Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Sugared Bacon

At a recent wedding shower I attended at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, I got a chance to sample the club's sugared bacon. Now, I am a southern girl and love anything with bacon. Add some brown sugar to it, and you don't have to wait for me to grab a plate!

I have been dying to try to make this, so I attempted the recipe (which the club gave to one of the women at the shower) for Easter lunch.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
1 pound Bacon - I used the thick sliced, but I think it would be crispier with thin sliced bacon, which is what you want

Prepare baking pans by covering with foil, or using a wire rack coated in cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 




Dredge bacon in sugar. Be sure to be generous with the sugar on both sides. 



Bake Bacon at 350 degrees till brown, turning once, about 8 minutes per side.  


Bacon will be sticky until cool, so place on wire racks. Then transfer to wax paper until needed. 

This recipe be prepared 4 hours ahead and stored in air-tight container. Serve at room temperature.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Happy Easter

Just wanted to wish you
 Happy Easter!

I don't have many decorations around the house, but I do have this as my centerpiece:
The egg garland was $3, after my special 50% off coupon from Michaels, and I wrapped it around my vintage silver candelabra. I also used some multicolored hand-dipped taper candles I bought long ago from Pottery Barn.

I also got some cute hand towels from HomeGoods:

And my favorite, the carrots from Pier 1:

Hope you have a great day!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Dye Free Decorating

My friend Amy sent me this great link to Parents Magazine dye-free decorating for eggs, just in time for Easter this Sunday.  Here are some really cute and easy ways to decorate your eggs (even plastic ones) this Easter with items found around your house, or at your local craft store.

Use Magic Markers:



  Glue on Gems:


Use Colored Tape:


Or Tie with Ribbon:
All photos from Parents Magazine
Go here for these and more of their egg-cellent decorating ideas for Easter!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

What To Do With Leftover Easter Candy

Here is what you do with your left over Easter candy (Hershey's Miniatures) and Peeps. I found this on GastroGirl, a site for beautiful food photos and links. It is originally photographed on Eclectic Recipes.  Just brilliant!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Joke of the Week

I got this in my in-box this morning, and just loved it and had to share! Happy Wednesday!
(my favorite wine)



  A woman sitting on the veranda with her husband says, "I love you”.
   He asks, "Is that you or the wine talking?"
   She replies, "It's me............. 
talking to the wine”.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Infused Water

A few months ago, when I started this diet, I was looking for drinks that fit the "healthy" category instead of just plain water. I know some people who love water, and unfortunately, I am not one of them. I need flavor.  And most flavored waters on the market have sucrose or other sugars as additives that are not part of the diet. So I had to hunt down some waters that only include two ingredients: water and natural flavors... sounds easy right? Apparently only Starbucks and Fresh Market carry these, at lease in my area of town. Here is what I found:

Ayala's herbal water was one of my favorites. The lemongrass mint vanilla and the lavender mint are truly heavenly. However, at $2.69 a bottle, and a tiny bottle at that, I could buy almost a gallon of milk. Or an entire bag of dark chocolate Hershey kisses (also on the diet, in small quantities). So I looked at another option:


Hint water is also delicious. They have less exotic flavors than herbal water, but all are crisp and refreshing. And I liked that Starbucks also sells the blackberry flavor of Hint water, so no matter where I was during the day, I could hunt down a flavored water at Starbucks. These too are pricey at $1.50 per bottle. For water.

Since Summer is here fast approaching in Florida, I find myself craving more refreshing and cold water, with a hint of something. So I thought one day, why can't I make these myself? Is there really anything difficult about adding some flavors to water? I mean, why else would such tiny bottles be so expensive?!

And honestly, I cannot tell you why they are so expensive. I can only tell you how to make your own cheaper and much more easily than hunting down your nearest Starbucks or health food store. I debuted my cucumber water and rosemary mint water at the MISRED Bloggers Unite, and have decided that these would be a staple at every event to come this spring and summer!

Here are the four easy steps:
1. Grab a pitcher or bottle to make the water in. I like the clear bottles from Ikea (below) that have their own stoppers, and they are inexpensive enough to buy a few for different flavors. Plus they look pretty in the fridge.

