I just wanted to share a quick photo of my mom and me after finishing our papier mache pumpkins, the ones from the class I posted about a few weeks ago... here. At the time of the photo, the inside of our pumpkins had not been painted yellow, which will give them a spooky glow at night!
We still haven’t carved pumpkins yet… It’s a good thing to do when you have the afternoon off from work. So I scrounged up some ideas from Ladies Home Journal to use this afternoon.
I’m a big advocate in keeping pumpkins out, even after Halloween. It’s the time of harvest, and pumpkins are a big part of that, so even though I’m just carving these babies today, they will be a beautiful display for weeks to come!
The last pumpkin, bottom right, is inspiration for my husband. Through all of these decorative and feminine designs, I thought he deserved at least one idea for the 45 lb. pumpkin he picked out. (From the blog of David in DC) Enjoy!
This week I was included in a recipe exchange, via email, and was delighted at the idea that I could be the lucky recipient of 36 new recipes! (Thanks Steph!)
I'm back with some additional hand poured teacup candles! These are so fun to make, and would be the perfect gift to your mother or mother in law, as a way to say thanks.
Going through my daily blog reads yesterday I came across this post from DIY Bride. I'm not a bride (or groom, for that matter), so I won't be entering, but I thought it was a great idea for a challenge. I put my skills and resources to the test and came up with an inspiration board that totals $387.99, well under the $500 mark. It was a fun assignment, and proved that there are some amazing ensembles out there for a lady on a budget!
I love using celebrity photos for inspiration on hair and makeup, but sometimes, you have to admit, they go over the top. This updo featured on Taylor Swift is my idea of a classic look. It’s not a comfortable look with a little bit of glam, and it doesn’t have to be perfectly pinned and sprayed to stay the whole night.
What are your celebrity hair inspirations?
Picture found here.
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Love this idea from Martha: DIY directions to make beautiful "take-home" bouquets for your guests, that also fill the centerpiece. The dainty paper cones are an adorable way to hide the water-filled floral tubes, and are so customizable! This would also be a great favor for the ladies at your bridal shower... because what woman does not enjoy flowers!
A beautiful addition to any strapless gown, this scalloped lace shrug includes beaded rosettes and is delicately hand-made from high quality alencon lace. It is available in white or ivory at the Etsy shop of Emily Rohm. It’s custom made, so you know you will be getting the best fit possible, and is available without beading as well.
This would be the perfect accessory for a brisk fall wedding, no additional accessories needed!
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Even if you’re color scheme doesn’t involve blue, you can always carry on the “something blue” tradition in your bridal shower! A fun play on the old saying, this shower theme includes bright blue hues with exaggerated accessories; like a giant diamond ring paperweight! The crisp blue and white color scheme will transform your bridal shower into a luxe celebration!
Swirls and pearls invitation, diamond ring paperweight, white farm vase, french paper, blue mini-cube favor boxes, glass coasters, cupcake tree, blue alba slim vase.
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There are a lot of ways a bride can express herself, especially in the simple details of a wedding. One of my favorite forms of personal expression is nail polish! Because this day is so special, your nails must match the occasion as well!
I love the fact that something so small can be the icing on the cake, and such a big expression of personal style. You could get away with anything from a dazzling red to a perfect pink, and you better believe people will be noticing. You’ll be showing off more than your new wedding band, so make sure your digits are dazzling with these shades from OPI.
Listed above from left to right: That’s Hot! Pink, Kiss on the Chic, Black Cherry Chutney, Tickle Me France-y, Chocolate Shake-speare, An Affair in Red Square.
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So almost a month ago I was tagged by Amanda of Vintage & Glam, but it has taken me this long to actually follow through with my side of things! Woops.
4 Things I Did Today:
1. Posted to my daily blog {bridal buzz}
2. Completed a few price lists for clients
3. Returned calls and emails
4. Am cooking chili in the crock pot as we speak (does that even count?).
4 Things On My To Do List:
1. Create!
2. Make more papier mache pumpkins
3. Look for an antique desk to replace the one in my studio from office max.
4. Start thinking of a design for this year’s annual Christmas revelry.
4 Of My Guiltiest Pleasures:
1. Reese’s peanut butter cups, yum
2. John & Kate plus 8
3. Facebook
4. picking up old furniture from the side of the road.
4 Random Facts About Me:
1. Most nail polish colors look awful on my fingers
2. I talk to my two dogs like they are children (husband hates it)
3. My studio is almost always a mess (“can we meet at the coffee shop?”)
4. I am always over budget.
and I tag….
