LotusHaus

Utterly Engaged + Worldwide Wedding Style - Wabi Sabi Wedding

I'm so excited for Issue #005 of Utterly Engaged, the hippest new Wedding E-Zine! The theme for this issue was "Back to Basics." So for my second column of "Worldwide Wedding Style", I have highlighted some ideas for a wabi sabi inspired wedding. Have a look and let me know what you think!

Preston Bailey's Thanksgiving Decor

 
Hi, I want to be related to Preston Bailey so I can attend his Thanksgiving dinner! Wow!

Utterly Engaged + Worldwide Wedding Style - Lotus in Love

I'm so excited for Issue #003 of Utterly Engaged, the hippest new Wedding E-Zine! Why? Because the super savvy style crew has asked me to be a contributor! Yay! My column is called "Worldwide Wedding Style" and will highlight style elements and cultural nuances that couples can incorporate into their wedding or wedding related events (bridal shower, wedding rehearsal, etc). For the first feature, you know I had to set it off with a lotus inspired theme! I just love how it turned out! I hope you do too =) Stay tuned for more!

Rouge Tomate - Red Hot and Green Venue in NYC

I really would love a mini vacation to NYC! If I were there, I would check out the new eco-luxe restaurant Rouge Tomate. The food and decor are all sustainable and the venue boasts an impressive mult-level design... The Cranberry Pool is my favorite (pictured below) and this would be where I would have wanted my bachelorette party or bridal shower! At the Rouge Tomate site, click on the Event button to check out the very cool floor plans.

If you are in NYC, check out the Eco-Luxe / Go Green Expo on Sept. 22 to be held at Rouge Tomate. More info here.

Structural Floral Art by Kuga Designs

I love these designs by Bree of Kuga Designs! Check out Bree's Daniel Ost inspired post to learn more about the influence and mechanics behind her works of art!

I Dream of Cake by Shinmin Li

Via the Bellissima Vita Weddings Blog, I was blown away by this elegant cake captured by photographer Jennifer Skog and created by I Dream of Cake in San Francisco.  I Dream of Cake was established by artist Shinmin Li who creates innovative cake concepts and is continuously inspired by current fashion trends. The cake studio is a one of a kind, beautifully designed boutique that looks like a high end retail store! So gorgeous!

Below are some of my favorite Asian inspired cake designs that I found at the I Dream of Cake gallery...

GlobalFlora } Vibrant Blues and Purples

Featured Event Designer: Love and Splendor
Featured Floral Designer: Irvine Village Flowers
Featured Photographer:  Travis Hoehne
Featured Venue: Seven Degrees

Here's a vibrant and creative wedding by Love and Splendor! I just love the colors and the modern touches! I especially love the lighting and handmade details. See more photos here and here!

Global Alternative to Cupcakes... Churro or Éclair!

Thanks to Ready to Spark, sparks are flying with dreams of churros and éclairs instead of cupcakes for special events! I'm loving the unique churro flavors by Xooro (pronounced Sure-ohs) and the many possibilites for dressing up the éclair like those found at Patisseries like Fauchon. If you have a Mexican or Spanish theme to your event, Churros are a fantastic dessert option. If you're after that "An American in Paris" vibe, go with the Eclair! Either way, you and your guests will enjoy a dessert that is out of this world!

Related Post:
Bem Cassados - Brazilian Wedding Cake Favors

GlobalFlora } International Tabletops

Featured Event Designer: Kendal Brown of Eclatante Design
Featured Floral Designer: Donna O'Brien of Beautiful Blooms
Featured Photographer: Marie Labbancz of Art of Love

Via The Bride's Cafe, an awesome wedding blog, I discovered these fabulous internationally inspired centerpieces that were created for a Bat Mitzvah party. The theme was "Cities of the World" and each table represented a different city. Guests were given boarding passes to their tables. What a great idea for a global party or wedding!

 

JaydaOnline } Stationary and Gifts with an Eco-Twist!

For lifestyle stationary that is modern, fun and eco-friendly look no further! Jayda is a fantastic source for invitations for weddings, baby showers and parties! The founders, Johanna Reyes and Yadira Chevere are the sisters and designing women behind this beautiful event planner's resource (The company name is a sweet combination of their first names). Check out their impressive environmental commitment here. Jayda also has awesome blogs! For wedding inspiration check out Down the Aisle and for some baby love check out Blue, Pink and Green. In addition, to being eco-savvy and hip, the MOST IMPRESSIVE thing about Jayda's offerings is that when you purchase invitations for a wedding or baby shower, you get your own coordinating blog site!

