Slow Start (But Here I Go!)

Hi everyone,

Hope your week is off to a good start!  I am hoping to tackle a little project that I have had in the works since January....yep, January!  I need to make some changes to our master bedroom and I have put off doing so because I would like to paint the walls.  However, it's been a weird and crazy year, and for many reasons, I simply am unable to get that piece of the project done.  Boo!

But.....................I surveyed the situation the other day, and the supplies that I have gathered to transform my room actually look ok with the current wall color.  So, instead of feeling annoyed with our bedroom and it's current state, I am going to move forward and do a little re-do sans paint!

Our master currently looks dark, drab, and just not the cozy space I was hoping for.  You can see for yourself here.  The bedding is very pretty, but it is just soooo heavy and overpowering.  Especially for the summer months.  At Christmas time, I picked up a white matelasse coverlet and also some pretty Chalet linens from Pottery Barn on clearance.  I shared that with you here. I also have a Pottery Barn Martine toile coverlet and shams that I am going to work into the mix.

So finally, after much procrastination, I am starting tomorrow to stitch up (well, fusible web!) some drapery panels and taking those first steps towards changing our room to a new vibe. Hope to share those with you in a day or two.  Fingers crossed!

Many projects, so little time! What are you working on these days?

Thanks for stopping by,

Jane

Early Summer Blooms

Summer has been slow to come to Wisconsin this year, but I think the weather has been turning around the past few days!  I still haven't "summerized" the yard completely, but there are a few blooms and pretty things happening at the Bluebird household.  

Love this little baker's rack, near our front sitting area.  I haven't used red in recent summers in front, but I really like it this year! It just is so cheery.

Our club chair sitting area at the front of the house.  I have several sets of cushions for these chairs, but have opted to keep things simple for awhile.  I am planning on putting my red paisley cushions out this week for the fourth though......(simplicity is coming to an end)!

A little snippet of our backyard as you come through the arbor.  Three of our hostas are being a little poky this year, but look at the beauty to the left - gorgeous.

Our firepit is just beyond the arbor and is so relaxing both night and day.  It really takes in the vista of our backyard.  The Pottery Barn bolsters are new this summer, and I am kind of liking the fact that they are a bit oversized.

This maple tree was grown from a "helicopter" that seeded itself in my daughter's sandbox at our old house.
We scooped it up into a coffee can, added some dirt, and nurtured it for a year before we could plant it at this house.  Thirteen years later, it is a glorious tree - and a special reminder of her childhood.  Below it, I have two "little girl" garden statues - another reminder of our once little girl!

A cozy lounger near our patio door.  The zinnias behind it are starting to take off and should fill in to a pretty little hedge in a month or so.  Love zinnias!  The two blue mercury glass gazing balls are part of a three piece set and light up at night.  Their shimmer is so relaxing to watch after a long day.

My Pier One Casbah chairs from last summer.  They stayed out all winter and still look like brand new! I absolutely adore them - and with their cushions, they are incredibly comfy!

This year's window box arrangement for our garden shed.  I love my little ceramic kitty peeking out the window.  I have had him for over thirty years and he is one of my prized possessions.

I found an absolutely fabulous garden center this year for my hanging baskets.  The man who owns the shop grows everything from seed and/or cuttings from the prior year's plants.  I had driven past this nursery for years, just assuming I could not afford his prices - that's how beautiful his hanging baskets are.  But, this year has been a tough year for annual plants in my neck of the woods and so many places had absolutely horrible looking baskets.  So on a whim, I stopped in and was amazed at his terrific prices.  Huge, lush baskets for 1/3 of the price I would pay anywhere else.  So happy I stopped in, and I have sent many friends his way also.

I also found this sweetie pie resting on a fence post yesterday and just had to take his pic.  Lots of robins in our part of the state.

I plan on having more yard & garden shots once everything is in place and things have fluffed out a bit more.
Mr. Bluebird thought I should show a picture of his new tv he bought for our pavilion today, because, well, he thinks it's incredible!  But, the blog isn't called "Mr. Bluebird 1959" and we aren't going to be passing off a tv as something pretty! Just sayin..................(but, I am happy for him and his new tv)!

Thanks for stopping by,
Jane

Linking with:
Wow Us Wednesday

Summer Lovin'

Hi everyone!

It is a glorious summer's day here in Wisconsin.  We haven't had too many warm days so far, but today, aahhh today, is just heavenly!  We have had tons of rain which has made all of the plants, trees, and grasses very, very happy and every thing is looking quite lush.