2. Decide what flavors you want to infuse your water with. I have used slices of fruits and veggies like lemon, lime, cucumber, orange peel- just clean them really well, and cut them in long thin slices in order to get them both in and out of the bottle. I like to use about half of one fruit or vegetable for good measure, so for cucumber water, I use 1/2 cucumber sliced longways with the middle seeds removed. If you were using orange peel, then use the peel of half of an orange. Using herbs like mint (spearmint and peppermint), rosemary, and lavender also gives water a great flavor, and I like to use at least 1 whole stem per herb in my waters.  I also recommend only leaving herbs in the water overnight, as they tend to get really concentrated in the water for a really strong flavor.

3. Place the additives in the bottle and add cold, filtered water. You could also add sparkling water to fancy it up!

my cucumber water (l), and rosemary spearmint water (r)

4. Chill overnight, and taste in the morning. If the water has reached your desired flavoring, I would recommend straining the water into another bottle (using a strainer and funnel) and removing the fruit/herbs. If it is not strong enough, leave the water in the bottle with additives for another 12-24 hours. Serve the water straight up or over ice.

There are certainly more recipes online, and some call for boiling the water and adding the herbs and letting it cool down before refrigerating. Some also call for straining minced herbs and fruits as part of the process, but I feel that if you use larger pieces (like an entire rosemary stem or cucumber slices), they are easier to remove and prevent tiny pieces from getting in your drink. They also give the bottles a pretty presentation.

I will be experimenting in the weeks to come with flavored vodkas, as I believe you should be able to infuse them in a similar way. Hope you enjoy this super easy and refreshing treat!

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and she has not been paid a dime for her review of these stores or products. Its just an FYI to DIY!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Blushing....


I was highlighted as this week's Freshly Picked Rosebud from the fabulous Kristin and Megan, the Bon Bon Rose Girls.  I had the pleasure of finally meeting Kristin at the Bloggers Unite event last weekend, and she is just as delightful in person as she is on her blog! I absolutely love their daily posts, and really appreciate what they contribute to the blogosphere. They are a daily read for sure!



If you want to become a Rosebud like me, go here for more information about how you can become one too!

Kristin & Megan, thanks for truly making my week! Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Refrigerator Update and Hostess Tip #6

Let's begin at the end-

Hostess Tip #6:
Never leave canned sodas (or carbonated drinks) in a new fridge if you are still unsure about the temperature setting. They could freeze and explode. All.over.the.new.clean.fridge.

And now to the beginning:
If you weren't getting a few laughs from the last post about setting up our new fridge, maybe you can from the fact that we had another issue with it last night. When I organized it, I happened to put the Diet Dr. Pepper soda cans at the top, since we drink them occasionally on the weekends, and I like mine pretty cold. I'm sure you can imagine what happens next, but let me clarify first. This was not the first time that a can has exploded on me, so I cautiously checked them on Tuesday night to make sure they were not frozen. I honestly did not think the fridge was as cold as our last one, so I thought they would be fine to leave them up there for another day and check them later.


Last night, we went to dinner at the in-laws house, so I didn't open our fridge until I was going to bed at 10PM to get some water. When I did, this is what shot out at me:


It was a DDP rocket!!! Seriously, there was this loud pop as I opened the door and  I instinctively curled into a ball on the floor with my arms curled around my head. There must have been some pressure built up in the fridge because it literally exploded open when I pulled on it, and a mangled DDP can with frozen soda still in it landed at my feet. After realizing what had just happened, I stood up from my duck & cover position to find that the entire inside of the clean new fridge had been covered in frozen brown soda. Another mangled can lay on its side still on the top shelf (the first casualty) and a third can lie in wait. I immediately removed the third can and put it in the sink to thaw out, while secretly praying that it too not explode all over my kitchen.

What is really fun about cleaning up after a frozen soda, is that while you are busy pulling out food and removing every shelf of your new refrigerator, the iced pieces of soda begin to melt, since the temperature is rising with the door open. This makes for more of a mess... think slushy. So basically, I cleaned the entire inside of the new refrigerator again last night.

And our ice maker still does not work.  The saga continues....

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

How To: New Refrigerator and Hostess Tip #5

Sunday = Fun Day 

Not this week, at least. Getting a new refrigerator was not fun.

