Junk Drawer Magnets

Last Summer House of 3 posted a fun diy project – Junk Drawer Magnets.

I filed this away as Dear hubby and I are taking our last pre-baby adventure in a few weeks, and visiting six South American countries over three exciting weeks.

I thought the coin magnets were brilliant, and the perfect way to gather a few expensive mementos- but now as I take a look the post again I think they ALL are brilliant.

What a fun way to clean out the junk drawers and product one of kind unique pieces.

Or, skip the junk drawer and run with items that match the season or your next event. I’m thinking weddings, baby showers, Sunday Brunch with the ladies and more. Think of all the fun things to you display and share in true fashion!

See more of these fun creations and easy step by step instructions here.

All images via: House of 3

Free Sounds! – Brushfire Records 2009 Fall Sampler

Birthdays are so much fun! Yesterday another candle was added to my crazy cake. I was such a fun day full of so many wonderful surprises. I loved every minute of my special day.

To share the love I felt yesterday, I thought today was the perfect opportunity to share a little fun with all my blog friends! Head on over to Amazon.com and snag your very own, and very FREE Brushfire Records 2009 Fall Sampler, featuring Jack Johnson. This nine track disk is the perfect fall accompaniment to any occasion.

Click Here to get yours!

Handmade Weddings: Personalized Wedding Gifts From Fashion Illustrator Brooke Hagel

Whoohooo! Little Retreats was hit with another fun surprise today.
My fun custom birch bark vase has been included in Brooke Hagel’s ‘Wow Wedding Gift’ post on Etsy’s Storque Blog. Take a peek at the full article here.

What an honor to beside so many other wonderful customized wedding gifts!

For the engagement party (or as a congratulatory engagement gift), this adorable customized vase with your newly engaged friends' initials on it would be ideal. After all, a newly engaged and excited couple is reminiscent of young love. And what symbolizes that more than carving you and your sweetheart’s initials in a tree or doodling your names in your notebook? By LittleRetreats, $40.

luckymebeads

simplesongdesigns

EmbroiderybyLinda

Oh Baby! Oh Baby!

Pictures from a few weeks ago, 11 weeks, four days.

I am so excited to announce that sweet Jackaroo and I are excepting a little one to come an join our fun sometime around April 9th of next year! This will be our first so we couldn't be more thrilled and excited.

God has a plan indeed! After a year and a half of trying which equaled countless negative tests, serious thoughts and discussion about buying Clear Blue stock, and a few tears, we stopped trying. We stopped trying to plan our lives around the what if's and our own time lines and handed it over to God. Sure enough approx. two weeks after sealing the deal on on a three week South American vacation we affectionately dubbed our exotic booze cruise we discovered the wonderful news.

As I type I am 14 weeks and 3 days along (or three months and a few days). So far so good! With the exception of a few twelve hour naps, tenth grade ache flashbacks and tenderness here and there I'm feeling like a champ ! :) For all those crazy family and friends that would like to follow along, I've started a new family blog, The Meyenbergs at http://www.meyenbergfun.blogspot.com/. Come check it out and watch the fun (and madness) unfold as two new parents-to-be try to figure all this baby stuff out!

Fall Flowers in Full Bloom

images via cratzine.com

Fall is here! Decorate for the season with fresh flowers that are blooming right now. They are perfect for autumn weddings, a harvest party, Thanksgiving, or just because you want to bring some warm colors into your home.

They are easy to create, and if you purchase the flowers living from a nursery, you can plant your leftovers. Or for lasting impact year after year, score bunchs and bunchs of warm fall colors at the Dollar or craft stores.

Check out the easy fall garland How-To tutorial here

images via cratzine.com

The Meyenberg Mad Lab

So things got a little crazy in one corner of our house the other day. A loony tune scientist barreled in the door, set up shop and then was gone as fast as he appeared.

I have do have to admit (non Halloween lovin' kid that I am) ...putting this little display together really was a fun project. Darn you Martha and your specimen inspirations!

I scored all the jars and vases pictured at the local GoodWill. The labels for each jar were downloaded from Love Mason's flickr set. And the contents of each were found items from around the house. Super cheap, super fast, super fun.

The loony scientist's secret sauces....

- Mr. Bone's vampire blood is waterdown ketchup.
- Winifred's Snake Oil is a little green and yellow food coloring (mixed in water).
- The Swamp Fog is an empty smoked glass Absolute vodka bottle. The fog is so thick it smoked the glass. :)
- The Moon Dust is a little beach sand (if only we had a wood burning fireplace for real ashes.)
- The Scrumptious Earth Worms is just a jar filled with rich potting soil.
- The Toadstool Clippings are dried mushrooms.
- The Fur of a Werewolf - puppy fur. Our (non shedding) puppy was so patient to let me continue to brush, and brush, and brush him until I had enough fur.
- Vampire Fangs - plain ol' brown rice
and the unlabeled beet colored jar holding what looks like two hearts...yup, two peeled beets in water.

