Celebrations

When the MOIC opened up in L.A. I had serious thoughts about flying there for it. Considering it’s on the other side of the country and how much flights cost, I decided probably not the best idea. Good thing I did because they came to Miami!!! Let me tell you how excited I was when I found out. I’m not a museum kind of girl. I will admit it but a museum about Ice Cream?!?! I’m in!!

Tickets are on sale now. We went on a Thursday afternoon. It was pretty busy. I would try to go on a weekday morning if you can. The entire experience was so fun! It’s four floors of IG heaven. Every room is full of pink sugary perfection. They offer yummy ice cream and treats throughout the four floors included in your admission. The sprinkle pool is the last experience and is made of plastic sprinkles. So don’t worry about your kiddos eating them, just be ready to dip yourself and your littles in a vat of sanitizer. I loved it so much it got me thinking… who wants to open a Museum of Champagne with me?!

I started a fun tradition of getting the girls photos taken with Love the Look Photography every holiday season. It is the easiest shoot I’ve ever done! I typically rent the girls outfits. Last year I used Rainey’s Closet and this year I used The Borrowed Boutique. Both companies have a website that you order the outfits you need for the date you have your photoshoot. It arrives to your doorstep the day prior to your shoot and then you mail it back to them the day after your shoot. I had a great experience with both company’s!

Each holiday season she offers a few different types of mini sessions. I loved the reindeer this year! We were there for 15 minutes and the girls had fun playing in the fake snow. Amy sends you all the photos and you choose what photos she edits. What could be better than that? We love the photos this year and can’t wait to see what she comes up with next year!

Holiday time is near and its time to get that shopping done! Maven is almost two and while she has got unwrapping gifts down pat she isn’t big enough to tell you what she wants quite yet. I’ve rounded up 10 gift ideas for toddlers that I think will make memorable gifts that she can play with for years to come. Please consider purchasing them through the links I’ve provided. Thank you so much!

Design and Drill Flower Power Studio

Little Tikes Horse & Carriage Ride On

Unicorn Purse

Rainbow Ball

RainMaker

Touch Think and Learn Books – Colors

Jenny Lind Doll Bed and Swan Bed Set

Doll Diaper Bag

Doll

Giant Bubble Maker Kit

    
My favorite time of the year! I love giving gifts. I love taking the time to think about the perfect gifts for the people I love. Of course McKenzie has her Santa’s list but I love to search for special gifts that I know she will cherish. I’ve listed 10 gifts below that I think she is going to love and I hope the little lady in your life will love them too! Please consider purchasing them through the links I’ve provided. Thank you so much!

Inflatable Snow Shield

Glow in the Dark Snowballs

Water Based Nail Polish Set

In My Heart Book

Little People Big Dreams Books – Amelia Earhart Book

Hanging Theater Playhouse

Microphone

Shrinking Trinkets

Gold Dottie Bean Bag

Celestial Sleeping Bag

My summer wish list is full of fun things that we all can have a blast with. Summer is in full swing and fading fast so I better get on it!

32 Bubbles for Waffle Ice Cream treats- there is the cutest ice cream truck that makes bubble waffles Hong Kong style and fills them with homemade ice cream and sauces. It was delish check out the pictures above. Go to their IG page for location details.

Make homemade popsicle for the kids and some cocktails popsicles for mommy and daddy of course!

Rent a blow up water slide. This is really more for me than the kids.

2017 Summer Sidewalk Chalk photo. I love the sidewalk chalk photos where the kids lay on the ground. Need to do a fun one with them this summer.

IKEA Play Kitchen Makeover. I’m excited to get one and make it SUPER cute for the girls’ playroom

Go to Disney! We did it and it was so hot. Never again.

Take the girls on a road trip. By road trip, I mean less than 3 hours in the car to check out somewhere fabulous! Hawks Cay here we come!

Make matching Tassel sandals with McKenzie. I bought matching gladiator sandals from Target to decorate with homemade tassels!

Have a beach picnic for dinner. I bought a great new picnic basket that I’m dying to try out!

Make giant bubbles. Maven LOVES bubbles. I have to get a giant bubble maker for her!

Make your own pizza night!

Adult weekend getaway. We are only a couple hours from Naples. Since it’s summer you can find great rates at nice hotels there. We are staying at the Inn on 5th. I’ll let you know how it is.

Family Vacation! This is by far the best part! Can’t wait to go. Boston and Cape Cod is the 2017 Summer Vacation Destination.

What fun things do you have planned this summer?

Birthdays, it seems like every year they become celebrated less and less. The children take over and before you know it you are saying how old am I again? Am I the only one that forgets how old they are?! Maybe a blessing in disguise.

I LOVE celebrating birthdays, I always have. It’s one day a year that you can let that special person know how much they mean to you. It used to be birthday month celebrations and then it became birthday weeks, now I am like, what day is it again?!

A lot of my friends are coming up on their 40th birthdays! Omg, how in the world is that even possible? I just can’t comprehend the severity of the number 40. Wowza. I don’t even understand how I’m allowed to be responsible for little humans and paying a mortgage. This requires lots of champagne and lots of celebrating with my besties. Check out my list for the top 10 gift ideas for your BF.

1. Slouchy Straw Tote – the perfect summer beach or pool bag

2. Mantraband Bracelets – let you BFF know how much you love and admire her

3. Buxom Plump your Pout 6 piece Lip Gloss Collection – This is hands down the best lipgloss ever of all time

Summer is here! If you are looking for a great summer party theme I have it! “Party like a Pineapple!” Pineapples are everywhere right now. There are so many cheerful twists you can do with this theme. Whether you are planning a party for kids or adults this is easy and fun! We chose this theme for Maven’s first birthday. I fell in love with the happy little pineapple on the invitations that remind me of Maven’s sweet smile and squishy face.

