Father's Day Gift Idea

Sorry I'm posting this so late...it's been a hectic week. Here's a simple DIY project that daddy would love to open tomorrow. I followed Ashley's tutorial over at The Handmade Home and I am very happy with the results!

Purchased two pieces of plain wood at A.C. Moore:

And here's what I made:

 Had a little trouble with Ella's...just a little LOL

Hope you all have a great Father's Day weekend!!



Ashley

For the Love of Salad

As the temperatures climb, so do my cravings for light, crisp salads. I like making different salads to substitute for heavy meals and also for sides for picnics and BBQs. Here are two easy, yet delicious salads that I made the other night for a small gathering.

Salads don't have to always start with a green leafy lettuce as the base....why not mix up a few other healthy options and call it a "salad"?!?

                                                        Edamame Salad

I used:

~ 1 bag of frozen edamame

~ 1-15.25 oz can of corn
~ 2-15.5 oz cans of black beans
~ 1-8.5 oz can of julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes with herbs in olive oil (found in produce section near fresh tomatoes)
*can use all frozen or all canned or a combination. whatever you have on hand or is on sale*

Drain corn and black beans and mix with thawed edamame and sun-dried tomatoes (olive oil included).
Mix all ingredients together and add a few dashes of black pepper. Easy Peesy!!! And a perfect side for any summer meal.

                                        Summer Strawberry Salad

I use:

~  6 oz bag of baby spinach
~  About 8-10 good-sized strawberries (Great time of year to pick them yourself)
~ 1/2 of a softball sized red onion. Sliced.
~ either peppered or herb and garlic feta cheese (whatever is available at the time)

Top spinach with sliced strawberries and onions and sprinkle with feta cheese. I like to use a raspberry vinigrette like Newmans Own Light Raspberry and Walnut.....or something on the sweeter side. So light and yummy and great for a luncheon or brunch.

I love entertaining....and I've found that small little touches, like these little cards with the name of your recipe on them, are not only simple and easy to make (I ripped a small note card in half and folded each piece in half), but often become a conversation piece at any party or cookout.

              Happy Summer Entertaining!!!

                      Kirsten

Kristen and Glenn

On Saturday, June 11, 2011, I witnessed one of the most beautiful weddings ever. My good friend Kristen was marrying her best friend, Glenn. The venue was a gorgeous beach pavilion (that looked more like a mansion) overlooking the Long Island sound and the decorations were beachy and simple; less is truly more, in this case. The pictures say it all...

Brightly colored rose petals paved Kristen's way down the isle to her husband-to-be. Glenn, with tears in his eyes, stared as Kristen walked down the isle with her Grandfather so gracefully.

Her wedding gown, from J Crew was absolutely breathtaking. Kristen was the definition of a classic, flawless bride that night.

Kristen opted for hues of blue and white throughout the ceremony and reception which complemented the rustic, beachy feeling of the pavilion.

The happy couple so in love.

Surrounding the place cards, were framed candid pictures of Kristen and Glenn throughout the years. I love this informal shot the best.

Centerpieces and maid of honors bouquets were made out of bright white Gerber daisies paired with (my favorite flower) green hydrangeas.

Each guest got to take home a soundtrack of Kristen and Glenn's favorite songs. I rocked out the whole car ride home... haha!

I love Kristen's style. Her four tiered wedding cake topped with two miniature Adirondack chairs was to die for.

She chose to only have her two best friends as maid of honors in her bridal party. Here is one of them with Kristen, dresses are also J Crew.

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Anderson! Enjoy every moment of each other.

Ashley

Birthday Party craft #1: Pom Poms!!!

At the end of this summer my daughter, Chloe, will turn 1!!! I am really excited because this is the first summer birthday I get to plan! But let's be real... there is no way to make it incredible if I start planning it a week before! So, I will be doing things "Sarah" paced, which is incredibly slowly but surely! I will be posting the fun and pretty decorations I make through out the summer...

