Wednesday, July 23, 2014

An Easy Way to Say "Mahalo"

Hawaii is one of my favorite places to visit for its tropical and rustic beauty.  I have had the opportunity to visit twice and I hope that there will be many more trips in the future!

Early visitors to Hawaii noted that they were generous and grateful people, but had no word to express gratitude or to say "thank you", so "mahalo" was born. 

Summertime can often be a busy time of year with vacations, family visits and work. What better time to make time to stop & say "mahalo" to those around you. My office just had a staff luau as a way to say thank you to everyone for their hard work and creativity. That and we just like to laugh & have fun together!

The food & decor were so cute and festive. Since I am not the best cook, I contributed by adding a Hawaiian centerpiece. Enjoy and mahalo to you!


Start with multi-colored leis

Twist each lei & then fold it into itself (like making a pretzel)
Secure with hot glue

 You end up with a beautiful lei flower to incorporate into your centerpiece

I worked with some beautiful Limelight Hydrangeas that were blooming in my yard

This was so much fun to create!

It was a perfect centerpiece for the drink table 
(please note the coconuts:) )

We had delicious food, a scavenger hunt and lots of laughs 
Here are some of the other special touches










Tuesday, July 8, 2014

The Beautiful Sites of Orange Beach

For many years, our family has been vacationing in Orange Beach, AL. My mother-in-law owns a home there that boasts some of the most beautiful views you can imagine. We are on the bay so we are surrounded by water and still have a view of the Gulf of Mexico that is just a short boat ride away. There is nothing more relaxing than watching the sun rise over the water in the early morning or the boats roll by late in the afternoon. It is most definitely one of my favorite places to be on earth.

Besides the amazing views, there is the added bonus of spending time with family. We have created a lot of fun & hilarious memories over the past 10 years since I have been a part of the family. Since we love to reminisce, my mother-in-law thought it would be lovely to have a collage-style table in our living room. Given my somewhat crafty nature, I got to work. Enjoy!!



I have tried to talk my mother-in-law into giving me this table for years. :)



Start with 8x10 photos to create a frame.


I used clear photo corners to hold all of the large and most of the small photos in place. These take quite a bit of time but really help your edges stay flat. I used double-sided tape on any odd shaped photos.




Next, add in the 5x7 photos to further enhance your border. And don't forget to let your edges be uneven for a scattered look.


Get creative in arranging the 4x6 photos. 
We added a custom-made piece of glass on top to help hold everything in place and protect the photos.


From fishing trips to Easter Sunday to a wild west showdown....

A Hawaiian Thanksgiving none of us will soon forget...

And looking back at how our nieces & nephews have grown over the years...

This table is a time capsule that we will enjoy for years to come! Here are some of the views we see on our trips to Orange Beach:













 
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