Fall Patio Parties

My oldest sister is about to have her 3rd little one. (Can't wait!! Her kids are ADORABLE! So I can only imagine how precious this little girl is going to be!)

With my other sisters in hand (there are 5 of us sisters in all) we threw her a girls night out baby shower. There were lights, lanterns, even a small sofa with plum pillows to give this fall girls night out a little sophistication. It was so much fun sitting out on the patio as it got dark. Something about globe nights at night that feel magical.

And of course, good food!!

We had cookies with chocolate milk, grilled cheese, tomato basil soup in mason jars, chicken ceaser salad, a smores bar and sheep dip.

Cookies bar with chocolate milk.

Smores bar with a fire vase to cook them over. 

 Chicken ceasar salad out of a pumpkin.

And of course my families favorite Sheep Dip. 

My family loves this stuff! It's a great holiday appetizer. 

Want to try it? 

I will take that as a yes! :)

SHEEP DIP RECIPE

You will need:

• 8oz Cream Cheese
• 8oz Sour Cream 
• 1 Cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 large jar of armour dried beef chopped
• 1 bunch green onions chopped
• 1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
• Garlic salt to taste 
• 1 loaf Shepherd bread (round) or french bread 

Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese & sour cream together.  When smooth add the cheddar cheese and other ingredients. 

Cut off the top of the bread and save the top. Hollow out the inside of the bread making a bread bowl and break the bread that came out into bite sized pieces. 

Set the oven to 350 degrees. Place the bread bowl on a baking sheet and fill it with the cream cheese mixture. Place the bit sizes pieces of bread around the bowl and pop it in the oven for one hour. Every 15 minutes you will need to turn the bread pieces to make sure they are getting toasty and not burning. The last 15 minutes put the top of the bread back on the bowl and let it finish cooking. 

And Ta-Da! A great dipping treat. Salty goodies is what it is. Try it this holiday. 

Maybe it will become your families favorite too. 

Happy Planning!

Elan Woman Photoshoot: Part #2

The wedding expo was such a blast to be apart of this past January. If you went to it, you might remember this tablescape from our expo booth. I was lucky enough to be able to take that set up for an amazing photoshoot for Elan Woman Magazine with Nick Adams Photography and Bloomers Floral and Decor the next day.

It's amazing how talented photographers, lighting and a garden setting can take a tablescape to the next level.

(Some of my favorite decor pieces I've put in my office are those artichokes. :)

The floral arrangement was amazing. The quality of flowers Bloomers uses in ther arrangement is always the best.

Details, details, details.

(Part #3 to come soon.)

-xo jewls

From Inspiration to Reality

“If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.”

                                                            - The Cheshire Cat

If we don't know what we want the end product to be, does it matter what it is going to be like? 

At Middle Aisle every single event has to have a "road map." It helps everyone to know where everything will be placed and what the overall event will look like. (Obsessive, maybe.  But it creates a spectacular end product! ) :D I start with an inspiration board for what the overall look of the event should look like.

This inspiration board is from an event this week I was fortunate enough to be able to be apart of called "Launch Your World" put on by Elan Woman Magazine. It is a year long series, and it was so much fun to be apart of their kick off event.

A few things were a must for this celebration of woman. First off, pink and things that sparkle. It also needed to fit the seasons of spring and new beginnings. So the branches and apples were the  perfect touch.

Next the layout of the event is created.

This shows where each table will be placed and how the flow of traffic will be.

I got to work with two amazing woman, Julie Iverson with the BellTower and Olga with Olga Goddard's Floral Design to combined all our resources to pull off this event.

Make sure to check back for the pictures of the event later to see how the inspiration turned into reality.

Wedding: Do it Yourself Centerpieces

This is a fun project for brides who are hands on and oh-so thrifty!

These branch centerpieces for your wedding are super easy to make.

Start with a branch.

I choose a set of branches that had been in a recent fire. They had a whimsical look, so I drove a full hour to get them. Ha. What I won't do for the right look! Any branch will do though.

Next spray paint your branches whatever color you want them to be. 

I chose a dark brown for this particular wedding.

Next you will need Plaster of Paris and disposable containers. 

I got the Plaster of Paris at my local craft store for around $6 and the disposable containers five for $1 at the dollar store.

Mix the plaster as described on the back of the tub. All it takes is water. I mixed everything right in the container with a plastic spoon so clean up would be easy.

Once the plaster has begun to set, take your branch and push it to the very bottom of the container. Make sure you do this quickly so the plaster will set up around the branch. You may need to hold it there for a few minutes so the branch sets up straight.

And WALA, centerpieces all ready to be decorated all for $1.50 each.

(I made 5 in all)

The last thing you need to do it find is a decorative container for them to be in to hide the plaster base. This particular centerpiece was covered in Spanish moss and had orchids and crystals hung from the branches. 

Be creative there are lots of options that can be done to decorate these fun centerpieces. 

See our links on