A Star Wars Baby Shower?

Yep! That's right! That is exactly what I set out to do once I found out the theme of my newest nephew's nursery. Nice choice, sister....nice choice. :) I couldn't wait to begin!

That's when it dawned on me. How in the world am I going to pull off a beautiful, elegant baby shower while still capturing the Star Wars feel? When I started my research, it seemed like there were endless children birthday party ideas and decor...but nothing sweet and "baby-like". I started to get a little worried. 

This had the potential of being the scariest baby shower ever. 

My first breakthrough was when I found this adorable Etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/vmiddleton5?ref=seller_info

I had originally wanted to make the invitations myself, but decided it couldn't hurt to have a LITTLE help from someone else. :) I ordered the basic image of the invitations and decided to put my own twist on things. 

Here's how they turned out.

 

Once the invitations were done, things got a little easier. I paid a visit to my local IKEA and found all sorts of "spacey" looking things. I also managed to pick up a cool vase from a nearby Goodwill. 

Here's a tip: I find that if you cover a table in candles and flowers, it really classes things up!

Check out the finished product.

I bet I know what you're thinking. "Hey Dawnya! Where did you get that AMAZING Jedi sign?"

Well, I'll tell you! My extremely talented artist of a boyfriend painted that. (This photo hardly does it justice.) He's kind of a big deal. 

My sister loved it so much that it is now hanging in the nursery. :)

I knew that I needed to have a few actual Star Wars pieces, so I found these plastic party rings online. I paired them with light saber picks and turned them into cupcake toppers for my super yummy strawberry cupcakes. So cute!

These are just a couple VERY cheap picture frames from IKEA. 

I used a bit of computer magic to create the inserts.

All in all, I was able to put together a beautiful, sweet and elegant baby shower without completely breaking the bank. It just took some serious brainstorming!

A big "thank you" to my Grandma for sewing the tablecloths and to my Mommy for hosting the party!

And thank you, Amber, for letting me run with this idea! haha

Wanting.... and then GETTING it all.

Recently my sister posted a blog titled "I want it all!" She talked about the list of things she wants out of life. From little things to big things...everything had its place in her heart.

This got me thinking about the things I want. 

The funny thing is...I already had a list started and I already started accomplishing some of them! So I decided I would start documenting them. I'm not done with the outfit posts. I still love fashion and I love creating new looks out of thrifted clothes or things in my closet. But there's so much more to me than that and I want to share it with you. :)

So, for today's post, I'm going to share with you a project that I have ALWAYS wanted to do. Do you know how many times I've seen these DIY mosaic table top projects on tv??? It's something I've always wanted to try but didn't have it in me to find a table that I wanted to destroy in order to create my own masterpiece. 

My time finally came when I moved into my place. The previous renters had left a rusted bistro tiled table in the back patio. It sat there for almost 2 years collecting spider webs. My mission was clear. One morning I said to myself...

"I'm going to re-tile this table today."

It was that simple. I grabbed A.B. ("amazing boyfriend" for those of you who are just joining us) and we started hitting up Goodwill stores and Dollar stores. Three Goodwills and two Dollar stores later I had collected all of the colorful plates that I wanted to smash up to create my tiles.

Next stop? Home Depot. We grabbed spray paint and tile adhesive. 

Time for the dirty work! I grabbed a hammer and went to town on the existing tile. 

A.B.'s job was to sand and spray paint the table.

While he painted away, I started taking out some aggression on the plates I purchased. I placed the plates between old towels and hammered them to bits!!!

Then I laid them out on bath towels and grouped the colors together so that I would have a clear view of my "palette."

Now for the REAL fun!

I put some adhesive on the back of each piece and started placing them on the grated metal top. 

I didn't exactly have a design plan in place, but I trusted my instincts. ;)

The last step was to grout the table.

Sounds like a job for A.B.!!

This was the final product and I could NOT be happier with it!!!! 

This table is a perfect example of something I've talked about doing for years and finally just decided to do it. 

It may not seem like a huge task, but I think most of us have a ton of things we say we want to do and then for one reason or another...we don't do it. 

That's not me anymore.

I want it all and I will GET it all. :)

And because I can't resist....here's an outfit post!

 

 I hope everyone has an amazing weekend filled with messy projects and fulfilled dreams. :)

Best Car Wash in Town

For as long as I can remember, my best moments with my Dad were our car wash weekends. 

He has always been a big advocate of taking care of the car, and every weekend, he would pull out the hose, bucket and rags. 

As Daddy's little girl, I insisted on helping. :)

These days, I'm not so great at the car washing. 

I pray for rainy days so that EVERYONE'S car is just as dirty as mine!

I can always count on that look of disapproval when I pull up to my Dad's house with a dirty car. This is usually what follows:

 "How long are you going to be here? Let's wash your car."

That's my Daddy.

I may not be the best at taking care of my car, but there are plenty of things I've learned from my Dad that make me who I am today. 

He's always been the strong super hero in our lives and there's no task or problem he can't handle. 

Whenever I have a problem...whether it's a big life problem or a table from IKEA that I need to put together, 

I always think of what Daddy would do.

Beyond the tough guy exterior lies a big teddy bear. Having a sweet and cuddly Dad makes for sweet and cuddly daughters. :)

Always funny, always involved....my entire childhood is laced with fun memories with "Daddy."

 

I've always felt like his partner in crime and his buddy. 

My quick wit, sense of humor and big personality are all thanks to my Daddy!

  

Happy Father's Day to the BEST Daddy in the whole world! 

We love you so much and we'll always be your "baby girls"!!!!