A Carolina Homecoming!

Every fall when Carolina homecoming weekend rolls around, we get pretty excited to reunite with dear friends, head to Kenan Stadium, and cheer on our Tar Heels! Being back on campus always makes me reminisce over great memories, and also makes me thankful for where life has taken me since my days as an undergrad at UNC. Eddie and I met the summer before our senior year at UNC and I love that we both share a love for all things Carolina :)

This year for homecoming, we did something a little different to accommodate all the sweet little babies new to our group. I was excited to host everyone at our house and couldn't resist putting together a Tar Heel themed dessert table for everyone to enjoy throughout the game! 

My best friend Ashley came the night before to help with all the goodies and we had a blast baking and laughing in the kitchen until well past our bed time.

White chocolate dipped pretzels are always a favorite and they are one of my go-to party foods because they are both easy to make and so delicious! We used white candy quick (generic brand on sale) and blue candy melts (from Michaels with a coupon) to make the festive designs.

 Using the same melting chocolate, we also made delicious (and very nutritious...wink wink) chocolate covered marshmallows.

The caramel popcorn was a huge hit and was so simple to make. It didn't turn out as "blue" as I was planning, but the deliciousness definitely made up for it! :) I used this recipe for the caramel topping, and substituted white sugar for the brown sugar. I also added a little blue food coloring to the caramel right before pouring it on the popcorn. I think this took about 5 short minutes to make...so simple and everyone loved it!

Festive blue sprinkles added some sparkle to mini vanilla cupcakes and sugar cookies, and we also made supreme bars since they are my hubby's favorite.

I love how everything came together!

I also made a centerpiece for the dining room table using a few UNC items and frames. I kept all the decor to the center of the table so that folks could still use this space to sit and eat their lunch.

Hands down, the best part of the day was catching up with friends while cheering on our Tar Heels. We were also able to meet sweet baby Beckett for the first time! :)

 

To top off a great day, we won the game :) We are already looking forward to Homecoming 2014! Go Heels! :)

Our Gallery Wall

Hey y'all! A while back, we completed a project that has turned out to be one of my favorite places in our home. Using a few photos that have extra special meaning to us, I created a gallery wall in the living room as a way to bring personalization and warmth to the room. We pass this area several times everyday and I love being reminded of some of my favorite memories (both past and present) :)

The frames came in packs of three from Michaels and were very cost-effective, totaling $12 for a pack of three after coupon...not too shabby! The frames only came in black and brown so I turned them silver with a quick coat of my favorite silver metallic spray paint. To create a unified look, I used inexpensive white mats, also from Michaels (always with a coupon!). 

I love how the frames add height to the wall and liven up this corner. As far as gallery walls go, I think the best formula is do what fits your taste and space! The spacing between frames was mainly determined by the thermostat, which was not-so-strategically placed on the wall by the builder. To get around its random placement, I simply used the length of the monitor as the distance between each of the frames. Sometimes you just have to work with what you have! :)

I taped sheets of paper to the wall to create a rough template, and then my handy hubby helped me measure, level and hang all the frames! We took the easy route by using Command Strips on the back since the frames are so light. This made them easy to hang and they have held up perfectly (thank you, Command Strips, for making this project so much easier!)

And that wraps up our gallery wall! This has definitely become my favorite wall in the house. It's fun when guests come over and ask about certain pictures, laugh and reminisce. What a great reminder of some of our favorite memories :)

So, how do you like to display photos in your home?

You can also find me at: Savvy Southern Style | The Turquoise Home | All Things Heart and Home