Beautify Your Blog Results

I have been learning leaps and bounds from Nina over at Momma Go Round  during her Beautify Your Blog series. HTML code doesn't seem so daunting anymore! I was able to change my template, widen the page, center my widgets, diversify fonts, and add a signature. I am still working out the kinks on a button and header.                                         
Thank you Nina!

Arrr! A Treasure Fer Me Hearty! ... Pirate inspired Valentines

We were late celebrating Christmas with my family this year, so one gift in particular was still sitting on my kitchen counter and was the inspiration for my son's school Valentines this year. Do you ever get these beauties on St. Nicholas Day?

We do.
This, is now this!

Cute right? Aye!
Linked up to:

All Pigs Are Beautiful Baby Shower

All Pigs Are Beautiful Baby Shower

There are little pigs and big pigs,

pigs with long snouts and pigs with short snouts,

pigs with ears that stand up and pigs with ears that flop down.

But all pigs are beautiful.

-All Pigs are Beautiful book by Dick King-Smith

Dessert Table

{No Sew} Onsie Bunting

Lunch menu

Party Cracker Favors

Animal stamps hidden inside the party crackers

Mason jar candles wrapped with fabric

Paper straws and mason jar glasses

Homemade Apple Pie

Personalized place mats for the children's table
Coloring page from Twisty Noodle

Fair prize ribbon cupcake toppers 
and Two Sugar Babies cupcake toppers

 Cake Pops by Terri's Treasures

This weekend I had the pleasure of throwing a baby shower for my future nephew! We traveled 10 hours to get there the day after New England got hit with 24 inches of snow! Luckily the roads were plowed and ready for us and we made it there safely. The shower was so much fun.

Highlights of the shower:

• We asked guests to bring a book for the parents-to-be rather than a card. We included a matching bookplate in the invitation for guests to sign and place inside their book.
• Cake pops from Terri's Treasures were a huge hit!
• Favors were pig shaped gingerbread cookies tied with twine and matching thank you tag.
• A family of metal pig silhouettes greeted guests outside as they arrived (forgot to take a picture!)
• Food included soups, salad, chicken salad, croissants, and homemade country fair bread.
• We set up a children's table with personalized place mats and poppers. Inside the popper party favors were farm animal stamps to take home.
• Mason jar drinking glasses and paper straws
• Mason jars wrapped with fabric used as candle holders
• Onesie bunting hanging in front of the gift opening area
• homemade apple pie
• twine fabric garlands

Special Thanks to the following people:

Invitations and party graphics by Social Butterfly

Cake Pops by Terri's Treasures

Cupcake toppers by Two Sugar Babies

Farm Animal Stamps from Oriental Trading

Fabric from JoAnns

Piggy Banks: Dollar Store

All baked goods: Grandma Jan

Baby Shower Prep

The baby shower prep work is nearly complete, with a few surprise additions waiting to be added at the last minute. We are just waiting for weather reports. Boston is supposed to be getting a nor' easter of 17 inches or more.

Special thanks to Jennifer at Social Butterfly Ink for the amazing invites and special touches. I will post more pictures after the festivities.

Reason 101 why I love mini clothes pins

They make such good clamps! Working on some cupcake toppers for an upcoming baby shower!

Happy Holidays!

Thanks to Erica from Sweet Prints for creating this amazing card!

Making Lemonade Giveaways

Making Lemonade is hosting lots of fun giveaways today! From Pear Tree cards, CSN, Rachel Claire Jewelry, Leen Machine and many more.

Wordle Word Art Teacher Presents

Wordle is a fun, quick way to create subway art of your very own. I used it to make presents for J Bugger's teachers this year. I just added the names of all the students, teachers, and some extra words J Bugger picked, and voila!

Christmas Countdown Potter + Butler/Hank + Hunt Style!

For the very first time Potter + Butler is offering a FREE printable Gracious Garland Countdown Calendar that coordinates oh so perfectly with their Gracious Garlands. Adorable, right?

Jenny over at Hank + Hunt decided to put her own little spin (and color) to it. I was lucky enough to win TWO gracious garlands from Potter + Butler on Jenny's blog. My garlands are white, so I thought it would be fun to use Jenny's printables for some color.

 

And to think, not long ago this hutch looked like this:

P.S. Santa if you are reading this, please bring me a circle punch for Christmas!