Simple Shower Decor

This past weekend, I spent some time in North Carolina celebrating my little sister's upcoming nuptials. Since people were coming from out of town (myself included), we held the shower and some classy bachelorette activities on the same weekend. Usually, planning can be a pain in the butt but imagine doing it from afar. It add an element of "stress". When you're planning a bridal shower, it's enough to look at what holding the event will cost, shudder then crawl under your blankie waiting for it to be over but my Mother and I had other plans. We were going to hold this shower, it was going to be classy and we weren't going to let a budget stop us from creating a visually appealing brunch that didn't feel overly done but also had the air of "effort" surrounding it. I've got some simple tips and shopping tricks to keep you on "brand" while pulling off a great day for your Bride or Mama to be.

Places to search for affordable decor and actually find it:

Target's Dollar Spot: I lucked out that Valentine's Day was right around the corner while I was planning the shower but at almost any time of year, the Dollar Spot at Target is a great resource for little containers and do dads you might get inspired by craft-wise. We snagged napkins and some little heart decor that matched our black/white/hot pink thing we had going!

Very Jane: This is one of my favorite sites to grab little things for little things. I managed to snag some washi tape, striped twine and the straws for the table all at a steal. You can check out their daily deals and I always find myself wanting something!

Beaucoup: This site is great for personalized favors like stickers for bags, gift boxes and party supplies. While I didn't have anything personalized for Mallory's shower, I most certainly would like to work Beaucoup into a future party I throw!

Walmart: I am not usually a huge Walmart shopper but my Mom swears by their plants (she lives in NC where they take their garden centers seriously). She'd originally gone in with the intent to get small ivy plants for everyone but instead found some pretty amazing hyacinth bulbs in cute vases. We added our signature twine to them and they were the perfect shower favors! The baby shower that moved in after us had succulents so you can see that plants are popular for shower treats!

Christmas Tree Shops: Another great place to find party supplies like napkins and plates, it's also pretty great if you want to put together favors in pretty containers or add some special wine glasses to your tables that won't break the bank. CTS also allows you to order online now, though I have never done it. The thrill of the store is too good to pass up.

Trader Joe's or Whole Foods: As you well know, making your own flower arrangement can be done! Want something a little special? Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are the best options for really fun flowers that won't break the bank. Tasty tip? Grab some cool greenery like decorative kale or cabbage to make the arrangement pop! We grabbed some garden roses, hyacinths and blue thistle to bring a little funky floral to our brunch table!

Do you have any tips on where to find great yet affordable party decor?

Recipe: Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies

Did you see my Coffee Drop Cookies that I whipped up a few weeks ago? I am visiting that same vintage cookbook to bring another recipe back because, to me, it's classic flavors that are still "hip" today. I have sort of built up my pantry to include all the items that I might need to whip up something that I might fancy on any given day, so when I saw that I had ample sour cream left over from a Taco Night, I thought what better thing to do than make Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

3 Cups Sifted All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Soft Butter or Margarine
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Cup Dairy Sour Cream
1 Teaspoon Vanilla or 2 Teaspoons Grated Lemon Peel

Topping: 1/2 Cup Sugar and 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a separate large bowl, mix with a handheld, at medium speed, the butter, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. At low speed, beat in sour cream until light and fluffy (it's all about the L&F over here, folks!). Gradually beat in flour mixture until well combined. Refrigerate for 1 hour at least.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease your cookie sheets. Drop batter by slightly rounded table-spoonfulls, 2 inches apart, onto the prepared cookie sheets. For the topping, sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture onto the cookies before baking.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack before enjoying the yumminess! Truly, I wondered how these cookies would be but this recipe is absolutely, 100% delicious and super simple to make. Do you have a sour cream cookie recipe to share? I'd love to try another one to contract and compare cookies... Mmmmmm.

Crafty Tips Alert: Adhesives

I was at the craft store the other day, picking up a new bottle of Tacky Glue (because it's one of my favorites for modge podge and has a flexible hold once dry) and I got to looking at all of the other adhesives that I don't use. I mean, they may not fit with my crafts of choice or I may have never been introduced to their greatness before so I thought I would ask some of my crafty counterparts what they use as their go-to adhesive. I think I phrased the question as "If you could only use one adhesive for the rest of your life..." or something dramatic like that and I was thrilled to be introduced to some new sticky stuff.

