Keeping Calm & Carrying On

Window Displays, Clothes, and Everything in Between

Happy Friday friends! Hope you're having a great end to your work-week! I know I've shared one of my favorite clothing stores here (Francesca's), and today I have another one.

If you don't have an Anthropologie in your area you are seriously missing out. Sorry to break it to you, but if you are the creative type you're missing all of this awesome inspiration they have to offer: window displays, housewares, clothing, inspirational books (that have inspired several of my mini album workshops actually), and so much more!

On a recent trip to the Third Ward (where my local Anthropologie is) I fell in love with this shelf display of Mason jars splattered with paint and filed with tulips! I just loved the splash of color against the wooden shelf! I think they are going to inspire a fun summer centerpiece for our dining room table. Should be easy enough, don't you think!?

One thing about Anthropologie that makes me kind of sad is that I can't register there for my wedding. If I had a wish upon a star I wish I could register for all their eclectic mix of bowls, plates, glasses and kitchen-wares. Everything is so pretty and mixes and matches to make beautiful, unique collections. 

I often wish I had "a million bux" to spend in this store. I just love it, the catalog, the website. Everything.

Wedding Free Time?

Just out of curiosity, what do you do with your free time lately?

My free time (and even my not-so-free-time) has been consumed with finding Wedding inspiration; from Pinterest to Bridal magazines and wedding shows, there's so much cool stuff out there!

Today I thought I'd share with you how I've been spending my free time (and the really, reeeeeally wee hours of my mornings, on my ipad laying in bed...say @ three am).....

In love with this cake. Even though I don't think we are going to formally have cake, if we do I LOVE this elegant yet rustic display!

And I completely convinced that I MUST find some awesome pink shoes to hide under my dress like this! What a happy surprise, right?!

And last week Thursday I invited my girls to join me at the Indie Wed show at the Harley Davidson Museum. I'm all about supporting local and small businesses, and especially when the focus is on vintage-themed inspiration and weddings.

I came home from the show super inspired and so excited about the wedding. I wish it was sooner ;) I know the time will pass quickly, but so far the process has been so much fun and right up my alley. Here a pic darling entry-way chalkboard when we arrived.

I met some really cool people and tasted some super delicious food, and loved the live band music too!.

I still have a lot to think about including flowers, save-the-dates, invitations and so much more!

I scored a super fun find with the A La Crate vintage rentals. This site could really come in handy for props, centerpieces, and a couple table displays!

Peonies. Peonies. Peonies, don't you just love?!

If you have any free time and want to offer any wedding advice, feel free in the comments below!

Happy Wednesday!

So Cute, Right?

It's hard to explain how Steven's face lights up when he sees Baby Lauren, his first neice on his side of the family. This last weekend we got to spend a few hours with her. At this point she was ready for a nap and so snuggly with Stevie on the couch. 

Those beautiful eyes. I just love them!

Happy Mother's Day

Today we are celebrating Mother's Day at The Grain Exchange as Bartalotta's puts on a spectacular Mother's Day Brunch! Steven and I actually visited this venue as a prospect for our wedding reception, but decided we wanted something more rustic. None the less, this ballroom is beautiful and I'm sure the food is going to be amazing!

Happy Mother's day to all those fabulous, hard working, organized, cooking mom's out there!

Being a mom is the hardest job in the world, but the best job in the world.

So I've been told.

Let's celebrate!

You're the Frosting to my Cupcake!

omg. seriously. best. cupcakes. ever. made:

Gigi's Cupcakes. 

Gigi's has a daily menu, similar to local ice cream shops, featuring different "flavored" cupcakes each day of the week. 

Located just a couple miles from Bella Blvd's door step, it's hard to resist heading over there for a Chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake, or my other favorite, Midnight Magic....

A cupcake with just as much frosting as there is cake, is a match made in heaven for me.

Not to mention, the shop in Wauwatosa is adorable and the peeps there are so nice.

Aren't they just so pretty?

You can sit with a friend and enjoy them there or take them home or gift them in these sweet little boxes.

If I was Oprah, I would absolutely, definitely, hands-down give these away to everyone in my audience for free as one of my Favorite things! Happy Friday!

