Flashback: May was a busy month gearing up for graduation! Because of the fact that we have moved around a lot as a military family we don't actually live near any blood relatives. We have loved every minute of this nomadic life and have found adopted family in each place we have lived. This particular graduation is for my adopted niece, Madeleine, who graduated from high school this year. Last year during the flurry of graduation open houses that go on, Madeleine decided that when her time came she would like to have a western theme. I love a good theme! My youngest graduated 2 years ago and we had a big graduation luau out at the lake and loved every minute of it! I was happy to hear that the next graduate in our family also wanted something a little different! Because her mom and I are planners we had no less than four meetings to make lists and bounce ideas off of our girl. During this period we succumbed to something I like to call the DOG (Delusions of Grandeur) syndrome so needless to say, many lofty ideas did not come to pass. All in all though, I think we pulled off a great day complete with western theme and for me the process was actually more fun than the party! my first attempt at burlap roses and I was thrilled to find that burlap now comes in many vibrant colors! we had collected little glass boots to use for vases and filled them with coffee beans to hold our flowers in place. The candy graduation caps are one of my favorite things to make and take for a grad open house. Miniature Reese's peanut butter cups on the bottom with an after 8 dinner mint on the top with an m&m and yellow icing for the tassel. glued together with icing. The message jar below was made from a pickle jar...just spray painted the lid red and added some rafia. The picture horseshoe was my husbands contribution. Poor guy has been the victim of many a crazy plan from me. He always says I use the "royally we" when volunteering to take on some mad project. We used plywood for the base and attached cork. The our graduate put all her pictures on to make it her own! The graduation was held at a beautiful country home and we roped off the driveway to make an area for tables and fellowship. Her colors were red and silver and I was able to find a chicken feeder in red and fill it with skittles to make a people feeder. A sweet picture of grad and grandma at the cute little picture booth complete with hats and bandanas and picture frame I am notorious for decorating everything I can so even the pickle jars didn't escape! Candy mold are easy and can be made ahead of time for any event! love these little boots and hats. The light brown ones are peanut butter and they were especially tasty! Found some inexpensive glass plates at wal-mart and decoupaged them with turquoise and red bandanas to make plates for this stand. The candles are simple votives I had inherited a box of and a little ribbon and burlap made them perfect for the occasion!