Bonjour!

Bonjour!
I’m a 51 year old mother of five amazing daughters and wife to a caring, sensitive AND sexy husband. I adore my family. I’m dedicated to my faith. I enjoy a good laugh. I'm nostalgic and love to reminisce. "Remember" is my favorite word in the English language. I love life! I’m passionate about music, food and {dreams of} traveling the world. I wanna be a castle and waterfall chaser. I’m fascinated with anything European. {PARIS! Hello!} I love celebrating anything and everything! I love to read, especially a good biography, mystery, Regency Era Romance or Historical fiction novel. I love thoughtful gift giving. To me the gift wrap is almost as important as the gift itself. I have a bit of an obsession with gift boxes and gift bags. As well as old world maps & globes, apothecary bottles and jars! I love being creative…bolts of ribbon, coordinating scrapbook papers, producing a table scape, or planning décor for a themed party puts a smile on my face. I love the details! I’m a freak for anything theme oriented. I enjoy event planning, but oddly enough do not like to host or entertain. I enjoy fashion, but have to really be in the mood to clothes shop. I love purses and funky costume jewelry. Especially big rings! I’d rather wear wedges or heels any day than flats. I enjoy decorating and searching for the perfect decorative pillow or picture. However, you’ll never see me frequent high-end stores. I'm more of a Ross, TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning kind of gal. My favorite decor style is an old world rustic Italian chateau/Spanish Villa look with a hint of bohemian! OR a vintage shabby chic French country cottage/English cobblestone farmhouse. My #1 cookie-Molasses! Autumn is my favorite season. I’d go through childbirth a million times. I enjoy biking with my man, Pilates, and power walking. You’ll never find me in a gym working out. I love movies, whether watching them in the theatre or cuddled up on the couch with my family. I enjoy a good chick flick or real life drama! I'm a sucker for movies on the Hallmark & Great American Family Channel. I have a tender heart for the elderly. I adore Disneyland. I enjoy being in the canyon on a summer or fall evening at dusk. I love my friends. While I have some extroverted characteristics. I’m a self proclaimed introvert. I’m generally quiet, calm, reserved and pretty darn private. Why in the heck do I blog? It’s a creative way to record family history. I enjoy photography. I really don’t like to write, although I write in my journal often. My journals, patriarchal blessing, scriptures, quote book, and beloved Christmas tree filled with ornaments of family memories are among my prized possessions. I love the beach. I enjoy WWII history. I love a clean, orderly house, but ours usually looks lived in. ;) PBS Masterpiece is my friend. I adore Jane Austen films. They transport me to another time and place. If I had to choose another time period in which to live, early 19th Century England would be my pick. "Sense and Sensibility" is my all time favorite movie. My 3 favorite TV series are...BBC's Larkrise to Candleford, the 1950's Spanish Drama "Velvet," and the travel/food show "Somebody Feed Phil." My biggest pet peeve is people who blow their noses in public. So gross! {Take it to the bathroom people.} I’d go on a wine tasting vacation if it wasn’t against my religion. I’ve always wanted to adopt a baby from a foreign country. I’m an avid BYU football fan. I'm a Educational Support Professional. I tutor elementary kids in phonemic awareness, phonics, reading, fluency and comprehension. I love our campfires at Scofield Lake. I have a 'thing' for fairy gardens, Gallic French roosters, fresh flowers in a vase, pretty bowls & plates, and yummy smelling candles & soap. I love summer rainstorms and warm baths. I'm a scripture podcast fanatic. I'm also a fan of several Fox News shows; Hannity and Dave Ramsey Talk Radio. I very much miss Rush Limbaugh! I hate when my kids have homework. I'd rather clean 20 toilets than give a talk or prayer in church. I have quite a collection of Madame Alexander Dolls, children's books, Disney pins, and quotes. My favorite quote is "Don't underestimate me. I know more than I say, think more than I speak & notice more than you realize." True True LOL! I always prefer sitting in a back row versus the front. {I'm sort of a seat snob..yikes} I also have high expectations for my lemonade, salsa, and french fries too. HA! I work well behind the scenes. I love a good Dateline, 20/20 or 48 Hour Mystery. I’m a night owl. I'd rather be cold than hot. I love to budget our finances! I enjoy being a chauffeur to my children. I'm not a huge fan of social media. I don't snap, pin or tweet. All I want for Christmas every year is a ticket to the Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert. It's my FAVORITE. I’m an Anglophile…a royal watcher who loves anything English! Especially tea parties! I would like to serve a church mission to England with Jaren someday. I'm queen of paper towel, used kitchen dishrags and sponges kinda make me squirm. You’ll rarely find me out of the house not ready for the day, except when driving the kids to school on the days I don't work. I feel naked without lipstick or lip gloss. Mismatched socks, chipped fingernail polish, chapped lips and brownie crumbs on the floor drive me nuts! I like to organize and BE organized..but not saying I always am. ;) I enjoy hiking to waterfalls, ATV’ing with my family and snowshoeing with the hubs. Although I enjoy collecting recipes and occasionally watch cooking shows... (Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade, Paula Deen, Jamie Oliver, and the Pioneer Woman are my favorites) I’d rather not cook. Eating out is so much more fun. I'm a foodie. I live to EAT! LOL Trying new foods and restaurants is a favorite past-time, and believe it or not so is intermittent fasting. I'm not good at a lot of things... but gosh, if you need help with a themed celebration or someone to enjoy good food with, I'm your girl. I love the joy of anticipation and the celebration of holidays. Family traditions are important to me. I'm a memory preserver. I'm a pathological picture taker ;) a visual storyteller, and a lover of happy lists!

