i love to party || party boards

Friday, January 31, 2014
my name is karli…and i'm obsessed with parties.

i really love them.

the details. the planning. the execution.

the problem?

i'm not the best hostess. i struggle with time-management and procrastination.

i need more practice…plain and simple.

so until people start knocking down my door (or filling my inbox) with requests to organize and execute their soiree, i'll settle for putting together my little inspiration boards that my farmer constantly makes fun of.

| BELL'S BOARDS || TOP 5 |

1 || be mine blushing bride

i started collecting these pictures to inspire a sweet valentine's day party. but when i looked at the collection i knew it would be the perfect combination of pinks, blushes, and reds for something slightly fancier. girly wedding, anyone?


2 || party in pink…and gold

this board was created for a sweet gal who was getting ready to celebrate her 21st. what does every 21 year old need? a killer outfit (nothing says "it's my 21st like a gold dress) and enough champagne to dance on a table.


3 || ski shower for a winter bebe

i was thrilled to make this little board for a gal and her guy who are very near and dear to farmer and me. their baby boy (jack) has since arrived and he's cuter than cute. we've only seen him once because kaye has been permanent sick this winter (four times, back to back)…but as soon as she's well…we'll be in the big city knocking down their door…uninvited. it's what we do.


4 || plaid + pink = perfect

this board was made for a little gal turning one! when her mom sent me the e-mail telling me her idea for a plaid and pink winter party i knew i liked the idea of it. red plaid and pink is not a combination you think of. but throw in some hot cocoa, rustic touches, and gold tones…you have yourself a super-sweet 1st birthday.


5 || sophisticated sweet 16

a dear friend's daughter turned 16 several months ago and the mom wanted to throw her a sophisticated party as a surprise. it had to be sophisticated because this 16 year old has some serious style. she's also just about the prettiest, kindest teenager i've ever met. it's true. 


oh! are you inspired? would you like your very own party consultation + inspiration board? well…i'd be happy to help!

baby shower? wedding? birthday party? bridal shower?

just shoot me an e-mail at FARMER & the BELL with your basic thoughts and we'll go from there!

linkin' up!

KAYE | FIFTEEN MONTHS

Thursday, January 30, 2014

i'm the proud owner mother of a 15 month old. 

she's really booming right before our eyes. 

and by booming i mean she's tall, but says absolutely no words. none. not one.

she kind of says // mom + dad

she signs // dog + cat + more + all done + diaper

she makes the animal noises of // cows + ducks + dogs + elephants

but her very most favorite sounds of all // whining + crying

don't get me wrong, she smiles and laughs all the time, but it's rare we catch these moments on camera.

i'm quite comfortable in saying she's physically advanced. girlfriend can get around with the best of them. 

when is too early to start training for an olympic sport? she's showing signs of greatness…i just know it.

i think it's safe to say our gal will never be a hair model. we're still pretty patchy. we do have enough hair to wake up with bed head. that's a recent development. 


 oh turtle // i'm absolutely in love with your little hands and little feet. i especially love when you pet my face as i read you stories.



daddy's girl? i think so. he used to carry you around like this at the ski hill when you were a newborn…you would sleep for hours. 


your latest and greatest accomplishment? texting and driving. i wonder where you learned that from…your farmer, maybe?



other bad habits you've learned from your farmer?

climbing on the seat of your tractor // skateboard style. not okay. 


proud mom moment // i whole-heartedly believe you're the most beautiful, little gal…pretty much ever. 



you have the tiniest nose.

the bluest eyes.

and the sweetest, little mouth. 

i could kiss your cheeks off.

another notable quality // you babble out of the side of your mouth all. the. time.

i love that.


nicknames // turtle + turkey + little girl

favorite meal // pulled pork + sweet potatoes

likes // walks outside + swimming + going anywhere with your farmer

dislikes // diaper changes + blowing your nose + second nap…you're surely trying to get rid of it.


one ingredient to blowin' up your blog

Tuesday, January 28, 2014
today, as i thought up a brilliant title to a blog post i haven't written, i was thinking, "what is just one thing that could really change my blog? give it the boost it needs? really blow it up?"

you can sponsor.

you can do giveaways.

you could even post good content. but that's hard.

what you REALLY need is a celebrity backer.

let's take erin, from living in yellow, for example.

source
girlfriend is obsessed with giuliana rancic. or maybe she just likes her a lot. regardless…erin gently stalked, tweeted, posted about her…and traveled to chicago to eat at her restaurant. i think she even offered to be baby duke's nanny. correct me if i'm wrong, erin.

erin + giuliana = BFF4L

well, aside from erin being hysterical and awesome and i want to be her friend…erin has a bang-up blog with a boatload of readers. and her readers are loyal.

do you want to know why?

