Tag: official guide

Mad Men Party // The Official How-To Guide to Throwing a Mad Men Party

Posted on by Colleen in Events, Uncategorized
The Official How-To Guide to Throwing a Groovy Mad Men Party! http://www.colleentcook.com
Crudieté platter with green and black olives, tomatoes, pickles / chili cranberry meatballs / chicken liver paté with crostini / deviled eggs / bacon-wrapped dates with goat cheese / pigs in a blanket
party mix / shrimp cocktail / cheeseball with crackers
pineapple upside-down cake / cherry rum punch
No one makes a G&T like Joan!
A well-stocked bar is the key to a perfect Mad Men party!
Your Mad Men party isn’t complete without Don’s Favorite Old-Fashioned
Delicious food and drink
Framed vintage ads, suitcases, fans set the scene
Vintage matchbooks, candy cigarettes, framed vintage ads, and martini glasses transport you to the 1960s in style
Your friends will make the party complete when they show up fully costumed and ready to party!
The Mad Men
The Mad Women

My best pal Kelly orchestrated a groovy Mad Men Surprise 30th Birthday Party for her husband Steve yesterday (with a little help from me & my sweet husband).  It was a swanky shindig and a total blast.  Want to plan your own party?  Check out the gallery for some great inspiration… then pin and share!

The Official Guide to Painting a Chevron Wall // In 6 Simple Steps!

Posted on by Colleen in Home

Did you just get home after a long day of work and have 20 minutes to kill?  If you answered yes, you should probably stop because this is not a good idea for you.  Otherwise, go on.

Did you just get a new place or are you in the mood to redecorate?  If the answer is yes, keep reading.

I have envisioned a gray & white chevron nursery for months – I think even before I got pregnant.  I mentioned it to my husband who, rather than flip out on me, embraced the idea.  And we then quickly recruited my bestie’s graphic designer husband to help (this is a wise choice).  Yesterday, they tasked themselves to this while we shopped for nursery decor.  They photo-chronicled the process so that you can recreate.

PHOTO GUIDE TO CREATING A CHEVRON WALL

Step 1: Paint the wall one of the two colors you intend in your chevron and let it completely dry (this may take 2 coats).

Step 2:  Grid off your wall using chalk.  Your grid should be the exact width you want your lines to be – I wanted 7 inch lines, so they made 7 inch boxes.

Step 2: Grid off your wall with chalk
Step 2: Grid off your wall with chalk

 

Step 3: Cut painter’s tape to approximately the lengths you want, at a 45 degree angle and apply to grid.  You place the tape corner to corner, staying outside the boundaries of the new color.

Painter's tape applied to grid creating 45 degree angles
Painter’s tape applied to grid creating 45 degree angles

 

Painter's tape

Step 4: Paint the stripes between the tape lines.  Allow time for drying and then paint second coat (if needed… probably needed)

Step 4: Paint the chevron between the tape lines IMG_20130602_201201_256

Step 5: Remove painter’s tape before it is completely dry, so as to not flake the chevron, and touch up as needed.

Remove the painter's tape and touch up any spots as needed (in this case, the tape took some chips of paint off the wall)
Remove the painter’s tape and touch up any spots as needed (in this case, the tape took some chips of paint off the wall)

 

Step 6: Bask in your awesomeness while you allow the paint to fully dry and then come back in a day or two and wash the grid off the wall with a soft cloth and lightly soapy water.

Enjoy it while it dries - you just did something awesome! Then in a day or two, wash off the chalk grid with a soft cloth and soapy water.
Enjoy it while it dries – you just did something awesome! Then in a day or two, wash off the chalk grid with a soft cloth and soapy water.

 

HUGE thanks to my incredible husband and our friend Steve on this one – I am so thrilled that this is the room where we will welcome our baby girl home!