We party hard in the Mangin family… We I love themed parties and have for about 10 years… before all the party planning websites and pinterest existed, I actually had to be creative and come up with ideas on my own {gasp!} I used to go a little extreme with the parties, but the hubs made me scale back I learned a little self control. I never went nuts like ponies and millions of dollars, but party prep would take FOREVER and other wifey duties would be ignored. Right now I'm planning Kira's 4th birthday party. She's wants a DOLPHIN themed party… UGH. I just designed her semi-dolphiny, semi-nautical invitations. I'm going to go with an ocean/dolphin party. She's cool with it.
I thought it would be fun to pull up some old party pics and get the creative juices flowing. These pics weren't taken for a blog, so go easy on me! Kitty Party Obsessed with cats, we did a kitty theme. Pink. Black. All things Cat.
Probably my favorite cake ever.
Pumpin Party I took the easy way out and went with the fall theme since it's a November birthday. Pumpkin Mini Golf
Bobbing for Apples
Garr… Pirate Party It's been done 100s of times, but he loved pirates! (Oh, my word… do you love that I accidently drew him a french mustache instead of a piratey one?)
Wish this picture was better, but we made two huge plywood boats so the kids could have cannonball wars and walk the plank!
So, no we're not fancy-schmancy, but my kids LOVE their theme parties, and their mommy does too! All our friends know how we roll and they're great sports… Minute to win it anyone?
Starwars Babyshower anyone?? Little fella was going to be named Lucas after Luke Skywalker!
Ok, looking back at these made me laugh and inspired me to get my butt in gear and get all dolphiny! Here's a few pins to get me going…
Source: newenglandfineliving.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Source: thesweetestoccasion.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest How do you partay?
Last Sunday night we gathered together with 200 of our family, friends, crew, and blog readers to celebrate the premiere episode of our new show Knock It Off. (To watch full episodes online, click HERE. To see all the projects featured on the show click HERE)
To say the party was awesome would be the understatement of the year! We know many of you (our amazing readers) live far away, so we wanted to share our night with you!
A huge thanks to Nicole from Expressions by Nicole Marie for doing all the photography for the night. She's a Philadelphia area photographer. Check out her website to see more of her work.
The dessert table was by far our favorite thing ever! Linda (more explanation on her later) put this together and it reflected us perfectly!
Paint cans, paint sticks, adorable chalkboards, and mini tools captured our DIY theme perfectly.
Yes, Linda made all of the desserts including the tool cookies. They were a huge hit!
Who knew paint sticks could be so perfect as food labels? She dipped the end in paint and then stamped on them. This would also be a great idea for an art themed birthday party!
The tools were plastic and spray painted silver to accessorize the table.
Every little detail was thought of- look at the mini Jess and Monica!! Janeny from Craft that Party made the adorable peg dolls with Knock It Off on them. They made adorable cake toppers! Janeny does all kinds of custom peg dolls that are crazy cute!
Check out the centerpieces… quart-sized paint cans filled with custom Knock It Off lollypops from Vintage Confections. The tool keychains were our little party favors- I think my kids thought the tools were the coolest thing ever!
Jess and I were at the main entrance to greet all of our guests (which was super fun to meet so many readers!!), then everyone got appetizers and dessert and finally it was time to watch the premiere. And what's a premiere without popcorn?
Linda used some paint swatches (with permission of course) to make a garland for the popcorn table.
And now, who is this Linda woman you ask?? She is a blog reader we met and got to know by doing a Knock It Off episode at her home- check her out in an upcoming kitchen episode! Linda owns Frog Prince Cake and Cookie Design and she also helps with party planning.
Linda is SO talented and we can't thank her enough for all her hard work. She thought of every detail and pulled everything off with perfect planning! If you have an event coming up and need amazing desserts or even help planning contact Linda! Also, be sure to LIKE her on Facebook and check out all of her awesome creations!
Check back on Monday when we're going to post on the decor of the party and where you can find all the fun items Linda used!
We also had a mini-Red Carpet leading to a Knock It Off Photo booth. The KIO logo decals came from Ten23 Designs- they do stock and custom design vinyl.
We're so happy that we have so many fun pics of our guests! Check out this weekend's episode to see this fun couple's bedroom transformation!
This couple were the stars of the premiere episode- they loved their dining room->playroom transformation! Plus, they're adorable!
Cute couple alert! Jess and Kev!
Me and my boys… (an no my hair isn't red, just looks like it in this light)
Baby brothers are always good for an extremely weird picture!
We're so thankful for fun, strong, supportive women in our lives!
Have we mentioned we have the BEST sponsors ever? This is Nancy from Bare Root Design Studio- We'll be sharing more about all the fun giveaways in another post.
And of course, we wouldn't want to be on this crazy journey with anyone else. Doing what we love and getting to do it together is the coolest thing ever!
We hope you're enjoying the show- if you've gotten a chance to check it out, we'd love to know what you think! Feel free to email us, leave a comment, or post on Facebook!
One of the things we're most grateful for is our friends. We've talked about them a lot here on the ol' blog, but we try really hard as a group to stay connected and do fun things (we all went to see the premiere of Breaking Dawn together yesterday!). Last year I (Jess) started what will hopefully become an annual tradition with oour girlfriends: a Favorite Things Party! What is that, you ask? We made a little video to tell you all about it…
Basically, you ask your closest gal pals to purchase their favorite thing for under $10- one for each girl coming to the party. Then, dress it up with some fabulous wrapping paper and come bearing your gifts, and of course, your favorite appetizer (or dessert, but I'm partial to apps, so because it's my party, that's what we do. ha!) Here's a peek at last year's gift from myself and Monica:
Last year, I threw the party together at the last minute, but because I want it to be a special night for our friends, I decided to create some invitations. Chalkboard typography is THE biggest thing on Pinterest right now, so I decided to hop right on board the bandwagon. I kinda love it.