it's because giuliana backs erin's blog. it's true. i think they may even be secret besties.

sure giuliana may be a ridiculously busy, new mom, but who doesn't have time pop around the internet and read a blog post or two. i know giuliana does.

so now i just need to pick a celebrity to gently stalk from long-distance.

i briefly did this at the beginning of my blogging journey.

the pioneer woman was my target. then i got pregnant, had a baby, and ain't nobody got time for blog-stalking with a newborn.

source
but now i'm back in the game.

i need a celebrity who will give me few shout-outs. maybe even a few instagram "likes."

and before i know it…my farm blog will blow up and kaye will have modeling agencies knocking down our door and my true calling as a stage mom will come to fruition.

maybe i'll even land a guest appearance on the real housewives of (name a city).

blogging…it's a strategical process.

who would you choose to be your celebrity backer?

let's start a movement.

oh yeah, and that ridiculously clever blog post title?

juan for me, none for you

the post will be all about juan pablo…naturally.

idea // juan pablo will be my celebrity backer.

love canvas // by kaye

Monday, January 27, 2014
as a person with a child, i can now fully appreciate just how cute it is to put said child's handprints and footprints all over the walls.

as a matter of fact, i think they are so sweet i want to mass produce these suckers and send them to just about everyone i know.

i think the appreciation would be lost in translation.

again…kaye and i were pinteresting around and we found some adorable valentine art and we just knew that we could do better. 

and so we did, because that's what we do.

(it's only better because i say it's better...and because kaye cried during the whole process…so sweat and tears went into this one.)

the project is suuuper simple. just grab your washable paints and some canvas…and your patience. 


also, make sure your toddler is occupied while you create your masterpiece.

you didn't think kaye had anything to do with this, did you?


i blended red and white to get the light pink in the center of the canvas.

then i added a smidgen of brown to get the purple-pink at the bottom.

i'm practically a blending mastermind.

while that was drying, i had visions of grandeur involving kaye and her sweet fingers dipped in red and pink.

those dreams were crushed when she immediately started eating the paint…again.


(that's my fingerpainting…i figured if i showed her my enthusiasm she would follow suit. no.)



after her tears started to smear the pink and red paint down her cheek i packed up shop for a few days.

then i needed something to blog about, so we finished bright and early this morning.


and she looooves it.


except for when she cried with each print of her hand and feet.



note // my farmer thinks it looks like her blood is smeared on this canvas. 

he's right…figuratively.

FIVE // blogs you should know

Friday, January 24, 2014
i'm letting you in on a little secret here today.

i'm a blogging addict. 

and yes. i am ashamed. 

my farmer requests on the daily that i stop talking about blogging. 

as a matter of fact, he said that if i didn't double my readership in a year, i should probably stop blogging altogether. sounds harsh…but he's onto something. 

want to know another secret?

he's thrilled when he sees his mug on farmer & the bell. he craves attention more than i do.

to the point - because i'm a blogging addict i've found some pretty rockstar blogs and that's what i'm sharing today. 

TOP FIVE BLOGS YOU SHOULD KNOW


here is what this blogger has to say about her blog - a subtle revelry is a lifestyle craft & foodie blog with simple ideas for merrymaking the everyday, because every day deserves a party. 

source

love it.


she blogs all about food and recipes and takes the most beautiful food photos. she also eats dessert for breakfast and breakfast for dinner…and i think i'll start doing the same. and gain 48 pounds.

source

love to hate her. hate to love her. want to look like her. and will someone please reassure me that ALL of her photos are photoshopped? mostly i want her hair. ps. she wears clip-ins.

source

i've been following girlfriend for a bit now. like…before she had her food network show. i have her cookbook and i even had her sign it. we're practically besties. let's face it…for awhile i was practically obsessed. i've since tamed that obsession. stopped leaving creepy comments. but i still thoroughly enjoy her posts and recipes. she just makes ya happy.

source (photo by shane bevel)

of course i have to give a shout out to this month's sponsor, jessica! not only does jessica write all about her sweet family on the journey of autumn, but she also has a cake/dessert decorating blog called jem cakes! girlfriend has talent. 

source
also, please note that she's started a new etsy shop called bunny autumn which features the most darling  knits and crochet goods. she'll be having a little giveaway on this here blog next week to help promote her new shop. the prize has yet to be decided, but she's thinking a heart garland just in time for v-day. cute cute.
source
check it out for all your v-day goodie needs!

as usual…linking on up!

