It's Strawberry Time!


I love this time of year! If it's not enough that the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing and the sun stays out until nine, just stop into your local grocer: the price of strawberries magically changes from about $5+/ box to $2/ box! I wait all year for this. I LOVE. love. L.O.V.E. strawberries! I found this adorable recipe online. Even though the picture above would be geared most towards the 4th, you could easily change the sprinkles color and use for a theme party or just to spice up your everyday. Enjoy!

Birthday Dilemma

I was reading one of my favorite blogs today {P is for Party} here, and she touched on something I am always curious about. Every year June comes and goes and I have the same internal conflict...

Is it tacky to plan your own birthday party?

I have historically checked the "yes" column, and passively left celebrating until someone else brings it up. But I have also been to some really fun parties where the host was the birthday girl? I went to one of my favorite websites, Emily Post's Etipedia, and as always found a lot of jewels, but nothing on this topic. I did love this quote...

"Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use."

-Emily Post

What do you think?

Dreaming of Party

Check out this ADORABLE party on Cookie Mondays, a modern twist on a party my mom did for me when I was this girl's age (no really go check it out, one picture cannot do it justice). I still remember it- the hats, the aprons, the messiness of it all. I think there is just something about littles cooking that is so precious! Oh how I wish I was born in the digital age so I could show you. Is it weird that minus the milk I would love to have this party again... now?!?! Attn: cupcake liner garland- WOW!

Speaking of WOW... Clay asked me one time in a marathon "stare at the stars" kind of convo what it would look like to me if we 'made it' (for ex. cars, dream house, dream wardrobe, travel, etc.). For me: I will totally know we have 'made it' when I get my party planning budget! How nice life will be when every year I can have "X" amount of dollars set aside to have all the parties I want... ahhh. I could go on and on about this, but when I have it I am planning a party where I can get one of these- Merry Maps.





This is one of my favs, but click on the pic to go to her AMAZING portfolio...

  

Meet Daley Harris. As far back as middle school I can remember her doodling beautiful lettering and pictures in English class and now, years later, her talent has blossomed into an amazing business! She makes custom, hand-lettered and illustrated maps of... anywhere you want. Her work is pure eye candy, I want one of her maps so bad! I wish we would have know about her for my wedding. If you are having an event- check her out, you won't be sorry! Or if you're like me, just check it out to gush... oh, and if you are having her do a map for your your party- will you invite me please?

Cake Cream Cones

I am constantly aware of my country club cowgirl conflict when it comes to cooking, baking, well the kitchen in general. I love eating out! No dishes, get out of the house, hustle/ bustle... really until about four years ago when the Bank of Dad closed, I really saw no benefit to cooking. Now the kitchen has become my own comical classroom, essential for life. A lot of my cooking still hovers around the sandwich level as far difficulty but with the help of my dear mother-in-law, Mammy and prayer of my best friend, I shoot for the fences occasionally. The fences being like homemade mashed potatoes, sad I know! Moving along... I have made a compromise with myself that in order to try a new recipe it has to meet at least two of the following criteria to keep my attention: cheap, fast, comfort food or mobile (unless entertaining I hate eating in kitchen!) Occasionally I veer from the norm when I come across fabulous PICNIC or PARTY food. 2011 is going to be the year of the picnic... I can feel it... more on that later. This definitely applies- check it out! Cake Cream Cones or for a play by play... Elizabeth Ann's Recipe Box. Enjoy!

The Monster in the Kitchen

Each year for Clay's birthday we plan a big party. I always justify the splurge saying it's for him- the kindest, most generous, best husband ever! And... I love an excuse to plan a good party! So a few months before his birthday this year I took out my little black book of party ideas to have the annual convo. As I cleared my throat to begin my brilliant plans, he politely told me the only thing he wanted for his birthday was to have friends out to the ranch for the weekend. Oh... okayyyy then. He checked with his family, made his guest list and like a good wife I sent out his evites. Wow, totally anti-climatic...