Weekend Craft

Michelle Beaton of Weekend Craft praises Scotch Tape ATG, "It's my favorite. It's no mess. I just grab the "gun" press along the surface and pull back to cut. I used to use the tape where you had to peel the back off. 10 Minutes later you have little white scraps all over your entire house. This way there really is no mess and the cartridges last a while. "

Dollar Store Crafts

"E-6000 is my go-to glue for anytime I need to glue non-porous surfaces together (like metal or glass). It is industrially strong once it dries!" says one of my faves, Heather Mann of Dollar Store Crafts

Year of Serendipity

Karen of Year of Serendipity answers my question with a question. "Just ONE adhesive??  Everything has its place, but I guess I'd have to say Gorilla Glue is tops.  With a little moisture and some clamps, it holds pretty much anything together.  I used it to glue concrete tile to wood so I could hang them on my wall.  The tiles are still standing strong on my wall.  If that's not a strong hold I don't know what is!" 

Ciburbanity

Charlotte Smith of Ciburbanity shows some projects that she uses her faves for. "Does painter’s tape count? If so…:A project colorblocking using painter's tape -Second choice would be wood glue…. just made this cute mirror using wood glue! The former is great for painting furniture with graphic patterns and dipped features… the latter is less exciting, but helps a rookie builder!"

One CrafDIY Girl

"If the craft-pocolypse happened ow and I was only allowed one type of adhesive, I'd definitely choose E-6000 glue." says Marissa of CrafDIY Girl. "It's powerful grip is fast drying and useful for multiple mediums including wood, ceramics, metal, and fabric (which I use it for the most). It also dries clear which makes my finished product appear more polished. The down side is that it's VERY potent, so may not be the best choice if you have little fingers in your home! "

Hey, Let's Make Stuff

Cori George of Hey, Let's Make Stuff is all about the Elmer's Spray Adhesive. "I use it ALL THE TIME, especially for stuff I make using my Cricut. It's the most versatile glue in my stash (and my stash is huge since I blog for Elmer's lol) :)"

Tell me, what is your favorite adhesive for your crafty goodness?

Yoga Reaches Out + a Giveaway!

You may remember last year when I took part in Yoga Reaches Out with my team from Revolution Community Yoga. It was a beautiful day with like minded spirits doing something they love while raising much needed funds for Boston Children's Hospital. This year I expect it to be a lot of the same but what I am hoping to do is to bring my A-GAME fundraising! I raised a fair bit of sweet moola last year (thank you to everyone who donated!) but I want to surpass that this year!

To help out with that, I'd thought I'd sweeten the pot a little, teaming up with some of my favorite people local to Boston! The team at lululemon athletica at The Street in Chestnut Hill, MA graciously donated three of their high quality 3mm Reversible Mats (and straps!) and my girl Julie of Posh and Prep added her "certain something" to make these mats one of a kind! So how do you get one of these mats? Well, I'll tell ya!

I'm trying to raise money here, folks so let's consider this an online raffle of sorts! If you donate at least $5 (and maybe more!), you will be entered to win one of three mats. All you need to do is visit my YRO PAGE and then come back here to put your info in the Rafflecopter below. Then share this post (every day if you want) and you get another raffle entry, simple as that! The event is May 1st, so I will recap the day and announce winners on Monday May 2nd.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What causes are close to your heart?

Groupon Restaurants

It should come as no surprise to you that my family loves a good meal. You see me baking and drinking and all of the in between. As our family has grown by one, the cost of feeding them has increased. "Well, how much can a 20 month old even eat?" you ask. Ummm, A LOT. First of all, they're picky. When they're picky, you have to find what they like and keep that in the house and on your person (ie in your purse because they get HANGRY). The same goes for restaurants when you're feeling daring enough to take a toddler out to eat... so when you find those family friendly restaurants that offer the food that they'll eat and the atmosphere that welcomes them, you obviously keep your eyes peeled for that ol' Groupon connection because saving money is my jam (and should be yours too)!

