LotusHaus

Rafael's 1st Birthday Party

Rafael's party was so much fun! Despite the forecast for snow, lots of friends and family turned out to celebrate with us at the colorful playspace, Whirlwinds. The venue's orange, blue and green walls were the overall inspiration for the party. Check out these photos!Here's my my pint sized birthday cake table! I found the banner and paper centerpiece at a party store and added my custom character in the center. The big character was cut out from a simple 20x24 photo enlargement at Sam's Club Photo. Much cheaper than Kinko's and it was on glossy photo paper! The cardboard cake stands are readymade, I just decorated them with ribbon. I found these on the cheap at Jo-Ann Fabrics.

The cake toppers were homemade using printouts, tape and toothpicks.

Colorful balloons, felt table runners and custom cut "confetti" characters completed the look.

The cake toppers had two different character faces! so cute =)

Here's the birthday boy! His godmother made him a fleece suit to match the character I drew!

Here's the cake room as viewed from the play room.

Here's the awesome playroom! There were tons of toys and riding toys and a huge slide/jungle gym (not shown). The parents told us they loved the stress-free party because the kids could run wild while they socialized with the other guests.

Inexpensive white plastic tulip base photo frames from Ikea lined the bookcases with photos of Rafael throughout the year.

The take home party favor was an organic lollipop in homemade packaging.

Here is my Smilebox slideshow of the party:

 

Make your own photo album

Schtickers } Turn your laptop into a mini billboard for your small business!

My Schtickers laptop skin design for Bamboo Beats, our DJ business, was chosen as the Design of the Week in September at the Schtickers blog! Schtickers is a local Seattle business and this little laptop skin has been a really great part of our advertising. Since the laptop and turntables are center stage at every event we do, it's a non-obtrusive way to let people know who's spinning the cuts... It's our own little mini-billboard. If you're a blogger or have an online presence, I suggest creating your own Schticker so when you are out and about with your laptop, your brand can get noticed quickly!

My Master Bedroom and Nursery - "Pagoda in the Heavens"

 
Our master bedroom/nursery makeover was inspired by a calming palette of turquoise, khaki and chocolate. My husband and I pulled together Asian inspired details from antique paintings to pop graphics. Here is the nursery side of our master bedroom. I used Illustrator to draw Chinese and Japanese cloud motifs and printed them at a larger scale using Blockposters. Then we traced and painted them onto the khaki wall using Benjamin Moore's sample paints. These small paint samples had great coverage. The crib is from Target and the shelving is from Ikea.

These are some detail shots from the room... Some inspiring figurines, a pagoda mirror, a Ukiyo-E Japanese Wood Block Print (thrift find!), and a kimono fabric scrap that I plan to make into a pillow...

In the crib you can see a teal and lime colored  "Tummy Time Play Mat" that I will be using as a changing pad at first. I think it's so cute and practical and it has a measuring tape printed on it so I can watch our baby boy grow in length right before my eyes! On top of the play mat is a brown Boppy Noggin Head Support that prevents the baby from having a flat head. The crib is outfitted with an organic cotton flannel sheet and a Nojo fleece sheet saver from Target.

Anxiously awaiting the arrival of the baby are two friends, a Yomiko Classics baby panda, and a homemade doll (made by my friend's aunt) swaddled in a Kiddopotamus bamboo fabric swaddle blanket. Also pictured is the Utterly Yours Pregnancy Pillow (folds into a square) that I used for a bit, and a hand crocheted baby blanket from my cousin! These things will be removed when the baby comes because it is much safer for the him to be in a crib without extra things like pillows, dolls and crib bumpers (prevents suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

This is the adult side of the room. In case you haven't noticed, the bed wall and ceiling is painted a chocolate brown and gives us a sense of privacy and intimacy, while the rest of the walls are painted a neutral khaki color. The bedroom artwork consists of Chinese scrolls and artwork I've found over the years at various antique stores. We didn't have it in the budget to buy a new bed, so we updated our existing Ikea rattan frame by staining it dark brown. I really love how our bedroom turned out! Can't wait until our boy can enjoy it too!

Modern Safari Baby Shower Invitation

Here is a baby shower invitation that I was commissioned to do (the details have been changed for privacy). The theme was a modern take on the Safari animal theme and the mother-to-be recently purchased this cute elephant mobile for her nursery. If you want this invitation for your baby shower email me and I can customize it for you for a small fee and you can print it at your own convenience!