As I'm sure you all know... the Marchlela girls love to decorate their parties with the infamous pom poms!!! And why not? They are a beautiful accent for any party, they are fun to make, and very very cheap! But why stop there? I also decided to make pretty garland out of miniature pink pom poms!!!

The choice of colors I went with were pink, white, red, and beige! I chose these colors because it will be a fairy woodland party with lots of pink, and white fairies, and little toadstools everywhere!

You will need...

~Tissue paper

~Scissors

~Craft wire

~Twine

To begin...

Take 8 sheets of tissue paper. Fold back and forth like a fan! Tie craft wire around center, and make a small hoop for hanging!

Next...

Round the edges with scissors!

Then separate the layers of tissue paper until it resembles a puff!

For the garland...

I made 6 miniature pink pom poms. Then I ran a strand of twine through the wire hoops!

One decoration down, many to go...

Thanks!

Sarah

Warm Weather Wine Review

It's been some time since I've reviewed a wine on Marchlela....although I've had no problems "reviewing" them at home. Lol!
Now that the weather is beginning to get warm and sunny, I'm in the mood for a lighter, chilled, refreshing wine. One wine that comes to mind, and also one of my sister's favorites, is Ballet of Angels.

Ballet of Angels is a local wine, from a local vineyard.....Sharpe Hill in Pomfret, Connecticut.

Look how gorgeous the vineyard grounds are!!!! Breathtaking!! And I had the pleasure of visiting a few years ago.

Our First Tasting...

2 1/2 hours later......Our Last tasting.....Note how lopsided we are at this point! Lol! It was a good time!

Not only is this wine one of the Best Selling wines in New England, it has some interesting history. The vineyard owners where always fond of this unusual painting of a young boy holding a bluebird. When given permission by the New York Historial Association to use this painting on their labels, they found out that it had been painted by a Connecticut artist, John Brewster, Jr. Who had once lived only a few miles from their vineyard. They felt it was meant to be....and so was the name! Heaven sent!

So... in review:

Ballet of Angels

a bright, crisp, semi-dry white wine

refreshing fruit flavors of peach, pear, and grapefruit

Reminiscent of a Reisling

pairs well with Cajun and Oriental Style dishes

Price Point: approx. $12.99 (small bottle)

Enjoy at your next summer picnic, cookout or BBQ!!!!

Kirsten

Tickled Pink

Last Saturday was a day dedicated to my precious Ella.

The theme I chose for her Christening celebration was rustic garden style with the color pink incorporated everywhere.

This handmade banner was so easy to make. All you need is pretty scrapbook paper and letters printed off the computer.

Frame invitations for easy decoration. Personalized napkins can be ordered from Carlson Crafts.

Glass jugs that contain pink lemonade add a nice touch. Mason jar jug from Christmas Tree Shop and Efferve bottles from Marshalls.

This three tiered platter became our mini raw bar. This Pottery Barn one was one of my Mother's Day gifts from Chris (love it!)

Simple cards were used for food labels. A "food must" on a summer party list is definitely various salads. For Ella's party we decided on macaroni, potato, coleslaw, chopped, arugula and fruit salad- and they were all the first things to be eaten.

Cupcakes for the kids is always a good, clean idea.

Pink angel sugar cookies were easy to prepare ahead of time. I used an old family sugar cookie recipe and just added pink food coloring (5 drops for light pink, 20 drops for a brighter shade). I wrapped the baked and cooled cookies in saran wrap and sealed them in a Tupperware. I then froze them all for about two weeks and defrosted them the day before the party. Easy peezie!

Pom Pom balls (in the background) were made before hand too. Easy how-to here.

Having toys and games for the younger guests keep them occupied while adults can mingle and relax for a bit. Our PlayDoh table was a hit.

Ella is so blessed to have such caring and loving godparents. Both of their gifts to her were the most unique, beautiful things I have ever seen.

Her Godmother, Holly (my sister), gave her this precious pearl bracelet, with a cross attached. You can order one here. This bracelet will be a treasure of Ella's until she can pass it onto her daughter.

