Clean & Scentsible

Lemonade Bar

2013-05-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost here so it is time to whip out the lemonade! You may remember my hot chocolate bar turned bunny bar...

Well, it got a little summer makeover!

The bottles are filled with lemonade crystals, some paper straws, and cherry Kool-Aid. I was actually trying to find some pink lemonade crystals but I couldn't find them anywhere. The Kool-Aid mixed with the lemonade actually tastes pretty darn good though! ;)

I purchased the bottles last fall at Decor Steals but you can also find them over at Farmhouse Decor {along
with lots of other fabulous goodies!}. The sign is just a wooden rectangle that I purchased from Michael's and sprayed with chalkboard paint. Chalk pens make it SO much easier to draw on little signs like this one!

I made the labels for the bottles, punched them out and and glued them onto some patterned scrapbook paper. I then tied everything on with some baker's twine. If you would like a copy of the labels, you can download them HERE. I added a pink lemonade label for you just in case!

Now all that's left to do is make a cool glass or lemonade and relax!!! Happy Victoria Day to all of my Canadian friends! I hope you have a wonderful long weekend!

My Sunday Sparks {No. 91}

2013-05-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday! I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. We are recovering today from Connor's birthday party yesterday and I am hoping that the house will magically be put back in order. So far no luck...

Anyways, I am just popping in today to show you some of the amazing projects linked up at last week's Creative Spark. There were so many fabulous ideas - I wish that I could highlight you all!

I love this colorful flower sign from The Happy Scraps!

Laura's Crafty Life turned some dollar store baskets into beautiful faux metal baskets. Perfect for organizing!

So Much Better With Age created this awesome kitchen office space. My favorite part is definitely their charging station - brilliant!

How fabulous is this DIY Herb Garden from Ginger Snap Crafts? She has a great tutorial for you too!

2 Crafty 4 My Skirt made this amazing potting bench from some old pallets. Check out her post for lots of other pallet projects too!

I have never made my own soap but I really want to try this oatmeal goat's milk soap recipe from Essentially Eclectic. My skin could definitely use a little love.

And, finally, my food pick of the week is these cheesecake filled strawberries from Happier Than a Pig in Mud. A perfect, easy-to-do summer treat!

Thank- you so much to all of you that came out to the party last week. You are ALL amazing!! If you haven't had a chance to check out the links, you can head on over HERE and all features {past and present!} can always be found on my Pinterest board. If you were featured here or on my Facebook page, please feel free to grab a button from the sidebar.

Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday!

Black and White Inspiration

2013-05-17T00:02:00.001-07:00

It has taken me some time to figure this out, but I LOVE black and white together. I used to think of myself as being drawn more towards whites but ever since I re-did our master bedroom last year, I realize that I have a bit of a dark side too.

Right now I am still working on finishing off our dining room and have continued on with the black and white trend {with a few wood tones and some color thrown in there too!} Today I thought that I would share some of my black and white inspiration with you....

{Traditional Home}

{Harmony and Home}

{Em for Marvelous}

{Canadian House and Home}

{Better Homes and Gardens}

{Clean and Scentsible}

{House and Home}

{The Bright Life}

{The Kitchn}

{Copy Cat Chic}

So what do you think? Do you lean towards white, black or a little of both?

I linked up with Alderberry Hill, Uncommon, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Flamingo Toes and I Heart Naptime.

Crab Cakes {cupcakes}

2013-05-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

My little dude turned SIX on Monday and I am still trying to figure out where all of those years have gone! It makes me a little sad to see him growing up so quickly but I know that there will be lots of new and exciting adventures with each new age. We will be having some of his friends over for his birthday party on the weekend but he wanted to bring some cupcakes to school on Monday for the whole class. Since we are doing an Under the Sea theme for his party, I thought that I would make some "sea inspired" cupcakes as well...

When I first saw these cupcakes over at Cutest Food I knew that they would be perfect. Decorating cakes and cupcakes is not a strong suit of mine but these guys were so cute and easy to make!

INGREDIENTS

cup cake mix {or you can be fancy and make your own!}
white icing {vanilla or cream cheese}
1 C graham cracker crumbs
1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C butter
candy eyes
gummy orange slices
gummy fuzzy peaches
round orange gummies {I had to buy a multi-color pack for these and pick out the orange ones!}
toothpicks

To Do

Bake and ice cupcakes.
Mix graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and butter. Sprinkle on the top of the cupcakes for your "sand".
Slice fuzzy peach into a crescent shape
Use toothpicks {they will need to be cut down} to add the fuzzy peach "claws" to the orange slice "body".
Use icing to attach the candy eyes to the round orange gummies. Use toothpicks {that will also need to be cut down} to attach the "eyes" to the orange slice body.

I just love these little guys! Too bad they were quickly gobbled up!

Enjoy your day!
I linked up with Under the Table and Dreaming, Craft-O-Maniac, Alderberry Hill, Uncommon, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Flamingo Toes, I Heart Naptime, Tatertots and Jello, Whipperberry, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Love of Family and Home, The Frugal Girls, Becoming Martha, Tidy Mom, Somewhat Simple, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The 36th Avenue and Stone Gable.

The Creative Spark {No. 91}

2013-05-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to another night of The Creative Spark! I can't wait to see what you have all been up to!

I just want to give you a little heads up that there will be a few changes to this link party in the near future. I really do appreciate all of you coming out to party with me each week and I am always looking for ways to promote your wonderful ideas even more. I am so excited to share all of the details with you but I just have a couple of things left to work out! Stay tuned!

This week I showed you some Spring changes that I did in our front entry...

...and I shared a sweet memory album to write little notes back and forth between you and your kiddos. Remember to start that communication while they are still little! :)

There was also a free printable that could be framed for a nursery or baby shower gift.

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Okay, so now it`s your turn!! What have you all been up to? Feel free to link up anything that YOU have created - crafts, DIY, scrapbook projects, organization ideas, decorating, recipes - anything goes!

Want to link up?

Link directly to your specific post {not the homepage}.
Please add The Creative Spark button to your post or blog {the code is in my sidebar} OR place a text link at the end of your post. I would love for you to help me spread the word!
Follow along with Facebook to see if you have been featured throughout the week and pop back on Sunday for my feature post.
Check out some of the other fabulous links. A few nice comments always inspires us to create more!

Spring Front Entry

2013-05-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and all of you wonderful Mother's had a very special day yesterday! I had a nice sleep in, breakfast in bed, and some hand made goodies from the boys. Perfect!

