Spring Garden Party

Springtime in Chicago seems to be a slow time coming this year. We have had nearly a full week of rain and cold weather, but I created my own Springtime with a Garden Party! And of course featuring all my beautiful At Home products. The wonderful news is this is a party on a budget! At Home items always deliver on value!

I started with a burlap runner that I bought on clearance at Target, but making your own runner from a piece of burlap is super easy! Here is a wonderful tutorial on "how to make your own burlap runner" from a great blog, The Well Crafted Home. You will love this blog for many reasons. I then used some holiday greenery that I use almost year-round for color and texture.

 

 Then I started building various levels for my party items. First, I added this awesome piece, my At Home 2- tier basket (for only $34.99) that I find a great value because I use it for everything and in any room.

$34.99 at http://michelleparker.athome.com/80074007-2-tier-iron-basket.html

Great for fruit or veggies for everyday use, or in a bathroom with towels, soaps, and sponges. I even did a Easter Bunny arrangement in it this March...

 For today, it will hold my plates, napkins, cups all made with recycled product of course! Moss is one of my favorite items I re-use over and over! A little touch can make a big difference. I added a few moss covered balls that I made myself - tutorial on my pinterest page.

 

Next I added a touch of mood lighting - candles inside various lanterns...

$25.99 at http://michelleparker.athome.com/80050447-scrolled-metal-vase.html

$49.99 at http://michelleparker.athome.com/80048427-light-the-way-lantern.html

 

 

Tuck in a few little touches of whimsey that reflect the theme.

$34.99 at http://michelleparker.athome.com/garden/set-in-stone-424-set-of-3.html

$25.99 at http://michelleparker.athome.com/80046648-decorative-bird-houses-set-of-3.html

$25.99 at http://michelleparker.athome.com/60006886-cast-iron-bird-tealight-holder-set-of-2.htmll

 

$10.99 at http://michelleparker.athome.com/60007282-metal-birdcage-tealight-holder.html

 And for the POP of color, you can be creative, use real orchids or affordable flowers from the local grocery store, or choose one of our fabulous silk florals that you can have forever...

Starting at $35.99 in various colors at http://michelleparker.athome.com/83001016-phalaenopsis-silk-orchid-flower-arrangement.html

 And who can resist this beauty? Seriously, so many uses for the amazing cost of only $30.99
These cute little cupcakes I got at Target, added my own frosting embellishment, and topped with a gummy butterfly! SIMPLE!

$30.99 at http://michelleparker.athome.com/entertaining-essentials/potiers-tiered-tray.html

And as for the food... that's another post for another day! Hope you enjoy hosting your friends for a little Garden Party. And hopefully where you live is warm and sunny!! If not, create your own spring indoors.
Happily At Home,
Michelle

At Home - Let us help take the place you live and make it the place you love.

Anyone who knows me at all, knows how much I LOVE everything that makes a house a home - family, friends, laughter, memories, food, and a place that makes people feel warm and comfy inside!  How blessed I was to find a business opportunity that has the mission is to help others take the place they live and make it a place they love!

Click here to view my website

So many of my customers are asking me about my new business with At Home . What is it? What do we sell? How do they shop? Hopefully this will help...

We started At Home to revolutionize the experience of shopping for home decor. Basically, we are a direct sales home decor company with a revolutionary online edge, embedded in social media. We offer price-cutting limited-time flash sales to further complement our home decor "core product" offering. Our product lines feature a wide variety of HomeWares, encompassing varied decorating styles including, home accents, candles, kitchenware, bed and bath, personal care products, gardening and outdoor decor, furniture, lighting, and seasonal items. At our core we aim to offer that special touch to help take the place you live and make it the place you love.

So what is a "flash sale"? Flash sale is the latest business byword in the American e-retail sector. So what are flash sales? Simply put, flash sales are a time-limited offer of high discounts. The system is a win-win for both retailers and consumers! Here's an example of some of the sales we have already offered and we eventually will offer many sales each week! EXCITING!

