Oliver's 2nd Birthday Petting Zoo Party

All last week I was stressing and prepping for Oliver’s 2nd birthday party and it all came to fruition yesterday. It ended up being a beautiful day and even if there were a few hiccups, no one seemed to notice, and we all had a great day.
When I was trying to figure what I wanted to do for Oliver's party I knew it had to be something he would enjoy and since he is such an animal lover having a farm/ petting zoo party would be perfect for him.

I get such a thrill out of planning everything. For the food and games, I searched Pinterest for inspiration and found so many great ideas. Now it’s time for picture overload. I enjoy the planning that goes into the party but the best part is seeing everyone’s faces (especially the birthday boy) as they take it all in. It makes all the hard work worthwhile.

My friend, Amy, made this fantastic cake

I love little details... like the forks and knives wrapped to look like corn... 

... and place cards for food with a farm theme...

... there was the chicken coop, potato field, feed & seed, orchard, pig pen, and a watering hole

Favors for the guests included homemade candy apples...

... cheddar & caramel "corn-on-the-cob"

Oliver liked riding the pony...

...but not the tortoise

There was also a pig...

... rabbits, a sheep, and...

... a horse for the bigger kids

For games I had Feed the Pig & Feed the Cow bean bag toss...

... Tractor Races...

... and Pin the Tire on the Tractor

Apparently Oliver thought he was supposed to bite the candle out... don't worry I blew it out before he got too close

Party Ponies and Farm Friends provided the ponies and petting zoo animals. Brandie did a great job and I would definitely recommend them if you want to have ponies or a petting zoo at your next party.

I hope you enjoyed Oliver's party. I found so much inspiration online that I wanted to share how it turned out. This was definitely one for the books!

Finding Inspiration- Guest Bedroom

My guest bedroom is uninspiring to say the least. It has become a free for all. Filled with all the stuff that didn't seem to have a place but now I'm at the point where I'm ready to clean it up and get make it into a respectable room for our friends and family. I've started cleaning it out and organizing all the crap, but now I need to get proper furniture and wall decor. I've been searching Pinterest and have so many rooms that bring me inspiration, so I just wanted to share a few.

This lovely room is by the impeccable Joanna Gaines and featured on Fixer Upper

Such a bright, light room and I love the striped wall. Room found here. 

I like the mirror over the bed and white side tables. Room found here.

Again, the side tables, but also the lamps and iron bed. Room found here.

This sad room is my current guest room situation. A better room is to come!

I bought some end tables from a guy off Craigslist that are a work in progress. I'm currently in the process of refinishing them. I also have two of these pretty lamps to go atop my tables once they're ready. 

Above the bed, I was thinking would really like to put a large mirror, at least 40" diameter, but all the one's I like are more than I want to spend. This mirror is the one I'm lusting after and the price isn't outrageous, but I'm still going keep an eye out for a sale. In a recent episode of Fixer Upper, Joanna used a smaller (maybe 16"x 24") scalloped mirror above the bed and it worked, so I may rethink the size. 

I have been buying pieces here and there, so I hope to have this room done in the next week or so. I'd also like to paint the room since it's still builder's grade cream, ewww, but again, I'll have to find the time to get it done. When I do find the time to paint, I'm sure I will keep it light with a nice white wall. 

Reading Nook Inspiration

We moved into our house about a year and a half ago. Since then I've slowly been trying to move from the mismatched hand me down house we have and make it into a cohesive home with grown up, coordinating furniture. The process is slow because furniture and redo's are expensive! I have been picking up items I like and getting rid of items that just don't go. It's hard to part with sentimental items, and I'm not getting rid of everything, but some of this crap has to go.
The next area on my to-do list is this little hall area at the top of our stairs. It's about 8 feet long and 5 feet wide with a window at the end. Right now it's a wasted space which has become a catchall filled with kid's junk, decor, and Christmas decorations which need to go up in the attic. I'm ready to clear out the crap and turn the space into a cute reading nook. I'm imaging the space with a cozy chair or settee covered in cute pillows draped in a fuzzy blanket. Across from the seating area will be a bookcase to hold the tons of books we current'y have stored in the guest room dresser. Not only will it be a relaxing spot but it will also be a designated place for books and games (hopefully hidden).
I don't have my space yet but I found some inspirational spots that I thought I'd share. Although they don't all look like my space, there are elements in each that I like and would like to draw on when creating my space. I hope to have this project completed by spring, and don't worry, I'll definitely post pics when it's done.

Love the chair, blanket, side table, and plant - from Liz Marie Blog- I love her style

This is about the same size space I'm working with. I like the bookcase. This reading book is found here. 

A tall bookcase might work well too. This little nook can be found here. 

I like this settee. This one looks so comfy. I found this picture on Pinterest. 

I wish I had the ability to make these awesome built-in bookshelves. The tutorial can be found here. Maybe I'll REALLY get motivated and attempt to make something similar to these.

I like the simplicity of this space. The simple shelves and globe light fixture. Find it here. 

Pinterest is great for finding so much inspiration but it's hard to narrow down a vision when there is so much to see. Now that I have these beautiful rooms and know the elements I like from each, I have a much better vision of what I want for my space. Stay tuned!