My Fam!

My Fam!

The Hubs and I

The Hubs and I

My Girls!

My Girls!

Kyleigh Dawn (28)

Kyleigh Dawn (28)

Emma Abigail (26)

Emma Abigail (26)

Hannah Isabelle (23)

Hannah Isabelle (23)

Brielle Olivia (19)

Brielle Olivia (19)

Kate Evangelene Lyllie (13)

Kate Evangelene Lyllie (13)

Mr. Charles "Bingley" Wentworth III (4 yrs.)

Colonel Edward Fitzwilliam "Darcy", Duke of Westridge (3 yrs.)

My Man!

My Man!

Good Times!

Good Times!

Wedding Day 5*17*22

Lillian "Lilly" Belle

Disney Food Fun! 2019

Disneyland Tips

What I Believe!

Our Missionary

We Bleed Blue! {Except for the Poppi}

My list of favorite movies!

Learn more about Dyslexia!

Music To My Ears!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

What's On My Happy List?

Sunday October 24, 2010
finally getting around to posting the rest of the pics of the vintage glam shower I threw for my two nieces....

My friend Cathy and I made these flowers out of fondant three days before the shower...she is so talented and makes beautiful wedding cakes. The fondant flowers take a couple of hours to make so they are a tad time consuming but also fun to make if you like detailed work. The day of the shower I made the cupcakes, I used Cathy's killer frosting and Emma, my mom and I decorated them. I love the way they turned out and how they sparkle with the sugar crystals and shimmer that we added to them.