Goin' a Little Mad This Halloween

A few months ago I discovered Love Manor flickr site via a link on Denise’s Little Ant Designs. I am not a fan of spooky scary Halloween, but mixed in the haunted inspiration are some of the coolest Halloween inspired labels ‘round.

Jack and I are having a few friends over this weekend for a Fall Harvest Potluck, (complete with hubby’s pumpkin chili). To add to the festivities, I thought I would create a fun mad scientist lab using some of these labels. Stay tuned in the next day or two for pictures of me going crazy with snake oil, toadstool, and petrified butterflies.

All images via Love Manor

Sip and See

I love the fact that the Sip and See has become more and more popular! They are such a fun party idea with so many different themes you can carry out. Love, love, love ‘em! What a fun way to introduce your baby to the world.

Since this party is definitely geard more towards adults, spice up up a bit and go formal. Yummy bites, lots of bubbly, shimmer candles and of course the course the cutest décor of all, baby!

Something Blue

Oh how I miss you all! It’s been a busy, busy week..I’m keeping my fingers crossed I can be back in blog action next week, until then cheers!!

Calling all local Seattle area Seattle Brides to Be!

Tomorrow my crazy self (as Little Retreats) will be participating in Half Past Lavish's Something Blue: The Premiere Eastside Wedding Event Show as a vendor. If you your in the area come on by check it out and say hello!

An exclusive, boutique wedding experience for Eastside Brides and their friends & families. “Something Blue…” brings together the most sophisticated, elegant, and talented Eastside wedding vendors to create an unparalleled wedding event for the Eastside bride-to-be. Unlike most wedding shows that feel like a trade show, “Something Blue…” offers guests exquisite vendors in a non-intimidating, relaxed, social event full of fashion shows, delicious food, creative wedding shopping, door prizes, and
more.

A Monday Treat

Dear hubby’s Prehistoric Surprise Birthday party is featured on Tip Junkie today! How fun!

More pictures of the fun evening here. :)

Things are a Hopin'!

The busy bug bit JackarooLove and Little Retreats the last couple weeks. As a result my posts have been spread out a little more than usual.

Things have been a hopin' in the shop! I hit triple digits in sales, hit the Front Page AND a Gift Guide over at Etsy, humbly included a few fantastic treasuries, and was invited to come be a part of a local wedding expo as a vendor. Yippee!

So why stop there I say?!
In addition to all the fun, I've been hard at work coming up with fun new desings and products. More event products! Here are a few fun place cards that hit last week. Head on over to Little Retreats and check out more fun goodies.

Fall Leaf Place Card

Effel Tower Place Cards Tea Pot Place CardsButterfly Place Cards Handsome Chair Place CardsTrue Champions

Sweet Lil' Birdie Place Card

The Bar is now Open - The Popcorn Bar

I’m in absolute love with Utterly Engaged. Each issue is jam packed with wonderful ideas and amazing inspiration. Check out the recent third issue here.

Inside you find this fun idea and unique idea – a popcorn bar. PERFECT for a fall party or event!

DIY Fall Garland - A Tutorial

Fall is just around the corner and I couldn’t be more excited! I’ve been trying to hold myself back, it’s still August, we still are enjoying 80 plus degree days in the Pacific Northwest, the flowers are in full bloom but....it’s darker in the mornings, Costco has their amazing fall mums in stock and September is only five days away. Close enough for me. There’s no holdin’ back now!

Take a peek at A Field Journal’s super easy, super simple, super elegant fall garland project.

What a fun addition to your office space, mantle, draped along the table cloth, hung above a doorway, or an addition to your Fall Harvest table.

Quite Possibly the Most Amazing DIY Invites

I love, love, love invites. I Love making them, love receiving, love oogling over other’s,

love ‘em. I think they are such an important element to any event.

These beauties created by Holly and her soon to be husband Sean are AMAZING! Hop on over to Nothing But Bonfires for all the construction details to read all the personal details and that make these so great!

Square aqua pocketfolds from Paper And More and mounted the invitation on a dark gray square of card, which then sat inside the pocketfold on the left hand side.

The RSVP envelope was dark gray (or "smoke") and matched the main envelope.
Each of the main envelopes are with vintage maps bought on ebay.
....and mixed and matched a bunch of vintage stamps bought on ebay with some of the United States Postal Service's more attractive modern numbers.

