Adding Fun Entertainment to a French Inspired Baby Shower

When planning a baby shower, we always include baby shower games.  While these are fun, there are additional ways to add some entertainment to your baby shower party.  As we hosted my friend's baby shower in a French Theme, we decided it would be fun to include a picture area. 

Shannon located a wall art decor piece of the Eiffel Tower.  As simple as that, our stage was set.  We stocked the area with fun dress up materials.  We included hats (located cheaply and then adorned with feathers), a mask (again created from feathers and glitter), boas, canes, mustaches and picture frames.

One of us broke the ice on that area and soon enough it was filled with lots of participants.  Most took this opportunity to take a picture with the Guest of Honor and on it went.  It added a touch of unexpected and entertainment to our baby shower.  The photos below are just a small sampling of the cameras going off in this area.

And continuing the theme of sustainability, the wall art decor can be recycled in the nursery or anywhere else the mommy to be may enjoy it displayed.

Etre un bon coup!

Literally translated it means 'being a good hit'.  The meaning actually refers to being good in bed...so careful when choosing your french quotes!  I will take the literal meaning for this post.

Creating the BEBE sign for a French Inspired Baby Shower

One of my best friends is pregnant and in need of a baby shower, of course.  So, we all took this as our opportunity to create a French Inspired Baby Shower for our friend.  Most of us met in french class in high school.  To this day, Meaghan will still randomly send an email in french (for which I hit the Internet to translate).

One of the items we all agreed on including was the BEBE sign originally created by Martha Stewart.

While certainly no Martha, I headed to Michael's to be inspired.

I picked up floral wire (thick gauge) and plastic flowers that could wrap around letters and match our color scheme.  Meaghan is having a baby boy, so I tried not to go crazy with flowers.  I also picked up some green floral tape to wrap around the letters.  I located some butterflies and birds as well as some ribbon.  I have hot glue at home so off I went.  I picked up way too much but I knew I could return what wasn't being used.

I started by creating the "b" in lower case and shaped the floral wire into the "b" shape.

I then did the same to create a matching "b" and two "e's".  Once those items were complete (this took a little while as I kept changing my mind as to size) I applied the green, floral tape to each letter.

The floral tape helped complete the shapes and create a backdrop for the flowers.  I started searching in my pile of flowers for what inspired in the moment.  I cut and attached accordingly. 

Then I added a little bling with my butterfly.  This also assisted in hiding an area of hot glue I did not want showing.

Once the first letter was complete, I used the color pattern with the remaining letters.  This time I approached each one in the order it would hang.

Upon completion of all letters, I attached some blue, gauzy ribbon and hung my art for any final touches I may need to make.

The nice thing about this type of decor as well as others created for the party, this can be recycled into decor for the nursery.  Until the day he wakes up and tells his mommy he doesn't want flowers in his man cave anymore.

How To Host a Brown Bag Wine Tasting Party

A fun idea I stole from my friend Zel who stole it from another friend is a Wine Tasting Party.  Simple and fun! 

First:  Choose a Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon is always a favorite)
Second:  Set a Price Cap ($15 per bottle of wine)
Third:  Invite Some friends (each will bring two bottles of wine)
Fourth:  Get some brown paper wine bottle bags (your grocery store will give them to you)
Fifth:  Appetizers, palette cleansers, water, etc

Every month we are trying to host at one of our houses.  As guests arrive, the wine is taken to a secret location (shhhh).  Then one bottle from each person is logged with an assigned number.  The wine is then bagged and taped or rubber banded and the number written on the bag.  You can get fancier with your bags, if you like.  I like the brown bag irony when drinking wine at a wine party.

The wine is brought out and everyone takes a tasting of all wine.  You can have pre-printed sheets with a rating system you create.  Or, if you are me, I just handed out notepads and pens.  1st, 2nd and Last were selected.  Parties differ in size which can contribute to determining the method of voting.  I went easy, because I had around 16 people.  Most of the time the party is around 6-10 people.

As people take tastes, they note the rating or their favorites.  The fun of this party is that this can take a couple hours of mingling and tasting.  When everyone is completed with their tasting, the score cards are collected.  These score cards determine:

1st Place:  Takes the majority of the second bottles home that they select first.
2nd Place:  Takes a few bottles that are leftover.
Last Place:  Takes their own bottle of wine home.

A great time is had and it is truly amazing how different everyone's palette really is as some enjoy bold while others enjoy mild.  I like to serve cucumber sandwiches, chocolates, oyster crackers, goldfish, and meat/cheese trays.

Make sure your guests are truly aware of the wine selection.  I selected Syrah and people showed up with Shiraz.  No need to panic, disclose the information and have a good time!

"In Vino Veritas!" ~~> "There is Truth in Wine!"

Get Rid of Carpet That Makes You Angry: The Story of My Laminate Wood

When I first purchased my house, I had decided the carpet had to go.  It is a grey carpet that has seen its fill of days in this house.  Stains would not come out...carpet shampooing barely made a dent...and it just did not fit my want for the house.  However, I was gun-shy in making a big purchase decision.  This is not one of those easy house items that can be redone again and again without a big punch to the wallet.

