vintage simple birthday

My oldest asked for a vintage themed birthday. That I can do! I don't go all out on birthdays..I try to make them as simple as possible while still making my kiddos feel special. We have dinner and cake with family and friends. I usually make their cake (which, sometimes isn't simple for me), and I decorate the table. That's it! I always love the way tiny details make things special. Here's some shots of the details...

The cake lace is edible..and a big pain lol. I bought the mix and the silicone mold at Hobby Lobby. I think the key to simplicity would either be use non edible lace or have a large mold that you could make several lace pieces at a time. The plan was to have more lace, but simplicity took precedence here.
Filigree cupcake wrappers: Amazon
Gold embellished plates: Hobby Lobby
Paper flowers: Hobby Lobby
Everything else, including the lace and doilies was just something I had laying around the house and in the studio.

Grandma always seems to show up at birthday parties..we miss her dearly, but I'm happy to have any little reminders of her. The pink dish was hers <3

h o d g e p o d g e o s: laundry detergent

As most of you know, I am an oiler: essential oils that is. In some of my research I have learned what horrible chemicals are in the items we use on a daily basis, including our laundry detergents. For the past year or so I have slowly been eliminating these chemicals from our home. We no longer use regular detergents, cosmetics, cleaners, shampoos, toothpastes... Yes! Toothpaste. Did you know that our shampoo and toothpaste could very likely be causing health issues!?
So, here is the recipe we use for laundry detergent. It's pretty simple and makes a 5 gallon bucket and costs approximately 10-12 CENTS PER LOAD!

1.5 cups super washing soda
3 cups baking soda
1.5 cups liquid castile soap
1/2 cup Thieves Household Cleaner
5 gallons water
In a 5 gallon bucket, add enough hot water to dissolve sodas. Then add the remaining ingredients and then the remaining water. Let sit over night. Shake well before each load.
Use 1/2 cup per load.

I purchased a cheap water dispenser from Wal-Farts :) that works great to dispense without a mess. As soon as I switched from regular detergent, even my hubby noticed a difference in how clean our clothes were coming out in the wash.
A few tips:
Thieves Household Cleaner can be purchased through a wholesale account with Young Living. Email me at hodgepodge@live.com if you need help or click here: Young Living Signup
Castile Soap can be found at Target or Walgreens, usually in the make-up/cosmetic department. The blue bottle labeled baby is the non-scented option that I choose.
Super Washing Soda is usually in the detergent isle on the bottom shelf.