HEALTHY, WHOLE WHEAT BLUEBERRY POWER MINI MUFFINS

Thursday, January 23, 2014
it's no secret that i have some snacky people living on the farm.

guilty…


so when i found this yummy blueberry muff recipe on pinterest i thought i'd give it a go.

after making it a few times, i've modified it here and there and now i have what i believe to be an even healthier, more delicious version of it. 

tooting horn.

whole wheat, oatmeal, greek yogurt, blueberry mini-muffs


ingredients list //
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 cups oatmeal
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups plain greek yogurt 
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 4 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted), room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup frozen (no sugar added) or fresh blueberries 
*you can also follow her recipe which has 1/2 cup less oats and no milk. i added the oats because i wanted the muffs to be a little denser. i then had to add the milk to thin out the batter. i also use whole wheat flour and plain yogurt. the plain yogurt has less sugar and the muffs still taste great. 

1 // preheat your oven to 350Āŗ. then mix all dry ingredients together


2 // combine all wet ingredients together, minus the blueberries. you'll add those at the end.


3 // combine wet and dry ingredients in mixer. once mixed well, add blueberries. mix sparingly so as to not crush the blueberries.


4 // spray the poop out of the muff-tin with PAM…you don't want your mini-muffs to get stuck in there. once it's sprayed, place about a tablespoon in each hole.


5 // set your timer for eight minutes. these muffs cook FAST.


6 // remove your muffs to cool. take pictures of them next to the window and revel in their cuteness.


so cutie and mini, right?!


ENJOY!

farm party - a tractor affair

Wednesday, January 22, 2014
it's a party board kind of day.

this board isn't just any board. it's a special board created specifically for two special boys. 

well…one is a man, but definitely a boy at heart. kind of like a man-boy.

which now that i think of it…perfectly describes my farmer as well. 

what's with farmers, anyway?

these two special fellas belong to amy over at the farmer's wife

they both have february birthdays…and by request of the younger farmer…he'd like a tractor cake. which makes it year #2 for this theme. 

(you can see last year's party here.)

the cutest, right? that amy…she knows how to put together a celebration.

anyway…i took it upon myself to whip up an inspiration board with a farm twist. i mean…it's about time, right?

mood // playful, fresh, moo

colors // green, red, yellow


credits
row 1: tractor // cows // milk // veggie basket
row 2: pinwheels
row 4: flowers // corn // izze // sack race

honestly, this board turned out WAY more summery/warm-weathery than i had intended. you know…since their birthdays are in february…in idaho. 

i guess i could have put this picture in there…

source

winter farming at it's finest.

it just didn't quite fit.

i hope amy's boys have the very best birthdays. they definitely deserve it.

ps. DO NOT forget to enter to win the v-day visa giftcard! go HERE.

or just get entered below…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

$105 VISA GIFTCARD GIVEAWAY - just in time for v-day

Monday, January 20, 2014
beaming with pride over here.

i'm proud to report that i've organized my very first cold, hard cash giveaway via the financial funds of the lovely, LOVELY ladies below…and myself.

seriously…by coincidence only…they all happen to be gorgeous. it's true.

we have banded together to present you with a $105 visa giftcard just in time to buy your sweetie (or yourself) a bang-up treat. 

so that's fun.

just get yourself entered below!

and DO NOT forget to visit all these fine gals…because they are total doll-faces. that's for sure.

clockwise from the top
jess // natalie // amy // erin // mackenzie // jessica // emily // karissa // karli // neja

a Rafflecopter giveaway

we're back…just in time for five. phew.

Friday, January 17, 2014
we're back from vacation just in time for the weekend…which will serve the purpose of recovering from vacation.

the numbers //

3 bowls of ice cream

1 four mile run

2 spa treatments

7 glorious days with my farmer and my turtle…and good friends.

you just can't beat it.

1 // water turtle



my gal-face loves the water and can pull off a two piece with the best of them. but i couldn't resist this one-piece from gap.

source


2 // death defying stunts




after amy and i got back from running some errands (we got massages) we came home and my farmer immediately pulled me to the stairs and said, "watch baby's new trick."

she's now quite comfortable leaping from high places. parenting fail.

3 // puppy love




we have a serious case of puppy love on our hands. kaye was showing off for this cutie all week. if he wasn't giving her the attention she felt she deserved, she would chase him down and taunt him.

just like her mother. it's basically how i snagged my farmer.

basically.

4 // spa




did i mention for the third time amy and i were glorious recipients of not one, but two spa treatments?

we enjoyed massages and facials at the cove at shore lodge. isn't it picturesque?

i wish i could say this was a sponsored post, but no. we forked over the cash…well worth it.

the soaking pool before the treatments was beyond relaxing.

the massage was glorious.

the facial was needed.

the experience was grand.

5 // plenty of snow



we were finally able to enjoy some snow.

unfortunately there was no time for skiing or snowshoeing.

but there was plenty of time to scribble a message to my gal.

enjoy the weekend. i'll be napping.

linking up…of course.



@karlibellmeier