A Festival Wreath

Check out the wreath I decorated for the Rialto's Festival of Trees in downtown Joliet. This entire pre-lit 36" wreath can be yours for the right price!
I love the iron candy cane, sparkly colors and the special little elf hanging out.
Fore more gorgeous wreaths and trees, check out the Festival of Trees http://www.rialtosquare.com/events/festival-of-trees.htm

Industry Event

Last night I had the pleasure to attend an industry event in Wheaton at the Danada House. I really hope I get to design an event there soon. The facility is amazing. Equal parts modern and rustic and a beautiful blank canvas to make the event all your own.
There was everything from horse drawn hay rack rides and a beautiful old barn to twinkling candlelight and white leather lounge furniture. Love this place and certainly hope to be back soon!

Brewmaster

Pulling inspiration from the lyrics, "In heaven there is no beer...that's why we drink it here!" I created these beer-inspired centerpieces for a 30th surprise birthday party.
Playing the role of "Brewmaster" I used a combination of edible items including honey, yellow gelatin and food coloring to create a gel-like beer colored liquid in the steins and then cut white carnations and placed them over the top to create the "foam."
Metallic "30s" added just enough pizazz to get the party started. Cheers to the birthday boy!

The Hungry Caterpillar Party

As promised, here are the photos from the Very Hungry Caterpillar Birthday Party! All of the kids and adults had a blast.
The food was centered around what the caterpillar ate in the story-including the dessert table which included a cherry pie, cupcakes in ice cream cones, and of course, chocolate cake (shaped like a giant caterpillar)!
I also designed little tags to go in front of all of the food so the guests understood the food choices.
The centerpieces also played off of what the caterpillar ate. I filled small sand buckets with foam and stuck a large lollipop and smaller lollipops around the base with Trix cereal (to look like the dots in the book) and gummy worms. By the end of the night the kids had devoured them!
Around the party I created these balloon formations by attaching eyes and the balloons to each other to create giant caterpillars.
Even the bouncy was a GIANT Caterpillar!
The birthday girl wore a beautiful Hungry Caterpillar print dress and caterpillar barrette purchased from Etsy.
As favors, the kids took home glow-in-the dark firefly necklaces purchased from Oriental Trading. Everyone ate and had a good time before fluttering away!

A Beautiful Wedding

Here are the photos from Crystal & Octavio's wedding. They had nearly 400 friends and family members celebrating their special day, so we did arrangements at all 40 tables and the reception. The colors were light pink and latte.
The church is gorgeous on its own, so we decorated with a handpainted runner in the wedding colors and flowers and flower petals up and down the sides.
At the reception the stand out pieces were the 14 tower vases with flowing crystals that were lit from inside.
For the other tables, we did a combination of vases with candles and light pink hydrangeas.
And I loved these arrangements with the feathers that were in small silver vases.
We also transferred the runner from the church and hung it from the ceiling behind the bride and groom, which made the personalization that much more special.
The overall look was gorgeous, or in the words of the bride,"It was perfect."

Very Hungry Caterpillar

My daughter LOVES Eric Carle books, so when it came to deciding on a theme for her first birthday party, the answer was literally at her fingertips. We are going to throw a "Very Hungry Caterpillar" party-and started off telling our guests about the theme with homemade caterpillar invitations.
Check back for party photos soon!

A Legal Affair

I just love the way these tablescapes and centerpieces turned out for law school graduation party.
The client wanted something that looked modern, masculine and professional and requested I keep with the university's colors-red and blue for DePaul- in creating the six tables.
I used Damask ivory and red table runners with cobalt blue vases and added tall flowers and a big stem to finish off the display. The centerpieces were easily transportable after the party and best of all, the client can easily use them again.
The look was the perfect addition to the "old world" feel of the restaurant and even managed to wow the graduate. Now that's an A+ in my book.

Tent Inspiration

It's outdoor wedding season- and in Chicago, that means any large party will be using a tent for those "just in case" moments.
I love tens for special occasions because they truly are blank canvases for which you can set any mood. We often get requests to drape tents-some from top to bottom with material, as as you can imagine, it gets pretty pricey.
That's why I love the look of this modern draping-minimal but impactful and much easier on the budget than full draping. So pick a color and make a statement your guests will revel in, and use the money you saved to provide a top-shelf bar. Enjoy!