My Asian Inspired Baby Shower!

These little baby monk figurines and Chinese display stands were the inspiration for my Asian themed baby shower! You can see my evite design here. Thanks to my mom, my hubby and two of my dearest friends, I had a colorful, meaningful and fun filled party!

In Chinese culture (as with many other cultures), food is so important during special celebrations, so I wanted to celebrate the concept of Dim Sum with my guests at this lunch time party, (Dim Sum literally means "to touch your heart," and consists of a variety of dumplings, steamed dishes and other goodies). Check out this colorful spread! I just have to share with you some of the dishes we served and what they mean to me.

Dim Sum is all about small delicacies with big flavor! We had shrimp and chicken dumplings along with eggrolls, pot stickers and edamame from Uwajimaya. My girlfriend steamed them all herself! As a mommy to be, I love these dishes and enjoy thinking of myself as a little dumpling with a special treat inside, like a pea in a pod!

I found an appetizer recipe for Asian Chicken Salad on Endive Spears and wanted this dish to represent a baby in a cradle. Super easy and so cute! The trick is to use the cooked rotisserie chicken readily available at the grocery store.

I'm Filipino and my mom makes two dishes that I absolutely love! Fresh Lumpia and Pancit. Fresh Lumpia is basically a crepe roll with an assortment of cooked meat and vegetables. My mom made these ones vegetarian with sweet potatoes, potatoes, jicama, cilantro, seasoning and lettuce. She wrapped them in wax paper and tied it with raffia. They are served with a sweet dipping sauce. The other dish I love is Pancit, which is a Filipino noodle dish. There are different kinds of Pancit but my favorite is Pancit Canton, which is a Chinese style version using egg noodles. We had to have noodles because they symbolize long life and prosperity!

I think the Chinese translation for lotus root is " lin ngau,"  which sounds like "lin yau", and means "every year you have plenty." I found fresh sliced lotus roots at Uwajimaya and made a quick lotus root stir-fry with sesame, green onions, cilantro and bean sprouts. Guests were surprised and delighted with the texture and flavor of the lotus root.

For dessert my hubby made these tasty Chinese Moon Cookies using wooden Chinese molds in the shape of koi fish and fu dogs (they turned out so cute!!!). As a surprise, one of my friends baked and decorated this gorgeous French Vanilla cake with blue fondant and cherry blossoms!!! It was amazing! The cake was so beautiful and delicious! Another surprise dessert was a batch of Nutella Chocolate Chip cookies made by one of my dearest girlfriends who helped to host the party.

For the buffet table decor, I used blue and orange cotton fabrics for runners. The blue fabric is called Koto by Alexander Henry (above left) and it also inspired my invitation design (above right) and color theme.

Since goldfish are also good luck, I thought it would be fun to have them floating around! I put them in glass cubes with a glass shelf that raised up the display stand. I love how it turned out!

I just love brocade fabrics and Chinese handicrafts with their bright colors, pretty patterns and intricate knotting and tassels... I also love tiny shoes and booties. So when I found these Baby shoes and lucky charm amulets in various stores in Chinatown I thought what a cute display these would be together. What great luck to find them in matching colors! Plus I can use all of these display goods for the baby later!

Here's how the living room was arranged. For munchies, we filled a fish bowl with rice crackers, sesame sticks and good ol' goldfish crackers.

Here's my Asian inspired diaper cake! I discovered an easier way to arrange the diapers than the last diaper cake I made. This cake uses about 90pcs of organic cotton newborn diapers, 60pcs on the bottom layer and 30pcs on the top. To do this, take a drinking glass and arrange a handful of diapers on their side in a circular pattern around the glass and wrap a really big rubber band around it. Add more diapers until the rubber band is tight. Remove the glass and rearrange diapers to fill in the hole. Make another layer and decorate. A Hostess Blog post about an Asian Inspired Bridal Shower gave me the idea to use a 3 tiered bamboo plant for the cake topper.

For the alcove decor, I took extra fabric and made simple fabric scroll hangings and anchored them with wooden double happiness accent pieces that I found a long time ago but haven't had a chance to use until now. To change up my existing metal wall art piece, I printed out various Asian patterns and just taped them up.

For our baby shower game, the ladies had 5 minutes to use play dough and design little tiny booties. They were all so cute! I picked a winner and she received a prize. 

