from 24 to 25!!

last time i posted i was 24 yeas old. as a now wiser 25 year old, for the first time i'm REALLY thinking, "whoa, 25 sounds old".  all the stigmas that you told us came true... gained the freshman 15, time seems to be passing by faster, hang-overs last a MINIMUM of 48 hours and friends are getting harder and harder to stay in touch with (even with facebook).  getting on with it, i do what i can to keep in touch and those of you who know me know i like to throw a good party.. those that do not, i throw THE BEST parties.  haha

when i am not throwing the parties i am clicking away at my camera.  yup, with old age comes, more like GOES, your memory.  therefore, making stories from my photo albums to remind myself, and tell others, of the fun that was had becomes a necessity.  well, HELLO old age.. my party was a day before my birthday, july 1st, and i forgot, that's right, FORGOT to take pictures.  all that planning and cute, vintage, colorful, cleverness going on and not one picture... well, of usefulness to the contents of this blog ;)

however, for those who could not make it, here is a little gathering of the decorations i used.

THINK: buffet table colors. pale yellow table cloth, pale blue, mixed with a splash of orange and a drop of red. 

menu:
.bite sized pigs in a blanket (wrapped weenies)
.3 glass milk carafes filled with kettle popcorn, stick pretzels, and banana chips.
.balled watermelon *with the half watermelon scooped out and then refilled with the balls - looked awesome!*
.a wood tray pained red lined with brown paper bag and filled with crumbly brownies.
.fresh carrots, celery & chips with veggie dip.
.a friend make the MOST yummy deviled eggs and another brought fresh fruit salad, strawberries, cantaloupe & bananas.

it opens?!  cute, right.   and this sucker to our right was filled to the top with our late night surprise; WATER BALLOONS. 

                     

  

oh, did i mention that it was a "beer olympics" party?  all along the perimeter we put up 36 mason jars with tea lights a tiki torch at each game table.  the back yard was decked out with tables for beer pong, flip cup, my thumb war and arm wrestling station, robo pound, and corn hole!
of course you have to have a championship for beer pong.

made the frame with a bit of white paint, red spray paint,
ply wood cut to shape and black board spray paint.  clever! 

Christopher Peterson was our 2011 BEER PONG CHAMPION!  

all and all it was probably the best birthday i have had.  thanks to a special few for helping with all the preparations, and everyone who came out start preparing for next year.

so. did you get any good ideas?  good - now go throw a party.

stuff it. dress it, ship it

ever wanted to ship someone a birthday cake?!  make cupcakes, put it in the jar and top it with some icing.  i think ill be making these for my packed lunches from now on thanks.

whatever you put in the jar dress it up with your favorite scrapbook paper or patterned fabric.  they will stay on once the lid is so don't glue it down and switch up the pattern and brighten a mood.   

pop in some flowers and call it a vase








but dont forget the JAMMING, or the PICKLING, or the STORING and the DRINKING.  oh. and the planting :)

adding fabulous to same old

take a shelf.  any shelf and put a hole in it.  put the mason jar in the hole and YOUR DONE. haha.. im jk, there a little more then that.  but in a nut shell.

mason jar shelf insert container tools needed:

the goods: shelf, mason jar, a hole cutter

the oops: o-ring, and super glue

im NOT a carpenter.  i got my at a thrift store for $3 bucks

 THE HARD PART.  my dad had a hole saw attachment for a drill gun

 **do not.  I REPEAT DO NOT cut it like this.   we want to keep those fingers.

and vWAH-LA, a hole. 

step added in because hole was too big - always leave room for error.  most always you WILL have some sort of hiccup. dont flip out. IT HAPPENS ;)

i added a o-ring that was laying around, secured with some super glue.  MAKE SURE you hold in place for 30 sec and it will stay.  

place lid on top, screw in jar.  the band will rest on the self and hold it up.

i added PRETTY, but you can use it by the door for change or keys. use those creative juices. 

now sit back and ENJOY.  that was fun!

the option
**keep an eye out**
i will be adding hooks for jackets/hats/etc.  ALSO i was making the hole with my dad and thought "wouldn't it be CLEVER to add three jars and make more of a flower/stuff holder?!!".  loved the idea so much i measured this one out so that the jar was evenly on the left and will be making holes for TWO MORE mason jars.    ***PICS TO COME***

mason jar quickies.

to continue with our mason jar week long celebration ill share with you the three most simple and marvelous things to do with these cute little containers.    

mason jar quicky #1     hold the change
two people acquire ALOT of change. boyfriend being more of the change acquirer and im the cash it in SPENDER. obsessively thinking of ways to contain the change that seems to find its way ALL OVER the house, it hit me. a few months back i was in the wedding of a fantastic friend. at one of the festivities in her home i noticed that her fiancé kept all his change in jars.  WHAT A GREAT IDEA!  i went with it and dressed it up a bit to work with my decor.  because that IS what really matters. 

thanks mr. & mrs. glass!!

mason jar quicky #2     lightning bug game
kids love catching lightning bugs, child me being one of them.  evil little bug killers, i know, but HEY it was fun. my dad would always give each my sisters and i a mason jar to catch as many as we could.  the one who caught the most would win (forgotten about after hours of fun). when a few were caught the jars became something straight out of a midsummer's night dream. this weekend is a weekend of outside celebrations, use this activity to revisit that kid from within.

picture found at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brodyjt/

mason jar quicky #3  jar it
this-is-kindof-amazing-so-remember-it-diy-quicky. every year my boyfriend and i get loads of free pecans from his family. after eating what we can the rest are candied and jarred for favors.  if you dont get an amazing price on peanuts then this can be COSTLY.  
the option: make your favorite candy and wrap it with a mason jar!

 

pictures found at
http://www.elanaspantry.com/a-holiday-gift/
http://www.homemadegiftguru.com/old-fashioned-oatmeal-cookie-recipe.html

this idea i have to contribute to my cousin, rachel. having seen it done before i recognized the cleverness when she used it last christmas for favors. it IMMEDIATELY found a place in my clever little notebook.  take your favorite recipe and put all dry ingredients in the jar.  add a cute recipe card to it or a wooden stirrer, as pictured by this clever person.  your creativeness will blow everyone away! 

everybody loves.. mason jars!

only ONE MORE WEEK till the 4th?!  it got here so fast this year. as everyone is gathering together and hostesses assemble their parties, mason jars are coming out of the woodwork.  if they arent, they SHOULD be.  no matter the material, there so many different diy things to make.  why mason jars are so amazing - any way you use them they are so freaking cute!  stay tuned. every day this week i will have a different way to use and reuse these awesome jars with some amazingly clever ideas.

using my two favorite things, mason jars and candles, here is a clever idea followed by the how tos.  read on.

mason jars with floating candles

needs:

raffia ribbon or twine

mason jars
small candles (tea light candles float just as good and are CHEAP.  just take them out of their metal holders and fold over the wick so it wont fall through)

food coloring - the option

wrap your choice of string several times around the top and then in a bow 

add water and candle.

change the candle color OR add a drop of food coloring to give it a personalized look.

i love everything pumpkin, cue orange candle.  

celebrate independence day with a red and blue with white candle.

i loooove a blue and brown color scheme!

to get this look add about a half of a drop of blue dye.  

<3 it!