I love to blog other people's parties! I can enjoy sharing the details with you without re-living fatal flaws (this comment might make more sense after I publish the first of Nadia's party posts which I'm currently working on).  I also love to share parties that vary in style.  My sisters-in-law who I've mentioned before and I all have different styles, tastes, and strengths.  Erin makes the most amazing cakes and always has fun activities and games.  Christy makes the most delicious food and cool paper products.  And I go crazy with crafting and DIY decor.  The best of all worlds is when we all work together.  Oh how I wish we had the time and cash to do that more often!  Christy, the one who made Nadia's gorgeous circus invitation and book party invitation, threw this awesome party for her son Luke and Joe.  My husband.  That Joe.  The last couple of years she's been gracious enough to add Joe's name to the invitation so that I didn't have two parties back to back.  There's a reason I love this woman.  Of course it's me, so I forgot to take pictures of the food which was incredible (I'm still dreaming about the scallops wrapped in bacon) but I took pictures of other party elements that were fun!  So without further ado:

I love fall.  (It's what comes next that I'm not so crazy about).  Between enjoying the season and the wonderful bible study I'm participating in (with its abundance of homework), I really haven't had much time to blog.  Which--as always--makes me sad!  Nevertheless I thought I'd at least pop in and share some photos from two of my favorite fall traditions: apple picking and the fair.

So in a really random moment I decided to try to make something of Genevieve's boring 'ol ceiling fan.  I'd purchased the sweetest chandelier for her nursery and was beyond sad when we realized that due to wiring we needed a light with a switch on it.  Since we don't have central AC, a fan would also be practical if not essential.  Have you ever tried to find a cute, non-cheesy, affordable fan?  I'm convinced that they don't exist (much like my search for inexpensive modern toddler bedding except for worse). So we settled on a plain white fan and hoped it would just fade into the background.

Remember my DIY memo board?  Well I decided to use the same approach to make a little jewelry holder/display for Genevieve.  I already had gray chevron fabric (I still love chevron; especially in gray) that I snagged from the remnants section during this shopping spree.  I figured it'd be an inexpensive but useful addition to her room.  Side note: does anyone else's mom have a necklace buying obsession?  Don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining (we love you grandma!).  I just needed a place to keep all the cute baubles she sends.  This won't be a tutorial because I used the exact same method as here.  But a couple of things.

I don't know about you but I love it when people think of cute ways to use cheap stuff. Tissue poms anyone? Tassel Garland?  Ruffled Streamers?  When I can take something from the dollar store and use it in a cute way, it makes my heart happy.  Today I bring you four fun ways to use water balloons.  You can get 100 water balloons from Dollar Tree in a handful of bright colors.  Can't beat the value.  First up: