pumpkins. parties. paper

Along with drawing and playing with chalk, a new found love of mine is creating one of a kind invitations! My darling nephew is turning one and my sis is turning the backyard into a pumpkin patch. We are working on the details as we speak and can't wait to share!! Here is a look at the invitations that I hand drew and illustrated for it. . .

DIY mini terrariums // creative connections event

This past Friday night I helped host a wonderful event for a really cool group called 

CREATIVE CONNECTIONS at Anthropologie. They are a fabulous group of female creatives  who meet each month for inspiration & socializing. They network, learn from each other, and make new friends in the creative field! They also get to make those face-to-face connections with ladies that they tweet with, blog with, facebook stalk, and work near! I headed the DIY station of course, and got to meet a ton of talented young women with creative minds, in fields that I dream to one day be part of.  It was a lot of fun to teach a little craft that can be used in SO many ways. We made tiny terrariums inside of our glassware, tea cups, and bowls. These cute little trinkets make perfect teacher gifts, party favors, thank you gifts, centerpieces, and would look incredibly darling in the cup holder of your car! All you need is some gravel, a little soil, and a baby succulent. Find a container in your kitchen and layer away. . . it's that simple! Oh, and I served homemade peppermint patties and take five bark for the DIYers. . . stay tuned for recipes!

XOXO 

Laura

let's chalk about it

I have had an obsession with lettering my entire life! Yes, I was that girl that would write song lyrics on the front of my binder and get all excited about deciding which font I was going to write "Biology" in on my book cover. I loved the look of plain old craft paper with creative lettering in the center. . . nerd alert. But little did I know that I would end up doing it for work as an adult! I am lucky enough to work on the visual team for Anthropologie, where I get to do arts and crafts every day. A few weeks back I got to use my love for all things chalk and create chalkboards for display in the store. . .

This tedious little project lit a spark in my creative mojo that got me thinking, more like obsessing over chalk! How many ways can I use chalk and lovely lettering to create art? Oh ya, my mind is still going ape sh*t. . . Anyways, after posting a couple of pics on Instagram and Facebook, I had some of my dear friends reach out with projects of their own that they needed my help with. In I came with chalk, rulers, and font books in hand! The first project that I got started on was a couple of signs for a wedding! I LOVE weddings and all of the love that embodies that special day, so I was super excited to get to put my little touch on the event. Even better was the joy that came out of the bride when I delivered my hand made signs to her. Happiness filled my heart and I drove away feeling so blessed!

{ I can't wait to see + share the pictures from the event}

fresh squeezed mai tai recipe

We made this recipe for our rum loving, island worshipping, dad for father's day. Made with freshly squeezed juices, this potion {in our dad's words} is healthy and full of vitamins and minerals. And yes, it will leave you feeling a little giggly too ;) Whip up and squeeze out a big batch of these mouth watering mai tais for your next bbq or dinner party. . .

Island Style Freshly Squeezed Mai Tai Recipe:

3 oz. light rum
3 oz. dark rum
1 oz. orange curacao (or grand marnier)
2 oz. fresh squeezed pineapple juice
2 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice
2 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
1 oz. almond syrup  {you can get it in the mixer section}

To drink it mystics+mint style, pour all of the ingredients into a mason jar with ice. Put the top on and shake your heart out! Take the top off, stick a straw in it and enjoy responsibly, or not. . .

DIY :: S'MORE KITS

Let's just say that we are not a camping family, except for our older sister Katie. She married into a family of campers and now has bins in her garage dedicated to the "sport".  For her son's 7th birthday they rented a campsite and invited us along. We thought, hey why not make a project out of our adventure and make the kids s'more kits? We filled boxes with the standard graham crackers, hershey's chocolates, and marshmallows. Simple yes, but oh so cute! We bought fabric, cut it into squares, wrapped the boxes, and tied them to sticks for roasting. These blissful boxes of goodies would be perfect for birthday parties, wedding favors, a baby shower, or just to spice up your next camping trip. With open minds and a suitcase full of our glam-ping gear, our adventure ended up being truly divine!

Supplies for 6 boxes:

1.5 yards of fabric

6 boxes (Joannes has em)

clear bags (also from Joannes)

bakers twine (optional- I just tie it on EVERYTHING!)

1 box of marshmallows

1 box of graham crackers

1 bag of individually wrapped hershey bars

6 sticks

Box makes 2 s'mores each! When you pack your baggies put 2 graham crackers in a bag (the box should have 4 crackers total) as well as 2 marshmallows in a bag. 

Tie your box up in fabric. Watch a great tutorial here!

Grab some little helpers to hunt for the perfect roasting sticks!

Throw em' over your shoulder!

p.s. the fabric can double as a placemat/napkin. 