Click here to see more past FLASH SALES

Introducing At Home

Welcome to my new business with At Home! I am thrilled to continue my passion for hospitality and creating beautiful homes with my customers, family, and friends. Check out my temporary website at http://www.athome.com/michelleparker Our NEW website will launch January 2013, but we are already up and running! Be sure to check it out and share with your friends and family.

At Home is a direct sales home-decor company with a revolutionary online edge, embedded in social media. The company includes a massive independent sales force across America. At Home also offers price-cutting daily deals and limited-time flash sales on its online store to further complement its home decor offering. At Home’s product line features a wide variety of home wares, encompassing varied decorating styles, including: home accents, candles, kitchenware, bed and bath, personal care products, gardening and outdoor décor, furniture, lighting, and seasonal items

The best news is there are NO HOME PARTIES! Customers shop when, where, and how they want and they get the rewards in terms of huge savings!

 

Join as a Lifestyle Consultant with At Home for FREE until end of December. New website, more flash sales, and new core products coming in January when we officially launch! OPPORTUNITY CALLS tonight and Saturday. Message me for details. Tell your family and friends who may be looking for extra income selling brand name product and fabulous core line of decor, gourmet foods, and candles.

 

Be sure to LIKE me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/athomewithmichelleparker to stay current on sales and new announcements!

Sunday Brunch - Sharing LOVE and Appreciation

Recently I was enjoying a lunch date with my my girlfriends when our friend, Becky, shared something that really was a wonderful idea! She said that she and her husband had decided to think every day about why they loved one another. If you know Becky, she's quite a jokester and I knew she had to be kidding, right? She was serious! Okay, I'll give it a whirl. Interestingly, I was just reading the same concept in a wonderful book, "The Compound Effect" (thank you Tricia Smith for the gift of this book). The author shares the story of how he kept a journal of all the things he loved about his wife. At Thanksgiving, he gave her the journal as a token of his love. He shared that the experience of writing this journal made him fall in love all over again with his wife. Okay, so where is this going? Well, I decided a while back to practice this with my sweet man and you know, it was amazing... I realized I had married an incredibly honest (brutally sometimes), dedicated, loyal, and hard-working man who was a great dad too! This past weekend I decided to renew this habit and to celebrate an especially hard week (95 hour work week) and how proud I was of his dedication to his job and making our world a safer place. So, I decided to FEED him delicious food!! Those of you who know us well, know we love to cook and EAT! So I popped on some jazz music and marched out to our crazy garden... my man can grow some tomatoes! I had to literally crawl under the plants to get to the herb garden!

Look how yummy and healthy...While I chopped veggies for omelets, Rob enjoyed the fresh fruit and bloody marys (his recipe of course).
The omelets were "custom-made" to order! Normally my health-conscious partner only eats the egg whites, but we do splurge once a week on something special. So this week it's the whole egg, but filled with fresh veggies, herbs, and 2% cheese! Hint... use the Willow House Tuscan Garlic Dip mix to add a punch of flavor to your egg mixture!!

Everything smells so delicious... I even turned the omelet without making a mess!
Brunch is served alfresco... another gorgeous day in Chicago! So much to be thankful for, including my husband! What a great meal we had together. It's those precious moments from our hectic lives that make life worthwhile! I would highly recommend this habit of keeping a journal or mental notes on your loved one! So, make time to appreciate your loved one and share your love... even if it's on plate!
Tuscan Omelet Recipe:
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup coarsely chopped spinach (optional)
1/4 cup chopped basil (or your favorite herb)
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup shredded cheese (Italian three cheese mix, or swiss, cheddar, again your fav)
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Willow House Tuscan Garlic Mix

1. Blend - process eggs and 2 Tbsp of milk in a blender until blended. Melt butter in 8 in nonstick skillet over medium heat; add spinach, herbs, and tomatoes, and saute 1 minute until spinach is wilted. Add salt, pepper, Tuscan garlic mix and egg mixture to skillet.

2. Lift and tilt. As egg mixture firms, flip, add cheese, and enjoy!

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1.03.01

Spring is Coming... I hope!

