"Magic Mike" to the rescue for a Pirate's Grad Party

And this entire area will get a set decoration via moi.

These chairs need a makeover.

They are in Ok condition.

I just need a change. I want them to look fresh.

 Maybe a cabanna look.
 I want them a little more like this inspiration picture below from Diane Keaton's back yard in the movie " Something's Gotta Give"  OMG I love this.

So I've been busy at my sewing machine all week, nothin like an upcoming event to get my butt in gear.
That'll do it everytime!!
While Magic Mike has been sprucing up the yard, power washing and planting some flowers.
( Can't you just envision him out there with his power washer, knockin everything over and splattering dirt all over the windows.??  ; 0) ....And setting up some tents.
Nahh seriously... this kid is the best thing ever happened to this family. (Outside all of us , of course)

We had to order extra chairs from a rental place for the big party. But were able to borrow the tables and the tents. which saved us about 300 as compared to last years grad party.
Wheeehhh! this is my last one.. my youngest.


------------------------------Fast forward to June 25th.. all is ready and I am excited. I just have to go get the ingredients for the bahama mamas and mojitos... yippee.

I made envelope covers for the chairs. i couldn't find the outdoor fabric that I wanted, so I used a shower curtain fabric. We'll see how that holds up.
I also used drop cloth material for the lounges because I wanted them to have that nubby and neutral look.
They should do ok outside as long as we get lots of sun. If we get too much rain, then, I think they won't do so good... and I am still on the look out for the perfect outdoor fabric for this project but for now this will have to do.
Viola....

They ain't perfect but they're cozy and fresh and I love the aqua. I  found those big fluffy Tommy Bahama pillows at my Home Goods which I couldn't pass up, for the loungers. I love their pretty cabana stripe. Those big pillows were just the look I was searching for. I love to shop at Home Goods and by the way Rhoda at Southern Hospitality is having a giveaway of a Home Goods Gift card.
I made the little throw pillows to match the chair fabric.

And the rest of the yard is ready for a partayy!!  My son Matt bought me the pretty planter on the wall last year for my birthday.( That is also a Home Goods item ) and my son Ed bought me the cute aqua wind chime 2 years ago for my birthday. (free from it's winter prison in the shed)

The cute little white table was a "found" item (rescued). 

Old chewed up pine, some doggie took a liking to....and the owner tossed.

 my thrifty soul saw a treasure.

 I quick spray painted it white cause I wanted a place for my little mexican clay pieces, and mojitos:)

I guess you can tell this part of my yard has a little mexican theme going on.

It makes me feel like I am on a vaction when I sit out here by the pool.

(Spot any more items out from hibernation?) 

And we are almost ready for the guests! And they don't know it but they are all getting little Pirate hats!
In celebration of the High School's mascot.

You can see in the photo below how we have the pool equipment laying across the width of the pool. that is because ducks kept coming in for a visit which was really cute at first, but let me tell you.. not so cute when they started to poopie in our pool. So the poles laying across helps keep them away. I'm sure with all the party guests those ducks won't be visiting.

Ok I gotta go back in and get the food ready.

Can you believe it ? That bistro set is another Home Goods item. So is the aqua oil lamp on top of it!!
 Gee I swear I'm not a spokewoman for Home Goods, but it is me fav. ( maybe I outta  :))

Now for the Party pictures...

The graduate:

and the cake, was fashioned after my daughter cap which she had decided to decorate for graduation .

The top of her cap:

The Cake:

Darn good likeness heh?

And of course some cupcakes!

The graduate  and the cake artist

The school's sports teams are called the "Pirates" and a big old pirate with a patch is the schools mascot.
so that was the theme of our party.


Funny thing is all the adults had a great time putting on the little pirate hats I found.

 ( Pirates were also the theme last year when my Mary graduated from the same school.)

It was only after all of the other party goers donned the silly hats, could I get the graduating class to go along with my craziness, but all eventually embraced the fun, as you can see by their grins.

I love a good party!!
Don't you?
What a super and memorable day we had!! I had a ball at the party and so did everyone else!

I'm partying again with these lovely woman:

Metamorphisis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Thrifty Decor Chick

Thrifty Treasures Sunday
The CSI party link up

I'm back in Florida for some R&R and Beach exploring

Flew down to the Gulf Coast today with part of my crew.
I am really hoping to do 4 things that I've not done yet.
1. Go to Sanibel Island and hunt for seashells.

 Hope to find something great like the last time we went to Boca Grande

2....I want to go to the Hot Springs that are down here. ... Has anyone ever been to them?  I just heard about them, it sounds delightful.

Doesn't this arial view below look cool?

And the illustration below showing that it is 230 feet deep!! 87 degrees year round 

The Springs is the only warm mineral spring in Florida. It's water has the highest mineral content of any warm springs in the world, even more than the famous spas in Vichy and Aix les Bains in France.
Some say The Springs was the spot Ponce de Leon searched for, fought for and died for, believing that here, indeed, was the Fountain of Youth.