 Sunday = Nightmare


As you know, we are renovating my brother's house. He inherited some newer stainless steel appliances from my parents house, and so we were getting rid of all his white ones. I also have white appliances at my house (never again!), and our fridge had seen better days. It works perfectly, but the handles and molding have turned a yellow hue, and the front of the left door is rusting to the point that I cannot clean it all off. So, I decided that it would be in our best interest to take my brother's white fridge to replace ours.

Keep in mind, I have never replaced appliances before... I measured the sizes about 20 times, and they appeared to be about the same. The new one is actually a little more shallow than our old one, but about the same size inside. It didn't dawn on me until Saturday that I need to measure the doorways in our house in order to get these in and out... and I came to discover that the only door they will fit through is our front door. If we remove the doors from the fridge first. Not a huge deal, my husband thought. He surveyed our old fridge with his dad and they knew it could be done. So we made plans to bring over the new fridge on Sunday and swap them out.

I got the coolers ready while they went to get the new fridge. I cleaned out our old fridge, keeping only the things we really needed / didn't want to waste from the fridge and freezer, and threw out everything else. I managed to get it all down to two coolers worth, and I added ice, thinking that once we got the new fridge in here, after a couple hours of getting cold, we could just put everything back in. And our coolers are the kind that hold ice for 6 days, so I was confident that our food would be just fine.

Boy, was I wrong! Once my husband and great brothers-in-law came back with the new fridge for our house, I thought I was ready for them. I had already turned off the fridge and had a towel ready in case the old fridge leaked water. We had shut off the water line, and the guys helped pull the old fridge out of the cabinet.

Getting the new fridge out of the truck was a job in itself, and then we had to get it up 4 stairs and through our front door. Brothers-in-law make for great laborers! Once it was inside, we figured out how to connect the waterline, but couldn't plug it in. Why you ask? Because when you transport a fridge, you are NEVER supposed to lay it down in the truck, which is what my husband did, because none of us knew this! Apparently, the oil in the compressor will migrate, and if you plug it in right away, it can cause damage to the compressor and ruin fridge. So we had to leave it unplugged until the oil could migrate back down into the compressor.... overnight....

Food sitting in coolers aside, we now had to get the old fridge out. The old fridge, which at this point had completely defrosted, was leaking water all over my wood floors. The old fridge that is too wide that our front door had to be taken off the hinges in order to get it out (PS- we have a really old, glass paned front door that I had bet on getting broken somewhere in this process). The fridge is still sitting on our front porch, looking trashy, awaiting pickup from our local Habitat for Humanity  Outlet. After we got the front door back on, the water and dirt cleaned up from the wood floors, the waiting process began. And we realized that we had nothing to drink or eat... but here is the newest edition to our kitchen:
New(er), shiny, and white! We plugged it in on Monday morning and let it cool down all day. Monday night I put the food back in it.... luckily with such amazing coolers, our frozen stuff stayed frozen, with the exception of some soft frozen yogurt, and our cold stuff stayed fresh.Here is the beautiful new inside after putting all our food back in:
It actually looks full, but I promise you this shot is deceiving. We don't really have much to eat. Its mostly condiments, beer, bread, and some veggies. But we're not done yet.... the ice maker now does not work, and my husband is convinced that the filtered water tastes funny, even though I replaced the water filter. I had to mop the floor twice last night, and I need to remove some more scuff marks from shuffling refrigerators. So more things to work on as the week progresses, not to mention a trip to the grocery store.

The How To's (& How Not's) to Replacing A Refrigerator:

- Prepare ahead of time.  Research online the process of replacing a piece of equipment to see what is involved, instead of winging it like we did.
- Measure, measure, measure. Make sure the new one fits back into where the old one was, and if it fits through the doorways in your house. Figure out if the handles can come off as well- ours did, but if they didn't, we would have had to clear another 3 inches, which meant the fridge would have to go out through a window.
-If you are getting a slightly used fridge, make sure you have a new water filter and that the ice machine works. Repairs can be costly, so they tell me online after the fact. 
-Anticipate the worst, time-wise. I was lucky with the food, but I can see it going badly and having to throw everything out. Also there is no such thing as a quick switch out when it comes to appliances.
-Have multiple people to help. Luckily my husband has strong brothers who could help lift the fridge and wheel it in on a dolly (also highly recommended). We would not be able to do it with just the two of us. I don't care how if you have no steps or if the fridge has wheels. You need multiple people.