We have had some beautiful weather around here for the past couple of weeks and I have been happy to spend some time getting the front entry spruced up for Spring. We still have a lot more that we need to do {which primarily involves painting and a whole lot of weeding!} but I thought that I would show you where we are at....

I headed down to Home Depot last weekend and picked up some flowers. I made up a couple of hanging baskets and filled the planters that we already had from last year. I also added some lavender plants to a wooden basket {love that smell!} and placed some more plants in an old watering can. I still want to get a couple of small trailing flowers to add to it but I'm waiting to see if these ones survive. :)

I also did a little Spring sprucing on the inside too...

I painted the bench last year with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in pure white. This year I added a bench pillow and this bird pillow that I absolutely had to have. {You might recognize it from my Facebook page! }

I found this ladder at an antique shop and brought it home for a Christmas display. I have been meaning to paint it since then but I kind of like the unexpected pop of red. It's not a color that I usually have so I am thinking that it might stay for a while. I picked up the planter on the top at Superstore. It's filled with mint leaves which will come in handy for some summer ice tea!

We have a coat closet in the hallway for all of our coats but it is quite full and we don't really have any room for guest's coats. This coat rack was kind of an impulse buy {I seem to have a lot of those!} but it is working out quite well!

The boys bought me some lilies for Mother's Day and I added some lilacs from the yard. It smells heavenly...

The flowers sit on top of our Ikea shoe rack that we purchased last year. This thing holds a ton of shoes and I love having everything away out of sight {although I am still trying to train my hubby how to use it!}

Even though it is summer, we still have the pebble shoe tray out tucked behind the door. Wet shoes are year round around here - whether it is from the rain or from running through the hose!

At some point in the next couple of months, I am planning on painting out all of that oak trim white. This is one project that I have wanted to do for years but have been dreading! We have a very open floor plan on our main floor so there will be A LOT of it to do. The job has been started in the dining room though so there is no turning back now....

Anyways, I hope you have enjoyed my little tour of the entry way. Of course, now that I am all ready for Spring, the rain has returned. Fingers crossed that it is not for long!

I hope you have a wonderful week!
I linked up with Under the Table and Dreaming, Craft-O-Maniac, Alderberry Hill, Uncommon, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Flamingo Toes, I Heart Naptime, Tatertots and Jello, Whipperberry, Design Dining and Diapers, Love of Family and Home, The Frugal Girls, Becoming Martha, Tidy Mom, Somewhat Simple, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The 36th Avenue, Stone Gable, Lil Luna, Savvy Southern Style, The Gunny Sack, Lolly Jane and Today's Creative Blog.

My Sunday Sparks {No. 90}

2013-05-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! I hope all of you wonderful mothers are being spoiled today and receiving lots of love from your little ones! {and grown up ones too!}

I'm just popping in today with some fabulous features from last week's Creative Spark. As always, there were lots of amazing ideas linked up

Happy House "spring-ified" her living room. I am loving all of the colors!!

How cute is this DIY cork trivet from Live Laugh Rowe? There are so many possibilities!

Get the scoop on how to make your own homemade dishwasher detergent over at The Seasoned Homemaker.

Sweet Little Gals made some fruit flavored water. It looks so pretty - I must try!

This beautiful vintage crate centerpiece was also from Sweet Little Gals. The colors make me smile. :)

The Wilderness Wife created this awesome zipper pathway.

If you have been looking for a farmhouse table, City Farmhouse shows you an easy way to build your own!

Better With Age turned a closet into a fabulous butler's pantry. So smart!

And, finally, for my food pick of the week, check out this homemade granola from Natasha in Oz. Package it all up for a cute {and healthy!} gift idea too!

Oh, and I have to show you my very favorite feature of all...

{photo from Maddiegray Photography}

Thank- you so much to all of you that came out to the party last week. You are ALL amazing!! If you haven't had a chance to check out the links, you can head on over HERE and all features {past and present!} can always be found on my Pinterest board. If you were featured here or on my Facebook page, please feel free to grab a button from the sidebar.

Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday!

I'll Love You Forever Mother's Day Gift {Free Printable}

2013-05-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

Somehow April slipped right past me and it is now almost Mother's Day! I am doing something a little different this year for Mother's Day and giving my kids a present. Well, really it is for me, but hopefully they won't figure that out! :)

My all time, most favorite children's story that I have read to my kids is I'll Love Your Forever by Robert Munch. If you do not own this book, you seriously have to go out and get it. Like NOW! I have read this book countless times with the boys and still get choked up every time that I read it. My Mom was an elementary school teacher and used to cry every year too as she read it at her kids at her class' Mother's Day Tea.

Just in case you are not familiar with the book, it follows a little baby boy as he grows up. As he grows from a baby to a toddler and into a teenager, his Mom continues to cuddle him and sings him a little song: "I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be." Eventually the baby boy grows into an adult and his mother becomes old and sick. The man takes his Mom into his arms and sings: "I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my Mommy you'll be."

See? I can't even write this without bawling. I guess you'll just have to read the book!

Okay, so back to my little gift. It's kind of like a "love note" book that will pass back and forth between the kids and me {I first saw this idea over at Delia Creates}. I plan on writing random notes to the kids in the book and leaving it on their bed for them to find. They can then flip the book over to the other end and write me back a little note {or draw me a picture}. It's a fun way to encourage their writing and communication skills and will serve as a wonderful keepsake.

Remember that the notes don't have to be anything big - sometimes just a sweet little reminder of why you love them is all that's needed!

MATERIALS

notebook {I just bought mine from the dollar store}
printables {see below for links}
white cardstock
glue
paper roller {or use a rolling pin or side of a cup}
washi tape
sanding block

TO DO

Print out the printables in the size closest to your notebook size. Although the printable was designed as an 8x10, I printed it out as an executive 7.25x10.5 inch size to better fit my notebook. Trim as needed. I left a thin border {approximately 3/4 cm} between the spine of the book and where I placed the edge of the printable. This allows the book to open easier and will later be covered with the washi tape.
Apply glue to the notebook cover paying extra attention to the edges and corners. Apply the glue over the back of one of the printables as well. Don't be stingy on glue here! Position the printable over the notebook and use the paper roller to adhere it in place. {You don't have to actually use a roller but I find the paper adheres much better this way!}.
Flip your notebook over and make sure you rotate it as well {it should be "upside down" compared to the front cover} so the book will open correctly. Repeat gluing with the second printable. If your kids aren't old enough to write anything back you can always just use the one printable and keep it as a memory keeper notebook for yourself.
As a final touch, I like to sand the edges down along the edges of the covers. Make. sure you just sand down {sanding up will tend to lift the paper up off the cover}
Add washi tape along the spine of the book and extend inwards until it just overlaps the edge of the printable.