Moving forward to 2012, 7 years later, and the carpet is still here.  Talk about not making a decision!  Well, 2012 is the year I go for it.  I follow my gut, I have confidence in my decisions and my thoughts need to turn into action. 

Actually, as great as that sounds, what really happened was one of my lovely old lady cats decided that a corner of my dining room was her litter box.  I shampooed.  I used vinegar.  I used spray that was supposed to dissuade pets from that area.  Nothing was working.  I thought about taking that section out.  Then came the epiphany mentioned earlier.  It is my house and it is time to take it back from the carpet I loathed!

My Uncle, the carpet and the cat that caused this whole thing to come to fruition.

Gross carpet that was pulled from my house.

I decided laminate wood flooring was what I wanted.  I was not going to invest in real wood flooring as that expense did not match the value of the house itself.  Plus, I read articles on laminate wood being more durable and of course cheaper.  I decided on Brazilian Cherry and found it at Home Depot for .99 a square foot.  Perfect!  I would ask my uncle to help me with the flooring!  No more thinking about it...time to believe in my decisions and put it to action!

Brazilian Cherry laminate Flooring for my flooring.

To help matters, when I went to purchase the flooring a team member at Home Depot told me he had the same flooring in his wreck room and loved it.  That sounded good and durable to me.  I purchased enough to redo my small dining room.  That along with a flooring starter kit and a $25 underlay, I was set.

My dining room with carpeting.  Those who came to play that day have been hidden with stars.  Because?  It seems like the right idea?  I have no idea.

All the furniture was moved into the living room and chaos was underway.

A good test to determine if maybe you should purge:  move one small room worth of furniture into another room.  That is a lot of stuff!

The coumpound saw was borrowed from my grandmother and the flooring project was underway.  Keep in mind, you NEED to make sure the underlay is laid with the proper side up.  Those labels are no joke.  If you do it wrong your wood flooring will eventually move.  Not that my handy Uncle would do that, but turns out my ex-boyfriend did in the office upstairs (future blog).

One day later and the flooring was done.  This is not a how-to on laying flooring.  I have no idea.  This is a how-to make a decision and make it happen.  A how-to on following and believing in your gut.  Now that the flooring was done, I also decided to re-arrange.  Finally, I also decided that replacing the baseboard was a good move.  I truly believe replacing baseboards in a house is like a cheap facelift.  It makes a HUGE difference!

Dining Room with Brazilian Cherrylaminate wood flooring.

Once this is started how could I leave the carpet in my downstairs at all.  That's right...the carpet was ripped out of the living room and thoughts towards the stairs were culminating.

Be prepared for a little inconvenience.

There is a lot of inconvenience with this process.  But again, I decided to go for it.  Pull out the carpet and pull out the baseboards.  Also, by losing the big TV in the living room (see previous blog) I would have room to rework the living room.

Living and Dining Room Pre-Laminate flooring and replanning of funiture placement.

Living and Dining Room after the Laminante flooring and furniture placement.  The drapes still need work in this picture.  No worries, they come out great!

I wanted to open up the space to include everyone in conversation and reach a more elegant and beautiful space.  The drapes still needed to be ironed and swagged, but time was short prior to hosting a birthday party for my friend.

The staircase is another story all its own as well.  That will be saved for another blog.  I love my wood flooring.  It is very rich and durable.  I love that I went with my decision and find that I smile when I walk in my house when I look at it.  I also went ahead and asked my uncle to complete the small hallway upstairs, as well.  New flooring, new baseboards and new furniture placement changed the enitre efficiency and beauty of my house.

I have kept a spreadsheet going identifying my spend as it happens.  The laminate flooring, underlay, baseboards, kit, wood glue, and labor (some cash and feeding, etc) came to about $1000 with $690 being allocated to supplies.

Well worth it, I think.  No, let me restate that.  Well worth it, I know.

Fast and Yummy Dinner: Chicken Alfredo Pizza

A little off onto another track...let's talk about cooking.  More specifically, easy cooking! 

I had a chicken Alfredo pizza in San Diego and decided this needed to become part of my cooking repertoire.  After many years of experimenting, here is an awesome recipe for a delish pizza that takes about 20-30 minutes.

Check directions on dough and follow accordingly.  Directions will handle baking setting and rise timing for the dough.

2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Whole Lemon
5 leaves Fresh Basil
Classico Alfredo Sauce
2 garlic cloves - diced
1 wheat dough by Trader Joe's
8 oz Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Heat oil in pan.  Add chopped up chicken.  Add garlic, squeeze two halves of lemon, and add chopped up basil (3 leaves) into pan.  Cook until chicken is done (approx 5-10 minutes depending on chicken size).

Roll dough onto pizza pan.  Add about 3/4 jar of Classico Alfredo sauce onto dough and spread evenly.  Add shredded mozzarella cheese on entire pizza (if you like more cheese...add more cheese).  Add chicken onto the entire pizza evenly.  Add chopped basil (remaining 2 leaves) across pizza evenly.

Cook according to instructions on package of dough.  Should be about 10 minutes.

Let stand about 5 minutes so the sauce does not ooze out.  Slice and serve with salad...or not...serve to friends...or not...the world is yours!  Do as you please, but please enjoy!