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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Wedding Wednesday: 'Winter Wonderland' Dessert Tables . . .

Spring, Summer, & Fall may steal most of the brides with their promise of pretty flowers, warm sunshine, & glorious colored leaves, but there is just something truly magical about a wedding in the winter.

Most often set indoors if the venue is in a colder climate, nuptials in December, January, & Feburary bring with them the enchantment of twinkly lights on white trees, roaring fireplaces, & toasty hot cocoa bars . . . perfect for escaping the winter chill and blankets of white snow during those blistery months.

I love the thought of a 'winter wonderland' theme; white on white is so classy & appealing . . . throw in a little turquoise & silver and you have downright delightfulness.  These dessert tables ought to provide you with plenty of inspiration, and would perfectly suit a winter shower or holiday party (even New Year's) too, don't you think?  Take a look . . .


White on white delight . . .



And a little lavender . . .



A feathery white owl looks fabulous too . . .


Pastel perfection . . .








And a little fashion winterey vintage glam for you as well . . .


Ahhh, I just love sparkly snowflakes and winter magic!!  And there is nothing like a warm & inviting interior to keep out that blustery winter chill! Photobucket

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tutorial Tuesday: Green Gift Series . . . All-Purpose Cleaner & a Printable Label!


The holidays are fast approaching and the price of presents can pile up quickly.  That's why we are taking care of you with this sweet little gift idea for a friend or teacher that is homemade with love, wallet-friendly, and 100% natural.

Over the next couple of weeks, we are going to focus our Tutorial Tuesday on 'green gifts' . . . thoughtful & harsh-chemical free, these gifts will last your loved ones straight through until Spring cleaning time and have them begging for more once they run out.

This week we are going to kick things off with a recipe for 'Gorgeously Green' All-Purpose Cleaner.  And if you stick around to the end of the post, you will find the link to our Juneberry Lane custom Printable Label!  Take a look . . .

100% Natural All-Purpose Cleaner

Sophie Uliano, author of Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life , doesn't use conventional all-purpose cleaning sprays—she makes her own cleaner with nontoxic ingredients. Her cleaner cuts grease, germs and grime and saves her money too!  Sophie says you can use this spray on just about everything, including refrigerators, countertops, walls, doorknobs, toilet seats and sinks.

Ingredients:

~ 28-32 ounce plastic spray bottle.  I like these from the Dollar Tree:
~ 2 cups water
~ 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
~ 1 teaspoon pure castile soap (peppermint is a favorite-you can buy a 16 oz bottle at Target)
~ 3/4 cup hydrogen peroxide
~ 20 drops tea tree oil
~ 20 drops of lavender or lemongrass essential oil

Directions: 

Simply fill a large 32-ounce plastic spray bottle with the water. Add the vinegar, castile soap, hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil and lavender or lemongrass essential oil. Lavender is lovely for the bathroom spray and lemongrass for the kitchen, so make two separate bottles at the same time. In the hot summer months, add about 10 drops of citronella essential oil to the spray, as it is an excellent insect repellent.

This spray is suitable for acrylic, ceramic tile, wood, marble and granite.

And a few more all-purpose pretties . . .





Want a label all your own?  Check out this Juneberry Lane 'Green Gift' exclusive version, perfect for the holidays:


Available to customize with your 'kitchen's' name and sent to you as a PDF or JPEG printable file, so you can print as many as you need!  Just visit the Juneberry Lane Etsy shop to order yours today!

For around $40-$50 total (and that includes all of your ingredients, bottles, & labels) you will be able to make several bottles of these, so you can get an adorably affordable and ever-so-thoughtful gift for all of those people you want to say a sweet 'thank you' to and avoid that run-of-the mill candle in a jar this Christmas.  And stay tuned over the next couple of weeks for more homemade gifts ideas coming your way! Photobucket

Monday, November 28, 2011

Baby Elephant Gender Reveal Party . . . and a New Line of Invitations, YAY!



Whew, I have finally returned from our vacation in Big Bear Lake, California, which has become a November tradition for our family . . . and a fun one at that!  You can never have enough glasses of wine by the roaring fire, yummy homemade dinners, and delicious pancake breakfasts, in my opinion.

And although I am sad to see our little 'winter wonderland' trip come to an end, I am so excited to bring you this new line of 'Baby Elephant' Gender Reveal Invitations, available in the shop and ready to custom order!

And as always, we have provided you with a little inspiration to kick off your party right!  Now first things first, you absolutely MUST make this garland if you plan on having any type of 'Elephant' involved in the theme of your special event . . .


And these would make the most adorable Gender Reveal cakes, don't you think?