If you don't want to make a book, you can always just frame the printable - it would be great for a baby or toddler room. You can also print out a smaller version of the printable and use it as the front of a card. Add a little handprint on the inside and it would be perfect!

If you are making a book the borderless prints will work best unless your notebook is a in perfect proportion to 8x10. If you are making a card or putting the print in a frame, you might want to use the print with the border. I also did a boy and a girl version for you...

{Download borderless "My Mommy" HERE and download "My Baby" HERE}

{Download framed "My Mommy" HERE and download "My Baby" HERE}

{Download borderless "My Mommy" HERE and download "My Baby" HERE}

{Download framed "My Mommy" HERE and download "My Baby" HERE}

Hopefully you enjoy the printables and can come up with some fun ways to use them! They would make a wonderful baby gift too!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful mother's out there!

I linked up with Under the Table and Dreaming, Alderberry Hill, Uncommon, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Flamingo Toes, Whipperberry, Craftberry Bush, The Frugal Girls, Becoming Martha, Somewhat Simple, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Lil Luna, Savvy Southern Style, The Gunny Sack, I Heart Naptime, Tatertots and Jello, Love of Family and Home, Tidy Mom, The 36th Avenue and Stone Gable.

The Creative Spark {No. 90}

2013-05-07T16:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to another night of The Creative Spark! I can't wait to see what you all have been working on!

This week I shared a couple of healthy recipes - my favorite avocado wraps with a peanut mustard sauce...

...and this yummy strawberry mango smoothie.

I also finally wrapped up Connor's Star Wars party from last year.

*****************

Want to link up?

Link directly to your specific post {not the homepage}.
Please add The Creative Spark button to your post or blog {the code is in my sidebar} OR place a text link at the end of your post. I would love for you to help me spread the word!
Follow along with Facebook to see if you have been featured throughout the week and pop back on Sunday for my feature post.
Check out some of the other fabulous links. A few nice comments always inspires us to create more!

Strawberry Mango Banana Orange Smoothie

2013-05-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

I mentioned last week that I was making it my mission this month to eat healthier. Well, last week didn't exactly go as planned. It was an extra busy week to begin with and then on Tuesday we had to say good-bye to our loving puppy of almost 15 years. It was a sad week all around and let's just say that there was a lot of stress eating going on....

But, Monday brings a new week and the healthy eating is back on! I always have a hard time getting enough fruits and veggies in during the day so I thought that starting off my morning with a fruit smoothie would be a good way to go.

INGREDIENTS

approximately 1 cup of cut mangoes {see below for how to easily cut mangoes}
approximately 1 cup of sliced strawberries
1 frozen banana {even if you are not a big banana fan try jut adding half - it makes it so much creamier!}
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup Greek Vanilla Yogurt {non-fat}
1 tbsp honey
6 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS

Mangoes can be a bit of a pain to cut up due to their large seed. Here is the best way that I have found to cut them up...

Place the mango on the cutting board with the stem facing down. Have the narrow part of the mango facing you.
Cut downwards through the rounded sides starting approximately 1/4 inch to one side from the center of the top.
With the peel still on, cut parallel slices. Scoop out with a spoon. {Depending on how ripe the mango is you may be able to pop it out like you do with an orange} Cut up into 1/2 inch cubes.
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until you have the desired consistency.
Makes 2 Servings.

In order to encourage myself to eat more healthy I have been doing a little research into the health benefits of different foods. Mangoes are one of my favorite fruits and I was happy to find out that this "superfruit" is super high in nutrients and does not cause blood sugar spikes like many other fruits with high glycemic indexes. Plus the higher fiber content helps to keep you feeling full for longer. {Please keep in mind that I am not a doctor or nutritionist so please consult a professional if you have any questions!}

Health Benefits of Mangoes

high levels of fiber, pectin and vitamin C to help reduce cholesterol
high levels of vitamin A to protect eye sight and dry eyes
antioxident compounds that help protect against cancers {especially breast, colon, prostate, and leukemia}
lower gycemic index {compared to many fruits} so it causes less fluctuations in sugar levels {and does not lead to fat storage}
high levels of fiber help to promote digestion and elimination and help to keep you feeling full longer
high levels of vitamin A and C as well as carotenoids help to promote a healthy immune system

Enjoy!!!

I linked up with Under the Table and Dreaming, Craft-O-Maniac, Alderberry Hill, Uncommon, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Flamingo Toes, Whipperberry, Craftbery Bush, The Frugal Girls, Becoming Martha, Somewhat Simple, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Lil Luna, The Gunny Sack, Lolly Jane, Today's Creative Blog, I Heart Naptime, Tatertots and Jello, Love of Family and Home, Tidy Mom, The 36th Avenue, Stone Gable and Savvy Southern Style.

My Sunday Sparks {No.89}

2013-05-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday! It is a beautiful, warm, sunny day here which always puts a smile on my face. It kind of feels like we should be on summer vacation. :) I will be planting some flowers that I bought yesterday to decorate the front porch but I am predicting that that will probably be the only thing that gets accomplished around here today. Time for some fun in the sun!

Before we head outside, I just wanted to show off some of the amazing projects linked up at last week's Creative Spark....

If you are looking for a colorful Mother's day gift, check out these painted mason jars from Live, Laugh, Rowe. So pretty!

I am loving this garden entrance way from 3 Peppers Recipes. The pops of red are perfect!

Essentially Eclectic created this DIY Edible Face Mask. It actually sounds pretty yummy!

The Happy House revealed their new front entry way complete with board and batten and a new paint color. I love how light and airy it is now!

Rustique Restoration did a beautiful job transforming an old end table with her DIY chalk paint.

How fun is this Radio Flyer succulent garden from Daisy Mae Belle? I especially love that it is low maintenance!!

And my food pick of the week are these DIY cheese bowl from Cheerios and Lattes. What a fun way to dress up a salad!

Star Wars Party Ideas

2013-05-03T15:33:00.001-07:00

I am starting to get going on plans for Connor's 6th birthday and realized that I never got around to posting a final recap on his Star Wars Party from last year! I thought that I would put everything together for you in one post to make everything easier to find...

