SERIES: girls DINNER

i'm so excited to share this new series with you all!! i've teamed up with some dear friends of mine, carrie & morgan of ampersand design studio and tobe of because its awesome to share an exciting project. we have been doing girls dinners for years and have finally decided to share the fun. :)

first up was a homemade pizza party. it was everything you'd expect...delicious pizza, robust red wines, a seasonal salad and a night made of memories. here are a few photos of what the evening looked like.

of course, i made a simple DIY project to go along with it!

DIY: LEFTOVER BAG

materials needed: 

two pieces of parchment paper measuring about 9" x 13"

tape

labels (optional)

step 1: fold the parchment paper in half width wise

step 2: measure 1" from the original fold and fold paper back. repeat on other side.

step 3: tape the short sides to create a pouch.

the bottom should look like this:

step 4: fill the pouch with leftover pizza!

step 5: fold over the top of the pouch and secure it with tape or a custom label. 

i made these using avery labels (template #18163) and my home printer.

to see more details (& photos) of the evening, check out AMPERSAND where you can find a DIY polka dot napkin and a printable invite to host your very own pizza party at home! and visit BECAUSE IT'S AWESOME for a list of items on how to "get the look" of our pizza party for yourself and tons of other fun stuff.

* all photos taken by eric linebarger

NEWS FLASH: I'M A CONTRIBUTOR ON DESIGN FOR MANKIND!

i have some very fun news to share today! sweet, adorable erin loechner of design for mankind has asked me to be a contributor to her blog. i will be sharing some DIY projects and i couldn't be more excited about this opportunity. you will find me there every other wednesday starting today!

beyond being the sweetest thing ever, erin is also smart, thoughtful and inspiring. and you guys, i must say, this opportunity came about by me being brave. i can't stress enough how being brave and taking some chances will open doors for you. so, head on over to dfm to check out my latest project.

DIY: PAINTED WOODEN BEAD NECKLACE

Today I'm sharing a simple project with some bright colors. Perfect for spring!

MATERIALS:

-necklace chain (mine is about 28" long)

-ten 1" wooden beads with predrilled holes

-paint (I used DecoArts Americana paints in these colors: Sea Breeze, Royal Fuchsia, Orange Twist, Bright Yellow & Neutral Gray)

-paintbrush
-painters tape

STEP 1: Sometimes the wooden beads have shavings on the inside. To clear them out, take the end of your paintbrush and twist the paintbrush back and forth a few times on either side of the bead.

STEP 2: Eyeball the center of your bead, and using the painters tape, wrap the bead horizontally, making sure the ends meet to allow half of the bead to be exposed for painting.

STEP 3: Paint the exposed part of your bead. I did two coats to ensure coverage. You will paint two beads the exact same, for a total of 10 beads.

STEP 4: Once the paint is dry, peel off the painters tape.

STEP 5: Now it's time to string the beads. Line them up in the order you want them on your necklace and begin stringing, making sure the two colored ends meet each other. 

Close the claps and you are ready to wear it!

DIY: RUSTIC NAPKIN RING

something you might not know about me is that i love the hardware store. the smell of cut lumber and the rows filled with handy items. i just love it. a few weeks ago i went on a regular trip to my local home depot, and i came home with a DIY napkin holder idea. and guess what? it's really inexpensive. i'm talking fifty cents per napkin ring. 

materials:

- twine

-metal conduit strap* found in the plumbing section

1.) tie a double knot with the twine and string it through on one side of the metal piece.

2.) string the twine through the other side of the metal piece and tie a double knot again.

3.) pull a napkin through and you're ready to set your table. easy peasy!

*the conduit straps also come in copper and range from about $0.30-$0.45 each