patio perfect party

(here's my article for the july issue of tastebud magazine. wish i had better pics.)

Our normal summer entertaining usually revolves around the grill but I wanted to try something different. My friend suggested having a ‘gourmet’ sandwich bar. Perfect! An evening picnic party. This idea works great for families and with most of the prep work done before guests arrive we could spend time playing in the back yard with the kids, talking with our friends and listening to great music.
First I wanted to set the mood: playful and relaxed. The centerpiece for the table was a picnic basket filled with plates, napkins, silverware and other essentials. I found great plates at Trapp’s in KCMO. The divided plates come in bright multi-colors and are recycled. Color was added to the table by placing single blooms of flowers in collected bud vases or recycled soda bottles (gerbera daisies or peonies cut from the yard work well for this). I laid out old quilts in the yard to eat on and set up the croquet set. My favorite detail was the hanging votive cups. Luckily there is a tree over our patio so the votives made the perfect floating chandelier. Even without a tree over the patio these look fun and festive hanging anywhere in the yard and entice people to stay after the sun sets. Find similar votive holders at Nell Hills, Curious Sofa and places like Hobby Lobby. Hang them at various heights with heavy fishing line or fun ribbons. I leave them hanging throughout the summer, they make family nights at home seem a little more special. To keep the party lively we created a playlist of songs that featured artists we knew our guests enjoyed. If there are young kids at the party don’t forget to add in a little Jim Cosgrove.

Now, planning the menu and drinks. We had one signature sandwich, a delicious chicken salad, sliced meats, cheeses and the makings for BLT’s. Fresh bread from Great Harvest Bread Company was a must. Great Harvest offers several varieties each day and don’t forget their great cookies, as well. Make sure to have a good selection of farmer’s market fresh lettuce, tomatoes, avocadoes, onions and cucumbers. To top off the sandwiches provide several condiment choices like mayonnaise with fresh herbs added, different types of mustard and home made vinaigrette. Serve the sandwiches with chips (we love Art & Mary’s salt & pepper), crunchy coleslaw or potato salad and fresh fruit. Because summers are hot here make sure to have plenty of beverages. Along with beer and wine we served a fun vodka slushy. Non-alcoholic drinks included raspberry lemonade and ice-cold strawberry water (this is so simple and pretty, just add sliced strawberries to a pitcher of ice water). Dessert completed the night: citrus cupcakes and Great Harvest cookies!
Great food, friends and fun-the perfect patio party!

Recipes:
Annie’s Chicken Salad
6-8 grilled chicken breast halves cubed
½ cup low fat sour cream
½ cup light mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon curry powder
Pinch of garlic salt
Pepper to taste
Add chopped celery, red grapes, water chestnuts and toasted almond slices
Toss together and add more sour cream and mayo to desired texture and taste.

Gigi’s Vodka Slushy
1-6 oz can frozen oj
1-6 oz can frozen lemonade
1 ½ quarts Cranberry juice
16 oz 7-up
16 oz squirt or fresca
1/5 Vodka
Mix in large container, freeze for 24 hours stirring occasionally
Scoop & enjoy!

Find Them Here:
Recycled Plates:
Trapp
4110 Main
KCMO 816.931.6940
Hanging Votives:
Curious Sofa
3925 W 69 Terr.
Prairie Village, KS 913.432.8969
Nell Hill’s
4101 N Mulberry Dr.
KCMO 816.746.4320
Fresh Bread:
Great Harvest Bread Company
83rd & Mission Rd (Corinth Shopping Center)
145th & Metcalf
Overland Park

Patio Playlist:
“And it Stoned Me” Van Morrison
“Better Together” Jack Johnson
“1,2,3,4” Feist
“Acuff-Rose” Uncle Tupelo
“You Still Touch Me” Sting
“Genius of Love” Tom Tom Club
“Here We Go Again” Norah Jones & Ray Charles
“Diner” Widespread Panic
“Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes” Paul Simon
“Don’t Touch My Hat” Lyle Lovett
“Why Georgia” John Mayer

master bath

here is a peek at our master bath. it is not big at all but i love the way it turned out (when we bought the house it was pepto pink with very old white with grey speckled tile). we found this dresser at mission antique mall and my crafty husband turned it into a vanity. he cut the drawers so they function around the sink and cut a hole in the top to fit the sink. the sink and toilet are from the company toto. they make the best toilets and are an eco friendly company. (i know all of this because clay is a sales rep for them). we tiled the floor in a natural stone and the walls are painted a creamy brown. the color is portabello from sherwin williams. we also tore down a wall of the shower and added a glass door. now it doesn't feel like you are showering in a cave.

peonies & bedside tables

our peony bushes are blooming and i just had to cut some for the house. they smell so awesome, definitiely one of my favorite flowers. these are on the bedside table that i bought at mission antique mall. i love the color and curved legs of this table-it's really girly . fun vases from anthropologie and a cute store in downtown chico, ca ( i bought it when we went for a visit a few years ago), one of my favorite pictures there, too, of our family in the hospital after lucy was born.

yellow

.lucy's spring shoes from puddle jumper.

.mama's new spring purse.

.inspiration /organization boards

made by topping a canvas with foam core and then wrapping with material.

.daffodils from the garden in our yellow kitchen.