Instead of a wishing tree or guest book, I made rice paper fortune cookies and we asked guests to write their parenting advise or sentiments for the fortune saying. We will read through these after the baby is born!

For favors I wanted to create something meaningful and I had read about the tradition of a Blessingway, which is a mother-focused shower that honors and nurtures the pregnant women. Since most of my guests were already mothers, I wanted to tap into their courage and strength when my time comes to deliver Rafael. After searching without success for a blessing or prayer for a healthy delivery, I eventually wrote my own. So, for the favor I included a candle and a copy of the prayer. When I go into labor, my friends will get a text or email to light the candle and read the prayer. This way, all of these strong women will be thinking of me at the same time and I can look forward to receiving their encouragement! For the actual favor box, I used a DIY template from Twig & Thistle and altered it to fit my theme. 

Here's me (in the middle) and my dearest girlfriends looking lovely with these pretty Asian fans. I had all of my guests sit on the couch and take a picture with me. You can see more of these "fan shots" here. Thanks to all my friends and family that came to celebrate with me!!! I am grateful to have you all in my life!

My Baby Shower! Sneak Peek

I can't believe I'm already 32 weeks along in my pregnancy! My baby shower is this Sunday and being a DIY-er of course I had to throw some things together! Here is a sneak peek at my invitation... I uploaded this image to my event web page at www.pingg.com. It's a great online invitation service and a wonderful way to save money and the environment!!!

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!

Happy Monday, Happy Buddha!

Happy Monday! We DJ'd a beautiful wedding this Saturday at Hotel 1000... The florals were done by Bella Rugosa and they were amazing! Vanda orchids, pink peonies, orange tulips, lime green hydrangea and gloriosa lillies! I was lucky enough to take home some blooms from the wedding and make a happy arrangement of my own with a ceramic mug of the laughing buddha (there is a hole in the front for a straw and an opening in the back for the drink... tres kitschey!). I found this figurine at the thrift store but you can get the same one at Perpetual Kid.

“When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky” ~ Buddha

Flowers for an Auction

Here's an arrangement I donated for a friend's church auction... (The photo is a bit overexposed, sorry! My good camera is out of commission, wah)

Flower & Gift Projects for Teens } Project No. 9

Everyone loves fresh flower pomanders! Finally, I remembered to snap some shots of the girls in my St. Luke's Class. We made some really cute mini pomanders about the size of a large grapefruit. 

Materials:

• 1 or 2 bunches of kermit mums
• lime green ribbon or poly yarn
• small floral foam orb -or-
• small block of floral foam 
• chicken wire (optional)

Instructions: (also good instructions here)

1) Prepare wet floral foam.
If you can find a floral foam orb in the size you want, simply soak in water and then set out to drain. Or else you can take a small block of floral foam and shape it by cutting it down and sculpting it into an orb. I used an apple for size comparison. Optional: Wrap the orb in chicken wire for a more sturdy structure.
2) Assemble ribbon.
There are different ways to do this. If you have wrapped the orb in chicken wire, tie a ribbon with a loop handle through the wire at the top of the orb. But this is what I did because I used a green poly yarn i/o ribbon: Take a chopstick and stab it through the center of the orb. Push a double strand of yarn through the hole with the chopstick. Cut a stem about 2" and tie it with the yarns so that when you pull up the loop the stem creates a stable stopper for the yarn.
3) Cut kermit mum heads.
Cut stems to about 2" and insert into foam in a row that circles around the entire orb. Then make another row that circles the orb so that it creates quarter lines. Then fill in the rest of the quarters with mums.
4) Add any other embellishments.
You can add another bow to the top loop if you like. I attempted to make a chinese style knot with the excess yarn at the bottom of the pomander.
5) Experiment with your pomander and enjoy!
You can use your pomander as an centerpiece too by placing it in a glass cube or on top of a cylinder vase.

Flower & Gift Project for Teens } Project No. 8

No flowers in the budget for this class, so instead, we made fabric/wood beaded bracelets for my St. Luke's class. It's so easy!

