Monkey Baby Shower

This past Saturday, I helped host a baby shower for my dear friend Janet, who is due in August to give birth to her son, Max. Since she is doing a monkey theme in the nursery, we decided to have a shower that had a bit of a monkey theme. We kept the colors to yellow, green, and brown, and I used the monkeys sparingly. However, I did make some great banners in the party colors, and they are kind of the grown up versions of vines (which monkey's swing on- get it?). There will be a post later on how-to make the banners. Here is a look at what we put together:

For flowers- I love fresh flowers! Simple is usually best, and can be a great accent to any party decor, even if they are in small bunches. I bought these bunches of mums and daisies at Publix 3 bunches for $12. I love how the white daisies have green centers. I simply put them in clear glass vases and tied the brown and white polka dot ribbon, that we used on the invitations, around them.

For decorations, I made three banners using fabric quarters from Joanns and the brown and white polka-dot ribbon from Michaels. I also used some green glass ornaments to hang on the chandelier to give a pop of green.

Since we wanted to keep things simple, we opted for a dessert shower... lunch is sometimes hard to do with more than 10 people and no where to formally seat them. We had the shower at 1:00PM and served punch with champagne, fruits and veggies, some small veggie wraps, cookie bars and mini cupcakes, banana bread, and a candy bar with Runts, Lemonheads, Twizzlers, and pear, banana, and chocolate flavored saltwater taffy (bonus points for those of you who noticed the "banana" references).
 

I also used the same monkey clip-art from the invitations and paper punch to create the food and drink labels.

For games, we played "Guess the Baby Food" and "Measure Mommy's Tummy". For the "Measure Mommy's Tummy", I put a little spin on the game to go with the monkey theme. I went and bought two Barrel of Monkeys and the guests has to guess how many monkeys would make up the circumference of her belly. We showed them the length of the first 12 monkeys just for an estimate. She ended up only being 14 monkeys around! And for the baby food game, as expected, we had some unwilling participants who couldn't bring themselves to eat the baby food. I made this sheet for guests to use to write down the ingredients.

And last but not least, I went to a local soap shop, Milagros, to get Milk and Honey soaps for the guests, "From Janet's Shower To Yours". I used the same ribbon to tie little clear bags and I made tags with the paper punch.

Despite a rough morning, we pulled it all together and it was a really nice shower. Janet got most everything she needed to complete her nursery as well. Check back soon for some of the recipes and how-to's on the details!

Win $100 Gift Card from BlogHer & Walgreens

You can still win a $100 VISA Gift Card from BlogHer and Walgreens. Check out Christina's cute blog, Mommy's Must Haves, for this week's chance to win!


Giveaway sponsored by BlogHer and Walgreens, and I was compensated for my participation.

Believe

This morning, my neighbor flagged down my husband to let him know that they found one of my business cards, a highlighter, and a $10 calculator on their driveway this past weekend - all contents of the missing bag. I almost cried on my way to work thinking about the whole thing again.

At 3:30 this afternoon, approximately 2 1/2 days or 60 hours later, I received a phone call at work from a man named John. He told me that he had found folders and my bag on his front lawn Saturday morning, about 10 blocks from where I live, and wanted to return it to me. I couldn't get there fast enough, and with a quick glance, it appeared that everything was there.

I believe that miracles happen, and that good things happen to good people. God must have thought that my Type-A personality couldn't last for more than 3 days without the contents of my bag. And as I typed in my blog URL into Firefox to write this update, I accidentally superimposed two letters, and instead of my blog, a webpage with Bible verses appeared...

If that's not a sign from above, I don't know what is. And I am GRATEFUL.

Where, Oh Where, Has My Little Gucci Gone?

I am hosting a baby shower this afternoon at my house. I didn't get to sleep easily last night, too many things on my mind to do in the morning before the shower.

After a few hours of tumultuous sleep, at 3:30am, I wake to the sound of a car alarm going off, but it quickly stops, and I turn over and fall back asleep.

At 4:30, there is a hard pounding at our front door. Never a good sign. The officer asks if the black SUV parked on the street outside our front door is mine. My foggy head suddenly jumps back to that car alarm going off about an hour ago...

The door to the driver's side had been unlocked with a screwdriver and left open, and the lady delivering newspapers thought it looked suspicious and called the police. I knew instantly that my old iPod that my husband gave me for my birthday many years ago was gone. It had been plugged into the radio. Little do they know the battery is dead. But they can pawn it anyway.

I also noticed that some CD's that had been on the floor were also missing. I guess they didn't like my taste in music, as the ones in my driver's door were left. They didn't touch the bags of vintage clothing or the unwrapped, brand new Harry Potter DVD that was staring them in the face from the back seat. I had to wait until the forensics officer came to fingerprint until I could climb in to see if there was anything else they took.