Inspiration Thursday

As a Creative and Local Business owner, I was recently invited to MIAD's Senior Exhibition showcase downtown at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. 

As one of the top Art & Design colleges in the Nation, the show is highly anticipated and visited by several hundred local artists, designers, freelancers, fellow students and employers. I had been so-looking-forward to seeing what the senior class was up to. 

Among the near hundred senior exhibits, I found a few very inspiring and these are some of them:

Each senior is in charge of their "exhibit space." Similar to Bella Blvd and the CHA Trade Show, the space becomes their own to design and present as they wish. I loved analyzing istallation after installation and even found some inspiration lingering around for Bella's next booth refresh.

Amongst my favorites was a young man that primarily focused on font-design. Check out that presentation? I loved his work and thought how they would translate into sticker alphabets. Alphabet design is something "for crazy people" (no offense) as I like to say because the amount of technical work and detail is incredibly---spacing, kerning, ascenders and descenders are the just beginning for a fontographer.

This next presentation was full of energy and is actually a re-design for an existing hair product sold at H&M department stores.

The young designer packaged and advertised the product in a new, eye-catching fashion, and even put this confetti display together portraying a window-look for the stores. Very cool. This shot isn't all that great (captured with my iPhone). In person it was awesome.

And finally, I'm always looking for the next great illustrator and illustration inspiration. Check out these adorable comic book characters?

Love the girl's hair and super adorable headband, not to mention the color combinations are great too! This senior designer created a whole comic book sequence with several hand drawn and illustrated characters, and had these cards out for guests to take along.

Loved loved loved this show! I must admit it made me miss college and the fun projects associated with being a Graphic Design major.

I {heart} "us"

It's a phrase that I say over and over again, "I love us." I thought for today's installment of Wedding Wednesday I'd reflect on some of those things that make us "us". There are things that we do, over and over again or places that we love that make them "us", or "our thing." Know what I mean? 

1. Fujiyama: Hibachi (and of course I must share this layout with it!) We discovered "hibachi" in Texas and ate out in Frisco at least once a week. While it cost us a pretty penny, it was "our thing," our date night each week and we looked forward to the delicious steak, crunchy edamome and sweet ginger dressing.

This layout is from my 27^th birthday, when Steven took me out for hibachi dinner at Fujiyama.

Papers by Doodlebug. Embellishments by Bella Blvd.

Love ripping and then curling my paper around the needle of my paper piercer. Make for great layering and texture(s) too.

It's quite crazy to believe that this time next year we will be just days away from the big wedding day and saying "i do." I honestly feel like it can't come fast enough, I'm so anxious and excited.

Throughout the six years that Steven and I have been dating we've seen hundreds of movies, eaten hundreds (yes I'm pretty sure hundreds) of steaks, DVR'd so many reality TV shows including Survivor, The Amazing Race, The Biggest Loser and so many more. 

Something else that makes "us" us is praying hand-in-hand almost every night simultaneously. I love this tradition as we both silently thank God for all our blessings and pray for the people we love or the will He has for us. 

We both have truly become puppy-dog-lovers and enjoy traveling together and watching sports.

These are just some of the things that we love to do together, and find ourselves doing over and over again....and never tiring of them.

Do you have traditions/rituals with your hubby or bf or fiance? Please share?! Maybe one or two of them will inspire a new date night for the two of us!

DIY: An Art Fair Project

It's that time of year, when my sister and my nieces call me up for help with the grade school's annual Art Fair projects! It's secretly something I love...probably even more than the kids do. ha!

This go-around, it was Madelyn's turn, and trust me I know how these things go. The fourth graders show up with these MIRACULOUS projects that "they did all by themselves." You mean to tell me that you hand-cut, carved and painted that wood bird house? I don't think so. I know that YOU KNOW what and who I'm talking about!

So, it's important to me that this project is completed BY MADELYN, on her own!

YARN LETTERS! LET'S MAKE YARN-WRAPPED LETTERS!

This was such a great project for her to do because it requires TIME and patience. Plus, you can do this anywhere anytime. Madelyn has been looking for things to decorate her room with and so we bought brown paper mache letters from our local JoAnn Fabrics store, spelling out her name.

We brought her pillow case with us to JoAnns and picked out perfectly matching colors of yarn for each letter.

