In the last ten years that I’ve been pregnant, having kids, making friends with kids, having friends with kids, I’ve been on a quiet mission to modernize the baby shower. I’ve given a few of them now and though I will indulge in the occasional pink or blue color schemes, I have successfully steered away from games involving chocolate poopy diapers, name guessing, toilet paper measuring and I certainly will never understand why many of these events are dry. Some with not even a bellini in sight. The shower and sprinkles I’ve given over the years have been backyard fiestas with couples, poolside girls’ days and most recently, a winery picnic. Of course so much of the perfect (modern) shower depends on location, location, location and this one we found at Cielo Winery in Malibu may be the best I’ve seen. (Cue the horn tooting). Nestled in the canyons of Malibu, “the barn” where we lunched is classic, beautiful and fun-just like the mama we were celebrating. With a setting of vineyards, rustic wine barrels and a view that looks like something out of “Under The Tuscan Sun” there wasn’t need for a lot of hoopla, but I couldn’t help but spruce it up a little with some paper goods and the perfect favor to set the tone. These custom champagne sippers were easy and fun to do and could be used for any occasion. Showers, weddings, or just a rough week in need of some cheer. I hope you enjoy them as much as we all did, and if you don’t-drop the leftovers at my house;)

 

Measure the existing label on the bottle with a measuring tape and cut out strips of wrapping paper to match the size. These mini champagne bottles are from BevMo. The paper and double adhesive dispenser are from Paper Source and I am not ashamed of my complete obsession for both. I want to wallpaper my daughters’ rooms in this pattern and I am shocked how much I have ended up using the dispenser after this project. Great for kids crafts or cut-and-paste homework assignments.

Apply double adhesive to the middle and edges of the paper strip. Then wrap around the bottle to cover the original label completely. Secure in back by overlaying the paper.

These labels are from Paper Source and after a small trial and error session with Illustrator I was able to personalize them and print them at home.

Coordinating paper straws and curly ribbon make perfect finishing touch to these show stoppers.

Initial paperweight from Michaels. Love truly is in the details.

Table confetti and banner from Paper Source.

A mason jar and notecards for girls to leave unsolicited advice provide an acceptable activity for the modern shower. Obviously the seasoned moms in attendance suggested keeping wine on hand at all times.

Beautiful baby mama Marisa and I toasting her next chapter.

Champers!!!

Perfect end to a perfect day.

 

We kicked the holiday season off this weekend with a pre-party where I served these pomegranate martinis and they were such a hit I had to share. This was the first specialty cocktail I’ve ever made, and it was so easy and fun I think this might be the first of many. Only part I thought would be tricky was making the simple syrup, which is just sugar dissolved in equal parts water (see tips below). It was so easy I ended up making extra to keep for future spirit endeavors. Bit of advice, the recipe serves four, so I doubled it for my dozen guests and still had to make a second batch. Don’t worry, we Ubered. Cheers!

What you’ll need.

Before you start, chill your martini glasses in the freezer.

(Love my martini shaker Jamers)

Don’t skimp on the fresh lime juice, it makes all the difference.

Pour all ingredients into a pitcher or martini shaker.

Ice it up, shake extra hard for ice chips.

 

I have a love-hate affair with Play-Doh. On one hand it is a guaranteed hour of free time as it entertains my girls. Coco especially is insane for it right now, but Elle can definitely roll with the doh as well. On the other hand, I can’t stand the mess and, until learning this trick, the waist. If you don’t seal the stuff it can dry in minutes, and when we’re rushing out the door the proper pickup doesn’t always happen.  After a few days in my house new Play-Doh turns into plastic bags filled with a crumbly mess. I found this trick online and after trying it myself, I had to share. The result is good-as-new Play-Doh, sometimes better than new since it has the opportunity for new colors. If your kids go through this stuff as fast as mine do try this before going out to buy new.

Sort the crumbly mess into color piles on a clean dry surface.

