posts in category summer

5.23.2019

It's that time again! Graduation! What I'm loving right now...Basic Invite

It's that time of year again...graduation!

I just can't believe how quickly time goes. I mean, I've heard people say that forEVER, but I think that until you get a bit older, and/or until you have kids, you don't really understand just how fast it goes.

Case in point...in just over a week, my almost 14 year old son will be graduating from 8th grade.

8th GRADE!

It seems like just yesterday he was helping my husband tune up our bicycles...


And now he's this man-sized, always-eating, hysterically funny, baseball-loving almost grown-up.


It's scary.

And awesome.

He doesn't want a huge party to celebrate his graduation...in fact, he just wants to have a few of his closest friends over...and that's OK by me.

But we still need to celebrate in style, right? 

So when Basic Invite asked me if I would take a look at some of their design graduation party invitations, I jumped at the chance!





Basic Invite prides itself on being one of the few invitation websites that offers almost unlimited color options with instant previews online. And, once you select your design you can change the color of each element on the card using 180 different color options!  So you can make sure the card is exactly how you want it down to the smallest detail. 

I mean, really...180 different color options??? With instant previews???


PLUS, at Basic Invite you can order a printed sample of your actual invitation before you place your final order. I LOVE that option...I mean, seeing your choices online is one thing, but actually being able to hold your finished design in your hand before you order is really something that makes Basic Invite stand out.

Here are a couple of my favorite printed graduation invitation designs...



I LOVE this simplicity of this card...it's so timeless and lovely.



And the full-photo background is another one of my favorites...especially for boys.

My daughter will be graduating from high school in a couple of years...and I'll definitely be checking out some of these cute graduation party invitations for her.



I love the idea of putting your grad's future school on the card, too!

Basic Invite also has custom thank you cards available...



...and don't even get me started on the available foil options!


Foil cards are available in gold, silver, and rose gold...and you can choose flat or raised foil on all of Basic Invite’s foil designs.

So elegant...

And just because I love them so much, I have to show you these gorgeous CLEAR business cards available at Basic Invite!

CLEAR BUSINESS CARDS!



I'm dead.

And right now, until the end of the month, Basic Invite is offering 15% off of any order with the code:

15FF51


Don't have a grad this year? Or looking for something different?

Basic Invite has you covered!

In addition to graduation invitations, announcements & thank you cards, they also offer every single piece of wedding/shower correspondence you could ever need...baby/birthday/Mitzvah invitations, PLUS stationery & business cards! 

Basic Invite also hosts free wedding & birthday websites!

So cool!

Check out everything they have to offer HERE...and don't forget to add the code 15FF51 when you check out to get 15% off your order!


Thanks so much for stopping by! Now get on over to Basic Invite!


*Disclaimer: In exchange for this post, I have been compensated by basic invite. All opinions, however, are entirely my own and were not influenced by the fact that I have received payment.*

5.23.2018

Heidi Swapp | Summer Party

Can you even believe summer is almost here?

That means summertime parties are almost here, too!

And what better way to celebrate than with darling little diy party accessories?


I used all things Heidi Swapp to create this little summer party set-up...and I think it all turned out so cute!

I started with some patterned paper from Heidi's Hawthorne collection and a little mini beach umbrella cut-file I purchased in the Silhouette store.

I cut the umbrellas out with my Silhouette and assembled them with a tape runner.

I love how beachy and rustic-looking these are!

Then I attached them to some wood skewers with a little hot glue.


Next, I took the labels off of these water bottles and attached the mini beach umbrellas with some washi tape from Heidi's Fresh Start collection


Next, I used the Jumbo Kraft Letters & puffy "vibes" sticker (also from Heidi's Hawthorne collection) and my Minc machine to create these awesome picks!


Heidi's Letterboard is a MUST-HAVE for any party!

And the little washi pennants I created using Fresh Start & Hawthorne tapes & toothpicks are a great way to add color and texture.


Circles punched from more Hawthorne patterned paper and sewn together create a darling little banner for my bar cart, and Heidi's Lightbox is the perfect finishing touch for the bottom shelf!


The best thing about this party decor? 

With all of the paper, washi, Letterboard & Lightbox options available, you can create a totally custom party for any theme!

Thanks so much for taking a look!


SUPPLIES | Heidi Swapp Letterboard, Heidi Swapp Lightbox, Hawthorne, Minc, Fresh Start - all items available at Joann stores

7.24.2016

mini-album | Elle's Studio

Happy happy Sunday!