Depending on how much of a perfectionist you are, one roll of fluffy plush yarn can cover 1-2 letters.

So we went shopping together and I sent her home, giving her ONE WEEK (that's one letter a day) to wrap all her letters and with yarn and told her after they were done we'd get together again and "embellish" them.

So just a few nights ago she came over with her letters all wrapped up and I had pulled out a bunch of scrapbooking cotton and paper flowers from my stash including Bella Blvd's Blooms A Bella flowers, some handmade Etsy embellishments I purchased a while ago and some Prima paper roses...all that coordinated with her color scheme.

After the hot-glue gun was all warmed up, we worked together (so that no flesh was burned in the making of these darling letters) to cluster them together and glue them on. 

After the Art Fair they're going to look so adorable on a shelf in her bedroom, don't you think?!

Monday's Random Fact About Me

I wish so badly that I was a gardener. I wish I loved all the outdoorsy work associated with beautiful gardens, flowers and gorgeous green grass. But the truth is, while I definitely appreciate it all, 

I am NOT the Gardener Type.

I honestly don't know why, because if genetics had anything to do with it, I would be a gardening machine like my Nana and Nano (Grandparents). They have even won the City of Wauwatosa's Beautification Award presented by the city's Mayor for their spectacular landscaping and yard.

Well, Steven and I have been hoping to do something with this deshevled looking flower bed in front of the  house....

(haha-don't mind all the yellow "flowers" in the front yard...that's another post for a different day---remember I said I'm not a gardener!)

So, anyways, back to the point: Nana, Nano and I went to Home Depot a few weeks back and bought some bushes to plant and some other things too. The Saturday before Easter we spent the day together hoeing, digging, de-weeding, planting and watering!

There they are...in they're element. It was wonderful to spend the day outside with them, and learn from them---after all, how the heck else would I know how far to dig the whole to plant, to pull of the rocks out of the soil, and how to pull the roots apart at the bottoms of the bushes ;)

Even though I'm not in any of these photos, I did work right alongside them ;) I just had to step back every once in a while to grab a photo. This is no joke. Hard work. Physical Labor. We laid those nice stones for the hose.

Nana and Nano always recommend keeping the tags on the bushes for a while to make sure they don't die within the first three months while they are still guaranteed....even though I can honestly never imagine myself digging up a dead bush and returning it to the store ;)

So...one day of pretending I am a gardener wasn't so bad. And spending time with these two is priceless, that's for sure. The front flowerbed looks beautiful and I've been watering everyday (Nana says for the first 10 days at least to water). Now, we are by no means finished with the yard because the project-list goes on and on. 

But...one at a time...we will get these projects tackled.

Such a great Spring day making wonderful memories with Nana & Nano.

Scrap Lifted: Bella Blvd Project Sheets

One thing that is wonderful and fabulous about owning Bella Blvd is that I can now have aDesign Team & Special Projects Coordinator. Her name is Laura Vegas. She's wonderful. Have you met her? If not, I highly recommend that you visit her blog--she's super talented has lots to share!

Back to the point: Laura Vegas has been with Bella Blvd almost one year already! It's amazing how quickly the time goes by when things are manage, organized & efficient. Anywho...one of Laura's assignments every month is to create a layout (around a challenge and product collection that I provide for her). The layout becomes a brand-new-never-featured-before marketing piece for both retailers and consumers known as our 

Monthly Project Sheet. 

The Monthly Project Sheets provide step-by-step directions and supply list alongside a large color photograph of the project for customers to duplicate, teach or do with as they please. Recently I was super inspired by the March Project Sheet that Laura created featuring the Sophisticates products, the new Crochet Flowers and Designer Tapes too:

To download the pdf of this specific project sheet click here.

You can see all the project sheets and download them by clicking here to scroll through.

Well, I loved the paper flowers inspired by the sticker flowers so much that I did a page myself! Because I'm on a Christmas kick you shouldn't be surprised...

I mixed and matching Christmas Wishes patterns with Winter Wonder and Sophisticates papers.

I must say I prefer how Laura's turned out better. I should have known that the "rule of odds" would prevail. I should have used 4 flowers instead of 5...but I got a little lazy and didn't want to cut out so many. None the less, another page is complete and I'm almost finished with 2010.

