Beauty is Made, Not Bought

First before I proceed to today's meme, I want to acknowledge the two awards I received and would be sharing.

I want to thank Susan at "A Southern Daydreamer" for giving me this award. I am truly humbled. A great set of rules to share this with 15 new blogs came along, but as I've joined two new memes, it's hard to choose which 15 new blogs to reward with this awesome token so I will share this with all of YOU!

This Lemonade Stand was an award I received back from my good friend, Ann over at "Three Little Ladies". She's such a sweetheart for creating a whole post why. Please feel free to take it as you all clearly deserve such a token for your "Attitude of Gratitude"...

Thank you both to Susan and Ann... I love both awards...

Now on to some reminiscing...

Hosted by "Happy To Design"
It's Sunday again and that means we get to join Chari in reliving our favorite posts for our new readers!

When I posted this, my blog was three days old and had practically no readers. So, I don't know if the content made sense. These are tips that I've used in my braving any crafts as I am not a natural. Enjoy!

From February 9, 2009

Channeling You Inner Martha Stewart

I believe that all ladies are crafty, beutiful beings (Well, don't you agree? You should!). Martha just happened to have cornered the market first and very well at that (except for that whole insider trading fiasco, of course!)
With that said, here's some more helpful hints that can make your tables more special (or any flat surface leading to your table for that matter. Oh yeah, ceiling is just an upside down flat surface- *wink, wink!*). So this post is dedicated to bringing out our own crafty side without the guilt of perfection and I guarantee you that this is a "very, very good thing."

So here's a quote from her to boost your confidence (it did mine!) ;-)
"I'm not a sponge exactly, but I find that something I look at is a great opportunity for ideas." ~Martha Stewart; Domestic Diva

1. If you can't find the arrangement you exactly want, pick your own flowers and make your own arrangements.

Go low and fan out; it's quick to make and you won't have to worry about visual distractions across the table. If you're going for height, but can only use three sides of the table, create a focal point on the fourth side by putting all the decor on it; no conversation distractions, but a big wow factor!

(2008, Texas- Thanksgiving floral arrangement; vase and base were mine, 99-cents & gift, respectively. Flowers chosen by dh, ribbons, Hobby Lobby find- $1 each)
2. If you love those hotel entryways, you know, the fancy-shmancy ones with side buffets and mirrors, why don't you make your own grand entrance using silk flowers and wall lamps?

Oh, yeah, you'll need a mirror, too!) You want it all year, then use a neutral sturdy vase and just swap out your silk florals and pictures or "kanick-knacks"!

(2006, Arizona- Thanksgiving entryway; most can be found at Michael's. Vase at Big Lots, Lamps at Walmart and mirror, Great Indoors-back in 2001. I got the idea from dh working for The Phoenician 5-star resort in Scottsdale for two years.)
3. Tired of floral arrangements? Then create your own centerpiece using ornaments and hurricane vases!

Candles make a romantic alternative whatever the occasion. You can also just "pepper" your table with floral petals or leaves for other fun effects. Statues or books make an interesting base for petit fours for those Book Club or Swaps you enjoy with your friends. Find some cheap ones at your local library and "voila!" you have a tablescape!

(2005, Arizona- Christmas Eve dinner centerpiece; clear glass ornaments with swirled in paints and glitter surrounding two hurricane vases with white or gold candles)
4. Living in an area that doesn't snow? Why don't you make your own falling snow?

Combine plastic snowflakes of different sizes with glittered or matte gold ribbons and you have your very own twinkling White Christmas! Especially good if you'll have small children at the party. You'd rather have them looking up than grabbing off the table you just spent hours on, right? Target and Michael's seem to have them every year for very little dough!

(2005, Arizona- Lisa's 2nd Annual White Elephant Party; iridescent glittered snowflakes- 3 sizes, clear thread, twisted wired ribbons; hang at different lengths. Michael's. When I did this for my teen, her friends literally didn't want to leave the table, though they didn't want to touch the decor either; they were too fascinated that I did all of that for her. Does that fall under "buying her affection?" :-D)
5. Tired of pastels for Easter? Why don't you brighten things up your way?

Use brighter pastel tones or start introducing summer shades to liven things up by either using fruits and flowers that have a more summer tone. Easter is a way to remember the ultimate sacrifice, so reverence is in the details of your presentation. If it looks too loud to you, most likely it is! Don't like fruits, use organic edible flowers that you or a good friend (anybody you know that do organic gardening) grew like narcissus rose or violets.

(2007, Arizona- Easter Sunday lunch; I made my own cupcake frosting shades in pastel but it was too pale against the flowers and the suckers, so I cut some of my strawberries in the fridge, fanned them out and topped each one. The cupcakes looked and tasted that much better. ;-)

I hope these pictures and tips, can help you confidently tackle your next gathering. If you haven't entertained or just for very little before, the present is the best time to start learning something new! Remember, the best advice for anything worth doing is HAVE FUN while doing it!

Learn a new skill + saving time and money = Falling in love with your own table!

Isn't that what Valentine's Day is for? To show our loved ones how much we love them? If you make things yourself, they will know it (even if their mouths end up full of both their stinky feet for saying the wrong things like "the colors are off, or you made that?" with a bad surprise look on their face. At least you know they noticed and deep, maybe deeper, in their hearts, they loved the effort and execution! LOL)

###########################################
Thank you bunches to our host, Chari for giving us opportunities to republish our favorite posts. Certainly works for me!

TABLESCAPING IDEA: ("Brain" says this is perfect for gardeners.) Practice low and high bouquet arrangements using your own flowers. Take pictures of each and catalog them for future reference. You never know what arrangement might work at any given table! Yes, if you're curious, I have my own catalog, the file is aptly called, "Centerpieces" ;-)