Porch Makeover (Don't Worry, It Wasn't Too Extreme)

Whooo couldn't love these guys? Made in 1970.

I love kitsch. I'm not afraid to admit it. I love zig-zag, polka dot, and floral prints, animal figurines, a full spectrum of color, and anything that is slightly 50s-70s or Danish Modern. Though my tastes sometimes make others shudder (Dad, I'm lookin' at you here), I will not give up my tacky fun. Kitsch is great. It's what I love now. Luckily, it is so easily and affordably accessible, that should I change my decorating tastes in a couple years, I won't feel bad donating my collection to the Goodwill (from whence it came).

Obviously, I was thrilled when I saw the bright green AstroTurf of my new porch. Some might cringe, but I decided to embrace it and turn ugly into quirk. The flooring reminds me of my Grandma; I can just imagine her sitting out there back when she was younger, smoking a cigarette and drinking a Tom Collins (sweet, honey, make mine sweet).

To embrace the last of summer and Polynesian influences, I went with a kind of tiki tropical theme, inspired by this post from Oh So Lovely Vintage.  The porch was boring to start:

Blah Blah

old tavern chairs from grandma

Priscilla the plant stands slouches alone.

So! I added some paper lanterns, a big globe light (Ikea), a string of multicolor lights (my sister), a tropical tablecloth (swiped from home), a great rug from Target ($20!), and other silly little details.

Fuzzy pic-sorry.

The spectral image is my Ikea light. Darn, I am bad at taking photos!

Priscilla has such bad posture.

Priscilla only drinks fancy water.

Who needs Bose? I got my own speaker system (this really works).

Ugly Target table from college gets new life!

Oh yes, those are Tiki napkins (50% off at Big Lots). My favorite libation, Fresca.

Omg. I love this Florida tourist bowl (Salvation Army).

Festive! Pretty!

But what would a fun outdoor space be without good friends to share it with?

This was entirely posed. These people are not my friends. They are paid union actors.

Stop taking pictures, Maggie.

This is my ukulele. You should hear me play Lady Gaga on it.  

A fun project! Only took me about an hour and a half to make the whole transition. I have been hanging out there-playing music, reading, drinking Fresca-ever since.

This fall, I am going to transition it to a place to hang with a little space heater, nubby blankets, and pretty autumnal decorations.

Party Prep

I had a little help with the baking. Shhh...

I am the maid of honor in an upcoming wedding this October. Therefore, I am in charge of throwing a bridal shower. This Saturday is the date of the anticipated event. I am excited, but nervous as this is my first time planning such an affair. It will be an intimate, cozy party (her mother will be throwing a separate one for the majority of her extended family). I decided to go for an afternoon tea theme. The bride lives in NYC and loves the restaurant Alice's Tea Cup (there are 3 locations). It is a fantastic place for brunch or afternoon snacks. The bride and I have enjoyed several extended gab sessions over pots of lavender earl grey and I thought it would be nice to bring these fond memories to theme the bridal shower.

Party planning takes a lot of work, but it is also very fun and allows for a great amount of creativity (something I love). In order for the day of the party to run smoothly, I want to get as much done beforehand as possible. I will be serving a variety of treats, and I wanted to make as many as I could in advance. I checked all the recipes and made sure that each would keep well for the big day.

Lots of work being done here, people!

Today, I chose to make lemon bars, shortbread wedges, and double chocolate mocha cookies. The lemon bars are from Gourmet magazine via epicurious.com. I love epicurious and this recipe was very easy. The shortbread wedges, too, were incredibly simple to make. I found the recipe on realsimple.com.

As you can tell by my focus on the ease of recipes, I am not too confident in my baking skills. I want everything to taste great, so I didn't want  fussy recipes that allowed too much space for disaster. Thus, my secret shame: Duncan Hines. Hey, I heard Jackie O used the box mix on occasion as well. I used the recipe for Chocolate Espresso Cookies on the back of the box (I used instant regular coffee instead of instant espresso). They are AH-MAZING. My faith in the box is solid. Just don't tell Martha.

Post Note: Here is the recipe for the  Duncan Heins Dark Chocolate Espresso Cookies. In mine, I used instant Folger's regular coffee because that was what we had in the house. I also skipped the Hershey's Kiss and put in small semi-sweet chocolate chips (about a bag). They were so good! Everyone loved them! I am going to make the same with gluten-free brownie mix for my mom.