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

I was so excited to receive an invite to little Ozzie's 1st Birthday bash, and so sad to discover we would be out of town on the same date. I've been dying (Debbie, ya hear that?! Dying :) ) to see pictures of the extravaganza and alas the wait is over.

Look at all the fun details that went into the lil' guys first birthday. LOVE the personalized Jones soda bottles. Check out all the fun details, including recipes over at Debbie's blog, It's All About O.

Invitations: Going Away Party

I about fell out of my chair yesterday afternoon when I discovered these gems in my inbox. Take a look at these absolutely adorable going away invites courtesy of Sandi at Oh Baby! Shower Décor.

Suitcases complete with a "PDX sticker", which is the airport code for Portland's airport. A "tree sticker", as a nod to the woodsy Northwest. The little luggage tag tied with raffia has the couple's initials and their new city.

I can’t wait to see pictures of the actual going away party! Thank you Sandi for the awesome share!

Beach Themed Retirement Party

Retirement sure has been keepin’ my busy, lots of fun parties and eventful ‘work’.

Last week the company I work for bid a fond farewell to yet another retiree. (Two in two months, a new record I believe.) Again, I had the task of coordinating and planning the afternoon farewell party. Sure do love my job!

This was an afternoon, in-house house event. In the same conference room as last month’s yellow bash. One of my biggest challenges is transforming the same room, into a completely different look and feel for the honoree. I think I may have pulled it off.

The honoree loved the beach and was headed across country to a shore side cabin with her husband. How could I not run with a summery beach theme?!

Photos courtesy of Corbin Photography and yours truly.

A Colorful Frist Birthday

Boy I’m missing you guys! Between the summer sun and work, I’m finding it harder and harder to get in front of the computer.

I need a fix today, and I’m feeling super cheery so I thought I would share this colorful, I mean COLORFUL Luigi and Mario themed First Birthday courtesy swishersweets80's.

Cake stand idea, how-to from here: http://www.cakejournal.com/archives/how-to-make-a-cake-stand-for-cupcakes-or-mini-cakes
The favor bar included Rainbow Colored Barber Poles, Mario Bros. Band-Aids found at Urban Outfitters, Red and Green Caps purchased from OrientalTrading.com, Fake Mustaches also purchased from OrientalTrading.com, Coinboxes filled with Chocolate Coins and Gum Coins, and Mario Themed Mini-Stamps found at Amazon.com.
Martha Stewart Pom-Pom how-to: http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/pom-poms-and-luminarias?lnc=&rsc=cf_link&comments_page=2#conversation-container

What a fun event! Little Benjamin is one lucky dude! Check out more of the amazing party picts and details at swishersweets80’s flikr set

All images via swishersweets80's

Retirement is Keeping Me Busy!

Err umm...I mean other fine folks retirements are keeping me busy. I received official word last week I have a second retirement party on my horizon (in a mere nine days)! The retiree loves the beach, so I’m running with that, and letting Michelle Rago and her amazing talents lead my inspiration.

Image via Bliss Event Group

Sources: Pool Reception {Michelle Rago}, Lemonade {source unknown}, Lanterns {Cultural Intrigue}, Sandollar Favor {Laura Hooper}, Dessert Table {Amy Atlas}, Programs {Michelle Rago}, Bouquet {Michelle Rago}, Linens {Cloth Connection}, Floral Table Arrangement {Michelle Rago}, Bottle Table Arrangement {Brides}, Candy Bar {source unknown}

A Happy Friday to All!

Rockin' plans for the weekend?

Cleaning the garage? Pullin' out the Slip'n Slide? Heading to a block party with Bakerella's Fire and Ice Cupcakes? Whatever is on your agenda, I hope you have a blast! Have a fantastic weekend all!

Birch Bark Vase found here, inside the Little Retreats Etsy shop. :)

Oh My! Oh My oh My!

Yesterday, Ez again shared the riches of the online magazine Utterly Engaged.
Last month, I added the site to my ‘must see’ list, but for some crazy reason I buried the link and didn’t make the trip, until yesterday.

Oh my goodness! Go there. Go there right now. Right here. It’s absolutely amazing! So many inspiring ideas, free download, DIY fun and lots and lots of pretties to look at (even if you’ve been married for ages). You’ve got TWO issues with your name on them to thumb through.

Cute as a Button

And sweet as can be. I just love these little button candies. Love ‘em, love em’!

And Bake it Pretty has the total hook up, the Vintage Button Chocolate molds , a super easy, Button 101 tutorial AND free labels here to sweeten your package.