Invitations are a fun way to get everyone excited for the party so don't be afraid to get creative! These light saber invites were a big hit with the boys and many of them actually bought them to the party.

We all know that one of the most important aspects of planning a party is the FOOD! You can check out this post for lots of fun and simple Star Wars food ideas. There are even some free printables available for you for to create your own water bottles and food tags.

We went super simple with the cake and made these light saber cupcakes. I wish I had taken a good picture looking down from above but time was short! You can find other Star Wars cake ideas HERE as well.

Next up is the decor. This is always my favorite part of the party planning! We ended up going with a blue, green and black color scheme. You can find the links for how to make the R2-D2 cups and light saber napkins/utensil holders HERE.

Thank goodness that it was such a nice day out as the kids ran around in the backyard for the majority of the afternoon playing with their pool noodle light sabers.

For the light sabers, we just cut some pool noodles in half and used silver duct tape and some black electrical tape to decorate up the handles. We played a game to see who could keep their balloon up in the air using their light saber the longest. The kids loved it and just wanted to play that one game over and over. We also did a round of musical planets {I just made up some planets out of foam} but the boys quickly returned to their light sabers.

I found some Star Wars birthday packs at Target to use for the goodie bags and added them to a striped paper bag and tied them with the Storm Trooper tags. Everyone also got a Star Wars M&M toy, the R2-D2 cup and pool noodle light saber to take home.

In the end it was a fabulous party and the boys all had a great time. Hopefully you will find this helpful for planning a Star Wars party for your little Padawan!

May the force be with you!

Avocado Wraps {with peanut mustard dipping sauce}

2013-05-02T07:20:00.002-07:00

So I am {reluctantly} trying to get going on a healthy eating kick. I LOVE my treats and it seems like it has been one constant chocolate and sweet holiday since last Halloween. Now that the Easter candy has finally disappeared though, I have vowed to keep the treats out of the house as much as possible and to focus on some healthier eating habits. So bye-bye chocolate and hello avocado wraps!

INGREDIENTS

Dipping Sauce

2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp peanut sauce
1 tsp brown sugar

Avocado Rolls

2 avocados {halved, cute and diced into 1/2 inch cubes}
16 8 inch rice paper rounds {or about 20 6 inch rounds}
spinach leaves
2 carrots coarsely shredded or very thinly sliced
1 cucumber thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the dipping sauce together until the sugar dissolves completely. Set aside.
Partially fill a pie plate {or other shallow bowl} with warm water. Dip 1 rice paper round into the water for approximately 10 seconds to soften. Remove and place flat on a towel. Dip a second rice paper into the water and place it on top of the first one. Pat dry with a paper towel.

Place spinach leaves in the along the rice papers approximately 1/3rd of the way in from one edge. Layer the carrot, cucumber and avocado. Lift the bottom edge of the rice paper over the filling and roll once. Fold in the ends of the rice paper and continue rolling into a tight roll. Place seam side down and cut in half. Repeat with remaining rice paper rounds.

Place sauce in small serving bowl for dipping.
Serves approximately 6-8.

Maybe not quite as good as chocolate, but pretty close! Now I just have to try and limit myself to one serving size! :)

Have a great day!

I linked up with Under the Table and Dreaming, Alderberry Hill, Flamingo Toes, The Frugal Girls, Becoming Martha, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Lil Luna, The Gunny Sack, The 36th Avenue, Stone Gable, Savvy Southern Style, Craft-O-Maniac, Uncommon, I Should be Mopping the Floor, I Heart Naptime, Funky Junk, Tatertots and Jello, Whipperberry, Liz Marie Blog, Craftberry Bush, Tidy Mom, Jennifer Rizzo and Somewhat Simple.

The Creative Spark {No. 89}

2013-04-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to another night of The Creative Spark! I can't wait to see what you all have been up to!

For some reason, I still feel like I am playing "catch up" around the house following my week away at SNAP! If I could just put time on hold for a couple of days, I think I might be able to get everything done. It feels like I get one thing checked off my To Do list and add two more. Please say that I am not the only one that has weeks like this....

Anyways, I did manage to get a couple of things up on the blog this week. I showed you the last of my projects from my Spring Tablescape - these easy DIY chalkboard napkin rings...

...and also how to keep your white linens white as part of The Household Organization Diet.

{There really is a big difference - the white was just impossible for me to photograph!}

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Want to link up?

Link directly to your specific post {not the homepage}.
Please add The Creative Spark button to your post or blog {the code is in my sidebar} OR place a text link at the end of your post. I would love for you to help me spread the word!
Follow along with Facebook to see if you have been featured throughout the week and pop back on Sunday for my feature post.
Check out some of the other fabulous links. A few nice comments always inspires us to create more!

DIY Chalkboard Napkin Rings

2013-04-29T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! I still have one more project to show you from my Spring Tablescape that I did a couple of weeks ago...

These are simple and inexpensive to create and can be used for any holiday or special occasion.

MATERIALS

shower curtain rings{I got mine at the dollar store}
twine{also purchased from the dollar store}
wooden discs {can be found at any major craft store}
chalkboard paint
Crop-O-Dile punch or drill

TO DO

Spray your wooden discs with chalkboard paint {I did 3-4 light applications). You can either use the chalkpaint for the back as well or just use regular black acrylic paint.
Cut a long piece of twine {I used around 4 feet} and start wrapping the rings with the twine. Leave about a 4 inch tail at each end. For the little section where the two ends of the shower ring meet, wrap your twine a few layers thick so that it will be the same thickness all the way around.

Once the chalk paint has completely dried, prime the chalkboard by rubbing the side of your chalk over the board to completely cover it. Erase.
Make a hole in the wooden disc using the Crop-O-Dile or a drill.

Tie the chalkboard disc to the twine ring and decorate. You can use them for place settings, decorate them up for the season or add some vinyl if you have a Silhouette. So many possibilities! :)

You can find the rest of my projects from the Spring Tablescape here:

Spring Tablescape

Spring Book Page Wreath

Butter Dish Makeover

Have a wonderful week!

I linked up with The Shabby Creek Cottage, Stone Gable, Craft-O-Maniac, Uncommon, I Should be Mopping the Floor, I Heart Naptime, Funky Junk, Tatertots and Jello, Whipperberry, Liz Marie Blog, Craftberry Bush, Tidy Mom, Jennifer Rizzo, Somewhat Simple, The 36th Avenue, Lil Luna, Savvy Southern Style, Not Just a Housewife, Home Stories A to Z, The Gunny Sack, Today's Creative Blog and Lolly Jane.

