dinner at eight :: breakfast for dinner

{Dinner at Eight is a special project I am doing with my friend Andi this year - planning date nights at home for our husbands every other week, putting the kids to bed early and being intentional about our marriages! Read more dinner at eight posts HERE!}

 It has been another sick week for me so when I started thinking about planning our little date night I felt the perfect solution to go with our theme of breakfast for dinner was to serve it up in bed! This was my favorite theme so far for sure. I didn't have to do much but light a ton of candles and string some twinkle lights. I made our absolute favorite homemade cinnabon cinnamon rolls (top secret recipe). I usually only make these once or twice a year so it felt very special. Simple eggs, potatoes and bacon to round out the menu and some serving trays all set up for a relaxing night together!

 It was fun but by the time we crawled in bed to eat and enjoy both Chris and I were totally pooped. I had rented Breakfast at Tiffany's to watch together but we ended up skipping it. It turns out eating in bed makes you want to pass out - and maybe heavy antibiotics and steroids mix with our favorite creamsicle cocktails - ha!  (don't worry I only drank about two sips, I am not totally crazy)

And just in case you guys were tempted to think that while I was preparing for our romantic little date my children were quietly reading in the other room I thought I would share a few out takes:

Bath time, laundry, crazy wild kids and all. After we put the kids to bed last night we could hear the boys talking in their room.

"your ruining our date night Levi"

"no I am NOT"

"come here we are reading"

This morning Simon came in and immediately went under the bed and plugged in the twinkle lights and announced that we were having another date in bed for breakfast. I had to indulge him. He also told me all about his date with Levi. It was a reading date in bed with books and yummy food. So cute It's fun to see how our intentional dates at home effect the kids!

I pray that when they are older they might see the importance of dating their spouses and I want to be a good example of a wife to my man so that they will be able to spot a good spouse for themselves one day!

It was a another sweet date night at home the sickies and all!! xo


check out how Andi spent her breakfast for dinner date night with her man it will be up later today!

*ruffle duvet urban outfitters*

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PS. You guys my Mexican fiesta dinner at eight party bunting from a few weeks ago was chosen as a finalist in the great party DIY challenge with Bliss and Urban Scarlet!! Check it out HERE and consider leaving a comment in support - wink*!!! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend I am excited about next week I have a lot of fun stuff planned around here!!

guest post :: Fancy Felt May Baskets

Fancy Felt May Baskets by Jessica Kesterson {Living the Swell Life} 

I grew up in a small Midwestern town where May Day was a huge deal!  Every year on the first day in May we would celebrate springtime by filling up baskets of candy, flowers, etc., then ran through the neighborhood, delivering them to our friends.  The only catch was that the recipient shouldn't see who delivered it--so we would set these baskets on doorknobs and doorsteps, ring the bell, and RUN!  It was the sweetest tradition, a day full of thoughtfulness and surprises.  Here's my no-sew DIY on making an adorable May basket, perfect for resurrecting this fine holiday in a neighborhood near you.  This tutorial uses felt, but this project could easily be adapted to paper, fabric, etc.  Enjoy!!

1 | Gather supplies:
felt, cut into one 7x11" piece and 1x11" strip
fabric scissors
hot glue gun
handful of your favorite buttons & trims
needle + thread (if desired, to sew on buttons)

2 | Cut slits:
Fold the 7x11" piece of felt in half, shorter sides together.  Approximately 1/2" above fold, make a 1" snip through both layers.  Repeat on opposite side.  When you unfold the piece, these will become the *tabs* to secure the sides of the basket.

3 | Add trim:
Glue your favorite trim along both ends of the felt (on the same side).  Here is your chance to get creative! Use whatever ribbons, lace, or rick-rack you have on hand!

4 |  Fold & glue:
Turn the project over so that your trim faces down. Begin by folding one tab toward center.  Glue back of right side to the front of the tab.  Next run glue along left side, then overlap and press it into the edge of the right side.  Your basket is half done! Repeat steps on the opposite, except begin by gluing left side to tab, then overlapping with right.  (That way both of your "raw" edges will face the backside of the basket.)

5 | Add the handle:
Glue long strip to the inside edges of bag.  Adjust length to your liking.

6 | Polish it off:
Now go to town, decorating the front with buttons, fabric flowers, and other fun notions as you wish!  To replicate the white flower on the gray basket, you can check out this tutorial!

Make many more, fill them up with sweet treats, and deliver them to your friends + family on May Day!

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Aren't these the cutest things ever!!! A special thanks to Jessica for sharing such a perfect little project here today just in time for May Day on Sunday!

Breaking News

Just a little FYI that tonight is .31cent scoop night at good old B&R's! I felt it was my civic duty to inform you - now that I have I can go back to resting easy..could be the perfect excuse for a family date night!

So what's your favorite flavor? Mine is rum raisin or jamoca almond fudge or maybe bubble gum...yum!!

when I was a girl

I thought I would do a little re-posting today since I am still sick - I'll post a few goodies from my old blog, Orangepoppy over the next few days. This one originally from May 7, 2009..

