DIY Air Plant Hanger Collection

Hello again! I'm trapped in the house while a plumber fixes our water heater.   It was a leaky pipe, and while some of you may say "why didn't you try to fix it?!" - well - sometimes you have to know where to draw the line in DIY land. And the thought of us screwing it up and losing hot water all together while we wait for a pro to come clean up the mess, sounded horrifying.  And cold.  Anyway,  I've had a gallon of coffee - what a perfect time for me to waste the morning on Pinterest! As we polish up the details in kitten's bathroom the downstairs bathroom, I really wanted another plant in there.  I was going to do this terra-cotta hanger from Design*Sponge but thought it might be too bulky for that tiny room.  A few brainstorms lighter I realized, what could be lighter than an air plant? And the search began. I haven't decided yet who's taking the lead, or if I'll invent some newbie, but here are my faves:

Did I mention they are mostly D.I.Y.? Even better... I have buckets of craft supplies around this place, I'm sure I can get away with not buying a THING (except for the plants) for one of these beauties:

DIY Himmeli Air Plant Hanger from Smile & Wave

Have you noticed a trend with all the Himmeli stuff floating around? Well, it's popular because it's gorgeous, and this copper & geometric spectacle has taken my heart.  I had to look up what himmeli meant before I would allow myself to use the word, and luckily it's a simple definition:

1. A type of hanging, mobile decoration made of straw or other similar material. (Source)

Hmm, pretty spot on. Easy enough.

Upside Down Air Plant Hangers

Heeey! I love these, and even though I strayed from Design Sponge's other plant hanger, they reeled me in with this one.  Don't those look like ceramic? They aren't.  Check out the full tutorial here.

Wall Hanging Air Plant Sculptures

Now these are different, instead of hanging from the ceiling they took it to a wall mount.  I love the hand sculpted look, very clean & light - which is what I'm aiming for.  Plus, they take very few materials. Nail, Wire, Clay... Hop over to BHG for the tutorial.

Hanging Terrariums on Chive

Ah, nothing better than a classic. These, obviously, aren't DIY at all, unless you're an amazing glass blower - in which case - sister get in touch!  I'd love to learn glass blowing, or at least beg someone who blows glass to make me something pretty.  Found these on Chive.

Himmeli Air Plant Hangers

Keeping with that Himmeli spirit, you have these gorgeous wonders... Now, you may be able to figure out how to make those, but you also may just want to support the person on Etsy who did, either way - these are adorable.  Hey, notice they are using spider plants instead of air plants? I wonder if that would work.. check out their shop. So many Himmeli goodies..

Now this little diddy, doesn't have a source (so frustrating when that happens on Pinterest) but, you can pretty much figure out what's going on here. I like the use of embroidery hoops because they are clean, circular, and something I have too many of.  Yarn, I mean, who doesn't have that lying around? This is definitely a cute & quick fix.

I've saved the best for last...

Gaaah! How do you spell the sound of a jaw dropping? That curtain of air plants is absolutely stunning, and might just end up as an installation on our patio this summer. Scratch that, remove the word might and insert definitely will end up on our patio.  Again, Pinterest failed me and the source led to a close up photo of it, but I'm grateful to have even seen it at all.  It looks like either thread or fishing line, strung around air plants. Fan..tastic. and simple.

What do you think? Air plants gonna make a debut in your home? Don't be misled by the name though, air plants do still need a little water depending on their placement. Whether it be a misting every few weeks, or a 2 hour monthly dunk in a bowl of water.  Whoever you get them from should have plenty of care instructions for your new baby.  There's like 3 million on Etsy, and every nursery in America is probably slinging these things by now.

Which hanger is your favorite? What other awesome plant holders have you made or seen around? 

Enjoy that weekend folks!

     -Jesse

Psst... saw this after I posted, check out Very Shannon's mega round up of DIY hangers... so cool!