Did you know that Groupon has pages for restaurants where you can find basic information, reviews, recommendations, pictures, etc. and feature any deals that they place is offering? Well, consider yourself informed. Let's say that I plan to head into Boston and want to visit one of my tried and true staples, I check out their page, like Tantric India Bistro or Jacob Wirth, and see if I can snag a deal before heading in. If not, I mean, there is always the opportunity to try a new place too. Other Groupon users will leave their ratings on the restaurant pages so you can see what others are saying and let you know what the situation is. Is the restaurant kid friendly? I'd want to know that before making a decision. It takes a lot of the guess work out of the dining experience if you know what to expect.

I've said it before but I love that Groupon has really kept reinventing itself. Sure, it's still the traditional deal site, which is great, but between Groupon Coupons and Pages, it's also becoming a real wealth of information for it's users. If you haven't explored what Groupon has to offer, I urge you to do so!

*This post was sponsored by Groupon but all opinions are 100% mine. Just in case you were wondering, I paid for our Ixtapa meal with a Groupon I purchased all on my own!

Barreless Barre + Crane and Lion Event

On Wednesday night, I grabbed my yoga mat, my camera and a little bit of motivation, meeting some Boston Bloggers at the Crane and Lion location on Harrison Ave in Boston for a Barreless Barre class... and then SHOPPING, all hosted by Jenna of Boston Chic Party!

I'm always looking to take advantage of a fitness class so when the invite came across my desk I didn't hesitate, that is until right before heading out when I re-read the invite, taking note of the words "high", "intensity" and "interval" in regard to the workout. I practice yoga, and I run (jog) but I don't really go to barre classes. I don't know what I was so worried about! Our Barre(less) instructor, Jessica Diaz was super inspirational as well as cute+friendly+and all the things you want in your fitness class so that you're not intimidated.... and just like that, I worked my legs like a boss and we moved onto the shopping with the Boston Based Athletic/Leisure wear brand Crane and Lion.

The space is in the hip SOWA area but the brand will soon be opening new spaces in Beacon Hill and on Nantucket, which, I mean, is exciting! The clothes really do speak for themselves. They are oh so soft and buttery, or like we say in my family, "like buttah!... And I did ask about where the clothes are made. The team has a firm grasp on their supply chain and love the manufacturers that they partner with, actually visiting the sites in Peru and Taiwan. I think that it's important to be mindful about where your clothes are being made. I love that when I asked the question, the answer was immediate. The racerback tank and long sleeve tee came home with me but I just can't stop thinking about the MGH Cancer Center tight (more to come on that, I promise!) which 100% of the proceeds go to the Mass General Cancer center. A brand that makes it their mission to help? Simply lovely of them.

I'm definitely going to keep my eye on Crane and Lion because not only are they creating really versatile athletic wear but they have a vision for a brand that gives back, which is something that I am a huge fan of. You cast your vote where you spend your money so why not support brands that represent what is important to you.

*I attended this barreless barre class for free but all opinions are 100% my own.

Winter Skin Must Haves

For as long as we had a mild and luxurious weather here in the Northeast, or up until last week that is, we still have to deal with the change of the season affecting our skin sort of negatively. Yes, dry and itchy skin is a problem. I have been honing in on the products that help me achieve maximum comfort when the air is fuh-reezing outside and the heat is turned up, making the air dry inside. I am sharing with you so that perhaps, in your search for the product line up that makes your skin it's most wonderful Winter self, you might find a nugget or two of wisdom from lil' ol' me. These are in order as I apply them after bathing but you may find a different routine works for you.

For My Body: Organic Bath Co. Stress Less Body Butter

I have been using this body butter for almost a year and while in the warmer weather, I will use it very sparingly (after yoga or a relaxing bath) in the Winter, this boss body butter is what is getting my skin through. It's luxurious but most importantly, it is keeping my skin hydrated all day long. I will use after my shower and give it a little time to soak in while I am getting ready before getting dressed. It's earned it's place in my routine for very good reason, it keeps the itchy skin at bay! The Stress Less has a gorgeous lavender scent but the Drenched and Zesty Morning may offer you what you need.

