Will You Be My...Maid of Honor?

 

This past Valentine's Day, I arrived home to find a small package on my doorstep. I didn't think too much about it, as I wasn't expecting anything, so I went about my usual get-home-from-work routine.

After dinner, I got around to opening the mail and then remembered the mysterious package. I carefully opened it up and found this lovely blue gift box. Did I have a secret admirer who chose Valentine's Day to profess his unrequited love?

 

Well, not exactly, but my newly-engaged sister decided Feb. 14 was the perfect occasion to ask her bridesmaids if they would stand up with her on her big day.

What I love the most about this thoughtful gift is Holly actually made it herself. She got the idea from Pinterest and then gathered all the supplies: gift boxes from World Market, purple tissue paper, silver cardstock, and the cutest aspect of this gift: the DVD of Bridemaids.

She found the "Will You Be My Maid of Honor" text and poem online, printed them out (double-sided, no less!) and then trimmed the cards so they would fit perfectly inside the gift boxes.

I was so touched my her gift, I wrote this on her Facebook wall: "Flowers and chocolates are always appreciated, but this has to be the sweetest Valentine I've ever received. Holly Smith: the answer is YES!"

We're officially less than a month away (and still so much to do!), but it's been so fun (and crazy!) sharing this experience with her. After all, she's been waiting and planning this wedding for 7 years!

 

In my next post I'll recap our trip to the O.C. in March where my youngest sister took her engagement pictures which had three different locations and just as many outfit changes. Let's just say Holly's fiancé Brent is a very patient man...especially when it comes to putting up with three Smith sisters who all have their own agenda!

~PK

The Cruise Chronicles: The Book

 

 

Once upon a time, I wrote several lengthy blog posts called The Cruise Chronicles:

• The Cruise Chronicles - Epcot Center
• The Cruise Chronicles - Day One at Sea
• The Cruise Chronicles - Day Two at Sea
• The Cruise Chronicles - Day Three at Sea
• The Cruise Chronicles - Final Day at Sea

They highlighted my family's 2010 Caribbean cruise, which doubled as our family reunion. A reunion my generous grandma gifted to all 19 of us (and it would have been 25 but an uncle, aunt and four cousins couldn't make it!).

We did a little tribute for my grandma (aka Gigi) on board the ship (a sweet little slide show and some sentimental gifts), but I really wanted to give her something that would showcase all the great memories that were made on that trip. Enter Blog2Print! Here you can turn your beloved blog posts into a hardcover book!

You select the design and color of the book and then add your cover image and title.

You even get to write your own dedication for the cover page.

And no book would be complete without a Table of Contents.

The best part...the software does all the work for you! You simply enter your blog URL, pick the start and end dates you would like the book to include and then hit "Slurp"! It literally sucks up all the content and arranges it in a book format. You can edit the layout a bit and even include blog comments in your book.

And the final stages include picking a back cover image and adding a little blurb describing what your book is all about.

If you're new to Blog2Print, they'll throw some discount codes your way (usually 15% off your first book) and will periodically e-mail you additional discounts (usually around the gift-giving holidays). The prices vary according to number of pages and whether you go the hardcover or softcover route. The book I made for my grandma was probably 35 pages and cost me $25, plus shipping.

If you interested in giving Blog2Print a try, I just got an e-mail for their Mother's Day promotion. Enter "BloginBloom" to save 15%. It expires tomorrow (May 9), so don't delay!

PK

 

DIY Tiered Bathroom Organizer

Photo courtesy of BHG.com

One of my New Year's resolutions is to actually make some of the ideas I pin from Pinterest. I fell in love with this tiered bathroom organizer not only because it's functional, but it's also pretty and so easy to make!

Supplies needed:

• 2 plates (one dinner, one salad)
• 1 candlestick 
• Krazy Glue (if working with glass plates) or a clear-drying ceramic glue (if working with ceramic plates)

This DIY project only cost me $5 (minus the Krazy Glue, which I already had on hand). I found these glass plates in the "As-Is" section of IKEA. They were only $2 a piece! And I found the candlestick at Dollar Tree...for $1! 

To assemble, all you do is adhere a candlestick to the middle of a dinner plate, then top the candlestick with a coordinating salad plate. It dries pretty instantly. If you go with clear plates (as I did), make sure your Krazy Glue/Super Glue says it "bonds to glass".

This organizer can also double as a pretty serving platter at at party!

If you want to use the top plate to hold smaller items, make sure you select a plate that has a lip on it.

And there you have it! I'm still debating if I'll store nail polish, perfume or make it a random I-can-store-anything-here organizer. The possibilities are endless! If you've recently made a DIY project from a Pinterest board, I'd love to see it. Leave me a link and I'll check it out. Perhaps it will become my next DIY project!