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DIY July 4th Ideas for the Host

SURPRISE! It's July.. didn't see that coming, huh? Me neith.  Snuck right up.  Time to get ready for the Independence day activities! Will you be hosting the celebration this year? We aren't hosting, but it did get me thinking how I would decorate if we WERE to host.. I love a good brainstorm!

I was browsing Pinterest this morning looking for ideas that fit this bill:  fun, unique, but most important: Easy DIY.  I love being able to take a few supplies that I always have on hand, and whip up some snazzy party decorations that didn't cost an arm & a leg. I picked a few favorites to share with you today, I really like them for their simplicity. To each their own of course, I really lean towards decorations that go along with a theme but aren't screaming it at the top of their lungs. For example, a collection of blue bottles with some red or white flowers:

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That's like a ten second centerpiece.  Cobalt blue bottles are pretty easy to find nowadays, but in-case your town has run completely out of cobalt, just take any bottles and spray paint them:

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I've shared a similar project like that before.  Bottles are such an abundant resource around most any home, and paired with some simple flowers from the yard... easy.  On the topic of tables, a quick way to jazz up a simple white tablecloth to match is to use plain old solid colored crepe paper.

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I love that! Simple, woven crepe paper is such a different use than the classic swirly streamer, right? Cute & Easy.

This next centerpiece is a great way to use the shell of a watermelon.  I'm hoping they used the watermelon insides for eating (I'd melon ball the whole thing & put that in drinks... mm...)

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They're like flowering Cactus! That's so cute.. and paired with a simple star pattern fabric you buy by the yard... delightful.  the simple addition of solid colored paper lanterns... a flag or two, that table came together quick & easy. I could see this with the baby watermelons, lined down the center of the table....

Not into fruit rinds all over your beautiful table? OK - how about we take one of the more affordable flowers and give it an expensive look? Hello Carnation Ball......

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That, as you may have guessed, is a ball of floral foam covered in short cut carnations. Looks amazing! And with all the different shaped floral foam available... I spy a trend that's about to spiral out in all sorts of crazy directions.  Possibly literally, we'll see...

You may have noticed.. I'm a big time fan of bunting, but don't always have the time to sit down and MAKE the bunting.. (Remember this tutorial?) this is a very cute, Americana style bunting solution that you can keep for years to come.

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Oh, and it's washable.  These Handkerchiefs are pretty cheap too: Here's some from Amazon, and here are some bulk ones from Oriental Trading Co.  Solid colors would look nice too.

And just for fun, here's an idea board that totally sets the mood for what I was searching for! Simple, cute, modern....

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YUM.  Those colors are all so nice together...  and notice it's following the theme but  not so specifically, meaning - you could easily have a patio theme like this year round versus packing it all up in August.  And who wouldn't want that?

To see more of the ideas I found, check out my board on Pinterest, or follow all my boards to see what else I'm oogling on Pinterest.  It's just so easy to get caught up on there, am I right?

What will you all be doing for the fourth of July? Are you hosting or will you be hosted?  Hope the weather is great in your 'hood! Have a great day...

Oh, pop back over to this post to see the decorations I posted a while back for that crazy Tamale Party we had.  I swear I am still cleaning the Masa out of my mixer...

-Jesse

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Pinterest Picks: Jackolanterns

I couldn't think of anything for my pumpkin this year, then as a few of us were talking about Fall in general, & someone said something that sparked an idea:

..........get it?! Ha! Pumpkin Pi.... oh that's a knee slapper. So dorky!  Have you all started carving up your produce yet?  Here are a few ideas I pulled from Pinterest.  These ones are cute, a little bit creepy... I love that they hang from the tree. They are made from turnips!

Source: marthastewart.com via Jesse on Pinterest

That front one almost looks sad... not mad.  Meh. Who said you had to carve only pumpkins anyway? Let's carve all the crazy fall squash:

Source: marthastewart.com via Jesse on Pinterest

I imagine the butternut squash singing, I dunno why.  Your pumpkin doesn't always have to be trying to scare the kids right off your porch, take these simple patterned pumpkins:

Source: southernliving.com via Jesse on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Jesse on Pinterest

I think that last one had little christmas lights instead of a candle? Can't tell. If you're the detail oriented type and want to get really extreme with your pumpkins, here's some pinspiration for ya:

Source: instructables.com via Jesse on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Jesse on Pinterest

Ugh! That skull is the creepiest thing ever! But, you gotta admire the work they must have put into it. Still though, his eyes creep me out! I need something cute after that...