DIY Birdseed Tosses

Last week Denise shared these wonderful freebie vintage labels courtesy of Eat Drink Chic.

After digging around a little deeper around this uber cool site, I stumbled upon this awesome DIY free project, mini birdseed airmail envelopes. Printed and assembled these packets are AMAZING.

Amy says, “Fill with birdseed and they can be distributed to guests at your wedding to throw post-ceremony. (The concept being to send their blessings "VIA AIR"). Download your free designs and make them yourself!”

A Little Retreat....

And we’re off! Dear husband and I are headed to the little Bavarian inspired town of Leavenworth, WA for a long weekend. Sunshine, wineries (lots of wineries), an ourdoor production of the Sound of Music and spending time with my family, a perfect getaway.

So, you might ask then, “What in the world do the above pictures have to do with a long weekend and wine tasting?!!”

To that this crazy kid replies...”I’m going to try something new, something fun, something a little daring”. Each Friday I’m going to pull an item from that shop <--- that one over there, Little Retreats, to share.

This week’s feature two sola Flower Garlands, Coffee and Cream, and yummy Vanilla.

Our locally grown Peonies are so pretty, and so fleeting. I thought this was a fitting first image to kick things off! Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Cheers!

Decor, Favors, Flowers, Style

Link Love via My DIY Wedding Day. Awesome inspiration for any occasion!

1: Cherry harvest table (Project Wedding)
2: Pantyhose Petals ( Craft Blog )
3: Hanging floral centerpieces ( Sweet Paul )
4: Cloth Napkins (Chez Beeper Bebe )
5: Wine Cork Keychain Favors (Craft Blog)
6: $10 Wedding Dress (Threadbanger)
7: Petal Bag ( love Maegan )

Treats for a Sweet...

...a Sweet Addition!

Thank you Gretchen for the fantastic shower submit!

Take a peek at all sugary details that made this baby shower pop! I love details, and carrying a theme throughout. Gretchen of b.a.s.h.ful custom events had that down, right to the last gummie. Awesome share Gretchen, thank you!

Brown Baggin’ It

Never looked so good! Turn the ordinary brown paper sack an extraordinary treat! Great budget minded additions to your event, and perfect for those last minute ‘I think we need something more’ add-ons. (Who doesn’t have a few of these bad boys stashed in the pantry?)

(Clockwise from top left):
Paper bag favor labels from Flights of Fancy
Printable popcorn bags, via Mushy
Coffee favor labels from Martha Stewart
Printable cookie bags, also via Mushy
DIY goodie bags by Wedding Chicks

Image and links via: iDiY

Wonderland Delight . “1 Upon a Time”.

I Love Lolli Blog continues to amaze. Is there anything those gals can’t do?! Their recent Fairytail Wonderland, ‘1 Upon a Time’ first birthday party is amazing, absolutely incredible! A must see for sure - Part I, Part II, and Part III.

What I find so inspiring in many of their events images and recaps are the small recognizable (and doable) diy details. So clever, so creative, so inspiring!

All images via: I Love Lolli Blog and Justin Lee.

Taking the Cupcake to New Heights

Wow! Take a look at these beauties! Sugarbloom Cupcakes, based in Melbourne, AU has raised the bar and taken the standard cupcake to new heights with the tall cupcake.

Even sweeter, Bev from Sugarbloom Cupcakes shows you to make these amazing cupcakes with her super easy to follow Tall Cupcake Tutorial. What a stunning addition to your dessert bar, cake table, garden party, wedding shower or birthday.

For more sugary inspiration check out Sugarbloom’s flickr collection – yummy!

Dear Friend has a Birthday....

Husband thinks we should throw a party. A birthday party! A surprise party! Even better...a kid themed party! (Friend turned twenty eight and there were no children present.)

No party is complete without pirates, cowboys, an erupting volcano dinosaur cake, hula-hoop’s, army men, blow-up monkeys, a piñata, pin the tail on the donkey, enough sugar to send everyone the moon and back, and a surprise guest....

Q.T. Pie, the face painting clown! Every adult party needs a clown right?!

I can’t wait to see what sweet husband comes up with when we have kids!

Hello Cupcake! Hello Cookie!

Layer Cake’s Etsy Shop is amazing. Absolutely amazing. And now.....

Layer Cake Shop has thrown the Grand Opening banner up on their new website!
Shop by color, shop by theme. This store has it goin’ on from toppers and candles to edible glitter and cookie cutters.

Two sugar shops to choose from, a sweet score.

37 Months - 41 Vases

Sweet Jack and I have know each other thirty seven months. Each and every month since we met, Jack has brought me flowers. Special flowers and beautiful vases he careful picks out (and most of the time arranges himself, if ya can believe it). Some months he can't decide between which vase to choose, so he buys two.

