Vintage Birthday Party

A vintage birthday party  is the perfect way to celebrate an 80th birthday of any birthday!

I love everything vintage and have recently developed a fondness for vintage tablecloths so I wanted to incorporate those into a party for my mom.

The luncheon was held out on the patio in our garden.  Fortunately we had wonderful weather.  After a very rainy spring and early summer I was a little worried but the weather came through and it was almost too warm and sunny.  We pulled out the sun hats and sunglasses and everyone did fine.

Vintage Birthday Party Ideas

I also have a little collection of vintage aprons.  Since I had to use my ugly folding chairs I decided to dress them up a bit with the vintage aprons.  I used a double sided tape to tape them onto the top of the chairs.  It worked great.

For the table decor I used my blue mason jars I had picked up last year for the backyard wedding reception I helped with.

I filled them with flowers from my garden and placed a jar on each table along with a couple of old, vintage books.

The only flowers I had to buy was one bunch of hydrangea from Costco which I used in the arrangement I put on the serving table.

I also used the blue and clear canning jars to display pictures of my mother through the ages.  People loved looking at the photos!

I added some vintage inspired pinwheels into some of the jars.

Vintage Party Decorations

I borrowed an old vintage quilt from a friend to use as a backdrop.  The serving table was right up against our fireplace and there was an ugly black vent I needed to cover up.  I ran a wire line and used clothes pins to hang it behind the table.  It worked perfect.

I basically just found every vintage type thing in my house and used it to decorate with.  An old shelf from my girl’s room that was in the garage, a sign from Tessa’s room, books from the family room.  I just went around the house collecting things.

My Aunt Pam came down from Canada for the party and brought me this beautiful hat she found at a garage sale.  It very quickly became part of the decor.

I like to use signage on my serving table.  I always like to know what I am eating and besides that it looks pretty!

Vintage Birthday Party Menu

The menu consisted of three types of quiche, four salads, bread, cupcakes and cake.

I made four different salads:

Asian Chicken Salad

Sweet & Sour Salad

Corn & Blueberry Salad

Thai Noodle Salad

And two different quiche recipes. Quiche Lorraine and the hit of the party  Salmon Hazelnut Quiche

We served Pink Lemonade Cake , Chocolate Cupcakes and perfect Lemon Cupcakes for dessert.

The finishing touch was a pretty girl in a vintage dress and apron to help serve!

Since the party was back in the garden I wanted people to know which direction to go so I pulled out Daisy and added a sign to her so people knew where the party was!

The best part of the party?  Was just watching my mom enjoy herself with her friends!

Happy Birthday Mom – we love you!

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Graduation Gift Ideas

A collection of fun and meaningful graduation gifts

Having had four high school graduates and two college graduates so far I’ve given lots of graduation gifts.  To my own children and to their friends.  Today I am sharing some of my favorites.

One of my favorite gifts to give a girl graduate is a personalized piece of jewelry that has a special meaning or symbolism.

When Cali graduated from high school, I gave her and her best friend Hannah necklaces.  I purchased them online through Charming Gifts.They each got an initial charm and their birthstone charm.   I then selected a charm that had a particular message that I thought applied to each of the girls individually.  Cali got a butterfly which symbolized a new beginning; “If there was no change, there would be no butterflies.”

For Tessa’s graduation I purchased a necklace from White Lillie Designs a wonderful etsy shop that has lots of beautiful jewelry that is perfect for the graduate.

White Lillie has offered a special discount coupon for readers of my blog.  If it 15% off the entire site, with coupon code Homebased15.  She has so many beautiful things so be sure and head over and do a little shopping for yourself or for a graduate you may know.  I love the piece she has with the Dr. Seuss quote on it!

To go along with the necklace I also created a poster with lots of motivational “key” quotes.

You can download a copy of the poster by going here.

I love motivational art/posters.  It is a perfect thing for them to decorate their dorm room with.  A piece I gave to Cali is this fun piece from Brian Andreas at Storypeople.  They also have a version for a son as well as lots of other great motivational pieces.

Etsy is a great source for lots of fun motivational art.  I purchased this print for Tessa before she left for college and framed it for her to hang in her dorm room.  Didn’t want her to forget her family!  Purchased from this etsy shop.

Another favorite gift, especially for boys since they don’t like the jewelry thing too much is a good motivational book. One of my very favorites to give and a book I recommended before is The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.  Every graduate should read this book – everyone should read this book.

Another favorite book to give to graduates is Just Who Will You Be by Maria Shriver.

Another gift I have given my children, one that takes a little more work and planning is a Graduation Quilt.  When my girls graduated from high school our church held a Senior Quilt Night.  The mother’s of the graduating senior girls put a quilt top together for their daughter and then all the women of our congregation gathered together and they help quilt it.

