August Recap, September Freebie and Vote

I've decided to start my inaugural monthly recap today (it will be smaller than in future months because I had a week-long hiatus while in Maine). But instead of just a post regurgitating what's happened this month (new content is king!) I've decided to offer a freebie for the coming month. Sound fair?

 

You know what would make me positively thrilled today? If you would take 30 seconds of your time (literally) and vote for me over at Country Living (link here). Migonis Home is one of three decorating blogs nominated. You can vote every day and I'd be honored if you did. :)

 

 

 

freebie

 

Today I am offering one of two 5x7 templates to use for fall events. I will email anyone a blank template but the first five people to write me with the info they want on their invite will get a PDF emailed to them with their invite. All you have to do is send it to your printer and tell him to cut it.

 The rules: the info needs to be the same basic template I've outlined below and the sizes / colors need to be kept the same. Email me (jen.migonis@gmail.com) if you are interested.

 

recap

 

These are the projects we have completed this month and don't include Wednesday Loves selections.

You can find those in the blog archive to the right.

 

 

 

Makeover of a beat up dresser with a coat of glossy white and custom colored drawers

 

Free meal planning and grocery shopping lists

 

Navy nautical dresser makeover

 

 

 

 

Our new kitchen ceiling... making our kitchen almost done!

 

Wooden wine crate made into a book holder for Drew.

 

 

 

Hydrangea wreath (it still looks this good even though it's dried now!)

 

Ladybug Baby Shower

 

 

 

Drew's 20th month birthday and Country Living Finalist

 

Drew's playground, made out of pallets and free things. :)

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DON'T FORGET TO HEAD TO COUNTRY LIVING AND VOTE!

What are your plans for this gorgeous weekend?

Pallet Playground

AJ has been hard at work making a playground for Drew... Drew is one of those kids who just loves climbing things and moving fast. The swings aren't really of interest to him, hence, this is no typical swingset. The catalyst to build this playground was when I found this slide in perfect condition in someone's trash. (I could walk you around my house and point to something in every room that someone was getting rid of for free or was in their trash. Maybe I'll do a post on that. :))

 

 

AJ then built the play structure around the height that the slide worked best at and then added some fun details, but we will go into that shortly.

 

Any of the side boards you see are pieces of some pallets that a bath supply store was getting rid of, it saved us some extra money and we were still able to have the main pieces holding the structure together be sturdy pressure treated wood.

 

 

Even though Drew isn't interested in the typical swings AJ thought it would be fun to add a tire swing, he's a little young for it now but not too young to love putting our chickens in it. Surprisingly, the chicken really liked being in the swing (and I'm not being sarcastic!).

 

But I'm pretty sure the chicken didn't love it when Drew kept smacking him on his tail.

Don't worry, Mom, Drew got a good bath after that. :)

 

 

AJ used a normal drill to make a hole in the free tire (one that our autobody shop downtown was getting rid of) and then tied the thread into a tight knot on the underside of the tire.

 

Have you ever tried to take a photograph of the inside of a tire before? Yeah, NOT easy.

 

Every time we bring Drew to the playground in town he loves climbing up the rope ladder. AJ made his own version and did a couple of different experimental ways of making sure the ropes stayed put.

 

 

The way he landed on to keep the rope mostly secure was to thread it through the perpendicular ropes. He said that he needs to go back and fix some of them but for the most part it is far better than when it was just knots at every rope intersection.

 

AJ was even able to figure out how to make the ladder out of a sturdy old pallet.

Resourceful, or what, right?

 

 

Here is the picture of the top of the playground... it's going to be my job to find some outdoor fabric (that's the part that excites me!) and then AJ will chop the boards to the correct height.

 

In case you wondered where we put it in our backyard, it's over by the chicken coop. Drew loves to stand on the top of the structure and talk to the chickens. :)

 

 

If you missed my sneak preview on Tuesday, here is the little guy giving a pretty good indication of what he thinks of the playground. :)

 

 

What is on your docket for the rest of the day? I've got some grocery shopping to do and want to fit in a three mile walk with Drew Baby, but you know what? I think I'm going to squeeze in a little nap while Drew is napping now... that sounds pretty darn good...

Wednesday Loves: Fall Event Ideas

I just came back from Gordon where I met with a bride that I'm helping out on Sunday. Just being at the school made me realize how glad I am not to be back there, not because college was bad, quite the contrary, but because I love my life now so much now... I remember thinking the same about high school when I was in college. I loved each phase when I was in it but I guess I'm just really happy where I am now.  I'm happy living with my two guys in a little fixer upper in a cute seaside town. On most days I'm happy being a stay at home mom (even though, you know, it's been hard for me to not work). And for the most part I love the little niche we've carved out for ourselves here. Nothing like stepping back to make you fully appreciate how good you've got it now.

 

....

 

For today's Wednesday Loves I am doing the second part to last weeks Fall Introduction, only this part is focused on Fall Events, particularly because AJ and I are planning a fall party and I'm gleaning some great ideas wherever I can find them. You'll hear more about that in October...

 

Isn't this a great use of sunflowers, burlap and hay bales?  I just love the hanging lights to set the mood over the area.

