Tour of the Forest Extravaganze

So I found this on my camera after Julia's party. I had totally forgotten that I filmed it. So for those who are voyeurs like me and get a kick out of looking inside peoples homes here you go! It's a little Blair Witch so beware.

Forest Party from Carina Vasquez-Krieg on Vimeo.

Renegade Fair Christmas Edition

This time I went with my mom and sister. I always fill inspired when I attend the Renegade Fair. I come home with so many ideas and projects that I want to start.

I purchased the following items:

2011 Moon Map for Jackson. $10 Kids make your own monster kit from HANDS-ON 3rd complete with everything to make 2 felt monsters including hair and embellishments. This is for Jackson and Julia from Santa. Its so cute and I can't wait for them to open it on Christmas. $20

Crocheted Hedge Hog - this was my steal of the day. Sample Image. $3
Vintage flash cards- Apple, toilet, underwear.... the first card is for Jacks teacher, the last two are going to be used to decorate the bathroom. I know, don't ask. $1 each, total steal!
So I left completely inspired and I want to create the following projects over the holiday season.

Dollie Garland and Wood Chalkboard:

Cross Stitch Home Sweet Home:

I am super excited to craft and really want to work on transforming more of our home into a reflection of our families creativity and love.

A few homemade surprises

Making most of the decor for Julias upcoming birthday has had it's challenges. I do enjoy crafting but I don't enjoy crafting with three kids running around. My time has been limited to after 8:30pm when everyone is asleep and between 1-3pm while the little one is naping and the other two can be kept busy with a movie.

I will have more images and details on these two projects after the party is over. Making nests seemed like a easy idea, I give major props to mommie birds!! The mushrooms were time consuming because I wanted them each to have a different look to them.

4 days and counting!

Woodland/Fall Forest Friends/Chocolate Party

It's another party. This time Julia has requested a Chocolate party. Only my daughter. So I started to plan it around a woodland theme and it really does fit perfectly. Some ideas to get me inspired.

Fall..... I swear it's right around the corner...

I simply can not wait for fall. Since I have the pleasure of being up at 5:30am I have noticed the cool crisp smell and feel of the air and I can see it roll in before the blazing sun burns it off by 8:00am. The kids are living in layers and while I hate tracking down all the clothes.. I love the fact that the season is changing.

I wrote a summer manifesto and I think I need to do one for Fall. It always helps give me a GUIDELINE to the type of season I would like to share with my family.

So here it goes. I want to spend this fall 2010 doing the things I love best with my family and friends. I want to cook lots of soup, spend time working on my THIRTY THREE list, spend soccer weekends picniking during the games, get in a last camping adventure, eat apple pie, thrift some jackets, make apple cider from scratch, cook a few turkeys, spend time on the porch under a blanket with HOT COCO and muffins, read more to the kids or in Jacksons case be read too, relax on Sundays and kick back more on the couch, craft nights with Julia, garden fall veggies and last but not least chill out from the hot summer days.

Fall finds #2

Fall finds #2 by cv715 featuring a vintage coat

Fall Finds #1

Fall Finds #1 by cv715 featuring flats shoes

Lovely finds for fall! I just want to surround myself with all these wonderful things. They make me smile, they make me shine and they make my wallet super light. I may pick up a few pieces but I hope to find equally good finds thrifting.

Camping weekend!

Styling a Bloody Mary bar and a Smore Bar. I know its not your grandma's camping but I am mixing two of my favorite things for my Birthday camping trip. I love to style tables and parties in general and this weekend I wanted to bring some "fun" to our camping trip. We have a few guests joining us so I thought I would add some fun details to the meals. Bloody Marys count as a meal you know.

So far I am beyond 20 ingredients for the bar and the smores have been upgraded a bit. My biggest problem with styling these bars is gaining height and since I am hauling everything with me I predict the same problem this time. So we shall see what come of this adventure.

Renegade 2010

It was really everything I dreamed it would be. I am exploding with ideas and ready to craft. Now I just need to find the time. I can't wait till next year!

Porch Re-Do

I need to re-decorate my tired porch. Actually since I never decorated it to begin with this is actually not so much a re-do as a do-do. Insert childish laughter.. I need a vacation. Anyways there is something about my porch that just kills me. I don't know what it is. No actually that's a lie, I do know what it is. I hate it, the style, the furniture, the fact that junk is piled up behind the Japanese box trees so that it can't be seen from the street. I dream of a porch like this.

Decorated for the Holidays in special personal ways with details and character.

I need a new project like I need another McFrappe (see below) but I desperately want a change.

The HOT MESS that has earned its own post!

Ignore the Christmas decor. Behind the sea of boxes you can see a porch crying out for attention, demanding that it be used for good instead of evil. Yearning to earn the title "Welcome to my Inviting Home", clamoring for some homeowners yearning for the title of "Porch Drunks"and hell bent on drinking boxed wine. Ok so that's a little far but really glass and cement don't mix so well.

Where do I start? Do I save up for a year and hire someone, do I jump right in and hit up yard sales and thrift stores for furniture? Do I put those box trees on craigslist and offer them up, you pull, you haul for FREE? Where will the snails and cats hide once they are gone? Where will I hide my crap from prying eyes? Why do my boots feel so tight today? Did I grab the right thin socks this morning?

Well be assured what ever I do decide will be 100x better than what is there now. Sorry snails, you have been given your eviction notice.

You wanna be scared....

So this is my sinful craft room. This is what 18 months of no attention gets you. Its actually so bad that I am looking into hiring someone to come help me organize it. See that sewing machine in the bottom pic. Yeah remember her from the Jan sewing class post. I need professional help here. Sooo anyone busy next weekend and want to come over and be professional with me?

Valentines Update in Pictures!!

Window Dressing

I can't handle the blog today....

When I used to work at Universal I would sometimes get to work early just so I could watch the window dressers work their magic on the store windows inside the park. I learned so much watching them create and mold plastic garbage bags, cotton balls, styrofoam, strings of lights, material, cardboard boxes, ribbon and large props into wonderful creations. My favorite time of year was Christmas when the displays were amazing. When I started working in the events department I was even luckier to work with catering and watch tablescapes come to life for every event. Upside down milk crates and misc bowls and dishes from Ikea made wonderful displays. My favorite place in the catering workhouse, the linen closet. Every color, texture, size and style of linen just waiting to be soiled. During my travels through the Internet world I found my way back in front of those windows again. These lovelies have wowed me and inspired me to push that creativity level a little higher.

compliments of http://www.settingthemoodwithjamee.blogspot.com

Preparing for a Baseball Party

Jack turns 7 next week and with the craziness of every ones schedule we decided to host a after practice B-day party with his teammates. This year he was picked up for a minor team and we are all very excited. T-Ball was not going to cut it this year so we are pleased to see him up with the bigger kids.

So I have exactly 7 days to throw this party together. I am of course overflowing with ideas thanks to the internet but I have to remember this party is only 3 hrs long and about 14 teammates will be there. Some ideas I have come across are below, inspiration galore!

Baseball Party by cv715 on Polyvore.com