And Hostess Tip #5:
If you want to replace your existing refrigerator, go to your local appliance store, buy a new one and have the store deliver it, set it up for free, and remove your old one. (skip other tips above!)

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The Starter - Its Story

You may remember this recipe from one of my first blog posts, but I wanted to explain why I featured it at Bloggers Unite and have renamed it this:

Here's the story: Back in March 2009, I helped host a Bachelorette party for one of my college roommates. Since we all now live in different cities, we decided to gather in Orlando, Florida to stay at my roommate Nikki's house overnight and go out after eating appetizers and dinner. I was asked to bring my salsa, which I used to make as a treat for them in college, and decided that they needed to try this new recipe as well.  Long story short, the dip was polished off long before the end of the night, and EVERYONE wanted the recipe.

Now, I love my roomies, but knowing them, I would be asked a million times for the recipe via e-mail or text, and this would probably continue for years.... so, after being a fan of many blogs online, I decided to start my own on which I could post recipes and ideas that my friends wanted to replicate. That way, they could simply look up the website any time, and I didn't have to search for the recipe or try to rely on every detail from memory. And so in the end, this recipe was what started it all.

Thanks to my girls and their addiction... just look what you have inspired!!!

And thanks to Amy again for the original recipe. I think we've sent it around the world a few times by now!

Here is the recipe again:

2 Cans Black Beans, drained
2 Cans White Shoepeg Corn, drained
8oz. Feta Cheese (I use reduced fat feta to save a few calories!)
Bunch of Green Onions, chopped
1 cup Peanut Oil
1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup Sugar
Garlic Salt and Pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients, chill, and serve with white or blue corn chips. This recipe makes a good amount for a large gathering, so I like to half the recipe for a small dinner party appetizer.Enjoy!

Monday, April 11, 2011

If You Missed Us Saturday Night....

You missed an amazing time for the Bloggers Unite at MISRED Outfitters! It is great to meet so many talented and FUN bloggers! I had a crazy Saturday where I was a leadership event all day, and ran home to change for Bloggers Unite, so I apologize for looking a little frazzled (and apparently giddy upon the point of exhaustion in the blogger pic below). Since this event was for FASHION bloggers, I guess I should tell you that I wore a vintage polka dot silk top, white linen Theory pants, thrifted gold belt, and tons of vintage gold and red jewelry to the event.
(via)

The AMAZING Sara Stonecipher, owner of MISRED Outfitters, had us highlighted in her shop's entrance. Since I ran out of the house, I totally forgot my camera, so these pics are borrowed from some of the fabulous bloggers featured:
:
(via Samantha's Garments)
 It was such a pleasure to meet Samy of Samantha's Garments, Marybeth and her sister of Jade and Willow, Laura of Artfully Artista, Priscilla of Rush Our Fashion (who came all the way from Jacksonville!), Andrea of Window Shopping Diva, and Kristen of BonBon Rose Girls.















Of course, I can't forget the incredible host Jennifer Rand of Belle de Couture, and the fabulous sisters Rebekah and Rachel of Eugenia Woods, whom I did not have a chance to talk to before I had to leave. We all managed to get a shot of everyone before I made a mad dash to my third event of the day! These fashionistas stuck around for the 600 Block's AFTER DARK event and fashion show (click here to watch), which was styled by Sara of MISRED Outfitters.
(via Eugenia Woods)
 Also featured was the lovely Erin Griffin of The Yummy Kind who made the most AMAZING cupcakes, which were all vegan. My favorites were her Red Velvet and Key Lime Coconut. You should check out her site for cooking classes and recipes. 
And of course in good Hostess fashion, I provided an appetizer and beverages. I brought with me this recipe, which I have named "The Starter" (another post about that soon), some Margarita Punch, and infused water (recipe to come!). Thanks to all those who came out to meet us!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Bloggers Unite & Hostess Tip #4

My good friend Sara, owner of MISRED Outfitters, my FAVORITE vintage store in our area, asked me to be a part of her Bloggers Unite event this Saturday night, which is being hosted by another great blogger, Jennifer Rand of Belle de Couture. Sara included me because I am not only a local blogger, but I am actually really into fashion, vintage clothing (half of my closet is either vintage or from thrift stores, believe it or not!), and fashion blogs. Besides Jennifer's blog, I read daily the posts of Kelly, Leandra, Jane, Judy, and more! Vintage clothing can be fun and classic, PERFECT for any event, and vintage clothing for all occasions can be found at local thrift and resale boutiques in your area. And with that comes my next hostess tip...