Source: bing.com via Jesse on Pinterest

Aah! Much better. I love those big eyes! So what's it gonna be this year? Creepy scary pumpkin or cute n' cuddly?  Either way, hop to it! Halloween is tomorrow..... Alright, keep it real people, be safe n' stuff.

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Pinterest Picks: Getting Framed

Ah, I've seen so many great uses for picture frames on Pinterest! This solves a dilemma for me, I like to have pictures up, but most my pictures are small, 4x6 style prints.  This usually means having a ton of tiny frames on the wall, which almost always end up crooked.  Plus, I like to rotate my photos as I get more of them.  These ideas take that issue in mind & are the perfect solution.  Also, thrift stores almost always have a ready supply of large, sometimes gaudy, picture frames that are just begging for a sweet coat of spray paint.

**If you're new to Pinterest & my Pinterest Picks posts, the pictures below are clickable, and will take you right to the pin on pinterest. Easy peasy.

Source: etsy.com via Jesse on Pinterest

This is such a great idea. Pretty simple too! Some wire, clips, a frame and a coat of paint. Done! This would be great for kids artwork too.  Here are some other variations of the same idea:

Source: google.com via Jesse on Pinterest

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Jesse on Pinterest

That blue one really pops!  See what I mean about the frame though? I'll be you $5 that frame was in a Goodwill, and had some crazy painting of cats & flowers in it or something.  Those type of paintings always seem to have these detailed frames, and it looks great in this solid light blue.

Source: flickr.com via Jesse on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Jesse on Pinterest

Refreshing! A simple coat of paint, does the trick everytime. This works on trinkets & tchotchkes too by the way. Some awkward little porcelain statue of a deer learning arithmetic suddenly becomes a chic little book end, in under 10 minutes! Try it, totally works. That yellow frame there is awesome, I wish I could come across something like that in a thrift shop!

Source: followeveryday.blogspot.com via Jesse on Pinterest

I've never been lucky enough to come across an adorable old window, but if I did, you better believe I'll pull one of these in my house.  It would look so cool with a scenic picture back there. Almost like a fake window, its a pick your own view adventure! My mom and I did that once on a smaller scale, a picture frame that sort of looked like a window. We put an ocean view in there, looked awesome. Alright, I'm gonna wrap things up with this big beauty:

Source: design-milk.com via Jesse on Pinterest

Woo! That is large and in charge. Home Depot never saw this person coming! That's paint chips my friends, done in what looks like a large frame. Though, I bet it's just the molding detail on the wall, filled with paint chips.  Either way, really cool & fun idea for unique wall art.

Have a fantastic Wednesday people, the end of the week has officially begun! Keep in touch: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Email.

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Pinterest Picks: Slow Cooker Central

It's getting cold! To be fair, I'm a Californian, and it doesn't take much to send us packin'. Seriously, the moment it drops below 50 we all start shivering and hoping we won't freeze to death this year. I know, it's sad, but we all know it's true. We just can't handle it.  The cold weather does do me some good though, making me crave lots of soups & hearty hot dishes, and the crock pot makes that simple! There are a lot of sites out there dedicated to all the insane things you can do with a crock pot (brownies? In a slow cooker? mmhmm..) and of course, pinterest is the perfect way to keep all those recipes organized so you can actually use them. I remember, way back when, in the days of only bookmarks - I used to bookmark hundreds of things I wanted to remember, not realizing that I'd probably never. see them. again. Boo! So today I scoured up some good lookin' crock pot recipes, these literally can't get any easier, these clever people have stripped the work right out of it.  Just my style!

**If you're new to my Pinterest Picks posts, it helps to know that the pictures below are actually links, to the pin, which are links.. to the original source.  The internet is amazing! 