I also made a blank template so you can add your own information. Download it here:
I made the entire invitation in Picasa with the following FREE fonts: 1. Bergamot Ornaments 2. KG Makes You Stronger 3. Handy George 4. Kraft Nine 5. Peach Sundress Ideas for Appetizers/Desserts/Drinks: My favorite part of the favorite things party is the food, of course! I'm crazy about seafood and this party gives me a good reason to sample these Crab-filled Crescent Wontons.
I'm going to give this recipe for homemade hot chocolate in the crockpot a try, for sure:
And then it would be really fun to dress up that hot chocolate with lots of yummy fixin's (yes, all of the sudden, I'm Southern.)
Hot Chocolate Bar And ohmygoodness, my friends might just receive this Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark as their present AND dessert. Ha!
Ideas for Wrapping: Monica's favorite part is the wrapping. Did you know that in addition to an obssession with socks, she's also abnormally passionate about wrapping paper? I'm already ahead of the game (Monica) for my wrapping this year thanks to The Plaid Barn. It's a daily deal type site that I'm addicted to! Honestly, I have to do the whole wants vs. needs thing to resist buying a deal every day! However, this wrapping deal was too good to pass up. It has bags, wooden tags, stickers, clips, and everything I'll need to make sure I have the cutest packaged presents. Mwhahah! (Slightly competitive BFFs, but totally kidding!) I got 45 pieces for $7.42! Major SCORE!
Click HERE to get the Holiday Packaging Kit holiday wrap pack or to see what other goodies they have for sale today!
Here are a few other fun wrapping ideas we found for ya!
Typographic Gift Wrap
Gift Wrap Envelope (For the record, we do not endorse the buying of the wrapping paper used for that envelope.)
We can't wait for the Favorite Things Party next month! After we have it, we'll reveal what our 2012 favs were and share some fun pictures from our night! So, are you ready to host a Favorite Things Party? We'd love to hear if you're thinking of planning one now too!
This post brought to you by Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine. Sometimes party planning can cost a pretty penny! I love hosting parties, but this time of year is expensive all around. Jess and I were super excited when Dollar General challenged us to create a fun Christmas party using Dollar General Holiday décor items. For only $20 we prepared an adorable Christmas Cookie Decorating Party.
We were thrilled with the selection of boxes, toppers, fun utensils, and little decorations we found at Dollar General. We had totally planned to DIY something from the store, but everything was too cute to mess with!
We set up the table with individual little work stations for each kiddo. Since Jess and I love raw cookie dough, we're sure to give each kid just a bit to taste!
I love these decorative straws and they looked perfect in a mason jar of milk
We found these adorable little shakers and filled them with sprinkles
After the cookies were all decorated, we had these fun little boxes for everyone to take their cookies home in.
So, if you're looking for a fun and inexpensive way to host a party this Christmas season, we'd totally recommend that you check out Dollar General- we never would have been able to decorate an entire party for under $20 if we were shopping somewhere else.
What fun parties are you hosting this Holiday Season? Monica & Jess If you're not a fan of Dollar General on Facebook, you can like them here. http://www.facebook.com/DollarGeneral
So, if you haven't heard (which is very unlikely because, let's face it, we're pretty excited about it and have been shouting it from the rooftops), we are working on our very own TV show for the Live Well Network! If you're not familiar with LWN, don't worry, you will be soon!! The team behind LWN is amazing and they're putting together so many cool, new shows!! Make sure to check your local listings for The Live Well Network- it's a national network, so even if you don't have cable, you can still watch it!
Anyhow, once we heard our official air date (which is only a month away!), we got to thinking that we couldn't let this momentous occasion pass by without a little celebration! So… we're having a big, ol' party!
And you know what? We want you to come! We recognize that not all of you live in our neck of the woods, and we'll totally recap the party for you here, but for those of you who live in the area, we would LOVE to meet you, give you a glimpse of what our show is all about, and of course, eat lots of good food! We're even going to have a few fun giveaways that you won't want to miss!
Here are all the details you need to know:Who: Well…us and you. Duh. What: A super fun party to celebrate our new show, Knock it Off! When: Sunday, July 7th from 6:00-8:00 PM Where: Mr. B's Cafe (Calvary Church of Souderton) Rt.113, Souderton, Pa 18964 We just ask one thing: would you let us know if you're planning on coming by Sunday, June 30th? You can RSVP by using the form below. Due to the nature of this party, we're asking that you leave any kiddos under the age of 10 at home. Thanks!
C'mon, don't you want to hang out with us?!! We are so psyched and want to share this big event with you- Seriously, we wouldn't even have our own show without this blog and all of you! We really hope to see you there! PS- A HUGE special thanks to Linda from Frog Prince Cake & Cookie design who is taking the lead in making sure this party is the coolest! Thanks Linda! If you haven't checked her out, head over to Facebook now and give her some LIKE love!