Run it under warm water and knead the dough until it begins to stick together again and regain its elasticity. Repeat.

Once it starts sticking together you don’t need anymore water. Continue kneading until it becomes a recognizable Play-doh texture. PS-this can be a great arm workout, I’m sad to say I was a bit sore the next day.

Roll, shape, create!

Other Play-doh tips

*Keep Ziploc bags around, if you don’t have time to put it all back in appropriate cans, throw it in a bag, squeeze the air out and seal

*Try the Play-doh Grab N Go at your next dinner out. It worked better than crayons for us the other night, and was easy clean-up

 

It seems like forever now I’ve been trying to find a way to display the girls artwork properly. Art is really all they want to do these days and of course I want to encourage it. That and I’m sick of these things laying all over the house taped to walls, mirrors and anything else that will stand still long enough. I finally found this great system the other day strolling through the IKEA showroom. God I love/hate that place! These were pretty simple to install, but know they do not include hanging hardware, meaning the screws you need. So I suggest taking them to your local hardware store and knowing what kind of wall you’re putting them in, drywall, stud, etc. before you go. Tools I used (and yes, I did this myself) that were game changers were a drill, level, pencil and measuring tape. These all helped me save time and make sure the lines were straight and evenly spaced. As you can see the girls are loving their new “gallery wall” and I’m loving all the bright colors in their new playroom and seeing how proud they are to display their work. This took a little time to do, but it was so worth it. For the end result and also the therapeutic feeling that comes from starting and completing a project and having it come out as well as, or in this case, better than you imagined it would. Don’t you agree? What are some of your favorite labors of love?

 

 

Remember that DIY urge I felt coming on the other day? Well here’s the result, my spin on the do it yourself gift tag. This was super easy to do and fun. Elle and her BooBoo (grandma) made it a playdate activity and I could not be happier with all their hard work. I chose these rustic brown bag type gift tags and stuck with basic black ink. I initially thought of doing red or green ink but wasn’t sure how it would look on the brown. White tags would probably be better for that. When I was shopping for the ink I learned they come in slow-dry and fast-dry. Even though I chose a fast-drying ink, it can get a little messy if it doesn’t dry all the way. Try to allow a few minutes of dry time and lay them out flat instead of stacked on top of each other to avoid smudging. Light a fire, brew some hot cocoa and have fun. Happy stamping!

Thoroughly wet stamp in ink pad and place stamp on far side of the tag to leave room for a greeting.

Thread the ribbon through the hole and grab a pen.

Fill in the blank.

Place it on a gift under the tree and pass out the love. Merry, merry!

All products purchased at Michael’s.

Our first kiddo card.

It’s kind of ridiculous how much joy holiday cards bring to my heart. I love pretty much everything about them-making them, receiving them and displaying them. For years, I’ve been trying to put together a book of all the cards we’ve put out since our first in 2005 of our wedding. Considering how easy this was to do, I don’t know why it took so long. The hardest part was tracking them all down. Shot out to Auntie Kathy and Michelle Warren for providing the missing pieces to this puzzle and donating your copies. I used this Kolo Newbury album, my favorite, and chose holiday red, also my favorite. Another key piece is Kolo’s clear adhesive photo corners. (See video below) Someday my kids won’t be as willing to be in these family photos, and I probably won’t be as willing to get in front of the camera with them, so I’m glad I’ve got these put away for safe keeping. The album has 20 pages and right now I can’t imagine filling them all. How could my sweet babes ever be twenty-years-old!?! I put this together last night and I’ve already gone through it about twenty times. ‘Cause really what’s better than watching your family grow right before your eyes? Not much in my book, pun very much intended.

PS-no, I’m not peeking on eggnog, just having a good day. Hope you are too.

Every year I’ll change the cover to show that year’s card. Spoiler alert!

The clear corners disappear and allow you to take the card out to see the inside then put it back in place.

I love Kolo’s details. So simple and clean.