Yesterday we celebrated nineteen months as husband and wife. I love my new vase, the Gerber daisies and my dear husband.

A Happy Friday to All!

Rockin’ plans for the weekend?

Cleaning the garage? Pullin’ out the Slip’n Slide? Headin’ to a block party with Bakerella’s Fire and Ice Cupcakes? Whatever is on your agenda, I hope you have a ball! Have a fantastic weekend all.

Birch Bark Vase found here, inside the Little Retreats Etsy shop. :)

July 4th Craft Ideas

Hats off to an old-fashioned Fourth of July! Country Living has great DIY Fourth of July projects. Firecracker Favors, 4th of July Carnation Balls, Napkin Holders, Rosette Banners and more!

Click here to see all the fun and step-by-step instructions for each project.

All images via: Country Living

Yay!! Cute DIY Flags

Anne D. made these fun flags for her wedding processional and submitted the idea to VintageGlam back in April.

How cute would these be for the lil’ ones to wave on the Fourth? SUPER cute and SUPER easy – really truly! Check the easy how-to here.

Image via:VintageGlam

In the Now

Love In the Now Weddings and Events. Love ‘em! So many wonderful ideas and pretties to look at.

Take a peek at one of their most recent color combo on not one but two tables. Who knew orange, pink and slate grey could look so breathtaking, modern and oh so cool. Check out the full scoop here.

Images via: In the Now Weddings and Events

A Bright and Cheery Farwell - Retirement Party

I LOVE a great party!
Even better, I LOVE a great party with a whole lot of bang and not alot buck.

Call me crazy, but sometimes I think the best ideas (and results) come when you have to get a little creative with your budget. Big impact for less was my personally assigned goal. Last Friday’s corporate in-house Retirement Party was a blast, an absolute blast. With secret squirrel suppliers like the Goodwill and Dollar store, I think I may have just pulled my assignment off.

I really didn’t have a whole lot of info to go on. Honoree’s favorite color is yellow, loves good ol’ rock and roll, likes a modern look and reads mystery novels…hmmm.
I’ll admit I was a little nervous…Until she walked in the room and about did a cartwheel.

Surprise parties are great!

Some of the afternoon’s fun:
Ribbon and more Ribbon - Paper Mart
White Round Balloons – Airy Greetings
Favor Boxes – Paper Mart
Styrofoam balls (eight to a package) and hand strung by yours truly – The Dollar Tree Online
Vases and more Vases (four assorted sizes) – The Dollar Tree
Good o’rock and roll LP’s for centerpieces - The Goodwill
Bulk Flowers: Hydrangeas, Spider Delistar, White Buttons, Yellow Buttons, Bear Grass
The - Flower Exchange (My FAV! Love those guys! ALWAYS so helpful)
DIY arrangements :)
Yellow vase fillers (tiny Styrofoam balls) – Ben Franklin Crafts - clearance item
Yummies – Costco.com
Keepsake Book – Blurb.com

SEO, Google and Facebook Fun

Hollering at all you Etsy shop owners, home biz, small biz, big biz, bloggers with fan pages, and all the peeps in-between with websites check this great post from The Bakery.

Good stuff ya’ll! :)

image via: Little Retreats

A Quick Pause....

To say THANK YOU!

I’ve been up to my boots in all things polka dots this week and haven’t been around as much as I’d like. (Next week….oh Nelly look out!)

But a quick pause is definitely in order to say whooohooo and 'Thank You' to Jess at The Finer Things and April at The Musings of the Momma for nominating/awarding Jackaroo Love the One Lovely Blog Award this week! Have you seen these sites?! Awesome!

I don’t think Jess could have said it any better….

‘The thing I love the most about the blogging community is that it is overflowing with incredibly talented and creative people. I am consistently amazed by the wonderful party ideas, special product finds and inspiration boards I find on a daily basis.’

Thank you ladies! You made my week.
image via ffffound

I'm Seeing Dots...

240 White Styrofoam Balls
One Million Tiny Yellow Styrofoam Balls
100 Yards of 7/8” Yellow Satin Ribbon
50 Yards of 2 ¼” Yellow Satin Ribbon
Overnight shipment of Bear Grass, White Hydrangeas, White Buttons, Yellow Buttons, White Carnation and White Spider Delistars
30 27” Round White Balloons
And Twelve Vinyl Records (LP’s)

Friday’s In-house Retirement party is going to be crazy…Crazy good I hope.

My fancy iPhone picture... a quick ‘how is this going to look?’snap between meetings in a conference room.