HOW TO MAKE PARTY TOPIARIES

What is a party topiary? Just a fun take on traditional hanging decorations. Pop a few honeycomb balls on a stick and call it awesome. These couldn't be easier to make and just bring a ball of fun to the party. Think of all the different combinations you could make. Don't forget that you have a variety of sizes to choose from and can even make shapes - a geometric topiary would be so fun!! Pop on over to Minted's blog Julep and check out the full tutorial HERE.

A little hint, unless you have these sticks stuck in the ground for your perfect garden party, you are going to need a base. Check out the quick and easy DIY to put the dowels in a base and make these cuties over on Minted's blog Julep HERE.

BLOGGING TIPS: EASY IMAGE PINNING WITH BING

When I am searching for inspiration or new products to use in my DIYs, I like to do image searches. Rounding up the products and pinning them helps me organize my ideas visually to plan a project or just to save things I like that I can use for inspiration later. Have you noticed that you pin alot of the same things? I sure do, I usually end up pinning similar things and start to see a trend. Unfortunately, I just can't pin everything I really like. I have to admit that I have missed pinning some great stuff simply because of the time it takes to track down the source, go to the website and then walk through the pinning process. This not only means I miss inspiration because I am in a hurry, but many times I miss the links to products I need to source for a DIY. I have been almost to tears trying to find the perfect cake plate I just saw, where was it at again? I swore I would remember.

Enter awesome new tool. Last fall, I particpated in a focus group of lifestyle and design bloggers at Bing here in Seattle. We talked with Bing about our needs as bloggers and how we use search engines. What happened? The Bing image search has a great new feature, 'Pin to Pinterest'. Get this, you can pin right from the image search. Gone are the days of clicking through, just pin it and be done with it. The pin credits the original, high resolution source, hello blogger heaven. Paired with the already amazing search engine tool (did you know you can filter by site and picture orientation?) my image hunts are going to be so much easier and faster.

In theory, this is going to help me be much more productive. The less I click over to a site when I am searching for something, the less I will be distracted by the content. Honestly, who hasn't wasted a few hours reading and browsing around looking at things you weren't looking for. Not that I don't get inspiration from that, but it will save me a ton of time and keep me from doing it every time. I'll be able to whip out Cinco de Mayo inspiration and products in a blink of the eye, adding more original pins to my boards, which is always a good thing. In short, I am loving the 'Pin to Pinterest' feature on Bing, both personally and for the blog.

This post is sponsored by BING. All opinions are my own.

MODERN WHIMSY BABY SHOWER GIFT GUIDE

Tis the season for showers. When I was asked to contribute a few of my favorite picks for the modern mom for the Spring issue of to & from, I was thrilled. This fabulous gift guide magazine is from two great ladies, Meg Biram, of megbiram.com, and Katie Anderson, of Modern Eve. The issue is full of gift ideas, not only for baby showers; there are wonderful picks for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Weddings, Graduation, and birthdays! I'll be honest, most of the goodies in this magazine I want to keep for myself. Go check out the issue and its massive collection of awesome picks HERE.

Do you have a baby shower coming for a mom who loves modern with a splash of whimsy? Celebrate clean design with a pop of color and fun for the soon-to-arrive little one and momma. Check out my picks on pages 104 & 105.

What are your favorite gifts for baby showers? Do you gift to the mom or for the baby? For Henry, I got a certificate for a prenatal massage and I think it might have been the best baby shower gift ever.

FUN MODERN HEADLINE FONT: STATION

I love a good crisp headline font and I really love the tall skinny ones. Here's a great deal, Station, a font from Kimmy Kirkwood, has 7 versions and is on sale for $30! I love a good deal. I'm also crazy over fonts that have a great shading. Modern headline fonts are great for banners, placesettings and blog logos. They are also great for those blog images like "We have a winner!" They pop and stand out. Also, because they are pretty clean and modern, as far as fonts go, they match alot of your existing branding.

I couldn't not share the great versions of these - each separately only $7.50. So if one strikes your fancy, snatch it up because introductory font deals don't last forever.  Gosh, look at that number 5. Love it!

Don't forget to check out my font friends!

ALEXANDRA  {THE AERIALIST PRESS}

ALISON {ALISON OWEN DESIGN}

JEN {BLUSH PRINTABLES}

STEPH {BUBBLEROCK}

SOFIA {BRANCOPRATA}

CATHERINE {DESIGN EDITOR}

CHELSEY {CHELSEYEMERY}

ALLIE {HONEY BEE INVITES}

LAUREN {LAUREN ELISE CRAFTED}

JENNA + ELIZABETH {LITTLE BIT HEART}

LAUREN {PALM PAPERS}

KERRY {SUPER SWOON}

VICKI {VICKI.DESIGNER}

WENDY{WESWEN DESIGN}

FOLLOW #FONTFRIDAY on Twitter!

EASY DIY FRINGE RUNNER FOR CINCO DE MAYO

Do you want to know how to make a super easy fringe runner for your Cinco de Mayo fiesta? I love tissue fringe and I was looking for a way to add it to my table. I wanted something full and fluffy and to achieve this look, I decided I needed MORE tissue paper. That's where it could have been tricky and super messy if I used glue. Layers upon layers glued together? Too much trouble. I always want it cute and quick. So, get ready to break out that sewing machine and don't be scared, it is super simple. I will let you in on a little secret, I only know how to sew straight lines. Seriously. There's a few things here or there but 99% of the time, I just break out the sewing machine to get stuff to stick together with no dry time.  I am always sewing in a straight line. Fringed tissue in bright colors is an easy way to bring the celebration to your next party so let's make this!

You will need:

50 sheets (20" x 30") of tissue paper (I like to use the flat reams from Paper Mart)

cutting mat, ruler & rotary cutter (save your sanity from fringing)

sewing machine

You can mix and match your layers to your desired colors. To cover the length of my table, I need two sections. Measure your table and determine how many sections you will need.

Stack 10 sheets for each layer before cutting.

Bottom: Leave 10 sheets uncut.

Middle: Cut 10 sheets 14" wide.

Top: Cut 10 sheets 8" wide. You can get tops for 2 sections out of 10 sheets.

Once you have all your layers cut, arrange them in order for each section. Take a section to the sewing machine. 

Start sewing through all the layers, down the center. I used a contrasting thread for pop, but feel free to use once that matches the top layer. I also used a zig zag stitch, this is a simple setting on your machine, check your manual. A straight, your default stitch, will work just fine too.

Stop about 5 inches from the end and add your next section. Be sure to alternate the layers to hide the seam. Think: new/old, new/old, new/old. Keep sewing.

Note: for more than two sections at a time (I made a 20 foot length for the Windows' dinner) try a slightly different method.  Leave off the top layer for the first run. Sew together only the bottom and middle sections at a time. Sew about 3 sections together at a time. Then sew those sections together. Then add the top layer and sew it down over it. It makes it a bit easier to manage in pieces. Plus, since the top layer is sewn on last, you can be sure to have a pretty finishing seam, regardless of any mishaps.

Once you have sewn your sections together, trim off the excess ends. Cut with scissors if desired. To save time and guarantee even fringe, use a rotary cutter, a ruler and a cutting matt. Insert the mat underneath each layer and cut strips usine the rotary cutter moving right to left.

Fluff the fringe and voila.

Add this on top of a fun tablecloth- Viva la Fringe!

I first made these runners for the party I decorated for the Microsoft Windows dinner at Alt. I loved it so much that I have been meaning to share the DIY with you. Can I tell you how much it has been killing me to wait until Cinco de Mayo - what better holiday to have oodles of fringe on your tabletop, right?