When I was a little girl my dad woke me up before dawn one day for one of my most memorable childhood experiences. I had no idea what he was up to, but I could tell he was excited to share something special. After a short drive, we were surrounded by the hustle and bustle of a real life circus train unloading before my eyes.

We huddled on steel bleachers in the fog of this cool morning, and watched as elephants lumbered down ramps, where they gathered in a large dirt parking lot. They made their way across the street, trunks holding tails, where they helped to raise the large circus tent I’d find myself inside two nights later, beaming with excitement while munching on popcorn.

For my cousin’s baby shower, her first boy, I wanted to recreate those childlike feelings of anticipation that rise within me whenever I think about my first circus.

A nudge from a friend and her offer to co-host the shower was just the spark needed to start the fire of preparation. Enjoy the look around the event!

What feelings do you like to conjure for your gatherings?

Photos: upper) assorted cupcakes & gold giraffe; lower: 1) wax paper cups with cupcake liners, flavored popcorn; 2) homespun fabric pennants on jute twine, washi tape flags on sticks; 3) mini succulents wrapped by paper tickets, washi tape “thank you” flags on toothpicks, chevron paper gift bags to-go; 4) momma & party straws for mimosas and juice; 5) guests paint blocks for baby instead of games.

That doesn’t mean that many of you weren’t savvy enough to snap up a ticket or two, so for those of you who did, or even those who are attending other conferences (design/blog focused or otherwise), I wanted to share this simple and sweet post by the folks at Alt as it was featured on their new blog. And of course, for blogging inspiration and business advice check out the new Alt blog.

Three goals for a blogging conference.

Another fave of mine for all things business do/don’t may not come as a surprise to many. It’s the Design Sponge series, Biz Ladies and you can find it here.

Both of these sites are packed with actionable tips that can remind you of something you’ve buried in your to-do list, or leaving you feeling energized and inspired to tackle something new.

Of course I’ll share snip-its from the trip. Huz and I will be driving out in a big yella Penske truck + our vehicle and pets beginning Tuesday. Here’s hoping for a quick trip or maybe a slow one filled with unexpected celebrations along the way. I think we’ll be taking the northern route, looping us through eight states and numerous state and national parks. Really excited to see much of this for the first time, as I’ve only made this trip via air previously.

Mass cuteness abounds in the city that puts a bird on everything. Get more familiar with my new city via Portlandia. It’s all really quite accurate ;)

Salads, when made well, really are a luxurious experience. With produce boxes arriving weekly from my CSA, largely stuffed with many varieties of greens, I had to find a way to change it up a bit from the sliced carrot, walnuts and parm that usually top the side salad at any given meal around my house.

Enter, Salad for Dinner, by Jeanne Kelley. (insert heavenly epiphany sound here please)

This book actually makes me want a salad… for dinner. Shock and awe!
Beside focusing on salads by categories such as vegetarian, fish & seafood, poultry and meat, it also includes a powerful and straightforward primer on everything from which types of greens to use when and how to perfect proportions of your favorite toppings. So you avoid that embarrassing too-much-bleu-cheese thing (you all know what I’m talking about).

I do wish that every one of these amazing salads had a photo which isn’t the case, but I do understand photos make production quite expensive, so I’ll overlook it. Also, most if not all of the recipes employ fairly common ingredients, so simply reading the recipe usually gets my mouth to watering.

What’s in your local CSA boxes this time of year and what killer salad topping combos do you go-to? (Um, hello below – Everything is better with an egg right?!)

Need a quickie gift idea? A craft for one of the under 4-foot-and-under set?
Grab any frame with a smooth edge (beveled doesn’t work so well) and your washi tapes and get to work. No messy glue and a sleeker look than decoupage ever gave.

I was initially inspired by a pin showing an entire table covered with stripes of Washi tape in multiple colors. It gave sort of a butcher block look but in fun colors instead of shades of wood. I instantly knew this would be fun on a frame as well!

I tried covering the frame in a few different ways—in one place, just the corners, all over… but eventually landed on two accents being the most fun. However, for a kid’s room or a shower gift it might be fun to go all the way around. I also think if I’d have stuck with tapes all in one family of color, dropping the turquoise from the mix, it would have looked less circus-y when I went all the way around. Plus, change your mind like I did, and it peels right back off!
PS) Cute whale art by blackcottagehandmade.com

Black and white (or neutral) for home, clothes, accessories, tabletop – you name it, I love it.
As long as I can remember I’ve been awestruck by wide black and white awning stripes. At age eight I demanded to paint large graphics, or at least stripes on my walls, begging for my parents to approve the bold graphic look. I insisted they belonged in my life.

Now that I no longer need to beg for permission, I look around my house and through my closet and find that this penchant for strong contrast has never really waned. The FLOR squares in my dining room are wide black and white, the chairs are black, the trim is white and the walls are gray. I just can’t quit this.

What is your go-to combo? The one that even though you don’t set out to have it, always follows you home.

Moodboard Sources: umbrella girl; art; sweater; plaid book; necklace; bedroom; skirt; tray.

While running errands, on more than one occasion, I’ve noticed women wearing a completely unpractical number of bracelets, bangles, etc – big ones! For me this enlivened two things: nostalgia and envy.

My grandmother piled on jewelry as if she had no dressing table on which to leave any of it. She was glamorous beyond compare for such a small Iowa town. My clearest memories of her are always in a skirt, strappy-heels and a beautiful flowy silk blouse, her hair pinned up in curls and jewelry adorning every available surface.

I immediately found myself envious of this completely impractical indulgence of glamour and ran home to rifle through my drawers to find some of her old pieces, some of my news ones and dream of what fun beauties await being added to my collection.

The smooth wood, green jewels and silver lattice pieces were all my grandmother’s.