Step Into Our Parlor

"I doubt whether the world holds for anyone a more soul-stirring surprise than the first adventure with ice cream." ~ Heywood Broun

Several weeks ago we celebrated Emma's 8th birthday with an old-fashioned ice cream parlor. My brother, Nathan, captured the party in vivid detail. The photo above offers a little peek of the fun to come in my next posts, so I hope you will visit often this week.

The weather forecast may predict rain this week, but on the blog expect sunshine ... and sprinkles. 

Miss Manners PJs and Pancakes Party Preview

"Good manners are just a way of showing other people that we have respect for them." ~ Bill Kelly

Visiting my dear friend Missy Jones was one of the highlights of last week's Spring Break. Missy and I bonded over our love of all things creative. Through the years we enjoyed coordinating our congregation's book club. Take a look at our quarterly picks and parties here.

Missy is putting both her party-planning and teaching skills together to mentor the young girls of our church through Miss Manners parties. The participants above are learning invaluable social graces during bimonthly themed parties. From RSVPs to thank-you notes, Missy is teaching these young women how to interact with others with thoughtfulness.

At this month's Pajamas and Pancakes Party, the girls learned about sleepover etiquette. Missy has shared all the party details on her blog, Our Neck of the Woods. To learn more about her festive decor and menu, visit this post.

And for details of the craft and lesson, visit this post.

"Life be not so short but that there is always time for courtesy." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Glimpse of Her Journal

www.theribboninmyjournal.com

"I believe our lives are the pages we write, and the ribbon marks the spot where we begin anew each day. I invite you to join me on this adventure!" ~ Phyllis Hoffman DePiano

Yesterday I celebrated my first full year working as assistant editor of Victoria magazine. I still wake up every day grateful for this opportunity. The creative work is fulfilling, but being part of such a talented team is truly inspiring. From sampling delectable treats in the test kitchen and observing photographers and stylists during food shoots to chatting with seasoned editors and writing feature stories for the magazine, each season in this creative workshop holds delightful surprises.

I wanted to take a moment to introduce you to a new venture for Hoffman Media President and Publisher Phyllis Hoffman DePiano. When I started my job last April, my first project was our Victoria Classics issue Monograms. This special edition was close to Phyllis' heart, and I enjoyed getting to know her during the publication process.

People ask me often what she is like in "real life," and I am pleased to report that Phyllis really is as warm and gracious as you would hope her to be, meeting her in the pages of her magazines. But you might be surprised to learn how funny she is. She cautions our staff often that people who don't like to have fun won't enjoy our work environment. With my desk steps away from her office, I can attest that there is always hearty laughter when she is here.

If you have ever wanted to sit down for a visit with Phyllis, you will enjoy perusing her new web site, The Ribbon in My Journal. Along with the creative tips, decorative inspiration and vivid photography you expect from magazines like Victoria, Southern Lady and TeaTime, you will discover a more personal expression of her thoughts. Childhood memories and family anecdotes are sure to make you smile! 

"In pondering the name for my blog, I recalled meeting the writer Alexandra Stoddard ten years ago at a book signing," Phyllis shared in the July/August issue of Victoria. "As she inscribed her signature in my newly purchased copy of Things I Want My Daughters to Know, she placed a length of ribbon in its pages as her special way of adding a grace note to the moment. I named my blog as a tribute to Alexandra and the gracious lifestyle she promotes through her contemporary philosophy detailed in the twenty-seven books she has published."

I encourage you to take a peek at The Ribbon in My Journal. I'm sure it's a site you will want to bookmark as a favorite.

I will be sharing party inspiration in my next posts, so stop in again soon!

Screen shot used with permission.

Welcome Spring!

Happy First Day of Spring!

(Bunny topiary directions here.)

Mary Ashley at 10

 

 

"A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart." ~ Author Unknown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"A daughter is a miracle that never ceases to be miraculous ... full of beauty and forever beautiful ... loving and caring and truly amazing." ~ Deanna Beisser

 

Breakfast at Tiffany's Food, Fun & Favors

"What I found does the most good is just to get into a taxi and go to Tiffany's. It calms me down right away, the quietness and the proud look of it." ~ Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's

Mary Ashley has looked forward to this birthday for years, knowing she could get her ears pierced at age 10. We celebrated the milestone with a Tiffany-themed brunch at our new home in Birmingham.

A vase of hydrangeas highlighted our breakfast buffet. (Silver Reflection Centerpiece from Shindigz).

Breakfast at the Lesters' Menu

Yogurt-Berry Parfaits

Smoked Salmon Breakfast Casserole (Recipe here)

Garlic Cheese Grits

Canadian Bacon, Cheese Cubes and Crackers

Glazed Doughnut Holes

Tiffany Blue Raspberry Candy Spheres (From GeorgieLous)

Tiffany Blue Sixlets (Available here)

Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes

Lemon-Slush Punch (Recipe here)

I prepared pink parfaits for the girls with strawberry-banana yogurt, strawberries and blueberries, and let the adults assemble their own with Greek yogurt, fresh berries and granola. (Mini Clear Pedestal Cups from Shindigz.)

With a busy week leading up to the party, I kept the menu as simple and crowd-friendly as possible.