Something else on my list this week.

3.... have some Bahama Mammas which I can't seem to get up north. ( a delicious rum drink that really feels "island style")

While I was back home in New Jersey, i did manage to get all my slipcovers for the dining chairs down here finished. My sis was a sweatheart and helped me get them all done.

4... Iron them, slip them on and write words on them in fabric paint

.. so I squeezed the slipcovers all in a suitcase, because we flew this time, and they went as my luggage.
I'm sure I will have to sacrifice some Rest and Recreation time to iron them all, but I am so glad to have them all sewed up and can't wait to see the final result.... well ...all 7 chairs cause one is still back in New Jersey. ...An excuse to drive down again next fall. :)
I will post the "final reveal" when I get them all ironed and slipped on, and painted on.

What happened was last time I was down here, After doing a overhaul of my Dining sideboard/ hutch thingy and Dining table..( posted about here and here...
 I started the slipcovers but never had enough time to finish them. I also ran into a small glitch that I should have taken into consideration but stupidly overlooked. That glitch was that I had not washed the drop cloth before I started sewing, and you really have to prewash, because it will shrink the first time you wash it. After that the cloth is fine. So I needed to start over after making 3, uggghh...because that is when I read the advise of prewashing, somewhere on someone's blog.
So learn from my mistake and wash your dropcloth first.
 ( I know I am behind the curve on this one, most of you will already know that)
But I was able to load one of the chairs into my SUV and bring it north with me to use as a fitter for the rest of the ones I needed.

I am going to try to find time to write  beachy words on the tops of the chairs with fabric paints, for a little added flare. It doesn't wash out, I already tested it. I am really liking the additional texture that it adds. Don't you?
I did it on a few throw pillows that I made.

One side is a novelty boat fabric with splashes of aqua color, the other side is a dropcloth fabric with the seaside words written in white fabric paint.

 Each one of my 8 dining chairs will need to get a different beachy word.
 What 8 beachy words can you think of for  this project?

Thanks for stopping by!

I'll keep you posted.

Join in on the party fun: I am going to try to get to them all...(I'm just a party animal)

Miss Mustard Seed

Chic on a Shoestring

http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com

Masterpiece Monday

Amaze Me Monday

Show Off Your Cottage Monday

Florida Challenges

Well I arrived safely after a long ride from New Jersey with my car making some crazy airplane noises. Right now it is in the shop getting ball bearings and brakes!
938 miles is a long way. I had no idea it needed work till half way down.
Before heading off to the Keys  in a couple of weeks, I will be attempting to "neutralize" this Florida house.
When we bought it, everything was Black, Aqua, and Purple. Yes, I said purple.
The walls are mostly grey and I can live with that.
But some things had to ...and still have to go.  The E- normous purple formica entertainment center is gone...it went last year when my big strong boys were down here with me. And that has been replaced with this adorable little tropical theme console table.

I never did take a pic of that purple entertainment center. Trust me it was really big and really purple!

~~~~~~

And the hall foyer had a glass and chrome table which, needless to say, I wasn't crazy about,-->

That has been delegated to the garage and will probably wind up in a consignment shop for some college student. I replaced it with this cutie  below from Home Goods

 The previous owners had the coffee table and end tables that matched the glass and gold foyer table,

 that I also hated. Off to the garage again.. The last time I was down I was able to swap them out for a much more cottage looking set.

I'd like to get rid of the aqua rug but that won't happen this year!
So this time around I am working on the dining room chairs! Get a load of these. We call them the "Beetlejuice" chairs. ....Absolutely not me. Go ahead , laugh if you want. I understand.

I wasn't kidding. Black, Aqua, Purple

So what is a girl to do? I don't have an extra thousand dollars to spend on a completely new dining room set right now, nor will I any time soon. So they will have to get "neutralized."

I am thinking slipcovers from dropcloths.... the perfect color and texture that I want.

I've been experimenting a little bit  and like the idea of some fabric paint on each chair with phrases such as "Beach" "Ocean"  "Surf" 

just so they aren't so plain.

I did this on a throw pillow and like how it looks. And this fabric paint stays on in the wash.

 One side is a nautical print the other the canvas dropcloth with "Ocean" and" Beach" written on them

So that's what I will be busy working on.. my chairs.

So far only one is done. And there are 7 more.

I do prefer this look to the black 80's look!

My sis will help me after our trip to the Keys.. she is a much better seamstress than I am.

In the meantime. I will have to spend some time on this gorgeous beach, on the gulf coast by Sarasota.  In this gorgeous water.

and tanning up this super white skin... I got going on.... from a cold New Jersey winter!
Just jump in!

Now for the Florida challenge...

Does anyone have any ideas what I could possibly do with this dining room table?

*Note>>> hub is NOT handy, this one is on me.

*Note>>> buying a new one is out.

How in God's name would you cottage this thing up? 2 big black formica pedestals hold up an extremely large piece of glass.

Any ideas ?

Changing this thing is a risk worth taking!

joining the nester's risk taking day