 

Country Living

 

This is a fun pizza party but it's been taken up a notch from just ordering pizza. I love the cute soda or cider in the glass bottles.

 

The Party Dress

 

Aren't these caramel apples adorable? I just love the twigs, it makes it so natural.

 

 

Sow Kindness Tumbler

 

Aren't these really adorable favors for a fall party?

 

Found here but not the original source

 

Isn't it a great idea to do a carmel apple bar? Aren't all the toppings just great!

 

 

 

Marilyn Keepsakes

 

What are your favorite ideas for fall parties?

Country Living Finalist

You know when you never believe something will happen to yourself and then it does? Well, today that happened. I got an email from Country Living this evening telling me I was a finalist for their Blue Ribbon Blogger Awards. I was so excited I raced upstairs before I even finished reading the email, where AJ was bathing Drew, to tell him the exciting news! Annette, thank you for pushing me to apply! And readers, thanks so much for hanging out with me on a daily basis. You have no idea how happy your emails make me. :) Voting for the Reader's Choice Award will start on August 31 so I'll fill you all in on more details then.

...

 

Today Drew turned 20 months. I can't even handle how old he looks compared to about a year ago. And you know what else I can't handle? How he just gained about 12 pounds this week (slight exaggeration). My arms are crying for mercy. :)

 

Drew, Baby, we love you like crazy. Even when you are trying to get your own way, like you are here. There is something impossibly cute looking about you even when you are being manipulative... but don't think for one minute that means that we are going to give in. :)

 

 

AJ has put the finishing touches on Drew's playground today, I'll post about it on Thursday, but here are a couple of sneak peeks of a very happy camper.

 

 

 

Join me tomorrow for Wednesday Loves!

Ladybug Baby Shower

I had the world's busiest Saturday this weekend. I was helping out with a 50th wedding anniversary party in Newbury all day. Then, after getting out late, with stains all over my dress, might I add, I drove straight to a ladybug themed baby shower for Kim's BFF Allison (this is one of my favorite shots of her at the party, it was taken by her friend JJ).

I'm going to walk you through the party today because Kim did such a dynamite job pulling it together. I made the invites for Kim in the ladybug theme, but luckily the actual guests were able to see the address of the party. :)

 

Everything was done in red, white and black and it was held in Allison's mom's backyard.

Don't you just love the steps up to another level of the yard?

 

How completely cute are these ladybug cupcakes Kim made?

 

 

She even got spotted cupcake liners!

 

The cake stands were a find at Home Goods in 2009 and I change the ribbon on it depending on the party theme. I've definitely gotten my moneys worth out of them and have passed them on to Kim for a couple of events.

 

 

Kim wanted the party to be fun without breaking the bank and decided to do a simple dessert shower with ice-cream sundaes as the main food item. Each of the toppings are labeled with clothespins and the food tags have the same look as the invites. Allison's sisters brought the toppings (whipped cream, mini M&Ms, Oreos, cherries and walnuts).

 

Another view of the toppings... I bet you are wishing for an ice-cream sundae now, right? :)

 

When we were in Maine a couple weeks ago Kim popped up for a night with these cookies that she'd just made (she froze the rest for this party), they have milk and white chocolate chips and craisins in them... DELISH.

 

 

Allison's mom, Terry, made the amazing chocolate covered strawberries. I just love the combo of the chocolate and crisp strawberry flavor!

 

 

Kim wrapped all the silverware in black napkins and red ribbon.

 

 

She then covered a bottle in black ribbon and wrapped it with white twine at the top and bottom.

 

Okay, now, let's talk about these adorable ladybugs she made... my dad had a project where he used half of a tennis ball... Kim decided not to let the other half go to waste and painted them to look like ladybugs because she figured that there were no photos of actual ladybugs anywhere else in the decor! Aren't they adorable?

 

 

The water was made to look a little more glam thanks to some floating strawberries and a red gingham cloth.

 

 

The favors were long skinny bags of licorice. Kim gave me two bags.

They may be both gone now... :) 

 

What are some of your favorite ideas for a baby shower that you don't want to be either gender specific or the generic pink or blue?

Hydrangea Wreath

Thanks to my mom and dad's amazing hydrangea bumper crop I have had fresh hydrangeas in my house from July on... My mom gave me the idea to try making a hydrangea wreath, she did this while Kim and I still lived at home and it was really neat looking.  So... here's to the easiest craft ever. It may have taken me about seven minutes total.

 

 

 

 

I had a grapevine wreath on hand from making a spring wreath, ripped off the moss and eggs and started inserting hydrangeas into the holes in between the vines.

 

There was absolutely zero science to it. :)

I simply cut all the pieces to about this length (below) and then started inserting them into the wreath.

 

 

Once I hung it on the door I pulled some hydrangea pieces off and rearranged them so I'd have a perfect (ish) circle. The best tip my mom gave me was to make sure they are fresh when arranging the wreath... if they have started to dry at all it'll be super hard to work with them.

 

I'll try to remember to post photos of what it looks like as it dries!

 

Have a great weekend... in the mean time I'll leave you two photos of the twins out watering. :)