My Sunday Sparks {No. 88}

2013-04-28T11:33:00.001-07:00

Happy Sunday! I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. I will be spending the day completing my taxes {Don't worry - I'm not late. They aren't due until April 30th in Canada!} and cleaning up from a kids' swap meet that I did yesterday. Definitely not the most exciting of days but it will be nice to get these tasks checked off my To Do list! ;)

As always, there were tons of fabulous projects linked up at last week's Creative Spark. I really do love checking out what you all have been up to! Here are a few of the amazing ideas that were shared...

This Mother's Day cake from Curiousita Ellya has got to be one of the prettiest cakes ever! I have a little feeling that the boys won't be making this for me.

If you are looking for Mother's Day ideas, Echoes of Laughter created this cute mint-lime footscrub and even has a free printable for you. I know my feet would really appreciate this gift!

These leather bracelets from A Pumpkin and a Princess would also make a fabulous gift idea!

I love this piano sheet artwork from Sophisticated Yellow. Head on over to her blog to hear the amazing story behind it.

Corner House Blog revealed her gorgeous vintage nursery. As a Mom of two boys, I get a little pink envy when I see rooms like this!

Lacquer and Linen also showed off her beautiful Flamingo Nursery. Such a unique space!

If you are like me and looking for more "boy inspiration", check out this fun space from A Place For Us. Love those letters!

I really need one of these portable fire features from With A Blast. She has a fabulous tutorial and it actually looks very do-able!

And finally, Little Brags created this adorable Art Caddy for her son.

Thanks so much to all of you that came out to the party last week. You are ALL amazing!! If you haven't had a chance to check out the links, you can head on over HERE and all features {past and present!} can always be found on my Pinterest board. If you were featured here or on my Facebook page, please feel free to grab a button from the sidebar.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

How to Keep Your White Linens White

2013-04-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Well I am slowly getting back into the swing of things following SNAP! Between getting things back in order around the house, getting caught up with work and trying to spend a little extra time with the kiddos, there hasn't been a whole lot of blogging time this week!

The end of April is quickly approaching, however, and I am trying to get all of the tasks checked off my April To Do list for The Household Organization Diet. Since I was already washing all of the bedding in the master bedroom, I figured that I would do a good clean on the kids' bedding too. A little extra cleaning never hurts! :)

PILLOWS

I always wash our pillow cases when I clean the sheets but I often forget about washing the actual pillow. I absolutely LOVE my pillow and I take it with me whenever I travel. I am really due for a new one but I just cannot find another pillow that I like. {If you have any pillow suggestions, let me know!} Anyways... my point is that my pillow really needed a good washing. Pillows should really be cleaned twice per year. Make sure you double check the label, but most down and synthetic pillows can be washed in the washing machine. Always place two pillows in the wash {preferably with nothing else} to balance things out. I run mine through with some Norwex laundry detergent and about 1 cup of vinegar and then run it through one more short cycle without anything added {or just the rinse cycle} to make sure that they are fully rinsed.

LINENS

I realize that washing your linens is pretty straight forward but I have always had trouble keeping our mattress covers white. They always seem to get a nice yellow tinge to them even after adding bleach to the wash - not exactly my vision of "clean"! So...when I saw this recipe over at One Good Thing by Jillee, I thought that I would give it a try. I altered mine slightly to make it a little more concentrated since I was washing them in our bathtub rather than the washing machine.

Here's what you need:

1 cup of regular powdered laundry detergent or 1/4 Cup Norwex laundry detergent
1 1/2 cups of powdered dish washer detergent
2 cups of bleach
1/2 cup borax

Since I do not have a top loader washing machine, I loaded up our bathtub with the hottest water possible and added a kettle and a large pot full of boiling water as well. You just want enough water added to the tub to completely cover the mattress cover. Too much water will dilute the cleaning solution! We have a large bathtub so I actually did our queen size cover plus a single cover from one of the kid's beds at the same time. Using a wooden spoon I stirred things around a bit and came back every 30 minutes or so to mix things around. I left it for approximately 4 hours until the water had completely cooled.

After squishing as much water out of it as possible, I placed the mattress pads in the dryer and gave the bathtub a nice cleaning! And this is what I ended up with...

I know it doesn't really look like a big difference in the photos but let me tell you, white is REALLY hard to get a good picture of! I promise that it is whiter!!! I tried to use a new white towel to give you a better idea of the color difference but I don't really think that helps too much {and I really don't think the mattress cover was EVER that white!}. Anyways, despite the photos, it did make a fairly big difference in the color and I will definitely be doing this again. I think that I will cut down on the water in the tub a little more on my next attempt and try agitating it a little more frequently when the water is really hot. Anyone else have any tips?

For those of you that are working on your master bedrooms this month, you can also check out this post on Spring Cleaning the Master Bedroom {that would also be great in all of your other bedrooms too!}. I even have a checklist for you!

{You can download a copy HERE}

This post is part of my Household Organization Diet series. You can join in anytime - just start with these two posts here and here. If you are looking for past projects, you can find them all on my Pinterest board.

Have a great day!

I linked up with I Should be Mopping the Floor, I Heart Naptime, Somewhat Simple, The 36th Avenue, Lil Luna, Savvy Southern Style, Not Just a Housewife, Home Stories A to Z, The Gunny Sack, Today's Creative Blog, Lolly Jane, Craft-O-Maniac, Uncommon, Funky Junk, Tatertots and Jello, Whipperberry, Becoming Martha and Tidy Mom.

The Creative Spark {No. 88}

2013-04-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to another night of The Creative Spark! I can't wait to see what you have been up to!

Things around the blog were a little quiet this week as I was off in Utah attending SNAP! I am still recovering from all of the craziness of the weekend but I did share this easy DIY photo display with you...

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Want to link up?

Link directly to your specific post {not the homepage}.
Please add The Creative Spark button to your post or blog {the code is in my sidebar} OR place a text link at the end of your post. I would love for you to help me spread the word!
Follow along with Facebook to see if you have been featured throughout the week and pop back on Sunday for my feature post.
Check out some of the other fabulous links. A few nice comments always inspires us to create more!