Materials:

• 7-10 pcs of 1/2" diameter wooden beads
• strip of fabric approx. 3 1/2" w x 36" l
• glue stick
  

Instructions:

1) Start
Place glue along the long edge about 6" down. Fold the strip into thirds and tie a knot. This creates a finished "tie" for your bracelet. You will do the same step when you get to the end of your bracelet for the other tie.
2) Insert beads, apply glue, and knot.
Just past the knot, dab some glue on the long edges of the fabric and roll the wooden bead so that the fabric covers it. Twist the fabric after the bead and tie a knot. Make the knot as close to the bead as you can. Repeat until the length fits around the largest part of your hand.
3) Tie off and finish.
Once you have the right length of beads, tie a knot and repeat step 1). You can make a matching necklace by using a longer strip of fabric and more beads.
4) Enjoy!

 

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!

Flower & Gift Projects for Teens } Project No. 7

This Floral Ice Cream Sundae arrangement for my St. Luke's class was a huge hit with the gals! They all said that this was their favorite project yet!

Materials:

• Sundae glass
• 5 pink carnations
  
• 1 white carnation
• 1 red rose
• bendable straw
• white gravel rocks
• small piece of floral foam

Instructions: (also good instructions here)

1) Insert gravel and floral foam.
Place a small handful of gravel in the base of the glass. Then insert a cylindrical piece of soaked floral foam and add enough gravel around the foam to hide it.
2) Insert pink carnations.
Cut stems to about 1" and insert the pink carnations evenly in a circle just above the rim of the glass.
3) Insert the white carnation.
Cut stem to about 2" and insert the white carnation in the center of the arrangement.
4) Insert straw and rose.
Cut rose stem to about 2" and insert an angle. Align the straw behind the rose.
5) Enjoy!

Flower & Gift Projects for Teens } Project No. 6

When fresh peonies are not readily available you can always make paper peonies! For this class we used colored gift wrap tissue to make these lovely ruffly peonies! If you make enough you can tie them together and create a peony pomander!

Materials:

• Colored tissue paper
• Green chenille stems (craft pipe cleaners)
  
• -or craft raffia wire/twist tie

Instructions: (also good instructions here)

1) Cut tissue paper.
Cut 4 or more sheets of tissue paper to approximately 6"x10" sheets
2) Accordion fold.
Layer the sheets and accordion fold about 1"w folds. (fold up 1", then turn stack over and fold up again, repeat)
3) Scallop the edges.
Take sharp scissors and shape the peony petals by cutting the short edges like the top of a heart (that is, two scallops... or you can simply round of the edges)
4) Wrap and Ruffle.
Tie the center of the accordion with the pipe cleaner or twist tie. Fan out the piece on both sides of the pipe cleaner. Remember there are 4 layers. Begin pulling up the petals. Start with the top tissue being careful not to tear it. After you have done the top layer, go on to the second layer, then the third and the fourth. Straighten out the flower to your liking.
5) Enjoy!
Make a bouquet, pomander, garland or simply place a bundle of them in a basket or a bowl.

Flower & Gift Projects for Teens } Project No. 5

For this class we made wire wristlet corsages using faux orchids! The look is modern and the technique is soooo easy!

Materials:

• Craft wire (bendable and less than 1/8th inch thickness)
• Faux orchid blooms
  
• Faux grass blades
• Glue dots or hot glue

Instructions:

1) Create the wristlet.
Cut wire long enough to wrap 3 1/2 times around your wrist, loosely. Coil both ends of the wire. Place your finger at the center of the wire and cross over the ends around your finger. This will make a loop that you will affix your orchid to.
2) Attached flower and grass stems.
Apply glue dots or hot glue to the loop you created at the center of the wire. Fold a grass blad in half and attach to loop. Next press on the orchid. Let glue dry.
3) Wear it!
Place the orchid with wire on your wrist. Wrap the straight ends around your wrist and enjoy your floral wristlet!

Flower & Gift Projects for Teens } Project No. 4

Today, I instructed my class on how to make a simple boutonnière. I explained that boutonnière means "button hole" in French and refers to the tradition of flowers worn by men on their lapel for formal or special occasions like weddings and homecoming. They loved that idea, and dreamed about making their own boutonnière for their upcoming dances!

Materials:

• Available flowers and foliage (shown are carnations, alstromeria, wax flowers, baby's breath, steel grass, kermit mums)
• Floral tape
  
• Light gauge silver wire

Instructions:

1) Arrange the flowers.
Cluster the flowers in the desired arrangement. Trim stems evenly. Secure stems with floral tape.
2) Accent with wire.
Wrap wire around the stem.
3) Pin boutonnière onto someone special!

Flower & Gift Projects for Teens } Project No. 3

Next up is a lovely and petite gift bouquet from my flower & gift class at St. Luke's.