Or go ahead and make them cupcakes or cookies instead!  



And the sweetest cake topper . . .


You just knew Jonathan Adler would make the perfect salt & pepper shakers for the big day, right?


And these perfect little gifts (also from Jonathan Adler) make the most fabulous gifts for the mom-to-be!  This statue would steal the show in the nursery . . .


Or you could choose the ornament version!



A few other amazing gift ideas . . .



And our new line of gender reveal invitations . . .


These invitations, along with many more designs, are available right now in the Juneberry Lane Etsy Shop and can be tailored to suit whatever kind of event you are throwing . . . from a Gender Reveal, to a Baby Shower, to a Birthday Party, of course! 

Don't see the theme you're looking for?  Well, we'll custom design it for you!  And we'll even do your Christmas cards too, if you are in a handy-dandy DIY mood this holiday season!!  Fa la la la la!!!!
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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Thank you for making this year a special one and for all of your kind words, love, & encouragement!  I have had so much fun creating with you and I cannot wait for all of the fun projects & amazing parties that lie ahead!!!  Have a wonderful day!!!!!!!!!

Photo: Crystal, apumpkinandaprincess.blogspot.com
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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Tutorial Tuesday: Thanksgiving Place Cards - Rustic, Simple, & Scene-Stealing!


What's great about Thanksgiving is that you really don't need too much to really spice up the details.  A pretty mantel, a gorgeous table runner, a fab centerpiece, and sweet little place cards like these and you will be all set!

What I love about pre-planned seating is that you can make sure none of your guests have to worry about where they should sit; no one has to spend a second thinking about whether a couple wants to sit next to each other or a child next to a parent!

Now don't worry, I know you are busy getting all of those last minute groceries and stressing out about what time to put the bird in the oven, so I am making sure to keep it simple with a fun project to add some rustic glam to your table, with very minimal fuss.

But first, some inspiration of course!  Pinecones are easy to find and always a hit . . .


Even more so when you add glitter, of course . . .


Feathers are ALL the rage this season . . .


And a pumpkin three ways!





These little buggers make me so angry when I am out taking my son for a walk in his stroller, so getting some use out of them instead of just getting them caught in the wheels makes them somewhat bearable . . .


Simple not your thing?  Okay, go ahead and get a little crafty . . .




Or scale it back, find a pretty leaf and use a paint marker; easy-peasy and still elegant & beautiful . . .



Paper leaves will do the trick too . . .




Now that you are feeling totally convinced that you absolutely cannot have another dinner party without place cards, let's get to the DIY business!  Thanks to eab designs, we have this sweet little leaf tutorial . . . and even a free leaf template so you don't have to rely on your drawing skills!  Here's what you do . . .


PAPER LEAF PLACE CARDS

Supplies you will need:
~ heavy paper in whatever color you prefer (the above pic is 67 lb card stock in cream)
~ scissors
~ chalk ink (optional, but it makes the gorgeous 'burned' edge look-or you can actually burn the edges if you trust yourself with the matches.  Be careful & go outside:)
~ bone folder (optional-it scores the leaf and gives it that three dimensional look.  You can buy these for very cheap at Michael's or your local craft store, but if you don't have time, just use anything you have without a sharp edge - like the back of a butter knife or the rounded side of a pen or paintbrush.)
~ marker
~acorns, pears, or pinecones  and twine (optional-if you want to tie your leaves to something rustic)

Directions (from eab designs)

1.) Print out the template on card stock (I used 67 lb paper in cream), and then cut out each leaf.

You can find your free leaf template HERE

I have two great tips for cutting intricate curves.  The first is to maneuver the paper as you cut, not the scissors.  Secondly, a small pair of scissors will be your best friend.  I love these curved ones from Fiskars.  They are available at Michael's for under $10 and I use mine all the time.


2.) After I cut the leaves out, I add my guests' names and then dab chalk ink on the edges to give them a bit of color.  For a more three dimensional effect, I score the center using a bone folder and straight edge. Gently fold the crease toward the center of the leaf and with your fingers curl up the edges slightly here and there.

3.) Your guests' names can be added by freehand, or you can open the template in photoshop, or another software program, and add the names there using the font of your choice.

The leaves can be used alone, or tied to a fall decoration.  Above I've used felted acorns and jute twine.  Pine cones, walnuts or a fresh pear would also be nice.  You can even rest them on top of a wine glass.


As usual, its the little details that steal the show; and the best part about most of these place card ideas is that you can get the kids out of your holiday-planning hair for a bit by sending them off on a backyard treasure hunt for your supplies!!! Photobucket