SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31

Hi there and welcome to Sundays With Celia Vol 31. I’m so pleased you stopped in today. Sorry for the radio silence lately. Between working on my current fixer upper, The House on Cottage Grove, planning and executing a birthday party for one of my besties, and traveling to DC for my grandbabies’ birthday party, I have found little time to sit down at my computer to blog. Yet I’ve got so much I’d like to share with you.

So let’s get caught up.

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | An Artsie Birthday Party | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

Looking Back On Sunday

I managed one post last week where I shared with you the birthday party I hosted for a dear friend. If you missed it check it out by clicking here. It’s chalk full of advice to help you execute your next dinner party.

CELIA VOL 31 | HOW TO PLAN A DINNER PARTY | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

I also promised to post the recipes for the food I prepared for this party. I hope to get those posted early next week, so do stay tuned for some delicious recipes.

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | Halibut en Papillote | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

A Sunday Birthday Party

I’ve been spending a lot of time above the clouds lately.

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

Last Sunday I was in Washington, DC for my grandbabies’ birthday party. They were born a year and 1 day apart so they celebrate their birthdays together. Wills turned 3…

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | A Birthday Party | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

Wills Sneaking Popcorn Before The Party Guests Arrive

and Elle turned 4. Where does the time go??

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | A Birthday Party | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

Elle Coloring “Inside” The Lines

They had the most magnificent art themed birthday party. I look forward to doing an in-depth blog post on the party soon, but in the meantime here’s a little teaser.

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | A Birthday Party | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

Two of the Six Art Stations

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | A Birthday Party | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

The Pasta Bar Buffet

One of my duties in helping to get ready for the party was to put 10 different colors of sprinkles in 75 painter-palette cupcake trays. It took me 3 hours but boy was it the perfect “artsie” birthday dessert! My son & daughter-in-law are going to be seeing sprinkles around their house for decades to come!

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | A Birthday Party | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

Painter’s Palette Cupcakes

Writing For Forbes Travel Guide On Sunday

As a blogger & writer it’s always exciting when a large and very respectable publication hires you to write an article for them. So when Forbes Travel Guide asked me to write about my stay at the Lapa Olissippo Palace Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal I jumped at the chance!  After decades of being overlooked, Portugal is finally getting its moment in the sun. It’s a beautiful country with warm and welcoming inhabitants and the prices are still a bargain compared to other European destinations. Portugal should definitely be on your travel radar, and after reading my article about one of Lisbon’s finest hotels you may just start planning your next European vacation right now. Check out my Forbes Insider article by clicking here.

Sundays With Celia Vol 31 | A VISIT TO THE OLISSIPPO LAPA PALACE HOTEL IN LISBON | www.AfterOrangeCopunty.com

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | Olissippo Lapa Palace Hotel, Lisbon, Portugal | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

A Sunday Update On The House On Cottage Grove

We are making swift progress on my latest fixer-upper, The House On Cottage Grove. This week the rough electrical was approved by the county building inspector which allowed us to insulate walls that had never been insulated before. Now my cute little cottage is cozy and warm in winter for the first time in its 95 year old life. I even insulated interior walls for soundproofing and added heat retention.

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | Fixer-Upper Update | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

We are now closing up the walls, doing what will eventually be part beadboard, part faux board & batten.

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | Fixer-Upper Update | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

I purchased this bowl from Sur Le Table and it became the inspiration for my color scheme. This week I finally settled on the interior paint colors: dark sage green and oatmeal. That’s my husband being a good sport holding up the props.

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | Fixer-Upper Update | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | Fixer-Upper Update | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

I selected tile, a hexagon shape porcelain mosaic with a honed/matt finish for the mud room and for one of the bathroom floors. It’s $7.49 a square foot at Home Depot.

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | Fixer-Upper Update | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

And I made a fantastic purchase of this incredible Cuckoo Clock from my favorite design resource, Bella’s, here in Lake Arrowhead that will be used in the decor. Isn’t it simply amazing?

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | Fixer-Upper Update | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

Plus I ordered a stair runner/carpet from Target that is just the right shade of green to compliment my paint color.

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | Fixer-Upper Update | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

I also ran across this photo on a website that sells pillows called The Citizenry. But what I liked most about the photo below was the black headboard.

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | Fixer-Upper Update | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

So, I decided to draw the headboard design on craft paper and have my very talented carpenter make a similar one for me.

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | Fixer-Upper Update | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | Fixer-Upper Update | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

Within a couple of hours he produced this. Pretty fantastic, right? I will paint it and it will be used in one of the bedrooms of The House On Cottage Grove.

SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31 | Fixer-Upper Update | www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

Well, that’s about all I have to share on this Sunday with Celia Vol 31. I hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend.

So There You Have It: SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 31

Thanks so much for dropping in! 

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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission. This post contains affiliate links which help to make this blog possible.

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