Easy DIY Photo Display Tutorial

2013-04-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! I am back from my fabulous, whirlwind, crazy, fun, exhausting weekend at SNAP!! It really was an amazing weekend and I was so happy to finally meet some of my blogging friends in person! I learned a ton, found some wonderful new blogs, and had a chance to connect with some of my favorite blogging idols. I am so sorry that I didn't get a chance to get any posts up for you last week but I promise that I have lots of projects coming up....

Today, I thought I would start with these easy DIY Photo Boards that I shared over at Lil Luna a couple of weeks ago. They would make a wonderful gift for Mother's Day but could easily be customized for other holidays or special occasions. Just change out the quote or add some baby stats for a sweet and personalized baby keepsake!

MATERIALS

A piece of wood - mine is a 1x6 board and measures about 55 inches long
metal clips
photos
Quick Grip glue or other glue that can be used to adhere metal
paint
vinyl or letter stickers
scrapbook paper and embellishments

TO DO

Paint your board. I used some left over chalk paint for mine but any kind of paint will do.
Choose a quote or saying and cut out your vinyl. I used my Silhouette for this project but you could always use letter stickers if you do not have access to this.
Add your pictures to the clips and lay them out on the board so you can space everything evenly and get a layout that you are happy with. I based my layout on using horizontal 4x6 photos {it also just fits vertical 3.5x5 photos}
Once you are happy with the layout, add your letters to the board. I painted on the "YOU" using a reverse stencil {using the negative part of the vinyl} and just added the vinyl directly to the wood for the other words.

{sorry for the blurry picture!}

The black vinyl was a little too black, so I added some chalk and then sanded it in to the vinyl with a sanding block.

If you are going to do any distressing to your wood board {or will be waxing it} do that now.
Using your metal glue, adhere the clips to the board. Press firmly and hold for approximately 30 seconds. {Make sure you let the glue completely set before trying to add the photos}

After I had the photos up, the board was still looking a little plain so I added a few flowers made from scrapbook paper and buttons. They are just adhered with double sided tape {make sure you do not tape down the area that will overlap the photo} so I can easily remove them if I want to change things up.

And since I am always torn between white and black, I had to make a dark one too...

I painted all of the words on for this one and did a bit more distressing. The board hangs easily to the wall with Command strips but you could always add a hook to the back if you prefer. These guys really are my happy. :)

Looking for more photo ideas? Here are some other projects that you may enjoy...

DIY Photo Canvas

Layered Photo Canvases

Quick and Easy Scrapbooking

I hope you all have a wonderful week!
I linked up with I Should be Mopping the Floor, I Heart Naptime, Liz Marie Blog, Craftberry Bush, Jennifer Rizzo, Somewhat Simple, The 36th Avenue, Not Just a Housewife, The Girl Creative, Craft-O-Maniac, Uncommon, Funky Junk, Tatertots and Jello, Whipperberry, Becoming Martha, Tidy Mom, Stone Gable, Savvy Southern Style, Home Stories A to Z, Love Grows Wild, Today's Creative Blog and Lolly Jane.

Spring Cleaning Challenge Wrap Up and Winners!!!

2013-04-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

Thank-you so much to everyone that came out and participated in our Spring Cleaning Challenge! We hope that we were able to provide you with some inspiration and motivation to tackle some of those Spring Cleaning projects!

Before we announce the winners, we would like to take some time to thank our amazing sponsors who helped to make this challenge possible...

Easy Closets

EasyClosets offers do-it-yourself storage solutions for the closet, garage, laundry room, pantry, and more. Use the intuitive online design tool or free design service to plan your dream space. Orders are custom cut and shipped free the next business day. Easy to design, install and love –that’s EasyClosets’ promise to you!

Connect with Easy Closets: Facebook / Pinterest / Twitter

Karcher

Kärcher is the global market leader in cleaning technology. Karcher prides itself in providing innovative and sustainable products developed entirely in line with the needs of Kärcher’s customers. One central aspect is the reduction of energy consumption while increasing cleaning performance. Over the past year Kärcher has brought over 100 new products onto the market, including the user-friendly scrubber- driers, hot-water high-pressure cleaners with energy saving eco efficiency settings, wet and dry vacs with efficient filter shakers and unique accessories for high-pressure cleaners. In 2011 the company was also involved in environmental conservation, and it supported numerous charitable, social and cultural institutions in a number of countries.

You can find out more about Karcher's product line HERE.

HomeRight

HomeRight has a history of innovation, a passion for quality, and a desire to exceed customer expectations. HomeRight was the originator of the PaintStick in 1986 and today has a full line of power painting, automotive and home care products. This steam cleaner uses pressurized, high power steam to loosen and dissolve dirt, grease, grime and kill bacteria without the use of harsh chemicals. It can be used in practically every room of your home and is amazing at cleaning grout and getting into all of those hard-to-reach areas {like around the toilet!}. You can find my full review of this machine HERE.

Connect with HomeRight: Facebook / Pinterest / Twitter

PROXI

PROXI® products is a unique line of Oral Care, Personal Care and Home Care products using hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) with environmentally-responsible ingredients. H₂O₂ cleans powerfully and breaks down to just water and oxygen, eliminating concerns over left-behind residuals. The company is committed to creating products that are both healthy and high in performance, and believes in full ingredient disclosure. The function of each ingredient can be found on PROXIproducts.com.

Connect with PROXI: Facebook / Pinterest / Twitter

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And now for the WINNERS!!!! {drum roll please...}

The winner of the $1000 customized closet organization system from Easy Closets is

Jessica Lynn Pugh

The winner of the power washer and window vac from Karcher is

Kimberly Tate Stahlke

The two winners a of multi-purpose power steamer from HomeRight are

Amber Wiggins

Samantha Kuehlewind

The five winners of a cleaning product package from PROXI are

Karen Shulman Kaplan

Michelle

Laura Doll Kotwica

Lauren @ MomHomeGuide

Gretchen Didion Simpson

The challenge may officially be over but there is still lots of time left for Spring Cleaning! If you are looking for a little cleaning inspiration, you can always find our posts here...

I Dream of Clean - Organizing the Office

A Real Life Housewife - Spring Cleaning the Kitchen

Clean Mama - Organizing the Closets in 4 Easy Steps

Clean and Scentsible - Spring Cleaning the Bedrooms

Ask Anna - Spring Cleaning the Bathrooms

Or check out our Best Cleaning Tips Board over on Pinterest!

Happy Cleaning!