.citrus cupcakes.

recipe:

white cake mix

1/2 cup oil

i can mandarin oranges, not drained

3 eggs or 4 egg whites

mix and bake according to directions

cool whip

i can of crushed pineapple, drained

1 box of instant vanilla pudding, dry

mix and top cupcakes when cooled

these are so light and springy!

a sign of spring

the first buds on our quince bush in the backyard!

tabletop

i love this tabletop! we had my family over to celebrate my mom and my birthday's and i get so excited to have an excuse to set the table with more than the usual plastic plates with legos and crayons scattered everywhere.

i head to family tree nursery every year around this time to bring a little early spring into our house. i have been wanting to try a terrarium so i used a cyclamen and baby tears planted in a glass jar and added a few shells for interest. i love this white planter that i bought at the fiddly fig and think it turned out great with the soft fern, angel vine and baby tears. i had to add the little glass bird in my favorite color green.

i used white crackle glaze dishes from pottery barn and fun napkins from anthropologie. they have the best selection of quirky linens and dishes that can be mixed with the white dishes and really make them come to life. the swirl glasses are from anthropologie also and the etched wine glasses from nell hills (a past birthday present from my great friend amy. this year she got me the cutest tea towels from anthropologie. does she know me or what!)

i wrapped the votives in a light green vellum to add the perfect glow to the table.

of course the table wasn't complete until we sat down with family and shared a delicious turkey dinner (my favorite, complete with all the traditional fixings that clay made and cleaned up)!

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

A fresh tree decorated with bright colored glass ornaments on the top half and lovingly and excitedly hung handmade or non-breakable ornaments at the bottom. i love that the boys hung at least three per drooping branch!

three handmade stockings and two not.

fun gift wrap i found in the dollar bin at target. i'm also using little suitcase style boxes for the kids this year. trying to be a little 'green' and then they have something to store all of their collections in after.

my favorite place in our house to change each season. i found the glitter letters for a dollar each at joanns and hung them on green velvet ribbon.

hope you are having fun decorating and celebrating the season!

nesting

fall weather is finally here! i love decorating our house for fall and thought i would share my dining room sideboard. the three tier shelf is from nell hills and i love changing it with the seasons. it is one little area where i can put some of my favorite things that the kids can't get too. i love the etched glasses, a gift from my friend amy who always noticed me drooling over them on our trips to nell hills, silver vases from anthropologie and julisko style glass vases.

addictions

what a great fall weekend! this is a tea towel from the new martha stewart line at macy's that i added some applique to. the color is great and it made the perfect little gift for an artist friend's birthday. i already started one for myself and maybe another for etsy.

here is a peak inside my bookcase which holds ribbon and old magazines. i think i might be addicted to ribbon. there is more in the basement. i go through my magazines every few months and tear out pages to put in binders. i have idea files for every room in the house, landscaping, crafts, entertaining, business ideas, floral design. these are magazines that have too many great ideas, so i keep the whole thing: mary engelbreit home companion and holiday editions of cottage living, country living, country home, victoria, martha stewart living and others i've picked up at the news stand. i think i might be addicted to magazines as well.

other things i could have endless collections of: books, dishes, glassware, cake plates, tea towels, fabric, paper.

the frame on top is an article from kansas city home design about botanica (my flower business).

bath

we bought our home almost three years ago and have been updating it ever since. we really only have one and a half big projects left! i have a huge file of inspiration pictures torn from magazines and separated into different rooms. i always seem to pick bathrooms done in all white with a hint of blue. these pictures are from our hallway bath and i love the way it turned out! we used hexagon tiles for the floor, subway tiles in the bath, painted beadboard and pedestal sinks. i love the ocean and water, so i've been bringing home sand and rocks from places we've visited and putting it in bottles. i've placed those on top of the medicine cabinets and a map on the wall of the places we visited on our honeymoon. it is such a relaxing room even if most of the time it used to bathe three splashing and singing kids!

precious packages

yes, i was excited to come home to two great packages, new fabric and books to inspire!

of course, the most precious package i have ever received on this day was sweet lucy! i can't believe she is already a year old! amazing to see her personality blossom and bring so much joy to our family! it is so fun watching her play with her big brothers, she is already a tough little cookie in a pink dress.

here are some pictures of her room. i loved making her bedding, painting the furniture and adding sweet things , both old and new, in her first room. it really is a dreamy space with sheer curtains pulled over the windows and sunlight filtering in.

the changing table was a free find in our old neighborhood. we just painted it and added the pad on top. we have used it with all three kids. i bought the 'seasons on the farm' pics from eeboo. love the colors and hung on a cute pink and green ribbon with clothespins.

this shelf was my in-laws' 70's, dark wood stereo shelf. it is now too cute painted! there are my old beatrix potter books and silver cup, a painted piggy bank, vintage lunch box and a frame that were gifts.
this corner has an old doll crib that was my mom's and bedding made by my grandma nadine and my first baby doll, a cute growth chart given to lucy by our wonderful friend amy and a toy box that was my little sisters. we love hanging out in here reading books and playing and for lucy sleeping! that is until she finds out that her big brothers are in mom and dad's bed!

L is for Lucy

I have been collecting or making 'L's' for lucy's room and came up with a really sweet one today. I appliqued an L to a fabric square, added the flower with button center and stretched onto a

5 x 5 canvas.

My other favorite is the ceramic L that was a gift from my two nieces cloee and kacie. They painted it (pink with green polka dots) at a studio and gave it to us right after lucy was born, almost a year ago!