Materials:

• Available flowers and foliage (shown are carnations, alstromeria and daisy mums)
• Floral tape
  
• Colored Wrapping Tissue
  
• Raffia

Instructions:

1) Prepare the bouquet.
Cluster the bouquet in the desired arrangement. Trim stems evenly. Secure stems with floral tape.
2) Prepare the packaging.
Take some colored tissue sheets and fold down the top edge, about 4-5". Lay the bouquet in the middle, along the top of the folded edge. Top of bouquet should be above the fold about 1". Fold up the bottom edge to enclose the stems. Wrap the left/right ends of the tissue loosely around the fullest part of the bouquet, creating a cylinder, then cinch the middle.
3) Finishing.
Tie the raffia in the middle and shape the tissue so that it is evenly curved around the bouquet
4) Give to someone special!

Flower & Gift Projects for Teens } Project No. 2

Here is the second project for my flower & gift class at St. Luke's. I had fun creating this fast and friendly project!

Materials:

• Chinese take out container
• Floral Foam
  
• Chopsticks
• Raffia
• Baby's Breath
• Mini Carnations or any other flower you like

Instructions:

1) Prepare floral foam.
Cut floral foam to fit inside take out box. Follow the directions on the package and make sure you purchase floral foam designed for fresh flowers (not dried). Place floral foam, with the holes-side face down, in a bucket of water. Let soak until it floats. Remove and let it sit out until excess water drains.
2) Prepare take out box.
Tuck the flaps inside the box. Wrap the bottom of the floral foam with wax paper (helps to prevent water leakage), and insert foam into box. Tie a raffia bow on the metal handle and slide it close to the box.
3) Insert flowers and chopsticks.
Insert baby's breath into the floral foam evenly to create a "muffin top" shape. Then insert carnations/flowers evenly throughout. Finish the design by inserting the chopsticks.
4) Give to someone special!

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!

Sneak Peek } Lil' Lion 1st Birthday Party

Here's the invitation I designed for my godson Isaiah's 1st Birthday Party that I coordinated this past weekend! Time flies! Seems like just yesterday when I hosted my dear friend's Tropical Baby Shower! I have to sing my praises for pingg.com because it is the most modern looking evite service, the cheapest (free), the most eco-friendly (saves trees), and the most efficient (you can email, text, facebook, twitter the invite), that I've seen out there! You even get your own event web page. Oh, and when I get all the photos I will send another thank you pingg to our guests along with photos and video clips from the party! Below are a couple of fun photos... more party pics coming soon!

 

Juxtaposte } Diaphanous

This latest JuxtaPoste is called Diaphanous... which describes fineness in texture, transparency, lightness and a delicately haziness. These wonderful images call these feelings to mind... (1) Beautiful couture dress made with a delicate bronze textured fabric by my girl Carlisia of Mac Fashion House (2) Freestyle Ikebana arrangement found at Ping Wei's Ikebana Lessons, and (3) Gorgeous hand etched ostrich feather pillows by Aviva Stanoff. Enjoy!

My floral design profile was featured for uBloom's Photo Friday!

uBloom is a great resource for floral enthusiasts, hobbyists and professionals alike! My gallery was featured for one of their Photo Friday segments. You can read the article here...it truly captured my sentiments. Thanks everyone!

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!

My Design Work } A Save the Date concept

Hi everyone! I've been playing with the idea of designing modern wedding invitations...here is one Save the Date concept I'd love to get your feedback on.... I was thinking I could provide a myriad of color options and iconography focusing on nature, cultural icons, botanical and mid century modern design elements... let me know what you think! Thanks!

Happy New Year my dear friends!

Do not fear going forward slowly; fear only to stand still.
--Chinese proverb

I hope that this new year brings you all much health, prosperity, happiness and success! Thank you all for sharing in this journey! *The arrangement shown here consists of a single rust orange football mum and steel grass blades in a black ceramic container...made from leftover materials from my Japanese Inspired Wedding Ikebana.

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.

My Design Work } George Organic Cotton Baby - Back on the Block for $5

I was at Walmart the other day and was so giddy to see that the George Baby organic cotton sets I worked on were back after being gone for awhile. Now they're on the shelves again and selling for the perfect holiday price of $5 (Instead of $9.99)! Choose from either a bib/burp cloth set, a sleeper/bib set or a pack of 3 kimono style onesies. I have another baby shower this weekend for my mom's friend so these will be perfecto!