The Creative Spark {No. 87}

2013-04-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to another night of the Creative Spark! I can't wait to see what you all have been up to! Right now I am headed down to Seattle to spend the night before catching a very early morning flight to SNAP! I am SO excited to be attending my first blogging conference and cannot wait to meet some of my favorite blogging buddies in real life!!!

Okay, so back to the party! Last week was quite a busy week around the blog as I wrapped up TWO huge giveaways. I also showed you my Spring Book Page Wreath...

...gave you some tips {and a free printable!} for Spring Cleaning the Bedrooms...

...and shared my cute butter dish makeover.

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Want to link up?

Link directly to your specific post {not the homepage}.
Please add The Creative Spark button to your post or blog {the code is in my sidebar} OR place a text link at the end of your post. I would love for you to help me spread the word!
Follow along with Facebook to see if you have been featured throughout the week. Since I will be away at SNAP this Sunday, look for a double feature of My Sunday Sparks next weekend!
Check out some of the other fabulous links. A few nice comments always inspires us to create more!

My Sunday Sparks {No. 86}

2013-04-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

Good morning! I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. It's time to show off some of the amazing projects from last week's Creative Spark! I've definitely got a little bit of everything for you today...

I love this red door from A Lo and Behold Life. I'm not sure that I would be brave enough to do this but it looks amazing!!

This flower garland from Cup of Delight is perfect for Spring. I'm sure you can come up with lots of other fun uses for those flowers too!

Crafting in the Rain created this cute makeup roll organizer. It's so cute and I adore the fabric!

If you are looking for party ideas, you really need to check out this "How To Tame Your Dragon" Party from Craft Quickies. There are tons of great ideas from decor to food!

Restoration Beauty turned some left over candles into cute and functional storage jars.

I am loving this DIY faux grain sack pouf from Diapered Daze and Knights. She has a great, easy-to-follow tutorial for you too!

Daisy Mae Belle made this pretty {and easy!} fern wreath.

And for my treat of the week, head on over to Redfly Creations to find out what the secret ingredient is in her delicious looking cinnamon buns.

Thanks so much to all of you that came out to the party last week. You are ALL amazing!! If you haven't had a chance to check out the links, you can head on over here and all features {past and present!} can always be found on my Pinterest board. If you were featured here or on my Facebook page, please feel free to grab a button from the sidebar.

Just a reminder that I have two HUGE giveaways that are quickly coming to a close!

Today is the last day that you can enter the Spring Cleaning Challenge Giveaway. There are over $1650 in prizes available and nine chances to win so don't miss out!

And tomorrow will be the end of the Spring Dinner Giveaway. This is such a fun prize pack and you should take a little time to check out all of the Spring dinner recipe ideas too!

Good luck to those that entered the giveaways and Happy Sunday to all!

Butter Dish Makeover

2013-04-12T10:24:00.002-07:00

Ahhhh Friday - my favorite day of the week! I am hoping to have a productive day today so I can have some rest and relaxation time over the weekend. We shall see how it goes! Any big plans for your weekend?

I am just dropping in today with a quick and easy project for you. It's almost so easy that I wasn't going to post about it, but when I first saw the idea on Pinterest {from Thrifty and Chic} I thought that it was pretty much genius!

Isn't it cute?

It started off looking like a plain, old butter dish. The top often got a little slippery and it could be hard to hold. Somewhat functional but not too pretty...

All I had to do was glue on a drawer pull and it had a whole new look! I used Quick Grip glue for mine but Gorilla Glue would work too. After gluing, I held the drawer pull in place for a couple of minutes, used a tooth pick to clean up any glue that was showing, and then let it harden up overnight.

I then used my Silhouette machine to create a stencil and painted on the "Butter" with some left over paint. You know, just in case our dinner guests couldn't guess what was inside. :)

It made a nice addition to our Rustic Spring Tablescape and now I don't have to worry about anyone having "butter fingers" and dropping the lid!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

I linked up with Liz Marie Blog, Design Dining and Diapers, Jennifer Rizzo, Somewhat Simple, The 36th Avenue, Whipperberry, Becoming Martha, Tidy Mom, Stone Gable, Lil Luna, Savvy Southern Style, Home Stories A to Z, Love Grows Wild, Lolly Jane, Today's Creative Blog, Not Just a Housewife, Under the Table and Dreaming, I Heart Naptime, Craft-O-Maniac, Uncommon, Flamingo Toes, Funky Junk, Tatertots and Jello and 30 Handmade Days.

Spring Cleaning the Master Bedroom and BIG giveaway!

2013-04-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you that missed it, I have teamed up with some amazing bloggers to bring you a fun Spring Cleaning Challenge! We know that cleaning is never at the top of your list so we have put together some Spring Cleaning ideas and a fabulous giveaway to help inspire you along the way. If you missed the details on the challenge you can check out all of the info here. You'll find the entry to the giveaway at the end of the post.

Today I will be talking about Spring Cleaning the Bedroom.

I know for myself, our bedroom tends to get neglected when it comes to cleaning as I tend to focus more on areas that other people see more often. Since we spend roughly a third of our time in the bedroom however, it is important that we take some time to make our rooms a clean, comfortable and relaxing place to be.

So here is a little Spring Cleaning checklist for you to get you started!

{you can download a printable copy HERE}

First off, don't be overwhelmed with the list! I think it sounds like more work than it actually is. I know some people like to do their Spring Cleaning all at once but I like to do just a little at a time. It will probably take me the whole month to get through all of the bedrooms in our house but it shouldn't take too much extra time. Just do all of the bedding when you would normally change the sheets or spend an extra 15 minutes to give the room a really good dusting. Keep your list handy and do a task or two whenever you are tidying up.

Now let's get cleaning! I've gone through the list and divided the tasks into manageable "mini projects" but do whatever works for you!

Quick Tidy

Before you officially start your Spring Cleaning, grab three bags, boxes or laundry baskets. Place everything that does not belong in the bedroom into one of the baskets, place anything that you will be donating in another, and place all garbage in the third. Take any dirty laundry down to the washing machine and put away anything that is left in the room. NOTE: This is just a quick tidy looking at things that are on the floor, obviously out of place, or that you know that you want to get rid of. Save big organizing projects for later!

Dusting

Whenever you dust, start from the top of the room and work your way down and move from one side of the room to the other rather than going back and forth. This is the fastest way to get things done and will cut down on dust falling on areas that you have already cleaned.
If you are dealing with a particularly dusty area, you might want to mist the area with water before wiping down to minimize the amount of airborne dust.
Dust or wipe down everything including furniture, lamps, vents, above the door frames, light plates, knick knacks, etc.

