TOP POSTS :: Best of September

     

Hello . . . we meet yet again! ;)

It's October, it's finally fall and it's kinda starting to actually 'feel' like it here (a little bit) and I am super pumped about it, how about you? So many fun things are on our calendar for this month that I can hardly wait to do them . . . hayrides, pumpkin patches, festivals and so much more and guess what, most of them involve pumpkins! One of our fave things! Imagine that!

But before we start heading into 'pumpkin-ville' and never turning back, let's take a quick peek back at what happened on the blog in September, shall we?!

Let's see what ideas you were loving on this month and you can catch up and check in on them now, if you missed them the first time around! ;)

So let's see what the top 5 were for last month, shall we? . . .  

:: TOP POSTS for SEPTEMBER 2016 ::

DIY :: Be-YOU-tiful Framed ART 

FREE BIRTHDAY CAKE TOPPER + Ice Cream Cake

 

ART PRINT :: Pumpkin Spice Everything

FREEBIE :: FabYOUlous Cell Phone Wallpaper

FREEBIE: Inspirational Bookmarks

   

This month was definitely full of FREEBIES and lots of hand lettering, which is my favorite kind! ;) As always, thanks for stopping by and I hope you are enjoying all things fall right now!

 
So now you are all caught up on some of the most read posts here on my blog. Hopefully you will take a moment to comment below to tell me what YOUR favorite was this month?

 
Are you loving the "eye candy" here?

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop!

Looking forward to seeing you again! :)

 

FREE BIRTHDAY CAKE TOPPER + Ice Cream Cake

 

It's your birthday. It's your birthday. We're gonna party like it's your birthday!
 
Who loves celebrating birthdays? Yeah me too. It is absolutely one of my most favorite things to do because think about it, you are ONLY the age you are celebrating just ONCE! ONCE! I believe that everyone deserves to have at least ONE DAY a year where all of the focus is on celebrating them, because c'mon you get to have cake for dessert! So marking the day by having a slice of cake is a must! So I say "have your cake & eat it too!'

Speaking of CAKE . . . do you have a fave? For me, for as long as I can remember I have had ice cream cakes for my birthday. I have always loved all things ice cream and cake is just ehhhh to me, so when I discovered ice cream cakes (many many years ago) well let's just say it is now MY 'go to' for celebrating my birthday every year! 

Since I love to celebrate just about anything and I love to create FREE downloads for you to help in YOUR celebrations, I have a special treat for y'all today! Think of it as some 'eye candy' for your cake.

But first, I wanted to share a couple tips for setting up a quick and easy way to celebrate a birthday that doesn't involve a lot of time or cost. I am a firm believer in using what you have already before hitting the stores and spending more money because I would rather save my money for a killer dessert. ;)

Decide on a color palette that you love. For this I picked a black and white theme (big surprise, I know) with a pop of mint green for a neutral look that can be used for anyone's birthday celebration. I simply used some things I had on hand and mixed up some patterns to give it a fun look.

• For my background this time, I used a simple black and white banner that I picked up at the store for my daughter's birthday party earlier this year. I keep all of my decor if it's still in good shape because it saves so much money in the long run.

• On the table I used a white table cloth (if you don't have one, invest in one as you will always use it) and for the black and white stripe runner, I used a mini roll of wrapping paper. If you ever shop at Target's dollar section, I recommend picking up those mini rolls of wrapping paper (when you see them) to use for everything - including this simple table runner. Don't be afraid of using patterns and mixing them up. On the place settings, I used IKEA paper napkins for 'place mats' with this geometric pattern in shades of green to mix in with the stripes of the rest of my table and I loved how it all came together.

• I also grabbed a couple of simple green plants in white bowls I had around the house to add a pop of color to the background. Plus I scattered a few decor balls on the table for added interest, that's it. Simple.

• Well . . . .and last but certainly not least, THAT cake!!! As you know we LOVE getting our ice cream cakes from Cold Stone Creamery and they have a great selection of birthday cakes to choose from! Well this one grabbed our attention called Cookies & Creamery™, because it IS amazing and who doesn't love cookies & cream?! Imagine layers of moist Devil's Food Cake and Sweet Cream Ice Cream with OREO® Cookies wrapped in fluffy white frosting!! Oh my!! It is beyond delicious and will be a staple for birthdays in our house now! The best part of getting these cakes . . . is they are available year round, so stop in and get one or do what I do and order online at ColdStoneCakes.com and pick it up! Doesn't get any easier to celebrate a birthday and 'have your cake & eat it too' now does it? ;)

Soooooo where can you get that amazing hand lettered birthday cake topper for FREE you ask? Well right here friends . . . lol

It's super easy to put this cake topper together. Promise.

You just need a few supplies: print this FREE birthday cake topper art on a nice card stock so it's sturdy, cut out with scissors and attach to a couple decorative straws (like I did here) making sure to use something that will stick (I used Tombow Adhesive +) to keep them in place. Then place them on top of your Cold Stone cake for your birthday celebration!

I hope you enjoy this freebie as you can come back and print this to use over and over again for all of those birthday parties you celebrate throughout the year. Plus make sure to visit Cold Stone Creamery and get that amazing birthday ice cream cake to have for dessert on your birthday! Trust me, indulge . . . it's so worth it!

Which of these Cold Stone Creamery birthday cakes would YOU be having a slice of? Let me know below . . .


