Table Setting Ideas

My favorite part of having guests over is getting creative with the table setting. There's no point sweating over a hot stove making every Thanksgiving dish known to man only to plop it on the table. Think about who your guests are and come up with a theme based on their likes. If there's going to be a mixed number of adults and children the chalkboard place mats work great for side games of tic - tac - toe and doodles. Having a table for the adults and another for the kids? Make the distinction in decor. Fresh seasonal fruit and rich colorful ribbons work perfectly for the Holiday. Get the kids involved by having them spell out the children's names with their scrabble pieces. For those of you that are feeling overwhelmed with the thought of an entire table setting try adorning each guests chair with festive ribbon. Whatever you decide to try, remember to take a step back and appreciate your surroundings. Enjoy having the day off my loves. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

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Piñata DIY - Yoobi Style

Take your Yoobi Party to the next level and make your own Yoobi piñata. 

Yoobi is all about bright colors so don't be afraid to pick them all! ;)

Take a sheet of tissue paper and fold it up to look like the above picture. Remember you'll be doing this with each color. 

Make small slits in the folded tissue paper. This is similar to the slits in the Yoobi backdrop we made last week

After you've cut slits in each color, get your glue stick out, cause it's time to get sticky! 

Layer each one to slightly overlap the next color

Do this all the way around the box so it looks great from all angles

Luckily the Yoobi symbol is a printable on the Yoobi website, so just print it HERE and color in ( a great way to get the kids involved) and then cut out carefully 

Stick the Yoobi bird on each side

Voila! See it's not as hard as it looks :) 

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Photo Backdrop DIY

What you'll need: Yoobi tissue paper, Scissors, double-sided tape & a board 

I bought 2 packets of each color but ended up only using 1 packet of each. This will vary depending on the size of the backboard

You can use the natural crease in the tissue paper to determine the length of the strips you're cutting

Cut strips in each color of tissue paper 

Next stick the tissue paper onto the double sided tape. Make sure each layer hangs over the other. 

You're going to want to hold down the previous layer so that it doesn't get stuck on the next layer of double-sided tape. Use something light so the strands don't rip. 

Keep repeating until each color is finished. Then enjoy taking pictures in front of it! We used an easel at  the birthday party as it was the easiest way of lowering the back drop for the smaller children. 

Let me know what you think and check back in with me tomorrow to see how to make a Yoobi piñata!

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How to Yoobi

Filmed & edited by Alyssa Dy of Stellar Roar

Photography by Alyssa Dy of Stellar Roar, art products ℅ Yoobi

Hands down this is the easiest birthday party I've ever thrown. For the first time ever I didn't find myself in aisle 3 of Party City debating over which ninja turtle would look most compatible with Princess Sophia. Wanna know the secret? [ Drumroll please]…Throw a Yoobi Party! Yes that's right I said throw a Yoobi party, ( pronounced "you-be") - neon colors and a Toucan bird = fun for everyone! 

One For You. One For Me. For every Yoobi item you purchase, a Yoobi item will be donated to a classroom in need, in the U.S.  

Party planning made simple, all while giving back to the community is too good of a package to pass up. 

Keep checking in with my blog this week for fun DIY posts that will have you ready to throw your very own Yoobi party. 

You can also find Polished Practical on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest

DIY: Glitter Mason Jars

Having a four year old, aka glitter monster often leaves me immersed in fun weekend projects, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Naturally when I found a picture of a glitter dipped mason jar on Pinterest I got excited. It had my name written all over it. Follow these easy steps to DIY your very own mason jar.

Be sure to clean the jars first so that the paint goes on smoothly.

Use gold spray paint to cover the mason jars. Be sure to work in a well ventilated area - outside works best!

Layer on glass adhesive and then dip the bottom of the jar into glitter. Repeat as many times until you have the desired amount of glitter on jar. Glitter dipping is the safest part of the project for your mini-me to work on.

I have given these away with flowers in, pens and pencils, and even as a table decoration. They are very versatile gifts and can be used all year round. Let me know if you give the project a try! xoxo Tasha

Teatime Tuesday-Beignets and Coffee!

 "(Talon pulled another beignet from the sack and held it up for her to eat.)
   That stuff is hazardous to your health.(Sunshine)
   Baby, life is hazardous to your health.(Talon)"
                                                                         -Sherrilyn Kenyon, Night Embrace

Beignet's are popular in the French Market region of New Orleans. Beignet's are French doughnuts that carry an air of sophistication, thus tricking one into thinking somehow these aren't as bad as eating a big fat glazed doughnut! I used a Beignet Mix, yes that's right an actual mix out of a box! It's not always possible to make something from scratch so I was apprehensive over how these would taste but after one batch I'm sold.

What you will need:

• Beignet Mix
• Mixing Bowl
• Rolling pin
• Powdered Sugar
• Oil
• Handful of Flour  

 Knead together the Beignet mix and water

 Roll the dough out to desired thickness. TIP: cover surface and rolling pin with flour so mixture doesn't stick and then cut into squares

Deep fry each piece until golden brown, sprinkling oil over the submerged dough 

Soak beignets to drain excess oil, then sprinkle with powdered sugar

Serve with coffee!

TIP: I cut the squares into various sizes and used the excess dough to make mini beignets

DIY Jewelry Board

This may just be the quickest DIY project you have ever tried. I never know how to store my statement necklaces without them getting tangled up or taking up too much space so I decided to decorate my walls with them! This is also great if you are in a small living area as am I. Follow these simple steps to create your own jewelry as art.

What you will need:

• Cork board
• Pushpins
• Jewelry 

Categorize and Pin:

• Decide how you want to categorize your jewelry- by color, by size or even occasion
• Place pins strategically to hold the jewelry in place. Heavier necklaces will require more pins. 

Be warned, you may have guests wanting to try on your art!

Teatime Tuesdays!- How to brew a cup of English tea

"A great idea should always be left to steep like loose tea leaves in a teapot for a while to make sure that the tea will be strong enough and that the idea truly is a great one."
                                                                                      - Phoebe Stone

Americans always make it seem like the English spend an eternity making one cup of tea when in actual fact it's done in pretty much the blink of an eye. Take these easy steps to make yourself a cuppa!

1. Boil water and put a little bit in the teapot to warm it up. Then tip the water out
2. Put two tsp of loose tea into the teapot and fill with boiling water
3. Brew for two minutes  
4. Pour into teacups and add milk to satisfy one's taste

Ipsy- Pretty in Pink April Bag

                                             Ipsy Bag for April

This month's Ipsy bag feels very girly with all the pink tones and great touch up products. This should be your go to bag if you start looking like a hot mess half way through the day. My only disappointment would be that two items were missing from my bag this month.

BIG SEXY HAIR Powder Play: This is good if your hair tends to lay flat by midday, to get the effect the powder needs to be applied liberally to the root of your hair.

be a...BOMBSHELL blush in 'Sweet Cheek': I'm naturally rosy cheeked so I usually opt for a bronzer over blush. I tested this out-it glides on smoothly and feels light weight. TIP: Apply this lightly as it's highly pigmented so if your not careful you will end up looking like a made up porcelain doll!

SATION Nail polish in 'Of corset I'll call you': You know I always love a new nail color! It starts sheer but you can add layers for a deeper pink.

MICA BEAUTY 'Earth' eyeshadow: No time in the morning? Just swipe this eyeshadow over your eyelid for an instantaneous polished look. The color is a shimmery pink bronze blend. I also sprinkled some on my nails over clear nail polish and loved it! Check back in with me for a DIY post on this.

Let me know what you thought of this month's Ipsy...