Weekend Wrap Party & the $0 Present

Did you have a fab weekend? Or even a half-way decent one? Hope so! 

The weekend wrap party is something I started awhile ago to help me share a little more of my life with you, in hopes that you'd share yours with me. So please let me know what you did this weekend too...whether it's linking to your blog or just leaving a comment. I want to get to know you! :-) 

Our weekend was busy as usual. I had to work Saturday until 2:30pm doing a live remote broadcast then we had a wedding. The wedding was for my friend Jessica. You may remember I went to her bachelorette party & talked about it here. 

The wedding was awesome & I helped her with a little project that I'll share with you for this Wednesday's post. 

My handsome date ;-) 

And yes...this was the only picture from the wedding. I forgot my camera on the island in the kitchen. Ugh...party foul! :p 

Sunday afternoon, Mike & I made good on part of my dad's Christmas present. My dad is a PE Teacher & he also directs his camp, Camp Icthus, every summer. His recent love has been kayaking. Before Christmas, my dad had mentioned a couple times wanting us all to go kayaking together. Mike & I are pretty busy with work & it just seems like our weekends fill up so fast. We realized that one of the best presents we could give my dad is a gift of time. So for Christmas, we set a date in advance to head out on the open seas lake. So...it's really true what they say, "some of the best gifts in life are free!"

Getting ready to put em in! 

It was a gorgeous day, weather-wise! We were out for about an hour & a half & man is it a good workout. The peacefulness of the lake made me long to do this more often. I love getting in a good workout at the gym but it just doesn't compare to the beauty of outside. 

I was a little fearful, okay a lot fearful of encountering snakes but we didn't stumble across any. We did see two enormous osprey nests & ospreys. One of the nests had little babies in it. We also saw a heron that was at least 4 feet tall. That's one of the things I adore about my dad...he loves nature & knows so much. He's really a brilliant man. I always loved taking nature walks with him because he knows what each tree, leave & animal is & usually has a cool story to go with them. I unfortunately can't remember all of that but I look forward to my children being able to explore with their grandfather (my dad) all that nature has to offer. 

That's me in action. I looked a hott mess! ;p We rode down to my parents in Mike's jeep, with the windows off & I should've taken a picture of my naturally curly hair for comedic purposes. Although...it may have scared you from ever stopping by Parties for Pennies again. ;p 

My dad, Me & my hubby Mike

It was such a wonderful afternoon. It was peaceful & almost like a little getaway from the hustle & bustle. Not to mention...I got to spend quality time with my dad (& mom & brothers). 

Here are a few more pics from Sunday - 

I got my mom a yellow rose bush a couple of years ago for Mothers day with notes on all the branches. She used to always tell my sister & me that she was growing "roses" not "weeds." Weeds are beautiful on the outside but not genuine on the inside. Roses are beautiful on the outside & genuine on the inside.  She cared about growing up girls that loved others, God and were genuine. On each of the branches I wrote specific ways in which she taught me (gave me an example of) how to be beautiful on the inside. It was so neat to see that small bush grow into something so beautiful & full! 

This is my parents new kitchen. I wish I had the before shot. It is truly amazing the transformation. I'm so thankful they were able to do it. They have sacrificed a lot over the years. There were four kids, my youngest brother with special needs & a lot of doctor visits...and my dad was supporting us all on one teachers salary. The first house we lived in most of my life had one bathroom for 6 of us.

It was fun to be able to eat the great meal Mom fixed for us in their new kitchen! 

I fell in love with their new pantry! Soo much space! 

Okay...now your turn! What did you do this weekend? Any kayak trips or weddings? Tis the season. ;p 

Thanks for stopping by! Come back this Wednesday for a great Wedding project! 

Weekend Wrap Party - Jessica's Bachelorette Party

How was your weekend? I hope it was Ah-Mah-Zing! ;p 

Mine was filled with estrogen. A lot of it. ;p 

This past weekend, I went to a Bachelorette party of a friend & former co-worker, Jessica Railey. She's getting married in a few weeks to a great guy & I can't wait to see her as a beautiful bride. 

Since being married, my times out with the girls are few & far between so it was wonderful to have a girls night out. We started out with some "gifts" for the bride at the W Hotel Midtown. Dinner was at Alma Cocina & I tried fried avocados for the first time. Pretty yummy! :-) 

We ended up dancing the night away at Havana Club. 

That's my sister in the purple, me in the middle & Skyrocker (Lindsay).

Besides the inappropriate dancing of a random guy, it was a really fun night with an amazing & gorgeous group of girls! 