Father's Day Fiesta

For Father's Day, my husband decided that instead of our usual BBQ and Hamburgers we would make Carne Asada and virgin pina coladas! So of course we had to make it a fiesta! Plus the weather was so dreary I definitely needed some color therapy! We learned how to make Carne Asada (thin marinated skirt steak) from our Mexican friends who also showed us how to eat it with "agua-mole" which is a more liquid version of guacamole (lots of limes, avocados, water, liquified in the blender). We bought corn tortillas and Spanish Rice from our local restaurant and filled up our bellies! Here are some recipes you can try for the Carne Asada and virgin pina coladas. Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the food and drinks! But it was sure tasty!!! (I made the arrangements from grocery store flowers and found red linens and an orange rattan runner at Ross all for under $45.)

Utterly Engaged } New E-Zine for the Design and Budget Savvy Bride

Ok seriously, do you want to be utterly inspired? Check out Utterly Engaged, a stylish new online wedding magazine from my friends D*LSH Design and their partners! It's a gorgeous read and quite a luxury for the price...ahem, it's free! The zine features real wedding couples and their real budgets, plenty of swoon worthy DIY tips and lots of fresh ideas and fresh wedding vendors! I especially love the diversity in their features!!! I think it totally fills a void in the wedding market right now! Thanks for the link mention on the floral resources page! You ladies rock!

Centerpiece Idea } Orchid and Moss in a Wire Basket

I saw this wire momentum bowl in the Crate and Barrel catalog and just love the idea of an organic style wedding centerpiece using orchids, spongy moss and a see-through basket (that you could give away to guests). For a rustic look you could make your own basket out of chicken wire. For a modern look, scout your home improvement center for mesh you could spray paint and mold into your own shape. You can purchase the orchid potted plants in bulk at Aloha Orchid and the reindeer moss at Save-On-Crafts.

GlobalFlora } White, Green and Black - Modern Elegance

Featured Floral Designer: Flower Design, UK
I really love the freshness of these floral arrangements by Flower Design! I especially love the crisp modernity of the martini designs and tall centerpieces using orchids, anthuriums, curly bamboo and calla lilies! See more photos here.

Witt Istanbul Suites Hotel } A Recipe of Laser Cut Flowers, Organic Wood, Neutral colors and a pop of Mustard

I'm loving the colors and details of the Witt Istanbul Hotel Suites designed by Autoban. Check out the laser cut flowers, the pointellist styling, the organic woods and the blend of warm modernist design. I can see envision these elements as the basis for a great party or wedding theme! Via the Contemporist.

My inspiration for the near Future! } Kate Fujimoto Event Design

Whoa, how do I contain my excitement? I finally found a career inspiration that closely matches my lifestyle, my experience and my aesthetic! Today I discovered the story of Kate Fujimoto... a fashion designer - turned wife - turned event designer! Kate Fujimoto worked as a fashion designer and product manager for labels such as Trina Turk and Betsey Johnson.  She was getting frustrated with the corporate structure and felt that her aesthetic didn’t necessarily match up to some of the companies she worked with. After planning her own wedding, Kate began to consider a career in event design. She took on small events at first, but with a growing client list, the budding designer launched Kate Fujimoto Event Design in November 2007. With an emphasis on color, texture and trim, she treats events as landscapes similar to fashion designs, and applies her expertise to every aspect of presentation. Kate often looks to the venue first— much like she used to look to the human form—to find ways to enhance its features...Kate, you are my she-ro!

Summer Awesomeness from Colin Cowie

Ok, so I was like totally sucked into the Home Shopping Network (HSN) on TV today because entertainment guru Colin Cowie (his accent is South African) was showcasing his summer collection... and let me say that it's off tha hook and if I had extra loot I would buy up all the pieces and use them for events. Here are my favorites:

Beverage Server with Ice Receptacle: This is the most modern and versatile drink dispenser EVER! Watch the video footage and you will be a sucker too!  It's genius! First of all, it's made of sturdy glass. The ice receptacle keeps your drinks cold without diluting them. When not in use you can use the ice holder as a glass flower vase (genius). The bottom bowl is a separate piece and you can use it to display the beverage ingredients or create ambiance with flowers or other themed items. When not in use you can use the bowl for salads or layered desserts (genius). The lid fits perfectly on top of the bowl as well (einstein). At the HSN price of $74.95 I was seriously considering picking up the phone. But alas, times are tough and my glass pitcher is just gonna have to do... but isn't it just genius, lol! Here are some other nice items:

 

From left to right, top to bottom:
Chip and Dip Wood Tray with Porcelain Bowl, Bowl in Rattan Base, 7" Appetizer Plates, 3 part Stackable Storage Jar, Square Rim Dinnerware Set, Square Bowls in Wood Tray, Double Wall Glass Set.

