Something Memphis Blues - Centerpieces

I shared images from a unique bridal shower I planned for a client.  I was originally contacted on Facebook when Erica reached out for decor support.  She wanted to incorporate the following into one event:

- The bride's love of Elvis
- The bride's wedding location and soon-to-be home town, Memphis
- The colors red, black and white

She wasn't sure how to tie it together but had one bigger issue; she wanted to recreate this centerpiece:

That's how it arrived in my inbox - blurry and really small.  Could I recreate it?  THAT's all Erica wanted to know... My answer? Sure. I had a plan and Islanders, it came together flawlessly.

I needed a street sign/light.  I needed the figurine(s).  I needed gold instruments.  I needed a platform to give it the height. 

My client needed me to create three centerpieces.  It was ON! First, I had to find the figurines.  Guess what.  I found them on AMAZON!

Product linked here.

Next up? The platform.  I didn't care for the inspiration and how it was square with a round top so, I came up with an easy design to fit my vision.

Dollar Tree for the win!  I purchased 4 picture frames and glued them together to create the base.  I topped it with a square plastic plate.  I used a sparkle ribbon (from Dollar Tree) around the top to cover where the base and top met.

I printed a photo of the Beale Street (a Memphis staple) on photo paper, cut it out and glued it to a Popsicle stick.

For the bottom half, I used the party favor instruments like these:

I spray painted them gold, added twinkle lights and BOOM!

It was coming together!

I contacted Erica with an update and referred to the shower as the 'Something Memphis Blues' event and she fell in LOVE with the theme name.  It tied everything together and she asked if I could be of additional assistance.  With the centerpiece plan out of the way, I was more than willing to help!

I couldn't wait to surprise her with the centerpieces; they looked amazing!

WW: Something Memphis Blues Sneak Peek

TBT: A Rustic Wedding in the Garden

I wanted to share some beautiful details from a wedding a few months back.  It was simple but full of great ideas.  Like the place cards:

I loved how string, clothespins, and pieces of paper created a beautiful-yet-functional display.  The outdoor venue is beautiful.

It had a beautiful open atrium using rustic wooden beams.  It is such a beautiful outdoor space.

Think outside of the box for photobooth props; a galvanized letter will be perfect in photos. 

The groom made wood pieces for the centerpieces.  He made round ones and he also made this long wooden one:

Gorgeous, right?!  I am a fan of the eclectic jars and single blooms.

The table numbers were designed to match the place cards and there were Throwback photos of the couple at each table.  Each number symbolized something for the couple and there was a write-up explaining what.  For example, table number could coincide with age or grade, or table 4 would have a photo of the bride with 4 teeth missing in the second grade - haha.

I was able to provide the floral designs for the cake. I love how the flowers are classic and whimsy.

I created a halo of greenery around the perimeter of the cake plate before putting the cake on 

The key to rustic floral arrangements is to focus less on blooms and more on greenery and filler.  The goal is to have a 'picked from a field' appearance.

It was fun styling the cake and I love the mix of the lace tablecloth with the greenery and dahlias.

This casual and elegant wedding was sure to be a beautiful and fun day for the bride and groom!  Happy Throwback Thursday!  Who doesn't love a good #tbt?!

Choos Choos and Tutus: A Co-ed Party

I remember one year, when my parents were moving from Japan back to the states, they decided to combine my birthday party (January) with my brothers' (both in October).  It was so awesome to have a big party and to enjoy a sleepover with my friends and to get a lot of awesome gifts and to have triple the number of friends at the party...  Islanders, I still remember a lot of my gifts (the life-sized Barbie, a cool hot pink giant lock-shaped safe with a secret combination).  It was an awesome birthday... the birthday song with *like* 50 kids was so awesome!  If I recall correctly, it was hosted late summer before we relocated in late September.  The combined party itself was epic but, when my actual birthday came around several months later, it was a major letdown... I think I may have gotten a cake but it certainly wasn't what I had become accustomed to.  No presents, no party, no friends... just a reminder of the epic party hosted months prior.

It was at that moment, my disdain for combined birthdays was born.  I prefer not to combine December babies with Christmas or sibling birthdays (unless they're within two weeks) or really anything; I like the idea of giving each birthday honoree his/her due.  

Despite my personal experience, I gained a new appreciation for combined birthdays during the planning and execution of a recent co-ed birthday party.

Avery was born on the same day as Mason's first birthday party.  Their birthdays are days apart.  Their parents share families and friends so, it was natural to combine their birthday parties.

 

In conversation with Amalia, Avery's mom, she mentioned there were a number of typical themes on the list but the parents decided on a final theme that was unique and different.  I got the colors and I offered to make the tags for the favors.  I decided to create two separate designs for the favor bags, one for each guest of honor.

The tags read as follows: "It was TUTU sweet of you to come to celebrate Avery turning one!" and "Chugga Chugga Thank you for celebrating Mason turning two!"

I came up with the original wording and design based on a few inspiration images from Ryan, my sis-in-love and Mason's mommy.