My Design Work } Tasche Logo & Pallet Concept for Sam's Club

It's always fun to see one's own design work come to life! Most of my clients are private label and B2B so many times it's a touchy subject to post about my new work (boohoo)...but here is one I can show you! I designed this logo for Tasche, a private label collection of genuine leather handbags with matching wallets available right now at many Sam's Clubs. Reminiscent of Hobo and Matt & Nat, two of my favorite brands, the Tasche set is available in so many gorgeous colors and at the great price of only $69.32 for the set! My client took this picture in the store and said that ladies were buying more than one so they could have multiple colors! The logo and brand identity were inspired by a hint of Tuscany with stylized vines. The "T" represents a pergola with a single sprig or vine. The vibe I was going for was upscale, classic and sophisticated...new luxury with a modern twist. If you have a Sam's Club near you go check it out!

Thanksgiving 2008 } Global Lounge Style

Sustainability is about using what you already have, so this Thanksgiving, my color theme was inspired by a swanky bolt of blue and brown satin ribbon I had lounging about...I also wanted to give our dinner a hip hotel lounge vibe which would definitely have everyone talking about it afterwards. Global accents like origami, rattan, Chinese knots and classic patterns, like woven cane and circle medallions provided the global modern touches I adore. We also used our DJ uplights to jazz up the ambiance...everyone loved the mood lighting!

I've always wanted to use paper cranes for decor and thought the subtle resemblance to a turkey would be a nice touch. They were made with gift wrap paper, strung with crimped silver wire and hung from kiwi vines. The vines were held up by floral foam in a drinking glass and wrapped with turquoise tissue paper. The magical blue glow is created by super cool LED tea lights placed at the base of the vines, hidden by the tissue.

I sewed simple square napkins using a great cane patterned fabric that I found at the fabric store...the colors matched my theme perfectly!!! I only needed 2 yards.

Instead of Thanksgiving cards, I thought I would save paper and ink by making bookmarks with inspiring quotes on both sides and a nice satin ribbon at the end.

For the cocktail vibe, my hubby created a signature blue mocktail (blue raspberry lemonade blended with ice and sprite) and instead of the usual placecards, I created custom monogram drink tags using scrapbook supplies.

I found these rattan placemats with blue trim at a discount retailer for a buck a piece! I call this "intuitive sourcing" also known as, I was so lucky to find these!

And lastly, for the favors, I wrapped up some delicious iced gingerbread cookies in a kraft pillow box with the swanky satin ombre ribbon, a custom gift tag and a lovely Chinese knot. I'd have to say that this is my favorite dinner party so far! I really loved the lighting and magical LEDs!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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 =)

Happy Daylight Savings!

Just a couple of arrangements I made over the weekend...

In the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away. -Shing Xiong

JuxtaPoste } Hermeneutical

Here's another JuxtaPoste for your enjoyment (it's been awhile, huh?). Hermeneutical means to make clear or to interpret. So let me interpret my current emotions into this trio of goodness. (1) Gorgeous dress with swirling clouds in grey, pink and purple, by Vivienne Tam (2) Dramatic floral art by Ovando in New York. (3) Interior shot from an Australian church conversion via Desire to Inspire.

White Tablescapes

I picked up these lovely white ceramic vessels at a thrift store... Don't you just love the little birdie vases and the tall twisted vase? Here's a unique tablescape idea for small weddings or stylish parties at home: gather up vessels and containers from thrift stores in all the same color (white or black are usually the easiest to find) and create different vignettes for each table. Keep the flower colors monotone or use only a few colors for full impact.

Above are photos from a wedding we recently DJ'd. The couple was very creative and smart. For floral decor they used white vases and bowls and tons of pink dahlias and roses from the local Flower Lady who put these lovely arrangements together. I love the effect of the shallow white bowl and how the dark pink just pops! The venue, Pravda Studios, set the perfect backdrop with white everywhere and loads of natural light!

Modern Fun with Kermit Mums

I made this free form arrangement on Sunday using kermit mums, steel grass and some other foliage. I found the black base and metal candle holder at Goodwill for under $10. I removed the glass plates from the candle holder and used the holes as insertion points for the steel grass. For the floral orb, I used a block of wet floral foam (not my favorite tool) and molded it into a sphere before inserting about 20 flower heads. If I had more mums I would have made the orb much bigger...

