Are you noticing the trend of paper flowers?

I don’t think the use of real flowers are being replaced entirely, but people are noticing the benefits of paper ones. Let’s be honest, sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference. I have been fooled on more than one occasion.

Paper Blooms: 25 Extraordinary Flowers to Make for Weddings, Celebrations & More

Paper Blooms by Jeffrey Rudell can teach you how to create over 25 different flowers. The materials he used are as simple as coffee filters and construction paper. We have an abundance of coffee filters in our house so I really want to test my luck with the carnations.

I love the idea of using the flowers on gifts, wall decor, party decorations, and much more. The possibilities are endless.

What do you think, is there a trend happening with handmade paper flowers?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

A few weekends ago I found this candy dispenser at a yard sale. I am kicking around ideas for Landon’s room and thought for a $1 it might be something I could use. Worse case, I give it to Goodwill and I am only out a buck.

After I lived with it for a week I had two thoughts:

1. A candy machine in a 3 year old’s room is a BAD idea. I am picturing a massive M&M overdose.

2. I don’t know what germs are/were living in there. Even after a nice bleaching I don’t think I could let Landon eat anything out of it. 

When I heard about the The Gro Project I knew this would be perfect. The whole idea is to create fun garden project. The little candy machine is a wimsy, unique, and the perfect container to use as a garden for a kids room. 

After I cleaned off the previous owner, I let Landon and his buddy fill up the dispenser with Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. We went with the regular version but there is also a  Moisture Control Potting Mix that helps protect your plants from over/under watering (perfect for black thumbs like myself who are winging it). I think they got more dirt on the ground than in the container. At least they had fun. Just another day in the dirt.

Then I added the succulents and the rocks. It was a bit tricky getting everything inside the small opening. I wish I could offer up some sage advice for you. All I know is stick to smaller plants and place them on the outer edges first. That way your hand can fit in the middle while you work them into the soil.

When picking out a container for your garden it is totally ok to think out of the box and get a little crazy. Just remember that you will need to make sure there is a way for the water to drain.

You can share your fun garden project on the Miracle-Gro Facebook Page - The Gro Project OR view more fun garden projects on their Pinterest page.

Adam will be so happy that I actually put a yard sale find to good use. 

Are you a yard sale junkie too? What was you latest score?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TIKI Brand® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am in the beginning stages of planning our first summer party and I am really excited about it. We were talking with some of our neighbors one night and thought it would be fun to have a beer tasting party. Everyone is supposed to bring some kind of crazy flavored beer for tasting and of course some for drinking. Sounds like fun, right? We are still working out the details but it is totally happening. It is on my summer bucket list after all.

We have limited space inside our house to accomodate party guests so it is nice to have the option to spill into the backyard. Last month we finally replaced the table that broke last summer. Ugh, what a disaster that was. Glad that is over. Anyways, now we are back to the fun part of adding style and ambience. 

With such a small space we have to think smart about the placement of lighting. We have outdoor flood lights, but they do nothing for creating a fun place to relax. They also attract every bug known to man so we will have to keep them turned off.

After spending a couple late nights outside with our new TIKI Brand Glowing Table Torch I think it is the perfect fit for us. It is small, which fits our spacial concerns, but it also give us tons of light. And it is so pretty to watch.

The TIKI Brand Glowing Torches are also a mother's dream. I think I have lit a candle once, twice max, since Landon was born. Having open flames around him scares me a little bit. He is too unpredictable. The TIKI Brand Glowing Table Torch and TIKI Brand Flame & Solar Torch both have LED and Solar options. So while the kids are around you can use those options and when they head off to bed you can light them up.

The other thing I like about them is the fuel is also a mosquito repellent. Bonus! 

I mentioned that the table torch is pretty to watch, well that is because the LED light changes colors. I think that was Landon's favorite.  He loved telling me all the colors, over and over and over again. They are pretting and entertaining.

You can find any of the TIKI Brand Flame & Solar Torches at Wal-Mart, Target, or tikibrand.com. I was really impressed with how easy they were to use and how quickly they turned my small backyard into a little oasis. After a long day at work it is the perfect little getaway in my own backyard. 

