A Recipe for a Perfect Summer!

Wow! Is it really July 18th? I can't believe we are going back to school in just 3 weeks! We have had an amazing Summer and I don't want it to end! We've made the most of this one and it's been one of my favorites! As we do every Summer we headed off to my family's farm in Lexington, Kentucky. It amazes me how beautiful this part of the country is every time I see it. I was warned to bring a few sweaters but hearing that when it was already in the 100's here in the deep South I neglected to heed the warnings. Thankfully I was able to raid my grandmother's closet for a jacket or two when needed. The tradition is that every Summer my entire family, my parents, both sisters and our families, head to The Farm for as long as we possibly can. The Farm is the result of a dream come true for my Grandparents (they no longer live there), and it has become our annual Summer retreat. Some people go to the Hamptons, we go to The Farm! It's very Summer-Campy...lots of fishing, no tv or video games (occaisionally we'll put in a movie), tons of laughter, good food (my favorite is the Big Blue BLT!), quiet time every afternoon and every day must start with a game of SCRABBLE and end with a game of cards or the day is not complete! There is even a trophy for the grandchild who catches the biggest Bass of the trip, it's a hard fought battle each year but a healthy competition.

Returning to reality after being in a bubble for 3 to 4 weeks is very hard. Of course, with today's technology we do get bits and pieces of news and Hollywood gossip but, for the most part, we are in La La Land at The Farm. I keep asking myself when my teenage children will liken our time at The Farm to being on restriction but they haven't yet, and to be honest...I think they enjoyed this year the most. Fishing, ping-pong, long walks in the fields, board games, tire swings, water fights, popsicles, blackberry picking...even the farm work was fun! Ugh...I miss it! I'm already counting down the days until next year's trip...just 339 more days until The Farm!

Baby Shower Southern Style!

We were so honored to be included in, what we think, was the Baby Shower of the Century! A dear friend is expecting her first baby in May and her girlfriends (50 of us!) gathered to celebrate her precious blessing!

The Low Country setting was amazing but it was the love and excitement for our friend that made the day so special. As the guests arrived they were welcomed at the door and given the choice of almond tea or a mimosa...I had the mimosa, of course! It was hand delivered and served in a Silver Goblet, monogrammed... of course! As guests mingled and posed for pictures the hostesses (with the mostest, I must add. They throw the most fabulous parties) set out a buffet for queens! The centerpiece carried out the theme on the invitation of bird nests. A tiered wrought iron piece adorned with nests with eggs and bird votives made for a perfect central focus. The food...delicious! Ham biscuits, of course! A delicious salad of mandarian oranges and raman noodles with a seasoned rice wine dressing and finally, marinated shrimp that made me contemplate giving up my own first born for the recipe! (not really, but the shrimp were just that good!) The dessert...you can guess, butterscotch bird nests topped with chocolate eggs...divine! The table was simple and elegant and should totally be the cover of the next Southern Living Magazine. One single long table (that could seat 50 mind you!) with glass votives potted with wheat grass down the center (party favors!), lavender linen napkins and more Silver Goblets filled with water! The backdrop of the May River was just icing on the cake!

As the Mother-to-Be began opening the plentiful gifts it was clear that her precious daughter would not want for ruffles or bows for atleast the first 3 years of her life! Being the monogram queen that I am, I was stumped not knowing the baby's name...so we gave her a precious white frilly dress with a tag that was monogrammed with"tBa" ...to be announced! and a pair of bloomers that said "Jesus loves me". Just because the name is a secret doesn't mean we have to give up on a southern tradition...we'll monogram the dress when this precious blessing arrives.

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Enjoy life, live it to the fullest!

The New Year is always inspiring new routines, new resolutions, new ideas, and new goals...this year ours is "Enjoy life, live it to the fullest!" It really isn't a new idea for us, it's how http://www.shopconfetti.com/ got it's start. It's the details in life that make it interesting and we LOVE finding the perfect gift or accessory for every occasion. Whether it's the invitation for a party, or a hostess gift for a weekend getaway or a birthday present for that special person, we can help you find it. As we tip toe into the first few days of 2011 we are excited about the opportunities to take on life and live it to the fullest. If you're planning a party or just want to accessorize your life, let us help...because life deserves a little Confetti!