We interrupt this regularly schedule DIY program for an important announcement (I've always wanted to use that phrase somewhere!): We have some incredible sponsors who provide loads of amazing products just waiting to be purchased for one-of-a-kind Christmas presents! I've broken them down into categories for you… Gift-Giving
Ok, you may remember me talking about the amazing art prints from Red Letter Words, but did you know Dee also offers adorable greeting cards and candles? Not only that, but messages printed on the greeting cards are so meaningful and thoughtful- perfect as a stocking stuffer, a gift for a friend, a teacher and the list goes on and on. Get 15% off until December 15th with the code MERRY15. Order by December 19th for Christmas delivery. (Excludes custom prints and the print of the month)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Every year I try to give my neighbors a little gift, and this 1-2-3 Dip! Gift set from Pampered Chef is perfect! I am such a sucker for chips and dip. I pretty much could live on it. And if you don't have neighbors, buy a few as hostess gifts (they'll be sure to get you an invitation to next year's party!: ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, Jane sent us a few of her 100% soy candles to try, and I can.not.get.enough. of the Christmas pine scent. I've been burning it around the clock since I got it, and the beautiful thing is, that because it's soy, it's long-lasting! Order a few of these as gifts, or just go ahead and buy a stash for yourself! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How about this adorable Littles Carry-All Caddy in the Winter Wonderland pattern from Thirty-One Gifts for teachers in your (or your kid's) lives? Fill it with a mug, some good chocolate and a gift card to Starbucks and you're set! It comes in 10 different patterns, so you'll be sure to find something for everyone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Entertaining
Planning a holiday party? Spread some Festive Cheer with this cocktail idea from Garnish. Goodness, could their stuff be any more darling? I could literally spend all my party budget on the goodies from Garnish- who needs food anyway? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I came across this super-cute idea to use scrapbook paper as a charger on a holiday table, and I'm in love! You could totally use this fabulous paper from Moo & Puppy and alternate the patterns underneath the plates for coordinated, but not identical place settings! {Swoon}
Use the code HOUSEWIVES20 for 20% off of your order. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I love Dream Dinners. I really do. And they are total life-savers if you are hosting a holiday party or dinner. So many of the meals can be easily turned into appetizers, like this Coconut Shrimp with Sweet & Sour dipping sauce. Make your holidays stress-free with ready-to-cook meals. Use the codeDDNC201110 for 10% off your first order. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the Home
Well, looky what I found on Craigslist. A $15 chair that would be absolutely stunning if reupholstered in some new fabric! Jet Upholstery could do that in heartbeat, and guess what? You can save 25% off any fabric order when you mention RHBC. Now go! That chair won't last long (especially because I can't keep my eyes off of it!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In our winnings from Crafting with the Stars, we both got to choose stencils from Royal Design Studio. They are the best place to get designer decorative stencils and tools. Monica chose this Morrocan Stencil- Chez Sheik:
And I'm getting this lovely Large Fabric Damask stencil:
We both have big plans for our stencils and come on, you know you have an area in your house that's just dying to be stenciled. Am I right? Head over to Royal Design Studio to be totally inspired. Use the coupon code RHBC10 for 10% off your order! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Giving Back
We are often so focused on buying gifts at this time of year, but really, it's also a great time to give back. Head on over to Scout & Nimble to see how you can be a part of her awesome iniative to do just that. Also, did you see this ah-ma-zing rug she just got?
So jealous. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ok, that's it! No excuses for lame gifts this year, people!; )
You all know it already, and I'm pretty open about sharing this one fact: I am not a designer by trade. I've never taken design classes, and in fact, often dreaded going to art classes in school. I'd call myself an amateur- I do what I like and think looks good in my home. Period. One of the things I find difficult (although, I admit it does get easier the more I do it) is choosing the right colors in my designs. I often have an idea or concept in mind, but getting there is tricky, especially for a non-detail-oriented person like me. Enter Design Seeds:
Design Seeds solves the color dilemma for us by offering tons of color palettes based on things you see every day. Like the colors of Fall? You can find several different palettes incorporating the various colors found in Autumn. Isn't that amazing? If you've been on Pinterest at all, I'm sure you've seen some of these floating around:
Source: design-seeds.com via Jessica on Pinterest Basically, Jessica, the genius behind Design Seeds forecasts emerging trends and comes up with relevant color palettes based on those. She also sells a bunch of books that I would personally love to have on my coffee table or to use as inspiration. Here are just a few of my favorites:
Source: design-seeds.com via Jessica on Pinterest Wouldn't this be beautiful in a nursery for a baby girl? Love the muted purples.
Source: design-seeds.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Source: design-seeds.com via Jessica on Pinterest Can't help but fall head over heels for colors inspired by travel!
Source: design-seeds.com via Jessica on Pinterest Oh man, this would be a super-fun palette for a summer birthday party, right?
And just in case you were wondering, there is a general rule of thumb when it comes to using color in design:
Use 60 percent of one color, which is your dominant color (think paint on the wall). This is the unifying color- most likely a neutral that ties it all together. Using 30 percent of your secondary color adds visual interest, like the furniture in the room, and then 10 percent is an accent color. Accessories, pillows, flowers etc. These are the things that make the room shine! Go ahead and take a look at your design inspiration pictures: most likely they are divided within this rule. Crazy, huh? These Design Seeds palettes provide a variety of colors that you can choose from for your home decor, wedding or party planning, and even when choosing an outfit!
Don't you just love it when there are short-cuts for great design?; )
Did you know we have some amazing sponsors that help make our little old blog possible? Yup, they're amazing and I (Monica) wanted to tell you why… ********************************* Stuff See that funky, fun header at the top of our blog? Well, that takes you to the website of one rockin' furniture and accessory store. One of our blog readers checked it out this month and thought it was pretty awesome too! With the holidays approaching, head over and get something fun for your house before company comes! (My personal favorites are the farm house tables and cool accent chairs)
RT. 309 | 927 Bethlehem Pike (3 Miles North of Montgomery Mall) Colmar, PA 18915 Tel: 215.716.3325Fax: 215.716.3431 Email: info@stuffcloseouts.comstuff Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday ********************************* Jet Upholstery So one DIY that I pretty much don't ever plan to attempt is reupholstering furniture. Way outta my league! Thankfully, I have Jet Upholstery right around the corner in Bucks County. Their work is amazing. Today, I hit a thrift store on the hunt for a cool chair to have Jet refinish for me! I'm still looking, but I know that when I find it, they're going to make it amazing! They also have an amazing selection of designer fabrics and can get just about anything you want. I just found this chair on Craigslist… and I've been drooling over this fabric…
So, give Jet Upholsty a call or check out their website. Go find an ugly chair for pennies and let them make it fabulous for you! JET Upholstery3102 Bedminster Road Bedminster, PA 18910 215-795-0881 215-220-3443 fax Store Hours: Mon-Thurs. 9-5 Friday 9-4 / Sat 9-12 ********************************* Mandy Hajel, 31 Gifts
So, you probably know about 31 Gifts and how it's taking the world by storm. If not, stop right now and go check out Mandy's site. Really… GO! There are so many reasons to love 31… adorable fabric options, super cute bags, really fun parties, and it's a business that is based off of the Proverbs 31 woman. Rather than going on about the products, let me tell you a bit about Mandy (she's one of my bffs!). You see, Mandy and I used to teach English together… that is before she joined 31. She's been with the company for 1 year and in that time has made enough money to replace (and more) her teacher's salary, she's earned a family vacation to Disney World, a romantic trip for two to Mexico, a Dell laptop, an Ipad 2, a huge Best Buy giftcard, an XBox, and more. Do you think I earned all that as a teacher?? Umm, Nope. So, if you're looking to make a little side money before the holidays, give Mandy a call, she'll hook you up and teach you her secrets to success! Amanda Hajel Phone: (301) 791-3579 Email: hajelfamily@yahoo.com Website: http://www.mythirtyone.com/hajel/ ********************************* Blossom Bands So, what are your kids wearing for Thanksgiving and Christmas? Ok, maybe it's a tad early to know 100%, but you need to get thinking! The only thing you need to be sure of is to include a Blossom Band for your little ladies. I bought a Halloween one this month for Kira and she loved it! Bethany has tons of ready to sell items as well as custom pieces to match whatever outfits you're planning. You know how in decorating it's all in the details?? Well, a Blossom Band is the perfect detail to make your holiday outfits fabulous!