These cupcakes are yum! They have a cream cheese, white chocolate chip filling inside. The guests thought they were too pretty to eat but I made them eat them anyway!
The rustic window pane a friend gave to me from her stash of vintage finds...the wreath, which happened to be the perfect colors, I already had...I tried to use stuff around the house to make this project as inexpensive as possible...the base for the cupcakes, an old black urn of mine, I took the spray paint to.
I added some fake crystal beading ($5 with Micheal's coupon) around the top to tie in with the crystals on the two candelabras ( only $2.99 each) that I also spray painted. The spray paint and I were good friends for a couple of days!
Purple flowers (sorta kifed from a neighbors yard a few streets over...sshh!) and the non alcoholic wine bottle covers...free diy downloads from weddingchics.com. I gave my nieces these as part of their gift, along with goblets.
Another thoughtful detail...I wanted to have some type of cookie at the shower because I knew she was having a cookie bar, along with serving gelato at the reception. These white powdered cookies are actually Danish wedding cookies that I found at the grocery store. From Keebler. Who knew? The little cake pedestal they are on...I love...borrowed that from a friend. She bought it from a vendor at Swiss Days. Want to make one just like it.
The Bride and Groom pictures...also a free download from weddingchics.com. The frames are Big Lot finds..they were an ugly gold so I also spray painted those, as well as the upside down flower pot you see used for the other cupcake stand. Found that at Savers.
Have to thank my friend Brenda, from Red Poppy Studio http://www.theredpoppystudios.com/ for taking these pics above..
Now on to my pics....
The backboard is a piece of plywood from Home Depot which I covered with a plastic white table cloth and doilie place mats I found at Gygi's. Can't see the detail on the backboard too good but I thought it tied in beautifully.

These were the invites....

brought in my mom's bird cage because it also matched the color scheme perfectly....
and I knew Court wanted to use white birdcages at her reception.
I paper mached (love Mod Podge glue!) two hardbound books I didn't need anymore with vintage looking scrapbook paper and then added the Paris labels which I already had...added a tasle with funky white yarn. Love how they turned out!

I even wrapped the fork and napkin with a doilie and plum ribbon. Also spray painted the wire bucket which was a couple dollar find at Savers.
Even added foo foo to the canning jars which we used to serve the drinks..details, details...its all about THE details people!

For the party favors I wrapped Hershey chocolate bars with vintage looking paper and tied fake diamond rings (at Zurchers) to them with tulle (which btw happens to be another favorite decorating tool, right along there with Mod Podge.)

limeaid drink with floating limes...the drink dispenser...a golden find at Costco.
The two sisters... how stink'in cute are they?


Ashley's big day is coming up in a few weeks...but Courtney is now a married woman!
We had a lovely day spent with family last Friday celebrating her marriage to Chad...


Kyleigh got to miss school and watch Kate for us in the waiting room so we could attend the temple ceremony and wedding luncheon...

A few pictures on the temple grounds...
nice little love tap for mom...more like a whack! LOL Had a near wardrobe disaster that morning as I went to put on my plum sweater and found that the security tag had not been removed at the store. Seriously hate those things as this is not the first time that has happened to me.


and at the reception...
Beautiful and fun day!

4 comments:

  1. WOW! What a beautiful job you did! Lucky girls to get a shower like that!!! So many fun details. You are so creative and good at putting stuff together. And I love the family picture from the reception. You are such a great family!

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  2. Fabulous party!

    Two more fabulous things...

    1- The attachment you can buy for a spray paint can that makes it a trigger for your entire hand, sparing your pointer finger. If you do not already have this, invest in one. Worth it.

    2- A child of your OWN! Old enough to watch your baby! Brilliant.

    And a NOT so fabulous thing...

    I had that same security tag situation on a top I bought. In LAS VEGAS. Can you imagine? Had to mail the stupid thing back. So mad.

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  3. I LOVE the decor! You are so talented. And the picture of your family is just so cute. We have to do another party!

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  4. So, if you lived closer you wouldn't have to steal that sofa because it is the bane of Todd's existence, and he would call you up to come and GET IT! I was afraid to lug it to the park, for fear it would be a one way ticket. It's one of the few things I literally HAVE to have his help to load. If you can believe it, I got the entire thing inside my Honda Pilot. The girls had to ride in a SEPARATE car with Todd. None of them wanted much to do with the sofa biz. It's currently in his parking space in the garage. We're (the couch and I) walking a fine line around here. That and my kids were holy terror at the park.

    Also, I can't stop thinking about your cupcakes. Boo is OBSESSED with Cake Boss, and was impressed as well.

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