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Showing posts from April, 2014

Fairy Tale Wedding Ideas: 5 Tips to Inspire Your Special Day

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When my husband proposed, I instantly knew my wedding theme: fairy tale. When I went to execute that theme, I found a lot of ideas for Disney-themed weddings, but fewer ideas for fairy tale weddings without Mickie, Minnie or Cinderella stamped on the decorations. For my theme, I incorporated bits from Disney, but nothing was officially Disney, which kept the costs down and – in my mind, at least – kept the day a bit more classy and less cheesy. 5 Fairy Tale Theme Wedding Tips Set the Fairy Tale Theme and the Formality of the Occasion with Invitations. We kept the theme going with our reception cards, which began "Be our guest. Join us for dinner and dancing ..." Make a Statement with Fairy Tale Centerpieces. For my Beauty and the Beast enchanted rose centerpieces, we used plastic cake domes. My florist removed the bottoms and suspended each rose with fishing wire and a dollop of hot glue. After the wedding, I recouped some of the cost b...

Nar, Go National and The Knockoffs at Old Ironsides

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A Perfect Thrifting Day

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I had the perfect thrifting experience the other day. I walked into Thrift Town armed with $5 off a $10 purchase VIP coupon and a list in my head of the three pieces my wardrobe just wasn't complete without -- clothes that used to be staples in my wardrobe, but I had since outgrown (literally). Upon entering the store, I quickly found one of the coveted items: a plaid school-girl type skirt. It looked to be my size, so I took it off its hanger and moved onto the racks of dresses.

From Kitchens to Closets: Thrifty Organizational Tricks

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Kitchen In my old kitchen, I had some major pet peeves: Searching for matching food storage and drink lids were at that top of that list. Sponges knocked into the sink was another annoyance. Now I use baskets and food containers to keep everything in place.     All I have to do is pull out the basket in the cup cupboard, and I can easily find the lid to keep my coffee from spilling all over me when I'm half asleep and in serious need of caffeine. Sponges go in a basket. Loose food storage lids go in a basket. I've also invested in the Rubbermaid Easy Find Lids set, which is just plain awesome. The lids snap together and two sizes fit the entire set. I use food storage containers to group similar items, such as my measuring cups and measuring spoons. Baking/frosting supplies go together in one container -- no more rifling through the cabinet trying to find that tiny bottle of lemon extract or those candles I know we still have. My new kitche...

Mad Men Party Ideas: Celebrate the Final Season

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Mad Men is finally coming to a close. What better way to celebrate the complicated characters of Don, Peggy, Roger, Joan and Pete than with a Mad Men premiere or finale party? Here are some ideas from my Mad Men birthday party a couple years ago: Invites Mad Men Yourself for your e-vite. Decorations Ads, ads and more ads! Go with icon Sterling & Cooper accounts: Lucky Strike, Heineken, Belle Jolie and Kodak. I also set out bestselling books from the era and put my record player front and center. Budget-Friendly Menu Pigs in a blanket Deviled eggs Chips and dip Veggies and dip Cheese and crackers Jello And, if you want to be as fabulous a host as Megan, you have to do fondue. If you want to be more like the first (well, second, technically) Mrs. Draper, set out the china. Drinks Martinis are a must. Sprite or 7-Up with cherries make good nonalcoholic options. A full drink cart with ice in the bucket will really sell the experience. Check out the official...

Book-Themed Baby Shower on a Budget

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For her first baby, my best friend Nicki requested a co-ed baby shower to include her and her husband's friends and family. To keep costs low, my co-host and I planned a backyard, potluck book themed baby shower.  Invitations DIY cardstock invitations set the baby shower book theme with a simple request that guests sign a favorite book instead of a card.    Food Guests pitched in with potluck dishes of all kinds. We coordinated the food when guests R.S.V.P.ed. Cake The Very Hungry Caterpillar fed a group hungry for sweets. The cake was a great focal point, and simple to create: 23 frosted cupcakes for the body and and one round cake for the head. With black licorice, the caterpillar sprouted legs and antenna.  A sheet cake decorated as the title page from "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" provided extra servings and really added to the baby shower book theme. Decorations  If you look closely, you can see the White Rab...