** Thanks for helping me support the companies that help make this blog possible. This post was sponsored by Cold Stone Creamery but all opinions were my own. I truly only share with you, companies and products that I use or enjoy simple because I know you will love them too.

 

Are you loving the "eye candy" here?  

 

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop! 

Looking forward to seeing you again! :)

FREE Father's Day Cake Topper + Dessert Table Idea

Father's Day.

Can you believe that Father's Day is almost here? Yeah me neither, but I am here today to help you get ready. Ya know, because being prepared on Father's Day wins you major points with the hubs and/or your pops. I mean really, guys just want to know that we care, that they matter, so what better way to acknowledge them then by providing a nice dessert spread in their honor. Major points will be scored. Trust.

The men in your life that you celebrate on this day will be so appreciative as this day gives us a chance to let them know just how much we appreciate them and express how we feel. I know we should let them know this ALL of the time, but hey . . . having a whole day devoted to them works too right? ;)

As you know I LOVE a good reason to celebrate just about anything and I really love helping you all out with the ideas I share here PLUS the FREEBIES to help give you a little special 'eye candy' that you can weave into your celebrations. So today I want to share with you a couple simple ideas that you can do to create a special dessert table for Father's Day plus provide a FREEBIE that you can use for the table as well that will give it that extra special touch!

One of the first things I do when planning a little celebration is to 'shop' my home for the items I can use based on my theme I have chosen. I decided this year to do a kind of beach-y, nautical theme as we have been loving this trend this year here in our home and thought it would still keep it masculine for the guys as well.

My daughter helped choose the color scheme with the white and shades of blues but then I added in the light wood accessories to keep it natural looking. I love the way it turned out. For example we used the nautical anchor art (borrowed from my daughter's new bathroom decor) to set the tone for the beach theme and added a few things that were new, along with some gathered up from around the house. I love mixing patterns as well and don't be afraid to do it as it can give you a fun look, just make sure to have some solids sprinkled in to give it some overall balance to your table setting.

• For my background this time, I used a simple solid bright blue piece of fabric hanging behind the table that gives a 'stripe' look but kept it all super simple. Use banners, fabric, wrapping paper . . . to give it that little extra touch to tie into your table. Keep it easy and simple.

• On the table I used a table runner and a couple place mats to pop some color and pattern on the table before putting out my dishes. I always make sure to have a fun tumbler or pitcher with drinks - in this case we did just some strawberry infused water as the dessert we focused on had plenty of flavor! Also use some fun glassware and mix up styles to keep it fun and fresh. I purchased a few new items to help give it a beach feel . . . a simple rope spool and sea glass we picked up at the craft store along with a couple gorgeous blue vases. I used the cake stands we already had along with the glassware, place mats and runner. You will be surprised how easy it is to use what you have and once you start throwing it all together . . . well it just falls into place and looks amazing - trust me, give it a try!

• In years past, I have had a few extra food items that compliment my main dessert and I really enjoy doing that if we are having more people over to celebrate the day, like adding candy, fruit or a few other items to compliment the table and the cake. This year it was only a few of us, so we decided to keep it simple by focusing all of our attention on the main attraction . . .the CAKE!

• Let's talk about this FABulous cake that is now a Father's Day tradition in our home, I mean just look at it!! I just want to grab a fork and go to town . . . know what I mean? ;) We always get our annual family favorite ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery, called “Tall, Dark & Delicious, because it IS amazing and everyone LOVES it, so it's a no brainer that we order it every year! Just imagine layers of moist Devil’s Food Cake, Sweet Cream Ice Cream with Brownies & Chocolate Ice Cream with OREO® Cookies wrapped in fluffy White Frosting and cascading Fudge Ganache. OMG!!!!! It is soooooooo delish and WHY it's a fave in our house! By far, the best part of getting these cakes every year, is how simple it is to get . . .  I just order online at ColdStoneCakes.com and pick it up! Doesn't get any easier and the fact that there is always leftovers = BONUS! Oh my YUM! You will see that I put some shredded coconut at the base of the cake too as we LOVE chocolate and coconut together plus it adds a nice touch to the beach theme.

Like I mentioned, I designed a really fun FREEBIE for you to use at your Father's Day celebration as well. I hand lettered this artwork with shades of blue and blended it with colored pencils (if you can believe it) and love the look I was able to achieve with them! You can simply print it out and you will find two different sizes to choose from so it should work on whatever size cake you decide to get plus you can also use them to decorate your dessert table with a little extra 'eye candy' like I have shown you here. 

Click on this FREE Father's Day cake topper art, print and then cut out and attach to a couple lollipop sticks or even a couple straws would work, and insert into the top of your Cold Stone cake for Father's Day! Use the other size on your table or even attach to a gift bag using it as a tag for your gifts!

So please enjoy this freebie. Print it out for your table, your cake, your gift and make sure to visit Cold Stone Creamery for that amazing cake to have for dessert so you too can enjoy this Father's Day tradition like we do!

Happy Father's Day to all of you amazing people that are dads or in a father figure position . . . we are so grateful for all you do!! xo

What are your plans this Father's Day? What dessert will YOU be having? Will you be enjoying a slice of this Cold Stone Creamery cake? Let me know below . . .


** Thanks for helping me support the companies that help make this blog possible. This post was sponsored by Cold Stone Creamery but all opinions were my own. I truly only share with you, companies and products that I use or enjoy simple because I know you will love them too.

 

Are you loving the "eye candy" here? 
 

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop! 

Looking forward to seeing you again! :)