I put together a little video to show you how it works. It is a silent movie though. I tried making one with Landon (and words) but it contained the following conversation:

Landon: Mom, who are you talking to?

Me: The people that will be watching this video.

Landon: Where are they?

Me: At home.

Landon: Then why are you talking to them if they aren't here?

Your life is like this too, right? 

I hope our future party guests like them as much as we do. 

What is your favorite thing about the Tiki Brand products? 

To receive more information you can follow TIKI Brand on Facebook.

This is a sponsored post by the Ironite Brand.

My husband over the years has slowly become “that guy” with scissors trimming uneven blades of grass. He is pretty meticulous about the lawn. Maybe he finds it therapeutic?

“We” have been working hard the last few weekends on our curb appeal. When we first moved into our house we had this awesome idea to remove everything and start fresh. HA! Idiots. Everything looked dead so we tore it out. It was November and we didn’t know any better. We should have waited to see what everything would like full bloom, like I said idiots. We trashed perfectly good azalea bushes. Who does that?

Since then we have tried several other combinations to end up with this:

The middle bush we planted died. I don’t understand what happened there. We also planted bulbs in a nice row in the front, but only two or three showed up for the dance. The sun burns almost everything we plant so I am not sure why I continue to try. There has to be something that won’t catch fire in sunlight.

We pulled all of that junk and put in a few new plants. I am hoping they will grow and spread over the entire space. Right now they look dainty, but I have high hopes. We are using the Ironite® Plus Plus Lawn & Plant Food 6-2-1. This fertilizer feeds through the foliage and root system and it will not cause the plant to burn.

 All you have to do is hook it up to your hose and spray.

After some fresh mulch and watering we ended up with this. We also added a border around the garden to help distinguish the line between the garden and the lawn. I will update this post with the names of our new plants. I know that the smaller ones in the front are a type of lavender. I am clueless on the others.

Central Garden & Pet would like to give you $25.00 Visa Gift Card to get you started on your spring gardening. To enter leave a comment on the blog telling me what your garden needs are.

Good luck! I will update you in a month to let you know how things are growing!

Central Garden & Pet partnered with bloggers such as me to help educate us all about their products. As part of this program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the use of the products. Central Garden & Pet believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Central Garden & Pet’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. A winner will be chosen by random and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party.

Summer is still officially about a month away, but I don’t care. I am making my plans now. If I start planning when it is actually summer then I won’t get to doing anything until it is practically fall. You know how it goes.  Memorial weekend will be here before we know it, and in my mind that is the kick-off party for summer anyways.

Since I am a sucker for a good list I put one together for this summer. I feel like I am being overly ambitious. There are a few things that I highly doubt we will do, but I want it on my list just in case. For example go fishing, unless we are talking about the card game, chances are slim to none. But if it does happen, I want it on my list so I can cross it off.

>> Go strawberry picking.

>> Hit up a HUGE farmer’s market

>> Go to a water park

>> Buy something unusual at a flea market

>> Make homemade  ice cream

>> Catch fireflies

>> Have a yard sale

>> Go on a hike

>> Have a picnic

>> Go to the beach

>> Go water tubing

>> Try fishing

>> Go Sightseeing

>> Read 12 Books

>> Have a water fight

>> Host a BBQ

>> Go to a winery

>> Take in a baseball game

>> Spray paint something

>> Finish the bathroom

>> Give back to the community

>> Get off automatic

>> Cook with vegetables from my garden

>> Watch Fireworks

>> Spend a night outside under the stars

>> Upgrade Landon’s room

>> Host a beer tasting party

>> Play mini-golf

>> Go to the fair

Your turn, what’s on your summer bucket list?

I am in the process of beefing up my DIY Summer pinterest board. If you come across anything interesting and unique, please leave a link in the comments so I can add it to my list.

I drive my husband crazy with all the “trash” I ask him to save. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but we aren’t the best recyclers (is that a word?) in our house. If we were I probably wouldn’t have to remind him to save them for me. Luckily for him I was the one who chugged down the last of the creamer so I saved it for myself.

After looking at the plastic container at every angle I thought it would be cool to turn it on its side and use it as a planter. The word on the street is, succulents are hard to kill. With my background in gardening I thought they would be safe place to start.

