All Aboard the Two-Two Train Party

I had so much fun throwing the little one a train themed birthday party this May when he turned two. He has been obsessed with trains for quite a while so it was great to be able to decorate with some of his favorite things.

My sister and I made his cake and I'm so happy with the way it turned out! Friends and family climbed aboard the 'two- two' train and helped us celebrate.

We decorated the walkway with railroad tracks made from duct tape and made a railroad crossing sign to greet guests as they arrived.

I created these invitations I showed you here using powerpoint.

Our little conductor got the biggest kick out of seeing himself drive the choo-choo on the banner I made him.

I painted red and blue trains to decorate the mantel and painted a red and white striped 2.

I found some fun red, white, and blue decorations that I'll be able to use at many other summer holiday parties.

We rented a hot dog roller both so we would have the food covered in the event of rain and so that no one had to man a hot grill all day in the sun. It was nice to just set it and know that the food was ready.

I'm so happy that we were able to share one last party with our family and friends before we move and am grateful for every laugh and smile that filled our backyard that day.

Stay tuned- there are more party details to come!

It's Summer, It's Fun....It's a Target Shopping Spree!

Happy Monday!

I hope you all had a great weekend. Our weekend included pizza, ice cream, a bounce house, and carousel rides in the park so I can't complain. This week I hope to tackle some fun summer projects and take the now two year old to his first amusement park. Fun! To help get your summer started right, I'm joining a talented group of bloggers to bring you  

10 Fun Summer Ideas and a $100 Target gift card! 

I'm teaming up with:
Cathy from Lemon Tree Dwelling
Melissa from Redfly Creations
Kirsten from Made for a King and 
Janette from Style With Cents

So take a minute to check out all of our ideas for summer (either clicking directly on the picture or on the link to the post below) and then enter to win the $100 Target shopping spree! Whether you're looking for a recipe, a DIY, a project to do with the kids, or a decorating idea, we've got you covered.

 Summer Fun Ideas:

Lemon Bar Muddy Buddies,  2-Minute Summer Centerpiece,  Make Your Own Tetherball,  Create Your Own Summer Reading Program,  World's Easiest Homemade Ice Cream, Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes,  Chicken Dip Summer Salad, Simple Slipknot Napkin Rings,  Build a New Fence Using Old Scraps,

Summer Skirt Tutorial 

And now ....... The Giveaway!
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Two Minute Summer Centerpiece

Things have been so hectic for us lately that it feels like spring was over as soon as it began and with a birthday party to plan and an upcoming move, my summer decorations have not made it out yet. I'm embarrassed to admit that there were bunnies on the mantel until this weekend. I guess I have good reason to be posting a summer decoration that can be pulled together in two minutes.

Our patio in the backyard is surrounded by several enormous hostas. I love to use the leaves for place settings and centerpieces. Here is how I put one together:

I cut the brightest leaves that I can find and then trim off the stems so they will lay flat.

Cut whatever fresh flowers you have and arrange them in a short vase on top of  the cut hosta leaves so it looks like the flowers have giant leaves. I used four here but I think it also looks great with twice as many.

This could work if you're going for a tropical look but for me it's usually just a quick, last second pick me up for a summer table I need in a hurry!

Here's hoping this summer brings a lot of fun gatherings to use these at!

Sharing this post with some of my favorite sites! Check them out here:
Cozy Little House
By Stephanie Lynn
Savvy Southern Style
It's Overflowing
House of Hepworths
Somewhat Simple

That Time Again

This weekend we hosted a birthday party here and for the last two days the movers have been here packing up all of our things. Things have been so hectic and we still haven't found a house where we are moving....

I was hoping that the peonies I planted when we moved in would bloom in time for me to see them again before we left.
I found a few minutes to go around the yard and snap some pictures of the flowers. It is so strange to think that next year I won't see how many more blooms there are or that someone else will be enjoying them. It's not the first time we have planted flowers or trees only to leave before they are full grown and it won't be the last because the alternative is having a yard that doesn't have views like these.

I cut just one and brought it in to the kitchen before everything including the vase it was in made its way into boxes.