Family Tradition

I just finished sewing a ring bearer's pillow for a wedding where the groom is following a long-standing family tradition-getting married on the day of his high school jersey number (the Jell-o centerpieces in my earlier post were for the same couple).
His mom and dad were married on June 24th because of his dad's baseball jersey number, and so now he and his bride were married on May 8th because of his football jersey number.
In keeping with their black tie nuptials with a twist theme-I sewed up this pillow for the ring bearer to carry. I hope it brings them as many years of wedded bliss as his parents. Congratulations!

Runway Bride

I absolutely adore this custom hand-painted runner that is being created for a wedding I am decorating in June. The artist is painting the bride and groom's initials, surrounded by their wedding flowers, on the aisle runner. We're going to use it in the church, then transport it to the reception for their grand entrance. Then, once all the festivities are over, the happy couple can cut it and have it framed as a custom piece of art to hang in their home and keep for years to come. This beautiful design is compliments of Stephanie at Starry Night Design Studio.

Touchdown Tabletoppers

These centerpieces are sure to score a touchdown at your next football themed party or tailgate. I created these for a first birthday party. They were equal parts salty and sweet and all parts useful, serving as a snack tray and dessert plate plus they are tons of fun.
A football field tray started the arrangement. Then I added a cylinder vase, filled it with popcorn, and topped it off with an inflatable football that could be easily removed and reinserted to get to the goodness inside.
To make the centerpieces emulate the Superbowl trophy, I added some cardstock at the bottom that paid homage to the birthday boy as the "#1 MVP." For an added touch, I included some "football" strawberries like players on the field.
Now that's a sweet play!

Kick-off Favors

Two parties this past weekend had football themes. One was a bridal shower and the other was a first birthday party. To please both clients and make favors everyone would enjoy, I made these adorable and delicious chocolate dipped strawberries with white chocolate "laces" to emulate miniature footballs. They were a complete hit..I mean kick..at both parties and would be a wonderful addition to any tailgate as well. Enjoy!

J-ello Goodness

Tasked with creating centerpieces for a casual bridal shower that tied in the bride's modern flair with the groom's former football number (and their wedding date)58, I found inspiration in the baking aisle of the grocery store! Check out these Jello centerpieces. I used two square vases and birthday candles (wicks and stems cut off)to add the "58" inspiration. The tops of the vases were scattered with orange daisies to play off the colors of the restaurant. These wowed the guests and they even looked good enough to eat!

It's Snowing!

You've seen it in the movies, you've seen it at the Playboy Mansion, and you may even see it in Vancouver this weekend- fake snow, created by Snow machines sold or rented by none other then "Snowmasters."
What if you want to throw a Winter Wonderland party in Florida? Or even Virginia (where you wouldn't regularly be digging out from under a foot of snow)? The answer is a machine that looks just like a fog machine, but throws up life like flakes for that magical feeling.
Best of all, no snowsuit required.

Superbowl Fever

To all of you out there who enjoy the Superbowl food and commercials more than the game itself, this one is for you. Check out these adorable down loadable printable tags, napkin rings and banners that are the perfect addition to any Superbowl party-regardless of who you're rooting for. You can find them at www.etsy.com
Add these to the bar next to some wings (New Orleans Saints) and mini pub burgers (nothing says Indiana and Midwest like an all-beef burger), and you've got yourself a party.
Remember, keep it down during the commercials!

Perfect Blossoms

For those of you who are looking to create beautiful floral table arrangements at home, but don't yet have the skill level to make your arrangements look like those of the pros, check out the Blossom Crown.
These metal beauties come in a variety of sizes to crown the top of a vase. Accessorize with some of the many crystal choices, then simply add cut flowers and you'll have a beautiful arrangement with no effort that will have your guests wondering about your new found skills.

Oh, The Convienence

Anyone who has ever been tagged to "Birthday Cake Duty" can appreciate these fork candles from Fred and Friends.
Now, as hostess, your dessert is ready to go as soon as the candles are blown out. No more taking orders, digging for forks and making a mess. It is all right there in front of you (and the candles are easier to find and handle now too!)
And as a guest with a sweet tooth, let me just say, I fully appreciate anyone who has dessert ready to devour as fast as possible.