Bethany Lander Etsy: Bands Etsy Store Email: Bethany@BlossomBands.com Website: http://www.blossombands.com/ ********************************* Jennifer Black, The Pampered Chef
If you read Jess' post on her amazing Apple dessert, then you know that we LOVE Pampered Chef products. Did you know that I only use stoneware to do all my cooking? Really, I have almost every stone they sell. It's definitely one of my favorite things. With thanksgiving coming, you should peruse their catalog and see what you need before cooking for the masses. I actually never buy something without hosting a party because the benefits are insane. I'm a huge fan of the catalog show because # 1- I don't have to find a date in my crazy schedule and # 2 Did I mention the amazing incentives and FREE products? So, call Jane, host a catalog party, and get a bunch of free stuff! Ok, even if you don't do the party thing, you must own at least one piece of stoneware and Jess recommends the apple corer slicer! Jennifer BlackPhone: (410) 952-1179 Email: Janeniferjblack@comcast.net Website: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/jenniferblack ********************************* The Land of Nod I've loved Crate & Barrel forever (we actually registered there for our wedding) so of course I LOVE their sister store, The Land of Nod! You'll definitely want to check them out for holiday decor and Christmas presents.
Here is one Must Have item if you have elementary aged kids.
It's the BEST doodle book ever! Taro Gomi draws the coolest Japanese doodles to get your kiddos thinking. Each page usually has a picture and a prompting question. Ex: An empty plate and the question… The Queen's coming for dinner, what do we feed her? My kids ADORE this book and fought over the pages enough that I finally bought a few more! The Land of Nod has offered our readers FREE shipping on most Holiday Toys, so click the pic below to take advantage of it! LMK if you buy a fun doodle book!
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Did Jess and I mention that life has been a wee bit crazy lately? Each week we keep saying that"it should slow down next week", but so far it just keeps on being awesome and crazy! Dream Dinners has been a total savior in this area! The other night I was over and asked Jess what they were going to do for dinner (because I had nothing planned for my family) and she just pointed to an amazing looking Dream Dinner thawing and ready to pop in the oven. Even if you love to cook, it's so wonderful to have some DDs on hand for the unexpected busy day. Give Kris a call and bring your friends- it's so fun to make meals together! Kris Petrich, Owner 309 at Advance Ln 262 Bethlehem Pike, Ste 101 Colmar, PA 18915 Tel: 215-822-4055 Email: 309advanceLNPA@dreamdinners.com Website: http://www.dreamdinners.com/ A BIG Thanks to all of our sponsors! Thanks for taking this crazy journey with us!Now, go show them some RHBC love! If you have a business or a product that you think our readers would love, contact us to talk about becoming a blog sponsor.Thanks!
We promised that during our maternity leave from filming (I love getting a maternity leave without having to have a baby btw) that we'd do a whole bunch of things, and one of them was letting you have more little peeks into our real life happenings. With that in mind, we proudly introduce… Right Now a series that we'll do monthly… well actually, basically whenever we feel like it.
So, here's what's going on in my world right now… Loving: This amazing fall weather we're having here on the East Coast. Mid 70s during the day and cool, crisp nights!! It's the best sleeping weather ever! September is probably my favorite month of the year and I'm so thrilled to have some time off to enjoy it! Reading: Last night I finished reading Gone Girl. Thanks so so many of you for giving me book recommendations on Facebook! I liked it, but didn't over the top love it. I'm not sure what about it is keeping me from giving it an A+. If you read it, tell me what you liked/didn't like. I'd love to hear!
Waiting For: This weekend, but not excitedly… you probably know we breed Bernese Mountain Dogs with our dog Pennlyn. Well, this weekend the puppies leave and go to their new homes. I LOVE the families that we chose to adopt, but it will be super sad to see them go and I will have 4 miserable kiddos for a few days!
Excited About: A few things… Sunday we're going pumpkin picking and on a hayride with a bunch of our friends!! Our ABC/Live Well Network Season 1 Wrap party for our show- this Thursday night we'll all be celebrating the end of a successful first season. I'm still trying to figure out what to wear… Ugh!!
Trying To: Eat healthier and work out regularly. This is not my favorite thing, nor something I'm good at! But I have a goal of Oct 23rd, and hopefully will come away from this"maternity leave" happier and healthier. Working On: Communicating better with my oldest daughter…my mini-me. We kinda butt heads a lot. She's strong willed and I'm the queen of strong wills and well, let's just say I'm working on it. I want to figure out the best, most effective way to parent her.
Enjoying: The 3 hours each day that I have the house to myself, but then I'm also really enjoying the after pre-school, few hours before naptime that it's just Callen and me. It's really fun and nice to have 1:1 time! Using: Tons and tons of Chapstick!! I'm on a medication that makes me have crazy dry lips, so It's me and chapstick 24-7. Wearing: I'm totally in mom mode and usually wear sweats and my favorite Northface sweatshirt almost every day. What's the point in looking cute, if I'm gonna work out at night?!? Planning: I'm working on and planning my kids' playroom makeover. I totally struggle with designing my own rooms lately! I'm cool doing rooms for other people, but if I'm spending my own money I want to love it. GAH! It's killing me!