Face It, Baby: Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator, Thesis Beauty Lullaby for Dry Skin Serum and Osea Atmosphere Protection Cream

I've got my face moisturizing almost down to a science, with my only weakness being complete coverage (sometimes I don't complete my forehead which haunts me later in the day). After my shower, I pat my face dry and spritz the Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator on my face and neck. This amazing, lightly scented (mmm marshmallow) spray acts as a foundation/catalyst to keeping your skin hydrated. It's a gentle toner and light moisturizer all in one. I love it #BigTime.

I give it a minute or two and apply the Thesis Lullaby for Dry Skin serum. I've loved this serum for awhile now. It's great daily moisture and it does NOT leave your face feeling greasy, which is something that I find a huge turnoff in face oils. It's amazingly fast to soak into your skin so the daily skincare routine isn't held up because your face oil is whack. It's also powerful enough on it's own so let's say I have to dash, one pump of this serum will do the trick in a bind. Plus, totally excellent under makeup (if I actually wear makeup that day!)

After my spritz and pat of oil, I use the Osea Atmosphere Protection Cream. This was introduced to me while I was on a lil' trip to Follain this past November. I was still looking for that moisturizer that met my needs and won my heart. For now, my heart belongs to Osea. It's super lightweight and has a silky feel. Of course, it meets all my moisturizer needs (not too heavy, agreeable scent, actually moisturizes) but what I love the most is that it's great for all skin types and can be combined with my foundation for a more even coverage (again, if I actually wear makeup that day!).

At My Desk: Skincando's Combat-Ready Balm and Beautycounter's Rosewater Uplifting Spray

Sometimes it's just one of those days where no matter how much you moisturized in the morning, come 2pm you're feeling a little uncomfortable. Whether your hands are dry and cracked or your face is a little itchy, I keep a couple of little things at my desk to aide in a little last minute moisture pick-me-up! When I need to attack a specific spot, the Skincando Combat-Ready Balm is there (read my full review here) waiting for me. The Beautycounter Rosewater uplifting spray applied to the face can provide that cool, refreshing pick me up that your skin might need. These are mainstays at my desk (along with Minka Home's Miracle Hand Salve not pictured, because sometimes you want a little delicious scent!.)

Tell me, what are your Winter Skin "go to's"?

Caffienated Cookies w/ Atlas Coffee Club

Over the Christmas holiday, my mother in law was apparently cleaning out her collection of old cookbooks and offered me the chance to peruse and grab what I wanted. There were a few that caught my eye but most notably, an old McCall's Cookie Collection cookbook from 1965. Mom was four years old when this cookbook came out so I would wager that these were the types of cookies that my Grandma and Great Grandma were whipping up. I thought I would take a stab at some of the cookie recipes, substituting when it made sense, and share some of them with you all. There are so many delightful recipes but I thought I would start with one that has my absolute favorite ingredient, COFFEE. The idea was rattling around my head for a little while and when Atlas Coffee Club wanted to get in on the recipe action, I knew that I had to make some Coffee Drop Cookies with a Coffee Glaze, using their whole bean blend. I was able to use ingredients I already had in my pantry so no fancy things needed. So let's get started: Turn up that  Preheat that oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease some cookie sheets.

Cookie Ingredients:
1/2 cup soft butter or margarine
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons of finely ground Atlas Morning Blend coffee
1 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze Ingredients: 
2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup cold Atlas Morning Blend coffee (tip: leave a little from your morning brew)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon unsweeted cocoa

• In a medium bowl, with your handheld mixer at medium speed, beat butter with sugar until light.
• Add egg; bet until light + fluffy.
• Mix the ground coffee with 2 tablespoons of hot water. Stir into butter mixture.
• Beat in flour and milk alternately. Stir in the chopped nuts.
• Drop, by heaping teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart onto the the cookie sheets.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool.
• While cookies are cooling, let's make the glaze: In a small bowl, add sugar and coffee alternately to butter, stirring until smooth. Stir in cocoa.
• Spread the glaze on the cookie and let harden before serving.

This recipe is so easy that I can't wait to bake more. The cookies are a little rustic but I suppose that's what you're getting from a cookbook of years gone by :-) but I seriously loved playing with the recipe and MANY THANKS to Atlas Coffee Club for supplying the delicious coffee for drinking + baking! If you haven't checked out the coffee from Atlas, you should definitely take a look. Their curated blends are delicious, you have my word on that!

