a little of this, a little of that...

Let's start with this...

Last week I helped my good friend Julie put together a 50th birthday party for her husband, Tom.

She had so many great ideas for the decorations, the food and the entertainment so it was

an easy job!  This guy, Tod Parkhouse,  the caricature artist was a big hit,  

the guests, young and old alike were lined up for him to draw a silly picture of them.

Here he is drawing one of Max and Hannah

How adorable is that!!!  

GAAAAAAAAA!

It cracks me up every time I look at it!

Duane and I had ours drawn too, but nobody to take a photo of it happening,

Thank goodness for small favors!

Julie hired great local band to play on her beautiful wrap around porch

 while the guests relaxed on the  front lawn

visiting with friends in their lawn chairs.

Also a big hit!

(one day I need to take you on a tour of her gorgeous home)

I am so bummed that I didn't have more time to take some photos of the

decorations with my camera before the guests arrived.

 (I did take a few with Julies before I went

home to get mine but that doesn't help me show them to you now!)

anyway...

I made these chalkboard tags out of precut wood from the craft store

and them we used my new favorite tool, the chalkboard paint pen

to write on everything.

If you haven't gotten one for yourself yet and you love chalkboards as much

as I do, you must head to your nearest craft store

WITH COUPON IN HAND

cuz they aint cheap and I couldn't find any single pens,

you have to buy the set for $12.00

but go get yourself some,

I promise you won't be sorry!

I was able to use the 50% coupon though so I did my famous

Happy Dance as I walked out the door!

We also wrapped some vintage ice buckets with a strip of burlap and topped

them with huge burlap fluffy flowers and filled them with hosta leaves.

Julie also bought plain white paper napkins and stamped the corner

with cool vintage looking stamps.

Plus everything was in galvanized buckets or tool boxes.

She had so many wonderful details that I wish I could show you right now.

anyway...

now, here's some of that...

We have added some really colorful lavender sachets to the mix of 

our laundry provisions

and they are a big hit at the market!

All vintage materials, curtains, tablecloths,sheets, a pillow case or two,

and some mens dress shirts because Danielle said we needed something for the men.

She was so right!

and finally...

Oliver has decided that this large wash basin

is his favorite new hang out.

As I took this picture I had to laugh because we 

recently watched Jim Gaffigan, Mr. Universe,

and he talks about how we are becoming obsessed with taking

pictures of everything.  One of his lines is 'The cat is sleeping,

I should take a picture of him'

...and tweet it.

Seriously though, could you help but take a picture

of what we like to call,

"kitty in a bowl"?

I didn't think so.

Happy Saturday,

make it special!

love,

Theresa

xoxoxxo