A House Full of Birthdays

I can’t believe the first week of August has ended already!  Where has the summer gone?  And even though this month brings with it the return to school…in our house it also brings plenty of birthday celebrations!  So this year I decided to create something festive on my chalk mantle, which had been neglected lately due to all of our summer activities.  Normally I would create a seasonal chalk drawing, something that I could leave up for at least a month or two!  But while trying to decide what to put up there for the late summer, or even if I should paint over it, the idea came to mind of displaying a birthday message for all who celebrate!  And bonus, the birthdays are all spread out so I can still leave it up for more than a few days!  Why not make it a prolonged party?  So if you have some celebrations that are within reach of one another…go ahead and extend the festivity!

let’s celebrate!

i had been so busy this summer that i really hadn’t focused at all on my chalkboard painted over my mantle.  i was actually even thinking of removing it…a couple coats of paint would easily do the trick!  but i’m just not quite ready to lose it yet…it’s such a fun way to create simple and completely inexpensive artwork, to celebrate holidays, and even special occasions–like a birthday!  inspired by artwork i had seen, i decided to recreate my own version to commemorate our special days…

with just a little chalk and some fun party decorations we can all be reminded to celebrate each time we enter the room!  a simple design is perfectly fine…

i love these party fans from Target!  i bought them last year and have used them for several occasions!  the great thing about decorations like these and paper globes is that you can actually fold them back up and use them again…especially if they’re in colors or designs that you love!

and this fun garland (that i actually purchased for an upcoming event) gets a preview here!  i love the little beads covering the twist of the loop…something i may try next time i make a garland!  but with so many cute ones available…that may not happen for a while!  i found this one at Home Goods…

and since we have multiple celebrations, i had to put out the adorable candles a dear friend sent to me earlier in the year!  they’re so darn cute i just can’t bring myself to burn them, so whenever a birthday rolls around i put them out…and plan to do so for many years ahead!  i just love them, and sometimes even mix them up to create different messages!

a fun way to celebrate…and forget that school is about to begin!

keep life festive!