A Little Break

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It snowed here on the 26th and it has been gray and dark ever since. I am not the kind of person who gets excited about snow. I enjoy it only briefly (when I see the doodles romp through it) and then I get hit by the winter blues. Someday in the not so distant future, I really hope to be able to move somewhere where there is no snow and the days seem a little longer. Until then, I have some creative coping mechanisms.

Last night had a tropical theme. We made a dinner of flounder, mango and avocado salsa, and coconut rice.

I liked the salsa the best.

We threw on some Hawaiian music records (there are so many of these in thrift stores-why was this such an obsession?).

That's my silly ukulele.

We popped my summer lights on the Christmas "tree" and burned a tropical scented candle.

Time to take this baby down today.

We wanted to watch The Descendants to keep with the theme but could not find it on Netflix or in Redbox. Therefore, we settled for Wet Hot American Summer and giggled over Paul Rudd's hilarious mess hall scene.

I was always a sad excuse for a sorority girl, but I think that liking themed activities stuck with me. Anything to chase away the winter!

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.

Bridal Shower

It was a sweet day.

Last weekend, I threw a small bridal shower for my dear friend at my parents' house. As the bride loves the restaurant Alice's Tea Cup in NYC, I decided to go with a tea party theme. Here is the run down of the party:

Decorations:
-fresh picked flowers
-vanilla votive candles
-a table runner with a bunny print (like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland)
-pictures of the bride and groom scattered on the table (I printed them from Instagram so they would have that Polaroid feel)
-school pictures of the bride (not shown here as she would probably kill me)
-an adorable little porcelain bunny found at a thrift store

Table Setting:
A year or so ago, I bought a service for 16 at a thrift store for $25. The dishes are from Macy's and are dishwasher safe. I don't know what possessed me to buy SO MANY dishes. I really liked the pattern, a feminine floral. However, being able to serve 16 people isn't really a common concern for me. It turned out that these dishes came to good use at the party. They were perfectly suited for an afternoon tea. Although, I am not sure where I will store them or when I will possibly need that large a service again!

I made the labels for the food with index cards and colored pencils. 

The fruit salad was brought by another friend of the bride.

Desserts galore!

My sister's fiance frosted the red velvet cupcakes (his dog ate my first batch, so he made a whole new one at midnight the night before the shower). They were a little smudged, but totally delicious.

Molasses Crinkles and Double Chocolate Mocha Cookies. 

Food:
-fruit salad
-green bean and basil salad with Romano cheese (a big hit! made by my sister, adapted from an epicurious.com recipe [we omitted the shallots])
-chicken salad tea sandwiches (I used grapes and celery in the chicken salad)
-cucumber dill tea sandwiches
-red velevet cupcakes with buttercream frosting
-chocolate mocha cookies (these were amazing)
-molasses crinkle cookies
-lemon bars
-shortbread wedges
-assorted British tea cookies (purchased)
-dark chocolate Hershey Kisses

Line of teas (and coffee).

Beverages:
-sparkling mint lemonade (just club soda, frozen lemonade mix, and muddled mint from the garden)
-Moscato punch (Barefoot Moscato, frozen Bacardi Strawberry Daiquiri Mix [non-alcoholic], and frozen pink lemonade mix)
-green tea
-Earl Grey tea
-Peach Ceylon tea
-coffee

The gift opening area I set up right beside the dining area.

Gift table

The beautiful bride opening her cards and gifts.

Party Plan:
-punch and beverages
-light lunch fare
-desserts and tea
-one game (bridal mad libs) with prizes (the bride isn't much one for games and there was no way I was putting her in a toilet paper dress)
-gift opening

Little Extras:
-I wrapped nail polishes in a little piece of tissue paper and drew an "A" on them for favors (the bride's name starts with A). I put them beside each place setting.
-I also put an envelope beside each place setting so each guest could write down their current home address for thank you notes. I gave the envelopes and thank you cards to the bride after the party.
-Under each place setting, I put a little slip for a mad lib submission so that we could transition into the game could run smoothly.
-I handed out little gifts from The Body Shop for the three people who submitted the funniest mad lib words (my mom took the cake with this one).

Wish I Knew:
-Tea sandwiches or any sandwiches with thin bread aren't a great idea when you are trying to prep beforehand. The bread got a little dried out.
-Take more pictures.
-Don't get so stressed out. It isn't going to be perfect, but that's okay. It's a party-have fun!

All in all, a success!