She found her Big Buddha Courtny bag in Cream in a Maryland TJMaxx.  You can also find the Courtny bag in Fuschsia. I have scoured my TJMaxx here in Minnesota to find a similar bag to be Kristin’s bag’s BFF.  If you want to be bag friends with Kristin’s and can’t find one either ~ You can get one HERE in the Cream or HERE in the Fuschsia.

One of the good things about being BFFs that live approximately 5 states apart (can someone check if that is an accurate statement, homeschoolers, geography someone?) is that you can buy the same bag and you don’t look like dorks.

That is the only good thing.

For more inspiration on Spring/Summer Fashion visit my post on Summer Maxi Dresses & my Spring Face.  To find out who the 2 BFFs that write this blog are visit HERE.  Join us at the table on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.  This post was linked up at Mom Trends ~ Monday Mingle and The Pleated Poppy ~ What I Wore Wednesday

But here is a question for you ~ if a bag was this delicious would you buy it together with your BFF  and then be IRL Bag BFFs?

Helping your family do their lives well is Beauty Full.

Hope your Mother’s Day was full of Beauty!

Life Is Beauty Full Pillow ~ $120 ~ LoveFeast Shop

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You can find other posts about Beauty & Mothers at the Life Is Beauty Full Link Party. The winner of the Life Is Beauty Full pillow from that party is Crystal ~ Shine.  This is the second time she has won a gift here at LoveFeast.  We think she is on a roll!!

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What reminded you lately that Life Is Beauty Full?

Planning ahead to please the crowd is a great way to make sure your party gets off to a great start.  Thinking ahead about the needs of both adults and children will make sure everyone feels special and planned for.

This plan is an easy entertaining way to celebrate Mother’s Day.  Just make sure Mom is enjoying a refreshing drink, a chair and doesn’t have to slice her own pizza!

Thinking ahead and adding small touches will make your party feel more relaxed, festive, and hospitable to your friends and family.

Here are some party planning ideas:

Fill Steel buckets filled with ice cold beverages with one in mind for adults and one in mind for kids.  

Prep a picnic table with easy garden flower filled mason jars to top tables layered with  burlap or bright fabric straight from the bolt. 

Prep ahead small toy favors, a tray of bubbles, chalk, yo-yos, jump ropes, beach balls for the kids.  This will get everyone excited and comfortable right from the start.  Bigger kids can help younger, and adults can enjoy some conversation.

Gathering together to choose your own pizza toppings as part of the gatherings festivities.  Every one young and old, can choose their own pizza toppings.  The conversation around the table is part of the fun. 

We hope these tips inspire you to make a Pizza on the Grill Party one of your summer get-togethers.

Here is a list of some of our pizza topping ideas and some easy directions on how to make Pizza On The Grill.

Grilled Pizza Recipe

1 pizza dough from Trader Joes (or make your own ~ we found it just as good and easier to buy)

Assortment of Ingredients:

Sun-dried tomatoes, Oven roasted tomatoes, Fresh tomatoes, Arugula, Fresh basil, Fresh Mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, Raw Onions, Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, Roasted Red Peppers, Artichoke Hearts, Olives, Pizza sauce, Garlic cream sauce, Italian Sausage (pre cooked), Marinated Flank Steak (pre grilled)These are some of our favorites…but there are so many more to use!

1. Fire up the grill, get it good and hot.

2. Roll out and slap out, Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough to desired size.

3. Have all your ingredients handy right by the grill.

4. Place dough on oiled grill for 3-5 minutes.

5. Flip the dough, add the ingredients you want on top, close the lid to your grill and cook another 3-5 minutes.

6. Pull pizza off the grill and slice.

Sometimes for dinner parties, we cut dough into thirds, give every guest their own pizza dough, they go down an assembly line picking out their ingredients and stand next to the grill man (or lady) to help make their own individual. This is a huge crowd pleaser!

We think a Grilled Pizza Party is the perfect way to enjoy a day of grilling with friends.  It would make a great Mother’s Day gathering as well.  We hope these tips help you enjoy a beautiful day savoring time with family and friends.