♥ when I was a girl ♥

♥ I hated my hair and would pray each night that God would make my curls straight

♥ was terribly skinny

♥ could wrap both legs behind my neck at the same time

♥ use to fake coughing fits when my Mom would make eggplant and convinced her that I was allergic 

♥ would let my sister lip sync in the mirror while I sang from the closet

♥ loved to sing..sing sing sing..

♥ would record songs I'd written and hide the tapes under my bed

♥ would call a boy I liked and hang up after he answered (we dated senior year)

♥ begged my Mom for one of those Popples until she gave in

♥ won a bunny from our school librarian, it was a little black runt that I named Rudy after the youngest girl on the Cosby Show

♥ wore out two of the same Amy Grant tape

♥ loved Debbie Gibson and HAD to have a black hat like she use to wear

♥ burned off my cousin's bangs with a curling iron

♥ was ring bearer in both my parents second wedding, my sister got to be the flower girl {not that I'm still jealous or anything :)}

♥ would decorate the tent when we went camping

♥ loved it when my Mom let us stay home for an R&R day

♥ wanted to be a Mom someday when I was old which I thought was 25..ha ha, I did become a Mom at 26!

Mr. Gough's favorite picture of me as a girl he says I've 'still got em' about my legs :)

 So what about you, what were you like as a kid? Maybe consider doing a similar post on your own blog today and link up in the comment section I would love to see! I might have to do another installment myself! xo

pretty please with sugar on top

                                                                                                                  

make something monday :: pajama day

Happy Monday my sweet Friends. Did you all have a wonderful Easter weekend? We most certainly did. Saturday was a gloriously gorgeous day here in Seattle with sunshine and blue skies and an Easter egg hunt with family and friends! We look forward to my families annual Easter egg hunt all year and this one did not disappoint. It is always so fun to see the parents getting into the action. My Dad and Step-Mom literally hide about 500 eggs and when they give the green light to start searching it's hard to not instantly turn into a kid and get the fever as my Dad puts it. Grabbing armloads of eggs with the little ones. There were smiles all around - and lots of candy and prizes too!

Sunday we were at our Church bright and early just before 7am to celebrate with our Church family - it was a blessed morning. I had my *team* helping me with my three little ones. Grandma and Grandpa with the boys and Auntie Claire with Josie. I could not have made it through three services without them but am always thankful for the opportunity to serve on Easter at Church.  We finally left Church after 1pm and finished out the weekend with a big family dinner yesterday afternoon and then the kids came home to a special package from the Easter bunny (thanks Mom) that they enjoyed tearing into before bed. It was wonderful!

But this morning our family is all still sick. We have been fighting sinusitis all around for the past few weeks, lot of antibiotics and Kleenex and some rough nights. So today I told the boys it was pajama day. We've pulled our blankets and pillows and favorite books and movies into the play room. I manage to make our favorite scones and some eggs for a late breakfast and we are curled up together hunkered down listening to the return of the rain and trying to feel better. No real crafting happening around our home for today but these scones - they are SO GOOD!

Recipe is courtesy of Prudent Baby. I have made them many times most recently with white whole wheat flour and milk instead of the cream. Easy and tasty on a pajama day at home. Recipe can be found HERE!
I hope you are all able to rest and recoup from all the fun you had over the weekend. I will be back soon hopefully feeling better but if someone could let baby Josie know that sleep actually helps you fight the flu that would be great. Sleeping is not her fav I am convinced she just doesn't want to miss anything. OK back to vegging out with my babies today hope you have a good one!
xo

diy :: easter bangle

I have a super easy bracelet project for you on this Good Friday. I wanted to coordinate with my little easter bunny over the weekend so I put this together and thought I would share it with you before I sign off for the holiday!

{go ahead and click on the photos for a bigger view}

for the bracelet all you need is a bangle form. I picked this one up at JoAnnes for only a few dollars in the jewelry aisle
you need strips of fabric in coordinating colors
fabric glue
rhinestones or other embellishments
clothes pin

1. start out by dabbing a big glob of glue onto the bangle form and then grab a strip of fabric and basically just start wrapping it evenly around adding a bit more glue as you go. No real secrets here just wrap the whole bracelet glue the end and hold it all together with a clothes pin while it is drying.

2. I made two silk rosettes with coordinating strips of silk fabric. There are ALL KINDS of tutorials on how to make these around the web and although I prefer to hand sew my rosettes for this easy project I chose to glue. Make a knot in the end of a strip of silk or coordinating fabric and add a dab of glue. The knot is going to be the center of the rosette. Just start twisting the fabric around on top of itself and add glue as you go. When you get to the end of the strip add a big dab of glue to the back to secure the end and let the whole thing dry.

3. Now that the rosettes and the bangle are pretty dry simply glue your rosettes and any other embellishments onto the bangle - I am using a matching rhinestone button and velvet leaf so that I can match Josie and her Easter headband.

Obviously the skies the limit here guys.

I hope you all have a truly wonderful blessed Easter weekend. We will be spending much of the holiday with family and be at our Church home for the three chapel services (8:30, 10:15 & 12:00) helping with music if you want to come by and worship with us we would love to see you there!

Happy Easter Friends - Jesus is risen He is risen INDEED!
xo Rebekah