Visit us at http://www.shopconfetti.com/ today!

Wishing you a Blessed New Year!

Happy 2011! Before you undeck the halls and pack away Christmas for another year, we have a great suggestion for those beautiful Christmas cards everyone sent you. I hate throwing all those wonderful cards away so our family puts them on a ring (bought at any office supply store) and use them as a prayer ring. Every night as we pray we flip to the next family and pray for them specifically. So know if you sent us a Christmas card your family will be prayed for. We wish you all a very blessed 2011!

2010 Holiday Gift Guide for The Traveler on Your List

We know you've got lots of people to buy for this Christmas Season so we thought we'd throw a few ideas your way...today, we'll share ideas for The Traveler! For the person on your list who is always on the go we suggest these fabulous "Off We Go" Totes! They just look like they were made for a weekend in the mountains or trip to the cottage! Handles are the perfect length for carrying and the waterproof fabric is just the right detail for fashion AND function! We also love the whimsical luggage tag designs offered at http://www.shopconfetti.com/ by Just Exquisite! They would make great stocking stuffers. So many colors and fun designs to choose from, you'll find one for every personality! We also love the new terry Cosmetic Bags with the cupcake graphic or initial design. The large is perfect for packing all the weekend essentials and the small size is just the right thing to throw in your purse for a day full of fun! You can find each of these items at http://www.shopconfetti.com/ and are still available to order in time for Christmas delivery! HO HO HO!

Wishing you were here!

Since we last blogged...well, it's been a little overwhelming here! 2 computers crashed, 1 printer went out, 2 major main water lines broke, 3 floors damaged, 4 weeks of workmen, 2 completely new ceilings, countless new walls, brand new carpeting and tile. and paint, too! ..if you put this to the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas, we have a new diddy to sing when we go caroling this year! Yes, construction at the holidays isn't pretty but we should have a new house by Christmas! Oh, I forgot that the kitchen is bubbled off so no cooking for this chick this week and my husband thinks he has has pink eye... I have to say my eyes were a little swollen shut this morning, too, I thought it was the dust or possibly the Sesame Chicken my daughter ordered last night (did you know I have a severe sesame allergy?) OOPS! The workmen just blew a fuse...gotta run! Thanks for listening (and not laughing at me like my mother did! just kidding, Mom)

Surviving the Tweens!

We love throwing parties: big parties, small parties, birthday parties, anniversary parties, christening parties, dinner parties, cocktail parties, you name it parties, but...Tween BOY Parties? What do you do with 10 to 12 tween boys for 3 hours? Ugh! We played out a double entendre with a SURVIVOR Party! Fun games for the boys and truly "survival" for the adults that were present! Tween boys are tough but this group enjoyed an afternoon of tough competitions and some slithery confections! We started with a tribal ritual of tattoos and body paint- while waiting for everyone to arrive the boys could "accessorize" for the afternoon! Once the guests had arrived the games began! We had several but you can never have too many, tween boys have the attention span of a flea! First up, Rifelry...yes, we let them play with guns, well...one gun, under the strict supervision of the Tribal Leader (DAD!) Each boy got 3 shots at 3 targets. What is it about boys and guns? They LOVED it! Next up was a blind folded competition about teamwork. The boys were divided into 2 teams and each team selected a "seeker". The "seeker" was blindfolded and then had to depend on his teammates to verbally direct him to 5 hidden frisbees in the yard. (The frisbees don't have to be hidden well, this is all about communication, which they are not good at at this age!) We did one last game...and yes, it was food related! We made vats and vats of chocolate pudding and served it up with some plastic bugs! The object of the game was to collect all of the bugs out of the pudding using ...yes, only your face! NO HANDS ALLOWED! Tween boys love gross stuff and they LOVED this game! Be sure to have a camera ready because the pics from this will be the best! After some cleaning up we had tribal council (opening presents) and a super creepy, slithery cake. Seriously, we bought the cake at Walmart and accessorized with some plastic critters from the toy section! The Birthday Boy loved it! An easy and fun party for those hard to please tween boys!