Shane’s birthday is the Fourth of July so today I started to make some fun decorations for him. Martha Stewart has a super cute Fourth of July paper napkin ring template on her website. I printed her template, cut out the rings and …well, I had a few issues with her template. So I decided …

My downstairs neighbor Susan gave us a beautifully wrapped wedding gift in thick, shiny silver and pearl-like white wrapping paper. Channeling my mom, I decided to fold up the shiny white and silver paper and store it until I found some use for it. Today I recycled the wrapping paper into a wedding card sewn …

Shane had a business trip in Seattle so I was excited to join him for the weekend. We had such a good time in the Pacific Northwest, red-eye flight aside, and I’ve been humming Would? to myself all week. Here are a few Seattle inspirations for you on this fine Friday: Neon. It’s no secret …

Want to learn the best way how to make s’mores inside the house? I’ll show you how to replicate that ooey gooey campfire goodness indoors at home. So it’s pouring outside right now and I’m craving a s’more. Luckily, living in a locale with nine long months of winter has allowed me to perfect the …

I came up with the idea of this chalkboard gift tag to add a wink to Chad and Shayda’s engagement party gift. But I think these tags would be great on children’s birthday gifts and teacher’s gifts too. Supplies: Chalkboard fabric (swoon) Colored chalk Box Ribbon (I think this one is cute) Colored thick paper …

So I’ve been watching a documentary about Andy Warhol. Honestly, I’ve never really been a Warhol fan …I mean, I generally understood how influential he was, and I got how much of today’s design world is the way it is because of his work. I appreciated his art. But I never really *liked* it. After …

Hostess Heather Crosby had a blast from the past throwing a high school themed engagement party for her brother Chad and bride-to-be Shayda who met back in their teens. Starting with a handwritten ‘Secret Passed Note’ engagement party invitation, Heather included these adorable high school inspired details throughout the party: Prom Flowers. Heather used every …

This week Friday inspiration goes green. I just got back from exploring Ireland with my sisters. We started in Dublin, drove (on the left side) to Galway, toured Kylemore Abbey and Connemara, meandered the coastline and hiked the Cliffs of Moher on our way down to Dingle, and wound around Killarney National Park to a …

Here’s a simple and clever party invitation concept for a high school themed engagement party, and it’s even folded into the classic secret square shape. Heather Crosby’s beloved brother Chad and his lovely bride-to-be Shayda met way back in high school. A chance meet up a decade later while Chad was home visiting family led …

Watch out Speed Racer. Mom of two Amy Herlihy hand painted racing car wall art to match her son Kieran’s racing themed comforter and pillow sham. Now Kieran has his dream bedroom. And it’s a lot easier than it may look… Supplies: 3D stretched canvases(choose your sizes) Acrylic paint Selection of brushes and a painting …

Memorial Day in Chicago means one thing: grilling! Here’s an easy, very tasty and relatively healthy marinade recipe for chicken, pork, fish or veggie kabobs, courtesy of Merriment reader Jen Martensen who created and evolved this recipe that she uses “all the time” (thanks, Jen!). And if you’re not into mustard, try Shane’s famous grilled …

So my friend Jeff and I were talking at Mac’s about Merriment and he asked if I could make a unique baby gift to help him welcome Isabella, a friend’s newborn daughter. These handmade, sweet, graphic appliqué baby onesies should do the trick. Supplies: Kathy’s free onesie applique shape template (PDF; dog, butterfly, bottle shapes …

Some musical inspiration for you this Friday. Alex, Heather and I watched Dolly Parton perform at the Chicago Theater last night …10 rows from the front! We went to celebrate Heather’s birthday but I felt like I was the one who got the present. Dolly’s warm, everyday lyrics and voice, not to mention her sunny …

I love the combination of turquoise and orange that Anne-Marie Rosser and Adam Whipple used for their intimate outdoor wedding reception on a Chicago terrace. Anne-Marie started with turquoise tablecloths and crisp white linen napkins. Her long table centerpiece alternated orange orchid bunches in square glass containers, small succulents in rocks-filled square glass containers, and …

So what was in Madison’s cookie jar birthday boxes to help celebrate her second birthday? Super fun numbers cookie cutters and a child’s size pink Wizard of Oz apron handmade by Aunt Kathy. I’ve made many aprons in my time both from patterns and from scratch. I created this child’s size pattern inspired by Amy …