After she fingerprinted my car (who knows when those prints would even be processed), I opened the glove compartment to find that they weren't smart enough to take my husband's Garmin. It wasn't until after the officer left, and I was back inside my house that I realized in my sleepy state what else was missing:

My vintage Gucci Briefcase.
Contents: My Life.

The Briefcase has a history.... I bought it from the estate of a well known professor of Black Women's History, and while she lived in a small rental apartment, she surrounded herself with beautiful, expensive African art, Degas sketches, and a love for furs and good purses. Somehow, when I got to the estate sale, not everything had been priced, so I got my vintage Fendi wallet and this tan Gucci briefcase for a total of $21. And because I knew the strong woman it came from, it made me feel even that more powerful when I carried it. Plus, it was nice to look at.

It was filled with folders of all my current projects, both in and outside of work. Board meeting minutes, details for an upcoming Junior League event, parties and events I am planning. Everything I have going on in my life... It may or may not contain any personal information other than my e-mail addresses... I don't really know. I am just hoping the thief is not smart enough to somehow steal my identity through what little/lot of information is there. I'm sure at this point, the contents of my life were dumped in one of the trash cans at the park a block away. And you'd better believe that when the sun comes up, I am going down there to look.

Let me be clear about something.... all of these items are MATERIAL. I am upset about them now, and will be pissed about them when I have to take my car down to the dealership at 8am to get the lock fixed- something NOT on my party planning agenda. And I will be frustrated later when I have to try to get back all the information lost in those project folders when I get organized tomorrow. In the long run, I will get a new iPod and a new work bag and get all my stuff together, and the loss of these items will pass.

But what I did lose was my sense of security. Every time I get in my car, I now have to think about someone else being in it. And the fact that they needed money so badly that they had to use a screwdriver to open my car to steal an old iPod and a Gucci bag. If they had knocked on my door and asked, I would have given them the money these two items are worth, and maybe a few bucks more for their honesty and hardship.  I also know some people get it much worse- their homes are broken into and more valuable things are taken. But in all cases, the thieves take our security.... something that doesn't have a price. THAT loss does not sit lightly with me, now nor will ever, and that is what I am most upset about.

But if you happen to see that Gucci, you know how to find me.

What's In Your Bucket?

I came across an article late last night about young Alice Pyne, a fifteen year old girl with terminal cancer who has created a blog to keep track of her "Bucket List" and get help completing her wishes before she dies. It has become an internet hit, and not only has she raised over $15,000 for cancer research, but has inspired thousands more people to become bone marrow donors to help others with cancer. She is truly inspirational for us all!

To find out more about Alice and her mission, please visit her blog Alice's Bucket List.

I think a bucket list is a healthy list of things you want to do in your life. They can be big or small, but the accomplishment of just one of them is something to be celebrated. Every once in a while, my husband and I will get to do something AMAZING that we deem bucket-list worthy, and I always try to savor each moment. Something that has been on my bucket list forever, I finally get to do next week. It involves going here:

 

So the question for this Friday... What is on your Bucket List? 

Giveaway from BlogHer and Walgreens!

Walgreens and BlogHer have teamed up to give away a $100 Visa gift card. Enter by visiting and commenting on Leighann's Blog today, featuring Walgreens Bandages and Toothpaste.  Or check out Forever The Hostess on Facebook for the link too!

This post sponsored by Walgreens and BlogHer.

Vintage Finds 6.8.2011

This week's vintage find is an old ANCHOR lantern that we found at a church rummage sale for $1. We love its copper color, and the  detail in its construction. We occasionally find other lanterns at garage sales, but none that we like as much as this one. It sits above the bookcase to the left of our fireplace, and it is displayed with a photo of us in the Bahamas, as well as a fake plant from HomeGoods that was $7. I love this little nook!

Bathroom Before & After

My brother's house is finally complete... well almost. There is ALWAYS tweaking and furnishing to be done. However, all the major renovations have been completed. Today, we have the gray, dingy bathroom before:

And the crisp, white AFTER:

Forgive the ivory glow.... this photo was taken at night, so it doesn't look as white as usual. The tub and toilet are both Kohler. Since this is the main bathroom in his house, he really wanted nice fixtures. In most bathrooms, I would go with a standard, cheaper white tub and toilet, but since he found a Kohler vanity he loved, we decided to use other fixtures of the same brand. We used a local contractor for all the tile work, and picked white glazed subway tiles for the walls, and a non-glazed mosaic tile (similar to the one Bryn used from Home Depot) for the flooring, both with white grout. We used a non-glazed tile on the floor for safety reasons, as to prevent slippage. The shower curtain is a white waffle weave for $7 from TJMaxx, rings were $5 from TJMaxx, and the curtain rod was $15 from WalMart. The basket above the toilet was $8 from HomeGoods.

Due to the size of the bathroom, my brother still wanted a small sink, but with storage, since the previous pedestal provides none.This vanity and sink from Kohler was the perfect addition, since it has two drawers to hide stuff, plus an open area to store toilet paper, tissues, and a little artwork too.