Needing: To find a good recipe today that uses a million veggies, bc I have a ton that will go bad soon if I don't use them!! Learning: How to think more before I talk (but don't hold your breath Eric, it's a slow learning process!) Struggling With: Church. We're kind of in this place where we're wondering where's a good fit for us. We've been at the same church for 16 years (and it's a wonderful church! Check it out HERE), but we just want to make sure it's right for us and we're not just there bc it's what we've always done. But, at the same time we're not sure what will be exactly right- it's tricky!
Listening To: The"Sister of the Year" CD mix made for my by my little brother (well, he's 26, not all that little, but little to me). He has the best taste in music and makes me mixes that have tons of songs that are cool well before they become cool. It's a good thing I have him, bc otherwise I'd never have even a sliver of cool within me when it comes to new music. Product I'm in Love With: My Kreg Jig- hubs used it yesterday to build new benches for our outdoor farmhouse table! Doing: Working down my to-do list for the day. I've committed to today being uber productive! (Up next, responding to emails, then making soup, then putting away all Cal's fall clothes) Dreaming Of: Taking another trip to Europe or somewhere amazing with my hubs. Last year at this time, we were counting down the days for our London and Paris trip.
This concludes this first edition of Right Now. I hope you enjoyed my ramblings or at least tolerated them! Want more of our day to day ongoings? Follow us on Instagram! Monica- @Eastcoastcreative Jess- @Jess_EC2blog What are you doing, loving, reading, or dreaming of right now?
I'll admit it. I'm having one of those nights where my thoughts are running in a million different directions and trying to reign them in is no small task. This happens quite often to me, so for today, just humor me, ok? Go ahead and grab a cup of coffee and try to follow along.: ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- They say it's all in the details, right? Well, I've got my plan of attack for gift wrapping all set, and have begun planning my annual Christmas party, and I would agree that the details are very important!
Source: thinkgarnish.com via Jessica on Pinterest Have you heard of this cute little shop? Garnish is a dream-come-true for DIYer's like us. They sell totally customizable products that will make your event or gift memorable and spectacular. Take, for instance, these disposable wooden demi-tasse spoons:
Source: thinkgarnish.com via Jessica on Pinterest Stamp them, dip them, roll them in yummyness and you've got an instant Christmas gift for your neighbors, teachers etc. Or how about these lidded paper bowls and brown square kraft labels?
Source: thinkgarnishblog.com via Jessica on Pinterest I mean, seriously, the possibilities are endless. I just bought the red & white bakers twine as part of my gift wrap plans. Wheeeeee! Can't wait to get it!
Source: thinkgarnish.com via Jessica on Pinterest Check out the Garnish blog for more inspiration! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today I went to Lowe's to scout out their faux wood paneling.
Why would anyone want to look at faux wood paneling, you ask? I am scheming up a way to hang them horizontally in our living/dining room. Sort of like Shauna, from Perfectly Imperfect, did on one wall in their dining room (see there in the back? Except hers is hung vertically):
Source: perfectlyimperfectblog.com via Meg on Pinterest ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I think I'm pretty much finished my Christmas mantel, but it's sooo not how I typically decorate so I'm trying to decide whether or not to keep it. Don't get me wrong, it looks nice, but I don't know… It really would be a pain to re-do so most likely I'll be keeping it. Here's a sneak peek:
Ha! That is one wierd angle, but I was too lazy to get up from the chair I was sitting in to take another picture! More to come on my mantel decor soon… ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Look at this picture our friend Stacy took:
I have to say, she made us look gooooood. She deserves loads of credit for that. ( PS. It helps having a gorgeous best friend to help up the quality of a picture.) I just received a CD of all of our family photos and they are priceless. I came across this one and just smiled:
All week my girl has been saying that her best friend is in Disney and she misses her so much. Cam is sending you love, Kira! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to tune in to The Nate Show tomorrow to see us busting our rears to decorate for Christmas in 24 hours using only the stuff in Nate's Crate!
We're still kind of in shock that Nate called us his best DIYer's. Pinch me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's it for now. Have a GREAT Wednesday!
We're having a blast with the Fall Lovers Series and hope you are too! If you missed day 1 or 2, click here and here, because you wouldn't want to miss out on the Anti-Wreath or Fancy Mantle posts.
I love fall foods. Perhaps I just like the fact that summer is coming to an end, routines are back, and fall foods are comfort foods in my book. We got home Saturday from a week at the beach and since it officially marks the end of summer for us, I made a roasted chicken, mashed potatoes (my favorite food), corn, stuffing, biscuits, gravy… it was so yummy! I have many foods that are a Mangin family fall tradition, but one is kind of famous… my apple pie. It has to be baked for the Eagles' opening game every year. We actually make an apple pie like once a week all fall! Monica’s"Famous" Apple Pie So, my pie is nothing special. Actually, it's right out of a Betty Crocker cookbook we got as a wedding present, but it's a never fail recipe for sure. Anyone can handle this recipe… even the hubs makes a mean pie now!
(Sorry about the old TO jersey… we're too cheap to buy new jerseys all the time!)
An insider pie maker tip… Get yourself one of these bad boys from the Pampered Chef. I love it! Cores and slices the apples so easily. I've used generic ones before… blah! This cuts like butter! Check out our sidebar for Jane's info if you want to get one. She'll hook you up!
Here's the secret recipe…
Here's where the fun begins… the crust! Now, if you want crazy fancy pie, well check out some of these links Adorable and Impressive!
Source: thestoryofkat.blogspot.com via Sandy on Pinterest Almost too pretty to eat! (But trust me, it wouldn't stop me! )
Source: instructables.com via Jane on Pinterest Ok… get ready to be amazed and wowed and awed… My Pathetic Excuse for a Decorative Crust… Haha! I totally had just gotten in the door from running (ugh!) and I had company coming in like 10 minutes. I always do an EAGLES crust for the first game, so I started on the crust totally forgetting I was planning to blog about it, so this is real life people…
I ran out of room for the S so we were cheering for the EAGLE not EAGLES! One fun thing I usually do, when I want to make a fancy crust, is to use a marker lid. You can make holes of all sizes and it looks really cute to do a pattern of some sort. For this pie I did nothing cute nor creative!
