10.06.2011

cute . as . a . button

my dear friend amber is having a baby girl in december!
i was so excited to make the baby shower invitations.

abby kate's nursery is pink (of course!) with creams & whites.
inspired by her shabby white furniture & pink damask...


so southern & sweet...
pink damask with a monogram letter
white & cream buttons (walmart)
& my trusty hot glue gun!


"a sweet baby girl is on her way
december 28th is her debut day
cute as a button abby kate will be
let's shower our mommy.to.be"

i will be sure to post pictures after this november event!

10.04.2011

josephine's . engagement . party



there is no one else in this world that i would have been more excited to throw an engagement party for than my dear childhood friend josephine stafford. how perfect was it that the september party fell almost exactly one year from the date of their wedding! robby ginepri & josephine stafford exude true love!


what fun was it to incorporate josephine's wedding colors with her invitations. i refuse to ever send out store bought generic invitations...that takes the whole fun out of it! i have really gotten into making homemade invitations. i love the neutral colors with the pop of earthy green ribbon!



the green ribbon was my "best find" ... i kept looking for the perfect 'southern tie' to add and finally stumbled across this burlap textured ribbon at michaels. sold by the yard...it became my best friend!





"write a note to jo and robby to read when they open your wine
something funny, clever, or sweet and tie it on with some twine"


as for other personal touches...

to keep in the spirit of the "stock the bar" theme, each guest showed up with a personal favorite bottle of wine to add to josephine and robby's collection. i made these tags up ahead of time and did a simple slip knot with twine (from walmart). i put them in a basket by the front door. as guests arrived, a chalkboard gave them directions to write a special message on the card and tie it on to their bottle of wine. some people wrote when they wanted the bride and groom to drink it ... first anniversary, night before the wedding, first valentines day... others wrote a situation ... drink when robby is in the doghouse! 


for whatever the reason or the occasion, still a fun idea for the bride and groom to read before they open the wine and remember their friends and family as they sip on some wine!





we used 36 inch hightop tables draped with white linen cloths.
these tables were on the side deck which overlooked the lake.
each table had one sterling lantern (thank you home goods!) and small tealights around it.
our bud vases kept with the earthy theme - a sprig of rosemary, basil, and white begonia.


other decor included fresh fall ferns wrapped with burlap and twine.
candles, candles, candles.
framed photos of josephine and robby.
copper tubs for beer.
white, white, and more white.
food labels tied with twine.
creamy white glass dishes.
white linens and silver forks tied with twine.
baskets.


notice the glass cyliners (ikea) on the food table. 
you will never believe what we used as the filler...
kitty litter! 
we wanted something earth toned and that had "meaning...
a week before the party, josephine's cat, quinta went missing.
in honor of quinta  50 glass cylinders were tucked around the pool and in the woods.
how beautiful the grey and turquoise litter looked!
the kitty litter was definitely a first ... 
but super cheap, super simple, and put to use after the party!



our food included many delicious things... all homemade!


sweet chicken wrapped bacon bites (paula deen recipe)
basil pesto spinach tortellini pasta
caprese kabobs
cucumber hummus bites
beef and pork tenderloin
assorted cheeses
fresh seasonal fruit
spanokopita
mushroom pate
cowboy caviar


my favorite thing we made...
without a doubt the cucumber hummus cups
so easy and so beautiful and yummy!


using a knife, square your cucumber by slicing down the sides
cut into about 1 - 2 inch cubes
with a melon baller, scoop out the top of the cucumber
save the cucumber ball!
now using a piper, pipe in the hummus
set your cucumber ball on the side
sprinkle with paprika


rather than a cake we chose to do a pie dessert table ... tis' the fall season!
guests chose between pecan, chocolate walnut, berry, lemon pie.
our fresh whip cream can (williams sonoma) was nearby to top it off!


lastly...
each guest had the opportunity to take a floating candle out of a basket
they were asked to make a wish for the bride and groom and light it, then place it in the pool
what a fun and beautiful idea to make your guests part of the night 
it looked so magical and had such special meaning!


i hope to have more photos to come!