Give Thanks - The #1 Thing I'm Most Thankful for This Year

I’m thankful for my sisters.

Five years ago, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, my dad passed away.  It wasn't tragic or even totally unexpected.  Our dad just succumbed to his ongoing health problems and passed due to natural causes.  At age 47.  Leaving three adult children and twin 6 year old girls.

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Wreath Update #5 - New Fall Wreaths in the Etsy Shop!

New to the Etsy Shop! Fall Wreaths for Halloween, Day of  the Dead, and any type of fall activity you may have going on.  Let's start the countdown to the return of Pumpkin Spice lattes, which are addictive as crack cocaine, peeps!  (I mean, so I have heard.  Not about Pumpkin Spice but about crack)

I have appropriated name this one, Pumpkin Spice.

I also have a new, bigger and better Wedding Wreath in the shop, a new Happy Birthday Wreath and an end of the Summer - Nautical Themed Wreath with a hand-made octopus made from polymer clay.  Dudes, that octopus took me, like, two weeks to made since my earlier attempts looked more like weird spiders cause I didn't know how to make the tentacles curl just right.

Shiny in all the right places....unlike my face.

I named this one Life Aquatic.  Yes, Wes Anderson reference ftw!

What other themed wreaths would you guys like to see?  Are you excited for Pumpkin Lattes just around the corner?

Mmmmm.............Pumpkin Spice (drool)

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Simple DIYs for a Fun & Whimsical 4th of July!

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The Fourth of July is almost here!

In anticipation, I've rounded up some simple DIYs for a fantastic holiday bash.  

Enjoy!

Decor

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I'm in love with this holiday wreath.  If you have kids, let them help by making pom-poms with yarn.  It's super easy and all you have to do is glue or pin onto wreath base and voila!  Instant cuteness!

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Click on the above link to find a free printable banner from PagingSuperMom.com.  This is probably one of the easiest DIYs on this list.  Just print, cut and staple and you can adorn your home or patio in just a few minutes.

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These Mason Jar Painted Lanterns may take some prep time in painting and then letting the paint dry but they look so worth it!  Really, just when you thought you had seen every craft under the sun involving Mason Jars, someone clever thinks of yet another use.  Just make sure to paint the outside, not the inside!   

Outfit

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I never have any idea what to wear for a Fourth of July party.  For so long I just threw on one of those Old Navy patriotic themed shirts and called it a day.  Now I can turn my old jeans into cutoffs, and paint those cutoffs with fabric paint!  Genius....or shall I say Jean-ius? (Shut up, puns are fun)

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Now you can buy this headband from Fab.com or....................you can just make it with some glitter foam sheets and a black stretchy headband.  Just cut out three stars to your liking from gold glitter foam sheets that can be found at most craft stores and attached to headband with some hot glue.  Pretty and simple.

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Or if you fancy, you could do a version with fake flowers instead.  You know this how Lana Del Rey does it.  I mean I assume.  Who doesn't like the Fourth of July?  Canadians, that's who!  And probably the rest of the world.  

Food

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Usually, I'm pretty happy with a hot dog and some ice cream on the Fourth of July, but my mom likes to make a similar Strawberry Spinach salad as pictured above.  Just toss blueberries, sliced strawberries, almonds and some crumbled feta cheese in with some spinach leaves.  Then drizzle with some raspberry balsamic dressing and you have a tasty, festive salad sure to please!

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Oh mah gawd!  Patriotic Taco Salad sounds amazing and slightly ironic, no?  I could also see this as a way to dress up a Seven Layer Dip.  Just decorate the stripes with shredded cheese and sliced tomatoes.  Add some olives and extra guac to the top left corner and you have the most delicious version of the American flag to ever exist.

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 Dude, ice cream floats with red and blue sodas?  I'm soooo there.  This one is pretty much a no-brainer but so pretty and tasty looking at the same time.

Games

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Okay so I may have lied a little bit when I said, "simple DIYs" but how awesome is this Patriotic Corn Hole set?  Yes, to some of my readers out there, there is a game called "corn hole" and it is played quite frequently outdoors.  Basically it is a set of elevated boards with a hole cut out across the very top.  Players divide into teams and try to sink as many bean or sand filled sachets through the top or "corn" hole.  If you know how to build or know someone with basic carpentry skills, how cool would it be to bust these babies out?  Painted in red, white and blue.