~PK

Matters of the Heart

Ah, Valentine's Day...the season for love, romance, and pretty poetry. Shakespeare knew a thing or two, but when it comes to matters of the heart, kids pretty much have it figured out.

I mean, who can argue with this sound logic...

Love and Marriage:

"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too." -- Greg, age 8

"Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it. I been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me." -- Dave, age 8

Kissing:

"You should never kiss a girl unless you have enough bucks to buy her a big ring and her own VCR, 'cause she'll want to have videos of the wedding." -- Jim, age 10

How People In Love Act:

"It's love if they order one of those desserts that are on fire. They like to order those because it's just like how their hearts are -- on fire." -- Christine, age 9

"See if the man picks up the check. That's how you can tell if he's in love." -- John, age 9

Strategies For Making People Fall In Love With You:

"Tell them that you own a whole bunch of candy stores." -- Del, age 6

"Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers. You might get attention, but attention ain't the same thing as love." -- Alonzo, age 9

Good Advice About Love:

"Spend most of your time loving instead of going to work." -- Dick, age 7

"Be a good kisser. It might make your wife forget that you never take out the trash." -- Erin, age 8

For more great kid quotes on love, click here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

~PK

The Wedding Planner

A week ago, my sister Holly got engaged!

To say I've been anticipating this moment is an understatement. In fact, Holly's fiance Brent has been around for so long, he already feels like one of the family.

Brent's accompanied us on some of our favorite vacations, including a little 2010 cruise where he was trapped on a floating boat with 19 of my crazy family members. If he can survive that, he can survive anything!

McCall, Idaho, 2006. This picture was taken almost seven years to the day that they'll say "I do". 

Luckily, I had a feeling the proposal was right around the corner, so I had a lot of fun putting together a special Christmas gift for Holly. And what does every bride-to-be need? A customized wedding planner!

It warms my heart to see Holly with my gift at a bridal boutique!

I first started with a 8 1/2" x 11" scrapbook album from Michaels. I went with the 3-ring option because I knew Holly would be filling it with lots of inspiration pieces and would need the flexibility to move things around a bit. It also came with 20 page protectors, so that was an extra bonus!

Here's Holly looking at pictures of her wedding venue, Pelican Hill in Newport Beach,  CA.

This title page was so easy to create!

Once I purchased the album, I knew I wanted to add dividers so Holly could properly categorize all her ideas. I purchased this 10-divider set at Office Max and then downloaded the Avery template here. All I had to do was type in her 10 wedding categories, a fun title and incorporate a cute picture of the happy couple. Looks familiar, huh? :)

This is NOT the wedding gown, but Holly looks beautiful nonetheless. 

Since Holly will be getting married July 5, her rehearsal dinner will be on Independence Day. Since so many friends and family will be giving up their Fourth of July holiday, we're going to throw a fun red, white & blue barbecue where everyone can relax in jeans, eat some all-American food and hopefully see some fireworks.

And this is the perfect opportunity to pay homage to our Texas roots with the food, music and decor. Speaking of decor, Holly is letting my aunt and I accessorize this red, white & blue shindig. Thank goodness for Pinterest and their new secret boards. Unfortunately, they only allow three!

Let the games begin!
PK

Metabo-Fool

For many people, a brand new year brings new resolutions and goals (and maybe a few recycled ones). If you indulged a little too much over the holidays, why not try the latest miracle weight loss drug, Metabo-Fool?

From the same company that brought you The Lex-Mop, Metabo-Fool is the only FDA-approved drug whose Natural Idiot Formula promotes healthy starvation and weight loss.

Taken orally 10 times a day, you will see dramatic results within two days. Just think...all your friends will think you've been hitting the gym or have hired a personal trainer!

As with any drug, be mindful of these warning labels:

If you're not a smart person or puppy and do not mind saggy drawers, Metabo-Fool could be your new best friend in 2013!

Happy New Year!
PK

P.S. Metabo-Fool was a "present" I gave my father a few years ago after I noticed a similar weight loss drug in his medicine cabinet. He was losing a lot of weight "unnaturally", so the smart ass in me decided to make a point. This empty bottle still resides in my dad's cabinet, so I think the message was received with the love and affection that was intended. And maybe a little pride in my snarky creativity.)

P.S.S. There really is no limit to what you can do with alphabet stickers!

Christmas Traditions

Christmas, 1981

I love going through old photo albums...especially from Christmastime. There's always so many good memories associated with this merry holiday. I recently came across this little gem from a Christmas of yesteryear. I think it was 1981. I'm basing this assumption on the length of my hair...looks just like my kindergarten yearbook photo. And Holly looks like a naughty little 2 1/2-year-old!