Black Ribbon, Rhinestone Buckles, Green Horsetail and Ruby Reds!

I'm loving these arrangements and overall table top display found over at Head of the Table! The horsetail or equisetum look so fabulous with the black ribbon and rhinestone buckles atop charcoal polished river stones!

Pezzi D'Amore } Brazilian Wedding Favors

Look at these beautiful Brazilian wedding favors from Pezzi d'Amore available in Seattle! I discovered these from the wonderful Bella Signature Design blog. These wedding favors are called "Bem Casados" or "Well-Marrieds" and they are the most traditional sought-after dessert at weddings in Brazil. Each Bem Casado is artfully made and is light, soft, airy and filled with smooth, home-made caramel bathed in a special sweet sauce.  Each treat represents two united parts sealed by sweet love, support and mutual respect.  According to legend, everyone who tastes them will be blessed with the happiness of newlyweds, so make a wish before you take a bite. Amen to that!

GlobalFlora } Plum and Chartreuse Wedding Theme - Asian Inspired

Today I was inspired by Flora Nova Design and their recent blog post letting us know that Plum is a big color for 2009. Check out their recent Plum, Cream and Chartreuse wedding! I have long loved this color combo so here is my Asian inspired version of a plum and chartreuse wedding. As a disclaimer, I usually don't post any images without linking the source, so I sincerely apologize because I don't have sources for all of these photos (boo! I know!). Please email me if you know the source. Thanks and enjoy!

From left to right, top to bottom:
Photo from Organic Style Magazine; Actress Zhang Ziyi; "Origami Crane" invitation by Tiny Prints; "Brilliant Blooms" wedding invitation by WeddingPaperDivas; custom made blooming tea favor; lime bridesmaid dress; chartreuse arrangement in Chinese shallow basket; catalog photo from Smith & Hawken; pink purple arrangement in footed basket; colorful macaroons by Jin Patisserie; and decorative Black Cherry Plum soap bar by MOR Cosmetics.

Black, White and Chartreuse } Inspiration from Kelsey and Kyle's Wedding

Last weekend, our DJ Company Bamboo Beats, had the pleasure of celebrating Kelsey & Kyle's stylish and hip wedding at Pravda, an uber cool NY-Loft like space in Capitol Hill. I want to share with you the beautiful decor details put together by the amazing Michelle from Married with Michelle (see her blog post here) and Julie from Bella Rugosa. *4/27/09 Update: Check out the amazing pro photos by the awesome Photo Elan team at this link!

I love the lotus capiz shell votive holders from Bella Rugosa and floral silhouette satin linens by BBJ Linen.

Check out the table placecards and simple unity candle.

Next to the ceremony area there was an awesome lounge area with cocktail tables and modern seating complete with bar area and our DJ setup.

I totally fell in love with the lounge area... these rentals are available from Bella Rugosa!

Capiz lotus pendant chandeliers graced the ceilings... so modern and elegant!

Modern and minimalistic high and low centerpieces with chartreuse table linens created a very dramatic effect in the all white venue.

This is the guest table shown on the left along with a creative way to show table numbers using sparkling water bottles.

And lastly, I was loving the lime green glass hurricane holders on top of acrylic pedestals that lined the ceremony aisles. On the right is a photo of these cool wrought iron candle holders that marked the ceremony alter. All in all, this wedding had all the perfect details and I can't wait for the pro photos from the fabulous Photo Elan team to show you how much fun the dancing was! They kicked it all night long!

A Bird-i-ful Easter on a Budget!

I knew there was a reason why I was holding out from doing a bird theme for previous parties... The first weekend in April, my hubby and I had a wonderful mini-vacation on the Oregon Coast. We enjoyed so much untouched nature while walking barefoot on sandy beaches, soaking up the sunshine, drawing in the sand, beach-combing, relaxing with dear friends and eating very well! We spotted a wild herd of elk, many pairs of bald eagles, an osprey nest, a wild bobcat, seals and many other aquatic animals. We even got to kayak a bit. As a souvenir we took home these gorgeous branches from our host's property... they had the most lovely sponge-like moss. These branches became a very economical and sentimental centerpiece for our Easter Dinner...

