for the love of wallpaper

hello, my name is kathi and i am addicted to wallpaper.
i know what you are thinking...wallpaper?  that is so yesterday! so 70's!

have you looked at a wallpaper book lately?

if you ask me, i think wallpaper has come a long way.  there are some beautiful papers out there and i also think they can totally make a room.

since i have closed my booth i have to admit i have days were boredom sets in.  so i am always looking for a project.  it is also nice that time is being spent on my home again and things are finally get done around here.

while waiting for paint to mix at my local sherwin williams i was flipping through wallpaper books.

and there it was.........O.M.G.....i was sooo in love.  i checked the book out and brought it home.  (even the cover of the book is a beautiful taupe linen...i wanted to keep it. forever!)

this lovely paper...isn't to die for?!  will soon grace the walls of my mud room/office.

but first.

i have to strip off the red plaid wallpaper (that i used to love and have since grown tired of it). 

i used to hang wallpaper professionally.  so it is nice that when i find a lovely (expensive) paper, i won't have the cost of paying a hanger to install it. 

but the stripping.  ugh.  it is hands down the worst part and it's why i have waited this long to get it done.  but with the little one starting school next week, you can know what i will  be spending my time on.

stay tuned...it may be awhile before i post after photos.

cheers, to the week end.

a pirate looks at 5

i love when the boys pick a theme to their birthday party.  it makes all the planning so much easier. 
so if you have a request for a pirate party in your future, i hope that you will be inspired by our recent pirate buccaneer bash!

the invitation:

i always try to do birthday parties on a budget.  so that translates to making my own invitations. 
start with a photo of your pirate and add some pirate verbage when telling the details.
print out and mail.  i also decorated the envelope by using rubber stamps.  i stamped a scull and cross bones on one end, and a X on the other.  with a sharpie pen i drew dash lines from the scull to the X, representing a treasure map.

the decorations:

 our party was mostly outside.  with some simple decorations, our play fort turned into a pirate ship.
i made the sign using poster board.  added cutouts of a scull and crossbones.  for the writing i just used chalk.  it was quick and easy!  the pirate banner was purchased at michael's.

 inside by the cake table i hung this pirate banner.  i made it by simply photo copying pictures from a pirate book i checked out at the library. 

activities:

 at 5, mostly all they want to do is run around.  i did have a few extra things for them to do.  most popular being 'walk the plank'.  who knew that a 2x4 drug out of the attic could be so much fun?!

 i had a station set up to do shaving cream painting.  the process is so cool.  if you have never done this craft, google shaving cream painting and be ready to be amazed.  so fun!  once dry, i popped these into dollar store black frames and they doubled as party favors.

the pirate pinata was 'a hit' {pun intended}.  filled with all things pirate: gold coins, pirate people, bouncy balls, and some candy, everyone took a turn.  one boy even wanted to take home the head.  

pirate bags to take loot home in.

grog and grub:

 i kept this simple by having a self serve snack table.  bags or cups work well here, everyone can just fill them up with what they want.  the favorite snack?  pirate booty of course!

 i am no professional baker.  but i aim to please when it comes to birthday cakes.  i was concerned when this years cake request was a pirate ship.  and said well by the 5 year old pirate himself ... "every pirate needs a ship".  probably one of the ugliest cakes i've ever made (due to some early morning mishaps...ahem) but the 5 year old pirate said "that's the coolest cake i've ever seen!"  nuff said.

 if you google pirate ship cake you can find all the directions on how to make this. 
cans of root beer are also good pirate grog.  we however forgot to put ours out, but i'm confident they had enough sugar by the time the guests left us.

that pretty much wraps it up!   with paper pirate hats, eye patches and beads at the cake table a good time was had by all.

hard to believe that my 'baby' is 5....happy birthday cooper!

back to school

we're going, but we're kicking and screaming.

we have had such a great summer that my boys,

nor i, are ready for school to start.

sleeping in,

no schedules,

lots of playing outside,

swimming,

just being...kids.

we drop off school supplies tonight,

meet the teacher,

and school starts on monday.

one last weekend, and you can bet

we're making the most out of it!

these slow summer days

we are really trying to just drag out these last few

 days of summer before school starts.

with weather being the hottest it has been in 25 years we have

 been spending most days enjoying our backyard cement pond.

oh yes, there has been lots and lots of swimming.

with a fifth birthday looming in the upcoming week there has

 also been some party planning.

so hard to believe that this little pirate will be 5 soon.

i am really trying to treasure these last few

days of having a four year old.

{pirate party pics will be posted after the 14th...stay tuned!}

once the weather cools down in the evenings

 (if you call 99 degrees a cool down!)

we have been practicing bike riding with no training wheels.

do they always have to ride so fast?!  i suppose so, just to keep his mommy's heart beating.

fresh berries make for a yummy COLD summer snack.

an abundance of tomatoes from the garden

make for some great BLT's.

the tiny ones never even make it to the kitchen.  nothing

 like a warm, fresh tomato popped into your mouth.

  if that doesn't scream summer i don't know what does.

too proud to call in a plumber, i knew i could tackle this

 home improvement project.

the drippy bathroom faucet.

long story short, we now have an entire new faucet,

and new plumbing underneath.

all installed by moi! 

8 trips to the hardware store, and several calls to dear 'ol dad

and i did it!

and finally....i am doing cartwheels because we finally have the ball rolling on the front porch project.

a few more hoops to jump through with the city

 before we can actually start.

fingers crossed, and hoping for pumpkins

 on my porch for halloween.

{this is just a sneak peek, i'll be sure to post before, during and of

course after photos as we go along}.

hope you are staying cool & enjoying the lazy hot days of summer.

i appreciate each and every one of you that

visit my blog.  from near and far, you make my day!

thanks for stopping by.