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flowers

Looks

Don’t Forget Your Green…

March 11, 2014

Outfit Floral

This post is somewhat of a joke, because my plan was to put a cute green outfit together for any St. Patty’s Day celebrations… unfortunately this plan backfired when I realized the only green I have in my closet is one green work dress and some green aviators.  Guess we know what color I should try to venture into more in 2014?

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Hopefully this military jacket safely passes for a green?  Anyway, with this spring like weather this past weekend, I was ready to break out some fun floral shorts for brunch with J.   IMG_8105 Florals are fun, but bright pink shorts can be a little overwhelming – here are 3 of my starter tips for incorporating florals into your wardrobe:

  1. Pair with masculine items – i.e. a military jacket, chambray shirt… I’ve even paired with a button up and blazer for a more dressed up look.
  2. Don’t shy from (1-2) fun accessories – I incorporated simple glitter sandals and a fun color bag… an accessory or two adds a fun element, just be cautious of overdoing it, so your outfit doesn’t look costumey.
  3. Have fun! I love wearing things that make me happy… nothing makes you feel better than sitting on cute little pink flowers… so what are you waiting for?!

IMG_8091 Ray Ban Aviators/Military Jacket/Old Navy Tee/J.Crew Shorts/J.Crew Sandals/Marc Jacobs Bag

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Domestic

Anniversary Party – Planning and Prep

August 8, 2013

I believe preparation is key.  My sisters and I were fully able to enjoy the day and even spent the afternoon poolside – and not running around doing last minute errands (for the most part :)!

30th Anniversary Party 243

This is the first event where I delegated more tasks, and although financially it may not be the most sound choice, I HIGHLY recommend it for special events (ie. a cleaning lady, a caterer). But we did take on a lot of tasks ourselves, but with 3 helping hands and months to prep we were happy with the turnout.

Here was our checklist and preparation schedule:

To Do List

Prep Timeline

I also created a binder for this event (surprise! surprise!) with tabs for the following:

  • Menus (contained dinner menu, appetizer menu and grocery/shopping lists)
  • Rentals (contained contracts, rental invoice for tables, flatware, linens, etc.)
  • Invitations (contained invitation, guest/RSVP list)
  • Timeline (contained to-do lists, timeline, schedules, checklists, etc.)
  • Inspiration (contained Pintrested images of ideas we wanted to implement)
  • Layout (contained backyard layout of stations, tables, etc. and seating chart options)

Having everything in one place (contracts, images, lists, etc.) is super helpful to me and something I REALLY recommend.  Plus after your party is complete you have a guide on how to replicate your event!

I also wanted to share some little details that we were proud of!

Place Cards – we searched long and hard for a clever, fun idea on place cards and couldn’t find one we liked!  I had read in Lisa Vanderpump’s entertaining book (don’t judge) that she uses little framed photos of her friends for place cards and I thought wouldn’t Polaroids be a fun, contemporary spin on this!? When each guest arrived we had them pose for a quick photo and then we added the image to their seat before dinner.  It made for an amazing conversation starter and a great keepsake! (I recommend letting guests grab a cocktail or two before… makes for better pictures 🙂

Personalized Details – I love the idea of a few personalized details at an event and I felt for this party, a modern, metallic monogram would be just the thing.  I found a website called Society Social which makes very high quality, custom items and we were excited to grab up the matchboxes and napkins for the party!

30th Anniversary Party 154Menus: I’m also a huge fan of printed menus.  Whether that is a large sign, or individual settings, it makes it much easier than explaining which each course is.  I downloaded a fun font via DaFont.com and printed the menu on some gorgeous, heavy stock. I cut it down to plate size and used it as part of our table setting. Menus: I’m also a huge fan of printed menus.  Whether that is a large sign, or individual settings, it makes it much easier than explaining which each course is.  I downloaded a fun font via DaFont.com and printed the menu on some gorgeous, heavy stock. I cut it down to plate size and used it as part of our table setting. 30th Anniversary Party 366Flowers: I will go to my grave repping Costco flowers… all it requires is a little planning and you will save oodles on gorgeous blooms!  For the party I bought 200 white roses, 100 calla lillies and 100 hydrangeas for under $400! I mean you can easily spend $200 for a couple dozen roses at Valentine’s Day! Such a joke. Anyway… You have to order them precisely a week and a half before your event date, but you can pick which date you’d like them delivered in a two day window and once the blooms arrive channel your inner Martha and get to designing.  I have been collecting glass vases the past few months, so I made sure to follow my flower prep guide and make arrangements accordingly!

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With a little planning, some preparation and a few little details I believe you will have a slam dunk party every time! Entertaining is a love language, and what better way to share the love than going the extra mile? Happy planning!

Domestic

Flower Power

June 27, 2013

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I love the idea of a gorgeous hostess gift, but sometimes a pricey candle or bottle of wine just isn’t in the budget.  My latest obsession has been going to the farmers market and picking up some gorgeous blooms then using gift wrapping paper to create my own bouquet.

024 026I found this awesome polka dotted craft paper that has some weight to it (trimmed/folded the paper accordingly to get that streamlined presentation) and then grabbed some tulle to tie it all together (twine, ribbon, raffia, etc. are all great options).  Attach a little gift tag… or write a note straight on the paper!