Inklings Designs

Life in the South:

The adventures of three sisters: Gracie Hope, Faith and other things to make you smile.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Transformation of Anna

Last night about 10 friends got together with the sole purpose of transforming Anna.  We all have our special skills from God that we were able to use. We had fondue and drinks and here is how it went.

 Meet Anna

 Oh boy...do I really have to do this???

 First the nails.

 Could this dress make my eyes any bluer?

 The first roller

Last one in

 After a facial...then the makeup

 I got this stuff in my eye

 More good stuff

 Now the lips

Hair coming down

 Last touches


And Volia
 What a beauty!!




God made her beautiful inside and out...we just added a little extra! Thanks beautiful Anna for letting us give you a new look. Do I have any other volunteers?

Host a Clothing Swap

Have you ever heard of a clothing swap? Well let me tell you that it is a way to get a new wardrobe for FREE! I recently hosted one and here is what I did.

You want to pick a date and send out invites about 2 to 3 weeks before the actual swap. This gives the guests plenty of time to clean out their closet. I did evites and fliers to friends that I did not have their email address. Be sure to include several friends with different sizes so there is something for everyone. I also included candles and bath products and some housewares too.

What to put on the evite: 

 What better way to improve your wardrobe. Let's face it, we are all on a budget these days. Come join the fun and get the opinion of other women on what looks good on you. Bring a min. of 5 items. These items can be any type clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry. Please make sure the items are clean pressed and in good wearing condition. Please bring a friend or two.  Please be ready to enjoy what girls do the best: FASHION AND FELLOWSHIP!!  Did someone say SHOES!  Refreshments will be provided along with a lot of laughter. Be sure to put the time, date, place and who is hosting it.

I cleaned out my closet, a time or two, and on the night of the swap I had food and wine ready when the guest arrived. I set up places to hang and place clothing, shoes, etc with signs so everyone knew where to put their goodies. When they came in everyone put their clothing in the proper piles and started socializing and eating. This went on for about 45 min to an hour which gave everyone a chance to look over the clothing selection and try on what they might like. (the shopping experience) I had a couple of full length mirrors and spare bedrooms/bath for people to change in. Opinions were shared and we helped each other pick out things that would look good on each other.

Now the fun began. I had everyone draw a number from a hat to see who got to pick first. This eliminated any disagreements there might have been over someone wanting the same outfit. Each one of us picked one item. After each choosing of clothing, we put the numbers back in the hat and drew again. That way everyone had a fair chance to get a few of their first pics. After a few rounds and all the good stuff was gone then it was a free for all to take anything that might be left over.  Actually this was a good thing because as everyone went through the racks and piles again they saw things that they did not see the first time around and they got more good stuff.

Friends went home with large bags of FREE clothing that night and what was left went to the Goodwill or Women's Shelter.  It sure has been fun seeing friends enjoying their new outfits that once hung in your closet, never worn. 









I hope you have success with your own clothing swap. My next clothing swap is scheduled for March. Be there for tons of fun and free stuff!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Shine on Harvest Moon by the Sea

When I got home from work on Monday night my hubby asked me if I wanted to go to the beach to watch the sunset. After a Monday at work....well DUH!!

 It was another beautiful sunset. I have seen a bunch but I can never get tired of seeing them. We also had the added bonus of seeing the Harvest Moon rising over the Gulf about the same time as the sun was setting. What a way to relax and loose all your stress on a Monday evening. Sunset, moon rise, feet in the sand, listening to the surf,  and of course... birds. I even found some shells.  Hope you enjoy the pictures. 



There are a lot of Jellies on the beach this time of the year.


 Beautiful

 I love the colors from the sunset reflected in the water.

 Sea Oats

 Cute bird butt

Harvest Moon Rising

That's all for today. See you soon.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Homemade Pizza and Movie Night Party

I have a friend that makes the best homemade pizza crust and sauce so we decided to have a pizza party and make our own individual pizzas. First you invite your friends and have them bring their favorite pizza toppings. Line up the toppings and go down the line to make your masterpiece. Bake and voila the best pizza ever made to your liking. We also had homemade ice cream for dessert. You are too full at this point to eat any popcorn while enjoying the movie.

 Our Chef Miss Donna

 Ready to Bake

 Add a few more toppings

 Its' gonna be good...you know it is

 Everyone takes a turn...adding the sauce first

 A little sprinkle of cheese

 Done at last

 Yum

Poppy and Meshack waiting for a hand out.  No no...bad birds.

If you enjoy getting together with friends and eating great food, I recommend trying a party like this one. It will put a smile on a lot of folks faces.

Alice in Wonderland Theme Bridal Shower


Last weekend I was privileged to host an Alice in Wonderland Theme Bridal Shower for a very special Lady. I love being creative so making the centerpiece and decorations was so much fun. We had a Mad Hatters Tea Party with all the wonderful tea sandwiches and goodies and everyone wore a hat. Much fun was had by all.

Marriages are made in Heaven...so is thunder and lightening.

A Mad Hatters hat tree adorned with a watch, mushrooms, cute sayings, cards, Cheshire cat grins and tags saying "eat me and drink me"



More Tea Please.

Card men guarding the food.

These gals had the cutest hats and matching tees
 that they made


Miss Deidra showing her style

Isn't she going to make a beautiful Bride?



What a beautiful family you have there Miss "D".