You just pop that crust on top and voila… No, I'm not showing you a finished picture for two reasons… 1. It looked atrocious 2. We ate it before I remembered to take pictures
Ok, so save myself from this rather humbling post, I'll share some awesome recipes and ideas I've found. S'mores Party How fun would this be with a group of your gal pals on a cool, fall night? Jess and I added this to our To-Do list already.
Source: sidebysideblog.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest Sunflower Dip- Caramel Apple Downright adorable!
Source: fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest Fancy Caramel Apples This would be awesome as the centerpiece on your table and then you just eat them for dessert. My kids would definitely want to help me make these!
Source: countryliving.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate The hubs loves pumpkin. Can't wait to try this!
Source: closetcooking.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest Sliced Garlic Potatoes I made these a few nights ago and they were fabulous! I had mine with sour cream! Yum!
Source: foodgawker.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Well, after showing the world my ugly crust, I think I'll go eat a piece of humble pie…
This Fab Find is near and dear to my heart: Dream Dinners!
Why, you ask? Several years ago my mom and I decided to go into business together, owning and operating our very own Dream Dinners store. It was a fabulous experience that we'll never forget, but because of my growing family and the declining health of both of my grandmothers whom my mom cared for, we made the difficult decision to close our store. If you don't know about Dream Dinners- you are missing out! I know this company to be a good one, and the care that goes into creating delicious, excellent quality, healthy meals can't be outdone! Do you ever get home from a busy day and ask yourself,"what's for dinner?"At Dream Dinners, they answer that question for you. Their monthly menu includes over 14 different recipes each month, along with additional pre-assembled dinners, sides, breads and desserts ready for purchase while in one of their stores. A wide variety of options means there are plenty of meal preparation choices to satisfy everyone in the family.
1. Garlic & Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak 2. Raspberry Stuffed French Bread 3. Greek Island Shrimp 4. Fruit-Stuffed Pork Roast You know I LOVE food, and the meals, sides and desserts are mouth-watering! (My personal favorites are Chicken Mirabella, Herb-crusted Flank Steak and Arroz con Pollo and Monica can't get enough of their amazing biscuits with cinnamon-honey butter!)
The best part about this whole thing is when you take the meals home and realize you have 12 or more meals in your freezer ready to cook at a moment's notice. (Side note: do you see all that loose corn in my freezer? One of my hubs' biggest pet peeves is the fact that I tend to leave open containers everywhere or don't properly put the lids on things. Case in point.) Anyway, I have a regular size freezer and 12 meals fit perfectly, so don't worry about a lack of space! And now, the question I'm sure you are dying to ask: is it affordable? Well, take a look at this little video and see for yourself:
I know the owner of our local store, Kris, well since we worked closely with her for several years and she'll take good care of you! Plus, she's offering 10% off your first full order! Just use the code DDNC201110. I do hope you'll check Dream Dinners out! Happy Eating!
PS. Dream Dinners can save you LOADS of time when it comes to holiday meal planning. They have some really great entree items, and even offer delicious appetizers for your parties. I've used them several years in a row for my big Christmas party, and the stuff is amazing and always gets rave reviews!
Yesterday we shared 25 awesome upcycle projects and Ikea hacks, but we wanted to give you some of the juicy details for a couple of the projects we actually tackled during our crazy Women's Night Out White Box Challenge.
Wall Paint Colors First, the paint colors. Everyone always ask us what colors we use and we never remember to share! Well, this is going to change! We're even going to try to get our acts together and post our color palettes for each of our Knock it Off episodes. One of these days!! Anyway, our bland room started off with Oxford Tan (from Lowes) walls, lightened by 25%. In our 30 minute intermission, the top portion quickly got covered in Classic Teal, which is a gorgeous, rich blue. I wouldn't be surprised if you saw us use that color again- loved it!
Furniture Paint Colors The dresser got decked out in four different colors, which really added a lot of interest. We are in love with the color-blocking trend and were excited to give it a go with these inexpensive Rast dressers from Ikea. We used Tuxedo Tie on the frame, English Tea Party on the bottom drawers, Mountain Smoke on the middle drawers and Bamboo Leaves on the top drawers (all from Lowes). Such fun colors that matched our fabrics perfectly! We definitely would have liked to build a base for our new buffet so that it would sit higher, but unfortunately, we ran out of time. So, take note if you're planning on giving this upcycle a try.: )
We shared a whole bunch of fun ideas for painted rugs, but this one that Monica did last summer is definitely our favorite: quick, easy and cute! Check out her Stenciled Outdoor Rug for the step by step deets!
This tufted Lack table turned ottoman was a big hit with the ladies during our event and it's a super simple upholstery project that any one can handle.
This past spring, I made this Ikea Lack Ottoman using the same method as above. The only difference is that we added tufting to the one we made during the White Box Challenge. It looks so good I might just have to add some to mine! Here's the cheater way to add tufts: 1. Follow steps for upholstering the table. 2. Mark where you want to place your tufts. 3. Use a button-making kit to create some cute buttons using your fabric, or buy pre-bought buttons to use. 4. Using a staple gun, shoot a 3/4 inch staple through the fabric, batting and foam on the mark you made. This creates the tuft, without having to drill through the table and bringing sewing into the equation. 5. Hot glue your buttons in place. That's it!!
We love the way this nail head trim dressed up our plain, old white chair. They were so simple to attach and took this chair to a whole new level!
In fact, it wasn't our first time using nail head detailing- we upholstered a chair and added nail heads for one of our Nate Show episodes!
Finally, this upcycled art was definitely the fan favorite of the night. You wouldn't believe how easy it was to do and what an awesome impact it makes.
If you want to know how to make your own, Monica took this old piece of art and made a completely custom canvas for her powder room using a stencil, spray paint and her silhouette machine.
