let the good times roll…
and let them eat cake!
have a little king’s cake!
bite size cupcakes that are colorful and celebrate Mardi Gras!
who will get the prize?
you’ll have to wait and see!!
thanks to
for this sweet idea!
celebrating Mardi Gras! New Orleans photo walk
February 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
New Orleans “Photo Walk”
When my family and I travel, I take photos not only of our family activities but also of the architecture and the events happening around us. I sometimes even go off on my own for a “photo walk”, if for nothing else, to spare my family the boredom of following me around while I photograph the interesting details I see!
New Orleans is one of my favorite cities to photograph. It is such a colorful city and is so rich in architecture and history! So, in the spirit of paying homage to Mardi Gras, I’m sharing some of my favorite images from the beautiful Crescent City.
My mom, sister, and I traveled to New Orleans last February for a long “Girls’ Weekend”. Even though we visited a couple of weeks prior to the big Mardi Gras weekend, the city was already busy with visitors and parades, and the French Quarter decked out and ready to party!
We spent most of our weekend walking, shopping, and eating our way through the French Quarter area, but before we left, I was determined to see the historic Garden District. On our last morning, I found a self-guided walking tour online, hopped on a street car, and headed that way. Beautiful homes, architecture, gardens, (and cool old cemeteries) abound in the Garden District, and it was fun to even see some homes of famous people, like author, Anne Rice, and the childhood home of Peyton and Eli Manning!
Take a walk with your camera – you will probably discover you aren’t the only one out there! You can do a photo walk anywhere – a cool old neighborhood or downtown area in your own community, an old church, or other building with beautiful architectural details. Photograph what you think is interesting and shoot it from many different angles – you never know what you might end up with.
Online resources (like Frommer’s) are so wonderful, and when you accompany that with your smart phone and camera, you’ve got all you need! Once you’re home, find your best photographs to print and hang in your home. They will serve as not only a great memory, but will be beautiful art as well!
Laissez les bon temps roulez!
Pagette
baby showers are more than cute decorations…
February 16, 2012 By 1 Comment
I have to admit, I love baby showers.
I love celebrating for a friend who is expecting, I love shopping from a registry, I love gathering with friends and strangers and sharing experiences about child rearing, I find I learn a lot. I love the cute decorations, the yummy food and I love hearing the mom-to-be talk about her hopes and dreams for her family. All of the baby showers that I have attended in my life have been for healthy, typically developing pregnancies, until recently.
A dear friend delivered her son 2 months early through an emergency C-section due to a heart condition detected in the baby. I had received the shower invitation a couple of weeks prior to that and was then notified that the shower was still on. Another email followed that stated the purpose of the shower was to celebrate the birth of this baby, honor my friend for becoming a mother and for her to feel loved and supported…so please focus on those things and leave the medical talk for another time.
As I read over her registry, I thought to myself, “she won’t need this stuff for a long, long time” and I searched for what I thought would be an appropriate gift. The answer did not come easily. For days, I tried to think about what a mother of a child in the NICU would find helpful and/or what could this precious baby use now? It was a few days before the shower and I still did not have a gift. Then it hit me…the most appropriate gift was the ones that the mom had asked for, what she registered for, what she has dreamed about having for her son for months. That and preemie clothes. Who was I to think that I knew better?
I learned a lot at this shower. My friend had the opportunity that every pregnant woman deserves. To be honored by friends and family for a life changing event. The fact that her baby was in the NICU made her no less a mother, in fact it made her more of a mother. She had learned more in those first couple of weeks and had advocated harder for her child than most moms I know.
One universal truth was shared at this shower. Being a mom is all about being in the moment. In that moment, at that shower, my friend was so excited to receive the items she registered for and spoke about how she planned on using the item once the baby was home. In some cases, she had already figured out how to modify the item to fit her sons’ needs at the present time.
I realized at this shower that it doesn’t matter what kind of mom you think you’re going to be. It matters how you adapt to what kind of baby you have. That is the true mark of a wonderful mom.
Janel Perez, M.S.-L.P.C.
streamers!
February 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment
these streamers are making us so happy!!
they come in a variety of colors any color combination your desire!! two color or three.
they can be used in so many ways!
here’s a sneak peek from last weekend’s party !!
check out the shop for details!
rainbow sweet 16
February 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I just wanted to share these wonderful pictures of this rainbow sweet 16 by my sweet friends over at
Now, what sweet 16 wouldn’t want this bright and cheery party to celebrate this great milestone!!
Great job ladies and phenominal photography by
for sure!!
super bowl weekend 2012
February 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The Super Bowl Snack attack is upon us. I know I cant wait! I love to eat and well obviously chips and dips are my ultimate favorite.
Have those snacks ready to grab in between plays for you, the home team and visitors!
Pre-packaged snacks are always convenient and now you can add style to your playbook by using the great graphic patterns available. I got mine at PigCastle.
Now I know it’s a little late in the game to be ordering these but search around at your local craft stores and Im sure you can score big.
Use these FREE printables from Juneberry Lane to attach to bags, use as toppers or other decor.
I thought this popcorn idea was fab from Leave the Details to Me. Most of us have these sitting around, right? Or is that just me who has boxes of them in the garage? hmm, any way.
or bag it up, attach a printable and you will have the stadium roaring!!
Have a great Super Bowl watching party or just look good showing up with these snacks and you will have them cheering you on!
Whether you enjoy the game of just the commercials, you can serve it up in style.
65th birthday celebration
January 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
A Very Festive 65th
My mom, Linda, turned 65 earlier this month. Her birthday request was to have a dinner party for her and some of her girlfriends. Specifically, she wanted my sister, Blythe, and I to host and cater a party for her and her girlfriends….
Blythe and I had hosted and catered Mom’s 6oth birthday five years ago which was a great success. My sister and I really enjoy cooking and entertaining, but we also know how much work goes into making it perfect! Mom asked then if we could do another dinner party. We requested five years to recuperate.
We planned the menu from appetizers to desserts and spent all day Saturday cooking and decorating. The food was yummy if I do say so myself: appetizers of hummus and Kalamata olive tapenade, tomato bruschetta with goat cheese, and a yummy brie with orange-fig marmalade, entrees of pork tenderloin and shrimp and orzo pasta, roasted potatoes, asparagus and field green salad, and not one but FOUR desserts! The desserts were the best – Bananas Foster Cheesecake, Crème Brûlée, Lemon-Champagne Bars with Strawberry Brûlée topping, and bright pink Macaroons by bon~bon.
Fourteen of Mom’s friends came to celebrate. They all had a great time eating, visiting, and laughing. Mom’s guests were very complimentary of everything, and several ladies commented that they felt like they had eaten “out”. Blythe and I even had to politely decline a couple of other catering offers!
Serving Mom and her friends was truly a pleasure, but once every 5 years is our limit.
We promise – we’ll do it again for 70.
Pagette