Brandy from The Small Details
Heather from One Love Photo
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This is probably old news for some of you, but I just discovered Jean M. has a few of their stunning invitations feature at Target stores. Yes, Target! Now it’s even easier to get that classy, Jean M. look, in a ready-to-send invitation. In my mind, this would be an ideal purchase for brides who are having a small wedding, because paying a premium for 50 invitations doesn’t sit right with me.
Just thought I would share a few of my favorite ideas for unique table numbers.
Eclectic paper notebooks that double as table numbers. With these, guests can jot down memories and well wishes for the bride and groom.
Wine bottles serve as table numbers and favors for the guests in this Martha Stewart table scape
A simple black and white photograph displays the table number with a personal touch. These can be fun snapshots or variations of your engagement photos! I actually created this design just for this post. Check out more RSVP Invitation designs at the RSVP invitation studio site.
I stopped by my local office max on Tuesday in search for some simple file folders and a padfolio—since I had completely run out of both. Scouring the clearance section I spotted the whole KIT collection from Russell+Hazel and scooped up lots of goodies, 70% off!
I know some people are like… oh! Don’t waste your money on things like this, but I truly feel as though I work better when everything is organized and clean looking. I have my file cabinets stuffed with these light blue file folders, and everything has a proper label and section, and every time I need to file—I smile.
The Russell+Hazel website has tons more to check out… they have an endless amount of collections, colors, and patterns to choose from. So, go get your life organized!
Kit by Russell+Hazel or the Russell+Hazel store
P.S. They also have a super cute blog: Chicaholic
Paper crave recently posted about the awesome papier mache pumpkins made by artist Scott Stoll, of Stalloween, here. When I saw the post I almost jumped out of my skin, because I am actually taking a class instructed by Scott this weekend, where we will be learning how to make one of these bad boys. I am so pumped, it should be a great addition to my miniscule halloween decorations!
Mini herb gardens are a perfect favor for almost everyone. Who wouldn’t want a selection of fresh basil or cilantro to cook with! These mini potted herbs would be a great parting gift for your wedding attendants, and would add to your venue décor. Use them as place card holders, as a centerpiece, or even as an inspiration to the rest of your wedding theme.
There are a few different options out there, depending on how involved you would like to get.
(1) is a mixed herb garden, packed with all of the necessary ingredients to grow fresh herbs right in the adorable galvanized pail. Found at Swallowtail Farms.
(2) is a matchstick garden, packaged in a tiny matchbook, grow your favorite stalks by planting each matchstick into soil (pot not included). The matchstick gardens are available in mixed herbs, Italian garden or mixed greens, yum! Found at Brooklyn 5 and 10.
(3) the old fashioned way. Purchase a bag of potting soil, mini terra cotta pots and your favorite herbs and garden away! For best results, I would suggest doing this no more than a week in advance. That way you don’t need to keep up on watering duty as you rush around trying to tie up loose ends before the wedding!
Here is a helpful tutorial:
Tip: in addition to the favors, name each table a different herb instead of a number, which will tie in to your green theme! You could also attach a favorite recipe, using the herb favors, to the pot using a pretty ribbon or twine.
photo credit: rosemary, herb pail, navajo pink salvia, place card pots, matchstick garden, herb place setting.
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In my search for unique engagement rings, I came across this stunning emerald cut sapphire ring from the flickr album of Ralph Rayner at Rumor in London.
I love the contrast of the dark sapphire stone against the diamonds and white gold, it’s so classic! I always feel like it’s a big step to get into the colored stones when choosing an engagement ring, but if you want something bold and beautiful, this is the way to go. It’s unique enough to stand out in a crowd, but classic enough to keep you grounded.
I love the idea of adding a flamboyant cake stand to a simple, chic, wedding cake. This Pretty in Pink Cake Stand can be found at Wrapables, and would be an adorable addition to a cupcake display as well!
I've been eyeing these birds down ever since I was searching for a unique cake top for my own wedding. We ended up waiting until the last minute to figure out the little details, and so I was not able to get a pair of these, but I can still dream! Check them out, they can be found at the Etsy shop of Matthew Stewart!
What to do with all of those special items once the wedding is over? Turn them in to a still-life display with this memory box from my beloved Pottery Barn! I love this idea, which transforms random items from a special time in your life, into something that everyone can enjoy.If I had one of these, I think I would put in:+ my grandfathers pipe+ the bridal bag made from my grandmother's wedding gown+ my grandmother's handkerchief+ my mini bottle of southern comfort+ a few dried flowers from my bouquet+ our adorable favor boxes+ our handmade wedding invitationsYou can even get this personalized right on the glass (up to 20 characters)!
