Party Planning in Ten Easy Steps (Michelle's Birthday Surprise!)

Party Planning in ten easy steps, Hipster Housewife style. You guys ready for it?! Great! It's super easy I promise. And I'm only being slightly sarcastic when I say that. We'll break it down into a few, easy to follow steps.

 

Ok, step one - have an amazing, compassionate, talented, beautiful, friend whose 32 years on this spinning thing you want to celebrate with much hurrah and what not. For the sake of this instruction manual we'll call her Michelle.

This is Michelle (told you she's beautiful)

Step two - have another amazing friend (I'm blessed with these super awesome, talented women!) with whom which you'll plan the party and do things like make the sweetest invitations and most adorable favors. You'll also be making lists. Many, many, lists. You're writing hand is going to hurt.

Lovely Lindsey

Step three - call up (or group Facebook message, you know, whatevs) the incredible tribe of women you're blessed to call you're friends, and ask them all to bring something yummy. You know these women, so you know they'll pull out all the stops and bring some delish goods. Food, check.

The Tribe

Step four - make it pretty. It's all in the details people. Lots of flowers, loose color scheme (you gotta have one, but seriously, if it looks good, it doesn't have to match), and you're good to go. Put up pictures and hang garlands. Use what you have. You'd be surprised at what you already have in your house that can be repurposed as party gear.

Step 5 - enlist you're birthday girl's equally amazing sister to get her there in such a manner that it's a complete surprise. (A blindfold was involved.) Then yell SURPRISE really loud and make sure your camera is ready!

SURPRISE!!

Steps 6-10 - eat cake, drink champagne (cry a little while you're toasting, it's gonna happen and it's ok), open presents, laugh, take selfies (hashtag #itsmichellesday), listen to good music, talk, hug, and just enjoy the heck out of each others company. Cuz that's what friends do.

And there you have it folks, party planning in ten easy steps, and one happy birthday girl! That's what it's all about anyway; you're decor could be non existent and your food not so great, but if there is love in the room, you're going to have an awesome party. I promise.

 

P.S. Photo credit goes to the lovely Lindsey of Lindsey Mae Photography (beautiful and talented). A couple of them are mine, but you can tell which ones - they just don't look as good!

 

 

 

Sunday night blues (and a giveaway)

I'm exhausted. It's Sunday night, I just barely finished another custom project and I'm sitting here listening to my husband teach himself to play the guitar. What could be irritating is strangely soothing. Faced with another long week of two jobs, bored kids, and a kitchen I can't use because my landlord (aka my mom) decided it needed to be painted giving me oh, about an hours notice; I'm having a serious how the eff am I going to pull this off without my head exploding type moment. But that's ok. I prayed for success in my business and I'm receiving it, I just need to learn to rely on his grace more and myself less (on the subject of grace, for all of you who received my typo ridden newsletter last night, please grant me some! I promise I'll have the husband proofread the next one!).

If you haven't signed up for the newsletter/e-zine whatever I'm calling it these days and you're interested just follow this here link and we'll get you hooked up. It will be full of tips on how to mother perfectly and implement world piece while DIYing the most lovely dinner party. As well as coupon codes and new product lines. Did the sarcasm come through? Gosh, I hope so!

 

In other news I'm running a giveaway in honor of reaching 400 followers on Instagram that no one seems to be interested in participating in (who doesn't want free stuff?! What's going on here?). I basically just want you guys to share a picture and you can win you're own set of customized notepads. I use mine all the time. So. I'll post it here too. Share this post on Facebook, regram me on Instagram (@thehipstehousewife). Whatever! Just make sure you comment somewhere with the name you want on the notepad.

My prayer for this week is to find some balance, to rely less on my own strength and more on His. How do the rest of you working moms, wifes, regular humans, do it? I find myself getting so lost in my art (and the art of managing a small business) that the dishes pile up, my husband feels ignored, and I'm tired. Bone tired. Balance has never been easy for me, but it feels even more elusive now.

 

Advice needed and welcomed.

 

Instagram Giveaway!

In case you haven't already heard I'm running a little giveaway on Instagram, mostly just cuz I love you guys. The rules are easy peasy to follow and the winner gets to take home my 'Home sweet Home' banner (see what I did there?). I've already had a good reaction on Instagram itself, but I thought I'd share here as well in case you are aren't on the IG (in which case get yourself an account because it's awesome and my very favorite way to share pretty things. Who doesn't like pretty things?!).

All you have to do is follow me @thehipsterhousewife if you don't already, repost the photo above, and tag your comment with #regram #giveaway and my name @thehipsterhousewife. Also, if you wanted to share why you want the banner I'd love to hear it, but it's not a requirement per se. See, easy! The winner will be chosen next Saturday, so best get on that!

Love you guys! Good luck!

Isn't she pretty?!