House of Hydrangeas

Being a girl raised in the South, I've grown up loving college football...and of course all of the eats and treats that come along with it.  Here are a few new favorites to share with you guys.  Enjoy, and Roll Tide! { Pretzel rolls with beer cheese sauce .  What could be more appropriate?} {Collegiate Martini.  Love this idea from Snappy Gourmet .  Pick a drink to match your team's colors and use pineapple or apple slices to cut out a floating logo.} { Football shaped foods .  The possibilities are endless...Check Pinterest for even more ideas.} { Sausage Pepperoni Pizza Puffs .  A mini pizza party in your mouth.  Yes, please.} { Buffalo Chicken Appetizer Cupcakes .  A yummy alternative to buffalo wings.}

 {Wow.  Hanging floral halos and crisp white tables.} {Dipped treats with bows--simple and cute.} {Everything about this space is amazing.} {Tickle Me Francey by OPI...my new go-to fall color.} {Speaking of fall...it has arrived at our house!...well, at least indoors :) } Happy Friday!  

Hi friends! Sorry for the lack of posts as of late.  I've had a lot of things on my plate and a lot of things I'm prepping for just around the corner. Many of you may not know, but my husband Jon has been in Afghanistan for the past several months.  And I'm happy to announce that he will be finally arriving home a week from this Saturday!  And a week after that, we are going on a nice relaxing vacation to Napa Valley!  I'll give you more details on where we're staying in an upcoming post, but I can say it truly looks like it'll be heaven on earth...and that it was recently named "The Best Taste of Wine Country" in the summer travel issue of Martha Stewart Living. As if that wasn't enough excitement, the Olympics are also right around the corner!  Will you be watching the opening ceremonies?  I know I will, and I can't to see the show.  According to the news, milllions of people will be tuning in as well.  Sounds like a great reason to t...

Five Things inspired by the 4th of July's red, white and blue... {Lounge on the beach with this turkish towel.  This color is Cherry Pie.  Perfect for the 4th right?} {Make your party festive with these easy tear-off napkins from Anthropologie.}   {Hang a grouping of these picnic votives from a backyard tree for a soft night glow.}   {Ditch the typical burger for  these turkey pesto sliders.}   {Enjoy refreshing sips like this  red and white strawberry sangria.  Add blackberries for a blue garnish.} Happy early 4th of July everyone!

While out running errands yesterday, I stopped by Office Depot to pick up a ream of paper they had on sale.  I found what I needed and headed to the cash register.  When I was getting out my money to pay, I saw something bright out of the corner of my eye.  I looked down and saw a pile of animal rubber band bracelets for sale.  I know these were all the rage back in 2010-2011, but I never got into them. However, when I saw the 25¢ price tag, a Pinterest light bulb (Pinterbulb?) went off in my head.  I remembered an idea that I had pinned awhile back that suggested using these bracelets as wine charms.  There were 20 bands in the bag which equated to 1.25¢ a charm.  Sold. And what makes these particular bands even better?  They are tropical themed--perfect for our new home in Florida! Oh I can't wait to use them!  Thank you Party City  Office Depot for making my day! I'm not sure if these are for sale at every Office Depot, but I...

I started feeling a little under the weather last night, but unfortunately, Jon and I still had a list of errands we needed to run starting this morning. I managed to last until about 12:30p and then I was done. Jon was sweet to let me sit in the car at most of the stops while he ran in to take care of things, AND I was able to keep the radio on Christmas music all day. He isn't the biggest fan of repetitive Christmas music, but he knows it makes me happy so he didn't say a word :) All I wanted to do was come home, eat some lunch, snuggle up on the couch in my jammies and watch Prancer (my favorite Christmas movie).  Unfortunately Prancer didn't happen because it's packed up in storage, but I was out in no time anyway.  I'm still feeling achy but am hoping for some progress soon.  At this point the Christmas spirit seems to be the best medicine.  So with that being said, I thought I'd bring you a little Christmas cheer with this party designed by Abby Barnet...

The only transformation I'll be apart of today is the one happening in my mom's kitchen. Yes, I'm finally getting around to painting the walls. But if I was having a party, it would look something like this... Happy Halloween! Images via Country Living, Twig and Thistle

I had a pretty busy weekend, but it was a good busy, not a crazy busy. My sister and her hubby came up Friday and stayed through the weekend.  It's always nice to see them (and of course her baby bump).  They brought up the video of their 4d ultrasound, so we got to see Cohen in action as well!  What a treat! Saturday my friend Bekah had us over to watch the Alabama vs. Arkansas game.  Saturdays in the fall are almost always filled with football watching, but this one was especially good for several reasons. A.  Alabama won (Roll tide!) B.  Bekah made us some delicious taco soup C.  We had red velvet cookies - I like to call them Roll Tide red velvet cookies (Bekah made these too and they were delicious!) Sunday I helped host a bridal shower for one of my college sorority sisters.  You know I love a good party!  We all had a great time celebrating and catching up, and the food was delicious too!  Congrats again, Brittany! I wa...

Hello, readers!  Sorry to keep you waiting for a post since last Thursday.  Jon and I spent the day with my grandparents and rushing home to write a post just didn't happen.  I began to think about how I started this blog as a fun outlet to share ideas and inspirations, and I don't want it to turn into a daunting, daily task.  So if I miss a day here and there because I'm busy or just not inspired, I've decided that's okay.  I hope you guys don't mind. With that being said, there is a lot going on here!  Aside from last minute shopping/crafting for Mer's shower and the couples shower I'm helping host, I'm also prepping for shooting Meredith's maternity photos and just (as in today) added training for a 10k in November to my list.  My friend Lauren approached me about it, and I thought "Why not?"  I'm always up for a good challenge :) But back to the showers.  I'm all about having a nicely decorated food table, but I think th...

I hope your weekend is as beautiful as this tablescape! via  April Foster Events It's date night with the hubby!  And we're headed to our favorite wine and tapas bar.

I'm back from a great weekend in Dallas where I experienced my first taste of Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and did some much needed shopping, snatching up some great new pieces for my fall wardrobe.  A good time was had by all, but now it's back to reality...which, for me, means back to creativity!  And boy have I found some things to share with you. While skimming through one of my favorite wedding blogs, I stumbled upon some delightful finds.   Yes, even though I've been married for almost 5 months now, I still stalk many a wedding blog, and I think you should too.   The truth is, I am greatly obsessed with weddings and all of the beauty and love shown at them.  But I also think they are a GREAT resource for ideas when it comes to entertaining.  Think about it.  Weddings and dinner parties are very similar: They both have guests they wish to impress. They both serve food and drinks. They both have decorations. They both are an expression ...