Have you heard of these Project Sheets? They're perfect if you like to scrap lift or need some inspiration to boost your creativity! Be sure to check them out!

Sock Monkey Mommy's Day: Part 2

Earlier this week (On Monday) I reveal Part 1 of the Sock Monkey Mommy's Day I hosted for Allyson, who's a expecting her fourth little girl.

Welcome to Part 2. Today I'm going to share with you all the details of the dessert buffet, and some fun group photos we took towards the end of the party.

That's me, Maxine the Mommy Sock-Monkey, and the Guest of Honor-Allyson. Gotta love the props for the photos, right?! We couldn't help but give some Monkey Kisses ;)

In the dining room everything was about desserts, desserts, desserts. I planned ahead for candies that matched Allyson's sock-monkey color scheme, ordered cupcakes from Gigi's and even packaged some munchies to go!

The secret to a good candy buffet is: it's all in the details. To each jar I added ribbon or tulle, and a paper label (printed and then punch with scrapbooking punches). At the far left end of the buffet are clear bags and ties for guests to make a treat bag to take home with them, and for their kiddos too.

I've been collecting apothecary jars for a couple  years now, so I'm always all set to rock-and-roll for a party like this...I just have to search out the perfect candy contents. Another tip: It's nice to have packaged candy inside the jars. It makes for easier, mess-free clean up. I've learned this the hard way a few times! I tried to do my best with monkey-themed things like Animal Crackers, Monkey licorice stix, tootsie rolls, Sour Monkey Tails.....and more.

It's important ot urge everyone to make a treat bag, otherwise I can solemnly promise that you will be eating and snacking on candy for weeks to come because it will be sitting around your house.

I designed some Hershey Bar wrappers and came up with these "Monkey Bars" :)

These mini chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes were heavenly, even better than I imagined. I created fun little cupcake sticks by printing some of the elements I designed for the invitation, punching them out with a circle punch, and  popping them back-to-back on top of a toothpick.

I couldn't help but make some puppy chow, or "Monkey Chow" as I re-named it. Because it's such a powdered sugary, messy treat, I pre-bagged them all and created some paper toppers by folding over (covering the zip-lock) some of my Sophisticates patterned papers and finishing off with a "Monkey Chow" paper seal. 

These were great grab and go kinds of treats. Last but not least I wrapped the water bottles with some paper wraps I designed.

 A couple weeks ago I shared an Instagram photo of my Nana and I working on a fabric project. Well, the fabulous seamstress that she is helped me hem-up the pink gingham table runner you see above, and also helped be sew these adorable little fabric pouches that were goodie bags that each guest left with on their way out...

I found the directions and tutorial via Pinterest, by Martha Stewart. I picked up the fabrics at my local Walmart's fabric section and bought some travel size lotions and hand sanitizers from Bath and Body works for each guest. These fabric bags are super re-usable too! I love them!

Three generations....Grandma, Daughter and Baby on the way....

A good friend from Canada even scheduled a trip to Milwaukee just so that she could be here for Allyson's Mommy Day! Allyson and I had a great time showing Jennifer around Milwaukee throughout the weekend!

I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful friend like Allyson. She truly is a super awesome friend, an organized mommy, and a great wife too. I only hope someday I can juggle everything like she does in her household!

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading and following along.

Christmas Morning: An October Afternoon Layout

Ciao Bella! Happy Thursday! One of my crafty goals is to really finish up my 2010 layouts and albums. I have Christmas layouts to complete and a short trip to the Mall of America at the end of 2010 that needs to be scrapbooked and then I'll be headed into 2011. 

Today I have a 2-page layout, primarily using October Afternoon's holiday patterns, stickers and chipboard elements I recently completed.

 

I color-blocked this page because I wanted to use several patterned papers that I liked from the collection. I'm also very into using paper doilies so I cut them up and layering them in the background also.

Christmas traditions changed drastically in 2010 following my brother-in-laws death, and that's why it is so important to me to write it down, type it up and document it forever.

The coordinating page looks a little something like this:

(Ignore the wretched I-just-woke-up Christmas morning look on my face!)

Again, I kept with the doilies.

Here's a look at the two-page spread as it will go into my 2010 Album Vol. 4:

I think the crazy busy red pattern on the right-side is balanced with small blocks of patterns on the left-page. Don't you think?

