Beautiful art

I could stare at this pink sky forever. There are something about collages that are simply stunning and this canyon from Twin Canyons sure is a beauty. Makes me want to create something with my hands.

found via pop rock blog, image by twin canyon

A big gender reveal

Over the weekend the husband and I threw a gender reveal party at my parents house to share our exciting news with our close family members and boy was it a blast. Even though I was super sick. Doesn't it always seem to work out that way? I had made up this quick invite for everyone to get into the spirit and my Mom and I planned a fully vegan menu for everyone to munch on before we got to the big news.

The husband was in charge of hanging the streamers and after a short break down - hey, being pregnant and sick I got a little moody- he did quite a good job.

My Mom brought out my old baby blanket for a little fun color and I couldn't believe the condition it was in. Thanks to her saving almost everything we are able to reuse a lot of fun baby things for our little one... who else can say they are using their bassinet almost 30 years later!? Its pretty fantastic and in impeccable shape and surprisingly way more sturdier then some that we have found in stores today. We of course had a little dessert table since they have been my super weakness while the little one grows....oh who am I kidding, I've always had a big sweet tooth!

And with the room almost split in half when asked if it was a boy or girl I pulled out our big reveal.....drum roll please.........we are having a GIRL! Coming this February the husband and I will be knee deep in ruffles and tutu's and we could not be more excited. I think the best expression was from my 7 year old cousin, the only boy under the age of 25, he threw up his hands and rolled his eyes. Poor guy, he is doomed to be surrounded by the girlies. And please excuse the sick eyes, I was trying my hardest to put on a strong face but toward the end of the evening my cold started to get the better of me.

images by our designed life

Create: custom goody bags

Sometimes you just need to jazz up those plain old paper bags and with a little washi tape and a few stamps I now have personal bags for one special grad. The plan is for party goers to have their way with a few of the grads favorite sweet treats and I must say I like how they turned out. Simple yet festive.

images via our designed life

Create: girly clips

Last Easter I surprised one of my super girly girl cousins with a pair of these rick rack hair clips and she loved them so much she popped them into her hair the second she opened them, so I figured why not surprise someone else. My friend has an adorable little girl and while she may not have enough hair now, I'm sure she will grow into these charming and super simple clips. 

To begin, you will need a small piece of felt, binding clips and a bit of rick rack in a few fun colors and adhesive {I used Fabri-tac}. Starting from the outside and working your way inward, simply glue the trim making sure to over lap so the felt does not show through. And in 5 minutes or less you have yourself a fun little accessory, perfect for adding a splash of color.

images by our designed life

Creative challenge: No 1- making art, No 2 - hand painted flowers, No. 3- making space, No. 4- beaded necklace, No. 5- jazzing up ceramics, No. 6- creating fun, No. 7- lots of lines, No. 8- tiny packages

A little dessert? Yes please!

I have been on a hunt for wonderful recipes to fill mine and my husbands tummies, and just thought I would share a few that I am just dying to try out.  And for some reason, they seem to all be pink.  Happy weekend, and why not take a chance on one of these delicious bits!

These nanaimo bars from My baking addiction look simply divine.  And apparently they are easy to put together.

A low fat cobbler? Yes please!  This plum cobbler from Fat free vegan kitchen looks amazing.  With fresh fruits from the farmers market, I can't wait to try this one.

This one might just be too good to be true.  A healthy strawberry un-milkshake? Without the use of milk, this could be a very good alternative for the summer.  Will have to try it out and report back.

click on each photo for the source