DIY CONFETTI PACK AND THE PERFECT PARTY FAVOR!

We are doing a little NYE project over here to get ready for the festivities tonight! What is a NYE celebration without some confetti? I put together mini confetti packs and taped them to card stock that I printed little phrases on with my ol' epson printer. Haha! Super easy project, and so fun to hand out to any party guests, host/hostess, or just keep in your bag for your own mini celebration when the clock strikes midnight.

Confetti can be made out of ANYTHING (that doesn't give you a head injury). I used a lot of leftover materials from Christmas like metallic chip board letters, twine that I shredded, striped straws, gold ribbon, teal and white card stock, and aqua and pink crepe paper. Have fun with it!

This "kiss me under the confetti" card is my favorite! Lucky me, I get two kisses tonight! ;)

Just look at that confetti goodness... sigh...

 Champagne is definitely my drink of choice for a night such as this, but my husband prefers White Russians. Champagne is not always the manliest drink, so I get it. I put together a hostess gift for the couple hosting us tonight. I collected some mini shakers from the Target dollar section along with some chalkboard tags they had. Then, I added the mini drinks with a striped straw. It would also just make a great party favor for any party. You could even buy these items in a normal size and gift it. Confetti and cocktails....yes, please!!

I tied a chalkboard tag onto the mini shaker that read "Just add cream....Cheers!"

Cheers!! Please have a happy and SAFE New Year friends!! Have some of that responsible kind of fun!! 

{cue noise makers now}

-J

NYE AT HOME....WITH THE LITTLES

If you are planning on staying home this NYE, and maybe even have little ones join in the festivities, here are some fun goodies to make the most of your night in. 

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1 Lounge in style in this fabulous thermal set! They will still look great with a red lip ;)

2 We love Knot & Bow!!! They have a new metallic and white confetti bomb that will serve as a little party in your vacuum on New Years Day!

3 We weren't on the up and up in time to order these, but personalized pjs for your kids?!?! LOVE!!

4 Confetti socks! Enough said.

5 It's not a party without a noise maker, right? The prettiness of these outweigh the loud noise.

6 Let your littles get their drink on with a sparkling apple juice in a can. Add a festive straw for fun!

7 We are all about wearing some sort of NYE/2014 Head gear. This cute headband is an Etsy find.

8 Canned champs ladies!! Pop, Fizz, Clink Tsssss???

9 Photo props! A must at every party.

10 Confetti with color for your littles to make a giant mess with! yay!!!

NEW YEARS EVE PARTY IDEAS

We've been scouring the interweb for the coolest NYE ideas and recipes. Whether you're throwing a big shindig or a having a cozy night at home, there's always something special you can add. DIY garlands, fun balloons, confetti, glitter!!, yummy dips and apps, and of course...champagne! Check out our pinterest board for all things NYE.

NEW YEARS NEUTRALS

Hey friends!! Hope you are all recovering from the holidays nicely. Our tree is finally down, however, the pine needles allllll over my floor are another story. I decided to do a style board for you guys rather than vacuum. You are welcome! NYE is just around the corner, and its time to bring anything and everything that sparkles out of your ( or your friend's) closet. I honestly have not been out on NYE since the year 2010/2011. I was pregnant with my daughter, Amara, and didn't even know it yet! Let's not talk about how many cocktails I had that night. 

Moving on..... New Years looks little different with the littles in the picture. We have just been at home the last couple of years ( happily), but this year, we are going to a friend's house to celebrate! They are both stylists and one is additionally a chef. It will be a stylish night with great food! I. CAN'T. WAIT. Kids are tagging along, but it was requested that we dress up! Here is a look I am loving for this year.   Neutral with a little sparkle! It is typically hard to splurge on items to wear just for one night, but when you buy things you love that are classic mainstays, then it is not a waste of money. 

What are your plans for NYE? We would love to celebrate with you via Instagram that night. Be sure and follow us!

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1 This French Connection dress is so stunning! Classic, but the way it swings is so sexy! 

2 Bauble Bar will never let a girl down. PLEASE mix those metallics. The subtle gold on this bracelet   would be gorgeous against the silver.

3 The perfect nude color. 

4 Since the dress isn't extremely form fitting and kind of loose, a dainty, strappy sandal is a must to add that feminine touch

5 My go to nail color. For those of you who are "afraid" of black nail polish...GREAT NEWS! Its really really really dark purple! :)

6 I have used these lashes while doing make-up for brides. They are so subtle and natural looking, but still offer that glam factor. Gotta wear lashes on nights such as this.

