A Perfect Picnic

It's officially Summer time and I'm excited about all the BBQ's, Cook outs, and Picnics I will be attending this summer. Planning a picnic can become overwhelming in what seems like the blink of an eye. I have a few tips here to help you plan the perfect picnic with little to no fuss. First on your picnic to-do list is Location. Find a spot to host your picnic, which can pretty much be anywhere from a beach, park, rooftop, or even your very own lawn. Once you've chosen a location the next thing you want to check off your list is a menu. What do you want to serve and how many people will be attending. If your planning a small intimate picnic try to stick to bread, a few different cheeses, and throw in some fruit and drinks. If your planning a picnic on a larger scale go all out, burgers, hot dogs, you know the works. Keep in mind that its a picnic not a formal dinner, No Fancy-Schmancy foods that are just going to stress you out during the preparation process. Setting a tone is a key part of having a perfect picnic. Is the picnic for a holiday, is it a family celebration, or are you planning a nice romantic picnic for you and a special someone. Whatever the case my be set the mood for it. Over at Martha Stewart there are tons of how-to tutorials if you want to create your own decorations to set the mood and make your picnic feel a little more personal than just the regular store bought decorations. Last on your list is to just Have Fun. Don't go through all the hard work of planning a perfect picnic and not enjoy it in the end. 

Pouf Love...

I've been wanting to make a pouf for sometime now, and I finally got around to it. It was much easier than I thought once I took the time to sit down and get it done. I love the fact that they provide extra seating in a small space, and can be moved around as needed. This one is for a client of mine that wanted on just as bad as I did. My next mission is to make a few smaller ones for my son's room. He loves to read books and I think these poufs will makes great seating for a small reading corner for him. If you are interested in ordering one of these fun comfy poufs feel free to email me @ mydesign80@gmail.com.

Guest Blogger.... Shayla Peterson

My very first guest blogger is none other than Shayla Peterson of Pulling String. Shayla and I have been friends for many years, so it was a no brainier for me to graciously ask her to contribute to the blog. I have a love for things that are hand made. When I caught a glimpse of Shayla's line of crocheted earrings I instantly wanted a pair of my own. So naturally I have to share the love. Enjoy!

Pulling Strings

My love for crocheting started at the age of 7.  I can remember my aunt teaching me the basics of crocheting (single crochet, double crochet, and slip stitch).  Those basic skills never left me and overtime I enhanced my crocheting skills by trial and error, but mostly error.  I decided that I need to learn to read crochet patterns.   I picked up how-to- books on crocheting to improve my skills.  Several years later I’m still learning and building my skills in reading patterns.  What I have realized is that some people prefer to read patterns; I prefer to watch a tutorial and then get started, thanks to YouTube and classes at A Good Yarn in located in Sarasota, Fl.

Crocheting is a relaxing hobby.  It has allowed me to make uniquely designed gifts for my family, friends and even sell some of my items.  Over the past year, my projects have included crocheted baby bears with match beanies and booties.   My latest project includes crocheted earrings.  I believe you can pretty much crochet anything, I just recently saw a crocheted Kleenex box cover. There are books at your local craft store (i.e. Michael’s, Joann’s) on various crochet different projects at any level (beginner, intermediate or advanced).  Go to your local yarn store to meet others who crochet and/or knit.  Yarn stores offer a wide variety of yarns (cotton, silk, wool and other fine fabrics), a relaxing place to complete projects and help if you need it.  A great starter project would be a beanie or a scarf.  If you are interested in crocheting grab 1) a crochet hook 2) some cool yarn 3) tapestry needle and start pulling strings.  I’m looking forward to seeing your finished projects, email them to me at pullingstings4u@yahoo.com.  Check out some of my crocheted items at www.pullingstrings.net, also stop by and if you like what you see, hit the "Like" botton on Pulling Strings FaceBook Page

Post Written by: Shayla Peterson

Images courtesy of: Pulling Strings

All Blik'd Out....

Have you visited Blik lately? Well if you have now you are missing out on some of the coolest wall decals out there. If you are looking for a quick way to vamp up a room, with little to no effort these wall decals are your answer. They have a variety of decals, there's something for every ones style. I choose a few just to give you an idea of some of the cool products that they are featuring right now. They also have a customize feature to allow you to create your very own decal. I wish I could pick a favorite, but they are all so cool that I can't just choose one. Maybe you can.

Images courtesy of :Blik

Hang Time....

I will be the first to admit, I have a problem with hanging things up. My purse, my jacket, house coat, they all seem to find their way into the chair in the corner instead of being hung up in the closet or on the back of my door. While looking for a remedy to this problem, I ran across some very cool decorative wall hooks. I love the thought of getting thing out of my lovely chair and onto some hooks. These decorative hooks are functional and stylish at the same time. They can work well in an entry way, bathroom, bedroom, and play rooms. The thought of minimising clutter in a stylish way makes me smile.

Images courtesy of: Miss Delite, Gear Fuse, Home Spa Shop, Ladies Gadgets, Best Price Wall Decor Home Garden

Watercolors.....

My four year old son, whose just adorable when he needs to be put the biggest smile on my face last week. He comes home from school all excited about this painting he made for me. When I looked at it, I was so impressed with the watercolor painting I had to frame it. It got my wheels turning about these watercolor inspired pillows I saw over on CB2's site. Then I started fishing around the net because with the summer time approaching fast I wonder if I could find a dining set with the same watercolor inspired theme for those outdoor bbq's we all know and love. And what better way to impress your guest than with fancy colored dished. I found the two above over at West Elm that I'm really digging, now I just have to choose between the two. I'm really loving the watercolor theme that's buzzing around right now, but not as much as I'm loving the watercolor painting that was made just for me.  

Images courtesy of: West Elm, CB2