a rainy day photo shoot

well i am sitting at the dallas-fort worth airport waiting for my flight back to orange county but i heard it's raining in california so i thought this post would be appropriate today!

a couple weeks ago, jesi haack and aaron shintaku wanted to do a bridal photo shoot...in the RAIN!! so when jesi explained to me her vision and asked me to do a bouquet i thought it sounded so cool! colorful raincoats + wellies, polka dot umbrellas and striped ties over plastic parkas...all in the pouring down rain...sweet!

aaron did such a fab job with the photos and jen from green wedding shoes even featured this shoot on her blog last week! thanks guys! when i saw these photos, all i could do was smile...sunshine is overrated!! :)

i was in the middle of an insanely busy week so i actually ended up creating the bouquets entirely out of some gray eucalyptus pods i had leftover from an event...i thought they looked like little raindrops, both in their shape and the way they droop and "fall"...i tied them up with some ruffled cream fabric and ivory yarn...

It's a Wonderful Life: The Party!

Conrad's first birthday celebration was a little over a week ago and I am so excited to share the photos with you!

The color scheme came from our Christmas tree and other seasonal decor around the house...gold, copper & ivory.

We often call Conrad, "C", so when we were designing the invitation, I wanted to use the initial instead of his full monogram. The "C" was present throughout many party elements. I was very tempted to have my favorite florist make a "C" wreath that matched the exact font, but instead of paying $300, I decided to give it a shot myself. It turned out okay.

On the kids tables, I set out gift centerpieces instead of using vases because inevitably, they would be knocked down by one of the little ones (probably my 2 year old!).

Jingle bell wreath ornaments served as favors which helped tie in the theme of the party.

Cinnamon hot chocolate...so yummy!

We had a make-your-own parfait station along with other breakfast goodies.

One of the party activities was a pull string pinata that matched the color scheme as well.

Face first!

The three of us...Nicklaus would not stand still long enough to join us!

All photography by Angela from Bella Smile.

A few party details you might be interested in:

* Invitation, favor sign, hot chocolate sign, napkins & cup stickers were all designed by my talented friend Hayley Hardcastle.

* Tiered cake & smash cake from Ooh La La.

* Custom bib designed by another talented friend, Amanda Skelton Yocum. Find her Etsy store here!

* The pinata came from Birchangel Pinatas through Etsy. Joylyn was so great to work with! She customized the pinata with the party colors and even took my order at the last minute.

* Linens were from Distinctive Details here in Houston and the table and chairs came from another Houston firm, A Finer Event.

* Caspari wrapping paper found at The Container Store.

* Apothecary jars came from Pottery Barn.

Serious Cake Inspiration!

Get ready to ooh and ahh over these gorgeous cakes designed by The Cake Girls!

LOTS more eye candy and cake inspiration from The Cake Girls here! Just looking at their cakes makes me want to plan a party around the designs.

A Few Ideas for New Year's Eve

From Martha of course...

These are a few EASY, last minute things you can do to make your NYE feel more special. What would we do without Martha?!

On another note...I have missed you! These last few weeks have been a whirlwind and things are finally getting back to a normal pace. So, I'm back to blogging! Thank you, thank you for reading and for all of the nice comments you leave! They make my day. =)

Have a wonderful week!

It's almost New Years!

'Tis the season when holidays just keep coming! Here are a few cute ideas for New Year's, then off to Valentines, sigh ;o)

These are adorable! Just use a mini circle cookie to cut out at the top then decorate it like a clock! I am sure these were meant for another purpose (it shows 4 o'clock!) but I think you could write "Happy New Year" or "2010" or whatever you like on them.  Source

These have a little more homemade look - I like how they alternated the year and the clocks.  Source

These are my favorite clock inspired treats I have found. I wonder if you could use an oreo with one side cut off to do the clock and use an edible pen? hmmm... might just have to try it! Source

merry christmas!!!

may your days be dreamy and bright...

xoxo,

ultra hip, modern christmas at an art gallery

i had SO much fun designing this holiday party that took place at the uber-hip art gallery, 7 degrees, in laguna beach...the client wanted a really non-traditional look for this event...something that would not be considered a typical "christmas" feel...

so i give to you...a modern, chic christmas like you've never seen!

guests started out with cocktails on the roof...

vibrant "red charm" peonies can stand alone...no filler, no excess...just ruffly boldness in all its glory!

a cigar roller was on hand for the duration of the evening...

crisp white linens, gunmetal gray napkins and steel chairs kept with the sleek, art gallery vibe...but we still wanted it to feel festive so i stuck to all "red charm" peonies and red ilex berries to give it that holiday feel...

we wrapped some of the vases in faux white fur, which guests LOVED! they kept touching them! it was an unexpected twist that added that wintery somethin-somethin...

keeping the linens, napkins, chairs and vessels neutral REALLY made those vibrant red florals pop! the red glass candles further lent a warmth and richness to the tablescape...

all of the white vases were from ikea except for the faux furs ones, which we made in-house...the white candlesticks were a mix of z gallerie, homegoods and thrift stores...

solid red peonies...i ALMOST couldn't stand to part with these...truly...i wanted to take them home and enjoy them myself :)

sheer white fabric was put up for this event to separate the dining area from the after party...this separate lounge area had a desserts station, air hockey, ping pong and karaeoke - fun!

these were amazing...i couldn't stop staring!! they were installed as part of 7 degrees' holiday decor...i only wish i could create something this magical!!!

these last 2 shots are kinda funny...after we were done setting up, i walked outside only to find a snow machine blowing fake snow!! i was SO excited! 7 degrees sets it up for their venue and as guests walked in, they were greeted with this magical snow falling in orange county! such a surprise for them...and me!!

i MUST MUST MUST give a huge thank you to ryan haack who came down and took these photos for me...it was a last minute request and he came through like SUCH a champ! photography is only his hobby but look at these photos!! so amazing! i seriously want to hire him as my permanent in-house photographer :) THANK YOU RYAN!!!