For the Love of a Good Menu

Anyone who has ever watched Top Chef knows how important presentation is. That goes for menus too- a great looking menu enhances the food and gets your guests psyched for eating. Mmmm I'm hungry just thinking about it. I've seen menus done in donzens of great ways, but my current obsession comes from my friend R's wedding. Girlfriend printed the menus using her home printer on standard-issue brown paper bags- perfect for carrying home the wedding favor post-celebration! I think this is such an adorable idea for outdoor, winery, barn, or really any kind of rustic wedding. But I also might use these for my next BBQ!  Or, someday, maybe I'll make little lunch bags for the first day of school- I can see kids loving them too... and brown paper bags cost next to nothing.  Oooh the possibilities!

Check them out and tell me you're not in love too...

image source

image source

photo by me- from R's wedding!

 

Are you considering making menus for your next celebration?

Some Fairy Dust to Sprinkle in Your Bath

Recently, my mother-in-law and I came up with a shower favor that, in my very-biased opinion, is awesome.  You may recall the Once Upon a Time invitations I shared a few weeks ago... well, we decided that "fairy dust" bath salts would be an adorable favor to thank all the guests for coming.  So of course, I had to share them with you because I think these could be used for weddings or bridal showers just as easily!

[caption id="attachment_3086" align="aligncenter" width="386" caption="Our bath salt favors in action (and yes, I took that photo!)"][/caption]

These were so simple to make!  First, we took a few drops of scented oil (we found Philosophy Amazing Grace fragrance oil at Save-On Crafts) and mixed them with equal parts epsom and sea salts.  Once we liked the level of fragrance, the salts were funneled into jars.  We got ours from the local craft store, but Save-On is a great resource for jars too!

Once the salts were in their jars, we added little hang tags.  The above tags were from madebyjackie on etsy, and were super affordable, but you could make stickers or tags at home too.  I love how easy it is to personalize these little dudes, and they look so cute on a table too!  If you are related to me, there's a good chance you'll be getting bath salts for your birthday, just FYI!!

Do you have any DIY favor tips?

A Compendium of DIY Pinwheel Love

I was recently reading a post about pinwheels over at $2000 Wedding, and ever since I'm been stark raving mad about paper pinwheels.  There is something so utterly romantic and playful about them!  And I feel like they have so much hidden versatility, not to mention their absolute customize-ability and cost-effectiveness!  So far, I've come up with 10 potential ways to use them, many of which could save you considerable cash:  

  

- Have guests waive them in lieu of bubbles, rice or birdseed when sending you off! 

- Incorporate them into floral centerpieces. 

- Or, forget the flowers altogether and use a bunch of pinwheels AS the centerpiece! 

- Write guests' names and tables on them, and use for escort cards. 

- Top cupcakes with mini-pinwheels for a playful cake table. 

- Leave them on the kids table for the young and young at heart. 

- Tuck them into the napkins at each place setting for a whimsical favor. 

- Give them to your flower girls to carry during the ceremony instead of a basket. 

- Put your pinwheels on extra-long sticks and plant them in the ground for a festive aisle runner. 

- If you really want to get creative, you could even make your invite with instructions for how to turn them into pinwheels. 

  

Anyways... I clearly have no life... if you want to learn how to make your very own adorable pinwheels, the blogosphere is filled with great tutorials!  I've compiled some of my favorites to share but if you know of more, I'd love to hear them!  What would you do with pinwheels at a wedding?   

[caption id="attachment_2731" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="via Paper Source"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2730" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="via BHG"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2729" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="via Intimate Weddings"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2728" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="via Style Me Pretty"][/caption]

via Once Wed

 

Bacheloretting, Just $4.74

So, it's not news that I heart VistaPrint.  But I recently learned that VP makes T shirts and totes, with prices starting at $4.74 (or in some cases, free, if you have the right coupon).  And so I did some looking into it.  Turns out these inexpensive tees are actually quite cute, and of course you can even upload your own design.  Now, I love companies like Zazzle and Custom Ink too, not to mention the adorable custom finds you can get on Etsy or Wedding Chicks, but hey, times are tough.  Sometimes you have to make the call to cut costs, and this is a good way to do so while still getting a product completely personalized (for instance, you could put each gal's name on their own shirt; or make the bride's a little extra special)!