Windows

Take down and launder any window treatments and wipe down your blinds.
Clean your windows {this is even better if done on a sunny day so you can see all of the streaks and grime}. I just use a Norwex window cloth and water but you could add a little vinegar for some extra cleaning power!
Don't forget about opening the window as well and cleaning the window tracks. You can see how I quickly clean our window tracks with our HomeRight Steam Cleaner {that you can win below!!} HERE.

{link}

Vacuuming

Vacuum any upholstery and lamp shades using the upholstery attachment on your vacuum.
Thoroughly vacuum the carpet {or wash the floor} making sure to get underneath all furniture {especially the bed!} and into the corners.
Don't forget to look up and vacuum any cobwebs!
Vacuum down the vents.
Steam clean carpets or consider hiring a professional to give your carpets a good clean. If you are concerned with general carpet odors you can sprinkle the carpet with baking soda after vacuuming, leave overnight, and then vacuum up the following day. If you live in a very humid climate you may just want to give the carpet a light misting with white distilled vinegar as the baking soda can be difficult to get out of the carpet if damp.

The Bed

Strip down your bed to the mattress.
Wash the mattress cover and all of the bed linens in hot water to kill any dust mites. {Make sure you double check the labels for manufacturer's instructions} Depending on the size of the duvet, you may need to take it down to the cleaners for the industrial-sized machine machines. When you are washing your pillows, it is best to do two at a time to keep the washing machine balanced without overloading it.
Wipe down the bed frame with a damp cloth to remove any surface dirt.
Clean your mattress {you can find detailed instructions HERE} and, if possible, allow it to air outside in the sunshine.

{link}

The Closet

Season changes are always a great time to go through and organize your closet as you can get rid of those items that you didn't wear through the past season and go through all of your clothes for the upcoming season. Get rid of anything that does not fit, you do not love, or you just don't wear for whatever reason. Be ruthless {or have someone come over and be ruthless for you!}
Find more ideas and inspiration to organize your closet HERE and HERE. And don't forget to enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a $1000 customized closet organization system from Easy Closets!

{link}

Whew!! We are done! For more Spring Cleaning inspiration checkout these posts too:

I Dream of Clean - Organizing the Office
A Real Life Housewife - Spring Cleaning the Kitchen
Clean Mama - Organizing the Closets in 4 Easy Steps

Now for the fun part - THE GIVEAWAY!!! So here is what you can win:

GRAND PRIZE: 1 x $1000 customized closet organizer from Easy Closets
FIRST RUNNER UP PRIZE: 1 x Pressure Washer and Window Vac from Karcher
SECOND RUNNER UP PRIZES: 2 x Multi-purpose steam cleaner from Home Right
THIRD RUNNER UP PRIZES: 5 x PROXI cleaning packages

That's NINE chances to win! Although you can still enter without actually doing the cleaning challenge we have given you 10 extra entries if you complete the challenge for a little extra motivation!

EDIT: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks so much to everyone that participated. The winners are listed from the grand prize winner down.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!!

I linked up with Liz Marie Blog, Jennifer Rizzo, Somewhat Simple, The 36th Avenue, The Girl Creative, Becoming Martha, Stone Gable, Lil Luna, Savvy Southern Style, Home Stories A to Z, Love Grows Wild, Today's Creative Blog, Lolly Jane, Not Just a Housewife, Under the Table and Dreaming, I Heart Naptime, Craft-O-Maniac, Uncommon, Flamingo Toes, Funky Junk, Tatertots and Jello, 30 Handmade Days, 504 Main and Tidy Mom.

Spring Tablescape and HUGE giveaway!

2013-04-10T13:22:00.001-07:00

EDIT: Sorry guys! I accidentally deleted this post so I am re-posting it again. Darn technology!

Happy Monday! Tonight you are invited over for a Spring dinner party!

I am so excited to be teaming up with some of my very favorite bloggers to bring you our best Springtime dinner party ideas! We will each be showing you one item from our dinner party so make sure you check out all of the links below so that you don't miss out on any of the fun. From the tablescape, to the appetizers, to the dessert- we've got you covered and hope to inspire YOU to create your own Spring celebration!

As an extra bonus, we have also put together an amazing giveaway for you thanks to Land-O-Lakes, Le Creuset, and Dreamfarm...

So many fabulous goodies!!!! It includes:

a 5 piece cast iron cooking set from Le Creuset
a butter dish, serving bowl, measuring spoons, and 4 dinner plates from Land O Lakes Butter
a fun kitchen tools package from Dreamfarm {they have really cool items!}

{You'll find all of the giveaway details at the bottom of the post.}

Okay... now on to the actual party!

If you knew me in real life, you would know that the kitchen is not my favorite place to be. I am much happier running around decorating and making things look pretty! So, instead of a recipe, I will be showing you some Spring tablescape ideas....

I ended up shopping around the house for most of the items although I do have a few new things to show you as well. For the centerpiece I used a wooden tray that I typically store my magazines in, added a couple of my DIY blue mason jars, and some yellow tulips {my very favorite flower!}. I also placed a water jug and the salad utensils on the tray as well.

I created some easy DIY twine and chalkboard napkin holders {tutorial to follow!} to serve as both the napkin holders as well as the place cards.

At the end of the table, I did a Spring makeover on my book page wreath that hangs over our sideboard and added a chalkboard center to it that can be changed out over the seasons.

And finally, my butter dish also got a little makeover. It's the perfect size to hold some Land O Lakes® Butter Half Sticks.

Well, now that the table is set, we need some FOOD! Just click on the links and get ready to eat! If you're not hungry now, I'm sure you will be by the time you finish with all of these delicious recipes!

Thanks so much for joining in on our dinner party tonight! We are so glad that you could make it and wish you lots of luck in the giveaway! Don't forget to enter below! {Sorry to my Canadian friends - this is unfortunately only open to U.S. residents.}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation or product for participating in the Springtime Progressive Dinner Party. I love these brands and wanted to reward my readers with an amazing giveaway! Land O Lakes Butter®, Le Creuset, and Dreamfarm all provided the prizes for the giveaway. As always, all opinions are my own.

I linked up with The Girl Creative, Not Just a Housewife, Under the Table and Dreaming, I Heart Naptime, Uncommon, Funky Junk, Tatertots and Jello, 30 Handmade Days and Tidy Mom.