Fun Friday: Crafty Valentines

It's getting close. That fateful day where we share love, candy, and words of affirmation. Valentine's Day is Tuesday and I wanted to share with you some of my favorite ideas for fun alternatives to the regular valentine day card.

1. The Candy Alternative by Saltwater Kids (see directions here)

                        

2. A Crafty Book for your honey by PaperVine (see directions here)

  

3. Something Fishy by Faboolous (see directions here)

           
                     

Happy Loving!

Fun Friday: It's all in the lighting

Nothing to set the right mood than a few great candles. Recently I had been searching for a great unique way to use candlelight without sticking a plain white candle on the table. While it is possible to get a great look with just candles, I found a few ways to dress things up. Even better they are all do-it-yourself activities so you get to let your wild creative side wander for a bit! 

Make your own tealight holders

I really like the translucent nature of these tealight holders. The softness of their glow is really romantic. If you would like the full set of directions, you can find them here.

Lace and twine covered mason jars 

Annaboo's House

I find these to be gorgeous. They dress up the ever so popular mason jar as well as create a really unique and aesthetically appealing display.

1. You can use mason jars, jam jars, or just about any clear jar you would like to decorate. 

2. Next you will need vintage inspires lace and garden twine, all of which can be found in your 

   local craft or fabric store. 

3. While at the craft store make sure to pick up a bottle of Mod Podge and a foam brush. 

   Apply a light coat to the outside of the jar you are using and then cover the jar in lace.   

   Apply another light layer of Mod Podge onto of the lace (it dries transparent so don't 

   worry!). The same application process would be used with the twine.     

Wine Glass Lamps

1. For this project you will need to by sheets of vellum, which can come from your local craft 

   store or bought online from a paper company. You will also need to print this template for   

   the lamp shade.

2. First trace the lampshade pattern onto your sheet of vellum. When you go to cut it out, it is 

   best to use straight scissors for the two sides, but to add some flare, you can use crafting 

   scissors to cut the bottom curved portion. 

3. Feel free to add in any other decorative elements, whether you use punch outs, apply 

   ribbon, or use a silver sharpie to stencil on designs. 

4. Glue the two straight sides together and allow to dry. Place a tealight in the wine glass, set 

   your lampshade over top and enjoy your new set of lights. 

Fun Friday: Just Smile

Nothing better to start your weekend then with one great big smile! I have tried to put together some things that would make you grin from ear to ear and remind you "Life is short, and it's our belief that we should have as much fun as we can while we're here." Not to mention, there are great health benefits to smiling!

1. Smiling makes you attractive to others, which in turn makes you smile even more

2. Smiling relieves stress. There is no room for stress here

3. Smiling is contagious and who doesn't love walking into a room where everyone is smiling and happy? 

4. Smiling spans a multitude of cultures, religions, races, and places

6. Smiling helps you stay positive.

7. Smiling improves your mood and lightens your heart. 

Happy Friday =)

Fun Friday: Halloween Spectacular

If you are anything like me, you have yet to buy your Halloween costume and will most likely be rushing through a thrift store tomorrow morning. Well, to save you the hassle of thinking too hard to determine what would be fun and creative, I have compiled a couple of my favorite Halloween costume ideas so far this year. Happy shopping and have a fun weekend! 

Kid's Costumes

Audrey Hepburn =)

Baby Candy Corn

Where the Wild Things Are

Particularly cute if you decide to dress yourself up as the chef!

Family Costumes

Classic BLT 

Pixar's UP!

Couple Costumes

Mary Poppins

Alice in Wonderland 

Fun Friday: Design your own Dessert Bar

Have you ever been to a wedding and some how you missed the cake? Or maybe, like my good friend Lexie, you just don't like cake. I have been keeping my eye on some great ideas of how to make the dessert portion of your wedding fun and interactive. The bride and groom can have a blast combining sweet treats from their childhood or take a sophisticated route by classing up some classic elements. Just by adding small baggie or to-go containers you can transform your dessert bar into a customized favor station. 

Have fun tying together the color pallet of your wedding with your unique dessert bar

Chocolate and browns are always great for a groom inspired dessert bar 

I couldn't resist showcasing this GREEN dessert bar

This fun ice cream inspired dessert bar adds some nostalgic bliss

Having a winter wedding?

A warm cookie and milk cocktail anyone?

This just made my heart sing. A hot chocolate bar with assorted toppings

 What a great way to class up an old campfire treat! This dessert bar is truly making s'more for everyone.

xoxo Have a good weekend

Fun Friday ~ DIY Herb Garden...in an old shoe organzier

Happy Friday everyone.  Spring is in the air, and everywhere you look flowers and plants are starting to peek out at us.  Having moved so many times in my life (most of them being rentals), I've found it difficult to really connect with my garden.  So you can imagine my excitement to find this brilliant do-it-yourself vertical herb garden inside of a hanging shoe organizer.  It's easy to set up, it's portable, and for those of you who live in apartments or have limited gardening space...it can hang just about anywhere.  And it keeps the cats away too. 