It was probably a few weeks later I had an epiphany... what the heck are we going to do out there in the middle of February with a dozen people? Oh and then there is that little budget thing... I totally panicked!

I took a few days... weeks of convincing but Clay finally got me on board with buying this automatic skeet/trap/clay thing? Despite looking a little scary and taking over my kitchen for a few weeks during the cold weather it is probably one the coolest things we have ever invested in! All you need is open space, "clay pigeons" (not to be confused with being pigeon shaped???) about $5/100 at any sporting goods store, gun/ammo and it powers through your car battery. Other than the initial cost of the machine we couldn't have spent more than $50 for people to shoot skeet the whole weekend... and it was really fun! There are a lot of games you can play (all somewhat resembling 'HORSE' in basketball) to keep larger numbers of people entertained. Touche Clay, genius! I never doubted you...

More info: Just click on the picture for the link at Cabela's. Disclaimer: It is huge and doesn't come apart (think 1/2 to 3/4 refrigerator, you need a truck bed to transport). You can also put a 'wobbler' on the bottom to make the skeet/trap more challenging, definitely something you can add later. Also, keep your eyes peeled at Walmart and K-mart for clay pigeons and shotgun shells to be on sale. Fun fact: If you want to sound like you know what you are talking about: a skeet course (kind of like golf course) is called "sporting clays", if the clay pigeons are being fired while moving away from you (shooting it before it gets out of distance) it's called "trap", if there are two machines shooting side to side in front of you its "skeet". This machine is considered a trap machine. I have learned a lot of un-fun facts about this stuff too if anybody is interested.

4/5/11
The Pioneer Woman wrote all about shooting trap this weekend... indulge in her adorable blog entry here.

Recipe for the Perfect Oscars Party

Last Sunday I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time with girlfriends watching the oscars... sweats, pizza, popcorn, a few drinks- the best kind of girls night! It never occured to me until the party was over that that here in West Texas nobody usually celebrates the Oscars... it must be a big city thing. Thinking back to all the amazing parties we have had over the years to comemorate the end of the award season, I can't help but feel it is my duty as the country club cowgirl to share my recipe for the perfect Oscar party. Here it goes-

Oscars Party

• Print one oscar ballot per guest before party(many websites have them- just google)
• Have guests come a few minutes before the start to watch red carpet and vote on each catagory
• Prize to winner of most correct (something like movie tickets or bottle of champagne)

These are the skeleton componets of party... you can get as fancy or as simple as you like. Some cute ideas from over the years include: sending out movie ticket shaped invites, attire: wear your formal wear or dress as your favorite movie star, prize to best dressed, ice breaker: label people as different celebrities on their back as they come in (have them ask questions to fellow guests about who they are until they figure it out), place red carpet from sidewalk to front door of your house, have old hollywood themed party. You can do so many easy things.

Click here to see a cute example of a fancy oscars party.

Next year try your own and if you have any new cute ideas, I would love to hear! Happy planning!

City Girl Secret #1- Wedding Blogs

It is not uncommon for a friend to stop by or call only to find me buzzing about yet another wedding blog. The conversation that follows usually goes something like this:

...how long ago was it that you got married? ...3 years this summer

oh... ahhh, who's getting married? ...no one

then why are you looking at that? you must really like weddings...

Well, yes. I do. The day of our nuptials was dream-like, probably even my favorite day ever and I love sharing others special days too. If I had ANY decision-making skills I may have even considered planning myself. BUT, the reason I look at wedding blogs is inspiration! Wedding blogs are the best FREE design resource for... flowers, fashion, table arranginging, decorating, gifts, it goes on and on... weddings are detailed, well documented, span all budgets and mostly importantly- are filled with tons of DIY ideas.

City Girl Secret: You do not need a design team to stay in vogue... just master the art of copying from great design sources. Check out my favorites on my 'to inspire & encourage' links... if you know of any others, let me know, I am always trying to find new ones!

On a different note, for any anthropologie lovers like me, they just started a new wedding line BHLDN- absolutely beautiful, check it out!

Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

-Coco Chanel