I started out by rinsing out my empty creamer bottle. You may even want to run it through the dishwasher.

Next, take a box knife and trim out the top of the container. You will notice that there is a flat surface on the front of the bottle that will give you a natural guide to follow.

Once you have the top cut, fill it with dirt and add your succulents.

The lid creates a built in drainage system too. Just open it, and the extra water flows out.

You could even add a little bit of washi tape to kick it up a notch.

The ID container would also be great recycled as a mini seed starter. You could plant your seed and then add the plastic you removed back and create a greenhouse.

And in case your wondering, my ID is French Vanilla or Cold Stone Creamery – Sweet Cream. I don’t know what that says about my personality, but when it comes to hot tea, I like it sweet and creamy.

You can share your ID at www.whatsyourid.com and enter to win some cool prizes from International Delight. You can also view my flavor inspiration board on pinterest for all things cream and vanilla.

Get Social With International Delight.

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What’s Your ID? International Delight is looking for their most passionate flavor fans. Put your ID on the map to enter to win a Magical Trip, play games and discover more unexpected delight. Share your ID flavor at http://whatsyourid.com. 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.

This is it, my final go at gardening. If it doesn’t work this time I am not sure I will try again. Those of you who have been reading this blog for the past few years have witnessed my attempts at gardening. More than once I have tried to grow herbs and vegetables and sadly I have failed both times. I tried an elaborate container garden last year and I managed to grow nothing. I did however create a nice bug condominium. It was awful.

The whole process was/is extremely frustrating. Luckily I didn’t have that much money invested. Just my time and effort. I think I tried to do too much. This year I will start small and do more research. I know that urban gardening can be done. You don’t have to have a big yard to grow your own food. All I want is a freakin’ pepper for goodness sakes. It shouldn’t be this difficult. I just have to figure out how to do it (successfully). I am not willing to throw in the towel just yet. Try and try again, right?

Although my focus has always been food in the past. I would love to move into the flower and greenery department as well. The idea of having fresh floral arrangements is very appealing too. And yes, I realize I am already making it more complicated. It is what I do apparently.

This is the space I am working with. We used to have a little patch of grass but a few years ago we put in a patio. This corner is where I would most likely build my urban garden.

I found a few books that I think will be give me the information I need to get this done. The plan is to read, get an organized plan, execute said plan, and grow some stuff.

>> I Garden – Urban Style
>> Apartment Gardening: Plants, Projects, and Recipes for Growing Food in Your Urban Home
>> Succulent Container Gardens: Design Eye-Catching Displays with 350 Easy-Care Plants
>> The Edible Balcony: Growing Fresh Produce in Small Spaces
>> Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces
>> Don’t Throw It, Grow It!: 68 windowsill plants from kitchen scraps
>> The Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook: Make the Most of Your Growing Season
>> You Grow Girl: The Groundbreaking Guide to Gardening

*This list contains affiliate links.

If you have had sucess with urban gardening I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.

Have you ever failed several times and refused to give up?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of CB2 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

When I look around my house and take inventory of the design elements I am usually discouraged by the lack of personality. I like to think of myself as someone who is unique and full of life and color. There are very few things in my home that would make this fact believable. Right now it looks like a schizophrenic went shopping at a consignment shop. There is very little direction. Design wise, I am all over the place.

I am not a designer and I am just learning what my own style is when it comes to decorating. I have been using websites like Pinterest, House Beautiful, and Better Homes and Gardens as sources of inspiration. When I look at photos from these sites I am always impressed with the unusual and eclectic pieces used in the design. I love all the little elements that look “collected”. My favorite rooms are the ones that have hidden treasures. Every where you look you discover something new and special. I want my home to be like.

I can also get carried away with browsing online catalogs. Tabs and tabs of pages opened all at once. It is ridiculous. My husband can’t stand it! Especially when I close the laptop and leave them all open. Drives him nuts! I am pretty sure my life was forever changed when the tabbed browser was introduced. One of my favorite sources is CB2. They have a collection that is as unique and eclectic as I like to think I am. The CB2 and Novogratz Collection packs a heavy weight punch of personality. 