Here in Chicago, it doesn't feel like Spring quite yet. The temperatures are in the 30s today...brrr! BUT the sun is shining and I get the fever - Spring Fever! I run out to feed the birds and spot a few of my tulips and hyacinths peeking up from the ground!! There is hope...

It's all I need to get a jump start on Easter decorating and planning! (Stay tuned for recipe updates!)
Love that I don't have to invest in tons of plastic stuff I have to store for holidays. By simply adding the color of the season with linens, flowers, and veggies to my dinnerware collection, I'm good to go!


I LOVE Spring!

Welcoming Foyers

Organizing A Gift Wrap Station

Get Organized before the holidays hit!! One area of organization that saves me tons of time is having my gift packaging items organized and easy to move from one location to another. A tiered basket is perfect for holding bowls filled with ribbons, trims, tags, stickers, tape, pens, scissors, and festive embellishments. A container to store gift wrapping paper, gift bags, and tissue. Next time you want to wrap birthday gifts by the fireplace you have everything together to make gift wrapping fun rather than frustrating! Off to wrap gifts for a birthday "Winter Wonderland" party!

Think PINK Party for Breast Cancer

Recently I held a fundraiser, "Think PINK Party" for the Susan G Komen Foundation in honor of a friend and neighbor battling breast cancer. You could use this same idea for any Spring Celebration.

Using the simple, basic products makes doing a theme party so easy and fun. By simply changing the colors of flowers, linens, and even food, I could incorporate a beautiful theme for this special occasion.








A FUN day and all for a GREAT cause! Enjoy your Spring and sharing your home with family and friends!

Winter Wonderland Table Setting

LOVE simple white or creme dinnerware... so versatile! Here I created a winter wonderland tablescape using pottery and pops of icy blue.

Inspiration is Everywhere

Inspiration for decorating (or life for that matter) is everywhere. Take today for instance. I was walking Duke along the lake in our neighborhood and was overcome with a sense of awe at the beauty surrounding us - the water, birds, blue sky, and this gorgeous willow tree.As I walked home, I was so inspired, that my mind began to race with excitement about creating a special floral arrangement for my friend Erin's Baby Shower this weekend. She is a very hip chick so, I wanted to reflect that same spirit in her arrangement! I also knew my budget was slim (whose isn't these days?) With that in mind, I wanted to use elements from my own garden and yard and since she is having a boy, browns,greens,and creams were a perfect choice! Then, as I approach my house, I am instantly drawn to my front garden and have a plan! My new friend, Annie, had just taught me how to create a gorgeous centerpiece using a simple cream urn. How perfect is the fleur de lis embossed on this rich, creamy pottery urn? I knew Erin, my hip, mommy-to-be would love it!After a big glass of water, Duke and I headed outside to the back yard to begin playing with our flowers (well Duke napped in the shade)!First, I recycled the floral oasis Annie had shared with me. Then I created a "collar" around the top of the urn with hosta leaves... I chose these hostas for their varigated color.
Then I added a row of this fun shrub... not even sure what it's called, but love it! It brought a sense of whimsy just like Erin does when she enters a room! I loved these fun chartreuse and brown clusters of texture!
Next, I added stems of hydrangea flowers, giving the arrangement a feminine, vintage feel. The newest trend in decorating is mixing vintage with modern... did you know that? You should have a party with me, so I can share more tips with your friends!
For the height, I decided to go with the leggy stalks from the hosta plants. They seemed to be that masculine punch I was looking for... even though the flowers had already done their thing, it was a nice touch.I thought I was done when I started back into the house, I walked past my fern and decided why not add some fern? What do you think? Do you like it better with the fern or without? Remember, this is a special arrangement so I need some feedback!
All in all, I think it looks okay. Annie, did I make you proud?! Thanks, my friend, for the lesson, letting my borrow your urn, and for our new friendship! It's what I love most about our business!

Now go my friends, look for inspiration in everyday things. Decorating doesn't have to be expensive. It can actually be free!

Stayed tuned for more pictures from the shower! And Erin, you better not have that baby until after the shindig!p.s. Isn't Duke cute? This is his idea of "exercise"... no wonder he's so "fluffy" and me too!