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Category Archives: more is more

Let the grad Party commence!

May 2, 2012 by erin in kids stuff, more is more, Party time, random goodies

Yup, I did this to my kid.

: But he turned out okay. I love photo announcements with baby/senior pics…

Whether you have a middle schooler graduating and you’re just having the fam over for a small celebration or you’re hosting a college grad party with a big crowd, there are easy ways to make it a memorable occasion.

I have a high school senior and I’m teaming up with two other moms to host a grad party so my little brain is overflowing with ideas for a kickass party that my son surely will not appreciate.

Here are some of my ideas:

• Photo invitation instead of the classic school announcement, this way the faraway relatives get a senior portrait and all of the pertinent info in one card

• Photo cake with baby picture/senior portrait

• Slide show or collage showing my son starting out cute and morphing into a horrible teenager

• School colors for linens and decor (duh)

• Yellow & white flowers with a navy ribbon around a vase for centerpieces

• Easy food, i.e., taco stand or heavy appetizers so it doesn’t matter what time guests arrive (this is important- guest might be party hopping)

• If you have a large party, hire someone to work the party – refilling drinks, emptying trash cans, picking up used napkins, etc. so you won’t have a huge mess to clean up after the party. I use college kids, they need the money and can stay up late

• Throw back a shot of the good stuff 15 minutes before the party starts so you can relax, you’ve earned a good time

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home improvement or total destruction?

March 20, 2012 by erin in home style, more is more, random goodies

I haven’t even finished my super sassy pink home office project (it’s 90% done, stay tuned!) and I started another really awesome/shitty home improvement project. It’s awesome because when it’s done I will have new floors throughout my house. It’s shitty because my house looks like this right now.

I live in a shithole.

We have been wanting to replace the floors for years but you practically have to move out and we’re doing a large area – all of the living areas, hallways and a bedroom – so my dining room is in my living room right now and there is a bed on top of the pool table. The guestroom is full of the bookcases that used to be in the landing at the top of the stairs. Did I mention there are nails/staples/dust everywhere? Ack.

The project officially started when I asked my husband, ” When would be a good time to tear up our house and spend a buttload of money?” and he replied, “How about when I’m out of town and don’t have to live in it?” I thought that was a brilliant idea so I called the contractor and said that if they could start the following week about 1 hour after I got on a plane for a business trip then they got the job

That plastic really helped keep the dust out of my underwear drawer. Not.

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the hoe down: My new favorite party theme

September 26, 2011 by erin in color inspiration, inspiration, more is more, Party time, random goodies

Hoe Down theme from the invite down to the flowers

I was inspired to have a Country Western themed party for my husband’s birthday because he loves country music and I would able to sport blue jeans and boots instead of a dress (ack) and high heels. Of course my husband wondered if I would be inviting hoes to the Hoe Down. To his disappoint, the answer was “NO. YOU’RE A PIG.” Naturally I had to have a color scheme (red, brown and denim), cowboy food (ribs, chili, jalapeno corn bread, slaw, etc.) and barnyard decor.

Homemade banners held up with clothespins

I gotta say, this is one of less expensive party themes I have taken on. I got daisies and sunflowers from the farmer’s market and used canning jars for vases so my centerpieces were dirt cheap. And haybales for extra seating looked super cute and I didn’t have to rent as many chairs.

wanted poster cake

I always make and decorate my own cakes, it’s really fun and I like for my family to know that I care enough about their birthdays to make it a priority. So I got up at the crack of dawn to decorate this spice cake with cream cheese frosting.

simple flowers and linens looked great in the backyard

A DJ, a keg, a dance floor and a mechanical bull were the final necessities for a kickass Hoe Down.

Most of our guests were excited to sport cowboy hats and flannel shirts. They were also very flexible with their drinking habits, I saw more team moms taking tequila shots than I ever could have imagined. Their flexibility was really tested with the mechanical bull though, those of us who were ballsy enough to ride it are covered in bruises and I’m still limping two days later. Seriously, I can hardly walk. There is something great about embracing your inner redneck, this was the most fun I’ve had at a party since I got married a hundred years ago (or whatever).

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making summer last

August 30, 2011 by erin in kids stuff, more is more, random goodies

I feel like summer just finally arrived and my kids are already back in school. I’m just not ready to hang up the beach towels and frosty drinks and pull out my winter boots yet, in fact the idea just totally pisses me off.

Homemade Rocket Pops

I’m going to be dragged into Fall kicking and screaming, here are some of the ways that I’m telling Mother Nature and the School District to Bite Me:

Popsicles are a great summery dessert, not too sinful and now they are a fun project too. This popsicle mold is from PB Kids, but you can get them from lots of stores. Put your favorite juice in them on Thursday night and they’ll be ready when the kids get home from school on Friday.

Water Balloon Fights, one of my favorite sports.

Another great summer tradition is water balloon fights. Or in my case, water balloon ambushes. I will spend over an hour filling up water balloons and as the kids walk up to the house (or get out of the carpool minivan), I launch an attack designed for total shock and awe. It usually takes them about a minute to recover and grab the garden hose and then, of course, I’m toast.