I'm up on the Elle's Studio blog today with a little mini-album I created with Elle's July 2016 kit...


I hope you can take a minute to head on over and check it out...

Thank you so much!


5.23.2015

Mojito Freeze - my favorite summertime sweet treat...

The following is a post that first went live in June 2012...it's such a fantastic dessert I wanted to share it again...

I hope you love it!

--------------------------------------------------

Today I am featuring Summer Food & Drink ideas...so I wanted to share my all-time FAVORITE summer dessert...Mojito Freeze!


I made this dessert for the first time a couple of summers ago, and it has become a staple for us at summer parties. I adapted my recipe from one that I originally found in the Kraft Food & Family Magazine...but the original recipe is just as wonderful.



To download this recipe, simply click "download"...


Here are a couple tips I have learned from making this a number times...

*Make sure your cream cheese is really really really soft...like, really soft. If it's not completely softened there will be clumps of cream cheese in your dessert...
*Also be sure to completely freeze your dessert...it's much better that way.
*The finer you can chop your mint, the better...it will give you a much more even flavor.
*And...(here is where I've adapted the recipe)...I like A LOT more pretzals & lime in my dessert...so I've doubled these amounts. Again, the recipe is fantastic without doing this, but I like it just a little tangier and saltier...yum.


I hope you enjoy this yummy treat as much as we do!


Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!





7.12.2013

Road Trip Game Printables

All week on the Heidi Swapp blog, we have been sharing fun games for you and your family to enjoy this summer...

Today I'm sharing some games you can play on all of your summer road trips...woo hoo!

We usually vacation close enough to home that we drive to all of our destinations...but those long car trips can be soooooo boring. The kids are usually really good in the car, but it always helps to have something to do.

These games are not new...in fact, you probably play them all the time during road trips. I know we do.

But usually I'm searching high and low for paper for paper for everyone, pens for everyone, etc. So I've decided to make some printables (using some AWESOME graphics from Heidi's digi-shop) you can keep in the car and use time and time again...even if you're just running to the store.


Here's a quick preview of the games...


...a fun alphabet-find game that anyone can play!


...the license plate search...a favorite in our family...


...and Road Trip Bingo...so fun!

To read more and to download all of the game printables, click here...

I'd love to see how you use these games on your next road trip! Post your photos on IG and tag me, @midwesterngirl5 - yay!


6.27.2012

summertime wall art...with #CanvasCorp

Earlier in the spring I repainted my living & dining room. And, when I was done, I decorated for spring. And then I was done. I haven't touched a single accessory since then.

So, when I was straightening up the other day I realized I needed a bit more "summer" in my decor. I began looking through my stash and I noticed I had a 12x12 stretched burlap canvas (question: is it still called a canvas if it's burlap? Probably not, but you know what I mean...right?) from Canvas Corp. And as soon as I saw that, I remembered the coolest piece of scrapbooking paper...also from Canvas Corp.

Here's the "canvas..."


And here's the paper...


Isn't that paper fantastic???

So, I knew these were the items I was going to use...what I wasn't quite sure of was how to use them. I didn't really want to Mod Podge the paper to the burlap...because I didn't think it would work. So I grabbed my craft knife and went to work.

Those of you who follow me on Instagram may have seen this photo the other day...


See what's happenin' there? Oh yeah. It took FOREVER. But it was a great "sit-in-front-of-the-TV-and-do-a-project" project...

When all of the letters were cut out, I adhered the paper to the burlap with Easy Tack (repositionable/removable spray adhesive)...


...grabbed some acrylic paint, and went to work.

Because I don't have any ombre in my house I thought it might be fun to make this project ombre-ish...so I painted the bottom row blue and just kept adding white paint to the blue as I worked my way up the burlap.


Here's the burlap before I removed the paper.

And here's the final product:


In reality, it was a little difficult to keep the stencil tight against the burlap, so there was some paint leakage past the actual letter cut-out. But I really don't mind that...it adds to the laid-back, summertime feel of the piece...plus, you can still read the words, so...all is well.


So, what do you think? I think it adds a nice, beachy feeling to my decor...I love the texture and colors...


And it looks great in my kitchen.

DISCLOSURE: From time to time, Canvas Corp. sends me product to play with. They never require anything of me, but I think their products are fantastic and I want to let everyone know when I use them in my projects. Thank you, Canvas Corp!



6.22.2012

Ready 4 Summer Blog Party - DAY 5 - Summer Entertaining plus Linky!

