#378...rice krispie woes

For the circus shower, I decided to make Rice Krispie balls dipped in chocolate. I'd never made Rice Krispie treats before, but it sounded like a quick, easy idea for our desert table. I found this blog post on chocolate dipped Rice Krispie balls, and followed it, omitting the peppermint part. Also, instead of dipping them and setting them chocolate side down on a plate, I wanted to try making a Rice Krispie ball bouquet, by sticking the skewers in floral foam.

All was going as planned until I noticed that the balls would not stay on the sticks. The heat and weight of the chocolate made them slide right down the bamboo skewers, or completely fall off.

After fighting with the ball bouquets for awhile, trying to get them to work, we... (Tyler really deserves credit for this project)... decided to just put them chocolate side down on plates.

Then, we ran out of time to continue the ball making, so we cut the rest into squares and dipped one edge. All in all it was a tasty result, but a messy project.

I planned to get a bouquet of  balloons for the front porch on party day, but since the temp that day was over 105, the balloons would not have fared well. So, instead I dressed the big chalkboard bunny that we made a couple months ago as a clown, and propped him outside the front door welcoming guests.

#377...backyard photo booth

For the circus themed shower this past weekend, I decided to set up a photo booth in my backyard. I got the idea from Smilebooth, a company that rents kits to create your own party photo booth. To create the photo booth I needed a backdrop and props. For a backdrop, I draped fabric from my loft deck toward the ground and printed a "say cheese" sign to give the draped fabric a look of purpose.

Since the shower was circus themed, I gathered circus related props like top hats, clown noses, balloons and a tiger hand puppet. I made a couple of mustache and bow tie props that I cut from paper and felt. I taped a skewer stick to the back for people to hold them.

I also made a giant letter "E", which is going to be the baby's first initial. I cut the "E" from foam board, sprayed adhesive on it, and sprinkled giant glitter confetti on the glue.

Here are a few shots from my homemade backyard photo booth. You can see all of the guests shots here on flickr. I had a really good time with this. I can't wait to do it again.

#376...circus party part deux

This weekend we are hosting another baby shower for another couple of great friends. I decided that since the circus theme shower was such a hit earlier this summer, and I already had a lot of the decor....(see here, here, here), we would turn our house into the big top once more. Last night, my Mom and sister helped me fill popcorn boxes, and craft up some fabric flag garlands.

#375...holy rast-mania

While researching painted dresser ideas for a client, I came across this amazing hack of the Ikea Rast. I can't believe that I have not seen this before now.

WOWSER.....Done, by Aubrey and Lindsay, this makes me want to drive recklessly toward Ikea to pick up a pair of Rast's...to hoard in my attic...for a bedroom I don't even have. Seriously, it blows my hacked Malm bedside tables out of the water. 

Of course, this Rast find led me on a hunt for other hacked Rast's. There is some good stuff out there.

Here

Here

Here

Here

Here

#374...undecorate

It has been awhile since I've gotten any new decorating books, so impulsively last week I ordered Undecorate by Christine Lemieux. 

The book profiles 20 homes that take an unconventional, no-rules approach to decorating. By "no-rules" they mean that the houses don't follow any conventional decorating rules often applied by trained interior designers. The houses have a more mix-and-match feel, with regard to different styles of furniture and accessories that the homeowners have collected over time. I thought I'd really glean a lot from this book, as mix-and-match thrift store chic is quintessentially my own personal style. There are some good pics throughout the book, and I have not had time to read any of the the homeowner stories that accompany the pictures; however, overall I'm a little underwhelmed by the book. I skimmed through it pretty quick, and no picture really stopped me in my tracks. I guess I have gotten so used to seeing really inspiring interior pictures just a simple mouse click away, that I had higher expectations for something in print. To be fair, I need to give it a thorough read, but here are a few of my favorite shots that showcase the book's mix-and-match philosophy.

#373....overalls again

I really like the fashion stylings of Steven Alan, but I was a little perplexed when I came across this image of overalls in the Fall 2011 line. Overalls??? really?? I know that fashion cycles every couple decades, but it has it really been enough years to warrant bringing them back?

.....my overalls circa 1996

#372...marble paper art

I helped my cousin Natalie decorate her college apartment on Monday. We framed a piece of hand made marbleized paper  in a Ribba frame from Ikea and hung it over her bed. It was a really inexpensive way to make a big statement in her room. We got our paper at the local art supply store, but you can also purchase marbleized paper at Paper Mojo online. I first saw the idea of framing marble paper here on Jenny's blog.

#372...mustard musings

I made this pillow to add a punch of mustard to a white, lavender and black bedroom palette.

The pillow is for my Aunt Patty, and we found the fabric in store at JoAnn Fabrics.

I'm liking mustard and gray together as a more sophisticated version of the popular lemon yellow & gray color pairing. Here are a some pretty rooms with a bit of mustard. 

All pics via decor pad