We’ve been enjoying dinner outside every night because before long it will be too dark and too cold by 5:00pm and I will be wishing I could have a warm summer evening. We have a little fire pit in the backyard so my pantry ALWAYS has s’mores supplies handy.

You're never too old for S'mores.

This is fun even when it’s cold out. And you don’t need a firepit, a bbq works and my super resourceful yet lazy children have been know to use a candle when they don’t want to go outside. For a twist on the old standard, add peanut butter between the cracker and the chocolate or use oatmeal cookies instead of graham crackers. Mmmm.

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designer dog crap

August 20, 2011 by erin in more is more, random goodies

While enjoying lunch at an outdoor cafe today, I began to feel nauseous. At first I thought it must be my sandwich, then I realized that it was the couple behind me talking baby talk. But there was no baby, it was a dog.

Cute bag, too bad there's a rat in it.

You have probably seen my references to my Effin’ Dog, so you know that I’m not ever going to be the person who carries a dog in a purse or (barf) a stroller. I like my dog because she’s a dog, I don’t need her to be a furry person. I woulda got a Sasquatch if that’s what I wanted from a pet.

Here are some of the ridiculous designer dog products that are making this a billion dollar industry…

And I thought baby products had gotten excessive...

Now that I’ve let the cat out of the bag and admitted that I think certain dog lovers have totally lost their minds (you know who you are) and seeing a dog in a tutu makes me feel violent (not sure if I want to kick the pansy dog, or it’s pansy owner) I’m just sure I will have an opportunity to design a doggie fanny pack or a fab pooper scooper.

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friday fave: the gawkerverse

August 5, 2011 by julie in favorite finds, inspiration, more is more, random goodies

I am so exited to have found a lovely network of websites that is made for anyone who loves food, weddings, and decorating (ME!). It’s comprised of inspirational, user-submitted photo gallery sites: foodgawker , craftgawker , weddinggawker, dwellinggawker. I like to think of it as a bunch of friends to turn to for advise and expertise on just about anything.

I have stumbled across the gawkerverse network at various times before but never delved in until recently while “gawking” at this awesome idea for a Brown Paper Wedding. The premise itself was so contradictory I had to check it out. I love finding refreshing new ideas.

How cute are these wedding favors?

This is a bouquet made of vintage brooches! Sooo cool!

Found on foodgawker: What IS this pie? Made with my favorite things ever? Seriously, I am dying….

This drink looks so yummy. I can use the mint from my garden. (Truth be told, mint has taken over my backyard and is growing everywhere. We’ll just call it my “garden”)

DIY kids rooms on dwellinggawker. This one is a cute outdoors theme that is easy to do. Hey kids, this is how mommy likes to camp…

And…there is even a rad iPhone App for your convenience!

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winnie the pooh

July 20, 2011 by ilene in more is more, musings, random goodies, type obsessed

Winnie the Pooh movie poster. Loved the less is More concept!

Last night I went to see the new Winnie the Pooh movie with my kids. It is a cute story but very short, perfect for youngsters. My girls are 10 and 12 so it is a little young for them but they have such fond memories of Winnie the Pooh that they could not wait to go. We did not stay until the end of the credits but I have since learned that there is a cute little ending, so stay put! We will have to rent it when it comes out.

The stories by A.A. Milne are so sweet and the film adaption is great. The characters are cute and quirky just like your extended family. There’s Uncle Bob always asking about food, and the control freak Aunt Betty, the spastic cousin John, the know it all Uncle Sam, the mother hen and her spoiled brat, Mitsy and Kaily, the shy introverted cousin Mikey and the grumpy grandpa Dave. Just kidding these are not my real family names I changed them to protect them.

But the real treat of the film is how the story literally comes to life. The film is every graphic designers dream. I loved how they incorporated the words into the film and even used the letters as props. So creative! Winnie the Pooh has always been one of my childhood favorites. I even designed my son’s nursery in Winnie the Pooh. Now as an adult and as a designer I can see why I loved it so much as a child, it was my inner design diva shining through!

the gang used the letters as a ladder to get out of the hole

another interaction with the storybook

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trend watch: maxi dress

June 17, 2011 by julie in favorite finds, inspiration, more is more, random goodies

I get obsessed with an item and then go on a mission until I find the perfect one. I have done this with shoes, purses, mascara….you name it. My current fixation is finding the perfect summer maxi dress. I love this trend for many reasons but the most important is that it is the most comfortable way to dress in the summer. I have big plans of wearing this dress on a mexican food night (my fave) because I can eat as much as I want.

Don’t worry, I am paying close attention to the rules of wearing the maxi dress. Although it will camouflage big butts and stomachs, being swamped by a maxi dress will give the impression of being larger. The maxi dress is not a mumu or a food storage overwrap. The dress should skim curves rather than cling, and it should not be too tight.

Look for me this weekend chillin in my new dress sipping on a frozen margarita (with the good tequilla). With that thought in mind, I am off to go shopping…

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