4th Of July Celebrating!

Wouldn't you love to sit out here and enjoy good friends, food, and fun?! This beautiful deck has a coastal feel but the Red, White, and Blue color scheme makes it perfect for Independance Day! Create a similar look by bringing pillows and scatter rugs outside. I looooove how they have created intimacy with the folding screen!

Embelish some paper cups with stars and stripes in the form of ribbon and scrapbook embelishments. Write your name right on the cup so no drink mix ups.

These cute white cones from No Fuss Fabulous are so cute holding red and blue berries.

Want a festive appetizer? I found these at Accent the Party. Just cut out star shapes from puff pastry dough and skewer it with sausage bites. Get full instructions from Dunkin Cooking the Semi-Homemade Way.

A new way to serve hot dogs. Perfect for kids and grown up alike. Find recipe here.

Top it all off with a light berry parfait. Think how pretty it would be with several rows of these lined up on a tray.


Photo Source:

Deck-BHG.com

Cups-unknown

Orange You Loving This?!

This beautiful color scheme of orange and white just POPS out at you! Perfect for a summer luncheon or shower. Great way to combine flowers and candles in a centerpiece too. And I love the creative arrangement of the place setting. See more at Brides.

Magical Moss Centerpieces

There can be more to a centerpiece than just flowers and candles. Why don't you try incorporating some moss details into your next arrangement. The top photo is very simple with sheet moss and votive candles. They show a hanging version but you could easily use this idea with a large bowl or dish...maybe even a small birdbath or urn.

The glass holders in the second picture have been wrapped with sheet moss. Try glueing the moss to a strip of paper and then attach the paper to the glass with double sided tape.

The photos above and below use moss rocks, and sphagnum moss. I've found the rocks at places like TJ Maxx/Marshalls, Target, and some craft stores. You can easily find a variety of mosses in bags at the craft store.

I love how absolutely simple these decorations are. Just a pile of moss in a jar and a butterfly detail. Takes me back to the days as a kid when catching fireflies in a jar was a big deal!

Photos:

Good Housekeeping

Tic Toc Couture

Amorology

A New Use For CD Case

How about this great idea for a party favor. Wrap up a big cookie and place it inside of a cd envelope for your guests. Don't forget the cute little sticker to go on the outside!

Photo: In the Now

Pink & Brown Shower Inspiration

I love the color combination of pink and brown - it's so modern and sophisticated.  I decided to create an inspiration board for a Baby Shower using stripes & dots as a recurring theme:

First Row: Invitations, Hanging Monogram, Centerpiece

2nd Row: Diaper Cake, Drink Tub, Cupcakes

3rd Row: Baby Burp Cloths & Bibs, Candy Bar, Favor Boxes

Bottom Row: Centerpiece, Guest Book(or Advice Book), Book Holder

Exotic Themed Party

I know you are gonna DIE when I tell you this is a Bridal Shower layout!! Is this Fabulous or What?! I found this gorgeous event at Banjo and Sarah's Wedding Blog and had to share. However, it's not just for eye candy. I think there are some serious design ideas we can follow, and recreate on a much smaller scale.

Start by purchasing some very inexpensive, colorful, sheer fabric. Use it to drape from the center of the ceiling to the 4 corners of the room, and to the floor. If your outside, use bamboo poles placed in weighted pots and just drape the fabric horizontally(as seen here). Further, still, you could work it around an outdoor tent or even umbrellas.

Use a piece of plywood for the table and place it on cinder blocks or any other low base you may have. Use lots of pillows to sit on or create floor cushions from thick foam, found at some fabric stores, and wrapped with fabric. No sewing involved!

Finally, fill in with flowers, candles, and any other exotic trinkets you can find. I like the elephants used here, but monkeys, and stained glass lanterns would work too.

Don't forget the favors! Simple boxes filled with chocolates are tied with colorful, coordinating ribbon.

I am seriously feeling the Slumdog Millionaire/Bollywood vibe, here! Great idea for a special birthday, or anniversary party.

Drink Decoration

I can't wait to try these cute drink adornments! They are each very simple but add that extra "umph" to the glass. For a dressier look, try the one on the left. Just tie a thin ribbon on the end of a clear swizzle stick. I like how this ribbon matches the color of the drink.

For a more casual look, go for a wider ribbon knotted around a wooden skewer. You could even use a marker and write your name on the ribbon tail so you know which drink is yours.

Photos:
left-In Style Weddings, right-unknown

The Beauty Of Burlap!

Halle Berry, Cindy Crawford, Giselle....They could all wear a burlap sack and look beautiful, right? Well, so can your dining table!! Check out how gorgeous, rustic, and elegant these burlap details are. Perfect for Father's Day don't you think?!

Two adorable ways to wrap a vase or jar of flowers. The one on the left is a little more organic. I like how the outer ring of the lid is screwed on for a finished look! The option on the right is a little dressier with the addition of satin ribbon.