Source: kidspot.com.au via Jesse on Pinterest

The classic. Chicken soup.  Great for a sick day, a week day, actually any day.  It's filling, comforting, and apparently simple.  Ditch those canned soups and go for fresh! You'll save money and your body will thank you for saying no to sodium.  I never realized canned soup was so wild about salt.

Source: kidspot.com.au via Jesse on Pinterest

One more for the soup list, is this crazy taco soup.  Tacos were already good as is, but soup form? Taco night may just have to make two appearances per week..

Source: kidspot.com.au via Jesse on Pinterest

Soups are obvious uses for the Crock, but suddenly there are all these other uses people have figured out. Like this one, cooking a whole chicken? How nice to come home from work with a fully cooked chicken waiting for you.  Stuff like this makes me think I should set up multiple crock pots so I can have a main dish, and a hot side dish.. and... can they make garden salads too? Haha... gross! Hey wait a minute, back to tacos:

Source: canyoustayfordinner.com via Jesse on Pinterest

Delightful! No, it didn't chop the lettuce and all assemble them into cute little tacos (that crock pot hasn't come out yet), but the recipe made some killer pulled pork that just falls apart.   I  haven't had my breakfast as I write this, and suddenly tacos sound like the perfecct way to start the day.. grr! But leftover lentil soup for me it is... (yes, you can have soup for breakfast!)

Source: kalynskitchen.com via Jesse on Pinterest

Hmm, seems I'm really picking on the tacos here - but this is a variation.  Seems the crock pot loves turning meat into tender delicious shreds, so ya gotta get clever with all the uses, right? Right. Lettuce wraps, tostadas, stews.... whatevs.

Source: kidspot.com.au via Jesse on Pinterest

Hey, look who's here for dinner! It's meatloaf! I don't know why in the world meatloaf gets such a bad wrap (sp?).  You hear it in jokes all the time, and almost every movie with a scene from the 1950's seems to have kids that are so upset about its presence. What brats! I love and have always loved meatloaf, at least you don't have to rip meat off of bones all night, now THAT is gross (To me, anyway).  This recipe actually makes a lot of sense, because now that I can actually cook meatloaf - I can tell you, it takes a while! See? Those kids in the movies don't know how hard mama worked....unless she knew the crock pot routine. Hmm...

Source: slowcookerfromscratch.com via Jesse on Pinterest

There is always room for dessert, so set up a third crock pot and get it cookin' up this beautiful bread pudding (ha! 3 crock pots, I wish!).  You know, this is some great photography  up in here - that bowl and strange little spoon make it look even more delicious.

There you have it, I'm starving and can't post another delicious recipe, why did I do this to myself? Hope you enjoyed these crock pot pinterest picks, I sure did! One more thing before I sign out here, there are a ton.. I mean a TON of crock pot recipes on this site: Slow Cooker From Scratch.  Prepare to be amazed and pin like mad, you could plan weeks upon weeks of delicious crock pot madness. I dare ya! Have a fantastic weekend!

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Pinterest Picks: Fall is here

Surprise! Today is the last day of summer! Snuck up on you, didn't it? I had a clue it was coming as the mornings got a little cooler, but I had no idea it was tomorrow! Sad to see summer go, but fall can be fun in it's own way, Halloween...Thanksgiving... just try not to think of spring & summer and you'll get through it! The best way I've found to combat the blues from knowing that it's about to get freezing (anything below 45 degrees is a personal state of emergency) is to just embrace it and ramp up for it. So for today's pinterest picks, I'm going to pull some pins that will hopefully get us all ready & excited for the Fall... click here to see my full fall pinterest board, otherwise - here we go!

Source: vi.sualize.us via Jesse on Pinterest

Pumpkins. We all love 'em.  An essential part of Halloween, and lately the pumpkin festivals have really gotten creative.  So there's something fun!  They have hay mazes, pumpkin culinary creations, pumpkin beer... and I don't know if they all have this - but one patch near here has a pumpkin launcher. It's as it sounds, you pay to pick a pumpkin out, put it in a giant sling-shot-thingy, and launch that squash out into the fields. Satisfying! Oh, and did I mention pumpkin beer?