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Now this Custom Beer Pong Table is entirely within my skill set.  Just get a slab of plywood or if you'd like something sturdier, a hollow-core door, from any hard-ware store and paint a flag using painter's tape for straight edges.  Then rest the table on top a pair of saw horses and your patriotic tribute to drinking games is now complete!

So tell me, my precious readers, what plans do you have in store for the holiday?

Marg

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How to have the Best Memorial Day Cookout Evah!

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Greetings!  I did not realize that Memorial Day was fast approaching us, here in the US.  (Yes, I'm gonna pretend my humble blog attracts readers from all over the globe)  I know people usually are saddened to learn that Americans do not typically celebrate the first of May, or May Day, as is celebrated in many other countries.  I guess Memorial Day is the closest thing we have, since it still technically occurs in May and honors all the the men and women who died in the US Armed Forces, serving the country.

As I have tweeted before, most American holidays that do not include the exchange of presents or candy usually is celebrated by day drinking.  I don't know why, though sometimes the only thing that gets me through Thanksgiving with the relatives is glass of white wine shortly after breakfast.

I'm kidding Mama!

For Memorial Day everyone loves a good cookout, myself included.  So I've been spending time on Pinterest collecting ideas on how to through the best Memorial Day cookout, ever, in my humble little backyard.

First up?  Dranks!!  (Thas' was'up!)

DRINKS

I like the idea of providing mixed drinks and beer.  A non-alcoholic version of this watermelon punch sounds fruity and delicious for the kiddos and responsible adults.

Watermelon Punch Recipe

Pre-mixing cocktails and storing them in mason jar on ice would be a good way for guests to simply grab and enjoy, no necessary trips indoors.

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Of course there is always beer at my cookout but I always wonder if there's a better way to display them, rather than sticking them in a cheap Styrofoam cooler.  I mean a kiddie pool isn't exactly high-class either but it puts all the delicious beer on display, whereas with the coolers the beers always seem hidden from view.

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FOOD

For food there is the classic standby of hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill.  I want to take it a step further and make bacon wrapped hot dogs this year because you know it really isn't a true celebration unless bacon is involved.  (Apologies to my vegan and/or international friends).  You don't even need a grill, just make them in the oven.

Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Hotdogs Recipe

For sides, I love this version of the potato salad my mom usually makes.  It foregoes mayo and uses Italian dressing or oil/vinegar.  No mayo recipes are golden when your party takes place outdoors.

Italian Potato Salad Recipe

I'd also include a little bit of Mexican heritage and add an elotes bar.  Boiled or roasted corn topped with a little butter, cheese and/or mayo?  What's not to love?  

Elotes Bar Recipe

Save me some of that corn!

DECOR

I really wouldn't try to decorate my backyard in anticipation of a cookout, except to put up as many hammocks as I could.  Pretty much everyone goes for an outdoor hammock, no matter the event.

DIY Hammock Instructions

How cool is this group hammock made from a trampoline?  Probably best for the kiddos, huh?  I can imagine my twin kid sisters hopping on, making room for me, and then me breaking the damn thing but.....it still looks fun!

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ICE CREAM SHOP

You have to have ice cream.  It's summer, it's warm, it's just what has to be done.  I'm truly sorry if you are lactose intolerant, there are some pretty yummy fruit pops around though.  I would totally build this little ice cream front from some spare cardboard and have the kids run the shop.  Not that I have kids.  I'm unmarried but you know, the neighborhood kids. 

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Adults can come up while the kids make their sundae order or  hand them a store-bought popsicle. My 8 year old self would have been alllll over this!  I used to help scoop ice cream at day care for the younger kids afternoon snack.  I could make the perfect lil' scoop.  I'd be like, "I got this Teach!". Ahhh memories, for Memorial Day.

What ridiculously awesome plans do you have going on?  Seriously, even sleeping in and eating instant ramen sounds appealing to me.  NO WORK, WOOHOO!

