The Friday Five...

{ an early Mother's Day brunch with my Mom & Dad.  Thanks for the treat Dad : )  }

{ paper teacups for Isabella's birthday party...tedious as can be to make...but I LOVE how they turned out }

{ Personalized soap bucket turned out to be the key to car-washing success }

{ Empty-nesters once again...our three babies have moved on to bluer skies }

{ Finally...it's official : )   Excited!  Come visit my new website Angela Brinkley Photography here }

What are Your Five?

Artist Spotlight: Sorensen-Grundy Milliners

Millinery...I don't even know how many people know what that is anymore.  Maybe, the work of London based Sorensen-Grundy Milliners will remind people of the art that is hat-making.  Sorensen-Grundy became an internet sensation with their hat creation- "Construction Overhead" (seen below).  This success has inspired them to create a whole series of hats, one of which is the hat above, inspired by a well known fairy tale.  Can you figure out which one it is? 

I was impressed , and I sought out some of their past work.  And what I found is that these milliners have always had a sense humor and a tendency towards the dramatic.  Memorable to say the least.

(all images via My Modern Met and Sorensen-Grundy pinterest site)

Mother's Day...my favorite ways to treat Mom

{ Love this : ) available for purchase here }

You do not have to spend a lot of money to treat your Mom or wife to a wonderful Mother's Day this year.  A little care and attention...and a step outside of the normal routine is usually what mothers want. 

Here are a few of my favorite ideas to make this Mother's Day memorable-

1. A beautiful and charming family picnic

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Picnics...something that all families are familiar with.  The way to make this picnic a gift is by the way it is presented, the food you serve and the fact that Mom does not have to make any decisions.  Think romantic- no paper plates, or fried chicken for this picnic : )  a pretty blanket, a nice location, and a picnic basket stuffed with wonderful food that she did not have to pack...there is nothing better : )

 I love this picnic bag! It has many pockets for all of your picnic necessities.  You can find it here.  

2. A bouquet and a book

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I dare say that all women love flowers.  Beautiful and natural bouquets have always been one of my favorite gifts, but here is a little twist on the normal bouquet.  Buy a few different kinds of your wife's or mom's favorite flowers, a pretty and interesting vase, such as a vintage apothecary bottle and this amazing book, The Flower Recipe Book.  I love the idea of not only giving flowers, but also a "how-to" book so your favorite mom can create beautiful bouquets for years to come.

 

You can find the Flower Recipe Book here.  

3. Tell your mom you love her...in code

I posted a tutorial on how to make Morse code jewelry a while back- you can find it here.  I still LOVE this idea, and I wear my morse code necklace almost every day.  You can express so many different sentiments on these sweet and simple necklaces. If you have multiple children, you can ask them what they want to tell mom, then use different colors of silk cording to symbolize each child. 

4. Breakfast in bed...easy enough for kids, adult enough for mom

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Let her sleep in and surprise her with breakfast in bed.  Now, breakfast in bed can be a very interesting affair.  Always sweet...not always edible : )  With a little help from Dad this recipe of Boozy French Toast can be easily prepared, and Mom will be very impressed.  It would be a great way to start the day.

5) Remind her why she is so special with a memory box

I LOVE this idea!  A memory box is one of the best way to celebrate being a mom.  Dig through some of those old items you have stored away and put them where they will be appreciated.  When you combine a photo from a special memory with an actual item from that time, magic is made.  I am going to do this for myself as soon as possible.  These boxes were made by Darcy Miller and can be seen here. 

Have you seen this?...the unveiling of Target's full-sized dollhouse in Grand Central Station

Today and tomorrow, there is a bit of new scenery inside Grand Central's Vanderbilt Hall in New York City.  Big box retailer, Target, has built a life-sized "doll house" decorated with over 3000 items from their Threshold collection.  The dollhouse is 1600 sq. feet and is open to the public from 7:30 am to 6:00pm today and tomorrow. 

Can you imagine the amount of work that it took to build this house, for it to be displayed for only 48 hours?  Pretty crazy.

Watch the doll house come to life in this video-


(images via the gothamist)