Besides the Bachelorette Party...it was a really busy weekend with church, blog stuff, errands & taking Guinness to the ER :-(. 

What did you do this weekend? 

 If you're looking for a great way to spice up your next party, check back on Wednesday! 

P.S. If you want to see what we did for my Bachelorette Party, click here. 

Weekend Wrap Party - Easter

How was your weekend? I hope it was wonderful but I know holidays are not always easy for everyone...so if it was a little tough...I'm really sorry & I hope something happens to make you smile this week. 

Mine was a little different than most Easters. For some background on me...I became a Christian when I was 4 years old. I grew up in a Christian home, with a great family & have definitely done the "ritualistic" aspects of Easter since...well, since I can remember. I love Easter. I love wearing a pretty spring dress, spending time with family, eating a great meal, maybe even some easter candy and of course celebrating the real reason of Easter. 

(Rew kids from Easter past - I'm the one in the flowered dress) 

My Easter weekend this year started out going salsa dancing with my sister & two other sisters (we have been on several "sister dates" in the past...so fun!) on Good Friday. When I agreed to go, I totally forgot it was Good Friday (I mean, has Easter not snuck up so quickly?). I felt a little bad about not doing something honoring Good Friday but when I talked to my friend Kauri she reminded me that Easter weekend is about celebrating something wonderful Jesus did for us. I just tried to celebrate by dancing...just with the girls...not with a latino man. ;p It was a wonderful time with the Easely sisters & of course my awesome sister, Meg. 

Saturday, we had some friends over that graciously helped us paint the downstairs "man cave." We bought a house built in the 60s & have been working on it little by little. Painting things ourselves is one of the ways we've tried to save money, but the man cave is a little large & it was a lifesaver that the guys volunteered to help. So thank you to Mike Spessard, Sean Fennelly, Austin McDonald, Tony May & Jeff Carter. 

Our basement was just a concrete slab & we've built it out as the money has come in. We're a little adverse to getting into debt! This is the coveted "man cave." :)

Sunday, I ended up going to Dalton, GA to meet my friend Kauri for brunch. She's one of my best friends & I simply adore her. It was one of those times where I really felt like I needed to spend some quality time with my friend. I love my friends very much, and want to spend more time with them. But for a while I was so focused on a career; and since I have a pretty good family support system...I think I've honestly taken some of my friendships for granted. This is really crazy because I have been blessed with some amazing friends!

We had to get our picture taken with Kelly, from Cracker Barrel. She made this awesome Easter hat that had everything except for peeps on it. :p 

That's a great way to have fun despite having to work on a holiday. In fact, Kauri & I think it would be a great Easter tradition. 

Even though my Easter was not a traditional one, it was wonderful. To me, Easter is a time of rememberance. Remembering why we celebrate it. Ironically, I got the greatest Easter lesson from an episode of The Walking Dead (TWD) that Mike & I watched Saturday night. I know. I'm pretty sure no pastor used that in his sermon Sunday morning. ;p 

It was the first episode I've ever watched of TWD. I'm not much of a zombie fan but it's filmed here in Atlanta. If you follow show, we watched the last episode of the first season. There's a scene where it seems like there's no hope - that they just have to wait and die. No way out. I got this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. What a miserable & depressing place to be. Feeling like there's no hope. No solution. Nothing more than that moment. 

On the drive up to Dalton this morning, I was listening to a song by Natalie Grant called "In Better Hands." There is a part that says, "But there is hope when my faith runs out." I thought back to the scene in TWD. That is what Easter is about. Because Jesus came, died then rose from the dead, we have hope. When we can't quite grasp eternity or we don't quite understand something or long for something tangible. In those quiet moments where you think, "Is this all?" "What's after this?" The Easter message is what says, "There's hope." 

I hope your Easter was wonderful & that your week is hope-filled. 

Got a great idea for a "dessert bar" for this weeks party-project. Stop by on Wednesday. 

Weekend Wrap Party - Fill er Up! (the bookshelf that is)

I'm gonna take a crazy wild guess & say that you probably either went, witnessed or heard about an Easter egg hunt this past weekend? Hard-boiled some eggs? 

How did I know? I'll just shot straight with ya...I'm psychic. I also know that you will be visiting this blog every day for the next couple of years. :-) Okay...you got me. 

This past weekend, I did a live remote broadcast (I work full-time at an Atlanta radio station) at my home away from home - Carriage KIA. We had an Easter egg hunt for the kids, gave away Dove Award tickets (like the Christian Grammys) & ate some great pizza from Stevi B's of Gainesville. We had great weather & a grand ole time. 

