Rustic Chic Baby Shower

Rustic Chic Baby Shower

As I previously posted, I have been working on putting together a baby shower for a dear friend of mine. The baby shower was last week and it went off without a hitch (minus the strong gusts of wind blowing vases over and the light shower of rain). It took me several hours (and gallons of wine) to paint, locate, buy and assemble all of the decorations. On the day of the event I had a small army helping to put everything in it's perfect place. I was extremely pleased with the outcome of the event and more importantly the Mom to be was thrilled as well.

We served lemonade and water. We decided to omit alcohol because the party was from 2-4 pm and it adds an element that isn't always appropriate at a baby shower. I bought several inexpensive chalkboards, painted the borders and wrote on them with a paint pen. I used them to label the items that were available. I bought several dozen mason jars for a previous event and continue to reuse them. I love mason jars because they are inexpensive and they look much nicer than disposable cups.

I made vases with old wine bottles and large mason jars. I wrapped the top of the mason jars in a white lace ribbon and tied a twine bow at the top. The wine bottles I wrapped with twine, a small pink ribbon and glued fabric flowers in the front. The vases were inexpensive (and a great excuse to drink more wine), cute and perfectly country. Each table was decorated with a chocolate brown linen, five vintage doilies and two vases filled with Baby's Breath and Gerber Daisies. 

I made several signs to display around the yard. I bought acrylic paint in the color palette that I had chosen, wood steaks and thin unfinished wood signs. All of the items are sold at Michael's for under $10 a sign. I reused a few signs from a previous event and just repainted them, it worked out well. 

I used hand me down clothing to make an adorable clothes line. The line was made from twine, I bought clothes pins from Michael's and all of the clothing items that I hung were in the chosen color palette. It was a very simple addition to the event's decor. 

It's always nice to have a designated site for the gifts. Gifts are so colorful and beautifully wrapped, they can be a wonderful addition to the overall look of an event. 

Since the event was held from 2-4 pm we had the option of serving food, appetizers or desserts. I decided to do a dessert bar. This is the first dessert bar that I have executed. I learned a few helpful tips that I'll surely apply next time around: 

1. You do NOT need 100 different choices. Simple is best. 

2. Stick with 5 candy choices and 5 baked good choices.

3. No need to have a large amount of each item. Not every guest will indulge in every item. 

4. Choose items that perfectly match your color palette. 

5. Use boxes to prop different items, so that the display has items at different heights. 

6. Use different sized vases, jars, dishes and stands. It makes the table look perfectly displayed. 

7. Test ALL of the items. ; )

There was an insane amount of treats left over from the event. I have definitely learned from my mistakes but I was happy with the way that it turned out, especially with it being the first dessert table I have designed. 

Cheers to a great event. Can't wait until I have another event to plan!! 

Saturday Style Spotlight. Rustic Chic.

I'd like to tie the theme of the Baby Shower that I am currently working on into today's style spotlight, country chic. Rustic style is currently trending and has been for years. It is classic and when done properly it is timeless. Rustic style can be comforting, masculine, feminine, natural, sustainable, country, inviting and lovely.

When decorating an event or interior with a country chic theme, you have the option of incorporating several different elements and objects. Beyond the mason jars, burlap and wood rounds, there are hundreds of ways to create an atmosphere that embodies a rustic chic vibe. Let's begin with eight. 

8 ideas on how to achieve a rustic chic theme when decorating…

1. Tribal Prints. In every color you can imagine, tribal prints are beautiful and very accessible. On a pillow or covering a wall, the addition of tribal prints is an easy way to incorporate a rustic theme. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   2. Barn wood. Any wood that is weathered and worn. Barn wood has a lovely distressed look that can turn any item rustic chic. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   3. Tin. On the roof, wall paneling, buckets or light fixtures, tin always has a rustic look.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   4. Copper. A little copper goes a long way. Nothing makes a more beautiful rustic kitchen than an oversized copper sink. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   5. Muted neutral tones. Natural shades of brown, grey, ivory and black. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   6. Repurposed Items. Upcycle. One Man's trash is another Man's treasure, such a true statement. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   7. Wrought Iron. The combination of barn wood and wrought iron is fabulous. The old wrought iron bed frames are perfect for a rustic chic room. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   8. Exposed beams. No need to hide those beautiful rustic beams.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   The options are endless. What are your favorite rustic chic decorating ideas? I may go this direction when we have a house in the country.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Modify Monday. DIY Headboard.

If you are a Pinterest addict like myself that you may have seen some of the amazing DIY home projects my fellow crafters have posted. Many of the DIY projects that I have seen look very difficult and intimidating and others are easy enough for even the non crafty's out there. I have attempted and completed several home decorations that I have found on Pinterest, it is a hobby of mine.

Not long ago I was looking for a DIY headboard idea. I felt that my bedroom really needed the added character and our bed frame did not come with a headboard. I searched online for quite some time and found several different ideas that were possible for me to complete on my own. I compared all of the options and settled on the headboard that was going to fit our bedroom style perfectly.

This project is so simple. Anybody and everybody that is in need of a headboard could and should give it a try. I am so happy with the way it turned out. Our bedroom is complete.

1. Go to a lumber supply store with your measurements.
-Planks should be even with or a bit longer than the width of your bed. We have a queen bed so I needed a plank that was cut 62 inches long. I decided to go with five 4 inch planks. The staff at the lumber store will cut your planks to the length that you desire, if needed.

2. Pick out your stain or paint color.
-The finish that you go with can make a dramatic difference. We have a beach styled home so I decided to go with white paint. I always have white paint on hand, so I used what I had.

