Lily Jane

A New Lease on Life

This Thanksgiving will be the first time I've ever hosted a holiday.  At my house.  On my own.  I'm actually really excited.  My biggest fear: that 75% of our guests will find themselves parked on the edge of our rug with their appetizers in their lap.  Because we currently have 13 people invited for dinner and comfortable seating for only 4 in our living room. 

One possible solution is to complete a project I've had on my to-do list for years.  Reupholster some antique chairs.  The furniture would look fabulous in our early twentieth century home and would be a more affordable option than buying new.  Plus, it's really green, which is never a bad thing.

I love how you can easily incorporate it into a modern design.  I suppose this means I'll just have to do some antique store browsing soon.  Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

{photos via Sparrow's Nest, Decor8, Spruce Homeand Coco & Kelley}

Nice Package

I'm thrilled about the grand opening of Nice Package!  It's been put together by Marichelle and Ez of Creature Comforts and it's chock full of gorgeous things to help you package your gifts.  They even have a Winter Essentials Kit that will get you through the holidays without having to think twice.

Have a look at all the lovely things you'll find there.  And check out the Nice Package blog, too.  These girls have such fabulous taste!

Homemade Jam Labels

Poor Wednesday.  Stuck in the middle of the week, with Saturday and Sunday pushing all the work in from both sides.  Sometimes Wednesday can be a little hard to get through.  But here's a fun thing that should brighten it right up again: a DIY freebie from Eat Drink Chic.

Darling jam labels designed by Amy Moss.  She has them for Strawberry, Rhubarb, Apricot, Blueberry and Cherry Jams and also one for Marmalade.  Plus a sweet little heart that says "homemade" to dress up just about anything. 

Hop on over to Eat Drink Chic and print yourself off a few while jam-making season is still under way.  The download links are at the bottom of the post.  Happy Wednesday!

Boutique Displays

The holidays are just around the corner and craft fairs and boutiques are popping up all over the place.  If you're like me and are trying to prepare yourself for your first one - or you're an expert but you're looking for some fresh ideas - check out this amazing post by Carolynn over at Two Brunettes. 

She's interviewed three very successful shop owners about how they set up their booths for fairs and boutiques.  From where to find display items to how much product you should bring, she's covered it all.  It's ridiculously helpful.  You're going to love it. 

I'll Give You a Clue

I think this ad for Long's Horseradish designed by JR Harris is ingenious.

I found her work through the Oh So Beautiful Paper blog.  JR also has quite a few other wonderful pieces in her portfolio.  This one is my favorite.  In honor of it, I'm declaring tonight family game night!  Sadly, I don't have a box of Clue in my game closet.  But if you do, blow off that dust and bring it to life again!  You could even dress up if you're feeling in the spirit.  Me, on the other hand...I might have to discover something to do with the Ticket to Ride pieces that a two year old can appreciate.  Have fun!

Halloween Party 2009

I must admit that putting this together was almost as much fun as throwing an actual party.  But you just can't beat having friends around you and all your plans coming to fruition.  I hope this party plan inspires some of you to invite a few friends over this Halloween.

1. The perfect party starts with the perfect invite.  It sets the scene for the whole event and gets the anticipation flowing.  I love these invitations by Ink & Wit.  They're simple and earthy with just the right amount of spooky appeal.

2. Serving a simple food in an nontraditional way makes it instantly exciting again.  Try tomato soup in individual flasks.  The blood-colored liquid will remind your guests of something they might find in Frankenstein's kitchen.

3. These soap bars are the perfect way to spread the party throughout the house.  Leave them in the bathroom for guests to use or bring them to a party you're planning on attending as a unique hostess gift.

4. Oozing fall appeal and gorgeous to boot, Poached Pears with Spiced Caramel Sauce will make your hors d'oevres table look spectacular.  Remember: you can always use a store-bought caramel sauce and doll it up at home.

5. These glittered skulls and bones are such a fun way to add a twist to the traditional Halloween decor.  Don't let the word "glitter" turn you off.  "Cute" or "girly" are not words one would use to describe these corpses.