Painting to Relax with Muse Paintbar

Last night, I picked up a couple of friends, hit the road to Muse Paintbar at Assembly Row Somerville, MA and painted a snowy love themed scene. It was hip, there was wine and I was able to get my husband something for Valentine's Day that wasn't a gift certificate to a craft beer store or Steam (think video games). I won't lie, I have been to similar experiences before and left with similar results (a fun night out with friends and a painting I created myself) but maybe it was the location, the fact that I had space to work (high top table FTW), the swoonworthy instructor (he had great shoes and chatted Mandy Moore OK?!) and a pretty decent selection of drinks that helped make Muse different from the rest.

The session was collaborative, everyone was super complimentary of one another and the music was super spot on for the crowd! They have locations all over the Northeast from Maine all the way to New York so if you're up where it's cold and snowy, there's likely an event to keep you busy for the next few months... while we wait for the weather to become more reasonable, obviously! Check out the events calendar at a location near you. Plus, if you're looking for something to do with your honey this weekend? I hear that they have some cool couple's events going on at the MA locations. Here's the deets:

Muse Paintbar is hosting Couples’ Nights from February 12-14th in honor of Valentine's Day and making for a fun, interactive date.Couples create their own paintings with step-by-step instruction from a local artist all while enjoying a menu of wine, beer, and small bites. Each person receives a canvas to paint, and upon completion of their painting, their canvas will form a larger piece of art when positioned next to their date’s.

WHEN: Muse Paintbar is offering Couples’ Nights from Friday February 12 through Sunday February 14, 2016. Muse offers multiple sessions throughout the day and evening. All evening sessions on Saturday, February 13^th include a glass of Prosecco. COST: $35-$55; www.musepaintbar.com. WHERE: Muse Paintbar's has four Massachusetts locations: a newly opened location at Assembly Row (461 Artisan Way, Somerville), a newly opened location at MarketStreet Lynnfield (600 Market St, Lynnfield),  Hingham Shipyard (15 Shipyard Dr 1C, Hingham),and Patriot Place (217 Patriot Pl, Foxborough)

*My friends and I were able to paint for free but these opinions? Yep, they are still 100% my own.

UncommonGoods

Uncommongoods recently contacted me to introduce me to their site, an as an avid internet user, I was surprised that I had missed one that is so cool with such interesting offerings. The site is basically a "community" of artisans with a lot of different stories, creating a ton of different things (jewelry, gifts, art, beauty products + more) and what's also cool is that they seem to have customers that love what they are doing, come back for more, supporting the community, therein becoming a part of the community. Was that confusing? Well, it shouldn't be. There's a lot of love for the products on Uncommongoods... and you can add me to the list of people who love what's happening.

I knew that I was looking for a new necklace, perhaps something with mixed metals. I perused the site and happened upon the jewelry handcrafted by Kathy Bransfield. To say that I was instantly in love would be an understatement. Her Protection Hamsa Necklace spoke to me and Uncommongoods helped bring a little of this artist into my life. The necklace is gorgeous and the compliments have been pouring in non-stop. I looked into the rest of her jewelry and it's just so special. You can officially add the Children are the Anchor Necklace to my Mother's Day Wish List. It's miniature perfection.

So here is what I think about uncommongoods. It's awesome because I feel like I can connect with an actual maker rather than buy something from a store, never knowing who put it together. You can read people's stories and sort of make a connection. It's kind of like UG introduced me to a new friend of sorts, a new favorite jewelry designer. So UG if you're reading this, please tell Kathy she's like my new fave and if she ever wants to collaborate on a meditation piece, I'm just putting that out there, Amanda is up for the challenge! ;-)

*Children are the Anchor Necklace, *Move and the Way Will Open Necklace,*Be the Change Necklace, *All Things are Possible Necklace, *Turning Over a New Leaf Necklace,*Leave a Trail Necklace

*uncommongoods provided me with the Protection Hamsa Necklace for review purposes but all opinions are 100% my own.