I had intended to bake a cake for the party, but in the end purchased cupcakes from Publix and let Mary Ashley decorate them with Wilton Pearlized Sprinkles (available here).

Blue Rhinestone Button Brooches from Your Perfect Gifts were the perfect accessory for our afternoon craft project: painting wooden frames from Michaels. Guests shopped for their favorite bejeweled baubles before sitting down to paint.

I kept the palette simple for our little artists with blue and white acrylic craft paints. The girls painted the frames after they ate, and we let them dry while they played.

When the frames dried, I hot glued bows and brooches to the frames according to the girls' direction. The girls were quite creative in painting designs and determining how to accessorize their frames.

This sweet gift set was a thank you for our friend Haley Scott, who drove up from Montgomery the night before to help us with party preparations. (Single Strand Tiffany Blue Pearl Beaded Necklace and Earrings Set from Delicate Creations by M.)

Tiffany blue boxes from Favorites by Glenda were perfect for holding parting treats for the girls. 

I found mementos for the day, pretty beaded bracelets, at Michaels. About half of the bracelets were Tiffany blue, and the others were pink or clear. When we filled the boxes the night before, we put a little initial on the bottom of each box so we could offer the guests their choice of color. After the party, one of the moms thanked me for the generous gift and said I must have spent a fortune on the jewelry. I assured her they were reasonable; everything just looks better in a Tiffany-blue box!

Note cards from Michaels in our signature blue helped Mary Ashley express thanks for the lovely collection of earrings received from an even lovelier gathering of friends.

"If I could find a real-life place that made me feel like Tiffany's, then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name." ~ Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's

Breakfast at Tiffany's Party Decor

We celebrated Mary Ashley's 10th birthday with a Tiffany-themed party in celebration of two big milestones: reaching double digits and getting her ears pierced! We invited guests to join us for brunch and asked them to bring a gift of earrings.

Simple but iconic invitations set the tone for our special celebration. I used 8.5x11 Tiffany-blue scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby to make two trifold cards per sheet. I printed Lester & Co. on the opalescent paper before cutting the pages in half lengthwise and folding into thirds. Next I printed party details on shimmering ivory paper (6 text boxes per 8.5x11 sheet), cut the text boxes with decorative scissors, and glued the party details inside the card. A pair of sparkly rhinestone stickers completed the inside, and silky ribbon finished the invitations with a fluffy bow. See more details of the invitations here.

White hydrangeas added softness to our tablescapes. Friend and floral designer Haley Scott brought flowers and spent the Friday evening before the party helping us with party preparations. Having friends help pull all the details together can be such a lifesaver!

You get a glimpse of our dining room in this photo. I added picture-frame moulding over New Year's, and Joe painted the room a few days before the party. I will share more details on this makeover in an upcoming post. Party site Shindigz offered me a generous $100 gift certificate to use toward Mary Ashley's celebration. I found a wealth of products that fit our theme, including the Martha Stewart Pom Pom Garland shown above (find it in pink here).

This table greeted guests in our foyer. Our friend Haley made the puffy wrap skirt by tying lengths of tulle to a long strand of ribbon and pinning the resulting tutu to the round table's existing tablecloth. I found the 40-yard bolt at a discount here.

Martha Stewart Blue Accordion Lanterns (product photo shown above) added a festive touch suspended above the island in our kitchen.

To celebrate Mary Ashley becoming a "tenager," we invited a large guest list of friends and family. Using china seemed impractical for the size of our party, but I still wanted a somewhat formal look. Silver Banded Dinner and Dessert Plates, Metallic Silver Plastic Forks, and Silver Glitter Border Placemats  from Shindigz delivered value, convenience and style. The napkins were from Target.

Tiffany Inspired Favor Boxes from Favorites by Glenda did double duty as decoration and parting gifts.

Stop in Friday for Tiffany-inspired food, fun and favors!

A Welcome Opportunity

 

 

Mary Ashley's recent birthday party gave us a wonderful opportunity to invite friends to visit our new home. We enjoyed a gathering of loved ones that included Mary Ashley's lifelong girlfriends from Wetumpka and Montgomery, as well as sweet new friends she has made in Birmingham.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When our friend Haley drove up to visit and help with party preparations, she said she picked out our house by the hydrangeas on the front door. Silk flower stems from Hobby Lobby made a cheery bouquet. Dry brushing the originally black wooden container, also from Hobby Lobby, with blue and white acrylic paints lightened the arrangement to offer a sunny welcome to friends from near and far.

 

 

 

Step inside for more details of our Tiffany-style brunch with more posts to come this week!

 

.

 

Breakfast at Tiffany's Invitation

A few weeks ago we celebrated Mary Ashley's 10th birthday with a brunch commemorating a special milestone: getting her ears pierced. Tiffany blue invitations set the tone for a festive Breakfast at the Lesters'.



A ribbon-wrapped tri-fold card invited guests to bring a gift of earrings and join us for brunch. Although Mary Ashley's friends didn't necessarily recognize the inspiration for the design, their mothers definitely did! I will share more details of our lovely celebration in upcoming posts.

"You could always tell what kind of a person a man thinks you are by the earrings he gives you. I must say, the mind reels." ~ Holly Golightly

 

Happy Valentine's Day!



"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7).

 

Happy Valentine's Day!