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3.16.2014

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
Even if you have no Irish blood in your family line, 
St. Pat's Day is the day that EVERYONE can be Irish and celebrate!

In a similar way, ANYTHING in your home can work as 'party decor'....
and everything doesn't have to be printed with shamrocks to be festive.
It's easy: just start with the color green, and create!

Here are some examples of how everyday dishes, gift wrap, and serveware
can be combined to create a fun green & white service bar or table setting.
A few items with shamrocks are shown, too ;)








 ... and of course, you can decorate YOURSELF, too!
 You wouldn't want to be caught without some green on!


3.13.2014

fool the eye spring flowers

We all love bringing beautiful blooms home from the nursery, don't we?!
Their happy colors bouncing on long stalks bring energy and life to our surroundings.
I had this pot of GORGEOUS yellow tulips - which you saw in the photo below in a recent post.

And then the Santa Ana winds blew. I think the yellow tulip petals all ended up in the Pacific Ocean.
And the potted tulip looked like THIS:


Well, as a stylist who has had to come up with instant solutions on a budget for client event decor, 
I have a fail-proof tip for making bulbs RE-bloom. In the SAME SEASON:

FAKE IT!
Yep.... use fake flowers.  
You just have to use them in a way that no one notices!
Here's what you do:
 * Grab some decent quality silk tulips in your favorite color.

* Strip the leaves from the stems, and bend the stems rather haphazardly to look natural.

* Insert the stems into the REAL FOLIAGE still in the plant pot.
[I stuck these down on the lowest tier of leaves, right up next to the real stem.
You can see the top of the real stem in the photo - I cut that down as low as I could after the shot.]

Five minutes later, you end up with a rather convincing blooming potted tulip:
I don't recommend this for table centerpieces, 
as they are too close to the viewers' eyes to pull off the fakery with class.
It's a GREAT solution for florals that will be located 
on a stage, at an entrance, or in a photo set backdrop.
Since the foliage is real, the flowers fool the eye into thinking THEY are real, too.
I used to tuck REALLY nice faux roses into the backs of large arrangements for events,
to help fill out the form and help the budget along (they can be re-used!).
I'm talking million-dollar events at wineries, photographed by media.
No one EVER noticed the fakes!

Last Spring, I shared another 'bloomin' flower secret'
and my tips on creating vintage-look faux flowers

shared online:

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}



3.10.2014

Spring Garden Inspiration

Looking for inspiration for your Spring decor and party themes?
Look no further....

The darling and VERY talented Monique outdid herself with the front entrance vignette at The Vintage Marketplace Show!
She hauled in all of this stuff from her house - it's all HERS, not for sale -
and styled this charming garden scene for everyone to ogle, photograph, and enjoy at the show.

Just take a gander at the glorious garden she created:
That's Miss Monique working on final details - in platform shoes, no less!
The main scene in the vignette is the giant window backdrop, bookended by regal vintage columns.
A porch swing hangs from the overhead architecture,
and garden plants and accessories bring a perfect garden to life...
Above,  more details of the main scene
To the left of the main scene, a small table and chairs create a perfect tete a' tete setting,
propped and ready for afternoon tea... right down to the dress and parasol!
A closer look...
Closer to the front on the left are more charming details:
A large birdcage with a flowering plant inside sits on a table covered with a tutu!
A vintage white bicycle's basket is filled with moss, a tutu, and garden accessories.
To the right of the main scene, a mirrored vanity is propped with vintage prom dresses and accessories.
The tiny dressing chair has a tutu cushion, and a bitsy birdcage sheltering a tiny chandelier ornament!

I shot these images in 2014... Update for 2016:

Do you love vintage-style decorating?

Don't miss this beautiful vintage show, held each season in Southern California!



Images in this post taken by Deb Kennedy of HOMEWARDfound Decor.
Decor design & styling of privately-owned props (NFS) by Monique.
The Vintage Marketplace Event is hosted by Christie Repasy and Rita Reade.
 

shared online:
 Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}
One Project Closer | Creativity Unleashed

3.03.2014

Tutorial: Easy Button Blossoms!

Years ago I saw some darling flowers made of buttons 
in my favorite magazine, Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion.
Inspired to try this new craft project, I made some of my own
using scrapbook papers, miscellaneous buttons, and chenille stems
[we used to call those things 'pipe cleaners', remember?!]
and some green velvet ribbon as 'leaves'...

 Well, that was long ago and they've long since disappeared...
but when I came across these photos recently, I got inspired all over again.

So I decided to make some NEW button flowers,
and create a simple tutorial for you while I was at it!

supplies:
 .
paper - scrapbook paper, sheet music, old magazine & catalog pages, anything.
pipe cleaners / chenille stems - white or green (any color, really!)

scissors and a hole punch

assorted buttons - vintage, thrifted, pulled off of raggy clothes, or new from the craft store.
NOTE: You'll want the buttons to have holes in them - though the smallest buttons can have a shank back and will still work.
.

 #1. cut circles from the paper - various sizes, all bigger than your biggest button sizes.
#2. punch a hole in the center of each circle.

#3. slide a small button with tiny holes onto a pipe cleaner - it should fit TIGHTLY.
pull it down the stem about and inch and a half.

#4. slide on one of the paper circles, so that it fits right up tight against the button.
 add more buttons, working from largest to smallest sizes. 
vary the colors and shapes so that all the details show up.
 #5. secure the top button by bending the end of the pipe cleaner stem over. 

#6. from the bottom of the flower, GENTLY push all of the buttons and the paper circle upward
toward the top, until the buttons nestle closely together.

#7. cut pipe cleaner stems to the length you'd like.
NOTE: if you want your finished stems to be longer than @5",
they can be wound around a length of wire or a bamboo skewer for strength.

 OPTION:
#6. add tiny paper, felt, or fabric leaves to the back of the paper circle
or if you cut them from fabric or ribbon, you can glue them to the stem.

Display in a sweet little bouquet of button-y beauty!


shared online:

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}


One Project Closer | Creativity Unleashed