We also had dinner with some great friends of ours, church & this project -> 

If you are just "tuning" in to the Parties for Pennies blog, my husband & I just bought this house last year. It was built in the 60s so it's needed a little work but we got it for a steal & it's a great location. Since we just got married last summer, we've slowly (as we've had money) tried to make it feel more homey. 

Please tell me that I'm not the only one who wants it all to be done right this second?! I get so impatient just wanting to walk in the door & it look exactly like I envision it. HGTV never takes this long. Ugh. ;p 

The bookshelf above is one of those things that took forever. We were going to DIY it but with our limited time & finding a great deal on this set from IKEA, Mike just had to translate the stick figure IKEA instructions for the KIRTORP  (or something like that). My hero! 

This has been sitting barren for at least 2 months. So I finally decided to get er done. 

I had my camera on the wrong settings so I'm really sorry it's not as crisp as it should be. Ugh...epic blogger fail. 

I'm sure I'll rearrange it multiple times. This is actually a free for all too. 

I am a pinner. I am a blog follower. I am a hoarder of West Elm, Z Gallerie & Pottery Barn catalogues. 

I am NOT a decorator. That said, please leave me comments with any advice or suggestions! I need all the help I can get. 

Here's a breakdown of what's goin on up in there. 

1. Some wooden balls that Mike's dad gave us

2. I think I got this many moons ago from a 70% off clearance section at Z Gallerie

3. $5 for both at Target. This is why you should ALWAYS browse the end of the aisles at Target!

4. This is actually a damaged good from Z Gallerie...70% off

5. One of my favorites...from Home Goods. 

6. A secret stash of cable instructions & DVD cleaners

7. A cute white ceramic turtle my friend Jenny gave me for my bday. aww...

8. A Canadian Silver dollar that my friend George gave me for my bday last year. I loved it & had an extra frame sitting around so some scotch tape later & cardstock sheet later...voila. 

To the right, to the right...

1. Home Goods find

2. Picture from our Hawaiian wedding 

3. Goodwill pitcher

4. Gift from my sister, from Z Gallerie (love) 

5. Those rocks in there are lava rocks from Hawaii. Not sure if I was supposed to smuggle them in or not. Oops. ;-) 

I started taking all the covers off the hardback books b/c they looked better but I began to worry that Mike would not be too happy about that. So I stopped midway through. He still doesn't know, though...shhh. ;p

Do you have any tips for arranging bookshelves?

 I'm glad that it is gone from barren to bustling. 

Can't wait to share with you a fun spring time party project this Wednesday!

Freebie Easter Tip: Do NOT leave eggs boiling unattended for long. They are capable of exploding & it does not smell pretty. Hopefully others can learn from my mistakes. :p 

Weekend Wrap Party - Stenciled Wall

When I was a little girl, I loved getting the mail & seeing the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes envelopes! I had seen the commercials. I believed Ed McMahon. I just knew one day, we'd win. I was always appalled that my mom wasn't as confident as I was! As you can tell, I'm an optimist.

That said...I have rarely won anything in my life. I won a coloring contest when I was younger (even then I knew it wasn't based on pure coloring talent...although I had coloring technique ;p) & won a radio contest for concert tickets.

A couple of weeks ago, I added another win to my arsenal! Woot woot! Amanda from Serenity Now (if you haven't checked her blog out...you must immediately put that on the top of your priority list! stat! :p) did a link party & included a giveaway. I linky-ed up & lo & behold. I won!

What did I win? Something I had been eyeing for awhile.

A Wall Stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils! A girly dance ensued after this news! :-)

Here's how it worked into my decorating plans -

Misson: Gallery Wall on Hallway (Main Floor) + Stenciled Wall = Fabulousness (at least I was hoping)

Wanna see the before? 

I know...my gallery wall is so puny. I'm planning to add to it. I promise! ;p 

I chose the Casablanca All Over Stencil but Cutting Edge has so many beautiful stencils to choose from. I ended up going with the same color we used on the guest room - Nimbus Cloud (from Martha Stewart...but we get them to match that color in the cheaper Behr paint). 

I know it's a little hard to see but here's the after. The hallway has the worst possible lighting with no natural lighting so photos are a challenge. 

I love how it turned out. Once we (my friend Kareena came over & helped me) did the first couple stencil sections, it really was easy. I'd definitely recommend buying the stencil supply kit that Cutting Edge offers. They give you a level that attaches to the stencil, a foam roller (that's awesome) & a stencil brush. 

