Category Archives: DIY & Decor

Care Package Centerpiece

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There are few things I love more than a good centerpiece.

A romantic floral arrangement? A tall candelabra? A hurricane with beautiful shells? Yes, yes and yes.

So when my boss came to me one day and asked me for help with a centerpiece, I was all for it.

Then she handed me a piece of paper with a wishlist on it. Gallon Ziploc bags. Granola bars. Disposable spoons. Toothpaste. Our hotel was hosting an event for the local Ronald McDonald House and we needed care packages to serve as centerpieces. They’d be donated after the event.

I was stumped.

I know from my past work as a fundraiser that there are some amazing non-profit themed centerpieces out there. I’ve seen beautiful bowls of food for a Food Bank event. Unique pieces of art made by children of a Boys & Girls Club. But a care package as a centerpiece? That, I hadn’t seen.

I decided to start with the container itself. After going to so many stores and scouring the internet..I found the perfect item at Party City: A red, plastic trifle container. It has a little bit of height and is translucent so you can see what’s inside.

After finding this trifle container, everything else came easily. I focused on getting as many red & yellow items from the Wishlist, since those are the strongest colors associated with Ronald McDonald. Luckily, so many things out there have red & yellow packaging! Toothpaste (lots of red brands), mac-n-cheese single cups (very yellow), Glad storage bags are literally red and yellow.

So I had my red container, red and yellow care package items – I added a yellow ribbon with a gift tag featuring the Ronald McDonald House’s logo and voila – a care package centerpiece worthy of this fundraising event!

Hope this helps inspire you to make a centerpiece for a great cause that speaks to your heart!

L,

Mrs. Alex Paul

A Nautical Nursery

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It’s taken me a little while to post about my nursery..caring for a 3 month old is no joke.

But here it is, our nautical nursery.

It only took me about a minute to decide that I wanted a nautical nursery for our Kesler. I love the blues and grays for a little boy’s room and I especially love that the theme can be so versatile. From an East Coast Cape Cod feel to a laid back, California vibe, you can really make it all your own.

And living in Newport Beach, California – I’m partial to anything ocean related!

The central inspiration for the nursery was this whale print.

I’M OBSESSED.

It’s handmade in Portugal and after MONTHS of searching for the perfect above-the-crib artwork, I was so excited to find this on Etsy.

While the main pieces of furniture were more classic items, I focused the nautical theme on the smaller details: an anchor lamp, a sand dollar marquee, the octopus plush, etc.

There are some special, handmade items in Kesler’s nursery that makes it more personal. The marquee is from a small business, Junk Art Gypsyz. And the whale plush was handmade by my wonderful sister in law!

I was also lucky enough to receive these beautiful Pottery Barn baskets from a coworker whose kids no longer needed them. They couldn’t be more perfect!

 

One important aspect I wanted to focus on for the nursery (other than just decor) was storage. I wanted to be able to display some of the cute baby items but also hide them so the room didn’t look too cluttered. This storage cube system and navy striped bins are absolutely perfect.

One small detail that I’m extra in love with – these anchor drawer knobs. They add something special to an otherwise simple dresser.

And I love that pop of white on the dark wood.

Overall, I didn’t want the room to scream “a baby lives here” because I want all of these items to grow with him. I mean, even the crib will continue to be his bed as he gets older!

I’m so happy with how this room turned out and so excited for all the wonderful memories we have made – and will continue to make in this very special room.

Details:
I set a budget of $1,000 for all of the new, nautical themed items in the room. From the crib and dresser to the octopus plush and drawer knobs – the total came in at $995.67 for everything listed below. I was also lucky enough to be gifted many of these items for my baby shower.

Crib in Rustic White: Target
Anchor Lamp: Target
Cube Storage in Gray: Target
Navy Stripe Cube Storage Bin: Target
Whale Crib Bedding: Target
Whale Changing Pad Cover: Target
Dresser in Dark Gray: Ikea
Anchor Drawer Knobs: Hobby Lobby
Octopus Plush: Target
Sand Dollar Marquee: JunkArtGypsyz
Whales Canvas Poster: Arminho

Hope this helps you design a special nautical themed nursery for your own bundle of joy!

L,

Mrs. Alex Paul

Black and White Dinner Party

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One of my New Year’s resolutions for this year was to entertain more.

I’m always saying to my husband, “we should have so-and-so over,” or “this recipe is delicious, we should make it for a dinner party.”

But here we are, married for 6 years and we rarely have people over. (All that serveware I registered for going to waste!)

So, this year, I decided to host a Cousin Potluck Dinner for the cousins on my dad’s side of the family. A dinner party that was 18 people big. #gobigorgohome

The main inspiration for this dinner party was this paper placemat. It’s elegant, yet casual and has a fun vintage feel to it.

I knew I wanted to highlight the design with a clear glass plate (9 inches) and silverware that mimicked the drawn cutlery.

I also wanted to keep the black and white theme with a marble placecard. These are actually marble subway tiles from a hardware store..less than $1 each!

The centerpieces were a combination of white hydrangeas, white roses and mini pink carnations.

 

Along with the black and white theme, I wanted it to feel warm and romantic. I found tall candelabras at Goodwill and paired them with small mercury glass votives filled with roses.

All in all, my first major dinner party was a success.

It was such a fun evening full of candlelight, beautiful flowers and amazing memories <3 Thank you to my wonderfully large family for joining me for our first annual Cousin Potluck Dinner!

Hope this helps you plan a black and white soiree of your own!

Rentals (Chiavari Chairs, plates, silverware, napkins, water glasses): Party Plus Rentals
Paper Placemats: Hester and Cook
Black and White Straws: Target
Marble Placecards: Lowe’s

L,
Mrs. Alex Paul

Greeting Card Keepsake DIY

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Today, I hit 39 weeks of pregnancy. #terrifying

And this nesting business is in full force.