I placed the branches in various glass cubes with white gravel to support them, and added some lovely feather birds that I picked up at the Dollar Tree store ($8 for 16 pcs!). The aqua blue table runner is just some lightweight dress fabric that I had previously found at a thrift store. Luckily it was long enough to cover the entire set of tables that sat all 15 of us!
I loved how easy and effortless these centerpieces turned out to be! It doesn't take much to make a statement when these little bird friends are smiling at you and your guests!
Chirp, chirp... A little birdy told me to pull out my white vases for the display shelves! (The pink and purple blooms are Hyacinth from our garden.) 
Here's the view from the other side of the table... 
Say hello to my little friends...

For party favors I found these yummy jelly beans (the size of small grapes), that looked like speckled bird eggs. I looked everywhere for small birdnests that would fit my budget but to no avail. Finally, I broke down and made my own. Using wrapped brown wire (found in the floral section at the craft store), I wound it around my hand 4 times, cut a square of brown wax paper, placed the jelly beans in the center, tucked brown tulle around them and scrunched the package into the nest. The brown ribbon held it all together.

We had a lovely dinner and lively conversation... After dinner we were greeted with a full rainbow! It was so big and so close that I couldn't get it all in the photo! Now if only I could find that pot of gold!

Brussels in Bloom } Flower Carpet in Belgium

Holy begonias! Do you know what 1 million begonias looks like? It looks like this Carpet of Flowers in Brussels, Belgium. Every other year, since 1971, the Grand Place courtyard turns into a Carpet of Flowers to promote the lovely begonia. Chosen above all for its qualities of robustness, resistance to bad weather and strong sunshine the begonia guarantees the long life and freshness of the carpet. It also provides a rich range of colors - from vivid colors to delicate pastel shades, with in between, the parti-colored and white flowers which reflect the light so well.

2008's carpet was based on the patterns of the 17th Century French Savonnerie tapestry. How is this done? A perforated plastic with the design on it is laid down and the spaces between the floral design areas are filled with rolled turf. The stems are packed so tightly, 300 stems per square meter, directly onto the stone, so they won't be blown away. No soil is used at all. The next display will be August 15-17, 2010. Below is a video of the nighttime presentation with its special lighting and most beautiful musical score!

Thanks to Sprout Flowers in Worchester, Massachusetts for the heads up on this fabulous floral display!

Silver, Pink, Yellow and Black by Yvonne Design & Friends

Extreme beauty and lushness is all I can say about this lovely wedding concept by Yvonne Design and friends. This color combo is refreshing and bold with a hint of contemporary Thai flavor (orchids, lilies and lotus petals). You know I LOVE the lotus and window pane details of the silver, white and yellow cake by Cake Lava, and the pop up lotus on the menu card by Emi Ink!

New Blog to Love } Jomygoodness!

Sorry I've been light on the postings... I have a lot of things going on and some exciting news to share in the next month or so. In the meantime I will try to feature some of my favorite new inspirational blogs like this one! Jomygoodness is a scrumptious blog with lots of eye candy for you inspiration junkies! The author is Jomylene a fellow pinay blogger who lives in Southern California. Every Friday Jomylene does a "Week in Review" and posts a great selection of finds from other cool blogs. I'm happy to have been mentioned in a few of her reviews! Oh and I love Jomylene's color palettes! Check out this beautiful blog!

Breathless Modern Tabletop from Once Wed and Flush Designs

Check this super mod and romantic tabletop inspiration board by Courtney of Flush Designs for Once Wed...

Now bask in the glory of the flawless execution of this inspiration board...simply amazing! See more mod photos here...
 

Flower & Gift Projects for Teens } Project No. 1

My friend works at St. Luke's Catholic School in Shoreline, and since my husband and I both have our own businesses, she asked us to share our talents by teaching some elective classes to the 7th & 8th graders this trimester. My husband is teaching a class on the Art of DJ-ing and I decided to do some floral & gift projects for my class.

Here is a photo of the first project we made on Monday! This gift package would make a nice shower souvenir or parting gift and includes a set of bamboo chopsticks and a paper fortune cookie. The girls loved that they got to make one for themselves and they all said they felt like Martha Stewart, lol! I will share all of my projects with you... I'm doing this twice a week until June, whew!

This project is super easy. Here are the details so you can make one yourself...

