{RECIPE} Large Chocolate Chip Cookies

For my friend Rory's birthday he requested chocolate chip cookies. I like to try new chocolate chip cookie recipes all the time. I've recently used this recipe from Smitten Kitchen to make large cookies. I slipped the cookies in glassine bags and that's an easy party treat to go. 

{PARTY} Smoothies

I saw this instagram from Free People of a bucket of smoothies they served at a company meeting. (more work meetings should include fresh fruit smoothies.) And then my sister came back from Thailand raving about their smoothies and now I want to plan a party all about them. 

Invite neighbors over to hang in your back yard, let your kids bring friends over for an after school snack, have a smoothie and game night, or sip and watch an outdoor movie. I like that the endless combinations of smoothies will make everyone happy. Do you have a favorite recipe? I tend to just throw in a combination of coconut water, yogurt, frozen fruit, and spinach. 

blender/ straws/ cups/ lids/ bucket/ cart

{PARTY} Earth Day Event

I work at Anthropologie part time and on Earth Day I helped set up for a kid craft. Moms shopped and kids came to water color and eat snacks. We had fish crackers, fruit, and juice. The kids loved doing the water color and it's a craft that needs very little instruction. And they do beautiful work! I loved some of the product we used like the confetti cups, vases, and egg crate for crackers.

{HOLIDAY} Mother's Day Brunch

“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power.” Maya Angelo

Mother's Day is Sunday. Did you remember? Have you made plans to celebrate? I wish my mom lived close so I could treat her right. I day dreamed of having a Mother's day brunch for my sisters and mom who are the most wonderful mothers. If only we lived near each other.


What do you like for brunch?

straws/ wooden spoons/ platter/ glasses/ raspberry scones/ dress/ shoes

Here is my mom with me and my twin sister circa 1985. What a gem she is.
 

{SHOWER} Baby Shower for Penelope

My sister and her friends threw a baby shower for Aleisha and her baby Penelope. This is Aleisha's first girl and she is a beauty! They invited over 50 people so the party and favors had to be pretty simple and manageable. A friend made the darling Welcome banner. I twisted crate paper (tutorial via Oh Happy Day) and I cut and glued lots and lots of paper bows. The bows were used on small boxes for favors. Each box was filled with 4 mini cookies. The paper and bow templete was designed by Brooke from Inchmark. The stripes were my favorite!

For the menu the party planners asked a few friends to bring a salad and a few other friends to make homemade bread. Simple and so good! Another hit was the homemade strawberry lemonade that would blow your mind. For the dessert table they had an assortment of bars made. Lemon bars, smore bars, oatmeal fudgies, etc. I like that they had all the food put in white dishes. It made everything look so uniform even though many were contributing to the shower. I was reminded that the decorations don't need to be all over the place. A couple groupings and that is usually enough.