 

Vintage wood and bamboo tray (on left) was $0.99 at Salvation Army Thrift Store, bamboo frame was also $0.99 from Salvation Army, and the surf print I already owned (similar here). Tissue box (hidden), garbage can (hidden), soap dispenser, and toothbrush holder are all from Crate and Barrel. Teak towel rods for $9 each are from West Elm, but have since been discontinued.

 

 
And as you can remember from this post, I chose the "Sur La Vague" print for the bathroom. I purchased a white washed frame and white mat from Michaels so that the colors of the print really stand out.

We have also since purchased these towels to bring a little more color into the bathroom:

We also used this $32 outdoor light from Home Depot above the vanity mirror, and this cool can light exhaust fan was a great addition to the bathroom.

So there you have the bathroom before and after. And the best part... everything is white, so a little bleach will keep everything fresh and clean all the time! He really loves the new bathroom, and I hope you all do too! Check in this week for more home before and afters!

Condo Project

This past weekend, we nearly completed my brother-in-law's condo styling, as last seen here. He lives in a condo that was probably last redone sometime in the 1980's, only because everything is beige and the dining area has lots of mirrors. Since he is renting this condo, we can't paint or take down the mirrors, but we could rearrange the place a bit to make it more modern. Lets check out the before:

A few highlights in the living room: a nice entertainment center with tv, but beige carpet, beige walls, pink couches with denim slipcovers. Need I say more?

Here is the dining room. Aside from the mess, you can see the mirrors on the wall, and there are actually mirrors on the wall to my right as well. The fabric on the dining room chairs is also a little dated.

After the couches came, we decided to use some of the furniture we had in different places. To combat the mirrors, I ended up moving the bookcase from the living room wall to the middle of the wall in the dining room.

I also recovered the chairs with a blueish gray fabric that I bought at Joanns for $3 (clearance bin) that matches a color in the couch accent pillows. I brought a small triangular antique table from my in-laws house and put it in the corner with a tropical potted plant on top to warm the space.

The tropical plant was on sale at Home Depot for $7, and the pot was something I already had in my garage. I really like the height that this gives to the corner and  with the mirrors, it looks bigger than it really is. 

Where the bookshelf used to be, on the main living room wall, we added an antique bar set from his great grandfather, and some framed artwork.

The bar itself still needs to have the legs put on, but I needed some more time for extra engineering to make sure it is sturdy enough on the carpet.

All of the glassware is original to the bar, with the exception of the two glass Bourbon and Vodka bottles I found at a garage sale for $1. The small ceramic blue-gray tray was $5 from HomeGoods and the vintage BAR sign was another garage sale find for $2. 

The living room already got a little spruce up from the addition of new couches. Unfortunately, the couches are a little damaged, and some wrong pillows came, so that is why there are still tags on everything.... it has to go back once the new set comes. The more muted pillows will be a dark brown, and the striped multi-colored pillows will remain. Check out the blue lamp in the corner.

We added a leather recliner that was passed down from some friends of ours. Its not the best color for the room, but until we find one in a different color, it provides extra seating. The coffee table is a little small, and we still need a rug, but the room is much better with the pink/denim slip covered couches gone. We still need an end table to the left as well for the other blue lamp, but for now, I have put another tropical plant there (also $7 from Home Depot) to warm up the space.

 

And finally, between the entertainment center and window, a larger plant to fill the space and bring some green into the room:

This plant is about 4'-5' tall, and was a steal at $19, especially since the pot was also something I had in the garage.

The space itself is much more open and lively. Like I said before, there are a few more minor elements that we need, but it is a HUGE improvement from what we had originally. The real plants bring in green and warmth to the space, and the bar and updated dining room make it a place to entertain. Art on the walls makes the room look a lot less beige. Using a few inexpensive accessories and plants, and antique furniture we already had, the place is much more inviting and styled.

Hope you enjoyed this makeover. Stay tuned for the big renovation reveal from my brother's house next week!

Vintage Finds 6.1.2011

I found these lamps at a garage sale for $10. After having the wiring replaced, and buying $20 shades from Target, I tried them out in my bedroom for a little while. My husband didn't love them, so I changed out the lamps and set these in the closet for a little while.

In my decor project at my brother-in-law's place, he was in need of some lamps, so I brought them back out.They actually have a teak base and top, and the center ceramic part is very Jonathan Adler. But since everything in his place is beige, we needed a little pop of color, so I decided to paint them. From this:

To this:

The blue is a lot brighter in person, as you will see later in shots from the condo. I love to contrast of the shades, and the wood details on the lamp bottoms and top.

Also, below the lamps is a wicker chest our neighbors were throwing out.... nothing was wrong with it, except that it was pink. A little spray paint transformed it into a nice brown wicker accent piece, which will be also used in the condo to hide Rock Band instruments.