Source: marthastewart.com via Jesse on Pinterest

And of course with pumpkins comes pumpkin carving. I, to this day, still love pumpkin carving. Plus, now with pinterest, there are SO many ideas literally at my fingertips. These are from Martha Stewart I think (pfft...ofcourse!) and show how you don't even have to do a face on that trademark squash.  With pumpkins being a dime-a-dozen you can get really creative and do all sorts of awesome alternative jack-o-lanterns.  Here's a pretty cool centerpiece with white pumpkins:

Source: wenderly.com via Jesse on Pinterest

I think to keep the top intact like that, this person probably hollowed the pumpkins out from the bottom. Clever! I've seen people painting pumpkins too, which by the way is really easy with chalk paint (remember this DIY chalk paint?) as that stuff sticks to everything and anything. Enough Pumpkins, never forget the main reason we enjoy fall, Halloween!  I'm not really a fan of candy, I'd take a steak over that anyday - but I LOVE all the crazy costumes, and here in Santa Cruz, Halloween takes over the whole downtown.  Everyone can dress up (and should) - I love this pregnant costume, best idea I've seen in a while:

Source: leftstudios.com via Jesse on Pinterest

Ha! That is so clever! and easy I bet. Next time a friend of mine is pregnant, I will insist on this costume. I'll even make it for them if I have to. Hear that future pregnant friends? I will make this costume for you! I guess it is a little gory. Who cares, so's Halloween. This is probably one of the lesser gory costumes, have you seen some of the masks? They are creepy just sitting in the store! Moving on, the most important thing in my opinion about Fall: THE FOOD.  Delicious, nutritious, ambitious & comforting food that heats your whole house & body.  My favorite stew, that I make every year is Drunken Irish Stew:

Source: crepesofwrath.net via Jesse on Pinterest

It takes a little while but it's so worth it. And yes, it's drunken - there's like 2 cups of wine and some beer in there, I swear it's not disgusting! The recipe is from one of my favorite cooking blogs, Crepes of Wrath.  I'm a picture person (could you tell?) and she does all her recipes in photos - step by step! You should make it. Or come eat it when I make it.

Source: pinterests-meat-recipes.blogspot.com via Jesse on Pinterest

Oh my Goo-ness....all kinds of chicken & wonderful going on up there.   Cooking in the fall is probably my favorite.  Sure, we don't get to grill as much anymore, but I bet if we did that all year it would really get old (yea right).  At least when it's cold & dark outside, cooking becomes the focus of the night, everyone talking and helping - and it always smells amazing.  So invite people over, have everyone help out and make fall really fun, oh - and serve these delicious adult bevvies:

Source: centrebridgeinn.com via Jesse on Pinterest

Hot butter rum!  If you've never had them, make this the year that you do.  They are delicious, effective, and terrible for you. And definitely not a drink you want to have any other time of the year.  It's hot & buttery, as the name suggests, and really only tastes good on a cold night.  If you pop these out at a dinner party in July, don't expect those guests to break your door down at the next festivity.  I'm kidding! I don't want to offend anyone who serves hot butter rum in the heat.  I'm sure you could serve them whenever, but why not keep them special for the holidays?

I've rambled long enough! Time for you to take it from here and find all sorts of ideas that get you ready and excited for fall.  Indoor projects you have yet to tackle, new cooking adventures, and tranforming your house into an orange & black explosion.  Whatever you do, make it enjoyable, stress-free, and most of all memorable! That way next year you'll be even more excited.  I'm not sure how your supposed to say "Happy Fall" so I'll just say.... Happy Fall everyone!

