A Beautiful Outdoor Oasis Party & Pier 1 Giveaway! #Pier1OutdoorParty #MC #Sponsored

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Pier 1 Imports. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and to thank me for participating. 

Anyone who knows me knows how I love entertaining with  pretty fresh flowers, easy food and yummy drinks. And with summer vacation for the kids arriving soon, I thought it would be so fun to gather together a group of 6 girlfriends for food, fun and laughter before we all scatter for the summer with various vacation plans with our families. Although the late afternoon sky threatened rain, {and it was actually lightly sprinkling when I took these pictures}, it did miraculously clear off and reveal some bright sunshine so that our Friday evening party could go ahead as planned...which made me super happy. And with help from Pier 1 Imports, I was able to create a beautiful, bright & comfortable outdoor oasis for entertaining friends.

Come and have a look at this lovely evening!

Our outdoor oasis included lots of cozy seating with pretty blue floral cushions.

 

And no party is complete without fresh flowers. I love big & bold vases and this large seagrass netting vase is gorgeous for showcasing flowers.

I served one of my favorite summer time drinks....basil watermelon lemonade in these great acrylic stemless goblets with turquoise straws. This lemonade is such a refreshing change from the usual.

And I served lots of finger foods: veggie crudites and dip on platters, with some gorgeous paper napkins and paper plates, which make for fast & easy cleanup for a busy hostess.

And I love serving some of my favorite crispy crackers in a basket bowl with cheesy dips.

And to finish off, I offered lots of colourful fresh fruit with a cream cheese & yogurt dip in a pretty yellow bowl.

And no party is over without some yummy cream puffs!

It turned out to be a perfectly beautiful evening with lots of hilarious stories and uproarious laughing.

I love hanging with friends. And outdoor parties are the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of summer after a long winter.

As a busy mom, it is sometimes hard to find time for a little fun. But with summer here, I really have to look no further than the pretty outdoor oasis that is my back deck. And with friends, easy food and drink, there is no place I would rather be on a warm summer evening!

To help you celebrate summer, Pier 1 is giving 1 lucky reader a $25 gift card {across multiple blogs}so you may enjoy your own outdoor oasis!
To Enter To Win A $25 Pier 1 Gift Card, you must be 18, live in Canada and leave a comment below telling me you would like to buy for your outdoor oasis. Please make sure that there is a valid email attached to your email. Giveaway ends June 16, 2014 at midnight EST.
Good Luck!

Would you like to see more ideas for creating a beautiful outdoor oasis?

Check out my friends' lovely parties:

Satori Design For Living, AKA Designs, A Pretty Life in the Suburbs, Fynes Designs, 
Brooklyn Berry Designs, Inspire Me Heather, Suburble. 

This post is linked to:
Work It Wednesday, I Gotta Create,, I`m Lovin` It, Inspiration Gallery, Weekend Retreat, The Party Bunch, Tatertots & Jello, Link Party Palooza, Monday Funday, Under The Table & Dreaming, Time To Sparkle,

A Beautiful Table for Mother's Day

I adore pretty tables, and with Mother's Day just around the corner, a lovely table in shades of purple is perfect for any Spring brunch or lunch. There is nothing better than a home-cooked meal and great company to make a meal special. Ever since Pantone announced  the colour of the year, Radiant Orchid, I have been positively dying to create something with it. And what a wonderful way to celebrate Mother's Day and create something special by using a fresh colour scheme.

For this table, I created a table favor of a plant pot...painted with radiant orchid and nestling a small plant within.

  I added some gardening twine and a small stamped tag to create the prettiest little take-home plant.

Radiant Orchid is the perfect partner for a fresh green plant, don't you think?

And adorning the table for a centerpiece are pretty pieces of clean, sparkling glass in various shades of purple...all of them picked up at Goodwill for a song.

I think that a wonderful table makes guest feel so special...

and makes food taste better too, don't you think?

I think that of all the tablescapes that I have shared on this blog over the years, this table is my favourite to date. It just is.

 Creating this table was so fun....from painting the pots, to creating a centerpiece with Goodwill dishes, to photographing the sparkling dishes in the delicate sunlight that arrived at just the right time.

To create this pretty table, I used Sunlight-The Lemon One to  achieve a beautiful, sparkling table.

I have used Sunlight for years because I can count on it to deliver clean & sparkling dishes every single time! It's a brand that I use and love for my family's dishes and laundry. It never lets me down.

Disclosure- Thank you so much to Sunlight for generously sponsoring this post. However, as always, I only work with products/brands that I love and use in my own home. All opinions on this blog are my own.


This post is linked up with:
Tatertots and Jello, Link Party Palooza. Block Party,Monday Funday, Our Sunday Best Showcase, The Scoop, Tips & Tutorials Tuesday, I'm Lovin' It, Inspiration Gallery, Between Naps on the Porch, Weekend Re-Treat Link Party, 

A Sunny Yellow Table to Warm Up Winter

Tomorrow is February 1st! That means that Spring is that much closer! Instead of waiting for Spring to arrive, I decided this week to create a pretty yellow table to lift our spirits and celebrate the sunshine despite  freezing cold temperatures. I find that I crave yellow in winter...it makes me feel warm inside. Fresh yellow flowers are a wonderful way to add beauty to any table...they just radiate happiness! And the combination of pretty yellow flowes along with clean dishes  can create a table that sparkles.