Materials:

• Origami, Scrapbook, or Colored Paper for fortune cookie and tab top
• White Paper for fortune saying - 3/4"W x 4"L
• Chopsticks (I got mine at Daiso... 12 sets for a $1.50... or try the dollar store)
• Faux Floral sprigs
• Ribbon
• Glue Dots
• Green floral tape
• Biodegradable Clear Bag - approx size 4.25"W x 9.75"H

Instructions:

1) Make paper fortune cookie.
Great instructions here. I used a CD spindle to trace a circle, and glue dots to keep the cookie closed. Insert fortune saying.
2) Assemble chopsticks.
Take a floral sprig and center it over the pair of chopsticks. Wrap floral tape snuggly around both. Finish with a nice ribbon bow.
3) Insert into clear bag.
Slide in the fortune cookie first. Use chopsticks to push into place.  Slide in the chopsticks at an angle. Cut a folded rectangle to fit over the bag opening like a clamshell. Staple to seal bag. You can write "Thank You" or a Name/Note on the tab.
4) Give to someone special!

Lil' Lion 1st Birthday Party

For my godson's 1st Birthday we were set on a lion theme. We went to Ikea and scored on some really fun and colorful decor ideas like these inexpensive circle bath rugs, kids furniture and fun toys. The color theme was orange, blue, green and brown...

I thought it would be cool to have a jungle/rainforest kind of feeling in the buffet area but didn't want to over do it so I mounted some display shelves that I had lion around (hee hee), added some faux vines and some furry friends that would go home with the birthday boy. I love the monkey business! (tip: velcro works for hanging everything!)

Ikea had really cute and affordable table sets, fun stools and rugs...

The biggest score was this cardboard puppet show frame! It was the hit of the party because I took photos of all the guests using this frame. See some of these fun jungle pics here. The design even matched what I had done for the invitation!

I always make sure there is plenty of colorful food! We had baked mac n' cheese, wings, dino chicken nuggets, fruits, veggies, pita chips, salad, and of course my favorite, chocolate covered strawberries! (Thanks hubby for always making these for me!). For the buffet arrangements, again Ikea hooked me up with colorful bamboo canes and faux tropicals. Super easy... just place them casually in a container.

The local grocery bakery transposed the invitation artwork onto a regular vanilla sheet cake with raspberry filling, yum-o! Next time I will give them a better image... they kinda didn't follow my instructions (note the big area that is cut out), but it still looked cute!

For a 1st birthday ritual, I created a "Wishing Tree" inspired by the Tea Collection blog. This activity was great because it served as a guestbook and a keepsake! I asked guests to write well wishes and sentiments for Isaiah on these wood veneer tags that I found at the craft store. The tree consisted of some curly willow in my umbrella vase that was draped in green fabric.

This is another keepsake! "A Year in the Life of Isaiah" was made of a black magnet dry erase board and 12 clear top metal tins. I simply cut out a photo from each month of Isaiah's first year and affixed magnet strips on the back side. The tins and board can both be used again.

Our birthday party game was called "Isaiah Can Do" and party goers had to guess from a list which things Isaiah could do Now or would do Later. The most correct answers won a prize but there was a tie and a healthy debate between two aunties ensued as to the details of one of the items... it was hilarious! There were some older kids at the party too, so for them I had temporary animal tattoos, finger puppets and markers for them to draw portraits of Isaiah.

The take home gift was my favorite part of the party! My friend took this awesome photo of Isaiah on her shoulders, which was inspired by a photo I gave her along time ago before she was even pregnant. I designed a Thank You card and had it developed as a photo so it would serve as a card and a keepsake photograph. Using clear acrylic boxes, I inserted the photo and filled the boxes with inexpensive animal crackers and tied a raphia bow. They looked so cute!!! We really did have some wild fun!

Red, White and Butterfly!

Thanks to the Hostess Blog, I am now inspired for the day! Check out this fantastic red, white, and butterfly wedding from PacificWeddings.com!

Hollywood Style } Japanese Theme Emmy Party

Holy Hollywood! This was TV Guide's idea of a Zen Lounge Emmy party last year... What you are looking at is a 150,000 square foot parking lot with a silk covered tent and huge red gateway structure behind the sensational Kress Night Club on Hollywood Blvd. 1000 cranes were imported from Thailand and floated above a garden-like haven dotted with cherry blossoms, Japanese maple trees, more than 75 bonsai trees, and some 50 bamboo stalks. Furthering the theme were 20 alternating images measuring 55-feet tall and 140-feet wide that featured scenes such as snow-covered volcanoes or lines of Japanese calligraphy. I really love the lighting and the seating! Below are images from the inside of the club that really impressed me:

Read the full story here.