Say It WITH Coffee

There's plenty of times we've found ourselves having important heart-to-heart conversations with family and friends over a nice warm cup of coffee. But why do all the talking? Now you can let your coffee say it for you with one of these unique coffee stencils. The company, coffeestencil.com offers your own logos and text as well as a whole collection of their own ready-made text and logo stencils. tell your loved ones your pregnant, ask your significant other to marry you, or pep up your teenager with a special wish. Whatever your motive, it's an inexpensive and memorable way to connect with the ones you love. Delish!

Catering Truck Perfection

Instead of catering in your next outdoor event on a big traditional buffet, call a caterer who can literally deliver the food into your backyard on all four wheels.

The catering truck will wow your guests with charm, is pretty easy on the budget (averaging about $8 a person), and, really, who has ever complained about food sold to them off a street vendor cart?

Plenty of companies are offering catering trucks in all regions of the U.S. This is a picture of an In-and-Out Burger truck in Southern California, but you can have everything from ice cream trucks to full on BBQ roasts for your guests. And the best part? You don't have to clean up a thing!

Catering trucks would also be an amazing send-off for guests after a wedding or party. Skip the doughnuts or second round of food, and escort your guests outside for a memorable meal. Let's be honest, some of the best nights out have ended at the taco hut.

Flippin' Awesome

I just love this idea for any event. Make them favors, make them save-the-dates, or throw a party to have an excuse to make them at all.

Flipbooks, the retro picture motion books that we were all amazed with when we were young, is one of the hottest trends to hit events this year.

Now you can get your guests together in front of a camera and their seven second video clip is instantly transformed into a flipbook for them to take home and enjoy.

Or, make your flipbooks ahead of time and send them out as invites or pass them out as favors.

The company, Iloveflipbooks.com, has reps in almost any U.S. state, and will even bring props and signs to let your guests' imaginations run wild. For something interactive and flippin fun, book your flip book today!

Adult Circus

It's part circus, part celebration and all parts amazing.
Check out the newest way to "toast the town"- with champagne poured from a live twirling acrobat suspended from a chandelier of champagne bottles.
If you really want to make your event "over the top" book this amazing diva from Happy Hour Chandelier and make you event one to raise a glass at.

It Makes Scents..Well, Actually They Do

Alright, so you walk into an event and you can hear the music, see the merriment, taste the libations, touch the decor, but what can you smell? Usually there's not much thought put into appealing to the fifth sense-smell.

That is, until now. The newest event trend of 2010 plays off smell and using it to transform a space or customize favors to your guests' desires.

The hippest events will scent a room to smell like cherry blossoms in spring, lilacs in June or cinnamon in fall, and they'll have their guests talking (and sniffing) the whole time. Try a company like Scentevents, who uses a fan and scented crystals to achieve the perfect sensory blend.

And for those who are looking to personalize the trend, why not offer a customizable scent bar? Let your guests choose their own concoction of ingredients to make room sprays or perfumes and colognes. Now that's a favor they'll be sure to use!

Useful & Beautiful

Maybe it's the economy or maybe it's because everyone is now "going green"...whatever the reason I'm a big fan of practical and useful centerpieces that are more than just pretty to look at.

That's why I love these beautiful wreaths that slip over the top of a great bottle of wine.

Pick two for your rouge or blanco vinos or group together for a centerpiece that will have your guests talking and saying, "Salut!"

Formal E-Vites

By now we have all received our share of email invitations. Maybe it's been for your neighbor's card party or your friend's housewarming party. Evites are wonderful and I do enjoy them, but what if you want to send a more formal invitation electronically? I mean it is 2010. Do not fear my little techy social butterflies, the answer is Paperless Post ( http://www.paperlesspost.com/ ) For a small fee, you can design and send formal invitations with envelopes.

The envelope is addressed to your guest and then magically, when clicked on, it unfolds before your eyes and the cutest invitations announcing your fabulous affair come swirling out. They are fun and fabulous and a reason to throw a party (as if you needed one of those). Enjoy!

Spring Fever

It's official. I have Spring fever, and it's just the first week of January. I'm getting so excited about the Spring weddings and showers I have coming up to plan, so I just can't help myself. This tablescape from Pottery Barn made me smile and my heart beat a little faster that warm weather and margaritas might be under all that snow on the ground. I hope this photo serves as inspiration to you to make it through these freezing temps and ahead to the colors and blooms that will be Spring of 2010.