Wouldn't these be wonderful, affordable bridesmaids gifts?  Or perfect for an upscale out of town bag?  Personally, I always love wedding swag and have not stopped wearing my most recent wedding related item, a zippered hoodie from friend P's bachelorette.  In fact, I *may* or *may not* have recently designed some tees for two different events I'll be a part of in the near future, and I'm so excited with how they came out!  Here's some of my favorite VP options!

And remember, if you order from VistaPrint, be sure to use Ebates so you can get cash back too!! 

Oh yeah, and I almost forgot, they make tote bags and hats too.  What designs are your favorite?

Adorable Favor Alert: Preserves from Tea!

I am currently in the process of planning a baby shower for a good friend.  Well actually, I'll clarify, I'm planning like 6 baby or bridal showers right now, but this one is the first of this year and will be a very small brunch shower, so I'm super excited about it.  The mother-to-be specifically asked us to keep things relaxed, so the six of us planners kept it light and divvied up just a few tasks: invitations (with one extra for mom's keepsake), a floral centerpiece, something sweet for desert, and favors.  Favors was what I picked, because of couse I love them!

We also settled on a french country theme for the shower (mom appropriate!) in shades of robin's egg blue, soft oranges and yellows, and sage green- which happen to also be the colors of the baby's under-the-sea nursery theme (baby appropriate!)  In this way, we're hoping a few of the keepsakes might be useable in baby's room when he gets here!

So when thinking about favors for a group of NYC ladies, I wanted to make sure the favor wasn't the usual diaper pin or plastic baby.  And nothing too chotchky- we all live in relatively small spaces and none of us need extra clutter.  Of course I hit Etsy looking for something good and I totally found it!  These tea-flavored preserves by homemadebyshari were just the ticket!  Shari let me order 7 different flavors (so everyone at the table can ooh, ahh and trade to get one they'll like) and she even put pastel gingham fabrics on the lids to coordinate with the shower's french country theme. 

[caption id="attachment_2131" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Le sigh!"][/caption]

I think these would be such a great favor for bridal showers or even weddings too, and at $2 each they're quite reasonable!  The flavors I ordered include honey vanilla chamomile, blueberry, cinnamon apple, country peach, lemon zinger, tangerine orange, and wild berry.  But there are many more options to chose from as well. 

As an aside, I decorated a little basket with gingham ribbon for each guest to put a baby book in, in lieu of a card, which will likewise coordinate with all the goodies.  I can't wait to see everything come together!

DIY Matchbooks

If you are planning a wedding, you may have seen all those adorable, personalized bride and groom match books out there.  I know I loved them, and absolutely HAD to incorporate them somehow into our wedding.  But they're kind of pricey when you think about what a small detail they are.  The solution?  Make them yourself!

I gave my matchbooks to J. with a box of cigars to pass out on the wedding day, but you could leave these near doors or on the bar, restaurant style, for guests to pick up as they mill about!

Here's a quick overview of all the different ways I've seen brides do this (each image links to the source, with instructions for making your own!):

[caption id="attachment_1835" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Mod Matchbooks"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1836" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Simple Elegance"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1837" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Paired with Sparklers"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1838" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="With Candles as a Favor"][/caption]

And so with this inspiration, here's what I came up with!  All it took were some mailing labels, some scrapbook paper, and some penny matches purchased from the dollar store.  Cute, no?

[caption id="attachment_1839" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="With the fancy cigar box..."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1840" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Up close and personal"][/caption]

Who Wants Candy?

 

Candy buffets.  The.  Greatest.  Wedding.  Invention.  Ever.

If you have not yet heard about candy buffets and weddings, you are going to love this (and you might be living under a rock- these are everywhere these days)!  Candy buffets are quickly becoming the hottest way to give guests a wedding favor, and its easy to see why.  If you're going the platinum wedding route, Amy Atlas' dessert buffets will be right up your ally...