6. I remember stretching cotton batting to make cobwebs with my sister when we were young.  It was fun and we were quite pleased with the results but if I have to be honest, they were a little bit too thick to be realistic...we probably could have transitioned them to use as snow on a village scene later that year.  If only we'd known how to make hot glue cobwebs!

7. With the lights dimmed low, candles that appear to drip blood will add an eerie ambiance to any room.

8. This easy and budget-friendly Halloween home decor is made by submerging vegetables in colored water.  Use the apothecary labels (#11) to make your specimen jars seem even more authentic.

9.  You can't ever go wrong with serving veggies and dip at a party.  Cutting all the veggies into sticks will give your crudite platter a pretty, uniform appearance.

10. I made these soft pretzel Ladies' Fingers two years ago for a party we were attending.  They were surprisingly easy to make and left quite an impression on the guests.  It's amazing how realistic they look when you're done!  And we didn't even paint the nails.

11. These labels by Kumquat Designs have so many potential uses.  They're displayed as return address labels (use #1) but you can have them personalized to say anything you want.  Use them to seal party favors, on your specimen jars (#8), or to keep guests' drinks clearly marked.

Costume Inspiration

The best part of Halloween (hands down) is having your doorstep overrun by small creatures on a frenzied search for sugar.  I love seeing all the costumes and how proud they are to be Cinderella, Batman or a puppy.  Being of a naturally creative mind-set, I try to come up with my son's costumes on my own each year.  His first Halloween he was a football (brown onesie with white tape for the stitches...starving college students make due with what they have).  Last year he was a turtle, with a painted bowl for his shell.  And this year I'm trying to get up the courage to sew him a Max costume from Where the Wild Things Are.  Max is his favorite book character and the costume has so much potential.  I love the idea of children dressing up as characters from their favorite books.

Harry Potter...with a Gryffindor scarf.

{Scarves by Shock Me Pink}

Dorothy....what little girl doesn't want a pair of ruby slippers?
{Slippers by Snuggle Bugs and Bows}

A Wild Thing...one the same note, what little boy wouldn't like to "roar their terrible roars and gnash their terrible teeth?"

{Costume by Elle Inudstries}

Fancy Nancy...I only wish I could go back in time so I could be her.

{Costume by Blu Moon Design}

The list could go on and on.  Any costume inspiration you'd like to share?  I'm sure we could all use a few ideas!

All Treats, No Tricks

Halloween is speeding it's approach and I'm starting to get very excited.  My little boy is finally old enough to anticipate holidays with excitement and enjoy them when they're here...and maybe remember them for a little while afterward (only time will tell)!  This Friday I'll be sharing a Halloween party with you: completely planned and ready to put into action.  Meanwhile, some other Halloween tidbits.

These candy buffets are to die for.  They'll make any child (or adult) scream with joy.

 

Print labels for the jars from Martha Stewart.  They're free!

Banana Bread

This past Thursday I alluded to a fantastic recipe for banana bread.  Today I'm going to share it with you. 

I grew up eating banana bread.  I've been trying one recipe after another in search for the best one for as long as I can remember.  Last year, the search ended when I found this one: it's perfect!  Moist and buttery with a soft crumb and just the right amount of banana flavor, I can guarantee it won't sit on your counter for long.  Most quick bread recipes recommend that you wrap the bread in plastic wrap overnight before slicing in to it.  With this one, however, I recommend quite the opposite.  When it's fresh out of the oven, the crust is sweet and crunchy - it's my favorite part. 

Find the recipe here.

{image courtesy epicurious}

Sweet Little Boots

When the colder temperatures struck it occurred to me that my little boy only had 3 appropriately sized long sleeve shirts to his name.  So on Saturday I hit the mall with my sisters-in-law and we bought him enough shirts to last the rest of the winter (having three sets of eyes to find adorable things can be dangerous).  While we were shopping, we found the best little boots at Janie and Jack. 

               

The boots on the left are for boys while the ones on the right are for girls.  They were a bit spendy, so we didn't get them right then.  But I'm infatuated with them.  If these babies go on sale, you can bet you'll find a pair at the end of my fingertips.