Wedding time part 1

A little over a week ago, my adorable younger cousin announced she was engaged and already has gotten to work pulling together a wedding pinterest board. Don't you just love how we can pull together ample amounts of inspiration at the drop of a hat. And just days after announcing I got messages, emails and texts asking for a bit of help to pull her ideas together and help create a beautiful day for her and her groom to be. And who would I be to say no, I did help change her diapers after all. So needless to say, there will be a boom in incredible wedding decor, ideas, and even a few DIY's to keep things nice and personal. Her dream is romantic, soft and beach front while of course keeping it a bit on a budget {who isn't these days} so please browse with me as we begin to gather incredible wedding ideas. And please, if you have any wonderful ideas, websites or pins you would like to send my way it would be greatly appreciated for both myself and the charming couple.

Who doesn't love a decadent dessert table? And Danni of Oh hello friend did one heck of a job with her sweets. The bride to be wants to be surrounded by soft and simple blooms, I love this mixture and hues. And who doesn't want a fancy hanger for the statement hanging dress photo.

images via oh hello friend, wedding chicks, gettin hitched bride

Simple centerpieces are always fun especially with simple stems and who doesn't love a little twine? Loving the idea of embellishing a simple basket or box with beautiful petals...who wants to see just plain ol' cards laying around? And those simple plaques are perfect for hanging on the back of the couples chairs while they wine and dine. 

images via wedding chicks, style unveiled, the first snow

Now I'm not sure how DIY the bride wants to get but these super simple flower inspired stamps- made from food are always fun and add a little glam to invites, perfect for say a shower or thank you cards. With the groom having a background in the Coast Guard and going with a bit of the beach-y theme, these knotted place cards and anchor favor bags are a fun way to give him a little nod without being too over the top. 

images via martha stewart, somewhere splendid, life is so beautiful 

Cute as a button

So many things to get excited about over this 'cute as a button' themed dessert table, I just don't know where to start.  I suppose it caught my attention because of the Singer sewing table.  Its exactly like the one I will one day inherit that was my Grandmothers.  When I was little, I would hide little treasures inside the drawers only to find them years later untouched.

Anyway, back to those darn buttons.  Styled by Sugar and Spice specialty desserts and Botanica floral design, everything from the drinks to decor was thought of.  There is something so simplistic and fun about these buttons, the cupcakes are adorable.  And how about that pretty pink cake topper.  You can find even more delicious shots at Somewhere splendid.  This is a perfect set up for a summer party!

photos via somewhere splendid

We decked the halls

Hope everyone had a lovely holiday.  My families holiday tradition is to get together on Christmas Eve and celebrate with good food, family and a whole lot of presents.  (Don't worry, this was for about 25 people!)  And of course, Uli had to get in on the action.

The day before and day of, my husband and I created tons of sweets for everyone to enjoy.  This year we made brownie bites, graham cracker cookies with truffle filling, peppermint bark, fruit cups and sparkling cranberries.  Took forever, but having snacks that are vegetarian made it worth the work.  I also made a vegan casserole!

Another tradition, my Mom's homemade sopapias.  My Grandma used to make these when I was little and they were a huge crowd favorite.  Since she passed, my Mom has taken on the huge task of making them.  They are totally simple and taste amazing!  Think fried flour tortilla dough filled with beans.  Yum!!

Do you have any family traditions?  We also incorporated an ugly sweater contest, a round of "Posadas"- a short prayer also passed down through my family, and even a game of White Elephant.  Happy holidays friends.

A sweet tradition

With wedding week (or two weeks) coming to a close, I thought it was only right to showcase a few sweet treats from here and there.  Choosing the style of your wedding cake can be difficult, there are so many directions you can go.  From modern, like this circular yellow one, to rustic to candy, there are so many options out there now for couples.  And I love that desserts are now taking center stage and are even branching out from just one cake... just check out that second one down, a cake, cupcakes, berries and pie!  Yum!!

I love this idea of having writing become the decoration.  This couple chose to let personal details of their lives together adorn their sweet treat, and leaving it white on white makes a subtle statement.

This one might not be a wedding, but still a fun idea for a dessert bar.  Using candy is a great idea if the bride and groom aren't so big on baked goods.  Plus, you can get candy in any shade, so there will always be something to match your color scheme.