These items are colorful, unique, and definite conversation pieces. Robert and Courtney Novogratz design pieces that mix modern with vintage. Personally, this is where my heart is – a mixture of old and new. There are days I still think I was born in the wrong era. With that said I also feel like I am fresh and current. 

Since the new Novogratz line is inspired by Brazil there is also a pretty sweet giveaway going on. How would you like to take 3 friends to Trancosa Brazil?? The CB2 and Novogratz Brasil Sweepstakes is going on right now. 10 other winners will also win a CB2 $100 shopping spree! The sweepstakes is running from May 2nd through June 3rd.

What is your design style? Is your home full of personality, or are you like me and still working on it a little every day?

More importantly, please tell me that the tabbed browser was also life changing for you too.

A new month means new book selections. This month I choose a few that I have been wanting to read for quite some time. I think “The Paris Wife” has been on my list for over a year now.

>> this post contains affiliate links <<

The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.

The Flight of Gemma Hardy – Margot Livesey

Taken from her native Iceland to Scotland in the early 1950s when her widower father drowns at sea, young Gemma Hardy comes to live with her kindly uncle and his family. But his death leaves Gemma under the care of her resentful aunt, and she suddenly finds herself an unwelcome guest. Surviving oppressive years at a strict private school, Gemma ultimately finds a job as an au pair to the eight-year-old niece of Mr. Sinclair on the Orkney Islands—and here, at the mysterious and remote Blackbird Hall, Gemma’s greatest trial begins.

The Red Book - Deborah Copaken Hogan

Clover, Addison, Mia, and Jane were roommates at Harvard until their graduation in 1989. Clover, homeschooled on a commune by mixed-race parents, felt woefully out of place. Addison yearned to shed the burden of her Mayflower heritage. Mia mined the depths of her suburban ennui to enact brilliant performances on the Harvard stage. Jane, an adopted Vietnamese war orphan, made sense of her fractured world through words.

Twenty years later, their lives are in free fall. Clover, once a securities broker with Lehman, is out of a job and struggling to reproduce before her fertility window slams shut. Addison’s marriage to a writer’s-blocked novelist is as stale as her so-called career as a painter. Hollywood shut its gold-plated gates to Mia, who now stays home with her four children, renovating and acquiring faster than her director husband can pay the bills. Jane, the Paris bureau chief for a newspaper whose foreign bureaus are now shuttered, is caught in a vortex of loss.

Like all Harvard grads, they’ve kept abreast of one another via the red book, a class report published every five years, containing brief autobiographical essays by fellow alumni. But there’s the story we tell the world, and then there’s the real story, as these former classmates will learn during their twentieth reunion weekend, when they arrive with their families, their histories, their dashed dreams, and their secret yearnings to a relationship-changing, score-settling, unforgettable weekend.

The Paris Wife – Paula McLain

Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott FitzgeTrald.

Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking, fast-living, and free-loving life of Jazz Age Paris. As Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history and pours himself into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises, Hadley strives to hold on to her sense of self as her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Eventually they find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.

A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.

>> all photos and summaries are from Amazon <<

You can find more information about the book club and also view past selections here.

The forum is still open for April’s picks. If you haven’t already, stop by and introduce yourself too!

If you have any questions about the book club feel free to leave a comment and I will do my best to answer your questions.

Hello Weekend.

My husband is going out of town to New Jersey with a bunch of his friends. It is going to be one giant bro-fest. I am not even going to imagine the kind of trouble they could possibly get into. I would be consumed with jealousy if I didn’t sneak away for a girls trip last weekend. Which by the way was a blast, thank you for asking. I highly recommend sneaking away every once and awhile. It let me re-charge and it also gave everyone a chance to miss each other. I think you need that every now and then.

I decided to start a new series called “BookBites”. I am an extreme note taker when I read books. I write down every thing that I find inspiring or influential. It is a very time consuming habit.  I did however save myself some time when I learned about the highlighting function on the kindle. I am a little slow to the game because I just figured out how to use it a week or so ago. #DigitallyChallenged

Anyway, I find that my favorite quotes are the ones that mean something outside the context of the book. Do you know what I mean?

Enjoy your weekend! I have jammed packed ours with as many energy draining activities as possible. I just hope Landon cries uncle before I do.