Indian Weddings - Inspiration from Lemiga Events

This Indian Wedding style collage is only one of the many awesome inspiration boards from the talented Michelle of Lemiga Events in Atlanta! Click here to see more.

GlobalFlora } Modern Island Style Wedding

Featured Floral Design Studio: Flowergirls, Honolulu, HI
Featured Cake Artist: Cakelava, Honolulu, HI
Featured Photographer: Rachel Robertson - Honolulu, HI
Featured Blog: Style Me Pretty

This is Irene and Joe's wedding in Hawaii. I wasn't invited but thanks to Style Me Pretty, I caught a glimpse of this lush and modern Island Style wedding! I love the bride's dress, the cuter than cute flower girl and ring bearer, the funky retro cake, colorful paper lanterns, mod centerpieces and all those gorgeous flowers! Kudos!

Colorful Acrylic Presentation Ware by Vikki Smith

Vikki Smith has a really great collection of acrylic presentation ware! The first photo is called Sushi-Ushi and it's her most popular item! Below are photos that show her cheery presentation ware in use at high end hotels and special events.

Design358 } Bold Tablescape at The Special Event Show

Here's a sneak peek of just one of the fabulous tablescapes from the Design358 Floral & Event Management team that were created for The Special Event Show 2009 in San Diego this past week. I just love the bold use of color and the unique use of orchids with roots showing and all...so clever! I wish I could have been there to see Hitomi Gilliam of Design358 demonstrate her unique and stunning techniques! Become a fan at Design358's Facebook.

GlobalFlora } Floral Sushi by Embellishment Design

Featured Floral & Event Design Studio: Embellishment - San Diego, CA
Featured Event Planner: Red Letter Days - San Diego, CA
Featured Photographer: Jay Reilly - Carlsbad, CA
Featured Blog: Style Me Pretty

This "floral sushi" design by Embellishmint for wedding couple Andrea & Scott is simply scrumptious! I love it! Head over to the fantastic blog Style Me Pretty for more photos by Jay Reilly and full details from Red Letter Days on this awesome wedding with an Asian twist!

My Global Lounge Thanksgiving } Featured on Hostess with the Mostess!

My Global Lounge Thanksgiving Party was featured on Hostess with the Mostess, yay! Thanks Jennifer!

WeddingSutra.com

Totally Tabletops found this great link, Wedding Sutra, a website dedicated to Indian Themed Weddings. Here are some inspiration boards from their wedding colors sections...Enjoy!

Pink

Orange

Green

Blue

Chinese New Year Roundup from One Pretty Thing

One Pretty Thing has an AWESOME roundup of crafts, treats and decor for any Chinese New Year celebration!

Chinese New Year Party Ideas from Pier 1 } Year of the Ox

These decor and party ideas from Pier 1 for celebrating Chinese New Year on January 26th, are so fun and colorful! One year I will make time to have a party!

Scrabble Party Idea } Take a Seat

I love this! Check out these Scrabble letter pillows and benches made by Stephen Reed for employees in the London offices of Bloomberg financial services! DIY at your next dinner or cocktail party by applying heat transfer letters to inexpensive white or light colored fabric cushions. Lay them out on your sofa and have a basket of them for guests to play with! Whoohoo, instant laughter and foolery! Via Haute*Nature

Around the World Baby } Lebanese Inspired Baby Shower

Here's a baby shower with some international flavor that I recently designed for my mom's friend. The Mother-To-Be was a young Lebanese woman who taught French and Arabic in Lebanon before moving to Seattle. In Lebanese culture, baby showers are not common because family celebrations take place after the baby is born rather than before. The MTB's family is in Lebanon so her friends wanted to make her feel comforted and safe during her pregnancy so we threw her this wonderful shower! The colors were coral pink and peach with copper and bronze accents. The look was classic and elegant with a modern ethnic twist. On the invitation, I used the Alhambra font to inspire the arabesque feeling of the party.

This is the desert table wonderfully set with a draped linen of middle eastern flair. I used a screen printed cotton window panel from World Market that had an Arabic style geometric print and a gorgeous bronze border.

Here you can really see the draped linen along with yummy raspberry tea cookies and butter cookies from Whole Foods.

