DIY Sunburst Mirror

So I've been drooling over this sunburst mirror for a few years now. All the mirrors that I like are way out of my price range {such as this one}. Why in the world is this mirror $449!? I dunno. So I thought it was about time that I attempted to make one myself. Here's what you'll need.

Shopping list:

10" mirror {I got mine at Target for $12.99}

metallic gold spray paint {Michael's $4}

3 packs of shish kabob sticks {Target 99¢ each}

E6000 glue {$2 Michael's}

scissors or clippers

glue gun {already had -->not pictured}

Total cost = around $22

Directions:

- cut your shish kabob sticks into various lengths. I cut around 60-5" sticks, 40-6" sticks, 40-7" sticks and 20- 8" sticks {place in separate labeled piles so they'll be easy to grab when you start the pattern} 

-Fire up your hot glue gun and turn you mirror face down.

-I started by lining up 4 of the 8" sticks with the lines on the front of the mirror. Dab a pea-size amount of hot glue on each point on the backside of the mirror 1/2" from the edge. Place each stick accordingly. 

-start the pattern {see below}

-Once complete, squeeze E6000 glue over the sticks to seal any weak spots that the hot glue gun may have missed.

-Let the glue dry overnight

-spray paint everything the next day {be sure to cover the mirror}

easy as that...

Pattern ^

8", 7", 6", 5", 5", 5", 6", 7", 8"...

Feeling Frenchy

I'm feeling a little Frenchy after posting the Macaron recipe.
So purdy. Gaaaaaaw

Biyan beaded lace cocktail dress / Ethan Allen ivory throw pillow / Chronicle Books 'Polaroid Love' Note Cards / Scented candle / Eiffel tower home decor / Silver Tray / Teacup 

Bar Cart Bliss

Ahhhh I've been dying for a gold bar cart! Alas I cannot find one that I love that is in my very limited budget. I have no idea why they are so expensive!!!? $1200? Why!? So, I will continue my hunt for the perfect {and affordable} cart. I just love how they bring a refined vibe into your home. I guess if a bar cart could talk it would say, “Yeah. I like to party, but I be classy.” Plus it's a great way to display some of your favorite items… artsy glassware, flea market finds and pretty bottles etc. Daaaaarling, The styling opportunities are endless. It would be perfect for little get-togethers with friends. And the bar cart has been around since the mid-1930′s so you KNOW it’s not going out of style any time soon. Here are some carts from around the web + decorating inspiration!

1.Roland Gold Cart /2.Gold Leafed Cart / 3. Brighton Gold Leaf Bamboo Bar Cart / 4.1950's Faux-Bamboo Bar Cart / 5.Wooden Crate & Barrel Bar Cart / 6. Lacy Bar Cart / 7.Tea Cart / 8.Worlds Away Gold Bar Cart /9. Crate and Barrel wheeled cart / 10. Threshold Wood and Brass Bar Cart /  Sur La Table glass decanter / Whiskey Ice Balls /Zara Home Drinkware / Striped Straws / Sur La Table Stainless Steel Straws / Seletti Glass Bottles / Golddust Bead Coral Wine Coaster / Book: The Little Black Jacket: Chanel's Classic Revisited  

Pictures: HG, shopsocietysocial, restorationhardware

Domino Gold Bar Cart X Sun Burst Manhattan Chanel Bar Cart Chambord

Yay For Christmas Time!

I just LOVE Christmas Time! If it were up to me, I would have our tree up the day after Halloween. I think Thanksgiving and Christmas go hand in hand, right? I guess Dan would be embarrassed or something, so we waited until after Thanksgiving this year to decorate our beloved Christmas tree. On December 1st, Dan and I turned on the Pandora Christmas station, sipped eggnog and hung up our Christmas decorations. And then we wrapped ourselves in blankets and watched the Grinch {Dan's all-time favorite}. Now why can't we celebrate Christmas year round? I love this fun stuff.

^^^ Dan cut a wafer from our Christmas tree trunk last year and I made into an ornament so we could always have a little piece of our first Christmas from 2012. {Just let the wafer dry for a few months and use a soldering iron to burn words or a design into the wood -- super easy}.

^^^We found some snow on a hot chocolate walk with friends! The church around the corner made snow for us to play in...I mean the kids, for the kids to play in.

^^^I tried my hand at making snowflakes out of coffee filters. Pretty cool huh?

^^^ A Christmas Wreath Party with neighbors. We all brought our own wreaths and decorated them together while listening to Christmas music and drinking pomegranate mojitos! My kind of party :)

^^^ The finished product!

Our Thanksgiving!

 

^^^I know it's a tad on the late side, but I hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving! We had Thanksgiving with my Parents and our HUGE extended family. So, I might have gone a bit overboard with all these pictures of the table, but I think my Mom did and amazing job -- she should be a party planner...right?

 

 

^^^We reused the candle holders from our wedding. What a great investment...I think we've used them for every party since then!

 

              

                        ^^^Mom...you are killing me with the bitty butterflies and acorns! Too cute!

 

 

^^^ My cousin Charlie and hubby Dan. Dan teases Charlie for being a frat boy and Charlie teases Dan for being a surfer...basically they love each other. 

 

 

^^^My Dad is the turkey master. Our family loves to have potluck style dinners -- everyone brings their favorite dish. We have a huge family, so having one person cook the entire meal would be insane. I was in charge of bringing pureed candied yams and rosemary potatoes and carrots. I really got into it and sprung for the fancy multi colored carrots at Traders. Is it weird that I was excited about carrots? 

 

 

Because no Grams party is complete without a coffee station and butter cookies...^^^ Nice Mom ;)

 

 

^^^Meet my Family. Mom is up front and Dad is at the other end. Everyone in between is an Uncle, Aunt or cousin + about 20 more not pictured! My mom was the youngest of 8 kids and Dad was the oldest of 3 kids...who all grew up and had 2-6 kids of their own. So family holiday parties are of epic proportions.

 

 

^^^One of my Aunts always brings a box of See's Candy. It's sort of a tradition for family gatherings...one that I take full advantage of {I secretly snuck the rest of the box home when everyone had left}. And on the right is my Danny. This is what his face permanently looks like. ^^^

 

^^^And then we had a Friendsgiving with all of our friends who were still in town. We originally were going to have it in our tiny house {in the backyard},  but it rained all day, so my parents offered their house. How nice :) Well that made things super easy....everything was still set up from Thanksgiving, so we just cooked a new turkey and everyone pitched in with leftovers.

 

 

 

^^^The table looks so different at night! I love me some ambiance and candles!

 

                                          And then we had hot cider and beers in the backyard^^^

It was a great Thanksgiving! We have SOOOOO much to be thankful for! I/we couldn't be more blessed.

P.S. It is now officially CHRISTMAS TIME!

Woot Woot. Lets go get a Christmas tree!