I can't believe we're already at the end of this marvelous blog party! We've had so many inspiring projects linked up...thank you! And our guest bloggers have done a knock-out job with the projects they've contributed.

Thank you so so much to all of you who have participated!

If you've missed the first four days, you can find them (plus the linky parties) here:


FOOD & DRINKS
CRAFTS & PRINTABLES
KIDS ACTIVITIES
HOME DECOR

Today's theme is SUMMER ENTERTAINING! Woo hoo! I love all of the ideas available for entertaining in the warmer months...the colors, the food, the activities...all of it.

So today I wanted to share some of my favorite entertaining ideas with you. I found all of these party ideas on Pinterest (are you surprised?).

***If you would like to pin any of the following photos, please go to the original post and pin from there...I want to make sure the people who have planned these amazing parties get full credit for them...thank you!***

This Lemonade Party by Lisa Storms for Fiskars is absolutely darling...I'm amazed by all of the ways she was able to incorporate her theme into her decorating...so cool...


That darling little banner just screams summer...and ummm...lemon cupcakes? Oh yeah.

I have always thought that holding a party among the trees, or in a forest clearing would be so cool. Wouldn't it just be amazing to lead your guests out to a beautifully decorated table in the middle of nowhere with chandeliers and decorations hanging from the trees? Oh my gosh, even just thinking about it gets me a little giddy...


This beautiful party from Postcards & Pretties is a wedding party, but it would be just as fantastic for a lunch or brunch. Oh man, I just may have to do something like this...the wheels are a turnin' my friends...


Next up is this BBQ Hot Dog bar from Jenn Sbranti at Hostess with the Mostess. Oh heck...so cool.




I love the " - bar" idea...sundae bar, dessert bar, hamburger bar, whatever...such a fantastic idea. What I really love about this hot dog bar is that there are little recipes for famous hotdogs available on the table...so guests can make the perfect hot dog with out guessing. You really must check out all of the photos from this terrific party...

Now it wouldn't be summer without pool parties, right?


This darling little pool-side party from Party On Designs (I found it at Kara's Party Ideas)...could easily be adapted for older kids, or even adults. I love the water bottles, the way they wrapped the silverware, and little containers with the brightly-colored candies...oh my gosh, everything is just so pretty!

And finally, this Community Potluck party from Martha Stewart would be so much fun!


How great would it be to just gather a few neighbors and have an outdoor potluck...oh my gosh, my "to-do" party list just keeps growing & growing.

For more summertime entertaining ideas, make sure to visit these amazing blogs today!




How about you? Do you have any amazing summer entertaining ideas you like to share? Cuz we wanna see 'em!

Link up your SUMMER ENTERTAINING ideas below...


Link up any time this week and be sure to check back for even more summertime inspiration!

Please be sure to link to the hosts with either a text link or by grabbing a button


Photobucket




Thanks so so much for partying with us!



We hope you've loved this party as much as we have! Thank you so much to all of you who have contributed to it's success!


6.18.2012

Ready 4 Summer Blog Party & LINKY - DAY 1 - Food & Drinks - Mojito Freeze

Woo hoo! I'm so excited that the Ready 4 Summer Blog party is finally here!

Today we are featuring Summer Food & Drink ideas...so I wanted to share my all-time FAVORITE summer dessert...Mojito Freeze!


I made this dessert for the first time a couple of summers ago, and it has become a staple for us at summer parties. I adapted my recipe from one that I originally found in the Kraft Food & Family Magazine...but the original recipe is just as wonderful.



To download this recipe, simply click "download"...


Here are a couple tips I have learned from making this a number times...

*Make sure your cream cheese is really really really soft...like, really soft. If it's not completely softened there will be clumps of cream cheese in your dessert...
*Also be sure to completely freeze your dessert...it's much better that way.
*The finer you can chop your mint, the better...it will give you a much more even flavor.
*And...(here is where I've adapted the recipe)...I like A LOT more pretzals & lime in my dessert...so I've doubled these amounts. Again, the recipe is fantastic without doing this, but I like it just a little tangier and saltier...yum.


I hope you enjoy this yummy treat as much as we do!


For more summertime food & drinks, make sure to visit these amazing blogs today!



My Fabulous Co-Host!




NOW, are you ready to share some of your summer food & drink ideas? I sure hope so!

Link up any time this week and be sure to check back for even more summertime inspiration!

Here's how it works:

Link up your summer food or drink recipe post(s) below. Your links will appear on both of the host blogs! That's it!

