Such Pretty Things

Pretty Valentine's Day Gift Idea

If you are looking for a cute little last minute Valentine's Day gift for someone special, consider these adorable cosmetic bags that I found at Forever 21...

I just love the metallic heart print and the pretty colors...and at only $5.80 each, they are a real bargain!

Stuff one with some little trinkets and candy...and when it's empty, the bag is perfect for traveling or storing make-up!

I bought one for each of the girls and I am filling them with little gifts like hand lotion, sparkly jewelry, and i-tunes cards...

...and lots of sweet candies.

I hope they like them!

XOXO

Jessica

Valentine Marshmallow Pops

These heart-shaped marshmallow pops are a great little treat for Valentine's Day.

They are soooo easy to make and are a wonderful activity to do with the kiddies!  You will need heart-shaped marshmallows (I found mine at Target)...

They came in a mixed bag of pretty pink and white...

You will also need white chocolate (or candy melts), lollipops sticks (my cute striped ones are from World Market)...

...and SPRINKLES (of course)!

To make them, simply insert the sticks into the base of the marshmallows - pushing them in as far as you can without them coming out the top.  Melt your chocolate as instructed and carefully dip your marshmallows in the chocolate. I dipped some completely in chocolate and others I chose to just coat the fronts. Quickly add your sprinkles before the chocolate hardens and lay them on wax or parchment paper to set.

Once set, you can serve them as is...or put them in little cello bags tied with a ribbon.  They make great little favors to hand out at Valentine's Day parties. Personally, I like presenting them as a colorful bouquet!

XOXO

Jessica

Pretty Books: "Tinkered Treasures"

I have been a huge admirer of Elyse Major's work for many years now. I just adore her pretty, pastel-infused blog, Tinkered Treasures, and I always enjoy reading the articles that she contributes to my favorite decorating magazines. Recently, I was delighted to find out that Elyse was having her very first book published...and even more thrilled when her publisher, CICO Books, sent me a copy to review!

"Tinkered Treasures" is such a beautiful and fun book!  It is absolutely brimming with simple and clever projects that make use of everyday objects (bottles, tin cans, etc...) that one likely already has in their home. With just a few basic supplies (paint, paper, glue), Elyse shows you how to easily re-purpose these mundane items into pretty and practical eye candy. From garlands and bookmarks to picture frames and clothespin dolls!

"Tinkered Treasures" is a truly wonderful book for even the novice crafter. With clear step-by-step instructions and illustrations, even the most beginner crafter can turn out charming results in no time. It is clear that Elyse's goal is for her reader to really have fun with these projects - to "play" and "tinker" with them...and put their own unique spin on each one.

And if, like me, you like your books to be pretty as well as practical, you will love the gorgeous photographs and styling...

A pastel wonderland filled with the sweetest vintage details...

"Tinkered Treasures" is a truly must-have addition to any design and craft library.  You can order it directly through CICO Books here.  And you can also pre-order it on Amazon here (it's due out next week - on Valentine's Day!).

Well done, Elyse!  Well done!

XOXO

Jessica

Pretty Marbleized Balloons

I was doing a little shopping for Mini-mini-me's upcoming birthday party when I spotted these at Party City...

They are marbleized balloons! I actually haven't seen anything like them in years. While the colors didn't precisely fit my typical palette, I had a vague memory that these balloons become much paler when they are filled with air.  So, I decided to throw caution to the wind and bought a pack. I was super excited to see what they would look like once they were blown up! Here they are before...

And here they are after...

Hard to believe, right?  They turn out much lighter in color and the patterns become much more subtle - almost like watercolor.

I think they are just so pretty and the marbleized effect is really cool.

Sadly, we won't be using them for Mini-mini-me's cake-decorating party (only the purest pastels need apply), but I just love these for a retro 1970's party, a tie dye party, or an art party!

:-)

Jessica

Another Year, Another Cake Decorating Party

Some of you may remember that "Mini-mini-me" had a cake-decorating party for her birthday two years ago. We held it at a wonderful local bakery and the girls all had a blast. Just last week, I was discussing possible themes for this year's party with Mini-mini when she mentioned that she would really, really like to have another cake-decorating party this year. At first, I was a bit hesitant.  We've certainly done a lot of party themes over the years, but surely we could come up with something new and exciting? But, after some thought, I decided Mini-mini really should have what she wants. After all, It is HER birthday! And it really is such a fun party.

So, yes, we will be doing another cake-decorating party this year. But we will be doing things a bit differently.  For one, we will be having it at home this time around. The bakery was lovely, but I think it will be even more fun to do it ourselves. This way, we can have all the pastel prettiness we want!

