Cupcakes in a Jar... Brilliant!

I unfortunately cannot take credit for this brilliant idea. I will however share and hope it brings you some creative spins for your next bash. As a kid I never wanted to get my fingers messy. As a 2 year old I could wear a paper white dress while eating a chocolate ice cream cone and not get a spot on me (yes it's true - ask my mother)!



When I came across these goodies on MyCakies , I just loved the simplicity and functionality of this sweet treat. Really, the options are endless. These could be a great addition to a picnic basket favor or even a unique feature on your dessert table. You can try all sorts of different flavors or even PIE! Yummy!

Much Love,
Lish

My New Obsession...Furniture Catalogs!

When I see the pile of mail sitting on my kitchen counter top, I get a little excited and a little tinge of anxiety comes over me. Will there be a catalog? When will the next CB2 or Anthropology be coming out? Then as I quickly glance through the stack I am relieved to see a Crate and Barrel or (silent jumping of joy) CB2. Most ladies would be happy to see a Vogue or Glamour, not me. I want furniture magazines, lots of them, keep them coming! Lately I have noticed (again maybe due to our recent renovations) furniture magazines have really stepped up their game in the layout and style department. I have gathered up some great ideas for table settings,furniture layouts and gorgeous appetizer spreads. These ideas are not for my home, but for weddings. It is true, there are some great and unique ideas in the glossy pages of furniture magazines, trust me.

This got me thinking. Why rent all of your tableware or cheap plastic decorations. If it is something you love, why not invest in having the decor as a new member of your family, especially if your wedding is small? Every time you look at the iron bird that perched on your tablescape that now holds up your books, you will have a cherished memory of the glorious day you said, I do.

Much Love, lish

The Most Underappreciated Color in Weddings.... GRAY!

WHAT?!?! Is she being serious? Yes I am. Maybe it's because I just finished painting more than half of my house gray, maybe I've always wanted to live in Seattle. Who knows, however what I do know is gray works with everything! I was just trying to figure out which painting would look best next to the leather sofa. When I stepped back I was so happy to see how fabulous the sofa looks next to the gray wall. I tried a green painting, a red painting, a yellow painting, all looked great! This got me thinking, I wonder how many brides dismiss the color gray because it is normally associated with drab, depressing colors (very un-wedding like).

The cutest pairing I have found with gray is orange (don't freak out)! This color combo is truly unique and GORGEOUS. Think of all the different shades of beautiful orange colored flowers. Think of how these colors would pop off a beautiful gray table OR even your bridesmaids dresses! I found these photos on Veil Tales wedding website.



Gray is super chic and works so well with so many different colors.



Much Love,
lish

To Salt or Not to Salt

Recently, Katrina with Sedona Bride commented she hates salt and pepper shakers on a table, because they are always in the way of the beautiful detail shots. I completely agree, however there are ways to keep your sodium deficient guests happy, yet maintain your table aesthetic. I found this cute idea while looking through some old magazines. You can create small bowls of sea salt and pepper using cookie cutters to put a shape or even your initials! Add a small beautiful wooden spoon and it is transformed from a regular shaker to yet another beautiful table detail.



These cutey love birds were a recent wedding gift. Yes these are salt and pepper shakers. My wedding had a bird theme and these would have been perfect on the tables. Going to an antique store will inspire you with all sorts of vintage salt and pepper shakers. Having a different theme for each table also makes for beautiful photos and something for your guests to admire!



Much Love,
Lish

The dust hasn't settled

ugh... I just have to complain for a little bit. Home construction is not fun, especially when you live in the home and you have furry children (pets). I thought I would share some of our remodeling photos, including the happy faces of our babies.

December Wedding Slideshow

For those who weren't able to attend the wedding, the slideshow can be found here, Sedona Bride: Alisha+Brian. More photos to come!

Start with Something

There is always a beginning, an inspiration item.


I started with my love of blue glass and branches. I don't know what it is, something about these items speak to me. I started going to local antique stores to find unique pieces of blue glass I could put at each table.

The clear bottles are old gin jars. I was told hundreds of these jars where found underneath a very old building in Crosby (a small town in Southeast Texas). Apparently the owner loved gin and didn't want his wife to know how much he loved gin. So when he was finished with a bottle, instead of throwing it in the trash, he would dig a hole under his building (which happened to be the bank). I guess he didn't realize how many bottles, err holes he had dug.

I also want to say thanks to the blog, Beyond Beyond, for publishing our invitations and photos... I know you are jealous, I just can't help it.

http://beyondbeyond.co.uk/blog/alisha-brian-sedona-bride/#more-1273

http://beyondbeyond.co.uk/blog/envy-looked-good-16/

Beginning the Process of Planning

To be fair, I did have two weddings. A pre-wedding (which was the 'official' day) and a reception wedding. When you are actually in a wedding you begin to realize very quickly what a bride wants to deal with and what a bride does not want to deal with during the day. I knew I had an overall vision...classic looking without the 'yawn' same old details. I wanted to shake things up a bit. We wanted a quiet and intimate place to exchange our vows and a big party to really celebrate with our friends and family. I got all that and then some. These are photos from the day we exchanged our vows. It was on a beautiful cliff overlooking my hometown of Sedona, Arizona. It was very quiet and subdued, you do not need so many details when you are surrounded by such beauty. The cake toppers (Mr. & Mrs. Bird) was my take on the non-traditional. Doing things a little different makes for such beautiful photos. It also helps to have amazing photographers.

When the day was over, I had some time to put together the details for our reception at Three Points Ranch. When you start planning it may seem overwhelming. So many things have to tie together; the invitations, colors, flowers, programs, menu, tablecloths, napkins, etc. Take a step back and breath, in the end it will all come together. I promise. When all is said and done, you will smile to yourself and realize it was all worth it and it was all beautiful.

The dust settles.....

Or does it? My wedding has finally concluded. Originally we were just going to elope, but hey why would I, a designer at heart do something crazy like elope? I never would have met such great people.

Katrina and Andrew of Sedona Bride, the photographers who I will forever be thankful to, they were my mini-therapists, even available for house calls. I have always loved photography and they brought the images in my head to reality. The invitation and paper good goddess, Jen with Miss Pickles Press. The day of coordinator (who everyone needs, even if you don't think you do... You DO),Kristen Shrimplen. She made sure my drink was always full and I always had a smile on my face. Trust me future brides, even though I did the design work myself (because that's what I do). I needed help on the day. It is so important to enjoy yourself and enjoy your guests, without help you won't. I promise.

Sally the owner of Three Points Ranch, she was so great to work with and coordinate ideas. Sally, your place is amazing. I can't wait to continue working with you on future events at Three Points Ranch. I love that place! And lastly, Antonio Bond... a flower genius! His gorgeous centerpieces was the icing on top of my beautiful wedding vision.

I feel like I just won an Oscar and that was my speech! But seriously, I truly enjoyed working with all of the vendors. I have even made some new friends. I cannot wait to collaborate on new projects with the A-Team of weddings!



Much Love,
lish