My FAVORITE Blog is Back!!!

I am a HUGE Tracy Porter Fan...and was THIRLLED when she announced today her Blog is back!!! Have you visited Tracy before???...you WILL be INSPIRED!

Another GREAT Blog!!!

Have you ever visited The Tomkat Studio?? If not, head on over and check it out!! Kim is very talented...she creates DARLING projects and printables that you can purchase to customize any type of party. Once a month she gives a FREE monthly calendar to print out...AND right now she is have a FABULOUS giveaway!!

~picture taken from The Tomkat Studio~

Fabulous Apron Giveaway!!

I love the blog The Pink Teapot...have you ever visited??? Janine gives lots of great etiquette advice on everything from being the perfect Hostess to things to do and NOT do in the restroom! Well, The Pink Teapot is hosting a giveaway on a Fabulous apron...go check it out!!

In My Kitchen{S'mores Cupcakes}

Recently I went to Trophy Cupcakes in Seattle...and had the yummiest cupcake. The owner was on Martha Stewart last year sharing her recipe, so today I tried to knock it off!

The couple of things I did different than the recipe was I cheated and used a box cake mix, and I used chocolate chips in place of the finely chopped bittersweet chocolate. They turned out really YUMMY!!

Backyard Makeover~

We decided to do a little backyard makeover.  Half of our yard is a sport court and the other half had a small amount of grass.  After having a dog the grass was looking...well let's just say, "not so fresh".  So, we decided to take it all out and make a paver patio.  This was the first time my husband had attempted anything like this, so he was learning with each step!

~Before~

We LOVE s'mores, so a fire pit was a must!

Do we really need that many pavers???

~After~

We are so pleased with the results.  I really love the "old world" feel the pavers give.  The fire pit has been so great and we have even roasted Hot Dogs in it too!

I have 2 Teak Steamer Chairs on order for this empty spot...hopefully they will get here soon, so I can enjoy the rest of summer lounging!

Recently on a trip to Edmonds, I stumbled upon this cool etegere. It was exactly what I wanted for this space...

In the end, we love this space! We love not having grass to mow in the backyard, and it just feels like a "mini resort".

Have I been living under a rock??

I just stumbled upon Matthew Mead's Halloween Magazine, and can't believe how fun it is. I discovered his website and have read many other bloggers "rave" about his decorating and entertaining ideas. I was thrilled to know his latest book Entertaining Simple, is available now (it can be purchased at bookstores across the U.S. and Canada). Matthew also has a fabulous website:

http://www.entertainingsimple.com/

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Do You Ever...

I think I have mentioned before how much I love Tracy Porter...her blog is so much fun, lots of great decorating ideas, recipes, and fun personal stories. She does a post called, "Do You Ever..." and in it she introduces you to new things she's discovered or just things she loves or loves to do.

I always enjoy reading her post, so I thought I would try one of my own...




Do You Ever....

*Light candles during the day...even when you don't have company?


* Read Daily Candy? (I discovered this one from Tracy) A fun, hip and trendy website!


* Use Foot Petals in your mid to high heels? They cushion the ball of your foot and stop your foot from sliding forward. Great product!!


* Turn the radio off in the car while you're driving alone? Peace and quite