Peppermint Wreath

I was flipping through this month's issue of Better Homes and Gardens and on page 39 I saw this really fun peppermint candy wreath. This inspired me to try and make my own so I went to Michael’s today and picked up a few things to get started. I'm not finished with this yet, it takes some time for the glue to dry so you're attaching the candy in stages, but thought I'd go ahead and post a couple pictures since I'm so behind on blogging. My apologies for the delay, but it's been a crazy week and I still have so much to do before the 25th! :) And since I won't be posting until after Christmas I thought it would be best to go ahead and share this in case it should give you a last minute gift idea. This little wreath would make the perfect holiday hostess gift... in fact that's what I intend to do with mine once it's finished! :)

Christmas planning is underway!

Hello dear readers!

I hope that each and every one of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  As for us, we spent 4 days enjoying family, friends, food and good times.  I've been battling a sinus infection (yuck), but let me tell you, that didn't stop me from having a great time with loved ones this past week.  Since just this past Wednesday, my husband and I have enjoyed: a date night at Empire State South (read about sister restaurant 5 and 10 in one of my Athens-centered posts, here), a performance by Yacht Rock Revue - y'all recall how we love this band! - at classic Atlanta haunt Smith's Old Bar, two days of family get-togethers, and a smashing wedding reception for one of my oldest friends and his lovely bride (they married about a month ago on a mountain-top in the northeast - how romantic is that?)  Oh, and lest I forget, we also enjoyed watching another delicious win (4 in a row, to be exact) for our beloved Georgia Bulldogs over in-state rival Georgia Tech.  It was a great weekend for the Forlines!
 

The Hostess Gift That Keeps on Growing!

Two years ago, I was given a lovely baby shower by some very dear friends of mine. I've been friends with most of these girls since high school, actually some of the friendships go back to our elementary days. Needless to say, we're all tight so when they offered to throw a shower for me, I knew I had to give them a hostess gift that would be special. I wanted to give them something unique, something that required a little thought and effort. Now, most days I doubt my creative abilities, but I must say I really love the idea I came up with and better yet, it was all mine. :)

So this is going to sound random, but I love succulents. You know, those plants that are water-retaining and do well in dry climates. The most common of them are aloe and agave but my favorite succulent would be the Hens and Chicks. I found this description of them on the website, About.com. The article was written by David Beaulieu who gives a much better description then I could...

Hens and chicks plants are mat-forming succulents that produce clusters of rosettes. The parent rosettes are the "hens," and the smaller rosettes that spring from them are the "chicks" or "chickens.

Love the vibrant green color of these Hens and Chicks.

A darn good (and darn easy) salsa "recipe"

Here I am, once again blogging days past our weekly blog release date (which is Friday, for those of you not in-the-Buncolator know).  Let me just confess that I have been on summer time for some time now (and in my world that's similar to what some call beach time, island time, or lake time). 

This picture is really just perfect, as I absolutely love flamingoes.  So happy and so pink.

A stove-top cover? What a fabulous idea! Plus a white wine spritzer that will knock your socks off!

Several days ago my sister had her first wedding shower which was given by some of my parents' very dear friends who went above and beyond to make her day a very special one! From the adorable bride and groom center piece to the delicious food, these women thoroughly outdid themselves and it was so appreciated. This same group of ladies even threw a shower for me when I was a bride-to-be. What can I say, we love these families and we're so grateful for all they've done for us over the years!

Free Bunco Party Printables!

So Catherine's and my good friend Amanda over at Dixie Delights gave us the heads up on a fabulous deal for all our readers.... free Bunco party printables!  Dixie Delights, by the way, is a too-much blog that is one of my personal faves - and surely you recall that I define too much as too fabulous, or in other words, just perfect.  Anyway, the printables are absolutely adorable, and hey, did we mention they're free?  :o)  

Be it ever so humble.... it still deserves a gift

"Home is an invention on which no one has yet improved."  Ann Douglas

As most of our readers know, my husband and I just moved into a new home (and yes, I have already had our Bunco group here to appropriately christen it)!  We are loving it, especially

Welcome Baby Forlines!

I’m pleased to announce that Lindsay had her baby! A perfectly healthy, beautiful, snuggly, cuddly, little boy who was born June 22^nd at 6:13 PM. Lindsay’s trip to the hospital went smoothly and

A perfect spot for gaming, a la Eddie Ross

If any of you have not heard of Eddie Ross, well, Catherine and I are glad to be the ones to share news of him with you!  Now the creative force behind a design studio, columns in Southern Living (you know my feelings on that publication!)

Calligraphy.... maybe a little fancy for our usual Bunco nights, but....

OK, OK, we admit.... we know you are not going to generally send out fancy invitations with calligraphy for your monthly Bunco nights (us neither!).  But we just can't help but love the swirls and intricacy of a hand-lettered envelope or place card for a special event.  It just gives paper goods that little extra oomph, you know?  And we believe that calligraphy should be utilized far more often than just for weddings.  Try it for your next wedding/baby shower, holiday soiree, or girls' only event - we know your guests will love it.  The tone such beautiful handwriting sets is memorable, and your invitees will know a truly special occasion awaits them.

A lover of all things paper-related, Lindsay had always wanted to try her hand - pun intended :o) - at calligraphy.  So she decided to research taking a class.  First things first, who knew about all the gorgeous styles out there?  Italics, Pointed Pen/Copperplate, contemporary... they are all just lovely, with their own personality.  Lindsay chose Pointed Pen/Copperplate for its traditional vibe and gorgeous swirls... plus, Lindsay wants to add some extra "flair" to her capital letters, once she has the basics down pat of course, and Copperplate lends itself nicely to extra flourishes.

For about the past month, Lindsay has been making a weekly trip over to the beautiful Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta for her class.  At the start of the course, Lindsay was delighted to find that the instructor, the uber-talented Mrs. Carol Gray, is her neighbor.  Carol's talent at calligraphy is unbelievable - she could take even words like "potato" or "garbage can" and make them glamorous.  The class itself has been just wonderful as well; Carol breaks the sessions into learning the strokes for related sets of letters, and she is a constant encouragement as her students practice their words and phrases.  She also shares the insider tips and tricks, such as must-have equipment like light boxes, special inks and paper, and nibs.  Always adding to the fun, the class has been full of personable and eager fellow students, creating a perfect environment for learning such a delicate and challenging art.  

If you are interested in taking a calligraphy course in the Atlanta area, you simply MUST check out Carol's class:

Callanwolde's Summer 2011 Course Catalog

(Callanwolde also offers a host of other great classes - if you have an interest in art, music, writing, or dance, take the time to peruse their offerings). 

And if you have a special event for which you want to utilize calligraphy services, do yourself a favor and contact Carol.  Her talent, dedication, and kind demeanor make her a true professional.

Carol's website

Last, we would be remiss if we did not mention what a gorgeous site Callanwolde is - the mansion itself and the lush grounds are breathtaking.  Don't forget to consider it for your next special event!  (We are biased, we'll admit - Lindsay's wedding reception was there).

Have a wonderful weekend!