inches wide), folded it in half, and then laid it on a cutting mat.  Using my rotary cutter I started at the open edge and cut strips, stopping about 1 inch from the folded edge

Coffee filter pom-poms and tissue pom-poms

 More plastic tablecloth fringe, a pendant banner I made a few years ago, and a glittery title created the perfect backdrop for the food table.  To make the "favorite" letters I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut them onto cardstock, then sprayed them with spray adhesive, and doused them with glitter.

The main activity, of course, is the exchange of favorite things.  But I like to throw in 1 or 2 other activities  to keep the conversation and partying moving along.

This game is a repeat from my first favorite things party.  Everyone fills out the entire questionnaire.  Then we go around and reveal our answers, one question at a time . . . but we play it Scattergories style.  If someone else has the same answer, you cross it out.  (It's important that you don't leak this game play info before you start!)

[ Hey!  You can Download the Favorite Things Game right here. ]

The people with the highest number of unique answers received a little prize!  I gave out these adorable tiny boxes filled with milk chocolate Lindor Truffles.  Mmmm, my favorite.

One of my favorite things is crafting, so I decided to set up a little crafting station with some super simple, mess-free crafts.  The craft station was centered all around things you can do with washi tape (another favorite).

I set out the supplies, gave a little creative direction, but it was basically up to the party guests to play and create however they wanted.

And the big activity of the night . . . . swapping our favorite things!  We each wrote our name on 4 pieces of paper and added them to the bowl.  Then everyone drew 4 names (making sure not to get their own name or a duplicate).  One by one we went around the room and each woman shared her favorite thing and why it was a favorite thing.  Then she would give her favorite thing to the 4 ladies she had drawn.  

I've found that it is the most fun to keep the names you draw a secret, until it gets to your turn and you announce who your favorite thing goes too.  It just helps to build up the excitement and anticipation.  Kind of like Oprah's favorite things, but with less screaming.  

Here are the favorite things that were shared:

• Harry & David Red Pepper and Onion Relish + 1 mini latte bowl in seafoam
• Eggsact Egg Timer
• Skin care samples and cookies
• Keychain wristlet
• Room Spray from Pier1 Imports
• Ethel M Pecan Brittle
• Cakestands (such a cool DIY - she glued together a dollar store candle stick holder & melamine plate from Target)
• Mason Jar mug plastic water bottle - from Target
• favorite foods/treats from the bulk section at Winco
• L'Oreal Voluminous mascara

The menu for the night included . . . 

• pumpkin muffins
• chips and my favorite dip (Pepper & Onion Relish + cream cheese)
• grapes, cherry tomatoes
• peanut butter M&M's, Twizzler Nibs, and almonds served in nut cups
• Brie and crackers

Also some white chocolate popcorn in these adorable french fry boxes

And for dessert, chocolate chip pizookies with vanilla ice cream.

I love putting together favors to send home with party guests.  I did a repeat of the brown paper bag because it doubles nicely as a way for people to carry home their new favorite things.

Inside, I also put together a small packet of favorite things for everyone who attended.  Small notebook, one Lindor truffle, and a roll of washi tape. (All from Target)

And that was it!  Honestly, this is probably the biggest that I have ever gone for a ladies' night party -- the combination of decorations, food, activities, etc.  It was a lot of work, and it came out very nicely and I think everyone appreciated it.  (I hope I didn't set the standard too high, because it's all down hill from here!)  The best part is coming away from the party feeling like you just celebrated Christmas!  

I think someone said that we should do this every month.  Well, maybe not every month.  But I'm sure I'll be throwing another one of these in a year or two.