Monthly Archives: November 2014

DIY Glitter Art

If you happen to travel outside of the country from time to time, I’m sure you can can relate to the situation here. You’re at the airport..heading home..and you still have a handful of Euro, Icelandic Krona, or whatever currency used in your destination of choice. Not enough to buy anything substantial or convert back into your native currency, so you’re stuck trying to find something useful at one of those airport shops. I found myself in this exact predicament when we were leaving Paris a few of months ago.

Postcards seem to be a consistently inexpensive, even at airports! And although these are more like prints than postcards, they were something like 1 Euro a piece. And can be a great base for some DIY glitter art!

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

And although you can certainly frame tastefully selected airport postcards and prints into a relatively chic art display, you can also take it up a notch with a handful of glitter.

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

Because I would really hate to waste an opportunity to use my glitter set. And while I used prints, this would be doable with any postcard! You’ll also need a glue pen. Also, don’t forget to cover your surface with kraft paper or something of the sort. I like to lay a large sheet of paper down to cover the entire surface and use a smaller piece directly under the glittering area that can be easily folded to pour excess glitter back into the jar.

This couldn’t be any easier! Simply pick an aspect of the postcard you’d like to accentuate (the Eiffel tower seemed like an obvious choice) and fill in the shape with the glue pen.

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

Sprinkle liberally with glitter!  Let it set for a couple of minutes, and then tap off the excess.

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

Depending on the size of the shape you wish to accentuate, you could also outline it in glitter rather than filling it in completely.

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

Which allows you to keep some of the detail within. In addition to the Eiffel tower, I added some sparkle to the fountains and lanterns in this print.

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

While I’m at it, why not add some sparkle to Pont Alexandre III (although no amount of glitter can ever do justice to how magical this bridge looks when it’s all lit up at night..sigh).

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

I added some bits of glitter to the water too, to try to recreate how the Seine shimmers at night (again, impossible to recreate..you just need to go there).

And some shimmering trees were in order on the last print. Seriously though, any project that allows me to use multiple shades of glitter in a non-tacky way are alright in my book.

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

Once you’re satisfied with the level of glitter on your postcard/print, simply let it dry for a couple of hours and lightly brush off excess glitter with a small paintbrush. I decided to frame the prints in  simple white document frames from Ikea, but removed the plastic frame cover (I felt it detracted from the glitter a bit).

I’d love to hear what you think! Ever been to this magical city? Or attempted a souvenir DIY?

– Lusine

Hosting The Perfect Holiday Party!

As you may have picked up from some of my previous posts, I absolutely LOVE this time of year. And although Thanksgiving is right around the corner (any first time hosting tips are welcome), Christmas has always been my hands down favorite. What’s not to love? The music, decorations, presents, lovely smell of pine filling the home! And of course, having an opportunity to spend time with loved ones. One of my favorite Christmas traditions is our annual holiday party. And although I may be a newbie when it comes to hosting Thanksgiving, this will be our fifth annual holiday soiree! And I will admit, it’s quite the event. I like to think of it as the Vanity Fair Oscar party of our social circle. That may be a slight exaggeration, but I have been told that people look forward to it all year. Well, I look forward to it all year.

Anyways! I have picked up a thing or two over the years which has made the event both less stressful for myself and more enjoyable for guests! And in case you are planning on hosting a holiday soiree of your own,  I thought you might enjoy a few of my tips!

Festive Atmosphere

This is way easier than you think and really sets the event apart! Adding little festive touches around the house ensures guests are delighted at every turn! And it doesn’t have to be anything extravagant. Have some ornaments that didn’t make the tree? Put them into a glass bowl, accented with a ribbon!

Holiday Party Planning Tips - Tulips & A Terrier

I was quite proud of this little vignette! The candle holders, candles, and tray are all courtesy of the dollar store. Add in a few ornaments in a variety of shapes, and you have a charming Christmas display! I also like the idea of incorporating some beautifully wrapped presents in in a holiday vignette. After all, why should they have to hide under the tree all season!

Holiday Party Planning Tips - Tulips & A Terrier

The last couple of years, we’ve also been lining the living room and dining room with strings of Christmas lights. Yellow lights only, not multicolored. It creates such a beautiful glow!

Of course, creating a festive atmosphere is more than just decor! An equally festive playlist is essential for an unforgettable party! I stick to upbeat classics that are known crowd pleasers (i.e. All I Want For Christmas is You, Santa Baby), and try to add in some lesser known newer tunes (accented by a few pieces from the Nutcracker,of course). If you’re looking for some ideas, I shared a Spotify playlist last year here! Services like Spotify and Google Play make it super easy to create a playlist right on your phone that you can plug into a portable speaker or TV during the party.