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Decor Ideas for Hosting an Easter Lunch

Easter never gets all the hype the Christmas does, but it should.  I mean not just for religious reasons but because Easter coincides with a beautiful season, Spring.  I remember hunting for Easter Eggs as a child with my two younger sisters.  My mom would hide them around the house.  My younger sister S would tear around the house, showing no mercy, grabbing every egg in sight.  My mom still hides one egg in my sister’s home in Indianapolis.  Picks the hardest place she can find, just so my sister can still experience the thrill of the hunt.  

My mom still hides eggs around the house for me and my youngest sister T, now both grown adults.  She hides them inside of light fixtures, underneath furniture, buried under a bowl of fruit.  She’s pretty crafty, my mom.

Pretty much my mom and step dad the night before....."hahaha, they'll never find the egg in here".  Source

When my dad remarried, we used to spend Easters with him and my stepmothers' family, gathering for a huge outdoor picnic.  Both my parents were cradle Catholics, and raised me and my sisters the same way.  We never got out of going to church, it was the one thread that held both sides of my mom’s family and dad’s family together, but at the picnics we were too old to hunt Easter Eggs.  Instead we took turns donning an Easter Bunny suit for the younger kids. 

Similar to a sports mascot, the suit zipped up the back, covering you in a coat of synthetic fur, and the mask was an over sized bunny head, with two tiny holes for the eyes.  The nose of the bunny was so over sized, you couldn't look down to see where you were going.  I quickly realized why Mickey and Minnie at Disneyland always did that creepy, head patting motion at Disneyland. 

This was me....."oh where are you, screaming child?  For I cannot SEE!" Source  

It’s because you literally cannot see small children in that suit.  You have to pet their heads to find out where they are.  You’ll just feel something hug you suddenly at like knee level but you cannot see where the child is.

Aside from Easter Egg Hunts or Easter Bunny suits this year I want to celebrate by hosting an Easter lunch at my house.

As always I turn to Pinterest for some fresh inspiration, whenever I get too discouraged by all the cookie cutter holiday decor out there.

Here are my picks for the table setting.

Table Runner

I was looking for some type of alternative to the traditional pastel colored table runner and thought this cute version made from burlap would be really simple to do.  You can make the little bunny tails with white pom poms and I like how it doesn’t absolutely scream EASTER.

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Place Card Settings

You do a two in one, using little planted succulents as a place card setting and take home gift favor. Yes, succulents are everywhere, I know, so why not add them to Easter?  I love the inclusion of the pink aquarium gravel you can get at any pet store to make it more seasonal looking.  I know the succulents and mini terracotta pots are some of the cheapest things to buy at a hardware store.  How cute with this be, with a little name card propped up against it?

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Centerpiece

For centerpieces, I usually see the standard pastel colored eggs in a plastic or wood basket.  It’s not too bad but I was looking for something unusual and cheap.  Always what’s cheapest.  I love this combination of glittery eggs and simple carnations thrown together in a white bowl.  I really like how the colors pop against the white and how the glitter adds an extra layer of texture.  Low cost, inventive and easy to make, what’s not to love?

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Party Favors for the Kids

This year I want to invite my two twin kid sisters as well.  They will almost be 11 this year, but hopefully that’s not too old to be into these adorable DIY Bunny Ears.  You can make several pairs with colored construction paper and colored tissue paper, just glue to a cheap headband and voila!  I will totally make some for the adults as well.  Instagram will be all like blowing up with the photo ops these bunny ears will provide.

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Household Décor

I do usually sprinkle my seasonal décor throughout my living room and dining room to set the tone.  While I’m not all that crazy about a ton of pastel colors, I think I can live with a little pastel, especially when juxtaposed with neon colors.

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Source - A Pretty Life In The Suburbs

How cute are those neon branches?  These would be super easy to scatter artfully along my bookshelf or in a glass vase on my coffee table.  The garland, while pastel, seems doable to me, especially if you keep around a lot of yarn, like I do.  I like the pastel colored yarn balls, giant pom-poms, and the tiny birdhouses you can find at most craft stores for a dollar a pop.  While I don’t have a fireplace or even a mantel I can picture a garland like this adorning my side table, or *ahem* even my bar cart.  

So what you are guys looking forward to for the Easter holidays?  I personally gave up pizza for Lent and have been daydreaming about the greasiest slice for almost six weeks now.  What traditions does your family have?

Drop me a line in the comments!  I want to know!

Marg

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