Phew! I think we touched on everything, but if you were at the event and still have questions, leave us a comment! There aren't many things that are as gratifying and budget-friendly as upcycyling. I'm serious, people. Go give it a try!
They are always good for a laugh, strange health-food items and a helping hand. Not only that, they have really big hearts. Recently, they decided to start a non-profit organization to help rescue young women from human trafficking. It's called Worthwhile Wear. Here's what Dan and Steph have to say about it:
Worthwhile Wear exists to rescue and restore girls from forced prostitution, and more importantly help prevent girls from ever entering it. We target highly trafficked areas both internationally and domestically, and offer women the opportunity to overcome two primary factors which are at the root of sex trafficking; poverty and lack of education. This solution is offered through vocational training centers which teach women how to make wears, such as jewelry, handbags, and clothing, which are sold to provide them employment. Additionally, the women are offered free education, a safe place to stay, and restorative programs geared toward encouraging personal growth and re-establishing self-worth.
A big part of their mission is to provide items that these women produce, to us, here in the States. The women are given a fair wage (30-40% higher than the average paid person in their area) so that they can protect themselves from ever having to go back to their old lives. And the stuff is gorgeous!
But here's where we come in: Dan and Steph and the board of Worthwhile Wear are hosting a huge kick-off party for their new organization on November 17th at Calvary Church in Souderton at 7 PM and they've asked us to decorate. Yee-haw! Using our talents and what we love to do to help others is our idea of a good time (we like to call it a"Helping Hobby"). The theme of the night is"Celebrating the Richness of India", and we can't wait to try out some fun ideas.
We're planning on incorporating this Indian Paisley Damask Stencil from Royal Design Studio in some fabric wall treatments, and possibly some art.
We, of course, want to include the rich, vibrant colors of India like you see in this Inspiration Mood Board from Limn & Lovely. Don't those colors knock your socks off?!
Did you know marigolds are one of India's national flowers? Were going to try and get our hands on some for a splash of color on the tables and around the room. This Inspiration Mood Board from Marigold Events inspired us to add in some fun yellow and orange tones!
Here's where YOU come in: We are hosting a table of 10 at the event and want YOU to join us! Wouldn't it be so fun to hang out with fellow blog junkies, while supporting an amazing cause and experiencing the culture of India? Tickets and more information can be found here. Make sure you let us know that you'll be there, so that we can be sure to save a spot for you. Hurry to buy your tickets!
If you can't make the event, then go ahead and start your Christmas shopping on their website! Don't want to come to the event or shop, but still want to help? Donate here to help save young girls and give them the hope for a future. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are so excited about Worthwhile Wear, and so proud of our friends, Steph and Dan! We hope to see you at A Worthwhile Evening in a few weeks!
And now for the long awaited kitchen update…sort of. We're planning on finishing painting our cabinets sometime thisdecade becausethey need four coats each and are taking forever! this week in time for our daughter's 4th birthday party, but in the meantime, I made some progress on the lighting situation in our breakfast area. You may recall that this is what the light looked like before we made the big change.:
And now, for only $40, we have a gorgeous, huge, custom pendant light:
Pin It Adorable, isn't it? Our kitchen was in dire need of some color, and this baby does the trick! After looking around for affordable light fixtures, I wasn't thrilled with the selection and decided to come up with something on my own. I'm totally loving what we made and can't wait to bring in some of those fun, vibrant colors into the rest of the room. Here's how we did it:
I purchased this Ikea Jara Shade for $20, and Januari light kit to go with it.
Unfortunately, this light kit is intended to be plugged into the wall, but we knew that for only $10 we could make it work.
We consulted with my father-in-law who is an electrician and he told us that as long as the light kit was the same voltage as the existing wiring, we should be fine. The typical voltage of an outlet is 120W, and so was the light kit, so we were good to go. We measured the length of the wire that we needed and then my hubs snipped the wire. (If you want to be extra sure, check with an electrician before attempting this!)
Then, my husband used the nut/screw/thingy (?) from the old light fixture and threaded the wire through, separated the individual wires by color, and attached them to the existing wiring (white wire to white wire, black wire to black wire) with a wire nut.
We hung it just to be sure it worked:
Yay! I lived with it a few days just to see how I liked it, and decided that even though it made our space look soooo much better and a little more modern, it needed something. My plan is to thrift a round pedestal table and paint it, as well as, add a rug underneath it. I wasn't sure if I would paint the table a fun color, or add color and pattern on the shade and the rug and leave the table white. I decided on covering the shade with fabric, because it's an easier change than repainting a table several times. I knew I wanted to incorporate aqua or turquoise into the kitchen so Monica and I took a trip to JoAnn's, and found this super cool fabric that works perfectly!
Waverly Modern Essentials-Solar Flair in Lime & Indigo
I know, I know, it's bold, but I'm telling you the kitchen was feeling boring and beige without it. I bought 1 1/2 yards just to be sure I had enough and I did. I took my supplies to my mom's house because I had a feeling it would be a two-person job because of the size of the shade. I'm glad I did! I couldn't have done it without her.: ) I wanted the medallion to be centered on the front of the shade, so we measured the width of one,
and then measured the height of the shade to figure out the placement. In this case both were about 12 inches.
Janell at Isabella & Max Rooms has a great, in-depth tutorial on how to cover a tapered shade, and I pretty much followed that which made this easier. Basically, you want to place your shade on the center of your fabric (I placed mine on the medallion on the front of the shade across from the seam) and roll it out to the sides of the fabric.
Cut along the edge as you're rolling it, leaving about 2 inches of extra fabric.
You'll end up with a rounded edge that goes up on the ends. This will allow the fabric to lay flat, and the medallion to rest squarely on the front of the shade.
(Please ignore my abnormally skinny legs. Can you say no muscle tone? It's a genetic thing.) You'll want to iron the fabric at this point to be sure that it will lay completely flat.(Thanks for doing the dirty work, Mom!)
Place the fabric on the shade exactly as you want it (for me, the medallion on the front) and pull both sides around to the seam. Cut one side about 1/2 inch past the seam and tape in place. Then pull the other side snug so there are no gaps or bubbles and tape in place. (I marked my line with a pencil first.)