And you know what? It hasn’t made me the most rational human being. Yes, I want all the laundry done and bathrooms cleaned. But the one thing that was driving me crazy..the greeting cards from my baby shower.

I just NEEDED them to be organized.

So on my last Friday night before my c-section, that’s what I did. #livingmybestlife

I bought this mini-binder from Target (so many cute options!).

I arranged all the cards from smallest to biggest – then I started with my largest card and worked my way forward.

Did my friends & family get me the cutest cards or what?!

And voila – all my baby shower greeting cards arranged in one adorable little binder and displayed in the nursery!

Now I should probably get to the rest of my to-do list..like the actual stuff I need to get done before the baby gets here!

OR maybe I’ll just sit here and read these wonderful cards and ball my eyes out. #hormones

L,

Mrs. Alex Paul

A Rosy 80th Birthday

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My grandmother – the most incredible woman on this planet – just had a major birthday.

And throwing her an 80th birthday party was one of the greatest honors of my life.

Look at her killing it at 80.

All 6 of her children, 9 grandchildren..and 1 ex husband…turned up to celebrate this wonderful matriarch.

Her dream? A rosy 80th birthday with dinner and dancing.

My favorite decoration was the floral, textured photo backdrop and a sparkling 80.

That same coral fabric helped make the roses pop in our centerpieces. AND it matched the coral “80” straws in the champagne glasses. #matchymatchy

I printed old, black and white pictures of my grandma and put them in antique-style frames. Guests each got to take one at the end of the night – such an easy party favor and it’s extra sentimental to my family.

One of my favorite parts of the decor were the custom plates..and by custom, I mean plates from Party City and a clear, personalized sticker from Etsy. Put those two together..and bam, an awesome custom place setting.

#felizcumpleaňosluz

Once dinner was over and people had had a little too much bubbly, we busted out the photo props!

Thanks to my Silhouette (#OBSESSED), I made some custom photo props especially for my grandma.

Along with the normal mustache, lips, crown..I added a Peru (obviously), a sparkly silver 80 and a heart that says Mamayu, which is a nickname that her oldest grandkids call her.

But the most popular photo prop was a word bubble that says CARAJO..her favorite Peruvian swear word. #classygrams

Happy 80th grandma – here’s to many more! <3

L,

Mrs. Alex Paul

Mini Alcohol Bottle Christmas Tree

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This year, my husband asked for my help for his work’s white elephant gift exchange.

“Every employee needs to bring a wrapped gift worth $25. I don’t know what to get. My coworkers just love booze.”

SAY.NO.MORE.

The perfect white elephant gift: Mini Alcohol Bottle Christmas Tree.

I went to Daiso (my new favorite store) and purchased a mini Christmas Tree for $4. It came with a base and was a perfect 2 feet tall.

Supplies:

  • 10-15 mini alcohol bottles (I used 11)
  • Twist-ties to attach the bottles to the tree (I got red twist-ties)
  • Tiny ornaments (I bought a 16 pack for $1.50)

It took about 10 minutes to attach all the bottles and ornaments. And voila! You have yourself an easy, go-to gift when you don’t know what else to get..or if you have boozehound coworkers like my husband does..

Wishing you all a very happy holiday season!

L,
Mrs. Alex Paul

Travel Memories

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I love vacations.

A tropical beach + a piña colada in my hand = heaven.

But when the trip is over (and those post-vacation blues are setting in), my husband and I pull out our travel souvenir and ceremoniously add it to our magnet collection.

Monogram with Travel Magnets

I found this metal letter online at PBTeen. It’s made out of iron and I called the customer service line just to make sure it’s magnetic. They confirmed it for me, so I ordered P for Paul!

I’m obsessed with it. And it’s a little more fun than just displaying them on the fridge.

The other tradition we have is adding a photo to our travel gallery wall in our dining room.

Travel Gallery Wall

We have a picture from every trip we’ve taken: Vancouver, Bora Bora, New York City, Washington DC, Cabo San Lucas, and Nassau.. (and maybe too many photos of ourselves? #vain)

Sprinkled in with our travel photos, we have a few prints: a map where we put dots on all the spots we’ve been and a family print of Alex and I with our 2 bunnies done by InkLane Design on etsy.

Travel Gallery Wall Closeup

Now after reminiscing about these trips..let me just hop on over to expedia to book another one!

L,

Mrs. Alex Paul

 

DIY Floral Letter Monogram

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My last name used to start with an A. Oh how I miss that maiden name. Always at the front of the line. Always at the top of lists. Always #1.

Then I got married. And became Mrs. Paul.

That P is much further down the lists. #16 in fact. But despite dropping far down the alphabet – I’ve embraced it. #APforever

So when it came time to plan my cousin’s bridal shower, I knew I wanted to highlight the letter of her new last name – R. (She dropped down the alphabet from A also..it’s a rough ride my friends.)

Since her shower was a girly and pink Parisian themed event, I knew a floral letter would be perfect. #futureMrsR

R and Eiffel Tower

I got all of my supplies at Joann’s Fabrics: cardboard letter R, fake flowers, pink paint, foam brush. Plugged in my glue gun and was ready to roll.

Floral R Before

Floral R Painted

Once it was all painted and dry, I started playing with flower placement.

Floral R First Try.JPG

At first, I thought I had finally nailed it. Then I realized I had used too many big flowers and lost the entire shape. It doesn’t even look like an R anymore!

R after

The mix of big and small flowers really works much better. So perfect for my cousin’s bridal shower as decor on a table, tray or even on the door!

Floral R Single

R on front door

DIY Floral Letter

Love,

Mrs. Alex Paul