How about starting the look with the invitations. Wrapping the card stock with a wide burlap ribbon sets the tone. I'm loving the added detail of the tiny clothes pin! This is a great idea for wrapping around big jars for popcorn or cookie buffets.

Another favorite is this place card. Love, love, love! Use this idea for food and drink labels as well.

Send the guests home with a cute little burlap bag filled with a flower bulb, apples, or bag of coffee, etc.

Looking for resources?

Online Fabric Store

Fabric.com

ATS Acoustics

Craft Discount Supplies

Bliss Weddings Market

Papermart

Paper Wishes

Photo Credits:

Top: Snippet and Ink

Middle: Snippet and Ink, Shop Talk Buzz

Bottom: Details Corner Wedding Invitations, Toast and Tables, Pash Weddings

4th of July Cocktail

The 4th of July will be here before you know it and it is not too early to think about what Cool Refreshment you will serve! I found this lovely Blue Moon cocktail at Celebrations. Sounds delicious and looks pretty!

Etsy Shop

As you know, this is not a "wedding" blog. However, occassionally I find things that may be very wedding specific that I feel I must share. This time it is these adorable Signs By Diane that point the way perfectly to those outdoor weddings/receptions. Of course, she does do all sorts of signs for any of your decorating needs!

Here are 2 more signs that could be used at the reception but still be used in the home or for parties as you live happily ever after.
Check out more of her signs here.

How Much Do I Love Thee?

Let me count the ways:

1. Beautiful bright pops of color from the draped fabric!

2. Bales of hay fashioned into seating for a rustic, yet elegant touch.

3. Dozens of hanging candle lanterns, hung with brightly colored ribbon, of course!

4. Extra pillows and blankets for more casual-elegant relaxation space.

5. Cool rustic wooden crates used as side tables for setting your drink!


That's 5 ways I love this outdoor party space from The Knot. I'm inspired....

A Sweet Favor Idea

Here's a sweet idea for a favor or maybe even an invitation! Fill a shallow box with some old-fashioned candies, and use pretty paper as a decorative overlay. I'm loving the datail of the personalized labels on the candy wrapper, as well as personalized sticker used to seal the paper together. This idea would be so great for a "sweets/candy" themed party, as well as a "carnival" style party.

Photo: Martha Stewart

Big 4-0 Birthday Dinner Party

This event was for a male 40th birthday! A celebration dinner party alfresco. I went with the colors of blue and green because they are typically "male" colors, and matched the hydrangeas beautifully. There are lots more pics in our Flickr set or Facebook album.

The take home favors were chocolate covered oreos stacked and wrapped.

Our little homage to the birthday guy: picture of him at age 2, and "C" for Chuck, was on the cookies inserted into cupcakes. The icing was tinted a pale green.

Because this was a gathering of friends who all know each other pretty well, a fun game to play was "2 truths and a lie." Each person writes down 3 statements, 2 are true and 1 is a lie. Everyone else guesses which they think the lie is...Fun with lots of laughs!

That Special Touch

Who says you can't get creative with your child's birthday party when you have it at one of those indoor play spaces? No one reading this blog, that's for sure! My fabulous and crafty friend, Kris, chose the convenience of The Playroom for her son's 5th birthday, to keep the kids happy and busy, but brought in these goodies to give it that special touch.

She made sugar cookies and rice crispy treats on-a-stick, using the Wilton cookie pop molds.

Home made cupcakes and a special mini cake for the birthday boy, are topped with Star Wars themed toppers, and toys from her sons stash. And, yes, even the birthday plate was made by Kris at one of those "paint-your-own-pottery" stores.
The adorable favors were water bottles from the dollar store, stuffed with candy. Kris used her Cricut to cut out each child's name and adhere it to the bottle. And of course she topped it off with a cute tag.

Fabulous job, Kris! Thanks for letting me share!

A Wine & Cheese Gathering

I recently hosted a Wine & Cheese themed gathering for the ladies. I decorated with earthy colors and natural/rustic elements. There are lots more pictures on our Facebook page!

Paper cones were filled with snacks and inserted into a wine bottle holder.

Several quotes about wine were displayed.

Here's the recipe for one of the hors d'oeuvres I served(pictured above).

Honey Chicken Salad Tartlets

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 celery ribs, diced

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/8 cup honey

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 Packages frozen Filo Tartlet Shells

Combine all filling ingredients together and cover and chill for 2 or more hours. When ready to serve, fill each tartlet shell with filling.

Rustic Elegance

Here is a gorgeous wedding reception from Martha Stewart, that makes a very elegant statement with very natural materials. There are lots of ideas here that could be incorporated into any type of gathering.

A seperate kids table is covered with paper and pencils are provided so the kids can draw right on the table and be entertained.

How gorgeous is this dessert table offset with beautiful red candy apples!?

A fabulous place card/favor!?

I love this idea of personalizing a quilt for the happy couple! Supply squares of fabric that the guests can write well-wishes on, and then have it sewn together for a keepsake quilt. This would be perfect for a baby shower as well!