the pumpkin patch

we love to visit the pumpkin patch!

all the different shapes, sizes, and colors!

he is on the hunt for a perfectly round pumpkin!

she wants a curly cue stem!

and i want a good picture!

we are all happy!

*julie

garnish and a gift

have you heard of "garnish"?

its the shop online that i purchased the fun little details for jillian's party!

i have to tell you that they have great stuff, great prices and the greatest customer service!

they offer different packaging, stripped straws, twine, and wooden utensils!

and here are a few creative ideas using their stuff!

remember this?

garnish



garnish



well, here is the gift i was talking about!

suzanne from garnish is offering my wonderful readers a 10% discount off your total purchase!

yes, i know!

fun, right?

gift giving, table setting, and sharing!

so, grab the code, head on over there and stock up for the holidays!

~the code: garnishjulie

~expires: december 1, 2010

i would love to know what you picked and the creative ideas you come up with!

oh! maybe i will have my first linky party!

have fun shopping!

*julie

he's with the band

i wanted to give a shout out to my brother-in-law, craig!

i am so excited for him!

he plays the drums in a band called "donovan frankenreiter"!

i have their music playing on my blog!

you like?

i know, its awesome!

they have 5 major albums,

been on numerous tours around the world,

and will be on jimmy kimmel live tonight!

so, stay up late or set your tivo!

let me know if you checked it out!

enjoy!

*julie

halloween book wreath

i did it!

everybody was doing it!

i made a book wreath last new years eve!

and i am glad i did!

i am happy with the way it turned out!

i love how versatile it is!

i thought i might show you how i added a little halloween to my wreath!

i just hung a glittery happy halloween sign and "poof" instant halloween!

the small branch was a token my little guy picked up when we went here!

i just added a black bird!

come back soon because i will have a little gift to share with you!

*julie

i am linking up to emily's share your project!

party menu

the "chef created" menu:

mac-n-cheese - fun shaped pasta, different cheeses, bread crumbs, peas, and ham

fruit yogurt parfait - vanilla yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, and granola

cupcakes - frosting and sprinkles

these were very simple ingredients that gave each little chef a chance to create their own recipe!

as you can see from my sweet girls face, she loved it!

and i did too!

*julie

party details

another thing i love is coming up with and creating all the little details!

remember these?

i cut out over 150 with the help of my crafty friend, the cricut!

and they make the sweetest, retro-looking banner!

i made the rosette the same way i made this!

my talented friend, megan, made this beautiful monogrammed apron for my birthday girl!

i made each chef their own apron and personalized placemat!




and of course, we had to make the classic pasta necklace!

all the little chefs went home with a full tummy and a handful of goodies!

what did they whip up for lunch?

come back to find out!

*julie

the invitation

here is the invitation i came up with for her cooking party!

very easy, very simple!

i love the red and blue color scheme!

very retro!

i used a recipe card, a wooden spoon, and silk ribbon!

you know i love an invitation with a 3-d design!

i had fun with the wording:

..............................

see whats cookin' in the kitchen with chef jillian!

we will be stirring up some fun in celebration of her 5th birthday!

please join us on saturday october 9, 2010

the cooking class will begin at 11:00 a.m. in our kitchen!

please contact sous-chef julie to make your reservation!

..............................

coming up with the invitations is one of my favorite things!

i love thinking outside the invitation "box"!

*julie

i joined in over at stephanie's sunday showcase party!

go check it out!

her birthday party

as you can see! we had a cooking party to celebrate her 5th birthday!

she loves to cook!

and i loved coming up with all the little details for this theme!

of course, i didnt get to a few things i really wanted to do!

but that is what procrastination will do!

i cant wait to show you some of the fun pictures taken by my sweet friend and wonderful sister!

so, this week will be all about her birthday party!

and a little fyi, cooking parties are alot of work but worth it!

*julie

sneak peeks

here are a few sneak peeks for her party this weekend!

i am hoping to get all the little details done before saturday!

good luck to me!

can you tell what the party theme is!

*julie

banana cinnamon pancakes

these yummies were what we served the birthday girl the morning she turned FIVE! (ugh!)

they are very easy to make and even easier to eat!

i thought i might share the recipe with you!

banana cinnamon pancakes

................................................................

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg lightly beaten

1 cup milk

1 large banana sliced

2 tablespoons of cinnamon

heat your griddle to 375 degrees or medium heat

whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl

add the egg, milk, banana and butter

whisk to combine

cook

we topped off our pancakes with

sliced bananas,

cinnamon sugar,

and of course, maple syrup!

enjoy!

*julie

i can't believe...

image from bon appetit

i can't believe i am another year older!

i can't believe my baby girl turned five!

image from we heart it

i can't believe i have been without a computer for a month

and lived to tell about it!

image from woman's day

and i can't believe it is pumpkin time!

however, this one i am very excited about!

hope everyone is well!

*julie