happy weekend

I couldn't resist. A huge bunch of tulips for $4.50 at Trader Joe's. Flowers are never that cheap in Nashville! 

on the board

Speaking of invitations, how do you display yours? I kept mine in a folder for a while, but would find myself forgetting events. So I tried to do a nice display on a white magnet board, that has now turned into a mish-mash of everything- not the neat ensemble I had envisioned. The 'pretty' invitations I leave up way past the actual event...do you find yourself doing the same thing? 

The green one is an HPG design, the yellow square and moving announcement are from graphic designer Laura Crookston Deleot, and the orange fabric one was done by a costume-designer friend, Erin Korey Proud. 

spring is here!

No- not officially here (it's cold and rainy in Nashville), but I can see the beginnings now that the HPG spring line has started to hit the websites! A couple of my new favorites, above. From top: robot, candle cake, blue coral, fiesta hat, cupcakes, and lattice table. 

woodsy do-over?

My 6 year anniversary is coming up next week, and I can hardly believe all that has changed in the wedding industry in that time. Wedding blogs were non-existent. Highly detailed weddings seemed to be few and far between. Kate Spade didn't have wedding china and Vera Wang didn't have a stationery line. 

I'm very happy with how our wedding turned out, and the party itself was a blast (albeit, expensive)- but I often wonder how I would re-do my own wedding were I to do it again? We had a bright, citrus-y, Florida wedding, but I'm currently craving a Lena Corwin-esque affair with a forest-y tone and little woodland animals (though this changes at least quarterly). Don't know if that's the best description, but I'm including a couple of images so you see where my head is at. What would you do today if you were getting married again?

Luckily, I'm still in love with the man I married- and that, for sure, I wouldn't change.

Barn and car images from Bride's via Black Eiffel; cookies and brownies via Design Sponge; bird via Anne Wood; coffee filter garland via Creature Comforts.

felt lovelies

Word on the street is that Hable Construction is closing their NYC storefront, to focus on other ventures. I've long loved their store- it's one of those inspirational spots I always stop by (even though it is SO out of the way) every time I'm in the city. Sigh. Another one bites the dust.

I'm still loving these felt lovelies by Llubav Choy Duerr- creations she made for the store back in December (via Design Sponge). For you NYCers- get in there and rack up while the gettins' still good!

One day I envision have lots of time on my hands and creating a mini felt garland like the one shown above. But not anytime soon.

snuggly baby photos

I'm always looking for interesting ways to take photos of my babe. He's too old for this set-up, but I'm in love. Perhaps if there is a #2 at some point, I can stage something like this (from Birmingham photographer Grethel Van Epps)!

via Surviving Ophelia

loving...

Sharon Slaughter and I have followed much of the same path. We went to the same graduate school, we both worked at Martha Stewart (she was in the Kmart division and then moved to the Weddings magazine as an art director), and then went on to start paper goods companies in smaller towns. So I was thrilled to see her lovely rehearsal dinner on Snippet & Ink- I loved everything about it, not to mention it was in a Tennessee town!

Perhaps my two favorite details were the custom pinãta and 'mexican-style' flags. My brain is just swimming with ideas as to how to use these sources!

worst favor ever?

A friend told me of a recent Finding Nemo-themed birthday party...the party itself was just dandy, she proclaimed- but the 'favor' they gave out at the end- were live goldfish, all individually bagged up and ready to go! She somehow got out of accepting the fish, but she said the other moms were in horror as they had to scramble to get fish food, a tank, etcetera. I'm sure the birthday mom had the best intentions when she came up with this idea, but I have to say it wins my all-time worst party favor so far! Do you guys have any other doozies?

seeking: tall & skinny

Tall and skinny birthday candles at Stephmodo's Etsy shop.

sledding party

Given that I'm located in the Southeast, I am hoping our winter days are numbered. In the Northeast, however- the cold is around to stay for a bit more. I was (almost) jealous of our wintry northern neighbors when I received these pictures of a sledding party in Massachusetts. Look at that deep, plush snow! 

Supermom Annmarie has four young kids- with three birthdays in January- so the fact that she can throw any party, let alone three super parties, is beyond me. You'll remember she threw the Parisian Candy shop birthday, and just a couple of weeks later- this great wintry-themed party for her son's 6th. She even made a baked Alaskan ice-cream igloo cake! Happy Birthday, Roan.

happy cake

The overcast skies and chilly days here in Nashville have me longing for warmer weather, spring-y days and rainbows. Which made me think of this cake I have long been in love with! 

gen + ben

Gen's wedding had many beautiful details. As you can see, her 'concept photos' (yesterday's post) translated beautifully to the actual event.

Details to note: 

-pennant flags: the pennants were used both as table markers and for the altar area (blown up large and affixed to wooden dowels)

-customized affordable items: her dress was very simple- but she added the yellow trim detail, the yellow sweater, and the vintage flower pins to make it feel more personal and 'expensive' looking

-southern touches: while neither Benjamin or Genifer are really 'Southerners', they wanted to make sure their wedding had a touch of the South. Country elements included a meat + three menu, bold floral patterns, an invitation suite that included 'y'all' and 'yee-haw'; as well as the location itself- Cheekwood Gardens, located in the heart of Nashville.

As with any large event, there were glitches. The great vintage serving ware she used for the 'family style' menu got broken and wasn't adequately sized to feed a crowd. Coordination was difficult because the property was spread out. But the good memories prevail, and it was a beautiful (and beautifully-styled) day to celebrate my dear friend's wedding.

sources:

-bridesmaids dresses by J. Crew

-bouquets by Ilex

-photos by Amy Dickerson

-invitations and ephemera (program, pennant flags, table markers) by me 

-floral tablecloths- custom, with Denyse Schmidt fabric

-white planters from Ikea

-gingham flower girl dresses by Pears + Bears

Any other questions you have, just leave in the comment box and Gen will answer!

it's all in the...

DETAILS! Party planning is all in the details, of course. There's all the not-fun detail stuff like creating the guest list and addressing the invitations- and then there's the fun stuff- the 'concepting', the choosing of materials, the menu planning...

Unfortunately, the not-fun stage usually lasts longer then the fun stage, so I make sure to enjoy every second of the fun part! 

I've posted 'concept photos' that were taken for Gen's wedding. When trying to pull together a big event- like a wedding, an anniversary party, or the like- it can make all the difference- and help you figure out the general 'theme' or direction of a party. Of course, going to all this effort really doesn't make sense for a smaller affair, but it can be well worth the effort if you're planning a larger shindig that is in need of some cohesion.

I love these photos Gen created for her wedding, and thought they might be helpful to you. The 'theme' is so strong (modern meets country). She referenced these-just as a mood board- and could easily make a decision as to whether something 'went' with the other pieces of her big party. 

Tomorrow, I will share the wedding photos- so you can see how these concept photos translated into real life. (I had posted some photos from her wedding a couple of months ago, but took them down until I was able to do a more thorough post).