I love the tradition and it is a wonderful way to wrap the girls in love as they head off to college.

Cali’s quilt

Tessa’s Quilt

I have also started the tradition  of making my children a quilt when they graduate from college.  Each of the boys have received their quilts and I have another year to get Cali’s done!

Logan’s College Quilt Clark’s college quilt

 I have also created a special memory book for each of my girls (got the idea too late to do it for my boys.)  I used the poem  “Did I Tell You?” by Elizabeth Knapp and found pictures to go along with the words to the poem.  It’s a tear jerker!  I created it in a digital book and then had it printed.  If you’d like to see Tessa’s complete book you can go here to view it.  You will need to create a log in to view it.

And of course, like I mentioned yesterday, cash is always a great gift for the graduate.  I don’t know a graduate who wouldn’t love it but sometimes I enjoy giving a little more personalized gift.  Hope you enjoyed some of today’s suggestions.  Do you have a favorite graduation gift to give?

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Lemon Foldover Coffee Cake

CourseBreadPrep Time2 hours 30 minutesCook Time25 minutesTotal Time2 hours 55 minutesServings18 piecesAuthorLeigh Anne Wilkes

Ingredients

• 1/2 C warm water 105-115degrees F
• 1 pkg active dry yeast 2 1/4 tsp
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 C buttermilk room temperature
• 1/3 C granulated sugar
• 1/4 C butter melted
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 to 4 C all purpose flour
• 1/2 C sugar
• 3 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp orange zest
• 1/2 C lemon curd
• 1/4 C butter melted
• Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
• 2 oz. softened cream cheese
• 1 Tbsp milk or whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

• Add yeast to warm water and allow to stand for 10 minutes or until foamy.
• Lightly beat eggs and add eggs, buttermilk, 1/3 C sugar, 1/4 C melted butter, vanilla and salt to yeast mixture.
• Beat in 2 1/2 C flour wtih a mixer on low. Beat for 5 minutes.
• Add in as much remaining flour as needed to make a soft dough, will be slightly sticky.
• Cover and let rise in warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.
• Combine 1/2 C sugar, lemon and orange zest and stir to release the oils from the zest.
• Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil and grease.
• Punch dough down and put on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 18 x 12 inch rectangle.
• Cut into 18, 4 x 3 inch rectangles. Spoon a rounded teaspoon of lemon curd into the center of each and then fold over into a triangle, seal edges.
• Place triangles in prepared pan with point sticking up. Make sure edges are sealed.
• Drizzle with 1/4 C melted butter and sprinkle with sugar mixture.
• Cover and let rise in warm place until double in size (about 30 minutes)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden.
• Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes
• Remove from pan by lifting foil.
• Make cream cheese glaze by combining cream cheese, 1 Tbsp milk, 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Beat until smooth
• Add in 1 1/4 c powdered sugar or more if needed to create a nice drizzling consistency.
• Drizzle coffee cake with glaze.

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2021 Birthday Kitchen Aid Giveaway *Ended*

For the last several years I have given away a Kitchen Aid on my birthday and guess what!? Today is my birthday and I’m giving away my favorite kitchen appliance to one of you again!

You may or may not remember but last year was kind of a big birthday for me – one of those that ends in a zero! And what a year it was. When I celebrated in January I never would have imagined what was to come in 2020 or that it would be the last party we would have that year! it is definitely a year to remember.

Despite the craziness of 2020 it was a good year and I am lucky enough to have the gift of a birthday this year and in honor of my birthday I am giving you a gift!  Giving gifts is one of my love languages and I must admit receiving gifts is also one of them but today I’m giving one of you one of my very favorite things which is a 5 qt. Kitchen Aid Mixer (color of your choice).  I use mine every day and love, love, love it.

This giveaway is not sponsored by anyone but me.  It is my gift to you.  I have been so blessed that I just wanted to take the opportunity to share the blessings with someone else.  This blog started out on a whim and has now grown to be such an amazing blessing to my family and I couldn’t have done it without all of you.  This blog wouldn’t exist without you!

*The Giveaway Has Ended*

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Football season is a favorite at our house not just because of the game but because of the food!  Tailgate Snacks are required whether we are watching from home or at the stadium and fruit salsa is a favorite.

I am married to a HUGE sports fan and one of his favorites is college football. In fact, our first date was to a college football game where he very patiently explained to me everything that was happening on the field and I pretended to be interested! It wasn’t until after we were married that he discovered that my favorite thing about sports was the food.