Because I didn't want to add any trim (ie:ribbon) along the top and bottom, I needed to make an exact cut along the top and bottom of the shade. So, I fold the extra fabric over the top of the shade, pull tight, and make small marks with a pencil along the edge of the shade. This will be the line you will cut to get an even edge.
Once you've made your cut, fold down about a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch all the way around the top of the shade. Tuck it under and make sure it lines up evenly with the edge of the shade. Hot glue a thin line along the edge (Janell uses fabric glue, in case you were wondering!) and press the folded fabric down to create a finished edge. I suggest doing this in small sections at a time. I didn't want to see any hot glue, so I followed each section with a damp paper towel to get any hot glue that escaped the fold.
Create the seam on the back by cutting the fabric on the non-taped side about 2 inches longer than the seam, fold the fabric over and run a line of glue down the seam. Press to seal. (Sorry no pics of this step!) Finish the bottom edge in the same way as the top of the shade and you're done!
What?! You wouldn't celebrate by wearing the shade on your head? Shame on you! Covering the lamp shade took about 2 hours to do, so it was a bit time-consuming and a little tricky. Having four hands was definitely a huge help! Admittedly, there are some very minor imperfections in my shade, but I figure that it's pretty darn good for our first try!: ) And now for some more swoon-worthy shots:
Pin ItLove the way it looks lit up at night!
I love it, and my kids do too!: ) Now the question is, should I keep the brown curtain panels, or go with a different color, maybe navy blue? Thoughts, please!
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Last week I introduced you to the huge DIY patio project we're in the midst of. (If you missed the intro post, you can check it out HERE.) Well, the past week has been full of lots of and lots of hard work, but we've made some awesome progress!
Although my mind is completely preoccupied with planning our first patio party, and all the fun accessorizing DIYs I can't wait to get started on, I had to stick to the Patio Plan and stay focused! Our last post ended with us beginning to measure and plan. Here's what we've accomplished since then!
Step # 3- Measure & Plan Now, we already had our plan on paper and even roughly spray painted on the grass, but now it was time for the dreaded exact numbers. Now, I'll admit, my hubs is one smart guy (remember, Chemist by day, DIYer by night?) but we called in the big guns for this one. Meet Mark & Connie (you might remember their guest room??)
Well these two love math and nerdy stuff, so we said hey come over for dinner and help us do patio math. They couldn't resist the offer. I'm not going to give you all the exact equations etc (because I don't understand them) but I'll just emphasize that the math does matter. We used string tied on to rebar to get straight lines.
We marked, measured, did little intersection things etc.
Then it was time to DIG! I helped with this part (some of it at least). Eric used the pickaxe and I'll shovel in the wheelbarrow and dump. Fun Times, let me tell ya.
We've had a TON of rain lately and we live in ROCKhill Township, so it took a while to get the entire thing dug. I loved seeing the outline begin to take shape!
While we were digging, look what arrived from Stone Depot and EP Henry?
We didn't have time to waste, so we were on to Step #4- Remove the Patio Grass Nothing fancy to this part, just dig away at the grass and haul it into the woods. By this point Eric was still okay with me saying,"Wait! Pose! Let me take a picture!" Not so much anymore! I knew it would ware off eventually!
Another Delivery! This is the 3/4 Modified stone that goes down first.
Step # 5- Build Boarder Wall The first part to building the wall was filling in the trench we just dug! WHAT??!! I was totally not cool with this at first. It seemed like a waste, but the wall needs a solid foundation. We filled the trench with stone, raked it, and tamped. What Eric is using is a tamp. You just bang it really hard over and over and over. Again, fun times!
My job was to bring load after load after load of stone. It was a good upper body workout!
Oops! Step # 4.5- Run Electrical Wires We almost forgot about this step. We're adding lights on the sitting wall, and four pillar lights. Eric did all the electrical himself because he's experienced in this area, but if you're a rookie, call in a pro to help.
Finally we were ready to lay some pavers! These were the first ones and I can't tell you how excited I was when they went in!
There are some definite DIY tips and tricks we've learned about building a wall, so we'll be back next week with a post chock-full of helpful tips! So, how are we doing so far? Any guesses on how long this DIY is going to take us?
It's Fall! Yay! Well, ok, we might still be experiencing 80 degree weather, but Monica and I are in total Fall project mode. We both have lists miles long of stuff we want to accomplish, and things we want to do during this, our favorite season ever. There's just something about getting back into a regular groove that makes us so much more productive. We're already planning our usual Tuesday evening blog nights (if you ever want to reach both of us at once, that's the perfect time!), and have some awesome tutorials, fun room designs, and, of course, lots of seasonal decorating to share with you!
If you're new around here, you'll quickly realize that we looooooooove Fall. In fact, last year, we dedicated a whole week to Autumn goodness. You'll definitely want to check out some of our fav Fall finds from last year, like…
Easy Apple Dumplings Oh yummmmmm. I can't wait to break these things out at our first Eagles football party. I don't know about you, but the only reason I watch every game is for the food. Oh yes, I said it.
Fall Mantle Inspiration This is my Fall faux-mantel from last year and I absolutely loved it, but I'll be mixing it up this year since my kitchen looks totally different.
Fall Anti- WreathMonica is a wreath-hater, and she's not afraid to admit it. Her solution for her front door was totally awesome, and I daresay it'll make you a hater of traditional wreaths, too. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With the start of the Fall blogging season, we're happy to announce that we're accepting new sponsors! We have a few openings that we would love to fill, so if you have a business that you think we'll love and can help you promote, send us an email at eastcoastcreativeblog@gmail.com! Seriously, what better way to sell your stuff than to have two loud, passionate, crazy women on your side?! For all the nitty-gritty info about our sponsorship opportunities, click here. Come on board with EC2- we'll take good care of you!; ) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We can't wait to share with you all that we've been doing in our homes (anybody ready for a Monica patio update?!), so why don't you throw on a pair of jeans and a comfy sweatshirt and cozy on up with us. Let the Fall fun begin!