Lovely lemon meringue drops and pretty flower sugar cookies also from Whole Foods.

Inspired by Hostess with the Mostess and DIY diaper cakes, I decided to make my own modern diaper cake. It turned out to be super easy and I just love how it turned out! It was a fantastic centerpiece and conversation piece! I used two kinds of satin ribbon to go with the look of the table linens and silk flowers for decoration. For the cake stand I used two white ceramic serving platters with the bottom platter overturned.

For wall art, I found these beautiful Indian wooden letters with a hand stamped metal foil design and paired them with gold Christmas ornaments on a backdrop of two coral pink scrapbook pages. The look was both academic, ethnic and baby-inspired. (Letters from World Market)

Details of the wooden letters and ornaments...

To further the global theme, I pulled out one of my vintage finds that I hadn't used yet! This beautiful hand hammered copper table consists of a large tray and collapsible teak legs. It worked perfectly with the whole look.

For the party favors, I put together these cute booties with tulle, pink ribbon and Jordan almonds!

The booties looked so cute together in pairs!

Finally, for the main baby shower game, I altered an Around the World Baby game I found online. The MTB was a language teacher and our shower guests spoke different languages so this game was perfect. Simply list the word "baby" in different languages and ask guests to match up the language to the word. The guest with the most correct answers won a prize.

Tantawantan Bloom Floral & Event Design - NY

WOW! Look at this amazing floral decor and event design work for the Lamborghini Showroom in Long Island by Tantawantan Bloom. How incredible are these arrangements that defy gravity!

Naughty or Nice Christmas Party by Kelley Moore Creative Media Events } Music by Bamboo Beats

This weekend, our DJ company Bamboo Beats, had the pleasure of rockin' the bells at one spectacular Christmas Party for Kelley Moore Creative Media Events.  Kelley Moore is Seattle's own lifestyle and entertaining expert, who recently appeared on the Rachael Ray Show. I'm so excited to show you some of the beautiful details that Kelley and her team designed for this annual Christmas party... (pro photos to come later, hopefully!)

Kelley's beautifully decorated front porch greeted guests as they arrived at her gorgeous Craftsman home.  

The night air was cold, but this whimsical bike warmed everyone's heart! Create your own light sculpture like this one with a bike, some lights, a basket full of gifts a big red bow!

The front porched featured a wintery lodge theme complete with silver pine cones, snowflakes and a glistening white tree. Guests could also enjoy coffee or hot cocoa with marshmallows while chatting outside.

Once inside, the Naughty or Nice theme was in full effect! All of the printing and signage around the house was done by Suite 7 Creative. Pictured above are beautifully presented Naughty or Nice popcorn take home gifts and a sparkly red and silver trimmed tree.

Wine was provided by Revelry Vinters and there were 2 signature cocktails provided by Crater Lake Vodka & Q Tonic...a Naughty one and Nice one of course!

A delicious array of sumptuous appetizers were served up Naughty or Nice style! The Naughty food was provided by Brasa Restaurant and the Nice food was provided by Lisa Dupar Catering. I enjoyed them both!

Here is Kelley's lounge room with the cutest wreath wearing wooden deerhead I have ever seen, and a jolly old poster of St. Nick! Not pictured above, but equally fabulous was Kelley's flat panel tv that played a faux fireplace dvd with life-like flames flickering about on screen.

Kelley's philosophy in keeping guests entertained is to create fun areas for guests to explore throughout the party space... So upstairs, she created a Nice North Pole by decorating one bedroom as a wonderland photo station. A professional photo elf was there to capture folks in their Nice smiles and holiday cheer!

To satisfy every sweet tooth, guests were encouraged to venture downstairs into the Naughty Lounge for the dessert bar and a little mischief... Trophy Cupcakes provided the devilishly delicious cupcakes and there were plenty of other naughty treats to eat at the dessert bar.

We hooked up the Naughty Lounge with our red uplights and gave the whole room a smooth red glow. That cool backdrop you see behind the DJ consists of a whole wall of color printouts with the word "Naughty" in the middle. Make one like this using your own photo or graphics with Blockposters. My hubby the DJ, played lounge music to start and then turned up the heat when everyone came downstairs to party! He had them dancing all night long! Thanks Kelley! Thanks Sheena!!!

