Celebrate Back to School in Blog Land!

So in just a few weeks most of the kiddos will be heading back to school. I do not have school age children… yet…. but I can imagine it is a hectic time of school clothes and school supply shopping. I went to the school supply section in Target yesterday and watched as a mom was reading supplies off the list and then arguing with her son over the supply they were going to buy. Oh the moments we will one day miss..

In honor of back to school I found a bunch of Back to School themed ideas to share!

Back to School T-Shirt by The 36th Avenue (BTW- a new blog which I fell in love with and am now following!)

Back to School ID Tag by The Gunny Sack

Notebook Paper Canvas by Artsy VaVa

Vintage School Desk Makeover by Crafty Texas Girls (Vintage? I used a desk like this!! LOL)

First Day of School Mom Party! by Jac o’ Lyn Murphy

Back to School Countdown Bus by Coley’s Corner

Back to School Decorations by Cupcakes Kisses n’ Crumbs

Back to School Printables by Shindig Parties

Back to School Printable by Holiday Snob

Back to School Reading Log by Simple as That

There were so many other great Back To School ideas too! I just love them all… but I am not looking forward to next year when Wyatt goes off to preschool. I just want him to be home with me EVERYDAY FOREVER!

Enjoy,

Easter Finds

Easter is in exactly one month. I don’t know about you, but I’m hosting Easter brunch. I have the menu done (which I will share soon!), and have been searching for fun Easter decorations and table settings. Thanks to ETSY and Pinterest I bring you some my Easter finds and inspirations!

I found these on Pinterest from the Pure Joy Events blog. Simple and affordable!

You can purchase the cupcake liners at Cupcake Social on Etsy.

Then there are these place cards from Holiday Crafts and Creations. I know my Goodwill always has an abundance of tea cups!

I made this Easter printable for a 5x7 frame I had sitting around. I’m going to place it on my entryway shelf. Click HERE to get the printable version for yourself!

I saved the best for last! I’m in love with this fake grass table runner at That’s My Letter! I’m doing this on my table FOR SURE!

Enjoy!

I’m linking my printable up at Tip Junkie and Tatertots and Jello!

Yarn Letter Tutorial

I had a baby shower to go to over the weekend. My friend is having her third baby (first baby girl!). One thing I made her was a yarn wrapped letter. I did ‘M’ since the babies name is going to be Mia. It turned out so good I am doing an ‘S’ for my last name – and we’re going to hang it in our living room!

I started out by gathering the following items:

• Glue gun
• Paper Mache letter (I got mine at JoAnne Fabrics)
• yarn
• scraps of fabric

This is such a simple craft that anyone can do it!

I took the letter and but a dab of glue on the back. Then I stuck the end of the yarn to it.

Just keep wrapping and gluing.

Since the ‘M’ has a ‘v’ shape in it, and I couldn’t wrap the yarn around it evenly, I choose to zig-zag the yarn along the front of the letter.

I loved it – but it just looked plain. It needed something. So I pulled out some scraps of fabric and made a fabric flower for the front. Ta-Da! The finished product was so cute and the texture is so soft making it perfect for a baby shower gift! (sorry for the color difference. This one was taken in daylight)

Enjoy!

Welcome to {Everyday is a Celebration!}

I have been trying to think of a blog that would focus on holidays and celebrations. I have been brainstorming the posts and searching for inspiration. The only thing I needed was a blog title. I just couldn’t think of the perfect title. I was sitting on the couch today and it hit me! Everyday is a Celebration! I jumped up and headed for the computer. Eight hours later I had created the blog, a few buttons, a banner, and written a few posts.

My goal is to use this blog to highlight other bloggers and their celebration crafts and recipes. I LOVE every holiday, birthdays, wedding, and baby showers. Most bring tears to my eyes as they are such joyous occasions. There is nothing like walking into a house that is decorated to the hills!

Since I just missed Valentine’s Day I am going to start out by focusing on St. Patrick’s Day, baby showers, and birthdays. I hope you’ll join me on my new journey!

Save time by shopping for party supplies at Etsy.com

You've chosen your party's theme, you have an idea of what you'd like for decorations, but the thought of hopping in the car and driving to a party store (only to spend hours plowing through the luau and graduation decorations on the way to your real destination) drives you mad. Worry not! Armed with your credit card (or a PayPal account) and 15 minutes you can find everything you need at Etsy.com.

