Patriotic Sangria + Our Weekend

I do adore this first official holiday of the summer season!  First things first, a patriotic sangria was the libation of choice…

Patriotic Sangria
- Mix together 2/3 each of sugar, orange juice and lemon juice.  Stir until sugar dissolves.
- Add a large 150mL bottle of red wine.  I used a very cheap merlot.  That’s the beauty of sangria.
- Chock full of cut fruit.  To make it patriotic, I used pineapples cut into stars, halved strawberries and blueberries.

As for how we spent our weekend, we pretty much lived outside, relishing in the gorgeous weather before it gets too hot to step foot outside without wilting.  We went to pool parties, a corn hole tourney and kicked around the house half dressed (apparently.)












Above all, a humble THANK YOU goes out to all of the brave men and women that have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice so that we can enjoy freedom in this great nation!
xoxo

Find me at: My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Savvy Southern Style, DIY by Design, Tatertots and Jello, A Stroll Through Life, French Country Cottage, No Minimalist Here, The36th Avenue, It's Overflowing, Shine on Fridays, DIY Show Off, House of Hepworth, 52 Mantels, I Heart Nap Time, The Frugal Girls,Six Sisters Stuff, One Project Closer, Jennifer Rizzo, Le Chateau des Fleurs, Common Ground, Liz Marie Blog, Not Just a Housewife, Miss Mustard Seed, Sugar Bee Crafts, Elizabeth and Co, Rain on a Tin Roof, Coastal Charm

3rd Annual Snowflake Breakfast: Scout + Mickey

Our friendly family elf, Scout, is back once again for the holiday season!!!  He flew in last night and worked his little elfin fingers to the bone preparing perfectly elf-sized portions of breakfast favorites for our third annual Scout's Snowflake Breakfast.  And this year, the jolly little elf teamed up with our favorite mouse to announce a grand surprise for the littles…




…we’re headed to DiSnEy WoRlD in SIX dAyS!!!!!



Scout donned his very own set of miniature ears for the affair and dazzled the littles with his requisite elfin sized eats.  All of the decor was left over from the baby’s Mickey Mouse birthday party so it was a snap to pull together and Scout didn’t spend a dime (hear that Honey??)!

 

Mother made the positively DARLING stockings for the littles.  We’ll use these for their “Messages from Mickey” treats while staying at the mouse house.





Mickey silhouettes dressed up mini fruit cups.



I used toothpicks to stick donut holes (Trader Joes) to mini powdered donuts (Publix).



Scout always brings tiny strawberry yogurt cups topped with granola and they are always a hit.  Mini apples were too cute to pass up when I spied them in Trader Joes.



Mini ego waffles were stuck together with toothpicks to make Mickey heads.  I ever so briefly thought about making mini Mickey pancakes, but quickly realized just how early that would require me to wake up and nipped that idea right in the bud.







 

To say the littles were excited would be an incredible understatement.  They came into the kitchen totally unsuspecting…





…and were still in disbelief even after we confirmed that he “read it right"!
 




I might as well warn y’all now that this blog is going to be busting at the seams with all things MICKY MOUSE for the next couple of weeks. :-)

SIX days, y’all!!
xoxo

  Check these out too:

The 2nd Annual Scout's Snowflake Breakfast

All things Disney

Flattered for the feature at Disney World on a Budget!

Christmas on the Porch

Once I got my inside holiday decor figured out on our first Christmas in the house, it really hasn’t changed much and I have only purchased or made a couple of new things to add each year.  Since this was our first year with the porch and since we use it every.single.day, I wanted to deck it out for Christmas! 
 
The littles helped me plant white pansies in the pots on the stairs.

I added a white fur pillow and fleecy throw (both things I already had) to the sofa. 

Sister helped me trim the tree in burlap ribbon (Hobby Lobby), clear glass ball ornaments (Michael’s) and oyster shells (left over from the DIY chandelier).  The baby fell in love with the tree topper at Hobby Lobby and I couldn’t say no.  He clutched it in his arms the whole way home :-)  I put mini lights and large lights on the tree and it looks gorgeous at night.

Our hot chocolate station gets daily use!  The jars with chalkboard labels are from World Market.  I bought them for the baby’s room but didn’t end up needing them.  The paper coffee cups and lids are from Party City and are perfect for a hot drink to go!

 

I lined the oyster shell centerpiece with garland clippings and then filled it back up with pinecones, oyster shells and antique fishing floats.

Sister also helped me with the mantle.  Everything was purchased half of at Hobby Lobby.  I used two swags, a bolt of burlap ribbon, two bags of large pinecones, a strand of mini lights and a strand of larger lights.

The glittered reindeer is from Target.

The glittered monogram canvas was a quick DIY project.  See how here!  The stockings are by Mud Pie.

I used the vintage refrigerator basket, found at Habersham Antique Market earlier this year, to hold our firewood.

We’ve already spent many, many nights out here listening to Christmas music, sipping on hot chocolate and roasting smores in the fireplace.  It’s truly become our favorite room of the lot!
xoxo

see more of the porch and all the sources here

Deck the Halls 2012

There’s nothing like greenery, glitter, bows and twinkling lights when it comes to making this gal happy!  I am beyond thrilled to have the halls decked and to have positively nothing on the to-do list for the rest of this glorious long weekend!!  So, without further ado, y’all come on in!

Exterior (see more here)

 

Foyer (see more here)

 

Living Room (see more here)

Dining Room

Kitchen (see more here)

 

Den (see more here)

   

  

Kids Rooms (see more here) + Guest Suite (see more here)

 

Porch (see more here)

 

         

The Garden (see more here)

 

Whew!  Anyone left out there??  It really went up pretty easily since I’ve figured out what goes where over the last few years we’ve been in this house.  I think I’ll try to pull together a piece specifically on the porch since that’s the only new stuff around these parts this year.  In the mean time, happy holidays from our home to yours…
xoxo

take the tour at twilight

see our whole before & after tour here

Flattered for the feature at Buncolator!