3. Paint or stain your wood immediately.
-If you decided to paint or stain your wood it needs to be done immediately. If your wood is kept outside without getting painted it will begin to warp. If you can't paint your wood immediately you should keep it covered or inside. I wanted a bit of a warped look because of our beach theme, so I kept our wood outside on our porch for two days. (My Husband did not understand why I would do such a thing)

4. Hang.
-Once your wood is dry and looking good, it is time to hang. Make sure that you have a level on hand so that your wood is placed straight across. I started right below the top of my mattress so that there was not a visible gap. There are several different ways to hang the planks, go with whatever you think is going to fit your style best. You can nail the wood into the wall, use picture hangers or drill it in.

Flea Market Friday. Oceanside. Never. Again.

Last Saturday I made plans for my family to shop the Oceanside Flea Market. We weren't really sure what to expect because neither my husband or I had ever been. It is in a giant lot that used to be occupied by a drive in theater. The large movie screens are still in place, which makes it look a little creepy but as we all know, we should never judge a book by it's cover. When we arrived to the market mid morning we were surprised by the lack of vehicles we were seeing in the parking lot. Usually flea markets stay pretty busy, especially on a Saturday or Sunday morning.
We paid the $1 entry fee and immediately started checking out the booths. What we found was a surprise to both my husband and myself. There were very few vendors. Many of the booths were vacant and for some odd reason vendors were setting there booths up every 20-30 feet, which made it look even more empty. The lot looked like it was ready to house hundreds of vendors and maybe in the past it had, but it was completely lacking vendors and business last Saturday.
As we walked the grounds, from booth to booth we noticed that the quality of the items being sold was very poor. The vendors didn't seem as if they were there to sell, they never greeted us or acknowledged that we were interested in their items. When we stopped at a fruit stand, we gathered several different items while the vendor continued to have a conversation with a family member, not acknowledging us until we asked where we could pay. The entire experience was very odd.
We did find a few items: fruit, veggies and a house plant. They had great deals on plants and the man that was selling them was very friendly and informative. I am very happy that we weren't entirely skunked but I guarantee we will not return to that flea market.
I took a few pictures of our experience.

A few lessons that I learned last Saturday. 

1. Always look up reviews on the flea market that you are interested in visiting. 

2. It's worth a longer drive to get to a better flea market.

3. I can find something to buy anywhere items are for sale. 

Sunday Celebration. Phase 1. Party Planning.

I am planning a baby shower for my Husband's cousin, who is also a dear friend of mine. My Sister in law is hosting the party but I volunteered to do the decorating and help with the planning. I am a sucker for parties and decorating, so it's a perfect match. Baby shower planning has become one of my specialties.
Today we met up to discuss the details of what we are doing. It is critical to have a game plan when planning something as important as a Woman's baby shower, what a special day. The Mom to be has thirty people on her guest list, totally doable.

Plan of Attack

1. Budget. It is extremely important to know what you're working with in order to plan the event. 
2. Theme. Our budget is not a very significant amount, so we need to work with items that we already have. We have decided to do a feminine, rustic, vintage, country inspired theme. 
3. Time. The time of the party determines what kind of food needs to be served. If it is during the hours of a meal, you will need to provide that. If you're looking to do appetizers or dessert, you should throw the party between meals. 
4. Food and Beverages. We are throwing the shower from 2-4 pm, between meals. We will be serving appetizers and dessert. No alcohol needed since it is early in the afternoon. 
5. Invitations. Invitations should be sent out in advance and should reflect the theme that you've chosen. Depending on what the occasion is, you should give people 4-8 weeks. For this occasion 4 weeks will suffice. The invitation we chose can be seen by clicking link below. 

http://www.costcophotocenter.com/greetings/product/G/G0000230/FLT57V/2?category=BabyShowerGirl

1. Decor. After coming up with a rough estimate for food, beverages, venue (if not at home) and invitations, you should know what is left for decorations and miscellaneous items. Come up with a list of decorations that will make a big impact and list in order of importance. The top of the list should be the first items budgeted for. 

Items I have: tables, chairs, linens, mason jars, chalkboards, wood rounds, center piece vases, burlap, glass drink dispensers and galvanized buckets.

Items we will need to purchase: paper straws, paper flowers, fabric garland, fresh flowers, paper garland and balloons.

Any ideas that you think would go well? What do you think of the planning so far? What was the theme of your baby shower? 

Flea Market Friday. Thrift store success.

Nothing beats strolling the 101, sipping a great cup of coffee and shopping the boutiques, consignment stores and thrift shops. I have never had trouble shopping. I have yet to walk into a store that doesn't have a single item that I'd like to see in my home. 

I find thrift stores to be especially fun. Everybody loves a good treasure hunt. You never know what you're going to leave with. Once you find a piece that you can't live without, it is so much fun to imagine the story behind it. The prices are impossible to beat. Where can you find a lovely $3.00 tea cup and saucer set or a beautiful matted and framed picture of the ocean for the bargain price of 6.00? 

Just two of the treasures that I came home with today. Here are a couple more...

I love the colors on these matching canvases. They are perfect for our beach pad. I am not sure where I will find a home for them but I know I can free up some wall space to showcase these little stunners. $4.00 for both. 

I have been looking for decorating, design and home organizing books everywhere. I came across three at a thrift store today and couldn't pass up the deal. For $10 I went home with 3 books, what a steal. Now I must read them. 

The best Flea Markets in San Diego run Saturday- Sunday. I will be attending this weekend and documenting my experience. I am looking forward to the adventure, it has been too long since I last shopped the market.