I Tried It: Skincando

I think it was when I first visited Follain in Boston's South End that I received a sample of the Skincando Combat-Ready Balm. Being a blogger, I'll be honest. I receive samples for a lot of different things so for a product to stand out, it does mean something. The Combat-Ready Balm really did make an impact in our home over the last Winter where 6 feet of snow "blanketed" our sweet New England region and now that it's Winter again, I have found myself digging for that sweet relief for my cracked + dry hands. While our Winter has been MUCH milder this year, the air is certainly different and our skin reacts to it, no doubt. You know, if you read up on the Combat-Ready Balm it was originally used by soldiers in harsh regions to help relieve severe dryness, eczema, chafing, scars, bug bites, burns and so much more. It's the kind of salve that you want to have on hand, and literally, on your hands, because it's the real deal.

I really hadn't done much research on what else Skincando offered because I am starting to get settled into the green beauty products in my regimen but I just recently received some of the Skincando Luxe line and gave it the good old college try. I replaced my normal moisturizer with the miracle cream and have to say that with the colder weather, and the subsequent drier skin, it paired nicely with my face oil and absorbed quickly. A little goes a long way so even a light layer kept my skin moisturized all day without feeling greasy. On those days where it was just oil and miracle cream, my face felt good. On the days when I wore this combo under my makeup, it held up nicely and didn't complicate my normal routine of getting dolled up aka evening out my skin tone with something lightly tinted.

The eye balm, well, I don't currently use an eye balm but I am pushing 34, oh wow, yeah so maybe I should be looking into this in more detail? The Skincando luxe eye balm is very similar to the miracle cream in consistency and how it wears on the skin. The balm has green tea and lemon grass essential oils but is not heavily scented, which is a major pro in my book. I'm going to continue using the eye balm and will start looking at those fine lines and wrinkles a little closer to see if there are any results. Both the miracle cream and eye balm are handmade to order, so it's a very personal process that I admire. My friends and I are always talking about authenticity and where you spend your money is like casting a vote, and you want your vote to count.

The products are legitimate and in the very least, the combat balm will earn it's spot in your battalion but bonus for people who like brands that give back and want to make the world around them better, Skincando's founder, Sara Damelio created Operation Sand Flea, a means of donating the combat ready balm to troops overseas, which can soothe flea bites, sunburn and dry skin all at once. It's how the combat balm came to be and it's how Sara and her team are giving back. It's really special and I love when a line has a story like this. I can get behind a brand where I respect the people and love the products. Skincando has found a place in my beauty cabinet and that is not a lie. I can't wait to snag a jar of the Combat Balm especially for kids, since, well, I have one!

You can find Skincando on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. If you're local, pick up the combat balm at Follain or visit the Skincando site for your goodies.

*Skincando provided samples but all opinions are 100% my own + I will spend my own money on future Skincando purchases.

Alice's Table at The Pop Up

This past week, I was once again blessed with the opportunity to friggin' get my flower arranging on with Alice's Table. You know I love The Street in Chestnut Hill, so the fact that Alice's Table is taking up residence in The Pop-Up until February 16th, well, that made this Mama very happy. Alice invited some local bloggers to check out the space and learn how to arrange some garden roses with eucalyptus and wax flowers and more! It's really easy (and fun) when you're hanging with your girls making pretty things. You might remember my Thanksgiving arrangement but this was a different set up and with girls I knew/could chat it up with (I mean, Miley and Liam are back together!). There are so many great opportunities to learn the art of flower arranging, not just at The Street but at events that Alice's Table has coming up (umm hello, Jonathan Adler!)

It was so great to see some fellow bloggers and compare our creations. Even though we used the same "ingredients", we still managed to create different arrangements. It was just a cool experience. So great to see Emily of Shell Chic'd, Annie of Once Upon a Plate, Jenna of Boston Chic Party, Meghan of Surviving the Suburbs, Jessica of Champagne Thursday, Kerri of Haven Way + Descriptive Apparel, one half of Slow it Down Girl and  Lindsey of Oh Buoy Boston!

If you're looking for a new night out with the girls (or even guys), I can't recommend Alice's Table enough. The gals are friendly, helpful and don't mind you gabbing. The atmosphere is fun and you actually learn flower arranging skills that you can use on future, at home creations. Doesn't my arrangement look masterful? That could be you, too!