This one is actually my wedding cake. We had to leave it completely white due to the vegan frosting, apparently color runs really bad, who knew.  I ended up using a wonderful black fabric trim to give the cake a contrasting color.  I also took into consideration that when the cake was cut into, it would become colorful as we got red velvet cake with raspberry (pink) and cream cheese (white-ish) filling.  By the way, not one person could tell a completely vegan cake from a regular cake... and many went back for seconds!

How fun would this be for a picnic or garden style wedding.  I am loving the idea of using different kinds of pies as the main cake, because who doesn't like pie!

all photos link to source

Sneak peek: Lindsey and Mark

Last year, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet and work with Lindsey, a spunky little lady with a flair for vintage and a love for Robbins egg blue.  She is by far the life of a party and has a serious fun side, she even let me convince her to paint her teeny tiny apartment a shade of teal!  Fast forward to now.

While her professional shots are still being edited, I just had to give you guys a sneak peek of her adorable day.  And it started with her charming engagement party in Maryland.  How fantastic is that dessert table!  Cookies, strawberries and cream, candies and cake.  Whoa.   I just love the look of the simple tent with the hanging lanterns.

And just look at these glimpses into Lindsey and Mark's wonderful day!  With sno cones, a pup named Penny, a little In n Out and sparklers, I don't know about you but I cannot wait to see the rest!  And trust me, you want to stay tuned for all the details.  Just reading "the ceremony took place in front of a pomegranate tree..." and "Mark surprised me with a song he wrote" got me all girlie and awe-ing like crazy.  Congrats again to the Clatterbucks and can't wait to see the rest!

photos via lindsey clatterbuck and lauren smith of lali adverts

Friday findings

Happy Friday!  Oh what a long week it has been, I don't know about you but I am so ready for some relaxation time with the husband.  This weekend is the 34th annual Festival of the Chariots here in Venice Beach, and we fully plan on being there.  Wow, this makes it our 4th year in a row!  Are you doing anything fun and exciting?

Now, a few bits and pieces I went gaga for this week....

Oh my goodness, if you haven't stopped by Mila's daydreams, you are seriously missing out on adorableness.  While baby Mila sleeps, her insanely creative Mom gets to work creating fantasy dream wonderlands for her precious little one.  Seriously, go now.

Jane of Simple + Pretty has a great find for those who like need to have everything labeled.  These would look so much better in my pantry then the handwritten scribbles on tape. (Yes, my pantry is organized and labeled!)

Found Manhattan Nest via Door Sixteen, and whoa, talk about great DIY ideas, with tutorials!  I love this upholstered bed, made from a super cheap Ikea bed and a wool blanket from an Army Navy store.  Genius.

Inspired by the famous Amy Atlas dessert tables, fellow sweet connoisseur Veronica of Petites Bouches has created one gorgeous display.  You have got to check out all the details here!

all photos via noted blogs

Purple done oh so right

If you have ever stopped by before, you know my huge love for all things purple, and well, this wedding just has to be gushed about.  Purple is so in (I actually used it as the main color in my wedding last September too!) and adorable couple Jill and Glenn simply rocked it.  From the frames to the impeccable vases and divine dessert bar, this wedding truly looks spectacular.  You can see even more gorgeousness here (along with the amazing vendor info)... trust me, you want to look.

Look at that cake!  I love the look of plain white cakes with great details.  And the flowers on top, simply lovely! 

So I didn't even realize who the bride and groom were until I got to the last photo.  For those who watch Always sunny in Philadelphia, the whole cast was there.  

photos via green wedding shoes

Breaking down the inspiration

I'm off to Utah today for my brothers college graduation.  I didn't however forget about you lovelies, and posts are set up.  And with that, how about a little home inspiration.

Anyone up for some Hollywood glamor?  I'm not usually a fan, but the accessories give the room a modern touch without going overboard and getting tacky.

A fun way to display color prints and patterns for those who cannot paint their walls.  I am seeing this trend of stretched artwork and I think its so fun.  A little crafty, a little girly, a whole lot of interesting.

I think I need that chair.

I just love a great bold wall paper.  Another way to create stripes or patterns without going to bold is to use different sheens of the same color.  

An Amy Atlas inspired dessert table. We are starting to see these fancy sweet tables everywhere, and frankly, I love them!  This particular table was done for $40!

all photos link to source