HOSTESS TIP #4: Part of being a hostess is presenting yourself in attire that fits your event. As the hostess, opening the door when guests to arrive and closing it behind them when they leave are your guests' FIRST AND LAST IMPRESSIONS OF YOUR PARTY! It is ALWAYS important to think about what you are wearing just as much as it is the little details of the party. If you look put together and festive, your event will be fun to guests, no matter what little details are off, or problems that arise along the way. Trust me!

Anyway, if you are local, I hope you will come downtown for this great event! I've posted the info below:



I am contributing some yummy appetizers and punch to the event. Check back here for the recipes and pictures of the event!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Perfect Paella

Upon the arrival of Spring a few weeks back, my husband and I decided to have our parents over for dinner for some authentic Paella Valenciana, a traditional Spanish dish that combines chicken, fresh seafood, and spring ready vegetables combined with a saffron spiced rice. My father-in-law is originally from Valencia, Spain, so he came over to teach us how to make this traditional dish in the same way his parents taught him. We gathered together all the ingredients and fired up the grill. I was so excited to use my new paella pan and azafran (saffron), both brought back from Spain.

Unfortunately for you, I am not going to share the family's secret paella recipe. Every great cook and entertainer has a few tricks and secrets they can never reveal, and if I did, I think I might be shunned by the family. However, a hostess always accommodates, so here is a traditional recipe from Pepita Aris' cookbook Spanish Food & Cooking:






Ingredients:
6 Tbsp White Wine
1 lb fresh Mussels
1 cup fava beans
5 oz green beans
6 tbsp olive oil
1 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast, bite pieces
1 lbs prawns (large shrimp)
5 oz pork fillet, cubed
2 onions, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
4 Tbsp chopped parsley
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
pinch of saffron in 2 tbsp of hot water
1 3/4 cups paella rice, washed and drained
8 oz chorizo, sliced diagonally
10 pcs olives
smoked paprika, salt and pepper
Directions:
Heat the wine and add the mussels. Discard any that do not close when tapped. Cover and steam until opened. Reserve the liquid and mussels separately. Discard any that do not open. If using blanched half shells like I did, arrange them in a steamer, put a dash of white wine, sprinkle with sea salt and steam for 5 minutes.

Briefly cook the fava and green beans in boiling water, then drain and run cold water to stop from cooking. Pop the fava beans out of the shell.

Heat oil in paella pan. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Brown chicken and set aside. Do the same with the shrimp and pork . 

Heat the remaining oil. Saute the chopped garlic and onion until garlic is fragrant. Add tomatoes, & tomato paste, then the rice. Add chicken stock, the reserve mussel liquid, the saffron liquid and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring every now and then to make sure that the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. When the all the liquid is almost absorbed by the rice, stir in everything except for mussels and olives. Lower heat, cover pan with foil, and cook for another 10 -12 minutes, moving pan every 2-3 minutes to evenly cook the rice. Alternatively, you can cook it in a 350 F oven for 15-18 minutes or until rice is done. Arrange the mussels and olives on the top before serving.
Here is what our paella turned out looking like in the end (forgive the bad lighting... I had to take a quick shot before everyone attacked to pan!):
A few tips for cooking paella:
1. Paella is a blend of flavors and foods, so use what you like, and don't add what you hate. If you don't like mussels but love calamari, add the calamari. If you don't eat pork, then substitute the pork for more chicken or scallops, like we did.The same goes for the vegetables. What makes paella good is the blending and seasoning of all these things together to flavor the overall dish.

2. The pan you use has to cook evenly. You need to make sure that your grill is level and dispensing even heat. If you prefer to use the oven, make sure your racking is pretty level, and the oven is nice and hot before you begin.

3. Paella is a family-style dish, and usually serves 6-8 people. It is the main event, especially after all the time it takes to prep and cook. Serve it with some rustic bread and a Spanish style salad, but nothing more. Trust me, you will get your fill from this dish alone, and no sides are needed. 