Trust us, you will be thankful for those after all of that ooey, gooey, goodness! 

superhero birthday party. . . boom

Being part of the "mom" squad means attending birthday parties for all of your friends' kids. Lucky for me, I am surrounded by amazingly talented friends who throw fantastic parties like this one! My dear friend Brooke, created this lovely superhero party for her son Quinn's 1st birthday. Nothing was left unmasked. . . all of the goodies were dressed in capes and masks and all of the kids received their very own super hero costume complete with their initial on the back. My daughter still runs around the house in complete super hero form. Thank you Brooke for this super fun party!

oh and p.s. look what made it's way onto a canvas and into our dining room. . .

photography by wild{whim}photography

DIY :: Stationary

Since a young age I have had a unique fascination with office supplies and stationary! Every year, I patiently waited for my coveted "school supply list". I know, so geeky right?? But there was something so exciting about picking through all of those binders, pens, markers, and glue!! Hey, I went to a private school where uniforms were required, so I had to show off my personal style any way that I could. One of my favorite places to go these days is the Paper Source. . . it is a grown-ups stationary dream depot. My most recent project was my daughter's birthday invites which had to of course have matching thank you notes!

My supply list included: 

envelope liner template

patterned accent paper

cardstock cards

envelopes

paper hang tags

watercolor pencils

thank you stamp

you are invited stamp

ink pad

white gel pen

rolling tape dispenser

party pic provided by dominique @ whildheartwhispers

DIY Angry Bird Pinata

Everyone loves a good party, and throwing one is just as much fun!! My little darling, Berlin turned 4 this month which led me to pin as many navajo inspired party ideas onto my pinterest as I could find!! Once I had my heart set on building tee pees and crafting feather head dresses for the kiddos, Berlin told me that she REALLY wanted an angry birds party. . . what?????????? Ugh, all of my daydreams were gone in that moment and I knew what had to be done. My new goal was to throw her the most hip angry birds party around. As I began researching pinatas, I realized that this stuff isn't cheap! So I threw on my sneakers, hit up Michaels, and snagged some supplies. 3 hours and $20 bucks later, Berlin had an angry bird "pig"nata all her own. Whether you are making an angry bird or your favorite animal, follow this tutorial then beat the crap out of it . . .

Supply List

tissue paper

paper lantern

fringe scissors

tacky glue

thin foam sheets for face/details

rope for hanging

candy

How To

STEP 1: cut 2 inch strips of tissue paper

tip: you can cut 4 layers at a time if you have sharp scissors

STEP 2: "fringe" your tissue strips and set aside

STEP 3: starting at the bottom, squeeze tacky glue in a line around the lantern

STEP 4: place a strip of fringed tissue, turning lantern as you go

STEP 5: work your way to the top, overlapping your previous piece a bit

STEP 6: trace and cut out the face/details

STEP 7: hot glue the details to your pinata

STEP 8: place a cardboard circle inside the bottom of the lantern to create a barrier

STEP 9: fill with candy

STEP 10: tie rope through the loops at the top of the frame, leaving a long piece for installation

SWING AWAY!! Here is a look at ours in action. . .

photo credit: wildheartwhispers

licorice love wands

Valentine's day = sweet treats from your lover, finding a secret surprise from an admirer, or sitting in your bed alone with a box of chocolates stuffing your face singing "all by myself!!!!!!!!!" Yes, this is the day that we all give in to that love/hate relationship with sugar and indulge in one too many hershey kisses and shovel down half a dozen of those delicious chocolate covered strawberries. What about those "fat-free" red vines that come in a tub that seems like if you grab 5 no one can tell?? Well this year, we decided to make LICORICE LOVE WANDS. . .  magically dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with sugar dust to conjure Cupid's affection. These are fun, easy, and make the perfect project for your little helpers (if you have em) . Get dipping. . .

what you need:

1 tub o' red vines

1 bag white dipping chocolates

3 tubes of sprinkles

Prepare your work surface with wax paper to place your wands on while they cool. Melt the chocolate according to the package. Dip licorice in the melted chocolate and tap on the side of the bowl until you get a nice and even coat on the end of the licorice. Sprinkle toppings onto the licorice as you turn, covering the chocolate evenly. Place wand on the wax paper to cool.

Once your wands are cool, place them in a large glass jar and enjoy! This makes about 150 wands, so go ahead and package some up to give to your co-workers, friends, or lover! XOXO

superbowl sunday funday

Superbowl Sunday is the one day that we actually look forward to watching football! We love to spend the day preparing snacks that not only are delicious but healthy too. . . post game you won't be promising yourself to hit the gym for 3 hours on Monday! If you are hosting the party, write down these recipes onto fun cards and hand them out to your guests. And if you are crashing another party, bring a mason jar full of mixed nuts as a hostess gift tied with some bakers twine.

spicy mixed nuts . skinny jalapeno poppers .  baked mozarella sticks . crispy sweet potato fries

**makes about 3 cups

1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer

2 tablespoons warm water

1 pound roasted, salted mixed nuts

1/3 cup evaporated cane sugar

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne powder

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg replacer and water until foamy. Add the nuts and toss to coat. Transfer the nuts to a strainer and let drain for at least 2 minutes. Meanwhile, wipe out the bowl and combine the sugar, salt, and cayenne. Add the nuts, tossing to coat. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Bake for 40 minutes. Stir with spatula and spread the nuts out again. Reduce the oven to 200 degrees F and bake another 30 minutes, or until dry. The nuts will crisp as they cool to room temperature. Thoroughly cooled, they can be stored for up to one week in an airtight container.

We dare you not to eat the entire batch before the game starts. . . enjoy!!

credit: late afternoon . skinny taste. taste of home . the art of doing stuff . wildfox . decor8 . oh so beautiful paper .