My Interview at BabyLifestyles.com

Check out Baby Lifestyles, the newest online resource for lots of tips and inspiration about baby showers, gifts, party planning and going green! You will also find examples of real parties along with the scoop on today's celebrity babies. I was fortunate enough to have been interviewed for the fun work I've done with baby showers and my special focus on Co-Ed baby showers. Read both articles here and here! Also check out this interview with my buddy Amy of Stem Parties.

Ikebana Class } Welcoming Autumn!

So now it's September...and I can't believe it! My husband and I finally had a chance to take another Ikebana class from our Sogetsu instructor Charles at Hana Design in Ballard. It's been a while since we've had a chance to take a class together. We have been going off and on for a couple of years now and he really enjoys the experience as much as I do. The evening class starts off with tea and a few moments of silence and centering ourselves from the end of a busy day. Then before Charles demonstrates the lesson, he reads a few passages from Ka Den Sho, a book by Sofu Teshigahara, the founder of the Sogetsu School. Each student gets to pick their own material and container and makes their own arrangement. I used agapanthus and my husband ventured out with amaranthus and dahlias. When everyone is done, we review each work of art and have a discussion on what we see. It's all a very wonderful and soul satisfying experience! Below is my hubby's wonderful ikebana arrangement. He made an exciting and beautiful arrangement and I'm so proud of him!

Wired Up

Here's an experiment I did yesterday with some soft wire and these pod-like orange blooms that dried beautifully from a previous arrangement (do you know the name of these flowers?). It makes me feel happy :) It would be neat to make a series of these masses in different sizes and display them in a cluster...

Once In A Blue Moon Birthday } Surprise Cocktail Party

Our friend Valentine the owner of the well respected Valentine's Salon for Men, rarely celebrates his birthday...so the theme of this surprise cocktail party was called, "Once In A Blue Moon," and it was held at the salon.  For the cocktail table decor, I took large martini glasses, placed a candle in the center and filled in the space with water and cobalt blue sea glass. Then I added a grass blade to simulate a stir stick and floated two orchids to add some flair. Crinkled blue tissue paper helped to ground the blue theme along with two more votives with sea glass. The bar also created a signature blue drink for the party!

For one of the two buffet tables, I created a quad arrangement with beautiful blue hydrangea from my neighbor's yard. Using 4 galvanized metal rectangle vases, I put a couple of hydrangea blooms together, letting them rest on the rim. Then I inserted steel grass blades in a swooping arc formation as accents.  To elevate the arrangement, I simply put a box underneath the white linen. Lastly,  I used some sheer blue accent fabric to continue the blue color theme.

Above left is a simple double arrangement with water, floating candles and blue rocks that greeted guests as they chowed down at the second buffet table. Again, I used sheer blue fabric to tie in the blue decor theme. Above right is a night-light shot of the the cocktail table, buffet table and lounge areas that I lit up with our blue spotlights from our DJ setup. I also designed the banner above the buffet table. The party was a hit and everyone had a great time laughing and dancing to the sounds of my hubby DJing.

JuxtaPoste } Efflorescence

Hey there, it's been a long time since I've created a new JuxtaPoste so here's one for your viewing pleasure: Efflorescence describes a period of flowering or an example of growth or development. To express this I've chosen (1) couture dress by Easton Pearson from the Australian Spring 09 fashion week, (2) a zenful flowering by Baiko of zen-images and, (3) Interior styling of wallpaper, textiles, furnishings and pillows by Osborne & Little.

Sex and the City } A Stylish Ladies Night in Seattle!

(Photos by Barbie Hull Photography, graphics and styling by LotusHaus Creative Services)

Check out this stylish event for the Ladies that I helped design, inspired by, you guessed it, Sex and the City! Hosted at the beautiful Ibiza Dinner Club, we pulled out all the stops to create a lovely ambiance for the ladies (and gents) to lounge, lavish and dance the night away.