4. Cut lemon wedges for your guests and spritz the rice with some fresh lemon juice just prior to eating. Just a teeny bit of lemon seems to make all the flavors pop!
Hope you experiment with a traditional Paella sometime this spring or summer when the vegetables are fresh and flavors are perfect for a warm night. Let me know how it turns out!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

They Say Old Fashioned Post Is Dead...

But I love receiving party invitations in the mail! This practice is only getting better and more creative, as it should!

Invitations act as the first impression for any party. It gives guests all information about the party details, as well as the theme and environment, so it is important to make sure your party preview is what you want it to be. I usually search the internet to find a few invitations for inspiration to make my own on Microsoft Publisher, but for those who are less creative or savvy, there are some wonderful sites that provide perfectly cute invitations. Here are some of my current favorites (click on the photos for links to invitation websites):






















Etsy is also a great site for handmade letterpress and custom printed invitations with any theme by many local and national artists. I got my wedding invitations through Etsy! I also love the online e-mail invitations from Cocodot and eVite, that are decorative and you can make quickly to get the word out to guests for a last minute get together!  Sometimes an Inbox is just as good as a Mailbox, but don't rely on e-mails for serious parties.... spend the money and/or the time on real invites. Your guests will be more excited and eager to come to your next event!

Monday, April 4, 2011

How To: Onesie Wonders

At the baby shower I hosted last night, we had one activity for all guests to participate it: Onesie decorating! Since we weren't opening gifts or playing any games, I came up with this activity to give guests something to do other than eat, drink, and mingle. It turned out to be a hit!

First, I went to Michael's to get some fabric markers.I chose to use fabric markers instead of puffy paint because we were using space within a restaurant, and I didn't think that they would invite us back if we messed up their tables and chairs. And I also didn't want people to create onesies that resembled the one Meredith did on Greys Anatomy.

Next, I went and bought several packages of white onesies in various sizes, so that the twins don't out grow all of them at once. I suggest some of the 0-3 months, 3-6 months, and 6-9 months. Since they are twins, I opted for the the 0-3 month onesies because they will most likely be smaller than usual babies for the first few months. However, many newborns outgrow the 0-3 month onesies within the first few weeks, so for a single baby shower, I would recommend using the larger sizes of 3-6 months, 6-9 months, and even the 9-12 months. You can always pair the onesie with cute pants or skirts for a less baby look.

Next, I scoured the web for funny sayings to provide for the onesies. It is always best to give guests a few funny options if they feel they lack creativity in coming up with something on their own. Here are a few of my favorites:
  • Daddy's Little Tax Deduction
  • Stop Texting and Change Me
  • Its All About Me
  • Spit Happens
  • Nobody Puts Baby in The Corner
  • I Crawl the Line
  • Does this diaper make my butt look big?
  • High Fashion Meets Tiny Toes
  • I Drink Until I Pass Out
Before the shower, I pre-washed all the onesies per the directions on the fabric markers, and then I cut square pieces of cardboard and placed them inside the onesies, so that when we decorate, the marker would not bleed through to the other side. I also taped the sleeves and bottom of the onesie up at the back, so that the guests would have a nice square area to write or draw in.

Also, on about half of the onesies, I cut out and traced these shapes (from Microsoft Publisher clip art - template below) onto cardboard.


Then I used a thin line of puffy paint around one shape in the middle of the onesie. I let these dry for a few hours before stacking them to bring to the shower.
Sometimes it is easier for non-creative people to have a small area to write lettering in, if they are not good freehand writers. It also really dressed up some of the lettering!
Our guests had so much fun! And some of them came up with the cutest designs! These are the cousins of the twins, and one of them made a onesie that said "If you think I'm cute, you should see my cousins" - It was my favorite!

And after they were decorated, I followed the directions on the fabric markers and washed the onesies before giving them to the Mom-to-Be. Here's how a few turned out:

Some of our guests got really creative with their drawings and lettering, and I was so happy with the results! You can see from the pic that the Baby Gaga one is a 0-3 month old onesie with long sleeves, and the others are short sleeved ones that are in larger sizes. They were so cute, and the new parents loved opening them all up to see what their guests had come up with! It was such a fun and easy activity, that we may just use it at other showers to come!

SHOP