We’d love invite you participate in the sponsored conversation below we’d love to hear your grilling tips and tricks.  By leaving a comment you will be automatically entered into a giveaway to receive a $25 gift card from Sears.

Share what it is you love about grilling in the summer and why grilling is your happiness!

These are just some of the reasons why Grilling is my Happiness. Besides all of the tasty food, tell me what you love about grilling. One of my lucky readers who answers below will win a $25 Sears Gift Card!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sears. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

Share what it is you love about grilling in the summer and why grilling is your happiness!

These are just some of the reasons why Grilling is my Happiness. Besides all of the tasty food, tell me what you love about grilling. One of my lucky readers who answers below will win a $25 Sears Gift Card!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sears. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

We’d love to invite you to follow LoveFeast Table on Pinterest. You can find the pins below on our Outdoor Spaces Board and our Home Design & Decor Board.

I searched Pinterest high and low and found lots of beautiful window inspiration but nothing with MY idea!  So you’ll have to check back in the next couple of weeks to see what I do with my vintage window!!  I can’t wait to show it to you ~ I think it will be a “pin-worthy” DIY project.  Hat’s off to our friends launching at the new Simple Design site where I’m linking up my Garden Window Thrift Haul.  How about you ~ did you find a fun “haul” lately?

As a busy mama with 4 kids, a go-to look is a necessity.  Right now, I am in love with stripes and color and sundresses, specifically the maxi sundress.  They’re easy, quick, and can say dressed-up or casual.  Being prepared for anything is what it takes to be Super Mom. Here’s a peek at my Spring/Summer sundress finds.

This fabric caught my eye at Anthropologie.  It reminds me of the South of Spain (where I honeymooned with my husband 20 years ago) or Morocco.  How could I resist that vibe.

So unusual you would think this print and stripe would never mix.  But, they do, see?  I’m hoping to wear this Anthropologie maxi dress to a blogger gathering Kristin and I are hoping to attend this July called, The Big Summer Potluck.

Tile Burst Maxi ~ Anthropologie ~ $158

A spied these fabrics at Target.  A tribal vibe Chevron in the colors of the season and happy bright stripes.

I picked up these 2 sundresses off the rack in Target.  This is what you’ll spot me in while I’m running my kids to the soccer fields, swimming lessons, and hopefully once in a while for a glass of wine with my husband at a local restaurant over looking the park in our small suburb.

 

 Target ~ Mossimo Supply Company ~Juniors ~ Striped Maxi Dresses ~ Assorted Colors ~ $24.99

 

The great thing about a sundress is you can throw on a big paid of earrings, throw your hair in a messy bun or pony and call it a chic outfit.   A bright scarf added can double as a “sweater” or just another pretty layer.  Mix and match ~ it’s fun!

Summer Fashion Tip ~ Mix patterns like chevrons, animal prints and florals for a chic bohemian vibe. Add a scarf for color and warmth!

A colorful sundress is going to be my Spring/Summer go-to outfit.  What’s yours going to be?

Check out my Spring Makeup Inspiration HERE.

Check our my favorite Mother’s Necklace HERE.

Linked up at Momma Go Rounds ~ Real Momma Real Style, The Pleated Poppy ~ What I Wore Wednesday, Glamamom ~ Monday Mingle

Evidence of ironic attempts at order – sloppily piled magazines leaning up against books on Decluttering and Organization.

How lovely is a candle in the wrapper still?  Not.  Would you burn a trio of candles directly under your lamp?  Hopefully not.

So, I the other day I put on some Coldplay and sat in front of my bedside area with some new woven baskets and a dust-mitt to create a place of order and serenity.

With three new baskets I hid my reference books I like to keep handy and corralled the books I am reading or am interested in reading next.  A third basket is to throw into when I am ready to shut my eyes.  Things like a pencil, paper, current book, glasses etc.  I decided to minimize decor.

Close up if you like -  20 years.

I am into containing spaces right now.  So, the jewelry box and phone is gathered on a tray.  (Teenagers?  Check.  Nearby phone?  Check.)  And, an oval bowl is handy with my readers (ahhh!! it happened!), hand lotion and bookmark.