I am a huge candle/fragrance addict fan and summer time is no exception.  I normally am drawn to warm, spicy scents like cinnamon, hollyberry, etc.  But in the hotter months, I like to bring out a little tropicana.  Mr. Bluebird gave me a Yankee Candle Bahama Breeze this past Christmas and we finally lit it up the other night outside for some summery ambiance.

The scent is a pineapple, mango, and grapefruit combo.  Fresh, light, and it reminds of a fruity umbrella drink.  Just the right scent for hot, summer nights - either outdoors or in.

My other home fragrance that I am grooving on this summer is Glade Scented Oil Plug In Cotton Candy.  I bought it on a whim, and *omg alert* I am in love! IN LOVE.  I like to use the scented oil burners in our guest room and lower level bar/family room since those are rooms we don't use regularly and it helps keep them smelling fresh.  The Cotton Candy has a vanilla undertone that I just can't enough of, yet it is soft and cool at the same time.  I am heading to the store and stocking up on these! Heavenly!

Now, nothing replaces fresh air, cooling breezes, and all that mumbo jumbo - that is the best.  But, face it, the A/C runs most of the summer, so a fun, summery scent is a fantastic mood lifter.  I also like having a candle outside at night while we are dining, or having a cocktail, etc. - the soft breeze moving the fragrance around the yard.  Therapy for me!

How about you? Do you have a summer go-to scent (or scents!)?

Thanks for stopping by,
Jane

Linking with these awesome parties:
Make it Pretty Monday
The Scoop
Amaze Me Monday
Les Chateau Des Fleurs
Metamorphosis Monday
Masterpiece Monday
Coastal Charm Show & Share Party
Inspire Me Tuesday
LouLou Girls Fabulous Party
Wow Us Wednesday
Centerpiece Wednesday

Tiffany Themed Grad Party

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Hi Everyone!

Well, it was quite the weekend at our house - the big graduation party was on Saturday, and all the months of preparation paid off.  Despite a bit of a rainy start, it ended up to be a beautiful afternoon and evening.  We have a large pavilion in our backyard and our wonderful neighbors saved the day with a pop up canopy to keep our guests dry during the 30 - 45 minute sprinkles we had.

I did not take nearly as many pictures as I had hoped; choosing instead to live in the moment, instead of behind a camera!  But, I will share with you what I have.

My daughter wanted to a Tiffany-themed party, so we went with it full blast. It is a cute theme and in addition, the turquoise blue is the color of her sorority - which means so very much to her.

I ordered the invites from an Etsy store.  I had them printed on cardstock at my local printer, and then added the ribbon detail.  It was waaayyyy cheaper (and more fun!) than buying traditional pre-printed invites at a party store.  I believe all together for the Etsy j-peg file and the printing, it was around $25.00 for 50 invitations.

Instead of "Tiffany & Co.," we had a "Traci & Co." party! These are the finished invites - aren't they the cutest?

Since it was an outdoor party, with a lot of guests, we used coolers to keep the refreshments icy cold.  I made chevron labels for the coolers.  I just printed them off from my computer, glued them on cardboard and "laminated" them with clear packing tape that I had around.  This was a last minute "brainstorm" due to the surprise of rain (which wasn't in the forecast!). They were were quick, simple, and nearly free to make!

We made up "swag bags" for our littlest guests - filled with lots of girly things for the little ladies, and for the boys we added in baseball goodies. They were so fun to put together and the kids loved them!

I kept the napkins & silver ware bundles simple.  With such a crowd, we choose to use silver plastic cutlery, black napkins, tied with a sparkly ribbon.

I am known far and wide for my cake pops, and knew they were a must for the party.  We found turquoise, chevron pop sticks, dipped the pops in Tiffany Blue candy melts and then added white & blue candy pearls. They were a hit and really looked pretty on the table! I also made some without sticks, and did a candy drizzle on those, with a single pearl, placing them in silver, mini cupcake liners.

The kitchen table was lined with turquoise fabric, and then we placed her many awards and several photos under glass.  The beautiful cake, made by a sweet friend & neighbor, was the crowning glory of the tablescape.  The amazing silver cake stand (or cake "plateau" as it said on the tag) was a last minute purchase from Hobby Lobby.  I think it took the cake to a whole different level.

I didn't get many pics of the food, but let me tell you - it was a feast:  Pioneer Woman's Drip Beef, Chicken Wings, Grape Jelly & Chili Sauce Meatballs, Blue Raspberry Fruit Salad, Fresh Fruit Bowl, Asian Ramen Salad, Shrimp Salad, Paula Deen's Aunt Peggy's Cucumber Salad, Taco Dip,  and Cheesy Potatoes.  The hot dishes were all made/served in slow cookers and let me tell you, Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners are the best thing going ladies!  Talk about easy cleanup.  I have been using those things for years and they are genius!