Whether we are watching a game in person, at the stadium, or in front of the television, in our home, it’s all about the snacks and food for me.  I love a good tailgate!  Now that it is just the two of us at home and this season we will be watching all the games from home the food is more important than ever.

Tailgate Appetizer Ideas

• Chicken Wings
• Potato Salad
• Coleslaw
• Fruit Salsa
• Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

We are game ready!

How to Make Tailgate Snacks

To put the tailgate snacks together I just grabbed a tray, you could also use a cutting board and added my chicken wings, salads, fruit salsa, chips and cookies.  Game ready!

It’s guaranteed to be a good game, whether your team wins or not, when you have delicious and easy snacks to enjoy while watching.  This yummy fruit salsa is perfect for a tailgate party or any party!

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Sweet Pea First Birthday

Today I am excited to share with you an amazing first birthday party that one of my blog readers, Jessica put together for her sweet one year old baby.  Jessica is also the daughter in law of a couple at church – a family I love!!

The party Jessica put together was amazing.  So much love and care went into it.

Jessica  had been told by people told that a first birthday celebration was just for her, since the baby won’t remember.   This may be true but Jessica wanted to…

“celebrate big, make a fuss, hand-make every decoration, stay up late cooking and crafting and gluing, and invite all of Annalise’s little friends and their families over. I’ve been thinking about this party, this event to celebrate the life and miracle of my angel baby girl, for months, but I couldn’t articulate to myself why I wanted such a big fuss. Then I read a post from this blog and was struck by a short quote from a mother who lost her daughter to a choking accident two weeks shy of her second birthday. In a letter to her son on his first birthday, she wrote, “Dearest Little Peter Boy, I didn’t know that your sister, Lucy, would have only one birthday. Just one. We had a small party for her. And it was sweet and wonderful. But after she passed away, I realized what a big deal birthdays are. Another year alive. Another year with our loved ones. And I vowed that I would make your first birthday a huge celebration. And we did! It was all I could have hoped for and more.” I agree. They’re a big deal and they are indeed a miracle. One which I do not take for granted and Annalise’s party was my way of expressing that and reveling in it. I thank God for my precious baby.”

I have to say I totally agree with Jessica!!

The theme of the party was Sweet Pea,which is her daughter’s nickname.

Jessica carried that fun theme through all the details of the party and created a beautiful, not to be forgotten event!

For Jessica, the name of the game was THRIFTY.  She wanted to put together a fun party from scratch without spending a lot of money. Look what Jessica did with some dollar store finds.  It is amazing what a little spray paint, glue and imagination can do!

Glass bowls and candlesticks from the dollar store become lovely serving pieces!

A little inexpensive tissue paper and craft paper and look what you have –

I also love what she did with this fun little sign she found at the Dollar Store that fit her theme so perfectly!

Before:

After:  So much cuter!

Jessica’s attention to detail was wonderful.  She printed off labels at home to dress up and personalize her water bottles.

She used utensils and paper goods from the Dollar Store but dressed them up a bit!

Add  a fun vintage store find that was originally broken and dark brown.  I love spray paint!!

Jessica then took an out grown tutu she already had and stuffed it into a vase and had an amazing party decoration

There were lots of fun pink treats and some sweet peas too!!

She even printed off some fun birthday themed artwork and changed out the artwork in her frames over the table for the party!  A detail woman after my own heart!!

As you can see Jessica is also an amazing photographer so her sweet pea will remember this amazing first birthday as she relives it through the wonderful pictures her mother has taken.

Thank you Jessica for sharing your party with us.  The love and devotion you have to your daughter shines through every detail.

Happy Birthday Sweet Pea!

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Meal Plan #28

 

This weekend I am in Miami attending Blogher Food.  If you’d like to follow along be sure and follow me on Instagram.  I’ll be back next week with more details and photos!

Here’s this week’s Meal Plan to make your meal planning adventure easier!  I’ve got a couple of meals for the grill, one for the crock pot and a main dish salad for you.

Monday:

We’ll start the week out with Cashew Sesame Chicken.   It’s delicious and it’s gluten free!  Serve over rice with a  Perfect Summer Salad.

Tuesday:

Panera Asian Sesame Chicken Salad  is perfect for dinner now that the weather is warming up.  How about a some stuffed cheesy garlic bread to go with it!?

 

Wednesday:

Sticky Coconut Chicken is one of our kid’s favorite meals.  It uses chicken thighs which make it nice and moist and is cooked on the grill.  We always serve it with rice pilaf.

 

Thursday:

Pull out the crock pot for today’s BBQ Pork Sandwich.  Serve it on hamburger buns with some creamy cole slaw salad.

 

Friday:

Balsamic Chicken & Peppers is an easy dish to end your week of cooking with.  Serve over basmati or jasmine rice.