Mother's Day Celebration

Mother's Day was a wonderful day! I had all the mothers in the house (mom, grandma and mom-in-law) and we had a fat old brunch at our big tables decorated with fresh lilac from local yards and pretty pastel blumeboxes. This was the first time I had the chance to use these recyclable cardboard vases and they provided a great boost of color (great idea for simple and affordable wedding centerpieces). They were also great as portable gifts - each mother got to take one home. Upon entering my home, guests were greated by a vintage Thai painting of women in the floating markets. This painting and my mom's love of lilac and yellow were my color inspiration. I decorated some white lidded boxes with 100% recycled cotton Midori paper in three different colors (purple, pink and blue) and filled each box with color coordinated goodies, like candles, candies, stationary and a sweet capiz photo frame of my husband and I. They were fun to open and can be reused infinitely! Afterwards we enjoyed a stroll through the Bonsai Collection and Rhododendron Garden at the Weyerhauser campus in Federal Way (south of Seattle).

Staging for All Seasons!

Ok, so you saw my condo remodel, but you probably didn't know that my mom lived next door to me in her own condo. Now she's selling her unit. Since sustainability means using what you already have I used my own furniture and decor to help her stage the place. These black wood lacquer pieces are vintage finds from an artist in Vietnam. They showcase all the seasons in hand painted gold metallic style. See more photos and the Real Estate flyer here (vFlyer.com is so cool!)

Lil' Bro Birthday } Lucky Year of the Rat

It was my lil' bro's 24th birthday and I just had to make him something special! He was born in 1984 a Rat Year in the Chinese Calendar which makes 2008 a very lucky year for him. I mocked up a GQ cover making him the Man of the Year and included lots of fun & inspirational headlines. He's in a CAD Drafting program so I also included some of his project renderings. To go with the Year of the Rat theme, I designed a card with horoscope information and gave him a little catnip mouse as a momento. You can make your own magazine cover by uploading your photo here.

Valentine's Day } Organic Rose Basket

This is a lovely eco-chic rose gift basket that I made from my Organic Bouquet order on Valentine's Day. The wrapping cloth is a beautiful and vintage Furoshiki that was a thrift store find and the woven basket was purchased at Daiso. Both packaging items are elegant, eco-friendly and completely reusable. For the floral arrangement I lined the basket with plastic and a shallow square piece of floral foam (I can't wait until a more eco-friendly version of this nasty spongy green stuff hits the market), and inserted the organic rose blooms. Finally, I added silver crimped wire for embellishment. If given more time I would have added one colorful ribbon around the basket but in the end, I like how this gift turned out.

Tropicana Modern Floral

Check out my minimalistic tropical arrangement. Orchids & tropical foliage in a mid century modern inspired ceramic vase...atop a handwoven Indonesian table runner. I just love the peach orange color of these orchids and the dark brown color of the folded ti leaf.

Celebrate With Style } LotusHaus™ featured as their "First Celebration Blog"

Celebrate with Style^® is a new Web site and soon-to-be magazine. They are dedicated to becoming your go-to resource for great ideas on how to plan and enjoy all the celebrations that make life so much richer! Hooray! They recently decided to begin showcasing examples of celebration style and low and behold, LotusHaus™ was honored to be their first "Celebration Blog!" I feel so grateful, joyful & thankful! Please check out the many interesting and informative articles they have on party planning and ideas to help you with your next event! For the original post click here and also see my party featured on Hostess With The Mostess!

Musical Ikebana

I picked up a brand new ikebana vase at Uwajimaya yesterday and couldn't resist making a freestyle arrangement. It feels so much better in person than in the photo. The movement of the branches reminds me of musical notes intertwining...

Holiday Gift Design - Scented Sachets and Eye Pillows in Sustainable Packaging

I made some sustainable Holiday gifts this year that I would love to share with you! These gifts went out to the dear ladies in my life. Here's the scoop: {1} Sustainable Kiri wood boxes wrapped with colorful scrap paper, ribbon and a mini ornament bauble. (The boxes were an awesome score at Daiso, a Japanese "dollar" store) {2} My signature Lotus TeaBowl™ EcoSoya Candle with the scent of Citrus Basil and a beautiful carved wooden stand {3} Mini Silk sachets made with reclaimed fabric (last year's table runner) or kimono scraps and filled with scented buckwheat hulls. {4} Silk Eye Pillow made with reclaimed silk (last year's Thanksgiving fabric decor) and filled with buckwheat hulls, flax seeds and organic Lavender essential oil. The buckwheat hulls were leftover from my Thanksgiving floral decor this year. For the packaging I wrapped coordinating scrap paper and tied it with raffia. These gifts were all very easy to make and I had a meditative and aromatic time creating them! Click here for more info on how to make your own buckwheat sachets and eye pillows. Enjoy!