Tea Party!

My sister, mom, grandma, and I love to have tea parties. We love to have them at our houses or go to Miss Molly's Tea Room in Medina. Yesterday was my turn to host and I loved it! I love planning parties so this was so much fun for me. 

It all starts with the menu. I wanted to keep it girly and special. I made homemade chicken salad, deviled eggs, fruit salad, and lemon bread. My mom helped me with the desserts and we had brownie shortbread bites, lemon tarts, mini cupcakes, and I made almond cookies. It was all delicious! 

Now, you can't have a tea party without pretty tea cups and tea pots. My mom and I found these really pretty tea cups and saucers at Marshall's. We also found adorable mini pedestals there as well. They worked perfectly! I also made lemonade so we had mason jars with paper straws I got from an antique store in California. They were the perfect addition. 

For the centerpiece I used my glass jar vases from T.J. Maxx with carnations in them. The pink in the flowers went really well with our tea cups. 

As for the tea, we got some unique flavors from the Vintage and Craft Fest in the Medina square. We had root beer, s'mores, pear, and caramel. They were delicious and all so different. 

Tea parties with the girls are one of my favorite things to do. I can't wait for our next one! 

Thanks for reading! 

How To Achieve The Farmhouse Look

The farmhouse look is definitely a trend I am completely on board with. I love it. I think we have to give HGTV's Fixer Upper credit for this one. Joanna Gains is best known for her classic farmhouse style. She has an effortless way of making homes beautiful, and though she doesn't always use her classic style, viewers swoon towards her decor. Achieving this farmhouse style is easy when you know what to look for and how to use the pieces you find. 

 

One thing that is classic farmhouse style is using fresh flowers and greenery. Joanna does this all the time and it's beautiful. 

This wooden vase centerpiece is from Kirklands. I love how the vases are at different heights and the mix of the rustic wood with the glass bottles. This would look beautiful in the center of a farm table. 

 

 

This hanging vase trio from Magnolia is another favorite of mine. This would look adorable in a little girls room, or even on a back porch. It's a piece that is so unusual and so beautiful it will be a showstopper anywhere. 

I love using fresh flowers in decor. It brings such a fresh feel to the space. Don't be afraid to step outside the box either. It doesn't have to be your traditional vase of flowers. Anyway you can bring fresh floral in a room will make a huge impact. 

Another way to incorporate farmhouse style is to mix materials, such as metal and wood. This is a trend you will see a lot out in stores. This tiered tray from Antique Farm House is such a great way to incorporate this trend. I love using trays like this for entertaining. The different heights add interest to your table, plus they're really pretty to look at! 

 

 

Lighting is a fun way to bring out farmhouse style. This beautiful chandelier from World Market is another great way to use mixes materials. Everything about this piece is beautiful. I love the lantern look. This light would look perfect in a kitchen over an island, or in a dining room over a table. 

 

 

Let's talk wall decor. This is an easy way to add design to a room and with the right piece it can add some farmhouse style. You have probably seen wall signs everywhere lately. They are a huge trend and I love it. This one is from Etsy and is one of my favorite sayings. I've seen it all over Instagram and I'm surprised I haven't bought one yet. The simplicity of the design and what it says emanates farmhouse style. 

 

On the topic of wall decor, chalkboards are a classic farmhouse staple. They are rustic and simple and the perfect piece of wall art. You can change out what it says from season to season, or you can use them for to do or grocery lists. This chalkboard from Gordmans is a great one. It has hooks on the bottom so it really is a dual purpose piece. 

 

 

 

I can't talk about farmhouse style without talking about tables. When you think farmhouse you probably think farm table. This is a staple item when incorporating farmhouse style. There are a lot of different styles of "farm tables". These are a few of my favorites. 

All of these tables are perfect for farmhouse style. They are each different and all fit into the style. They are rustic, yet can be made formal with the right chairs and accessories. Put a beautiful table runner on it and a pretty floral arrangement in the middle and you have the perfect centerpiece to your home! The dining table is one of my favorite pieces in a home. It's where the family gathers and so many memories are made. 

I hope this helped you think of ways to incorporate farmhouse style into your home. When in doubt, just tell yourself to channel your "inner JoJo". 

Thanks for reading! 

Moving Tips

We've moved! We are so excited to be home owners and I am so excited to get to decorating our home!

 

Moving can be stressful. When we moved to California it was right after we got married and John was already living out there so his stuff was already there. We needed to have all of my stuff moved and all of our wedding gifts.

This is where my first tip comes in. Make sure you hire a reputable moving company. We chose a moving company without looking at the reviews. BIG MISTAKE. My stuff ended up taking around 2 months to arrive! We would call frequently to find out where it was and when the estimated date of delivery was, and we got the response "I don't know where it is". Really? You don't know where ALL MY BELONGINGS ARE?! It turns out it never left Ohio. We ended up having my dad go pick it up from the warehouse where it was being stored and then having a more reliable moving company bring my stuff to California. Needless to say when we moved back to Ohio we made sure to book a reputable moving company, and we are so glad we did.

My next tip is for when you get your keys. Yay! You've signed your name a thousand times and now the house is yours! Next step, cleaning. This is my least favorite and favorite part. Cleaning, yuck. However, it gives the house a fresh start. When we moved in we had a few containers of Clorox wipes, a vacuum cleaner, and a carpet steamer we rented from Ace Hardware. I also lined all of our kitchen cabinets and drawers with contact paper. That is not easy and not fun but so worth it. I got about half way done and decided to just line them instead sticking the paper to the bottoms. Great idea!

My third tip is to label your boxes when you're moving. That way when the movers bring your stuff in they know where to put the boxes, and it makes unpaking easier. No need to search for your coffee mugs in a box filled with clothes!

I hope these tips helped! I will be posting some house pictures soon along with some changes we've made so far! Thanks for reading!