Circus Baby Shower

Last month, our good friends Jon and Laura threw us a baby shower. It was a circus theme, to go along with our nursery decor. Laura made the most delicious chocolate cupcakes, stuffed with caramel creme pudding! They were heavenly.

Laura also had lots of fun decor ideas!

Feathers on the stairway bannisters!

The bar.
The cotton candy cones were super cute and were a big hit!

Popcorn and cracker jacks, no circus would be complete without them!

Fruit kebobs in a popcorn tub.

It was a wonderful shower and we are so thankful for our great friends!

Before and Afters

So, turns out preparing for a baby's arrival doesn't leave much time for blogging. Hince the 5 month hiatus. I am back to share a couple of before and afters we have been working on this summer.

First, we wanted to replace our outdoor light fixtures. They were a dated brass finish, and the glass panes were flithy. Instead of purchasing new ones though, we spray painted them a metallic brass color, and scrubbed the glass panes clean. What a difference! Our patio is much brighter now and the metallic color shimmers in the sunlight. The cost savings was pretty nice too.

And for before/after #2: Here is what our breakfast nook looked like a few months after we moved in.

Blah and BLUE.

Well, here is what it looks like now! Warmed up with a little terra cotta hued paint. Oh, and buh-bye blue blinds.

So much more welcoming!

St. Pat's Centerpiece

How cute is this little centerpiece? My mother-in-law attended a party last week, and these were on each of the tables. Bless her heart, she asked if she could take one home! I think they would be adorable for a St. Patty's day party, with the white carnations substituted with green ones. Or you could sub the brown glass beads (the beer!) for green ones instead, and still go with white carnations. You could even use this idea for a kid-friendly BBQ, and serve root beer floats as the centerpiece look-a-likes. The possiblities are endless with this one!

P.S. Nell Hill's Briarcliff was kind of a flop, we didn't find much we liked, and decided the Atchison location is better for us. So that is the reason the follow up post never happened!

A Visit to Nell Hill's

I am headed back to MO next weekend, so today my mom and I planned a trip to Nell Hill's. Woo-eee, we are excited!! If you aren't familiar with Nell Hill, here is some history. Mary Carol Garrity started her shop 30 years ago in Atchison, KS (her hometown-love me some small town girls!) and she has now opened a second location in Kansas City. Garrity's Encore is her sister shop, located next to Nell Hill's in Atchison. Having been to the Atchison location before, we have decided to check out the new Briarcliff shop in KC. 16,000 sq feet of decor?? We may never leave. If we do, however, I will be posting some of our finds and wish list items. Stay tuned!

Winter Fun

Aren't these signs just adorable? I had to resist the very strong urge not to rip them off the wall of our condo last weekend. We were at the Taos ski valley for their annual Wine Festival. So pretty and so serene, plus lots of good food, wine and friends! Plus a little tubing down the mountain, that was super fun. GMA did a feature on Taos this morning, if you would like to see more.

Here are some gorgeous carved melons from the Grand Tasting. Love that pretty rose.

Well, I know you have been dying to see what I created from that pile of fabric in my previous post. Here is a before shot of our dining room chairs. That plaid kinda clashes with the new curtains, don't ya think?!? It was driving me crazzzy.

Ahhhh, the after. Much better. I love a $9 transformation.


Now for the barstools. These were leftovers from my very first apartment. Sorta blahhhh in our new kitchen and the wood matched NOTHING in our home.

I am really loving the finished product! I had a can of black paint on hand and also had the fabric left over from our office window covering, so it really was a completely free project too. Not sure if I am going to keep the fabric for the stools as is, or change them up again. Just going to have to wait to see on this one!

The window treatments for the guest room are STILL not finished, and I guess they are going to stay that way for a while. We are headed to southern NM with some friends this weekend to enjoy the hot springs! It has been abnormally cold here this week and we are looking forward to thawing out a little.

Happy Super Bowl weekend everyone! I am whipping up these tasty brownies for our MO guests. Can't wait!

Fabric galore!

Well, the hubs is out of town this weekend. So that means I am eating chocolate and spending money. Isn't that what everyone does when they are home alone? While he is back in MO battling the snow, I have lots of sewing and crafting plans.

First off, I am going to make these adorable rose balls, from Craftily Ever After. Her printables are so fun too! Loving this new V-day one.

Next up, I am going to turn this pile of lovely into lots of pretty things. I went to 2 fabric stores today, it was bliss. I am not sure if I was more thrilled by all the different prints, colors and textures, or by the fact that I didn't have to cook dinner tonight. Ahhh, livin' the single life again! Be sure to come back later this weekend to see what this pile turns into.

Objects of Desire

A great little shop, Objects of Desire, in Nob Hill is closing it's doors. My mother-in-law and I have been visiting them often as they continue to discount their inventory. Yesterday, I scored this adorable Christmas sign for only $15 (75% off.) I am sad to put it away until next year, but will be surprised when I pull out the Christmas tubs next fall, I am sure!

I fell in love with these lighted branches before Christmas, and they ended up under the tree for me. What a lovely surprise! I picked the vase up at Hob Lob this week. I like that the electrical cord for the lights can poke out of the bottom of the woven vase. I don't think they look too Christmasy, so I am leaving them out for all seasons. It is always nice to have something new after the holidays to brighten up your decor. Everything always looks so blah after all the red and green is put away. What have you purchased in this new year to brighten up your home?