On Wednesday, October 15th, 2008, FFANY is hosting Shoes on Sale, at QVC. Watch the three-hour broadcast, from 7-10 p.m. EST and seize your opportunity to buy cute shoes while supporting breast cancer research nationwide!
QVC will offer more than 100,000 pairs of designer shoes at half the suggested retail price.
I’ve never personally shopped on QVC, but if shoes are involved, you better believe I will be tuned in!
I love finding new color inspirations, especially ones that comes from nature (those are the best)! So it’s no surprise that I love this tool: color hunter
You simply upload a photo from your pile of inspirations and viola, it pulls colors, hues and tones from that exact photo. How easy! This would be very helpful to those brides just beginning the planning process, and may not know what they want just yet.
Above, I chose a photo from Martha Stewart Weddings, here, and got an array of whimsical colors to choose from. My prayers have been answered!
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I think we all know and love Mindy Weiss from the many celebrity weddings she has planned so extravagantly, yes, she’s amazing in the wedding industry. I recently stumbled across Mindy’s e-store, which features the best wedding gifts and goodies, designed by Mindy herself!
I immediately fell in love with the soft color scheme and style of Mindy’s items; they are oh so romantic! Today I chose to feature Mindy’s Ultimate Wedding Organizer, which has 25 sections for pure planning bliss! You’re sure to never miss a beat with this planner, all while looking completely stylish!
About 5 years ago, my grandmother decided that her wedding gown, which had been in her closet for almost 5 decades, needed a new purpose in life. She secretly had 5 small handbags made for each of her 5 grand daughters made with the satin and lace of her gown. I received mine at a time when I was not thinking about a wedding at all, but it made that future time in my life that much more exciting!
When it came time for me to tie the knot, I carefully placed a select few items into my bag, things that carried as many memories as that very bag. A pipe from my grandfather (it still smelled just like I remembered him) paired with a tiny bottle of old southern comfort, cinnamon gum (in remembrance of my other grandfather), and a vintage handkerchief, also given to me by my grandmother. There was still enough room to throw in some makeup items for touchups later on in the night.
Personal or not, bags like this are essential to a bride on her big day. Check out the bottom row of bags on etsy for inspiration!
Left to right: peacock clutch, gold pleated clutch, aubergine honesty clutch.
My husband has officially second guessed my decorating style. I brought home these bargain chairs (yes, two of them) from my local habitat for humanity store and he about died! I tried to assure them that I knew how crazy they looked, but that wasn't the point. I needed a pair of studio chairs, but I didn't want just anything. I wanted something with a little bit of graphic flare, something that you can't find at Ikea or Target.
Ugh! That’s all I have to say about this topic. I’ve been doing some extensive research on hand canceling letters and postcards for a bride who is having some save the dates done. We are currently designing postcards with an embossed monogram front and regular printing on the back. I know that a beautiful embossed monogram would get smudged going through those horrific machines at the post office, so I was determined to have them hand cancelled. I probably made my first mistake going to the main post office on a Friday afternoon, but after waiting in line for 15 minutes I was denied the right to hand cancel. The postal woman I talked to said that they would hand cancel 10 pieces max., she also said that I would not be allowed to cancel them myself, because I might change the date on the stamp. Whatever!
I’m not giving up yet, my plan of attack is to hit the two smaller post offices in my city and see if they will be a little more giving.
Any thoughts on this… have any of you had hand cancelled letters or postcards?
image via: Dan Berkes
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Chrysanthemums, I’m in love with these crazy flowers! I really like the spider mum variety, they’re so tactile and fill out a vase very nicely!
Above you will find a few examples of the many varieties of chrysanthemums, in beautiful arrangements from some of my favorite daily inspirations.
Clockwise from left:
Martha Stewart, Decor Village, Decor Village, Wedding Bee
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You have to click yourself right over to the blog of Elizabeth Anne Designs right now and check out Leeann’s gorgeous black and white damask bridal shower! All of the girls, including Leeann put a lot of really nice touches into this event, and looked like they had a blast! My favorite element is the bold black and white pattern with the green details… like the ribbon and writing on each of the yummy cookie favors. Such a dramatic statement!
Thanks for sharing Leeann!
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The original Blockbuster color palette is back at Sephora for a limited time!
I drooled over this product last year, but never managed to snag one, however today is a different story! I don’t usually wear a lot of colorful makeup, but when I want to I never seem to have the colors I want. With this palette, you can’t go wrong! Even if the 64 eye shadows, 32 lips colors and 7 cheek colors don’t satisfy your color craving, you can always mix them to get that perfect shade.
Check out the complete shade listing at the Sephora store!
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