For what it's worth - I feel bad for not writing anything for so long. Once again, the month has been crazy and I let myself get overwhelmed. Everyday I thought, "I'm too busy today. I'll blog tomorrow." Fiddle-dee-dee! Then I realized, I will probably never have "time" to blog unless I just make it a part of my day. So let's see what I can do!
In addition to not blogging, I also ignored my Google Reader for at least two weeks, accumulating approximately 976 posts to read. Fun! One thing I came across that I wanted to share was this deliciously girly wedding that I came across on Something Borrowed, Something Fabu.

Side note before we get started: I promise I won't feature too many weddings, but when I come across things that could provide inspiration and easily translate to other celebrations, I probably won't be able to help myself.

All images via Something Borrowed, Something Fabu.

 

Holy Flowers! I don't even know if this was used for anything or was just part of the decor. Fantastic!

Shrimp cocktail is such an easy appetizer but add a sculpted, LIGHTED ice tray and it becomes a great feature. If you're willing to experiment, this is probably an easy addition to your next appetizer table. Grab a few containers or trays, fill with water and freeze (a la ice luminaries) and throw in some of these bad boys. 

Wow, just wow. No tips here except to find a fabulous cakestress and channel your birthday cake dreams from when you were a little girl. (If any friends are out there listening, THIS is what I want for my 30th birthday.) Apparently, the bride was inspired by Marie Antoinette and I think she translated her vision perfectly with this cake.

 

How sweet is this? Dessert buffets are everywhere and while they are a great addition to a celebration, a cotton candy treat is a refreshing change of pace. It would certainly set a fun, lighthearted mood for your guests. 

Loveliness all around!

Is it Love or Lust?

There was (at least) one of thing I forgot to take a picture of at the Tickled Pink baby shower for my bestie Ashley. Hey, I said I did better - there's still plenty of room for improvement!

Ashley's sisters used the most fabulous epink and white serving set to display veggies and sandwich fixins'. For me, it was love at first sight. I immediately wanted to know who this belonged to and why I hadn't spotted one anywhere yet.

Images via Etsy seller MarianneClare

It turns out, it was a vintage piece that their mom received "several" years ago as a wedding present. After some digging (thanks Google!) I found the set! It was made in the 1960s by the Frazier California Pottery company.

The set has one large bowl in the center of  three small serving dishes and three large serving dishes, all on a lazy susan. The set I saw in person was on a metal lazy susan but the sets I saw online all came with wood. The scalloped edge and raised dots just make my heart hurt!


Since it's vintage, it costs a bit more than what I'm willing to spend on serving dishes. So, I need to come up with reasons I could use it. Showers, brunches, Valentine's Day parties... What else do you think I could put on the list to justify buying it?

Oh Baby!

Sorry party people. I was on quite the post roll there - three in three days! But I've been spending that last few nights putting some things together for a baby shower for one of my besties this weekend! Her darling sisters are the ones actually in charge but I offered my help. We spent last week brainstorming and this week creating. We decided to use the theme "Tickled Pink" and found inspiration in the decor of the new nursery which is pink (surprise!) and brown polka dots.

sources:

chocolate mousse (Tracy Lau); cake (Butterfly Cakes); banner (Icing Designs); garlands (Martha Stewar)

peonies (Precious Moments Florals & Events);  

feather centerpieces (Add Style UK), nursery (Kids R Us - what the mama-to-be registered for), gift wrap (Elegant Labels)

The sisters are planning the menu and a couple signature cocktails/mocktails among other things. Just to prove that I actually have been busy - here's a sneak peek of what I'm working on: 

OK - blogger is rotating this and I'm not sure why. Tilt your head to the left to see the pic the way it was intended.

It will be interesting to see how all three of our portions come together. The short time and long distance may not make for a perfectly coordinated party - but hopefully we'll be close. What has your experience been with long distance celebration collaboration?

Wedding Weekend!

Two years ago, I had the most wonderful weekend with my friends, family and the love of my life. On June 7th 2008 (6/7/08!), I got married! I loved every minute of our wedding and every minute of planning it.

 

Engagement photo by Mark Kegans

We decided to get married in Sioux City, where most of both our families live. Admittedly, I was a little nervous about finding the perfect spot for our reception with the limited in the options in the area. But then, we found the Orpheum Theatre,. and I knew it would be the perfect place to celebrate with our loved ones. 

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The auditorium in the Orpheum (left). After viewing our photo montage video on the big screen, we had dinner on the stage. The grand foyer (right) where we held cocktail hour and then dancing.

The venue became my inspiration for planning a modern glamour themed wedding using pink, gold and ivory for the color palette. I created this inspiration board to guide me.

The only problem was that I did not have a modern glam budget! That meant a LOT of bargain shopping and DIY projects. I would love to do it all over again but for now, let's just re-live it! ;-)