We ordered several bottles of wine with a customized label for the occasion.  Our daughter loved it!!!

One of our sweet, little guests enjoyed her "swag bag" filled with candy lipsticks, ring pop, "crown" hair clip, and even a princess wand!

Our daughter, was presented a gift all wrapped up in the "theme" of the day from a dear family friend. So thoughtful!!!!

Our pavilion was decorated with pretty chinese lanterns and other paper orbs; they looked so pretty. We also had a Blue Hawaiian Punch/Lemonade beverage available for guests - just love the blue color!

And now the party is over - Mr. Bluebird & I (along with our bank account) are taking a deep breath and relaxing for awhile.  It was a wonderful day, spent with the best friends and family ever, and of course, our sweet daughter.

This morning, we headed out to the airport at 5:15 a.m., as she had to catch a flight to Los Angeles for a sorority convention and the beginning of her next big adventure: a year of traveling the U.S. as a leadership consultant for her sorority.  We are so proud of this young lady and love her so much!

I think, now that I am done with the post, it may be time for mom to take a nap......

Thanks for stopping by (and "sweet dreams"),

Jane

Linking to this fun parties:

Amaze Me Monday
Metamorphosis Monday
Make it Pretty Monday
Masterpiece Monday
Inspire Me Tuesday
The DIYers
LouLou Girls Fabulous Party
The Makers
Show Me What Ya Got
Wow Us Wednesday
Twirl & Take A Bow Party

Dusty Destiny!

Hi everyone,

As I shared yesterday, I am knee deep in preparations for my daughter's college graduation party this coming weekend. She and I hit up the market early this morning to pick up all the non-perishables for the big cooking fest on Friday, along with beverages, etc.  With that done, we started on a thorough clean of our house - we are having a boat load of folks stopping by and numerous overnight guests, along with a forecast of stormy weather (which could force the party indoors) - so this week is all about the deep clean!!!!

By 3:00 p.m. we were completely out of Endust and my daughter & I were talking about what a bummer it was that we did not pick some up when we were out earlier in the day.  (Well, I was saying it was bummer, but she was jumping for joy because she had been dusting for what seemed like hours!!!!)

My daughter walked out to get the mail and when she came back in, she had in her hand a tiny gift from the heavens:

     a trial size can of

ENDUST! Yes, Endust, my friends!!!!  The kind folks at Wayfair somehow intuitively knew I would be needing this little can of cleaning gold today! Talk about a great retailer! Ha ha!

I mean, really, what are the chances?

As you can see from this photo (yes, I am posting this photo of my dusty shelf!), we are in major need of a dusting aid.....er......maid! Lol!

Anyway, I off to do more cleaning, but I thought I would share the cleaning chuckle of the day. And thanks Wayfair for somehow knowing what your customer needs.....and to send it off for FREE!!! Woo hoo!

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Thanks for stopping by,
Jane

Busy Times & Lots of Lists

Hi everyone! I have been so busy lately that, once again, the blog has had to take a backseat to my life! First of all, the end of the school year wrapped up and I was busy at work with end of the year sort of things. Our daughter graduated college and it seemed like every weekend during the month of May involved driving to her college town and attending ceremonies, helping her move, etc.  All amazing,wonderful things....but time consuming!

Isn't she cute?  We are so very proud of her and all that she has accomplished in her college years.

Now that graduation has come and gone, I am knee deep in planning the graduation party that is set for next Saturday.

Lists, lots of lists!

We are expecting a fairly large crowd, so disposable products are the only way to go.  Mr. Bluebird was shocked when he saw the receipt from the party store!

More lists - this one is for our daughter; it is very detailed (so it lives up to Mom's expectations, after all, she has spent the past five years living the college life!).  We are keeping our fingers crossed that the weather will cooperate, as we are really planning on this to be an outside event.  "Plan B" is to move it inside, but it will be a tight squeeze if everyone shows up at the same time, and we have so many cute decorations planned for outside that just won't translate indoors!  It is a come and go open house, so we will make it work. The most important thing is celebrating with our family and friends.

I will be back next week with pictures of the food, cake, and other party decor - we are using a Tiffany & Company theme, so it should be great fun and very girly.

Thanks for stopping by - hope you are all enjoying a happy Father's Day!

Jane