Apr 25, 2017
We are SO excited to announce that our favorite beach blankets have arrived! (Seriously, we’ve been looking forward to this all year… it finally feels like SUMMER is happening, folks!) Here’s what we love about this blanket:
– they’re extra roomy (6 ft x 7 ft in size)
– they are lightweight (easy to pack)
– they’re made of the softest traditional Mexican materials – a blend of recycled cotton, acrylic and polyester (easy to wash)
– the sand (even pesky WET SAND) doesn’t stick to them, so packing up is always easy
– the colors are so bright and cheery!
See? It doesn’t stick… Love!
So fun and colorful too!
If you have a beach trip planned, this item is a MUST! Available in a variety of colors, while supplies last. Come by the store or call us to place your order today: 806-785-1195
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Feb 8, 2017
For this semester’s Barque Team get-together, I thought it might be fun to have “Brunch for Dinner”. The benefits would be twofold – a great way for my girls to sample a few of our food products (like buttermilk biscuit mix and local jams)… and second, I thought it would be easy to cook on a weeknight!
In this post, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the invitation, party details, decorations, menu and party favors – plus an idea you can borrow to spark great conversation at your own Valentine’s Day gathering!
Since I love Valentine’s Day, I thought that would be an easy theme to work with. I utilized my collection of vintage Valentines to add a little interest to my mantle.
For the table, I used lots of layering – starting with a simple white tablecloth, then adding a length of sheer pink fabric (on clearance at Joann’s), followed by heart-shaped cut outs and doilies. To finish it off, more vintage valentines strewn about (some on tiny easels) and a sprinkling of conversation heart candies. For added ambiance, I combined a few tall white candles with strings of battery-operated, mini copper lights (a new arrival at the store).
For each place setting, alternating pink and red napkins (folded in the shape of a heart) were adorned with a hand-lettered doily as a place card. The talented @kelseylaineholt (check her out on Instagram!) made them for us – as well as the food/drink labels – and they really made the tablescape swoon-worthy, don’t you think?
Before guests got settled in, everyone was asked fill out 2 “Conversation Hearts”. This idea was inspired by Darcy Miller’s new book, Celebrate Everything – and it ended up being one of the favorite parts of the evening for all of us. HERE is a link to a free printable with the instructions, which can easily be displayed in a basic 4×6 frame.
You can download the conversation heart templates HERE and HERE – just print them out on pastel colored cardstock and cut out by hand.
We collected the completed hearts in a fish bowl, and they later became our dinner conversation starters! It was really fun to try to guess who each heart belonged to – and it sparked great conversation! We learned a lot about one another (and laughed a lot too).
The menu consisted of traditional breakfast food – eggs (heart-shaped of course), bacon, sausage, turkey bacon, buttermilk biscuits (see our tips for those here), local jams from Kelle B, fruit, yogurt (with heart sprinkles), and a modified version of Bobby Flay’s Rosemary and Pancetta Home Fries (from the cookbook Brunch at Bobby’s). To be honest, I’ve made this recipe before and it was delicious, but I must have done something wrong this time – oops! It didn’t work out as I had planned, so it became mashed the potatoes with rosemary and pancetta mixed in – sometimes you have to improvise!
We tested out a recipe from the Forest Feast Gatherings Cookbook for the bar – Ruby Mimosa Punch – and it was quite tasty!
I think a party always needs a favor, and for this one, each of the girls received a ball cap (monogrammed with the Barque logo), a box of conversation hearts, a mini jar of Kelle B Jam, and a Butter London nail polish. I love how the personalized tags turned out too!
Corny or not, the tags are true – I really do love these girls! They’re a great bunch, and I’m so blessed to have each one of them working with me. The best part is I think they genuinely enjoy one other too – It’s not often you can work and play together and enjoy so much laughter.
Aren’t they they cutest?
I hope our Team “Dinner” inspires a few ideas for your own Valentine’s (or Galentine’s) Brunch, and if it does, we’d love to know about it! Tag us on Instagram (@barquegifts) or email us photos – we love to see how our friends and customers throw a party!
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Jan 12, 2017
One of my favorite products to design are punny valentines, and I love to draw inspiration from my collection of vintage designs. I found these at an antique store in Greensboro – aren’t they fun? The fish is from the 1920’s!
(The inside of the fish says: It’s not a fish tale that I love you)
This year, my mom came back with me after Christmas, so we did a little brainstorming session for this year’s punny valentines during the drive. Ultimately, I decided on 5 new themes: Texas, S’mores, Cactus, TexMex and Baking – all available on our website while supplies last. Each package comes with 12 cards (3 of each of the 4 designs) and red or pink envelopes.
What do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Save
Dec 4, 2016
Y’all, this holiday season has been busy… which is great for business, but that also means that this girl is TIRED!
The sad truth is I was too worn out to put up all of my Christmas decorations this year. As much as I love my Snow Village, garlands, nativity scenes and Santas, I didn’t have the time or the energy to do it. I also didn’t want all the STUFF out. When I put the decorations away, I’m always relieved that my house is clean and clutter-free… so I decided to bring on all of that feel-good happiness a few weeks early. The decorations were minimal, and I used a lot of rearranged everyday items, but it was a welcome change that I’ve enjoyed. Below are a few of my favorite details from this year’s “Colorful Christmas”:
The Mantle – I opted for retro bottle brush trees and a watercolor painting from my grandmother. I had the hardest time finding “pastel” stockings, so I ended up spending an hour or so with my mom’s trusty Singer sewing machine to make my own. They’re not pretty up close, but they’ll work for now. (These trees are so fun – we even used them to dress up our lockers at the store this year.)
The combination of the colorful trees and bright pillows (borrowed from the guest room) make for a cheerful and cozy fireside spot (Lucy agrees).
My Tree – This year I went with a Nordmann Fir, adorned as usual with white lights and my colorful plastic balls. It’s dog-friendly and easy – exactly what I needed!
Nostalgia – This is my favorite nativity. For no good reason other than I’ve always loved it. Since I’ve lived in this house, it’s been an amazing addition to my kitchen decor, mostly because I can keep it safe inside a cloche on the counter.
A Paper Lover’s Nativity – I bought this cardboard nativity a few years ago at an estate sale because it’s the same one my mom got from her mother. It fits perfectly on top of my grandmother’s mini piano.
A Bright Entry – A colorful ball ornament wreath and abstract painting by my grandmother at the door kicks off the colorful feel for this year’s decor!
Red/Green Books – Instead of packing up all my books, I decided to utilize the red and green ones for my entryway display. One less thing to pack up, and a great way to use something I already have out. It’s a win-win, right?
The Church – This new addition to my decorations has been a favorite – it’s a wooden church for holiday cards! It checks all the boxes: cute, useful, and efficient.