Kareena came over one night after work (I don't get home til after 8p) & we ended up knocking almost all of it out in one night. I did go to bed around 2am, though. We started at the top, used painters tape to secure the stencil, made sure it was level then took the foam roller & went over the stencil a couple of times. Bam! ;p 

That's the guest bedroom in the background. May I point out a prized possession of mine? The white ceramic moosehead on the wall above the bed. Mike got it for me from my Christmas wish list & I'm in love....oh yeah, with Mike too. ;p

Here's a closer look at the stencil. It's not super dramatic but I think it gives a subtle "pizzaz" to the hallway. 

That picture of us was taken by a wonderful photographer, Kimberly Herbert (click on her name for her website). She did an awesome job if you're looking for someone to snap some pics! :-) 

We also have a picture of our wedding in Hawaii, some older picture of Mike's Aunt & Uncle & his dad & we're still adding. Oh...and I framed an H&M bag that Kevin Avery (from the morning show on 104.7The Fish) brought back (he & his wife) from Paris! He knows how much I love H&M...and it's Mike & my initials. It's a fun little addition to the gallery wall. 

Have you ever thought of stenciling a wall? It's really a cheap way to instantly update a room. Cutting Edge Stencils gets the P4P stamp of approval for affordability & style! 

Do you do any updating around your house this past weekend? 

Can't wait to show you what fun Easter project I have in store for you this week! See you on Wednesday! 

Thanks again to Cutting Edge Stencils & Serenity Now! 

Weekend Wrap Party...one weekend late...

Despite my optimism, I was not able to post a weekend wrap party last Monday...because of a very special annual event. 

ROAD

TRIP!!!

...With these girls...minus Mr. Oreo. ;p

 As much room as my KIA Optima has, Mr Oreo would have cramped our space. Not to mention...hungry girls on a road trip?? Yeah, he wouldn't have stood a chance. ;p

Okay...so let me introduce you. 

L-R: 

Rachael - lives in Alabama with her precious little 1 yr old daughter & her husband. It was at her baby shower that we did these cute butterfly cupcakes here. 

Jenny - lives in Michigan with her hilarious husband Luke & they just bought their first house & it is adorable! Jenny is the one that designed my wedding invitation here because she has a business called Vivian Elle Invitations & is extremely talented & creative. 

Mr Oreo - you know him 

Kauri - lives in Tennessee & is a professor (that's right) at our alma mater Bryan College & teaches in the pyschology department. You may remember her from her guest post about her fondue party here. She is the most amazing cook & has the BEST recipes. She made chicken salad for our trip & it is hands down the bestest chicken salad EVER! ;p

Our story is really (I think) unique. See we are all pretty different (as far as our likes). We're like a toned down version of the spice girls. Okay...way toned down. There's Rachael who's really sporty, Jenny who has such a great & funny personality, Kauri who is smart & deep...and then there's me that's not sporty, not really funny...more random than anything. ;p Anyways...each of us had groups of friends outside of this foursome but we started meeting together to pray once a week our freshman year. That was 2000 & we're still going strong. We've seen each others heartaches, struggles, joys, tears, excitement,  fears. We've seen prayers answered in the way we hoped & others we're still hoping for. We still email praises & requests once a week. As you saw from the "who's who" breakdown, we all live in different states. Since Michigan is much further than Tenn, Alabama & Georgia...we decided one year in college to load up on snacks, pack our bags (yes, in that order ;p) & trek on up to see Jenny. 10 hours later, a Jesus sighting (long story) & non-stop yaking we decided this must be an annual trip. 

There have been a few years we missed the trip...due to weddings or babies, where we just switched the destination but it is seriously one of my most favorite times of the year. 

It was especially awesome this year because we were there on Jenny's actual birthday!! 

Because we are such loving friends, we decided to surprise Jenny with this - 

And here's part 2 - 

http://youtu.be/MSi5YA1CMsw (I don't know why this wouldn't upload to the blog but here's the link) 

This is the aftermath. I don't care how old you are...Silly String defies age. ;p

Just in case you're doubting our love for Jenny...the next morning we decorated the kitchen & dining room with a banner & balloons & gave her her presents. 

Of which she got two of the same book! Rachael & Kauri got her the same autobiography of  Mindy Kaling (from the Office). Has that ever happened to you? You get the same gift as someone else or receive one? 

We treated her to breakfast at the world renown infamous Luke-highly-endorsed Omelet & Waffle Cafe. And yes, that is a crown on her head & yes we, her dear friends, made her wear it in public, while eating her pancakes. :-) 

This was actually a reenactment of another photo but I think it's a great picture of all of them, so I thought I'd share. 

