How to make a paper lantern DIY tutorial

I adore paper lantern's, I especially love them hanging outside in trees, sitting on tables at parties, as well as hanging on a string at a party, there are so many different possibilities! That's why I wanted to share with you this amazing DIY tutorial on how to make your own paper lanterns. This lantern can be used with a candle, but I recommend using an LED tea light, you can even use this as a gift box if you like! I even thought about making the height shorter and putting a cupcake inside.........maybe next week!

This took me about 45 minutes to complete, it's easier than you think it would be, so don't be intimidated!

Materials used: Paper lantern template, scissors, pen, paper, hot glue gun, velcro, tassle (optional), hole punch, LED Candle.

Oscar recap 2012

I love watching the Oscars every year with my family, it is especially nice to watch with my mother who is a screenwriter, I appreciate all the hard work that goes into making these extraordinary films.

Here are a few pics from the night that I thought I would include in case some of you missed the broadcast. I was also watching when "the general" dumped the urn on Ryan Seacrest, couldn't tell if he was angry or not. I love Melissa McCarthy and was hoping she would win, I have been a huge fan of hers all the way back to the Gilmore Girl days, so funny in bridesmaids. I also thought that Cameron Diaz had the prettiest dress of them all!

Hydrangea lemon cake.........just amazing!

We all know my love for all things hydrangea, so when I came across this cake recipe I was in heaven. I love lemon baked goods and I think the decorations on this light and fluffy cake are perfection. I may adapt this recipe and make it into cupcakes for easter, if I do i will post a tutorial!
Here is the recipe:

Lemon Frosting ( both recipes adapted from allrecipes.com)

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon milk

In large bowl beat confectioner's sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and lemon juice until smooth.
Add milk as needed, combine until ingredients are fully incorporated and light and fluffy.


Lemon Curd Filling

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch

6 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup white sugar

4 egg yolks, beaten

In medium saucepan, mix together lemon juice and cornstarch until smooth.
Add butter and sugar and bring mixture to boil over medium heat. Stir constantly for one minute. In small bowl use a whisk to beat egg yolks until smooth. Add in a small amount of the hot lemon mixture to the egg yolks. (this is tempering the eggs) Now pour the egg mixture back into the sauce pan, whisking rapidly until fully combined.
Reduce heat to low and stir constantly until reach desired thickness. Don't let it come to a boil again! (takes about five minutes)
Refrigerate for at least two hours.
Make sure its cool before adding to cake. Its a good idea to make this ahead of time so your cake assembly can be easier!

I made my favorite buttercream frosting for the flowers, and I used the entire amount! So even though the recipe is for a large quantity, I used it all.
I just separated it into three bowls then added pink, light purple, and dark purple to each bowl respectively.
Pictures and recipe from: http://iambaker.net/hydreangea-cake

 Doesn't this piece of hydrangea cake look amazing! I wonder how it would look if you used pink, aqua, and green?

Kitchen design at it's best!

I love to cook and bake and I especially love great kitchen design. I find that I am drawn to lighter toned kitchen's, I think because they look clean and simple. I also love pattern, I think a great way to decorate any room is to use simple, neutral colors and then add a pop of bright colors by using accessories. I came across a few pictures of kitchens that I love and I can't believe the chevron pattern back splash in the first kitchen picture posted, just amazing!

 

Oy! The stress of moving.............

Moving is so stressful, I have done it many times before, but today I felt more overwhelmed than ever. This picture did give me a brief moment of joy when I saw it earlier.

Easter decorations using hydrangea paper petals

So mom and I went shopping yesterday and we ran into Stein Mart, the entire store was decorated for Easter, so many cute things. One trend I spotted was dogs, bunnies, and eggs covered in hydrangea paper petals, I ADORE THIS LOOK. They make the most charming centerpiece to your holiday table and they add a whimsical touch to any decor.

I am going to attempt to make a few of these myself, but for know here is a little inspiration for Easter decor and tablescapes.

This hydrangea paper petal polka dot dog is the cutest thing I have ever seen, this one is a must have!  You can purchase it here:
http://www.shelleybhomeandholiday.com/raz-childhood-menagerie-green-hydrangea-dog.html

Cute way to get kids to eat fruit!

I came across this picture and I thought it would be a fun way to get your kids to eat more fruit!

Take kiwi's and cut in wedges, banana's and cut in pieces so you can arrange them, orange slices arranged at the base, make a fun way to eat fruit and a cute way to present a fruit platter at a party!

Polka dot party hat DIY tutorial

I love crafts and I love making cute party favors, so when I found a template for a party hat I knew I wanted to make the hat special to give to the upcoming birthday girl! So I got a bunch of ribbon and found some polka dot paper and a swarovski crystal crown, and voila, a fun polka dot party hat!

Here's how I created the party hat: I gathered my materials, paper, scissors, glue gun, ribbon, stapler, pencil, needle and thread, crystal crown!

You can get the crystal crowns here:    http://www.crownchic.com/jewelry/crown-pins

Vintage Tiffany's Gift Box

I have mentioned many times how lucky I am to still have my 87 year old grandmother near me, we do have a close relationship and share many stories and ideas on a daily basis. I was so thrilled yesterday when she pulled out a memory from the past and shared it with me. She handed down her vintage Tiffany's enamel gift box from the 30's to me, needless to say I was excited and appreciative all in one breath. I wanted to put my digital photography skills to the test and share a few pictures of the vintage gift she handed down to me.

Stylish ways to organize your stuff!

I don't know about you, but I have a ton of craft stuff that I need to organize, especially ribbon. I am always looking for new ways to organize my ribbon stash, seems like it is one of the hardest item's to keep straight and still have the ability to see what I have. When I came across this idea I thought it was a good one and i needed to share the picture, made me think "Why didn't I think of that". Such a great way to organize ribbon, wrap ribbon on square spools and organize by color in a clear plastic box.

I then found an amazing way to recycle those annoying plastic bread ties, genius idea and creative way to use them over again.

I love mason jars and they are really becoming popular, I think they are a  chic way to organize some things, the next photo is a great idea if you use yarn, string, or twine. You can see the color of the yarn, but what a great way to store them and keep them tidy.

I also love to design rooms around being organized, who wouldn't find it easy to keep these beautiful office spaces neat and tidy.

Last but not least, I have wanted to put up a simple wire line that I could clothes pin papers and notes to and hang it above my workspace. I may even paint the clothespins, but here is a little inspiration.