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is making gingerbread houses at Grandma's house. The Fab Four (shown above) are the oldest of Gigi's now 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Holly (far left) and Brooks (far right) are only a month a part in age and Ryan (center) and I are only a year a part. Lots of good times with these boys and their three younger brothers (who would join the family in 1982, 1985 and 1986, respectively).

What I love about this tradition is Gigi (one of 11 children herself) knew the importance of making individual gingerbread houses. I'm sure it would have been much easier for her to bake pieces for just one house, (not to mention all the extra candy and toppings she had to buy), but at the end of the day, each of us had a masterpiece that we could proudly stand behind. Of course, I use the term "masterpiece" lightly. It actually looks like we got quite a bit of assistance from Gigi and maybe a parent or two.

Now that we're all grown up, I'm sure Gigi would still make gingerbread houses, if we asked her to. No doubt the kitchen would be a disaster, and I'm sure we would still need quite a bit of assistance. Long live grandmas and gingerbread houses!

What's your favorite Christmas tradition?

PK

Best Frenemies

fren·e·my

  [fren-uh-mee] 

noun

A person or group that is friendly toward another because the relationship brings benefits, but harbors feelings of resentment or rivalry.

Nixon and Elise Dame. They've grown up quite a bit since we last saw them. Now 2 3/4 and 2 1/2 years old respectively, they're more than just friends...they're cousins. 

And while there's a very thin line between love and hate (especially when a prized toy is at stake), there's nothing like having a cousin to build forts with, sell lemonade in the summertime and tease incessantly. 

Nixon and Elise's dads are brothers and my cousins. This past summer these two cuties accompanied their moms to our annual Girls Retreat in McCall, Idaho. McCall is heaven on earth. I've written about it here, here, here and here. 

Since Nixon's mom Cristi and my sister Laurie are both talented photographers in their own right, I thought I would share the gorgeous fruit of their collective labors. (In fact, I'm not even sure where Cristi's camera began shooting and where Laurie's camera stopped.) Make sure you click on each image for a larger view.

These last two pictures are from my point-and-shoot camera, so they're not the same caliber, but I still love them.

In the first, I love their identical looks of wonder...like they're just comprehending what it means to behold a fleeting sunset. And in the second, I love the contrast of the dark head bent to the fair one. They may be vastly different, but they share the knowledge that they're more than just friends...

They're cousins.

~PK

This Just In...Paper Crafters Unite for the 7th Annual World Card Making Day!

Happy World Card Making Day!

If you're joining me from Paper Crafts magazine's 2012 World Card Making Day Blog Tour, I'm happy you hopped on over! There's over 250 blogs on this this tour, so I'm gonna be brief (well, brief for me!).

In case you missed the morning news, I was able to capture the top news story in this fun shaped card:

I simply fussy-cut the World Card Making Day logo and adhered it to the center of this TV die cut. Since I wanted the TV to stand on its own, I adhered the die cut to a white card base and trimmed around the edges and legs. I then trimmed the printed sentiment into a banner (my take on a news ticker!) and accented it with brads for the TV knobs, two google eyes and a smile drawn with a black pen.

It's no secret that I'm a sucker for google eyes! They instantly make you smile, don't you think? And what's not to smile about on World Card Making Day? Right this very minute, card makers from around the world are celebrating their love for this wonderful hobby. Either in their craft rooms, on their computers, or in countless other creative ways. 

If you're looking to join the World Card Making Day fun, make sure you check out:

• Paper Crafts Facebook Fan Page
• Paper Crafts Connection blog 
• Moxie Fab World blog
• World Card Making Day Project Gallery (a place to view others' cards and upload your own creations!)
• World Card Making Day Contest (entries due Oct. 15!)

However you choose to spend this crafty holiday, enjoy it!

Happy World Card Making Day!

PK

Extreme Makeover: Hamster Edition

Yes, the tabloids are true.

Pam went on the reality show Extreme Makeover: Hamster Edition and came home a few ounces lighter and blonder. Isn't is amazing what a few highlights can do for a girl?

Thanks to Teri Anderson for packaging up our little Pamster and sending her home to Utah.

New adventures for Ham and Pam are on the horizon!

PK

Make Pretty Stuff

I moved into my new apartment this past March, and I've slowly been organizing my craft room. The biggest hurdle has been sifting through 12+ years of product (does anyone remember Frances Meyer?) and deciding what I can live without (endless sheets of alphabet stickers) and what I absolutely can't part with it (all my pretty paper).

Easier said than done.

While I'm not ready for the big reveal just yet, I did find an accessory that matches my room perfectly...this green and hot pink memo board!

