Meri Meri - Cupcake Kits

These kits are adorable. You can order a kit based on your party theme and dress up your cupcakes. There are several styles and are only $11.95. You can also order other items for your party theme. If you are planning a party give this site a try. To order go to www.shopmerimeri.com.

Leslie

Farmhouse style online store

Check out this online site for great farmhouse style, www.whiteflowerfarmhouse.com. I know I keep saying it, but I love adding great vintage, pieces to any decor. It adds character and is just pretty. You don't have to go crazy with it. I love the pieces, but wouldn't necessarily have my entire decor based on country or farmhouse style. I think these pieces are simple and pretty and will flatter any decor!

I found a few stores over my weekend that I need to post about, but if you can't get to a store this a great place for online ordering.

Leslie

Leslie

Great vignettes ideas from Home Goods

I was shopping in home goods this weekend and found these great green chairs. I'm not sure why they caught my eye, and why I am so loving green, but it seems that lately I am really drawn to this color of green. I decided to see what I could pair the chairs with and came up with a pretty beginning for a vignette. I also found another chair I loved, that is completely different, and decided to piece together a second vignette. Both of these are very cost effective, the lamps were even cheaper than lamps I just purchased at Target. One of the lamps is very unique with a cork lamp shade, very unique. Great shopping, great pieces and a great price. I don't know the exact prices, I forgot to write them down, but I have an idea.

Modern Green Chair $129

Mirror with mosaic design $99

Tray Table $99

Green Lamp $39

Floral Chair $229

Tray Table $99

Rattan Mirror $59

Lamp with cork shade $49

Sweet Spring

I found these cakes in the latest issue of Ladies Home Journal. What a pleasant surprise. They are all so sweet and would be perfect for Easter. I plan on making the cupcakes with marshmallow topping and making my own colored sugar. I haven't ever made marshmallow but how hard can it be right?! I'm willing to give it a try. I'll post a picture to show how and how it all turned out. The first picture is of mini cupcakes with lemon glaze. Don't they look really pretty? And the cakes, these beautiful little cakes are tiny cakes made out of tin cans. Clever! I can't wait to make these. I really love trying to do new things and am feeling very Martha Stewart lately. Check out all of the spring cakes at www.lhj.com.

Leslie

Weekend on Hilton Head Island

We are back from our weekend on Hilton Head Island. We had a great time. The weather was ok. We were able to enjoy the beach one day, though it was cold and windy, it was at least sunny. The next day, not as much luck, so we decided to head off island and hit some of the shops in the little town of Bluffton. I can't wait to share some photo's and more about these great shops in later posts. Until then, here are a few shots of our weekend, Hilton Head and Bluffton. I really love these parts!

Leslie

Check out these treat boxes

I found this on Ohdeedoh.com. It's a FREE Download for these no glue treat boxes. It's from a blog called Lil Magoolie at lilmagoolie.wordpress.com. Take a look. It's FREE and oh so cute. I love how she has them hung from a tree. How sweet would this be for a kids birthday party. I think I might use it for my little girls 5th birthday party. Visit her website for the free template.

Getting ready for Easter - Fruit Salad recipe

Are you planning your Easter lunch or brunch? This is a great, easy, recipe. It's very refreshing and healthy.

Fruit Salad

Cut up fresh fruit such as melon, grapes, strawberries, bananas, etc., into chunks ( 1 cup each) and place in a bowl. In another bowl, mix 1 cup of vanilla yogurt (I use Dannon All Natural), 1 tbsp of honey, 2 tbsp of lime juice. Mix together and poor over fruit. Stir to mix the fruit and yogurt mixture. This recipe serves about 3 people. Just increase recipe so that it will work for your get together.

It's really good and if you have little one's that won't eat their fruit they won't be able to help themselves with this delicious fruit salad.

Have a wonderful day.

Leslie

I have a new fascination with wallpaper

I found this picture on Apartment Therapy and I love this wallpaper. I grew up in house filled with wallpaper and my mom still has wallpaper today. But it has evolved so much. I didn't think I would be one to put wallpaper in my own home, but I have seen so many lovely prints lately that I am beginning to change my mind. (Now for my husband that's a different story.) I saw this same wallpaper in a store just recently and took a picture of it. And here it is again. It must be meant to be (did that make sense?) I still don't know the manufacturer or the name of it, but I am on a hunt. Not sure where I would use it, I think in a powder room like it shows in this first picture.