Please be sure to link to the hosts with either a text link or by grabbing a button






Photobucket










Thanks for partying along with us!!




Tomorrow's theme will be SUMMER CRAFTS & PRINTABLES!


HERE are some of the places I'll be sharing this recipe...

6.07.2012

Are You Ready 4 Summer? we will be...

I am so excited to announce something that has been in the works for weeks now! Woo hoo!

My awesome friend, Kristin, from Simply Klassic Home and I will be hosting a HUGE summer blog party in just a few short weeks! And you will not believe the talent we have lined up...

So here's the deal...during the week of June 18-22, Kristin and I are teaming up with 18 amazing bloggers (yes, I said 18!!!) to bring you an entire week of food, crafts, kids' stuff, home decor & entertaining all centered on SUMMER! Yay!

Each day we will be featuring 6 different posts on 6 different blogs...so for every theme, our readers will get 6 awesome summer ideas! Just check here and Simply Klassic Home every day that week and we will lead you to our guest-posters.

Kristin and I will also be having a linky party for each theme, so that everyone can link up their ideas and we can all be inspired by each other! I'm so excited for this I can hardly stand it!

So, you wanna see who will be participating in this par-tay?



Yay! Yay! Yay! Can you believe it???

Here's the lineup:


MONDAY: FOOD & DRINKS

TUESDAY: CRAFTS & PRINTABLES

WEDNESDAY: ACTIVITIES FOR THE KIDS

THURSDAY: HOME DECOR

FRIDAY: SUMMER ENTERTAINING


Grab a button and spread the word! And get your summer projects ready to link up with us that week...



Midwestern Girl



Mark your calendars! It's time to get excited!!!


6.01.2012

Heidi Swapp Design Challenge...my project

Remember the other day when I told you about this amazing Design Challenge that I was chosen for?


Well, today is my day to show you my project! Woo hoo!

Before I show you what I did for the challenge, let me give you quick recap...

Each of 3 designers (Holly Simoni, Ranjini Malhotra & I) were sent a huge box of products from Heidi Swapp, Canvas Corp, 7Gypsies & Tattered Angels. We were asked to create one project using Heidi's Memory Files (the one I'm showing you here today) and one project of the designer's choice (featured today on Heidi's blog...yay!!!).

Heidi posted her projects on her blog on Monday and Holly's & Ranjini's projects were featured by Heidi on Tuesday and Thursday. Let me tell you...I was so inspired by all of them. It's really quite amazing how different people can take the same set of tools and create such different projects. It's just so cool.

As soon as I saw the items that were included in my product boxes I knew just wanted to do. As you may or may not already know, I am a list maker. I make lists for everything...everything. So, when I saw Heidi's Memory Files and all of the envelopes and canvas & Glimmer Mist, I decided I must make a way to organize our summer. So, here it is...our family's Summer File...


Heidi's Memory Files are set to be the biggest thing to happen to scrapbooking since cardstock...truly. They can be used for anything, and the Color Magic Memory Files can even be colored to suite your tastes using ink, paint, chalk, mists, whatever! Awesome!

So here's what I did...I used one Memory File as the front and back of our binder. I misted & painted the stripes of the folder, added some deco tape and some of Heidi's Color Magic Banner Delights as well as a beautiful burlap Canvas Corp flower. I am so digging these colors...




Here's what I did on the inside...


On the inside front cover, I added some more of Heidi's banners and 3 7Gypsies large envelopes. Each of the kids has his or her own envelope, stuffed with his or her individual list of summer wishes.




I cut a second Memory File down a bit and sewed it into the middle of the first folder. Then I sewed up the bottom and side of the file to create a pocket for us to stuff with ideas and memories.




On the back side of the pocket, I attached a large Canvas Corp envelope (awesome!) that can be written on, filled with photos, whatever we want! So fun!


On the inside back cover of our binder I included a few more envelopes with pull out tags...

 OK...so I totally didn't notice that the "T" in Best Day Ever was askew...yikes.






I can't wait to fill up this folder with notes, ticket stubs, photos, menus, any- & everything we experience this summer...

And here's a little sneak peek of my designer's choice project, featured on Heidi's blog today...


Head on over there to see more of what's inside this little canvas album...

I can't tell you just how much fun I had with this challenge...and I'm so grateful I got the chance to play with so many absolutely fantastic products. Thank you so much to Heidi Swapp, Canvas Corp, 7Gypsies & Tattered Angels!

On My Instagram