And since every memo board needs to be filled with all kinds of pretty stuff (thanks to Heidi Swapp for my new wall cling!), I made a simple card that incorporates some stamping, a fun embellishment and a sweet sentiment.

Now that I have one wall completed, maybe I'll tackle the closet next. It's overflowing with so much so stuff...stuff that's just waiting to be made into something pretty.

PK

P.S. While out shopping this past weekend, I came across this cute chalkboard frame. I love the idea of being able to write and erase quotes, lists and notes as the mood strikes. And all with different colored chalks!

The Adventures of Ham and Pam

Once upon a time, there lived two country critters named Ham and Pam. They grew up in a magical place called Earth, where the bees were always humming and the leaves on the trees resembled puffy hearts.

It's rumored that the bees sang so sweetly around these happy trees because each of the leaves were filled with a sweet nectar. Some say this how the little town of Splenda got its name.

Just on the outskirts of Splenda, Ham and Pam lived in small wooden house with one door and two windows (well, three if you count the small opening where the morning sun would come shining through). Though a simple home, it was set high on a hill and had beautiful views of the valley below. 

Every morning Ham would watch from one of these windows as Pam would set off towards town, where she worked as the city's mayor. 

The town's slogan was "Life is Sweet Here", and no one could argue with that.

Life was very busy for Pam, and Ham often joined her on the road as her official photographer. They traveled all over the world, and in each new place Ham would capture the highlights with his trusty camera.

Though Pam's status as a city mayor could get them any seat in the house, they preferred to watch baseball games from high in the stadium, as it reminded them of their quaint hilltop home.

And anytime Ham and Pam can sit underneath a forest of sparkling trees, Splenda is never far from their hearts, though they may be.

THE END

P.S. Stay tuned for more adventures from Ham and Pam!

Little Louie Turns 30!

"From day one, you've been our little Louie...

Boo-Boo, Lou-Lou and sometimes even Chewie...

But for all the names you've been...

And all the smiles you've brought...

Who knew you would grow up to be the holder of our hearts!"

Love, PK

Tickled Pink Baby Shower

Happy belated Mother's Day to all the moms out there! This past weekend I was fortunate enough to celebrate motherhood with a lot of special women. On Saturday I co-hosted a baby shower for my good friend and Pisces sister, Megan Hoeppner. In just a matter of weeks, she and her hubby will become the proud parents of Maggie Dawn Suggs. And since we're all "tickled pink" about her arrival, we just had to throw her (and her momma!) one heck of a party!

With invitations going out to 50 guests, it was a very good thing I joined forces with Megan's college friend Michelle Dickey (who opened her lovely home for us) and the ever resourceful Brandy J. We divided up the responsibilities and got to work on the invites, party decor, food and activities. Brandy found this cute chevron invite and tag at On to Baby. Completely customizable (and FREE!), all you have to do is pick your colors, add your text and print!

I was in charge of the party decor, so I had Brandy print a couple extra chevron papers to add to this "It's a Girl" banner. We hung it on a wall near the front door and added some pink streamers for a fun backdrop. Then when each guest arrived, we had Megan's aunt snapped their picture with an Instax camera. I can't wait to see how Megan displays them!

Before Megan got to the daunting task of opening all her presents, guests were invited to nibble on this yummy spread of sandwiches, fruits and desserts...

...and visit the pink craft table to make iron-on onesies and bibs, predict Maggie Dawn's arrival date and weight (and put their predictions in a pink polka dot piggy bank!) and leave Megan some sage advice in a mommy advice book:

Once everyone was physically and creatively fed, Megan began opening one pink gift after another!

Is it possible for one baby to have too much stuff? No way! I will admit to being slightly jealous of Maggie Dawn's new wardrobe. Maybe she'll let me come over and play dress up with her and her mommy. I promise to play nice.

If you know anything about me, if there's a party, cupcakes are bound to be close by. I decided to go a little crazy and individually wrapped 40-odd cupcakes and attached the chevron tag (seen above) to them. As guests departed, they each got to take one home as a party favor.

The clear cups are just 9 oz. drinking cups I found at Wal-mart (Ssh! Don't tell Megan!). The cupcakes fit perfectly inside them and were protected from smudges, prying hands and hot temperatures. Just drop the cups into clear gift bags and tie on the tags with a bit of twine. (Disclaimer: I would begin shopping for said cups and bags well before the shower date. This procrastinator had to go to several stores before I found everything I was looking for. It also didn't help that I still had to bake, frost and package 40-odd cupcakes after 10 p.m. It's a good thing I'm crazy for cupcakes and little babies named Maggie Dawn!)

Brandy J., Megan, PK and Michelle - May 12, 2012

Megan, thanks for giving Brandy, Michelle and I a reason to celebrate. We're "tickled pink" for you!

PK