See the Full Fall Board 

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Pinterest Picks: Back to School

For many families across the country, the school bells have gone a ringing.. the kids are back to school! It's a bittersweet time, sad that summer is ending - while a little glad the kids are back in class most of the day! Terrible I know.. with school starting up though it's the perfect time to completely reorganize and revamp the paperwork side of our homes.  Even if you aren't in school, having a desk or a set area to organize bills, files, mail and the like will keep things from taking over the rest of your house.  Admit it, we've all had that huge pile of papers at the unused end of a dining table.... I cannot be the only one. So, for today's Pinterest Picks we're going to scour ye olde pinterest for some new & clever ways to stash a desk in your house, where it won't take over your life.  As usual, remember that the following pictures are click-able to pin-able. First up, this petite floating desk:

Source: pinterest.com via Jesse on Pinterest

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Pinterest Picks: Vertical Gardening

Going up? Vertical gardening can be a huge space saver, and thanks to pinterest - I've seen so many different wonderful ideas! I keep planning ahead to our *hopefully* next house, which has a lot of decking and a cement patio in the back.  Currently, we live in a place with a lot of yard, which - don't get me wrong, I love it - but I'm ready for a little container gardening! It seems like as soon as I am caught up with the weeds, they already need to be pulled again. So a little time off to actually garden will be fantastic, keep your  fingers crossed for me!  I won't go into the house buying adventure too much yet out of fear of jinxing it, but when it's safe I will spill it all. Get ready...

So in the spirit of patios & decks, I thought I'd toss around some of my favorite vertical gardening ideas for today's Pinterest Picks.  I really should consider getting a set blog schedule, so Pinterest Picks and other reoccurring posts would be on a reliable schedule, for now it's on an as-I-feel-like-it schedule, it's more fun that way! All the pictures you're about to see are also links to the pin, so you can pin your favorites too.  First up (and what sparked this theme) the wooly pocket:

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Party Time & Pinterest Picks: Paper Chains

Whoah, it's Friday the 13th! Let's have a party.  Today's party time is also a Pinterest pick, that's a lot of P's! I've posted before about DIY paper decorations, and after I came so close to making them for fourth of July, I am officially adding paper chains to that list.

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Paper chains, I'm sure you remember those!  The picture above is not just paper chains but ombre paper chains. What a winning combo. I've always had a thing for these simple decorations, they are easy to make and look awesome.  I admit, there was a time I wouldn't dare decorate a party with these chains. It was the teenage years, and could you blame me? In elementary school they had us make tons of those for every holiday, or so it seemed.  Maybe the teacher just needed to keep us busy, who knows! So after 6 or so years of these things everywhere I looked there was no way they'd make an appearance at my party. No.Way.

Luckily I'm not a teenager anymore and I can get back to adoring and appreciating these awesome chains. Plus, thanks to the magical internet, we can share all these creative ideas & uses for paper chains with each other.  Just like I'm doing today.  Do you like green?

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Because I do! The monochromatic chains above add a lot to what seems to be a St. Patty's Day Party. Bring on the clovers! Speaking of holidays, get ready for the cute:

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Ah, jeez! With just a slight tweek to the technique, you can spread the love all over your party with these heart garlands. There's one more holiday garland I found, that's so sweet & cute I was almost sick:

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Yea, those are carrots. Carrots! I couldn't have come up with that. I don't necessarily throw big Easter parties, but now that I've said that out loud, I'm sure the day will come when I am nominated to host some sort of Spring fling.  Now I'm prepared.

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See, so just keeping around a pair of scissors, a stapler + a million staples, and some fun paper will always leave you prepared for the last minute decorations. They don't take long either, just pop a movie in and by the time it's over you'll be swimming in these. My only warning is to put your cats to bed early, they can't resist tearing these apart.

Alright ladies & gents, there's just a few more reasons why every party, no matter how big or small, should be all decor'd up. It's not hard, practically free, and will make you fabulous. It's fun, everyone will remember them from childhood,  and you can customize them to get the exact look you want.  For more party ideas, see my Party Time posts and my Party Time board on the ol' Pinterest.  While you're at it, browse around my Pinterest Picks posts too, they're kinda fun. Have a good Friday the 13th and a good weekend, it's Party Time!

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