Fourth of July :: DIY Flag Bunting

My favorite holiday is NEXT WEEK! Whoo hoo! Want an easy DIY to gear up for the red, white & blue? Okay.
First, secure yourself two young sons who like to rip American flags off their sticks. This might be my boys’ favorite thing in the world to do. Who needs a flag when you can just have a stick to poke your brother with? Over the years, I have found that my flag stash has dwindled and my stick stash has increased. Such little helpers, they are. Instead of stapleing the flags back to their ‘poles,’ I turned them into bunting for my mantle, which leads us to step two...
Grab doubled sided seam-binding like this, a sewing machine (or if you’re old school, a needle and thread…. or if you’re new school, a glue gun) and sew the remnant flags into fold of the binding. Simple, simple.
If you’re short on boys to help ruin your perfectly good flags, I’ve got two that are up for grabs over here!And if sewing isn’t your thing, you can always download this FREE ready made printable bunting from last year!  Hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July!
(To download click here: cakeslikesaparty_fourthofjulybanner )

Holidays :: Easter Table

So I have been super lazy when it comes to decorating for the holidays this year. I was trying to ignore Easter – especially since it was so close to St. Pat’s this year – but my 3 year old had other plans. “When are you going to put up the Easter things?” “Where are all those eggs?” Okay. Okay. Here you go kid!Remember these fabulous glitter eggs Crafty Jan whipped up last year? We’ll she’s back at it and I am now expecting her to make me some every year until my house is overflowing in beautiful glitterly eggs! They are so shiny and happy and just the ticket for Easter cheer.The problem about these is that they don’t stay this cute for long. The boys have gotten to them and I fear that the crocodile and bird that were once part of the eggs are now part of our toybox. This table is nothing to write home about really, but if you’re looking for a cool table runner, Michael’s sells a moss one that I find divine and super useful for all types of parties. Go get yourself one!Place setting: Rattan chargers from Cost Plus, green plates from Ross of all places (got these when we lived in Hawaii and I think that the Rosses out there are more like Home Goods out here. Great for home items!), napkins from Tuesday Morning, Grosgrain ribbon napkin rings that my mom made, and bamboo weapons that you can’t see. So the kid got what he wanted. Easter. Even though it will only be up for 2 weeks total. Kids love seeing the house change and even though this pregnant, lazy girl did not want to play, I am happy I did seeing how excited the boys were to be playing with their (manned-up) Easter baskets and eggs. Oh and remember these FREE Easter & Spring banners from last year? Well, they’re still available! Make sure to print yours today! Hope you all have a great Easter!

Happy Fourth Of July!

I love this holiday above every other holiday combined. I love this country the same way. America, you’re pretty rad. Happy Fourth people… we’re off to the beach today with some great friends who are visiting. Hope your plans are happy, safe, and super fun! xo

Holiday :: Fourth Of July Table

Can you even believe it’s the Fourth of July Weekend already? Wow! Anyhoo, I wanted to share an easy table I put together for my father-in-law on Father’s Day. We called the night “Star-Spangled Pops” because he’s super patriotic – but it’s perfect for this weekend’s festivites as well.The table runner, placemats and napkins were all a gift and came from Williams-Sonoma. (Thanks Maryann!) If you host Fourth of July get-togethers year after year, this set will serve you well. One trick my mom always uses, especially when seating is tight, is to turn the place mats vertically so that they are draping off the table. Not only does it look a little more funky, it gives the table a little breathing room. And with this set (which is reversible – stars on one side, stars on the other) – it really looks cool with the runner at the top of each plate.Speaking of the Fourth, did you remember to print your Fourth of July banner? Click here to go grab it! I’m getting excited for the weekend! Happy Thursday friends!