Etsy is a crafty online marketplace, connecting world-wide crafters with buyers. The site's mission "is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers." Party planners will find everything from party hats to pinatas and banners to bachelorette decor.

In less than 10 seconds, a search for "pirate party" returned 526 results. Etsy offers pirate treasure chests (perfect for holding party favors), invitations, pirate skull cupcake toppers, and even pirate wedding cake toppers. All can be ordered with the click of a button and delivered within days, saving you a trip to the store and supporting crafters and artisans.

Etsy will also allow you to search the site for local artists, returning the 100 most recently updated shops in your area. By buying from these shops you're participating in locally sustainable business practices and supporting local artists.

So whether you're searching for bachelor party invites or edible cake toppers, check out Etsy. You'll save time and support an entrepreneur -- nothing better than that!

15 party favors you can make in 15 minutes

1. Chocolate-dipped spoons
   First, melt milk chocolate (chocolate chips work great). Then, remove the chocolate from heat; the chocolate should be melted, but thick and cool enough so that it doesn't melt the plastic spoons. Dip spoons into the melted chocolate just past the base of the spoon and add toppings if desired (crushed bits of toffee, candy cane, or sprinkles are good choices) before the chocolate on the spoons begins to chill. Then, lay the spoons on wax paper (wax paper on a cookie sheet is the easiest way to transport the spoons) and transfer to cool in the refrigerator. When finished, store spoons in Ziploc baggies, cellophane, plastic wrap, or the like. Tie bags with ribbon to decorate.
   
   
2. Organza gift bags full of candy
   
   
3. Sachets filled with potpourri
   Buy lacy handkerchiefs and loose potpourri. Spoon a bit of potpourri into the center of each handkerchief, draw up the ends, and tie closed with a bit of ribbon.
   
   
4. Take-out containers full of fortune cookies (or whatever you like)
   
   
5. Bath salts
   Mix combination of about a cup of Epsom salt with a 1/4 cup of sea salt and a couple of tablespoons of baking soda. Add a few drops of essential oils (try lavender or eucalyptus for a soothing spa-like scent). Stir until all ingredients are blended, then spoon the mixture into glass jars like these. Finish the glasses with pre-printed labels or write "Lavender Bath Salts" (or what-have-you) on the top of the jars with a skinny permanent marker. You can batches of bath salts that are as small or as large as they need to be to accommodate all of your party's guests.
   
   
6. Votive candles wrapped in organza circles
   
   
7. Personalized candy bar wrappers
   Buy candy bars that come enclosed in silver or gold foil, covered by paper wrappers. Remove the candy's original paper wrapper, and make your own, using patterned scrapbook paper or colored paper embellished with stickers or stamps. Then, simply fit the personalized paper over the candy bar and secure with a piece of double-sided tape.
   
   
8. Candy in paper cones
   
   
9. Embellished picture frames
   Buy simple flat-front picture frames and embellish them with 3-D alphabet stickers that spell out the names of your guests, the year of your event, or simple messages like "Hope" or "Faith".
   
   
10. Mixed CDs (with songs that match your party theme)
    
    
11. Recycled crayons
    If you're hosting a party for kids, you can make custom-shaped crayons as party favors. Preheat your oven to about 150°F. Sort old crayon stubs (paper removed) by color family. Then, line mini-muffin pans with foil baking cups (or use shaped pans like these) and add sorted crayons. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crayons have melted. Let cool.
    
    
12. Chocolate-dipped pretzels (or cookies or whatever)
    
    
13. Candy Cane Reindeer
    Getting ready for Christmas? Glue two googly eyes and a red pom-pom nose onto the curve of a candy cane. Then, shape a brown pipe cleaner into "antlers" and twist around the top of the candy cane.
    
    
14. Small vases (or bottles or cans or what-have-you) of wild flowers
    
    
15. Suncatcher
    Buy clear glass Christmas bulbs with removable tops. Remove the tops, fill with multicolor glass beads (or any tiny trinket that will catch the light). Replace tops and attach a brightly-colored ribbon or suction cup for hanging.