[caption id="attachment_1568" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="the Halloween edition"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1567" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="old fashioned candy"][/caption]

Of course, you don't have to be a design wiz to make your own wedding candy buffet.  Brides everywhere are doing it to incorporate their wedding colors and design sensibilities.  Sometimes they even use popcorn instead of candy!  And given the holiday season's propensity for sweets, this might just be perfect for a Christmas wedding!  If you're interested in doing one of these yourself, be sure to check out this great article from Favor Ideas for how much candy to buy and how to display it all.  Do you love this as much as I do?  (note, images below link to their source)

[caption id="attachment_1569" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="pastels"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1572" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="candy goes garden"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1571" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="yellow, not mellow"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1573" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="great minds think alike!"][/caption]

Pashmina Valet- a Good Idea Gets Even Better

Yesterday I posted about those lovely flip flop valets that have been all the rage.  But guess what all your winter brides?  You too can participate in the fun, with a pashmina valet!  I love that this idea works just as well for summer nights as for winter festivities- and I bet guests love it too!  Of course, real Pashmina's can get pricey, but if you check ebay (or if you're near NYC, just check the street vendors) you can get them for $5 apiece, often even less.  Just think, if you really had some budget to work with you could tie one to the chairs at the reception instead of chair sashes, for guests to use and then bring home as their favor.  Check out this loveliness... (all images link to their source)

 

Understated elegance.

Plum prettiness!

Pretty in cranberry and craft paper!

Who wouldn't want to snuggle with one of these?

Flip Flop Valets- Hot or Not?

Alright, I'll just say it up front, I vote HOT.    Flip flop valets are among the latest and greatest in wedding trends, and I have to say, I'm all about them!  You could easily and inexpensively make one of these for your own wedding- Old Navy has a sale every spring where they sell flop flops for $1, Jack's $.99 store near me sells them, and Michael's and Target often have them in their discount crafty bins for $.25-$.50.  If you live in NYC, you could also buy inexpensive Chinese sandals from vendors on the street and use them the same way.  What a fun easy way to personalize your wedding!  And think of all the cute little puns and sayings you could come up with for your basket sign.   From "sole mates" to "dancing shoes," the sky might just be the limit!

click image for source

click image for source

[caption id="attachment_1407" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="click photo for source"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1406" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="click photo for source"][/caption]

click photo for source

 Of course, if you love this idea but would prefer to pawn off the work, or don't feel creative enough to pull it off on your own, Kate Parker Weddings would be glad to make a flip flop valet for you... just be prepared for the accompanying price tag (starting at $225).

[caption id="attachment_1410" align="aligncenter" width="210" caption="Hello Kate Parker Lovelies!"][/caption]

 What do you think?  Do you love it?  Would you do it?

Showered with Love! The Details...

I may have mentioned once or twice that the women in my life are amazing, but it bears repeating once more.  And here's the main reason why- they are thoughtful, caring, and made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world yet again.  They also happen to be incredibly talented and creative, as you are soon to see.

The shower was held at Sayen Gardens in Hamilton, NJ, in a historic house that might just be the cutest house I've ever seen.

Two of my lovely bridesmaids in front of the house

Lil Sis and MOH B. and I outside in the gardens!

When I first walked in, I was greeted with a big hug from my FMIL, and this lovely table with a slideshow made by FBIL D. who paired up childhood photos of J. and I in similar contexts: two bathtub photos, two Christmas photos, etc., along with some photos of us together as grown-ups.  You'll also note the lovely floral arrangement in this photo, which were contributed by my FSIL and FMIL for centerpieces too.  Aren't they absolutely adorable?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="The slideshow!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pretty tables!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_863" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Doesn't the stained glass make it extra special?"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_864" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Such a lovely room waiting for me!"][/caption]

Those little place cards you see on the tables were hand-embossed in green (hello wedding color!) with some serious love by my bridesmaid C.  I thought they were professional!  She made tiny little companion cards for the tables that went with them, letting guests know about a Snapfish photo room where they could add their photos- and you can thank her for that, because its why I have these great pictures!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The escort cards, awaiting their owners."][/caption]

On the back of each placecard was a note, letting the guests know that in lieu of favors, a donation had been made to the ASPCA for the prevention of cruelty to horses.  I was blown away by this totally thoughtful and creative touch (courtesy of bridesmaid R.)!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Check that embossed magic out!"][/caption]

Oh, but wait, there's more!  FMIL baked cookies for the party- using the recipe that we'll be including with our cookie cutter wedding favors.  Yes, they WERE as tasty as they look.  And they matched the adorable cake (note the use of pink in all of this, my favorite color).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cookies!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="And caaaaaake! Ohm nom nom."][/caption]

I also had a special chair, just for me, and a decorated "wishing well" where guests left fun little kitchen gadgets and spices for me to bring home.

[caption id="attachment_865" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Who wouldn't want to sit here?"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_866" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="And so sit there I did!"][/caption]

More recaps of the shower fun coming soon!