Here’s a trick.  Clutter that you need can be disguised as decoration when mingling with pretty things.  So, it’s about color and composition, not about scattered items.

I found this oval bowl and decorative balls for just a few dollars in an isle at the craft store.  This composition of mixed colors blends it all together.  Voila!

This is going to help me sleep better, I just know it.

I still love the lamp I found at Mudd Lake.  It’s quirky and artsy and different.  The wall hanging above our bed is a framed piece of quilted fabric my husband found in a shop in India.  The fun optic blanket was made for me for Christmas by my Dad.  It’s everything I love,  gathered around.

Tips for Bedside Space Decorating:

Gather baskets or boxes to hide your stuff.

Dust and get rid of anything unnecessary to you within the month. Throw it or move it to another location.

Add things you want or need, like a good reading lamp or a cozy blanket or throw or a pretty pillow.

Edit, if there are extra decorative things in the space that aren’t really necessary.

Use trays, bowls and baskets to define spaces and protect surfaces

Have a handy bowl disguised as decor for eyeglasses, headbands, and things.

Fresh order.  Now that makes me happy.  A green plant? Coming soon.  It’s about progress not perfection.

Your bedside called – it says it wants a date.

Next stop.  The top of this dresser.  I’m taking my surfaces back people.  Who’s with me?

Handmade Paper Dolls

Kristin’s Memory

The above picture isn’t very beautiful, but the memory is Beauty Full. On Christmas Eve this year, we had another flood. This time in our storage unit. Directly under the busted pipe was my childhood scrapbook. It was ruined. But it was so full of memories I decided to go through page by page and capture them on camera. One of the pages took me back to a time when I was about my daughter’s age (10).

Growing up, my father was a pastor. Where there was a lack of money, both my parents made up for it with creativity. My mother especially. She was pretty passionate that we take a vacation every year, whether we could afford it or not. Usually those vacations meant pitching a tent and camping out so there were funds to visit historical sites or amusement parks during the day. She was a teacher too, so we were always learning. Vacations were special. They meant turkey lunch meat on sandwiches and not the usual bologna and mustard and green grapes instead of red delicious apples. But, one of my favorite vacation treats, were the extra special creative things my mom would tuck into the trip, to keep us occupied. She would make me paper dolls. She would draw me, the doll. Then she would create page after page of outfits for me to dress my doll with. Then I would spend the car ride, coloring and adding detail.  I’d carefully cut them out and do a fashion show for my mom and dad.

I’m sure she saw the lingering in my eyes when we went to Williamsburg, VA and I saw the colonial paper dolls. But, like a caring mama, she wanted to give me my heart’s desire, so she improvised using her greatest gift, creativity.

Anyone who links up a post to today’s Fancy Friday, will be entered to win one of our Life is Beauty Full pillows. Retail $120.

We want to let you know about our necklace sooner than later, because as you know, Mother’s Day is right around the corner!  And we know we are going to be busy!

Last year our Mother’s Tree of Life necklace in silver was The Pioneer Woman’s Mother’s Day Gift Idea #1 last year.

Mother’s Tree of Life in Silver ~ $199

We couldn’t resist sending a gold Mother’s Necklace to our friend Laura ~ Hollywood Housewife, when she had her new baby.

Mother’s Tree Of Life Necklace in Gold ~ $230

We both have our own Mother’s Tree Of Life necklaces too.  We receive so many compliments every time we wear it!  It’s fun to look down and say thank you ~ these are my 4 or 5 kids!  And, its fun to be reminded that what you are wearing around your neck is really what is closest to your heart.

The Mother’s Tree Of Life Necklace is the perfect no fail, Mother’s Day gift!  The necklace will be a beautiful heirloom that will make you remember what you truly treasure!!

Check out the Mother’s Tree Of Life Necklace & other inspiring finds in our LoveFeast Shop!

The last time we bought a sofa, it was about coming home. We bought the sofa that was affordable and symbolic. But, it only held up for 8 years before the frame broke. This time we decided to choose a sofa that would last.