7 Lodis clutch to keep your necessities. Love that it is leather!

-J

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

Today we're each sharing our Christmas traditions!

LEAH

We're in my hometown of St. Louis with my twin sister and my parents for the holidays. And while we don't celebrate the religious aspect of Christmas, we truly appreciate and enjoy the spirit of Christmas. We've been marathoning Christmas movies and listening to music all month! My three-year-old, Ari, loves the "pretty lights!" and trying to spot "Olaf the snowman" from Frozen. Each year our family makes and decorates sugar cookies. This year, Ari took the reins and made a beautiful mess in the kitchen. 

-L

JENNI

Christmas has been an extra fun season for me this year because my daughter, Amara, is really taking notice of all that this amazing season has to offer. The lights, the trees, opening presents, Santa Claus, and more importantly, Jesus! We have done our best to soak it all in and make this season a stress-free part of our year. Christmas shopping was even a breeze this year! Whoop Whoop!

Every year, we go to Opryland Hotel with my husband's side of the family. His birthday is on the 23rd, so it is a great way to celebrate. We have a nice dinner (The Old Hickory Steakhouse was this year's choice) and walk around to look at all of the pretty Christmas decor. Then we take a picture in front of one of their poinsettia trees (complements of a complete stranger who does not know how to operate the focusing part of the camera). No complaints here though! We are just happy to get a shot! I always enjoy our conversations on the way to and from the hotel. We just get to talk about our year, encourage one another, and talk about our goals and hopes for the year to come. 

Tonight, we will drive to my dad and stepmom's for our Christmas Eve traditional dinner. We get all of the cousins, aunts and uncles together and feast to our hearts' content and exchange gifts (dirty santa style). My aunt is extremely serious about it too! haha. We have done this since I can remember, and it is always such a fun night. Then, Gabe and I are excited to come home and set up Amara's gifts "from Santa" and set out some baked cookies. I can completely understand why my parents had so much fun doing all of this Christmas stuff with us. Seeing the happiness on little ones' faces..... I might start crying  just talking about it ;). 

Merry Christmas Eve from the Patillos!! We are truly blessed, and hope that your holiday is filled with nothing but JOY!

-J

MAX'S NAVY AND GOLD NURSERY

Very excited to show you all Max's nursery! I had so much fun finding little details to personalize the room. Max loves looking at all of the animal-themed artwork and the shiny gold details, and I love the cozy retreat from the chaos of toddler-world. 

These wall letters were the first things I bought for the nursery... just a little excited when we finally picked a name!

Paint color is Valspar Mystified

Crib / Bedding

Mobile / Photo

Dresser

 Pretty obsessed with Mr. Moose

The gold theme began with this lamp from Land of Nod.
Had to add this framed pic of big brother for Max to worship :)

Dog photograph by William Wegman
Wall shelves and toy bin from Land of Nod

This was a fun embroidery project! It comes as a DIY kit, but I added a little pompom to his hat.

1 / 3 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 9 / 10

2) I may have cut this out of my Picasso coffee table book!

4) Incredible paper cut made by my sister's friend. Leave a comment if you'd like the artist's info.

8) DIY inspired by this talented artist

Enchanting LED lights!

Mr. Max

-L

CONFETTI-FILLED LIGHT BULB GARLAND

Hey friends! We apologize for the late start to our week. Holiday travels and sick babies have kept us mamas busy! Christmas day is approaching, parties are still being thrown, and decorating is still taking place. If you are anything like me, the decorating never stops!! I just wanted to share a simple tutorial for the confetti filled light bulb garland I made for our wrap party last week. I love it so much, and I am definitely keeping it around for next year!

^ What you will need: yarn or twine, gold spray paint, clear light bulb ornament (purchased at Joann's Fabrics) and crepe paper (festive colors a must!) ^

^ Remove top of ornament and begin spray painting. Allow time to dry, and then spray the opposite side. I began working on the steps below in between drying times. ^

^ Cut crepe paper into small strips. I cut roughly 10 strips of each color per ornament. ^

^ Then, cut those strips into small squares. ^

^ Begin filling the bulb ornament with the confetti. I only wanted to fill mine about a quarter of the way. ^

^ String those lights!! Space your bulbs out to your liking, and tie a small knot to hold each one in place. ^

-J