Sneak Peak

 So we set up today.  Even though I had a plan, it still took about 2 hours to decorate the space.  Above is the entry way, decorated with photocopies of old photos of my grandparents when they were dating and first married.

 Layered on top of yellow table coverings were b&w photocopies of old photos forming a photo table runner.  I matted a few of the pictures on either black cardstock or natural craft brown cardstock.  I skopped every Goodwill in the area to find vases for my centerpieces.  I clustered different sizes and added simple flowers, feathers, and twigs.

 This old metal truck (found at Hobby Lobby) pays homage to the fact that my grandfather has loved and fixed trucks and cars all his life.  This will be the food table.

 More pics of the bottle centerpieces.  Look closely...see the vintage looking matchbox cars?

 This blue Ford truck is my favorite.  I added these matchbox and hot wheels for several reasons - to add some whimsy, in honor of my Grandpa's love of cars, and so if there are any kids there, they might have a little entertainment :)

 yellow. happy. sunny.

 I love yellow!

 I think people will sit and eat and look at the photos and they will be a great conversation piece.

I love my grandparents.  I mean, everyone loves their grandparents, but my grandparents have been a HUGE part of my life.  They lived less than a mile from my childhood home.  They have been a safe haven, an example of a happy couple, a Christian example for me and the community.  Even now, I write to them every day.  Yes, I said every day.  I write them a 1-3 page letter every day sharing with them my day, what my girls are up to, plans, every day ordinary stuff.  They are a part of my life...in a big way.

Happy Anniversary!
Mel

Don't Judge

 Okay, don't judge me.
Yes, that IS a playdoh bucket holding the precious flowers for my grandparents celebration.
Sometimes, a mom just has to do what she has to do and use whatever she has available to her.
In this case, the only container I had to keep the flowers fresh and in water was this playdoh bucket.

I went to Kroger - they have thee best flowers - and bought 6 bundles (3 for $12) and one bunch of roses for $9.  $35.00 in fresh flowers but sooo beautiful.

I will share the first set of pictures soon.

Mel

The thing about kids...

 The thing that l love about kids so  much is their imaginations.  It doesn't matter that it's a Woodzeez bakery with two McDonald's toys and 3 Lego princesses.  It doesn't - they are all friends.

 Later, Lego Cinderella takes her carriage over to a Doug & Melissa dollhouse to have plastic food picnic with fairy friends, a ladybug bathtoy, and baby shower favor babies.  It works.  All their toys don't have to be perfectly matched.  Most kids don't care about that stuff and that's what makes it fun.

And dinosaurs can love Valentine's Day too.

Crepe Paper Should Be illegal

Source: m.birthdayexpress.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I'm sorry, but I don't like crepe paper.  It's fine for decorating a high school gym for a special basketball game, but that's about it.

There's something about it that just creeps me out.  It stretches and tears and gets all whipper wapper.  It's not the 1990s anymore.  Crepe paper should just go away like permed hair and bangs that are teased up.

It's just one of my pet-peevs.  I don't know why.  Maybe because growing up, it was the "go to" decoration??? I don't know.  I just don't like it.

You can do sooo many things to decorate inexpensively but still look beautiful.  So at my grandparents' celebration, you won't find crepe paper, but you will find a collection of clear bottles, fresh flowers, twigs, photocopies of pictures, and some really good food.

I will post pics soon.

Team Motivation

Team Motivation by melanieshanks on Polyvore

Sixty-Nine Years Together

Let me tell you a love story that began 69 years ago.  A boy and a girl fell in love.  They got married and had 8 children, including my mother.  This month, my grandparents celebrate 69 years together and my grandpa turns 90. 

The family is planning a celebration next weekend.  I volunteered to decorate (because I love to decorate parties and I love them!).

Winter is dragging on and on and on here in Ohio.  I decided we needed a sunny, happy, spring color - I chose YELLOW!  Here is my inspiration. 

I am doing pale yellow tablecloths with clusters of mismatched bottles with simple yellow flowers, feathers, and twigs.  Layered on top of a burlap table runner will be b&w copies of photos of the still happy couple.  I am adding vintage toy cars and birds to the tables.  The cars because Grandpa had always loved and worked on cars.  He loves Fords.  He works on Chevys hee hee (He is a Ford man through and through.)  Grandma loves birds, has birdfeeders outside her kitchen window, so that she can watch the birds while she does dishes.

I have a few days to pull this all together.  I have haunted every Goodwill in the area to find the glass bottles, which I will use for Rachel's graduation party in May.  My husband is out looking for the toy cars.  We are using birds that I used from my brother's woodland baby shower a couple years ago.  I will post pics next Monday.

Source: stylemepretty.com via Gabrielle on Pinterest

Source: nestfully.com via Melanie on Pinterest

 

Source: stylemepretty.com via Gabrielle on Pinterest

Source: chanzuiwa.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: wildrosevintage.blogspot.com via Jean on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Roya on Pinterest

Source: twitpic.com via Katelyn on Pinterest

{this is not my grandparents, but I do believe that their love story will never end.}

Not Lost

It's been a while.
Okay, okay. A looong while.
Life is busy.
I don't want to miss it stuck behind a computer.
I will post.
Not as often.
But I will.
I have ideas...lots of ideas.
See you soon
Mel