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Something captivatingly beautiful...

i have narrowed down the paint choices for grady's room. here are the finalists:

and a picture of them in the room....with and without the flash:

a look at my daughter charlotte's birthday party, which was held a little while ago at my house:

the theme was "pajamas, pancakes and pedicures".
the girls showed up in their pajamas, and we had breakfast and then all the girls got pedicures. it was perfect for 10 year old girls!

the inspiration for the party color scheme was the floral fabric, which i found in the clearance section at joann's for $2 a yard! i loved the different shades of pink and raspberry and purple. i thought it seemed girly and sophisticated. i decided to use muted shades of pinks and purples, and tossed in a little gold and black and cream.

i tied bunches of coordinating balloons to the chandelier with coordinating ribbon. 

the "10" was made from pictures of charlotte throughout the years...it was so fun to look at, we kept it up for almost a week after the party.

the flowers really make the table special. i was lucky to find them at my local grocery store! 

the colored candy was purchased at a party supply store.

i brought a fabric sample to the bakery, and they matched the colors. the cake only cost $16.

charlotte wanted sparklers instead of candles.

as a party favor, each girl got a pedicure set (from the dollar store) and a gift bag.

i hired a gal to come and give pedicures to the girls. they LOVED it! i bought some large cheap bowls from the dollar store, and filled them with warm, soapy water. each girl soaked her feet while she waited for her pedicure.

my husband was a little reluctant to let us use sparklers on the birthday cake, so we stood next to an open door while we sang happy birthday...it was totally fun and cute, and the sparklers didn't leave any ashes or residue on the cake at all (which i feared)! it turned out great. we let the kids light the leftover sparklers outside.

the finished toes....

and, the birthday girl, charlotte.

the invitations...

i just printed out the invite on a plain ivory card and added the colored strips of paper at the bottom, which i sort of "weaved" to give a 3d effect. i lined the envelopes with gold wrapping paper.

the party favors:

i bought 1/2 yard of fabric and sewed the bags myself. the purple flower is actually a hair band, and was purchased at the dollar store.

inside the gift bag was a little tin filled with candy, some bubbles, and two mini bottles of nail polish.

happy birthday charlotte!

how is is possible that thanksgiving is next week?!

where (for REAL) did the time go? thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. not only is the food amazing (count me IN on ANY meal in which mashed potatoes is a must!), but i love that it is a time

to kick back, relax, be with family, and focus on our blessings. since we moved from the south, our little family has had thanksgiving by ourselves. it's a lot of work to cook an entire thanksgiving meal all by myself, but it's a chore i have come to love. 

however, after spending 2 days straight in the kitchen, i have found that i have no energy to make the table look pretty. i love looking at pictures of pretty tables, and fantasizing that maybe THIS year is the year i will not only cook thanksgiving dinner all by myself, but i ALSO manage to decorate a fiercely beautiful table....

here are some of my inspirations:

i really like the simple look and textures on this table. did you notice the subtle stripes on top of the burlap runner? SO pretty.

the herringbone napkins, bark chargers, faux bois textured plate, and gold silverware on this table setting are seriously making me weak in the knees. LOVE.

 a few of these homemade votives would look great...

i have a ton of branches in my yard, and vases like these are super easy to find.

 this table scape is sophisticated and simple. i like the mix of metallics.
(via project wedding)

( via heavenly blooms blog)

 i have always loved the way these white tulips look against the aspen bark. so simple and monochromatic, with so much texture. 

i really like the orange roses and very traditional feel here.

 aren't the colors in this arrangement GORGEOUS? *sigh.

the orange and peach roses (my faves) look amazing with the bright green and deep purples.
(via style me pretty.)

via cottage living.


 the soft green pumpkins are so pretty paired with the yellow gourds, orange pumpkins and other natural elements.
(via williams sonoma blog)

SO many pretty choices, so little time and motivation.

hmmm. if i start RIGHT now, i just might be able to pull something off.

joss and main recently invited me to curate a sales event, which will begin next tuesday, november 22. 

the theme will be "home for the holidays" and will include a "little bit of everything" you need to update or completely transform your home in time for the upcoming holidays.

save the date!

and just in case you forget, i PROMISE i will remind you!

if you aren't a member of joss and main, click here to get started.

image via Tumblr