As part of our participation in Test It, Blog It, Win It at Su Casa*, we were invited to come into the store a be a regular customer. We were supposed to be stealth like and not reveal we were bloggers until it was time to purchase. So, I want you to know, that our experience at Su Casa was authentic and not sugar coated because we were “blogger” status.

We wandered the store for a bit, taking it all in.

When we began to check out and test the sofas, we were approached by interior designer, Leslie.

She asked us what we were looking for in a sofa. We said, “We know we want it to be big, because we have a large family. It has to be easy to clean and care for, because we have so many kids (and a dog), it has to be well made (and not break at the first sign of a cannonball) and it has to be beautiful.” She asked us to point out the ones we saw on the floor, that we liked. The first one was this:

Beautiful, right?! My husband and I both fell in love with it. But, practical? Not so much. I immediately saw that each little tuft would soon be home  to Squinkies and dog hair. We tore ourselves away and showed her our other (more practical) favorite.

She smiled and said, “Well, you do know what you like! Both sofas are by the same company and they are our highest quality sofa on the floor.”

She talked us through the features…

*It comes with a lifetime warranty on the frame (built to last!)

*The cushions are down filled (holds up better than a poly-fill, not to mention way more comfortable!)

*It comes as a sectional for more seating (big to fit our family of 7 + dog.)

*It is slip covered for easy cleaning.

*There are many fabric swatches to choose from (little did she know this would open up Pandora’s box for me!)

*We could choose two other fabrics for the decorative pillows (cha-ching!).

“What about the piping on the sofa? Is it optional and does it have to be a contrast fabric?” I asked. She wasn’t sure if it was optional, so she went to check. She came back and said, “It’s not optional, but you don’t have to get it in a contrasting fabric.”

She brought out the books of fabric choices and we plunked ourselves down to begin to peruse.

As far as the base fabric of the sofa, we knew we didn’t want it to be a bold pattern. I change my decor mind too often. We kept coming back to the fabric on the floor model. “That’s linen, right?” I asked. I know that linen is not easy to keep clean, but oh how I love the way it looks. Leslie said, “Oh, this is a good pick for you, because it’s a linen polyester blend. It’s really easy to clean.” (*in my mind fist bump*)

Then we had to narrow the choices down to two, for the decorative pillows. Devon liked this one:

It’s beautiful and bright, but I gently explained to him, it was the “old decorating me”…it was a few houses ago. I chose this combo with shades of muted purple and grey, at first…

but, wasn’t so sure about the purple. Then Devon pointed out a textured fabric that I quickly paired with a twig pattern and…

…well, let’s just say, after 18 years, we make a good team. Leslie agreed with a, “Wow! I love that combination! You guys are good.”

We decided to order the piping in the same grey linen fabric and said, “We’ll take it!” We followed Leslie up to the register and she rang up our bill. She said, “How would you like to pay?” I handed her my card and said, “I’m one of the bloggers. I’m from LoveFeast Table.” I wish I had my camera out, right then and there! She had no idea! But, really, it wouldn’t have mattered.

Leslie was professional and kind throughout our visit. She listened to what we liked, made suggestions and gently steered us into picking the sofa that is right for our family. It will be a good addition!

*Test It, Blog It, Win It is a contest sponsored by Su Casa Furniture in Baltimore. Bloggers who were chosen, pick a piece of furniture of their choice, write about it and live with it for a month. Su Casa will choose which blogger was the most creative. That blogger will be able to keep her furniture for free. Those not chosen can chose to buy it at 50% off. Kristin is a participant.

They were super easy to make.

Grilled Lime & Cilantro Cauliflower Recipe

by Kristin Potler

1 head of cauliflower

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 lime, juice of

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1. Fire up your grill.

2. Cut cauliflower in 1 inch slices, keeping stem on.

3. Brush cauliflower with olive oil.

4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5. Place on grill and cook, flipping once until cauliflower is tender.

6. Pull off grill and sprinkle with lime juice and cilantro.

Serve with Espresso Maple Short Ribs and Cornbread for a delicious meal that will make any man take notice!