We remodeled our dining room and it's mostly complete aside from some additional wall art. I will post pictures soon. We just painted it this week. When people ask what color I have to laugh, we went from our neutral beige to a new neutral GRAY! But it makes a huge difference and I love it.

Leslie

Fun Etsy Finds

I found these two items on Etsy that I am in love with. I love this little belt bag. I love the idea of having my wallet needs right at my finger tips. It would be great to use when going to the farmers market, flea market, art fair, etc. It has dual purpose, it looks great and is purposeful. Its a great accessory for only $38.00. You can find it at bonspielcreations.

I also am really enjoying hand made jewelry and I really love these earrings. They are by Harborside Treasures. They are soft and pretty and at a great price for only $22.00.

Leslie

Scenes from the weekend....we went to the BIG TOP

We went to the Big Top this weekend to see the Cole Bros. Circus. I had never been to a circus in a tent and thought it would be a fun experience. We had a great time. We were pretty close to the floor and got to see all the action up close. A little too up close. They had trained tigers that were doing stunts and I was sure if they tried hard enough that they could climb the cage and jump right out. My husband later informed me that the cage was electrified, not sure how because they took it apart right in front of my eyes. Nonetheless, a little too close for comfort for me. This circus definitely didn't top that of the Barnum and Bailey Circus, but still a fun experience. I am sharing my favorite shots and what I enjoyed the most, all of the atmosphere and one shot of my favorite animal. I have to say I felt bad for the animals. I hadn't been to a circus since I was a young adult, and I think my views on the world have changed, I felt really sad for the animals being used as show. I still love the idea of the big tent though. I will in future years enjoy watching the tent go up in our little community.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

Leslie

Inspiration at an art fair

My family and I enjoyed a beautiful day today while strolling through one of the country's top art fairs. The Winter Park Art Festival is a must see. EVERYONE must have had the same idea today to get out and enjoy the weather and art, because the place was packed. We didn't really get to see much art, it was hard to get close enough, and frankly I was enjoying just being out with my family that I didn't fight the crowds. I did manage to find a few things that caught my eye that I wanted to share. These pictures are just fresh and lovely and easy on the eyes.

I hope you have all had a wonderful and beautiful Saturday.

Leslie

Perfectly mis-matched dish set

I have this set of mis-matched dinnerware in white. Why I love it? It's great to display foods on, it looks pretty when paired with colored dishes, you can easily replace broken pieces and add items over time. I received part of my "set" from Crate and Barrel as a wedding gift, the plates and mugs came from world market, some of the serving pieces are from Target, the desert plates came from a consignment shop, a few items were gifts and so on. This is only part of my collection but don't they all look pretty together? It's very cohesive and though the pieces don't match, the differences create interest and a sense of being gathered over time.

Start with the set from PotteryBarn in my previous post, or even look at Home Goods or Target to get a great set to start with.

You'll have fun hunting and adding pieces to your set.

Leslie

A few things from my favorite stores

Genoa Coffee Table Target
Wise ol Owl Cookie Jar Anthropologie
Hurricane Anthropologie

Cali Throw Anthropologie
Great White Dinnerware Pottery Barn
Pouf West Elm
Recycled glass vases West Elm
Andalusia Rug West Elm
Grassland Pillow CB2
NewYork Folk Print Pillow CB2
Most of these items are pretty affordable. They would all work together in the same decor. I love the two pillows together. Even though one of them is a city scape, it's earthy and artsy in nature and I think it teams well paired with the grasslands pillow. It would create great interest in a room.

I think the Cali throw from Anthropologie and the "pouf" from West Elm would go great and bring out the colors. I think all of these items would perk up a neutral couch with the great golden colored Andalusia rug from West Elm underneath the Genoa coffee table from Target.

I love using white dinnerware. I think it's most practical. It looks great when pieces are gathered over time and it makes it easier to replace broken pieces. I think this great set from Pottery Barn is a great place to start.

If you are looking to replace some items or to "freshen" your look, this is a great beginning.

Leslie