Credits:

Event Design - Kelley Moore Creative Media Events
Event Rentals - Totally Tabletops
Printing & Signage - Suite 7 Creative
Wine - Revelry Vinters
Signature Cocktails - Crater Lake Vodka & Q Tonic
Naughty Food - Brasa Restaurant
Nice Food - Lisa Dupar Catering
Cupcakes - Trophy Cupcakes
DJ Music - Bamboo Beats

Ikebana for a Japanese Inspired Wedding Reception!

I had the lovely pleasure of creating modern Ikebana arrangements for a super cool bride and her intimate Japanese inspired wedding reception this weekend! (The bride discovered me through my blog!) The catering menu was organic and included miso salmon and a green tea wedding cake! I can't wait to see the pro photos but until then catch a glimpse of the action from my camera. Above is a shot of the totally cute wedding invite she designed with a kokeshi doll character along with brocade swatches of gold and white -for her custom wedding dress- and red and gold for her handmade bridal party fans.

The colors were dark red, gold, black, and white. I used these gorgeous black ceramic Ikebana containers and floated each atop a riverbed of polished stones.  The arrangements consisted of dark red roses, red lilies, red poms, wax flowers, steel grass, aspidistra leaves, a bronze chrysanthemum, and various mizuhiki picks for a golden touch of Japanese handicraft.

In Ikebana, one must be aware of how the arrangement is viewed from all angles.

Above is the back angle with a bodacious bronze chrysanthemum in plain view.

Lastly, here is the view in 360 degrees for your viewing pleasure...I know, I know, overkill...but I just had to remember the whole effect! Please let me know what you think about Ikebana style centerpieces for parties and weddings. I'd love to know your feedback =)

Shanghai Passementerie } Elegant Asian Style Place Setting

Shanghai Passementerie is a lovely place setting featuring sophisticated Chinese knot work. The placemat and napkin ring are available at Algabar Home & Life and would be absolutely stunning at a dinner party or rehearsal dinner or as a wedding gift.

Modern flower gift box! Ridiculously cool!

I'm jonesing on this architecturally inspired flower gift box...not to mention the fab combo of purple, lime and black! If I could read Japanese I would tell you the source for this origami like mystery packaging...but I can't - so I won't. I just had to share!!! (from Hanajikan Magazine)

Wasara } Paper ware for spiritual enrichment

Oh my goodness, my heart skipped a beat when I discovered Wasara, a truly magnificent concept in disposable paper table ware. With aesthetic beauty and thoughtful ergonomics, this Japanese concept has created an impressive way to display your culinary creations and serve your guests. But wait, the Wasara collection is also sustainable! Even though these items are disposable, their content is eco-friendly in design because they are made from reed pulp, which is quite renewable, and bagasse, which is pulp waste produced when juice is extracted from the sugarcane...the result is a tree-free, compostable and absolutely stunning collection of entertaining pieces. I have contacted Wasara to see where this collection is available on line and for purchase in the United States and will keep you posted! Via Kelley Moore

Related Posts:
Hands Giving } Thankful Gestures at the Table
Tast.es } Modern Disposable Servingware

Modern Inspiration for a Winter Wedding } Museum Style

While re-visiting the site of Hitomi Gilliam, one of my favorite floral artists, I was inspired to share these two amazing sculptural pieces. I imagine a winter wedding held at a museum or ultra modern building with the floral decor serving as additional art pieces for an eclectic and unique setting... I also like the color scheme of all white with hints of gray, green, black and brown, along with the square motifs, all of which could easily be incorporated into the wedding invitations and table decor, like ice sculptures, square plates, and accessories (see below). *Check out the graphic modern invitations from GraphicBoard, a Japanese design company.

Wedding Favors from Japan } Hanakobo.net

Take inspiration for your wedding from these Japanese wedding favors from Hanakobo! Most of them are filled with candies or cookies but the last one that looks like a chocolate cake is actually a folded hand towel with a magnet strawberry! Hand towels are the latest trend...with pastry shapes like cupcakes, muffins, and even sushi! *Update 10/13 - Buy towel cakes online at the Morikami Museum Store or at the spectacular Le Viette.

Betty Lou } Eco-Luxe LED Tabletop Wine Glass Lamp

If I were Preston Bailey and planning a prince's wedding, I would definitely opt for these lovelies! Introducing Betty Lou by Mmckenna, an ingenious LED lamp that fits over a standard wine glass and resembles the glimmer of candlelight. The lamp comes with a re-chargable battery and lasts 7 hours per charge. Perfect for lighting up dinner and romantic conversation! Suave gentlemen, nab one for $275 and stage the perfect eco-luxe proposal at home!