Color Me {Confetti}

Hello Monday! Usually I'm not a fan of the day, but today is my birthday making it a completely different story. And what screams birthday more than a room full of confetti. I'm talking confetti in envelopes, confetti covered tables, confetti balloons, the whole nine yards. While you can have a party without confetti, it really just makes it better. I'm off now to spend the day celebrating but I will catch you back here tomorrow morning for an ingenious use of mason jar lids.

Have a celebratory Monday!

Weekend Reads {1.10.14}

Oh goodness, there is so much to talk about today and so many amazing links to share! Not only is it Friday, I've got fabulous dinner plans with a fabulous friend tonight, a fun bridal show this weekend, and most excitingly my birthday is Monday. To put it simply, next to just about every other holiday, my birthday is my most favorite! I mean what's not to love, there is always cake, cocktails, and confetti; my three favorite "C"s. So in honor of my birthday and the rest of you celebrating birthdays soon, I'm sharing my links from the week full of my must have birthday items. Hope you enjoy!

1. The Grand Margarita from Apartment 34

2. Italian Cream Cake from Boulder Locavore

3. Confetti Dipped Balloons from Studio DIY

4. Balloon Cake Topper from The Martha Stewart Crafts Department

5. Geometric Piñata DIY from Reveiller

Weekend Reads {8.23.13}

Hello There! Happy Friday my friends. I hope you all have had a good week. Mine has, once again, been incredibly busy. With early mornings, late nights and countless meetings in between, I'm excited for a day of peace and quiet tomorrow. I think I am taking a vow of relaxation for the day with no phone, lots of couch sitting and maybe actually reading all my September issues. I still haven't made it to them in three weeks!

With that being said, I may have to break my vow for a bit to celebrate the weekend with these fun confetti creations. To finish out confetti week, I've gathered up my five favorite confetti inspired posts. With everything from confetti popsicles to a confetti themed first birthday, I'm loving all the confetti inspiration out there. So much so that I'm even considering making my next birthday a nostalgic bash full of confetti, streamers, rice krispy treats, and board games.

I hope this week has provided you with as much fun as it has me. If you took anything away from it, I hope it's that confetti makes everything better!

Have a great weekend!

1. Confetti Popsicles by Icing Designs

2. Confetti 1st Birthday by Kara's Party Ideas

3. Confetti Mirror by Aunt Peaches

4. Confetti Tin Cans by At Home in Love

5. Confetti Popcorn by Key Ingredient

Color Me {Confetti Fun}

I've been finding it more and more difficult to locate good confetti. It's really a shame as confetti is probably one of my favorite party decorations of all time. It's such a nostalgic touch that really takes a bash to the next level if you ask me. That's why I'm officially declaring this week confetti week! How excited are you? Hopefully as much as I am! We're starting the week with a little confetti inspiration that is making me want to grab a big pile and throw it in the air. By the way, I'll show you how to make your own confetti thrower a bit later this week!

I can't think of a better way to lift spirits after a long work week last week and a rainy weekend. Let's celebrate the start of a new week and toss a bit of confetti for fun! Have a happy Monday.

Party DIY {Picnic Blankets}

No picnic is complete without the perfect blanket. It's what keeps you comfy for the day and sets the mood for the whole day. The perfect picnic blanket should big, soft, and most importantly stylish. It should represent you and the feel you want for the afternoon. Whether it be bohemian, nautical, or preppy, the look is key to creating your perfect picnic. The best way to do this is to make your blanket yourself. I've rounded up for you today four of my favorite DIY picnic blankets from some of my favorite bloggers. You've got a fun diamond neon print from Design Love Fest, a confetti-esq geometric from Studio DIY, a floral number from 333 Park, and a lovely chevron from Twig & Thistle.  All are beautiful in their own right and I wish I had the time (and storage!) to make my own version of each. What would your ideal picnic blanket look like?

Essentially {Birthdays}

This week has been all about sharing my favorite things from blood orange margaritas to cupcakes and more. So, to finish out the week, I wanted to share with you the things that make any birthday of mine perfect. These are a few of my favorite things that I couldn't imagine celebrating without. From red wine to confetti, and everything in between, here's my selection of birthday (or party) must haves!

What are some of your must haves for celebrating a birthday?

Escorted {Confetti}

How cute is this? These simple fun circular cutouts resemble confetti and scream it's time for a party. Not to mention, they are insanely simple to make! With a basic circular cut out from your craft store, some brightly colored card stock, push pins and metallic fabric, this escort card board can be made in a flash and looks spectacular. I love the use of bright pinks and oranges accented by neutrals like navy white and metallic. This is definitely the type of project where many colors is better than few. Just like the confetti from your parties as a kid, these escort cards should scream of mix matched color to get your point across! 

Indulge In {Italian Cream Cake}

In a quest to share more of my fabulous birthday with you, I thought I would take today to gush over my cake. Not only did it have two of my favorite things on top, confetti and streamers, it was filled with  delicious coconut. But it's not just about the confetti, streamers and coconut. This cake is hands down the best cake I have ever had. Nothing compares to its moist nutty favor with a hint of tropical coconut. While I can't share The Cake Shop's recipe with you (because they won't give it out, and for good reason), I can share this one and it seems to be very similar. Fill it with coconut shreds and top with a vanilla buttercream, and you can have your own slice of the best cake ever!

:: Ingredients ::
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup shortening
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 to 2 cups flaked coconut (depending on taste)
1 to 2 cups chopped pecans (depending on taste)


:: Directions ::
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease three 9 inch, round cake pans. Combine soda and buttermilk.

2. Cream sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup oil and shortening. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix buttermilk mixture alternately with flour into creamed mixture. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

3. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites. Stir in 1 cup pecans and coconut.

4. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.


Enjoy!

Lusting After {Birthdays}

It's no secret, I love birthdays. And not just my birthday, I love everyone's birthday. There is something so magical to me about them and no other holiday can compare to it. With balloons, confetti, and cake, how can you not love it? Birthday's provide an excuse to over indulge in delicious food, sweet cake, and laying around. For example, today I plan on lying in my robe till it's time for a mani/pedi, returning to robe and lounging till drinks and dinner. And frankly, I'm not complaining! So throw the confetti and  blow up some balloons, because it's the start of birthday weekend and I would love for you to be celebrating with me from where ever you are! 

Happy Weekend! xo