May Brit Kit Co-op DIY (PAR-DIY)

May brought about another Brit Kit Co-Op for me and this one was a BIG hit!  The chalk board cheese trays from last month were a big hit, but May's Brit Kit was so much fun to make and there was so much creativity brought about with this kit!  We all loved it!

I'm a bit old fashioned when it comes to party invites and I like the personal touch when handing someone an invite to a party.  I think a lot of people have lost touch with that tradition though, but I am still holding on strong with it. 

The rain held out for a few minutes longer while I took some pictures and while DIYers arrived, but then hit again later that evening. Good ole' Oregon.

We put our April Brit Kit, with the chalkboard theme, to good use for this co-op too.  We had quite a lovely spread of goodies and thanks to some of the Party City party ware left from last month we were all set.

Everyone put their creativity to work with this Brit Kit and it was fun watching everyone come up with different designs.

I even let Skylar paint a bag.

Some people free-handed a design, and others used the tape to lay out straight lines. 

While our bags were drying we made some tea and enjoyed the snacks.

The tea with this Brit Kit Co-Op package came from Blackbird Tea Co. and was amazing!  It was so delicious that we all had two or three mugs full.

The flavors we enjoyed were Marrakech Mint and Chai Rojo and you can actually get these flavors yourself right from the Blackbird Tea Co. site for under $12.   The tea is loose leaf tea and comes with the most adorable tea bags that you fill yourself.  It was so much fun to be able to experiment with different amounts and changes of flavor with this tea.

Thanks so much Blackbird Tea Co. for offering us a new adventure with tea. 

Blackbird Tea Co. is on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, and even YoutTube too, so be sure and follow them and find out more about the tea company.

Thanks so much Brit + Co for another great Brit Kit Co-Op party.  We all had such a great time making our Brit Kit bags and everyone had different ideas on how to use them.  From the beach, to the grocery store, to even used as a library bag for books.  

If you haven't heard of Brit Kits, you're totally missing out.  These kits are so fun and bring you a different DIY kit once a month.  The kits come with everything you need to create that month's project and these projects are modern DIY projects too.  To get this month's kit head over to Brit + Co and snag one.  You can also purchase past kits and even sign up for a subscription to the kits, so you are on the list automatically and will receive your Brit Kit without worry.  

And be sure to follow Brit + Co on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and even Google+.

Before and after: Lamp post makeover

My take on a homemade lantern post. 

Total cost:  $35

I've had this lantern for quite awhile and it's been shoved from room to room inside my house, but I always felt like I wasn't giving it the praise it deserved. I picked it up at the local grocery store for $35 when they were closing out the last of their summer inventory around the floral department.

I had an old table post from the restaurant Jeff used to work at when we lived in Arkansas, and it too needed a bit of TLC.  This poor table post has been used from everything from a planter, the middle section to a water fountain (I so wish I had a photo of it), and even a make-shift pole for small table during a party awhile back.  

This post needed a good makeover, so I started thinking about what I could possibly do to give it a new life.

I started with a thought of spray painting it and seeing where things took off from there.

A bit of silver paint and boom, the post was a completely different thing to look at.

I loved how it turned out and the marks on the post made it look even better once the spray paint dried.

I paired the lantern on top of the post and secured it with small screws and viola, it was a whole new item that I can't seem to stop admiring.

The whole project cost less than $40!

I think it looks wonderful on my front stoop and while I was admiring my new creation, I got photo-bombed by the Mr.

Such a fun and great project!  And the best part, during my Brit Kit Co-Op Party I had party-goers admiring it. 

Hopscotch and Memorial Day

This past weekend we took advantage of the sunshine that came out for a few minutes from time to time throughout the three days we had off.  During that time we finally got to try out the sidewalk tattoos my mom has sent Skylar for Easter.

The last two weekends we have enjoyed the thrill of hopscotch and Skylar is actually getting pretty good at it.  It's such an oldie, but a goodie when it comes to kid's games.

The sidewalk tattoos that we used were ones from a company called WeVeel.

We wet the back of the tattoo completely and followed the instructions on the box.

And ended up with one out of the eight work on the sidewalk completely.  It was a bit of a let down.

So instead of the sidewalk, 

They worked out pretty well on the skin.

We had a fun day coloring the sidewalk though.  

We played hopscotch till it started sprinkling on us once again.  Bummer.  :-(

It was a pretty fun three-day-weekend for us.  

We also reflected on Monday about what the day is truly about and what we are thankful for everyday. 

Eco-Tip:  Remember to get those magazines into the recycling along with everything else.  Better yet, recycling them in ways that others can utilize them too, like the library, hospitals, and/or Goodwill.  For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.