Bill, her Godfather (whose wife, Sarah, always finds some the best gifts) gave Ella two incredible gifts. The first is a single pearl that will hopefully be the first of many that Ella will collect over the years. Once there's enough, we'll be able to make a string of pearls for her wedding day.

And the second gift was a canvas picture of Ella. This was Ella's first real photograph, that is one of my favorites. You can create your own and order them here.

 It was a day Chris and I will never forget; we are so fortunate to have such amazing people in our lives to help us celebrate our little girl.
We love you Elle!

Traditional Wedding Anniversary Gifts: Years 1-5

"The passing of another year together marks a deepening of the couple's commitment, an accumulation of time irreplaceable. To help in celebrating these occasions are special gifts, one assigned to each anniversary and each with its own material and symbolic value. In the United States, the wedding anniversary symbols begin simply, with paper and flowers, and gradually increase in substance and value. The order of gifts reflects the investment that the couple gives of themselves to each other. In Germany, by comparison, couples use a list of symbols that represent the progressive strengthening of the marriage relationship."
Source: Gretchen Scoble and Ann Field, The Meaning of Wedding Anniversaries, page 7.

With the passing of mine and my husband's 9th wedding anniversary this past Wednesday, June 1st, it had me thinking of what to get him for a gift. I like the idea of marking each year with a traditional anniversary gift, as I imagined my great grandparents did and their parents before them. Through the years, modern elements have been incorporated into the yearly gift giving, so to please those you don't care to be so "traditional".

For the very 1st Wedding Anniversary, the traditional gift is Paper. Some suggestions would be...

a special note or letter on anything made of paper.....a matchbook from the restaurant or bar where you went on your first date or a ticket to a sporting event you both love or a movie or broadway show. Another romantic suggestion, would be to write a "message in a bottle" to your husband or wife, and let it go in your favorite body of water together. The more modern gift for the 1st wedding anniversary is a Clock. Which could mean a personal wrist watch or decorative clock for your home.

For the 2nd Wedding Anniversary, the traditional gift is Cotton. Some suggestions would be...

Oh how I'd love this cozy hammock to snuggle up in with my hubby.....or matching monogrammed bathrobes like the fancy hotel you stayed in once before....
The more modern suggestion for the 2nd wedding anniversary, is China. A suggestion would be to add a piece to your wedding china that you may not have received yet or that is new to the collection.

For the 3rd Wedding Anniversary, the traditional gift is Leather. Some suggestions would be...

A classic leather belt would be a gift my husband would love.....but isn't this leather bound journal pretty special too?  A more modern gift for the 3rd wedding anniversary, would be Crystal/Glass. I suggest big beautiful wine glasses....or a unique piece of seaglass jewelry.

For the 4th Wedding Anniversary, the traditional gift is Fruit or Flowers. Some suggestions would be...

a beautiful bouquet of flowers reminisent of your wedding bouquet.....like this one is of mine.....is very thoughtful. Or....a plant that has flowering fruits....like this strawberry bush.

A more modern gift for the 4th wedding annivesary would be given in the form of Linen or Silk. Perhaps a piece of Linen clothing (which I would love)....or actual linens, like new towels or bedsheets. Silk lingerie is a must for the hopeless romantics out there too!

For the 5th Wedding Anniversary, the traditional gift is Wood. Some suggestions would be....

A wood gallery of frames with family photos placed in them is a nice idea.....or a piece of wood furniture, homemade or bought. Or you could simply plant a tree together in your yard or a local park or school.....
The modern gift idea for the 5th wedding anniversary is silverware. This could include silver place settings, silver jewelry.....or this idea that would bring the traditional "wood" of a tree and the silver together....

Stay tuned next year for the traditional gifts for Wedding Anniversaries 6-10. It'll be my big 1-0 Wedding Anniversary, so it'll mark the occassion. Wishing you many many years of wedded bliss!!!

                        Kirsten