Recently Thrifted....

I just wanted to share some of my recent (and some not quite as recent) thrifted finds. I really love the look of a framed collection, but I had no artwork to even begin a collection! So I began checking out the framed artwork areas of the thrift stores I frequent. Here are some of the items I've picked up in the past few months....

I actually picked up this embroidered piece yesterday for $1. I was so excited to find this. I adore the colors, it will work out very well with the colors I have in my living or dining areas.

This piece was actually the first one I picked up to start the collection, also for $1. It reminded me of the old victorian kit house we visited in Montana, and I am obsessed with old homes. So it's fairly fitting that I begin a collection of old house artwork!

This is the second house artwork I picked up, I love that the architecture is similar to the first piece.

                                                  

This one was just neat to me. It is actually a page torn out of a book that someone framed... but I loved the colors and the style of the artwork.

I really like this one, I'm not sure the origination of this portrait of a girl, but I have seen her in other places, other forms of print. This one has quilted fabric surrounding the oval portrait.

This is where she resides on a shelf in my living room, next to another one of my favorite items, a cuban cigar box from the early 1900's, originally my great grandfathers.

And lastly, another piece I really like, a tiny butterfly (4X6). I love this print style, usually they are pricy, even in the thrift stores, as they are increasingly popular. But I managed to pick up this small piece for $3. 

Variations of size when displaying a framed artwork collection makes it visually interesting, so I am collecting all sorts of shapes and sizes. I have different ideas of locations in my home, but I will definitely post a pic when I have my artwork hung!

Celeste's Birthday Party

I've been planning her sixth birthday since July, and I must say everything came together quite nicely. I looked at a lot of party blogs to get many of the ideas I used, but a couple ideas were my own. My ideas were the birthday banner and the picture display. I found the doilies at the thrift store for 59 cents and used scrapbooking supplies to make the birthday banner. I printed the pictures from 0-5 years, attached them to a couple of blank canvas', outlined the pictures with ribbon and embellished with flowers that state the age of the photo, and then displayed it on the mantel. Everybody really loved the pictures, my Mom even got teary eyed. The party bags were butterfly nets filled with girly goodness.
We had about 16 guests, and when I'm entertaining so many people I forget to take pictures. The party was nearly over and my grandmother asked if I had taken any photos. Oops! Happens everytime, I get caught up living the moment, and totally forget to capture it... but I did take some pictures of the decor before everyone arrived and of Celeste opening presents.














We moved my purple table from my office to the living room to hold the glasses, marshmallow pops and fruit kebabs (not pictured).




















The marshmallow pops are an idea I borrowed after seeing them at several other kid's parties online. They are super easy to make, and the kids love them.





































I purchased canning jars to use for beverages and hung tags for everyone to write their names on, another borrowed idea and fairly inexpensive, and definitely a more eco-friendly alternative to paper or plastic cups.


































































I made garland with scalloped punched scrapbook paper circles and hung them over our dining room.














I picked up these butterfly, flower and bug shapes for the girls to make their own magnets to take home.





















The butterflies took up a lot of space on top of the cake, so I made a mini banner that says "Happy Birthday Celeste" to go on top. Another borrowed idea!














The edible butterflies from SugarRobot in action.














































































Celeste holding her new cousin Shoshanna who is 2 1/2 months old, so sweet!

Inspiration:
SarasPartyPerfect
EatDrinkPretty
Hostess with the Mostess
Kara's Party Idea's

Absolutely amazing whats going on at these parties. I would just be over the moon if I could have a party like that! I was so inspired that I tried to recreate some of the magic for my little girls special day, and she loved it!