Food, ƒood, Food.

I think it's just the nature of being engaged, but every time we get together with peeps, friends or family the first question is, "How's the wedding planning going?" It never ends to be honest...the question just keeps coming and coming and coming and we are still more than one year away from our big day! Don't get me wrong, it's nice that people care, but the truth is I think we're pretty "under control" at this point in the game.

Ever since month January and February we've been trying to finalize a budget and planning. In order to that, we were forced into have catering conversations relatively early. This is because Turner Hall is an "empty" ballroom, meaning everything must be catered and brought in, from the tables and chairs to the dinner plates and glasses. 

I had no idea where to start with the budget in this area so I started chatting with several caterers and began comparing menus, services, customer service, etc.

Currently on the top of our list is Zilli Hospitality Group. I found them by means of a couple referrals and some family that had attended a wedding that Zilli catered. Last week Steven and I went to their Waukesha showroom for a food presentation meeting. Heather mentioned to "not eat lunch, and come hungry".

But hell, we had NO IDEA how much food we were in for!

Between Steven and I we sampled 5-6 (I can't even remember) appetizers, 3 different salads, 6 entrees and several mini desserts. Steven was in heaven, lovin' every minute of it! 

So what did we learn?

That we, as a couple are NOT very picky. We loved everything...almost everything!

(That's a cute little chocolate mousse dessert). But, if a girl is allowed to have a favorite it was these Bailey's infused strawberries! Can you say heavenly?!

Needless to say it was a success. We couldn't even choose a salad because we both loved every one and the homemade unique dressings. Oh boy! We have a couple more appointments and hopefully this big chunk of our budget, and very important choice will be finalized!

Are you full yet?!

With a career & business that has a very demanding (& revolving) task list, it's important that I am able to keep myself truckin' along. As a result, welcome to the next edition of "What makes me tick Tuesdays" where I share glimpses into what keeps me sane and brings me happiness.

Today's Tick:

Decorating, I love Decorating.

It's been a long-time in waiting, ever since Steven bought his first house a couple years ago we have been wanting to re-model the main bathroom. I am so excited to say PROJECT COMPLETE!

Today I'm going to share with you from beginning to end the remodel. Here is the official "BEFORE photo". I love using my fish-eye lens for photos like this! What were the bathroom's problems? 

Problem No. 1: Ugliness

Problem N. 2: Cracked floor tiles

Problem No. 3: Scary "peep" window above the toilet...just weird, right?! 

Problem No. 4: De-colored (yellowing) plastic shower-surround and hideous white and navy wall-tilling.

Problem No. 5: Leaky tub faucet

Problem No. 6, a result of previous no. 5: Rusted tub.

So a few weeks ago we hired John Bieringer of C&J Services to demolish and remodel the bathroom!

And the demolition was underway...

It was pretty crazy how quickly everything came apart. I soon became one of "those neighbors" with a toilet sitting in the garage ;) The tile was ripped out and the flooring too. Then the drywall was re-patched.

Then the old tub and shower surround game out.

And then the fun part began.....the new shower surround tiles were placed...and the new tub was installed too...

So exciting...it couldn't get done fast enough...I loved coming home from everyday to see what was "new". Then the piece of the puzzle that inspired this entire project was laid.....

The Penny tile flooring! I was inspired by so many bathroom pictures I found on Pinterest with penny tile. I loved how this old-vintage flooring is still trendy and used today! That's where all the inspiration and planning started.....around that flooring!

Then the tape was removed and the grout was added in the shower. A "new task" for me was choosing faucets and shower heads, etc. I've never shopped for those things before and definitely learned a lot from the knowledgeable employees at my local Home Depot. They advised me to skimp and cut corners on costs of certain things BUT NOT shower heads. Because I'm a girl that NEEDS strong water-pressure because of this thick head of hair ;) we spent the money and bought Kohler. I must say: worth. every. penny.

I was finally beginning to see the room transform as the shop-vac cleaned up the dust, the texture and then paint color was added tot he walls, and the custom-built vanity was placed. The bathroom is very narrow, so in order to get us as much storage space as possible John helped us get this vanity made to fit within the door-swing/opening. I got that mirror on clearance at Kirkland Home for only $39.99....steal of deal, right?!