 

Sunday:

Heat up the grill again for this carne asada.  Serve with some salt & pepper potatoes or with tortillas.

 

For a fun treat this week try this easy 3 ingredient lemonade ice cream pie!

 

For last week’s Meal Plan go here.

 

Enjoy!

Leigh Anne

You can also visit me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram.

 

 

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Meal Plan #27

This week’s Meal Plan is a day early.  Tomorrow, Saturday, is the 10th of the month which means it is our Monthly 10 Creative Blogs Blog Hop.  We have a fun theme planned for you this month so be sure to come back tomorrow to check it out.

You can get a head start on next week’s Meal Plan with today’s post!

 

Monday:  

Really Good Noodles & Chicken uses it’s description as it’s name.  It is really good! This recipe was shared with me by a blog reader and it has become a family favorite.  Serve with a tossed green salad.

 

Tuesday:

Spicy Honey Chicken   has a little heat and a little sweet.  A perfect combo!  Serve with Lime Cilantro Quinoa.

Wednesday:

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken.  This smells yummy as it cooks and tastes delicous.  Serve with jasmine rice and some soft wrap bread.

 

Thursday:

Baked Tacos.  I quick and easy dinner for tonight.  We love this one and it is so easy to make.  Serve with a spinach salad with strawberries and poppyseed dressing. 

Friday:

Quick & Easy Tomato Soup with BLT Salad.  Instead of soup and sandwich have your soup and salad.  A BLT sandwich in salad form!  A complete meal

 

Sunday: 

Easy Crock Pot BBQ Ribs – it doesn’t get much easier or delicious than this recipe!  Serve with Lemon Herb Roasted Potatoes.

Check out last week’s meal plan here.

Enjoy!

Leigh Anne

You can also visit me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram

and Google+

 

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Meal Plan #26

 

This week is Cinco de Mayo so I’ve included some fun Mexican dishes in this week’s plan so you can carry the celebration through the week and it is also one of our favorite things to eat at our house!!

Monday:

Chicken Enchiladas:  Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with my favorite enchilada recipe.  If you aren’t feeling the enchiladas check out the 48 Cinco de Mayo recipes I shared here.

 

Tuesday:

Pesto Chicken is a quick and easy dinner to put together.  Serve it with rice pilaf.

 

Wednesday:

Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga is full of amazing flavor.  I like to serve it as a tostada over lime cilantro rice .

Thursday:

Slow Cooker Brisket Tacos with Mango BBQ – don’t skip on the Mango BBQ sauce on this one.  It is so yummy!   Serve with Mexican Cole Slaw.

 

Friday:

Tomato, Garlic and Chicken Pasta – uses roasted tomatoes and zucchini but feel free to add in whatever veggies you have.  Serve with these yummy biscuits.

 

Sunday:

Brined and Grilled Pork Chops with Fresh Herb Butter.  Plan ahead and put the chops in the brine the day before for a melt in your mouth pork chop!  Be sure and enter the giveaway too!!  Serve with Fingerling Potatoes.

 

For a sweet treat this week try:

Lemon Meringue Pie Ice Cream!

 

 

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Meal Plan #25

 

Monday:

Breakfast Pizza is in order after all the cooking you probably did this weekend with Easter.  This has been a family favorite at our house for years!

Tuesday:

Oregano Chicken is a quick and easy dinner to fix.  It uses chicken thighs which I love but can be made with a chicken breast too. Serve with rice pilaf  or lemon herb roasted potatoes.

Wednesday:

Flat Bread Tacos is another easy dinner.  Quick & easy to make with store bought biscuits and so yummy!  Serve with some Cafe Rio Black Beans.

Thursday:

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches are the way to go on a busy night.  I love to serve them with a crunchy creamy cole slaw.

 

Friday:

Baked Zitu with Spinach and Sausage . I made this last week to take to two new moms and I forgot how yummy it is.  It makes a lot which is nice!  I served it with some store bought french bread and roasted brocooli.

Sunday:

Sweet & Sour Chicken is a favorite at our house.  Serve it with basmati rice and some chinese style green beans.

And for a sweet treat this week how about some lemon bars!  The Best lemon bars ever!!

 

You can see last week’s Meal Plan here.  My friend Kristen also posts a weekly meal plan.  Check her’s out here.

Giveaway!

Up for grabs: A Picture Keeper PK4 (a $29.99 value!).

How to enter: We’ll be using Rafflecopter for this one, so there are multiple ways to enter…pick one or pick them all!

This giveaway ends on Friday, April 25, 2014 at midnight PST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Enjoy!

Leigh Anne

You can also visit me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram.

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