The first step in my quest for a beautiful yellow table was to make an arrangement with one of my favourite flowers...gerbera daisies. Daisies are one of my favourite flowers.

And to surround the yellow, I chose some white and green flowers, along with some curly willow.

Along with the help of my friend Peggy, we created a bowl of loveliness for the table.

I used layers of white, blue and yellow dishes for each place setting. 

Each place setting also got it's own little bouquet of yellow flowers embellished with ribbon and a napkin.

Sparkling water goblets and cutlery finish the table.

Something that is important when creating a pretty table for guests is clean, sparkling dishes. 

There is nothing worse than trying to set a table and having to stop and re-wash dishes that are supposed to be clean.

That's why I have used Sunlight-The Lemon One,  for years.

I like how Sunlight cuts the grease and cleans dishes right the first  time, so when I  set a table, I know that all of the dishes I reach for are perfectly clean.

And I also love the fresh lemon scent of the dish soap. I find it invigorating and it's a smell that I associate with being clean.

So they next time you are creating a pretty table, whether it be for special occasion or just because, remember that Sunlight-The Lemon One can help you achieve a beautiful, sparkling table where you can rest assured that your family or guests are sitting down to clean, shiny dishes.

Disclosure-I partnered with Sunlight to create this post. However, as always, I only work with products/brands that I love and use in my own home. All opinions on this blog are my own.



This post is linked to:
Tatertots and Jello, Link Party Palooza,Monday Funday, That DIY Party, The Sunday Best Showcase,Tip Me Tuesday,  Time To Sparkle, Tuesday Talent Show, Gingersnap Crafts,  Home Stories A to Z, It's Overflowing, Wildly Creative Party,Work It Wednesday, Party Bunch Linky Party, Under  The Table & Dreaming,  It's Overflowing,  Block Party,

Pretty Christmas Table Favors or Gifts

 I love, love, love table favors! They can take plain dishes and a plain table from ordinary to extra-ordinary with just a little effort...but the effect can often be stunning! I was on the search this year for a pretty table favor for our Christmas dinner this year which will include 6-7 people. I knew that I wanted a table favor to meet 2 requirements...first-chocolate and second-big enough to look pretty on a plate. And I think this fits the bill and it is very easy to make!

All you need to start is a stack of your favourite good quality chocolate bars. I used these...a favourite of mine.

 Then I wrapped them in this printed craft wrapping paper that I found at Walmart.

 And with a stamp, tags and baker's twine...

 I had sweet little favors in no time at all!

 These are even cute enough to hand out as little gifts for teachers or at the office, don't you think?

And when added to a dinner plate, along with a decorated cloth napkin, they are so pretty!

And this project is easy enough that elementary age kids could handle it!

 To me, they are a perfect little touch to make a place setting shine!

And who can't resist a pretty table that smells faintly of chocolate?

What a fabulous take home treat too!

How about you? Have you started making plans for your Christmas dinner?

And if you happen to be visiting from the US...Happy Thanksgiving!

If you are looking for more inspiration, don't forget to visit some of my favourite boards on Pinterest:

Christmas Decor

Christmas Mantels To Love

Pretty Christmas Packaging

And some of my other projects like this DIY Ribbon Flower Wreath:

Thank you so much for visiting!

This post is linked to:
Savvy Southern Style, I Gotta Create, Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons, Between Naps on the Porch, The Party Bunch,  Party Junk, Christmas Wonderful Link Party, Super Saturday Show & Tell, The DIY Showoff, Monday Funday Linky Party, Block Party, Our Sunday Best, Inspiration Monday, The Sunday Showcase,  Homestories A to Z, Time To Sparkle, Chef-In-Training, One Project At A Time, Show Me What You Got,  The DIY Dreamer, Gingersnap Crafts, I'm Lovin It, Inspire Me Please, Homemade Gift & Wrap Party, All Things Christmas Link Party, 

10 Lovely Spring Brunch Ideas

I am so ready for some spring weather these days. We are still getting snow where I live.  I am so very tired of snow. I found myself dreaming of pretty tables for Spring brunches, so I thought I would share some lovely Spring brunch ideas with you.

First of  all, I can't wait for my peonies to bloom so I can have a Peony Brunch for Two.

I love the simplicity of this Lovely Buffet, with gorgeous yellow flowers.

I adore the fresh greens & blues of this Garden Party Theme.

Another brunch idea in Cheery Yellow. I'll take one of those bright yellow runners please.

And there is always something so romantic and sweet about a Wonderful White Table

And who can not love this Simple Flowers Table?

How about this fun Spring Breakfast Pizza Party?

And fresh flower lend so much to a stunning Casual Table.

I can't wait to take things outside for a casual brunch like this Pretty In Pink Picnic.

Or even set out patio table for an easy brunch outside.

I think the take away from all of these ideas is that FRESH FLOWERS can make the table shine, don't you think?

And of all of these tables, which one was your fav?

If you are looking for some more ideas, you can also visit these boards on Pinterest:
Pretty Tables To Love
Picnics To Love
Tea Parties To Love

 

This post is linked to these parties:
Lolly Jane, Home Stories A to Z, Inside Bru Crew Life, Savvy Southern Style, Lil Luna, The DIY Dreamer, StoneGable, The 36th Avenue, I Gotta Create, Rae Gun Ramblings, Tidy Mom, Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons, Jennifer Rizzo, Craftberry Bush, The Frugal Girls, Becoming Martha, Tatertots and Jello, Somewhat Simple,