Saturday night, we had fondue over at Jenny's parents house...just the girls. It was so amazingly delicious & so fun. 

I love this picture & love this couple even more. They were wonderful hosts, even in the midst of closing on their new home. 

There's so much more that I would love to tell you about the weekend but I'm imagining your coffee cup is empty by now so I'll leave you with this video that we made over the weekend. Luke, Jenny's hubby, is a guitar teacher & we started a band over the weekend...called BDG (another story). The part to watch for is after the second chorus...we have some backup dancers & I'm just gonna give you a heads up...the Oven Mitt dance is the next big thang. 

Okay, I lied...one more thing I have to tell you about. Luke surprised Jenny with videos from all of her friends wishing her a Happy Birthday. It was such a thoughtful & sweet thing & really meant a lot to Jenny. Here's the video that Mike & me put together, reenacting the opening song of Jenny's favorite sitcom from back in the day. 

Hope you had a great weekend! Did you do anything fun? See you back here on Wednesday! 

Weekend Wrap Party

Hi! Hope you had a great weekend! I bet it was more exciting than mine! ;p 

This weekend, Mike (my hottie husband) & I had to work on Saturday. Besides work we ran some errands, watched church online (Buckhead/Northpoint), worked around the house & had a friend over for dinner Saturday. 

These are just some snapshots I took over the weekend. 

Since we don't have kids yet, we tend to play show & tell with our dog, Guinness. He's an only dog so he loves the attention. :p 

Just an FYI...if you ever meet Guinnes...this is his cue for you to rub his belly. ;p 

Okay, sorry. Enough of Guinness. 

The moon looked so gorgeous Saturday night! 

The reason we were outside was because Mike was cookin up these babies! 

This was our conversation on Friday - 

Mike: Hey babe...you know what I'm really craving for Saturday night? 

Steak! (said in a really excited, giddy voice) 

Heidi: Babe...is there any night you're NOT craving steak? 

Mike: hmmm...good point 

:p 

It was a wonderful meal with great company! Notice Guinness in the back ground licking his lips! ;p 

Come back Wednesday for a sparkly party project! 

And...Parties for Pennies finally has a facebook fan page! Grab yourself a snack & give P4P some "like" action! 

Have a fab Monday! 

Weekend Wrap Party

Hey there! I hope you had a great weekend! 

It was pretty busy for us & kinda left us wanting one more day before work. But don't we all wish that sometimes/most times? ;p 

Mike (the hott hubby) & I did something really awesome this past weekend! We've been raising money for Special Olympics Georgia for the Polar Plunge event they have here at Lake Lanier. Mike & I had a competition. Whoever had the least amount of people on their team, had to jump in at the Polar Plunge. Guess who had the least amount of people? Mike. ;p 

I honestly didn't even care whether or not I had to go in or not. I really love what Special Olympics GA does & it's especially important to me because my youngest brother Clayton was born with Apertsyndrome. He's my buddy! He's so funny, smart and is such a joy to our whole family! 

These are the pictures from our time at the Polar Plunge. If you feel compelled to help Special Olympics GA, they are always looking for volunteers & donations. You can visit their website here. 

That's myself & Mike with the Fish promotions team. If you hadn't noticed...I have a chicken hat on! :p 

There were lots of "plungers" that came in costume...

Where's Waldo? 

These two atheletes weren't only good at sports...they were dancin up a storm! 

I'm not gonna lie...I got some dance moves from em & I can't wait to bust em out! 

See...what'd I tell you? 

This is my friend Rea! She is one of the funniest, sweetest girls you'll ever meet! She even brought me some sweet gifts on my birthday! 

This is Annie, Little Miss Dacula. She is pretty on the outside but also on the outside. She's only, I think, 11 years old but has logged TONS of community service hours. Such a precious girl!

This is my hottie husband, Mike & Stu (a marketing rep at the radio station)...the brave ones that took the dip first!

See...here's the proof...fully submerged! 

Back to dry land & a warm towell! 

This is Mike & myself with Paige Copeland. She babysat me when I was a little girl & is the sweetest most joy-filled person you'll ever meet! 

If you've just started following Parties4Pennies, first of all...thank you. Second, I really do post about parties but I've started doing a weekend wrap party. I tell you about my weekend & I'd love to hear about yours too! 

Check back this Wednesday for a post about a Curious George Party! 

Have a great week!

<3 Heidi Rew