I picked out fun decorative knobs at my local Anthropologie, and then the counter top was measured, cut and installed along with the lighting and toilet.

woot! woot! So exciting!

I've heard that a lot of people have buyer's remorse after remodeling and/or doing large scale projects like this. Not me, let me tell you!

If anything, it has made Steven and I feel EVEN MORE CONFIDENT with our decision to remodel. We love the new bathroom. As spoiled as I am, we even installed a small tv for me...because I love watching The Today Show in the morning as I get ready and am usually blasting the volume on the living room TV so that I can hear the interviews as I get ready for work. 

Well, no more of that this little bad boy is going to be wonderful once Direct TV comes to hook it all up ;)

I'm still searching for the perfect shower curtain. I want a yellow chevron patterned one....anyone have any references or suggestions????

I'm accenting the aqua wall-color with yellow and hot pink. I picked up those pretty plush towels at Anthropologie as well.

Added some reading material ;), a clock (so that I'm always on time) and some of my fragrances to the counter-top decor!

We added two small IKEA shelves and decorated with artwork, flowers and more. It's pretty amazing how quickly something like this can transform with the help of a great team. All in all, the project took about 3.5 weeks. It probably would have been a bit quicker, but Steven and I were in Puerto Rico for a week and the "house was closed" ;)

Here's a couple more before and afters:

What do you think?

Sock Monkey Mommy's Day: Part 1

That I love to host parties and get-togethers?

Recently my girlfriend, Allyson, found out she was pregnant with her fourth baby girl! Can you believe it, four girls! Wow! I am so happy for her and know she probably doesn't need anything, especially a baby shower....so instead I threw her a "Mommy's Day."

Allyson's baby has been named Alayna and Allyson has been brainstorming and creating a beautiful baby's bedroom for her with a sock-monkey theme....so what better way to celebrate that with a Sock Monkey themed Momm'ys Day! Here's the invitations I created and mailed out:

Today is Part 1 of the Sock Monkey Mommy day where I'll reveal the decorations and games we played. Let's start here at the front door!

I've been collecting sock monkeys from here, there and everywhere for the past three months knowing I was going to throw the party. I found this super cute idea on Pinterest to wrap styrofoam wreaths with yarn. It was time-consuming but not strenuous to do at all while catching up on Days of our Lives and the NCAA tournament.

There's the mommy, Allyson ;) Dresses perfectly in matching colors ;)

I created three different wreaths, in three different sizes and the colors that match Alayna's nursery. Post-party all the decor and props were gifted to Allyson.

I had so much fun with the yarn that I made paper mache wrapped yarn letters too spelling

A-L-A-Y-N-A, but I don't seem to have taken any photos of them....crazy!

When guests arrived they were greeted by "Mommy Maxine" and her sock monkey babies. The invitations asked everyone bring some funky socks for Allyson, because she's a funky sock collector! She went home with this big basket of cute and adorable socks from everyone.

As my usual parties, it's nice to help out the "guest of honor" by having everyone self-address an envelope for the thank-yous she'll have to send later....

I found that super fun springy monkey pen at Pier 1: great little detail, huh?!

The house was decorated with sock monkey babies.

Because shower games aren't always the most fun, I just limited it to one game with two different rounds. We played Scattegories based on the popular family game, using the letter "A" (Alayna) in round one, and the little "M" (Meinholz-last name) for round 2.

Most everyone participated and two monkey-themed prizes were given out to the winners with the most points (Monkey/Banana salt & pepper shaker from Pier 1, and a Monkey patterned photo album that I snagged at Target!)

I designed fun little game papers, printed them out and even the Mommy-to-be got to play too!

Allyson opened several sock-monkey themed gifts from onesies to hats and this beautiful handmade quilt by her Alayna's Nana. I definitely learned a lot at this party---it makes sense to have a theme. It gives family, friends and guests inspiration for gifts....and Allyson received some awesome sock-monkey themed gifts!

This ends Part 1 of the party. I hope you'll stop back on Friday (May 4th) to see part 2 which includes several pictures from the dessert buffet and friends/group shots!

Here's a sneak peek of the dessert buffet that I'll reveal on Friday...

See you soon!