Wining & DIYing - A Girls' Night In

I have the two best friends that anyone could have! Unfortunately, now that we don't all work together (we met while teaching about 8ish years ago) and we all have thriving careers and conflicting commitments, we don't see each other nearly enough.

After reading How-To Start a Wine Club from Hosting and Toasting, I begged my girlies to take a shot at it with me. We decided that we'd combine two of our favorite things - wine and crafts - and turn it into our monthly, no-exceptions, can't-miss-it Girls Night In. We call it Wining and DIYing (playful take on wining and dining) and rotate hosting each month.

In March, I hosted the first visit and we made Spring Embroidery Hoop wreaths inspired by AKA Design+Life's spring mantle and paper flower wreath. I shared this photo on Instagram:

The following month, Meg hosted and we created tea-cup bird feeders similar to these by Something Wonderful. That was also the night that I got share with my besties that Joe and I are expecting! So, please don't worry - no vino for this lady.

Then, in May, Trish hosted and we did ceramic mugs:

It's my turn once more and I posted a little teaser of a hint on Instagram yesterday afternoon... Check it out! Any guesses on what we might be making tonight? I'll share soon!

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Four Ingredient Low-Fat Chili & Cheese Dip

Yep. Four basic ingredients. One bowl. Done.

Oh yeah, and it's low-fat. Please, thank you, you're welcome!

Football Friday - Fudgy Football Brownie Pops

Football season is the best season of all. Over the years, the Mr. has had quite the influence on this girl. We met in November while football was in full swing so I learned early on that our Sundays would be devoted to the pigskin. I wouldn't change a thing about it :) Monday Night Football was our first Eagles' game of the season so I made an extra special treat -- Fudgy Football Brownie Pops. 

You don't need any special tools or cake molds for these guys, just some patience and a steady hand.

DIY Watercolor Guest Book Alternative

For last weekend's bridal shower, I wanted a guest book that was better than the average bound variety. There are guest book alternatives abounding all over the internet. There are those cute fingerprint ideas and the signed bottle of wine and the wishing trees and pieces of a puzzle. I really wanted something else though. That's when I saw this fun piece of art on Pinterest. $160 though? Woowee. That was so not in the budget. So, what's a crafty girl to do? Make one of course. 

The end result was exactly what I was looking for. The colors and pattern are completely customizable and BOY OH BOY, it was a fun DIY. I forgot how much I enjoy painting with watercolors. 

How To: Single Bloom Centerpieces

I'm a fan of simple centerpieces, especially for casual get togethers. Low profile arrangements are my absolute fave! Rather than one gigantic bouquet, consider clustering a variety of glasses/vases/jars with a single blossom in each. The end result is just dreamy, if I do say so myself. Simply choose colors that go with your theme and run with it!

These single bloom arrangements were the perfect addition to my Candy Confetti Bridal Shower. 

DIY Candy Confetti Bridal Shower - The Reveal

All of the planning, pinning, and secret-keeping has come to an end! I am happy to report that we had a spectacular bridal shower yesterday for my beautiful bff. As I mentioned yesterday, the theme that I followed was "candy confetti." Random, I know, BUT I wanted something fun, informal, colorful, and in keeping with their beach wedding next month. I don't like to toot my own horn; however, I'm pretty sure I hit all of those nails on the head.  

Later this week I'll spill the beans and share the details and tutorials for each of the projects! Some of the littlest things (like confetti punched from glittered scrapbook paper) made the biggest impact.

Candy Confetti Bridal Shower - Color Inspiration

So, today is the day! Right at this very second, I am surprising my bestie with her very own confetti themed bridal fete. Now, you know why I've been so busy lately :) I'll reveal all of the details soon, but for now, check out some of the gorgeous images that lent a hand in the planning process. I had originally planned to go with tan/white/brown, gray/navy/yellow, or gray/yellow hues but I eventually came to the conclusion that bright candy colors were exactly where I needed to be. These photos are swoon worthy and gave me the best inspiration for the final color scheme.

(clockwise from top left)

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

(clockwise from top left)

5 | 6 | 7 | 8

(clockwise from top left)

9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Was I telling the truth or what?? I've spent countless hours drooling over these lovelies. I can't wait to share all of the little shower tidbits later on. G'day all!

Paper Flower Gift Topper Tutorial

There are a ton of crepe paper flower tutorials out there, that I know. Unfortunately, all of them seem to be for super amazing realistic flowers. Sure that is generally what you want, but a flower on a stem is not necessarily the best gift topper out there. I wanted something classy and fun to put on top of the bridal shower gift to my sister-in-law and a big floofy flower was just what the doctor ordered.

The materials were less than $3 (and with that, you could make SEVERAL large flowers) and the whole process took less than 15 minutes. Let's get started!

Our Christmas Party Spread

Tonight we will be having 30+ of our closest friends and family over for a holiday shindig and I could not be more excited. I'm a little stressed too but I can't help it... we haven't had people over since our rehearsal BBQ last year... geez! I thought that sharing our menu for the night would be an ideal second to last post of The 25 Projects of Christmas. 

Paint Chip Goodie Bags

Yesterday I mentioned that I had an Autumn goodie bag tutorial that was perfect for the cookies I made and today I live up to my word!

I'm all about being green (and cheap) whenever I can so it's nice when I find new ways to use old things.

Fabric Candy Corn Treat Bags

Ahhh, October! It's beginning to get cooler and the leaves are starting to change. It's time to deck the halls with cobwebs and skeletons and start singing Monster Mash! This weekend I got around to dressing up some fabric treat bags for our favorite kids. Not only are these adorable, they're also super easy and NO-SEW!  Sweet!

Want to find out how to make a set of your own? Read on!