{Sweet Inspiration} A "Bright" Future

As a teacher, my students and I both have summer on the brain.  Maybe that's why I love this tablescape so much?  No...I think it's just because it's ADORABLE!  I love everything about it.



Head over to Celebrations at Home to see more of the details.  Trust me; you want to check it out!

Here's to the end of the school year...almost!

{Sweet Inspiration} Easter Gatherings

Adorable place-settings

I.LOVE.NESTS.

Love these "Happy Easter" hanging Easter eggs.

{Find all of the above goodies at Pottery Barn.}

{find it at Crate & Barrel}



Author Janice Cole's "Memoir of Suburban Homesteading" shares the adventure of the booming backyard chicken revolution, from choosing a coop to the miracle of the first perfect egg. Charming stories and personal anecdotes are joined by 125 recipes starring the chicken and the egg, making it a great read for would-be homesteaders or simply fans of the farmyard favorites.

This book looks and sounds adorable!  Wouldn't it make the perfect Easter gift?

Girls Night!

My husband has been out of town since Wednesday.  I thought...perfect time to have a girls night! Plus, he won't be home until Monday night {tear}.  I need some socialization!

Just a low-key night with some of my close girls friends.  I'm setting up some snacks, and the girls are going to each bring their favorite bottle of wine for a little wine-tasting!

{Image via The Inspired Gourmet}

Good friends, good wine, good food...good for the soul.

Happy Weekend!

Sweet Valentine Cupcakes!

Whether you like Valentine's Day or not, we can all appreciate an adorably cute {and equally yummy} cupcake, right?

Here are a few cuties I've found this year...

Find these at Sprinkles

So easy to make!

Don't you love these little "love flags?"

Make these with your kids!  Martha's idea.

CHOCOLATE!

I am not a fan of the sugary taste or chalky texture of converstaion hearts...but these I could stomach!

Is there anything cuter than a heart-shaped cake pop?

I'll leave you with this inspiration board for Valentine Pops I saw over at Creative Hostess.  Adorable!



Love is sweet!

XOXO

Merry Christmas to All!

I'm online doing a little bit of research on Holiday Cocktails for Christmas Dinner. So far these are in the running. {Martha Stewart's recipes, of course}

Pear & Cranberry Bellini

And this yummy looking Holiday Citrus Punch

Decisions, decisions.  I love days where something so trivial as "Which cocktail should I make?" is the biggest decision I'll have to make!

My hubby is on the couch next to me playing some PS3 game {what a grown-up!} and we just finished watching Home Alone while devouring the delicious cinnamon rolls we made for breakfast.  Life is pretty good right now, and I intend to enjoy what's left of the Holidays...computer free!

So Merry Christmas!

From our little family to yours!

{Loving This!} Thanksgiving Kids Table from Celebrations at Home

I can't get enough of this adorable tablescape by the amazingly talented Chris from Celebrations at Home.  She created a simple and easy table with the new product line from Waverly & Hefty ~ durable disposable partyware.  I think this is absolutely perfect for elementary age kids, and the line can easily be used from Thanksgiving to Christmas!

I love that the colors are not so "obviously" Thanksgiving.

Hanging acorns?  Adorable.

Could these "place crackers" be any cuter?

Talk about fun & easy clean-up!

This is what Chris has to say about her design:

There's that manzanita branch AGAIN! This time I hung small ribbons with acorns, from the limbs. On the table a base of craft paper makes for easy clean up after the meal, and provides a canvas for drawing, writing, and games beforehand.
For name placement I found cheesy crackers with letters on them and spelled out each persons name. I also filled a tall vase with indian corn and let the kids guess how many are inside.

Please visit Celebrations at Home for a chance to win FREE Waverly & Hefty products!

Thanks for sharing your creative ideas, Chris.  You are amazing!

{all photos courtesy of Celebrations at Home}

BIG NEWS!!!

My best friend Jen, {whose chic and elegant wedding I posted about here}, and I have been talking about starting our own Wedding and Event Planning service for quite some time.  Jen's sister Michelle, {who threw this gorgeous Bridal Shower}, has also been a part of our conversations and ideas regarding starting our own company.  Between planning my own wedding and shower two years ago, and planning Jen's wedding and events like her Lingerie Shower, we three started to realize that we make a pretty darn good team!

After much thought, planning, dreaming, and praying...we've decided to take the plunge.  Our company is officially beginning!

Our blog is still a work in progress, but it's a start! 

I didn't know where this blog, The Sweet Life Studio, would lead me.  Turns out...it's led me here!  I am so excited to get this started with these amazing ladies ~ and to see what the future holds for us!

Thank you to my current followers ~ and to all of the ladies out there who give me so much inspiration with their creativity every day.  I appreciate you more than you know!

PLEASE visit our blog ~ become a "follower" ~ and help us spread the word!

Thomas the Train Cupcakes

My friend's son celebrated his 2nd Birthday this weekend.  They had a casual birthday bbq at Irvine Park on an absolutely gorgeous day.

I had so much fun designing these Thomas cupcake toppers ~ and making the Funfetti cupcakes!  I didn't get too many shots of the party (I wish I would have ~ there were so many cute decorations!).  We had another party to run to, and I had a sister to prep for her first Homecoming. 

Happy 2nd Birthday to (I'm convinced) the biggest, cutest Thomas fan out there! = )



 

Eeek! It's Jen's Wedding Week!

Well, her Lingerie Shower, Bridal Shower, and Bachelorette Party have come and gone.  And her wedding week is finally upon us!  My best friend Jen's wedding is THIS Saturday!  It's going to be such a chic and elegant wedding. I've made the following collages as a little preview of her big day.  Real photos to come after October 2!

Here is the glowing bride-to-be herself! 

It's going to be a very busy, very fun week indeed.  Speaking of busy...I better start working on my speech!

Yay for best friends, and yay for weddings!

Candle Party & Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes!

On Friday night I hosted a Party Lite candle party.  If you have ever bought any Party Lite candles, you know they are amazing!  They also carry really cute {and, ahem, much less expensive than Pottery Barn} decor as well.  Not only do I love candles, but I love planning parties, and I especially love an excuse to try a new cupcake recipe!

I knew that our awesome Party Lite consultant would be setting up all of her Fall goodies, so I rolled with the theme.  I found a really great recipe for Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes from who else but Martha.  Visit her site for the recipe.  Super easy and delicious!

I made mine with classic cream cheese frosting.  I was originally planning on decorating the tops with a cinnamon spiderweb design, but I ran out of time.  This was on a Friday night, and I am a working woman, after all!  I opted for just a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.

They were a hit!

Here are some pictures of the rest of the spread...

From left to right:  Autumn Sangria, assorted wines, Pumkin Spice Cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, veggies & dip, assorted cheese platter, and cream cheese with rasberry chipotle sauce...YUMMY!

I am dedicating a full post to this amazing sangria for this week's Wine Wednesday ~ stay tuned!



I found the cutest white wines at Trader Joe's.  Purple Moon Chardonnay, Venetian Moon Pinot Grigio, & Bay Moon Sauvignon Blanc.  These would be perfect for a Halloween party! 

Another great Trader Joe's find...Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.  These are DANGEROUS!

I can't do a candle party post without posting a couple of candle photos...

Overall, a great night!  Consider hosting a Party Lite party for your girlfriends!  Or, at least consider trying those delicious Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes & the Autumn Sangria...you will not regret it!

Happy Sunday!