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

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:

Chocolate Covered Baseballs: A Sweet Gift Idea

I spend a LOT of time researching ideas for centerpieces. Sometimes it is for work and other times it is for personal parties. I think Pinterest is a great way to source ideas because it can introduce you to new websites or blogs that you many have never heard of. One such site is Flowers on 1st in Vancouver BC.
Visit the Flowers on 1st Website

Their website says: We deliver flowers, balloons, gift baskets, birthday cakes and Belgian chocolates to all areas of the city including Vancouver General Hospital, the University of British Columbia and all cruise ship at the Vancouver ports.

But what I found on their Facebook page is so much more than what they describe! Check our these chocolate covered apples, for example. Aren't they adorable? Even though I am not that talented in the kitchen, I decided to give them a try.

My company recently signed a really exciting sports-focused client that is launching a new concept this fall. Our team spent weeks researching, preparing (sweating, whining, laughing, crying) and then presenting all of our ideas to our client in Jupiter, Florida. I know, I know, its a tough life but somebody's got to do it. Needless to say, our client loved our ideas which made all of our hard work so, so worth it. As a treat to our team, I made them all chocolate covered baseballs. 

Thanks to Flowers on 1st for their inspiration. If you are in their area, give them a try the next time you need to send flowers....or a sweet treat. And tell me, where does your inspiration come from?

Let's Make Jellyfish!

I recently got to spend some time with two of my nephews in Atlantic Beach where my dad rented a house for the month. Granted, kids really only need their imagination to have fun but I love doing crafts so I brought along one that I thought would be easy & fun. 

Let's Make Jellyfish!

Start with paper plates, bags, string, washable paint, paint brushes and two cute little kiddos.

Paint both sides of the bags & plates

After an adult makes slits at the bottom of the bags for "tentacles", 

have a little one crinkle the bag for some movement

After an adult cuts a small slit in the top of the bag & plate, 

have little one pull the string through both holes & tie in a knot.

OK, let's face it, I hung 98% of these but they did enjoy the painting aspect. Aren't they cute?

Our fun morning of crafting was followed by playing on the beach where we found an actual sea creature; a starfish. What a perfect summer day!

You're Simply Glowing!

I am a HUGE proponent of wearing sunscreen every single day, even in the winter. But, that doesn't mean that you all should have to experience the blinding paleness that is my legs when I decide to wear a skirt!

Last year, I demonstrated a few ways to achieve a golden tan without exposing your skin to the sun’s harmful rays. I focused on my favorite body bronzer and a custom spray tan service that comes to your home, both of which I still love!

A Memorial Feaux Glow

The body bronzer, Jiffy Tan, is no longer widely available so I decided to try a similar product, TANtalizer by Lorac. Sephora sells the travel size of this product for $9 so it is a perfect way to try it. I really love the smell and the light coverage. I have been using this like a body makeup on my legs. No gloves needed to apply!

Buy Lorac at Sephora

I have always heard great things about the TanTowel by Look Good Naked but had never tried it. I also purchased them Sephora for $15.

Buy Tan Towel at Sephora

Before:

After Using TANtalizer 

I think the Lorac product gives my legs a natural, subtle glow. 

Don't use too much or you will look orange. 

After Using TanTowel 

I liked the ease of use of the TanTowel and the color started to develop after about 2 hours. I honestly did expect it to be a bit deeper but, overall I was satisfied.

Here's hoping that you enjoy all that summer has to offer; sun, fun, relaxation and late evenings on a porch somewhere fabulous!

Father's Day Gift Ideas For All Dads!

Do you know what's harder than trying to shop for a Father's Day gift? That's a trick question because the answer is: nothing! Am I right? As ladies, we tend to chat about our likes and dislikes and just hope that our loved ones hear us loud & clear. Men don't really do that as much so there is a lot of guess-work involved. Jewelry stores even have wish lists that we can fill to help out our husbands. No such thing exists for men, that I am aware of.  Sometime you just have to throw something out there & see if it sticks. With that in mind, here are some cool ideas that your dad or husband may enjoy for their special day.

FOR THE DAD THAT HAS EVERYTHING

Metal and Lights: Custom metal letters, signs, logos, and lights

Visit Metal and Lights on Etsy
Metal and Lights Website

These metal & lights signs are so popular right now & are popping up everywhere from wedding to events, even on Andy Cohen's show "Watch What Happens Live" on Bravo. My husband & I recently purchased ones of these signs for a friend that was retiring & plans to spend his retirement working on old cars. The sign we had made said "Ed's Garage". Needless to say he LOVED it!

FOR THE DAD THAT LOVES TOOLS

Shop-Vac: Wet/Dry Vacuum

Buy a Shop-Vac on Amazon

If your dad doesn't have one of these, you can stop right here. This is your father's day gift. My husband uses ours to clean all sorts of things from the inside of the car to the dogs house (inside & out). It will suck up anything & is so easy to use.  It even came in handy in our former house when we got water in the basement. This one is a slam dunk!

FOR THE DAD THAT MAKES A MESS

Tilman Leather Bib Apron for Men (aka: Mapron)

Purchase a Mapron

My sister-in-law recently purchased this for her husband & I just fell in love with it. I cannot tell you the number of times that I have had to throw away a shirt that my husband was wearing because he spontaneously decided to do some sort of work in the garage. This is manly, sturdy and just awesome. 

         FOR THE DAD THAT IS A SUPERHERO

                        Act Tactical: Firearms, Fighting and Tactical Driving 
                                                           Contact Act Tactical

Let's face it, women watch romantic comedies because they want to be the leading lady, swept off her feet & whisked away to some fabulous life. Men are no different except that they lean more towards James Bond or John Wayne for their role models. They want "The Last of the Mohicans", "Top Gun" and "Legends of the Fall" type hero status. You know I'm right :) So, what better way to make them feel like a bad-a** than by treating them to a tactical training class? The one I have listed above is in Georgia but I am certain you can find one in your area. I have also been told that many Sheriff departments hold similar classes that focus on safety and regulations. Let dad play hero for the day or, at the very least, let him say, "I can do that," and mean it, the next time "Mission Impossible" comes on.

                                MY DAD 

Goodness, what can I tell you about my dad? Well, he is the dad to two daughters that didn't hesitate to talk about boys or clothes or nail polish growing up. He attended more beauty pageants, cheerleading tryouts and at-home fashion shows than he can probably count. He absolutely did not understand why I wanted to head out to California as soon as I graduated from college but, when I returned at the end of the summer, admitted he thought it was pretty cool and brave. Today, he is the person I can call anytime day or night. If we are talking on the phone while I am driving and I suddenly need to hang up, I can simply say, "gotta run" & hang up & he is totally cool with that. He loves surprising people, fine wine and Alabama football.  He is never, EVER late, so I can say that I get that gene honestly. Not all women can say that they have a great relationship with their dad so I feel very lucky to call mine one of my best friends. Happy (early) Father's Day!