To create your own Vertical Herb Garden, simply follow these steps from Instructables.com:

Materials:

- Hanging pocket shoe organizer / store

- Pole and attachments (curtain pole or pipe fittings, screws)

- Strong metal saucepan or utensil hanging hooks

- Compost of a good quality - moisture holding type

- Selection of plants or seeds... e.g. mixed leaf salad, herbs, sorrel, peas, mini tomatoes

- Piece of wood 2"x2" - width of the pocket store to keep the base of pockets away from the wall

- Trough planter to catch drips

1. Attach pole to shed or wall - Attach a strong chrome pole with metal fittings to the shed. You could use a curtain pole. Make sure it is at the correct height especially if you want to grow plants in a trough below (see step 6). This uses the surplus water from the pockets above.

2. Attach hanging shoe store - Use strong hooks or wire to attach the shoe store. They must be strong enough to support the weight of the compost, plants and water.

3. Test Drainage - Pour water into the pockets to check the drainage, if they don't drain then make a few small holes in each of the pockets.

4. Fill each pocket with compost - Add a good moisture retaining compost, fill to 1" below the rim so that water does not pour out over the rim.

5. Add or plant seeds - Sow seeds or add seedlings.  Suggested...herbs thyme, sorrel, chives; salad mixed leaf, mustard, cut and come again, or spinach; minibel tomatoes; or petit pois peas you can eat the young leaflets and tendrils.

6. Drip Aid - Use a piece of wood to make sure the excess water drips into the trough below.

7. Maintaining a healthy hanging veg plot -

- Water slowly with a gentle flow, or you may wash soil and plants out of the pocket and it will dirty the crop below.

- Add water retaining crystals to the compost. HINT... add water to some crystals in a container and allow them to swell then add that to the compost and fill your containers, otherwise when the crystals swell they can grow so much that they push the compost, seeds and plants out!!

- Plants like tomatoes will need regular Tomato fertilizer (and use slow release granules) as the fertility of the compost will soon get exhausted.

- Do not over pick salad leaves, so the plant regrows.

- It is important to keep a look out for aphids, slugs, caterpillars and other pests.

- Remove diseased , infected or damaged leaves... compost them.

- Remove unproductive plants and compost them.

- When reusing pockets add some fresh compost.

So there you have it, your very own vertical herb garden.  There's something special about walking into your backyard for ingredients.  Reconnect with the earth and get yourself an herb garden!  And have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Fun Friday - Game for Adults? Yes please!!!

Happy Friday everyone! If you're like me (and most of my friends and family) you enjoy the thrill and competition of playing games.  Well then you're going to love this!!!  The Go Game is kind of a combination of all your favorite games.  It's a little bit of Charades, a little Amazing Race, and lots of excitement, creativity and silliness.  The Go Game is based out of San Francisco, but due to the high demand for their innovative scavenger-hunt style game production, they are now available across the globe.  These games are for just about any occasion.  They offer Team Building experiences, games for Conventions, Training and Marketing Campaigns, and Pure Fun Games that are perfect for any event - Weddings, Private Parties, Flash Mobs, Bachelor parties, Reunions...or anything you can think of.  

The experiences are themed, and each team is given phones, cameras, video cameras, and other gadgets to help them complete their missions.  Then when it's all over, everyone gets together and watches all the pictures/videos and calculates the winner!  Have you ever seen a group of people, dressed in silly costumes, running around your town?  Well it might just be The Go Game. 

During the weekend of my wedding in 2006, we signed up our entire wedding guest list for our very own Go Game in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco.  And it was a huge hit!!!  To this day I still hear from our wedding guests that The Go Game was one of the coolest experiences they've ever had.  So if you're looking for something different to do for your upcoming event, I recommend checking out The Go Game!  Where else do us adults get to act like crazy kids for a day?  Take a look at some of these pictures, and you'll see what I mean. 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! xoCarlee

FUNinspiring Friday: Some girls have all the fun...and creativity

I've been obsessed with Terrariums since we discovered Tend Living a while back and did a posting of it here on our blog.  So it was to my great delight when I discovered that a Green with Envy Intern also created these works of arts (amongst many other things). And it should have been no surprise, since she's extremely talented and creative.  This chandelier-turned-terrarium from Ariel is so clever, and a great way to repurpose an otherwise out-of-date fixture. Not only do the paned panels recall the look of traditional terrariums, but the piece also includes a convenient door — originally for changing light bulbs — which is perfect for the occasional rearrangement of the plants and rocks.

Ariel is currently studying at Corcoran College of Art & Design, and does it all!  Illustrations, concept design & installation, branding and logos, and she even creates her own textiles with repeated patterns based on photos she's taken. AMAZING!

And as if she wasn't busy enough,she also explores with jewelry design, like these found metal pendants on gold plated chains.

You know how they say some girls have all the fun? It's really true in this case( note to mention she's got a ton of energy, creativity and she's gorgeous). Make sure you check out the rest of her stuff, here.

Happy Findings!

Fun Fridays ~ Rain in the forecast

Hello world.  This weekend many parts of the country are expecting rain, lots of rain!  Even here in sunny San Diego we're expecting a wet one.  In hopes to send all of you into your weekend with a positive attitude...I have gathered some of my favorite "dancing in the rain" photographs to brighten your spirits.  There is no reason to stay indoors and be a Debbie-downer all weekend.  Get out there and jump in a puddle, kiss with rain drops falling on your face, sing, dance...enjoy!  Because...

"Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness, has never danced in the rain!"