March 14, 2013

Partying Frugal Style


 First, thank you all for your sweet birthday wishes for Emma. You guys are so thoughtful. One very sweet reader even totally surprised us by sending her a birthday gift that was so spot on! Thanks Yvonne!


I was under strict instructions from Emma not to go to a lot of effort for her party.  I don't know if it's because she is getting older or because she didn't want me working my tail off for it. That girl is very sensitive to my feelings and she hates it when I'm stressed.


As for me, I'm cheap, er, uh, frugal (my family hates it when I refer to myself as cheap) and I wanted to decorate with stuff I had on hand. That always means paper and fabric around here. I even used ripped fabric strips to decorate the goody bags.


And since we can apparently never get enough buntings...we had buntings-a-plenty! You can never have too many. I dare you to say differently.


Of course the chalkboard was wearing its party clothes too.


These paper ones were fun to make and quick. Cut and punch out circle shapes and start feeding them into the sewing machine. I seriously did this about 30 minutes before the party started.

And the best part is that I finally found a way to use up the little scraps of paper that my cheap, er, uh, frugal nature will not allow me to throw away! I turned them into tags for my class kits!


I couldn't be happier with them. I love that feeling you get when you make something from something that otherwise might have been wasted. It's the same feeling I get when I toast the bread heels and eat them for breakfast. Just a little insight into my psyche.

There is still time to sign up for the Gathered Finds Journal class. Email me at thecottagenest@gmail.com for more info and you could be the proud owner of one of my could-have-been-wasted-paper-bits class kit tags! I mean, that's probably worth the price of admission right there! No? Hmm.

22 comments:

  1. Oh My Word.
    Lovely.
    Where did you find the iron tier cake stand? I would love to find one.What a showstopper!!!
    Thank you

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    1. Joanne,
      I've had it for a long time and can't remember where it came from but I'm thinking it was either a local boutique or HomeGoods! It's a great serving piece.

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  2. Love your sweet decorations. Our daughters are (apparently) birds of a feather. My daughter always keeps me in line, and reminds me not to stress about things... and especially doesn't want anything done for her that causes stress to others. I have to remind myself to go the extra mile for me -- because she never asks for it. Happy Birthday Emma!

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  3. You are so creative Jen! I love your "signature colour" style ♥
    Your Cottage Nest Makery tags are wonderful ~ love the gorgeous green stitching.
    Absolutely nothing about Emma's party room says "frugal" ... more like Fabulous :-)

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  4. What a lovely, bright, airy (I could go on) party room. The scarf bunting is so creative. You make cheap look chic!

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  5. I love it when I use up scraps in a fun way. Every so often I just get fed up with my numerous scrap bins and toss it all, but it grows big again.

    Love your sweet decorations for the party.

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  6. Violet was honored to be Emma's guest and celebrate with her. By all accounts the party was pure joy! Well done, mama.
    -Jill

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  7. i am just smitten with your style, kido.

    priceless

    xo
    elyse

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  8. Oh- I want to party with you- I do -I do- I do! So lovely- xo Diana

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  9. Beautiful looking party room ,,, your style is perfectly yummy!
    Love your little tags!
    Happy Birthday Emma!

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  10. Love those buntings!!!! Would you please zap yourself down here and help me with Calvin's first friend party? It's...tomorrow.

    Here's to hoping 8 year old boys are more forgiving. :)

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  11. so precious and lovely!! I MUST visit someday!

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  12. years from now, emma may not remember the actual gifts from this birthday, but, she will remember the gift of having such a creative, giving and loving mother.

    everything is just storybook beautiful!

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  13. Happy Belated Birthday Emma! Miss you tons, sorry to miss the party...Where did you get the green cake stand?
    Lots of Love, Ketki

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  14. Such a sweet party. I love all of the soft colors.

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  15. You did a great job! Love the look. Kit

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  16. What a cute idea with your hankies.

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  17. Love how the room looks for the party. I especially like the hanky bunting. All looks so sweet. Your tags are great too. Can you come and teach a class in Buckinghamshire, England?!!! Fiona x

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  18. Came across this book blog and thought of you and your daughter, Emma. http://brontesattic.blogspot.com/ Happy Reading! Kelley

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  19. Your nest looks so fresh and springy!

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