Baking Cupcakes

Today is a very special day because a little boy who stole my heart the first time I held him is turning one! Wow! A whole year gone in an instant. We must definitely hold on to the little ones as long as we can because they grow up so fast. :(

We are having a little party for him today and it's all about monkeys! Liam is a monkey himself! Mom, Dad, and I made and decorated 48 cupcakes for this little man's party.

Mom got the idea on Pinterest, of course, and we took it upon ourselves to recreate the monkey's faces. I think they turned out well. Oreos for the ears, M&Ms for the eyes, and a little professional icing techniques for the mouth!

I also made Mom a party platter using vinyl letters and my Cricut.

And here is the monkey card I made for the little man.

For his present, I bought him Night, Night Birmingham by Lauren Mills. Even though they live in Prattville, Birmingham is like their second home. It's where both of their grandparents live. I'm sure Matthew, the oldest, will help Brother read it. Can't wait to see him and the other two crazy monkeys! I hope everyone has a fantastic Sunday!





New Project!

I am starting a new project, as if I even had the time. I made a scrap book about three years ago for my boyfriend and I's first year we were together. I enjoyed it so much that I think I want to do another one. Not just of us, but of just the good times in life. I love creating a page that as soon as I look at it takes me back to the real moment.

I went shopping today to find some sushi-inspired stickers. Remember the puffies stickers I talked about a while back? Well, they are discontinuing them! So at Michael's today, I dug through the clearance section and got out every last one of them, minus the one I went in after: the sushi one.

Yeah, I wasn't playing. I got all of them. They were marked down 50% off so I just took advantage of it. They are possibly the cutest things ever and I don't know when I'm going to see them again. There just so much you can do with a puffie. On top of the stickers, I found a scrapbook, some neat background stamps, other on sale stickers, single sheets of paper, and a 0.5 cent 20 page paper pad (not kidding). The whole cost rang up to be about $70. Not incredibly terrible...okay maybe...but blame it on the cute puffies.

I'm looking forward to starting my scrapbook. I've found a lot of cute websites already with templates and ideas I can't wait to try out for myself. Maybe I'll clean out some of the excess paper I have in my craft room. I will definitely share all of the pages I complete!

What's on your to do list???

Friday Facts

Here are five things you might not know about me!

1. My favorite color is turquoise.
2. My first dog was a  Chihuahua named Bandit.
3. I enjoy watching the Atlanta Braves - favorite player being Chipper Jones.
4. I really want a Siberian Husky.
5. My celebrity I would most like to be friends with is Mila Kunis.

How To: Window Treatments

Have you ever had a window that is impossible to treat? Or seen a unique window and asked yourself "How would I treat that?" Well, I am not a window professional by all means, but I do know a little something about the right and wrong way to hang curtains.

I am going to explain the different types of window treatments there are and then explain how to properly use them. I hope this helps a few of you that is lost when it comes to windows!

1. Blinds

You've seen them before; the white metal blinds everyone hates. Well, I'm hear to tell you they've improved. That's right! Now, you can buy wooden blinds such as painted wood or bamboo that allow a little light in. They come in thick panels and skinny ones, too. We replaced all of our metal blinds with wooden ones and are so much happier with them. I personally love the painted white wooden blinds, but there are plenty of great applications that natural wood is great.

There is also Roman blinds and they are absolutely beautiful! You see more bamboo than anything else but they come in a variety of materials. Be careful to not confuse the Roman blinds with the Roman shades.

Roman Shades: Fabric or canvas materials are commonly used.

2. Cornices

Cornices are great to make a room appear taller. Most are wood with fabric upholstered on top, but some are left in there natural state. If you use cornices correctly, your space can look very upscale and traditional. Cornices can also be draped to make it look like there's wood behind it. Also, they are great for children's rooms. I like cornices, as some people do not. You must keep in mind the size of pattern you're covering the cornice with. Stick to solids or smaller patterns. You can actually construct your own cornice! They're really not hard at all.

3. Curtains

I love this little diagram of the right and wrong way to hang curtains. The first one is not technically wrong, it just doesn't add any interest. I guarantee you if you came into my house most of my curtains are hung this way. I have box windows above all of my windows and doors so the curtain reaches to the top of the box; much like the second picture. Hanging curtains this way helps make your room appear taller and doesn't allow puddles. A puddle is when your curtains are too long and in 1:10 cases puddling is desirable just be careful!

Here are my two rules for hanging curtains and if you follow these, you'll never be laughed at! :)

1. The curtains need to match the length of the window. Long windows need long curtains. On the other hand, short windows can have long curtains. See picture above.





YES!!!






YES!!!



NOOOOOO!






NOOOOOO!

The way I see, would you ever wear your pants like this:





Didn't think so...


2. If you have a bay window, there is no need for a curtain on every window. One on either side is perfectly fine.





YES!






YES!



NO.

One last thing: A lot of people wonder how to tie back your curtains. See the blue curtains above? They are pulled back at a very high point. Don't ever do that. Towards the middle and down is best.





YES                                                   NO



Now, like I said I'm not a window pro so don't take all your window treatments down and replace them. If they work for you and you're happy with them then that is perfectly fine! Every window is different and every space is different. Do what works for your space! On the other hand, DON'T EVER DO THIS!!!!










Hope this helped!

Go Green

I love learning about Color Psychology. It's so interesting to see what different colors can do to people in a space. In my previous blog, I studied yellow. You can read about it here.

When I typed in the word "green" on Google Images almost everything dealt with organic vegetables (except the green colored poodle) or nature's beauties. Just having celebrated Earth Day, I wanted to study green. Green reminds me of nature and that makes me feel restful and calm. When I'm having a rough day or can't seem to get any ideas on a project I revert back to the outdoors. I have a lake near my house that I like to run/power walk around. There are so many animals and flowers along my trek that is gives me a since of life and hope. I always feel rejuvenated after.

According to studies, green is known for it's health-giving ability. Of course it symbolizes nature but it can also represent good luck, jealousy, and tranquility. Researchers have also found that green can improve reading ability. Some students may find that laying a transparent sheet of green paper over reading material increases reading speed and comprehension.

Green has long been a symbol of fertility and was once the preferred color choice for wedding gowns in the 15th-century. 

Even today, green M & M's are said to send a sexual message. Hence, why Green is green. Who knows if that is true.

Green is often used in decorating for its calming effect. For example, guests waiting to appear on television programs often wait in a “green room” to relax. Green is thought to relieve stress and help heal. Those who have a green work environment experience fewer stomachaches.

I could see why they would want you to be calm in this room. Yikes!

The Green Room in the White House: With its intimate size, green silk-covered walls and early 19th-century American furniture, the Green Room is a favorite White House parlor. The room was referred to as the “Green Drawing Room" as far back as 1825 after a green floor covering was placed there during the Jefferson Administration. In 1961, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy began a program to give a more formal, museum-like character to the public rooms of the White House. The Green Room was one of the notable rooms that Mrs. Kennedy helped redesign. Artwork in the room today includes Henry Ossawa Tanner's Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City, the first work by an African American artist to be added to the permanent White House collection. Source

In the design industry, you say the word "green" and we will automatically associate it with sustainability. It's so important to use the three Rs. Reduce waste and energy. Reuse products like steel, wood, and bamboo. Recycle your paper, plastic, and glass materials. These buildings are considered LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified.

Birmingham, AL - Social Security Building

Birmingham, AL - New Children's Hospital

Birmingham, AL - Brookwood Building

So what does GREEN do for you? Does it calm you down like it does me or does it make you want to save the earth? Send your favorite green things to me! In case you wanted to see that green poodle, here you go!

Have a great day!