I will, of course, be delighted to share all the details with you here. For starters, this is the invitation that we picked out (not our wording, but you get the idea). Isn't it just adorable!

It was designed by the very talented Sarah at Delight Paperie and we found them on Etsy. Her shop also has lots of coordinating items like stickers and pretty envelopes! I have a ton of decorating and favor ideas, so there will definitely be more to come in the upcoming weeks...

XOXO

Jessica

Target Tuesday: More Valentine's Day Supplies

I discovered a new collection of super cute Valentine's Day supplies at Target this week! These adorable striped straws are slightly wider and shorter than the typical paper straws that we have come to love.

They come as a set of 20 straws in a mix of fun colors for only $3.00!

And these plates and napkins are a real steal at only a $1.00 a pack!

Such a fun heart-shaped pattern...

These supplies are all so pretty for Valentine's Day, but I am thinking they would work equally well for a "circus" themed party.  These cups ($2.00) especially...

Happy Tuesday!

:-)

Jessica

Candy Colored Necklaces

I nearly fainted when I saw these candy colored necklaces at Urban Outfitters!

The "sweet" colors are pure pastel perfection.

They look so pretty when worn together...or separately.

You can find them here and here.

:-)

Jessica

French Cake Decorating Roses

When I discovered these in Paris last spring, I didn't really know what they were...

I am still not completely sure (I guess I should have stuck with that French class in seventh grade).  From what I can discern from the label, I am pretty confident that they are edible.  And they seem to be made out of some wafer-like material or thick rice paper. "Mini-mini-me" volunteered to be the Guinea Pig and try one. Her opinion - they tasted "very blah -  like Chinese pancakes". O.K.  Well, whatever they are, I think you will agree that they are stunningly beautiful...

I found them in a gourmet food shop among other cake decorating supplies, so they are obviously intended as confectionery decor. They come in a variety of pretty pastel colors - with edges that look as if they were air-brushed.  Pretty cool, huh? I am currently loving them on some simple vanilla cupcakes with white icing.

I have never seen them for sale here in the States. Have any of you? Or do you know anything about them? I'd love to learn more...

:-)

Jessica

Confessions of a Shopaholic

I am undoubtedly a shopaholic. I know it. My family and friends know it. And by now, so do all of you. So, it's really no secret that I love to shop. But, believe it or not, I am really trying to be better. To shop less just for "shopping's sake". The older I get, the more I seem to genuinely only want to acquire things that I really need or that are truly, truly special. I have found that one way to do this is to avoid frequently going to shops where I know I will be tempted to buy things I really don't need (yes, HomeGoods, I am talking to you). :-) Luckily, daily life is filled with plenty of shopping opportunities that offer up little temptation - the supermarket, drug store, etc... However, the other day, I needed to go to Staples to get "Mini Me" some graph paper. No big deal, right? So, I go in and quickly find the graph paper and I am making a beeline for the checkout lines when I spot the straws...

Big, beautiful, pastel-colored, milkshake straws! And in the dollar section, no less! Did I need them? Nope. Did I want them? Absolutely! Was there any way I was leaving without at least five packages of them? Not a chance. Am I a work in progress? You bet!

:-)

Jessica

Pretty Collecting: Colored Glasses

I have people write to me all the time and ask me how I find my pretty collections of things. The truth is, I am always on the lookout for things that appeal to me. When I find something I absolutely love...that I am drawn to...I try to buy it. I don't always have a purpose for it in mind and, often, it does not yet belong to a particular "collection". For me, the best part about collecting is that it takes time. While I am not a super patient person by nature, I do love watching my collections grow and evolve over the years.  Take these colored glasses as an example....

I have loved colored glass ever since I was a little girl and admired my grandmother's beautiful glasses.  She kept them displayed on her window sills, so that the sunlight would pass through them and create a kaleidoscope of color throughout the room. It was mesmerizing. Later, I started collecting my own colored glass in college...both vintage and modern (like these). Whenever I found a style or color that I loved, I bought it. Now days, I may have a lot less cabinet space, but I also have a large collection of glasses that I just adore.

The tall pink goblets are from Laura Ashley (back when she had shops here in the U.S.). These aqua ones are my favorites (as is evidenced by my blog cover shot!).

They are from Anthropologie. I actually bought them many years ago, but they still carry the same ones today. These lavender ones are so, so pretty and such a hard-to-find color...

I purchased them from Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic store in Santa Monica (and sadly, they are no longer available). And I recently found these bright turquoise ones at Pottery Barn...

So, you see, a collection doesn't really happen overnight, so don't expect it to.  Enjoy the hunt...the search...and before you know it, you, too, will have a pretty collection of your own!

XOXO

Jessica