Menu Planning

This is where I think some experience has definitely gone a long way for me. My first overambitious party menu left me exhausted by the time the party started, and the food was cold by the time most of the guests arrived. First off, know that most people will not arrive at the time stated on the invitation (unless you’re having a formal dinner party). And of course, you want people to enjoy the food when it’s fresh out of the oven.

In my opinion, the trick is to find appetizers that can be made ahead and popped into the oven for a few minutes during the party to ensure fresh and warm appetizers throughout the evening. Last year, I found a few appetizers that had similar cooking times and temperatures which I made ahead and put on cookie sheets in sets of 10 or so and popped them in the fridge. Once one batch is gone, you can pop in another sheet of apps and have a fresh batch ready in a few minutes. Slow cooker meatballs are also a life saver. Leave the slow cooker on warm, and replenish the platter as they run out. So much less stressful than trying to have everything ready at the same time and worrying out about food getting cold.

Also, I try to stick to finger foods. No one wants to make a mess of their party outfit or be sitting down and cutting through something with a knife and fork. Try to pick things that can be eaten easily in a couple of bites with minimal mess (or the addition of toothpicks). A roundup of a few favorites from last year..

Garlic Chicken Puffs: While there is no shortage of crescent roll appetizers on Pinterest, I’ve probably made this one probably half a dozen times. The recipe is super versatile and easy! Split the chicken and cream cheese mixture into two, add different seasonings, and you have two different appetizers. I like to give them a little kick with a splash of Sriracha.

Sweet & Sour Crockpot Meatballs: Reading through the ingredients, I was a bit skeptical at first..but these were such a hit! And literally require about 5 minutes of active prep.

Best Ever Sliders: The fact that I didn’t make these last year was probably my biggest hostessing fail ever. They will certainly be on the menu this time around.

Warm Gruyere, Bacon, and Carmelized Onion Dip: One can’t host a Christmas party without a cheese based dish. And this one not only sounds impressive, but is super delicious!

Add A Personal Touch!

In a time where the vast majority of communication takes place electronically through email, text, and an endless array of social media platforms, it’s so refreshing to add something more personal and tangible to the event! I love the idea of sending out invitations! Not an Evite, email, group text, but an actual physical invitation! Imagine just how delighted your guests will be to find a pretty little invitation in the mail that they stick on the fridge to remind themselves of fun times ahead!

There are a ton of adorable options on Tiny Prints, many of which can be customized to match the theme/color of your soiree! I’m torn between these three for this year.

Holiday Party Planning - Tulips & A Terrier

1/2/3

And finally, don’t forget budget the time it will take for you to get ready into your plan for the evening. It seems so simple, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this. And the next thing you know you’re still applying eyeliner as guests are walking in the door.

And most importantly, try not to stress and enjoy yourself! After all, parties are supposed to be fun!

Glittered Pumpkins (Encore!)

With glitter season (as in Christmas) right around the corner, I thought it was about time to break out my trusty glitter set  for some festive, seasonal decorating! And as you might remember from last year, I love me some glittered pumpkins. I was originally planning to something similar to the pumpkins from last year, possibly adding some glitter polka dots but discovered that my Mod Podge had dried out.

Not willing to put off glittering for another day following a trip to the craft store, I tried to think of a plan B. I found this glue pen around the house, and decided to see how it worked.

Glittered Pumpkins (II) - Tulips & A Terrier

For the first pumpkin, I decided to try out a swirly pattern in what I thought was a rosy gold glitter, but actually looked more like an amethyst out of the bottle. I probably should have planned the pattern out a bit better, but I began by drawing swirls from the stem down using the glue pen.

Glittered Pumpkins (II) - Tulips & A Terrier

And sprinkled liberally with glitter! I just love sprinkling things liberally with glitter! It’s always so pretty! Some people think messy, I think magical.

Glittered Pumpkins (II) - Tulips & A Terrier

Anyways! When the swirl pattern started to prove somewhat challenging to continue in a uniform fashion all across the pumpkin, I decided to go with a less-likely-to-go-wrong polka dot pattern for pumpkin #2. As expected, this moved a lot quicker than my swirly pumpkin.

Glittered Pumpkins (II) - Tulips & A Terrier

After the the glue has dried (I left mine on the front porch for a couple of hours), you can remove the excess by lightly tapping he pumpkin and wiping the glitter out of the creases with a paper towel.

I paired them with a third pumpkin which I had decorated using rhinestones and a glue gun (sometimes referred to as bedazzling). I did attempt some pictures of this process, but since the bedazzling took place later in the evening, none are of blog-worthy quality. I’m really trying improve my nighttime photography skills, but am not so pleased with most of the results thus far. Please feel free to share any tips!

Glittered Pumpkins (II) - Tulips & A Terrier

Well, photography rant aside, I’d love to hear what you think of the pumpkins! Did you decorate any this year?