We had a great time creating the dessert table! I always focus my attention on the dessert table first and then build the rest of the party around it. We started with a vinyl backdrop, layered tissue poms, fans, pineapples and finished it off with a simple happy birthday banner accented with the pop of the gold balloons spelling out the birthday girl’s name.

All the guests enjoyed the pineapple cups and flamingo straws! They are inexpensive and make a great impact! We made Mai Tai’s for the adults, which were so delicious. Oriental Trading is the place to shop for party supplies. They ship quickly and have great prices with good customer service.

The photo “booth” was a big hit. I borrowed a friends peacock chair and decorated it with the leftover tissue poms I had from the dessert table. I ordered the props on Amazon and had a local florist make the flower crowns. The pictures came out so cute. All the guests loved it!

I tried to list all the companies I ordered from below. If you have any questions I am happy to answer them! Email me at Stephanie@inspired-styling.com

Pineapple cups, Flamingo straws, Backdrop tissue pineapples and leaves, Yard Flamingos, Favors-Flamingo glasses and pineapple lollipops Oriental Trading

Flowers, Flower crowns and Pink pineapples: @bohogardencrowns

Tassel and balloon garlands: GenWoo

Backdrop name balloons, Party Like a Pineapple Sign, Pinata: Hobby Lobby

Sugar Cookies: NatSweets

Chocolate covered Oreos and Rice Krispie Treats: Cupcake Novelties

Cake Topper: Zilvi

One Year Milestone poster: Elsy and Grace

1 Hat: Shop Lissy

Pineapple romper and Top: The Haltered Thread

Bell Bottoms: Two Chicks

Invitations and Door sign: Polka Prints

Photography: C. Gonzalez Photography

The 5 senses, you learn about them as a kid and you use them daily but it’s not something you think about. Spoiling those mama’s out there with gifts that indulge all of their senses sounds like happy times to me. Here are my picks for gifts that will treat her and make her feel like a million bucks!

1. TASTE

What mama out there doesn’t love sweets? Lets think a little outside the chocolate bar box and venture to the most delicious cakes I’ve ever tasted. http://www.nothingbundtcakes.com They are so delicious and make a perfect gift. Order the bundtinis by the dozen and let her taste all of the yummy flavors!

2. SIGHT

I say it all the time but what is better than photos? Daddies: take a special photo of your children holding a sign that says Happy Mothers Day or we/I love you mommy. Print it out and voila! Instant mommy tears. She will love it. Trust me. If you are an adult take an old picture of you as a child that your mom loves and recreate the same look/moment and give both photos to your mama.

3. TOUCH

One word. Massage. Not just any massage though. Look for a local reflexology massage spa. Tao in Boca Raton, FL is my absolute favorite. 85 minutes for $55. Total Bliss.

4. SMELL

Voluspa candles make a beautiful gift. They smell amazing and look so pretty. The panjore lychee scent is my favorite it is light and refreshing, but they are all good! You can buy them at Nordstrom or Anthropologie.

5. HEAR

Music fuels the soul. If she doesn’t already have a portable blue tooth speaker, buy her one! This is the one I have and I love it! We listen to music everyday in our home, the kids love it and so do I. It’s amazing how it can change the mood and uplift everyone. I have a membership to Pandora for $3 a month so I can listen to music with no ads. There are tons of music apps out there. Choose one and dance your way to happier days.

6. HANDBAGS

Ok… so I made that up, not a sense but it should be!!

What would be better than wrapping up all of the gifts and sticking them in a perfect summer time bag? Nothing I say.  I’ve linked a few of my favorites for summer.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the hardworking mamas out there. Hope you are spoiled and cherished on Mother’s Day and every other day of the year!

Marriage is a wonderful thing, but it’s hard. It’s work and if you don’t think it takes work then you are probably slipping. I’m no expert by any means, but I will say I do take time to celebrate my husband, our marriage and the life we’ve built.

It truly is a remarkable thing if you think about married life. In the beginning you meet, go on dates and at some point you make one of the biggest decisions of your life. You decide to spend THE REST OF YOUR LIFE WITH THAT ONE PERSON. Wowzers. I would testify that that is a life changer. You may be head over heels in the beginning, but what happens in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years…. You won’t be the same person and neither will they. You choose to grow together or grow apart. It’s a choice each person has to make. Give and take everyday. If you can weather the storms that marriage can bring, lie down at the end of the night and look at your spouse with a smile I say, celebrate that. I mean really celebrate it. Whatever makes you tick, do it. Plan it. Don’t wait. Go.

Traveling makes Rusty and I tick. There is nothing better than experiencing something new with the person you love. Every year we go on vacation together without the kids and all of the other daily distractions. We make it a priority. It helps us get back to us. It works for us.

For our 10th anniversary we went to Prague (which was amazing by the way) and we had a vow renewal photo shoot at Vizcaya Gardens in Miami with Isla Charm Photography. When we got married Rusty and I wrote our own vows. Of course, Mr. Songwriter wrote the most amazing vows while mine were, well… let’s just spare you the details. I wrote out his vows on backdrop paper for the shoot. McKenzie was so excited, and loved being a part of it. She was the cutest little flower girl. It really was magical. I bought a new dress (that I sold on Tradesy for $100 less than I bought it for) and Rusty a new suit. Oona made McKenzie a flower crown and I made my bouquet. They are pictures I will cherish forever or for as long as we are married, just kidding!

I say celebrate. Celebrate it all. Celebrate the big things and celebrate the small things. Do it how you want to do it. Forget everyone’s opinions, you do you. That’s where I’ve found the most happiness.