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Above is a photo from our recent vacation in Sedona, Arizona. There is a place called Buddha Beach where you can witness in awe thousands of stacked rock sculptures near a Vortex site at the Red Rock Crossing in Sedona. It was amazing! I love Sedona!
Thai Spiced Tea. Ginger Lemongrass. Kaffir Lime Rosemary. Lavendar Lotus Blossom. Cilantro Mint. Papaya Ginger. Mangosteen White Tea Bergamot. So many glorious scents, how does one choose? I recently had the honor of trying several of these luxurious Asian inspired organic soaps by Unearth Malee. Made with all Organic Olive Oil, Coconut Oil and Shea Butter, let's just say that I didn't want to get out of the bath tub - the scents and suds were divine!
Marie Pechkam is the founder of Unearth Malee and her Thai American background sets the tone for an amazing variety of organic soaps, lotion bars, soy candles, bath teas, and essential oil diffusers. The packaging is also eco-friendly, made with flower seeded paper that you can plant later. "Malee” in Thai refers to a jasmine flower. It is also a name passed down three generations in Marie’s family. We are very fortunate that Marie has created Unearth Malee! Now we can also experience the savory essence of Thai herbs and spices that she grew up with on a daily basis!
Also, if you are having an Asian inspired wedding or event and being organic and eco-friendly is important to you, why not honor your guests with these wonderful soaps that can be customized as favors! Love it!
I can't believe my baby is turning one! He's the reason this blog has been so lazy! Sorry folks =) I am truly enjoying being a mom! Below is a photo from Raffy's first Halloween! He was a baby yoda with light saber and all!
Here's sneak peak at the look I've created for the party. Can you tell I love the cartoon Pucca??? I just had to create my own little Raffy version!
Illustration by me, Joanna Dyckhoff =)
How fun would this be to recreate? Check out this origami inspired photo font file at HandMadeFont from the UK. There are some other really cool photo fonts at this site too! I love the donut font below for a sweet kid's party theme!
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!
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 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 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!
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!
Via Eat Drink Chic, I discovered these beautiful DIY Persian Cotton Candy Favors! Persian Cotton Candy (or Fairy Floss) also known as "Pashmak" makes an exotic gourmet favor for guests at a wedding or party. Read the full post and download the templates for the envelope and label for your own use! And be sure to check out Pariya Food, a Persian produce company that sells Pashmak, and the website Persian Mirror for more info on Persian wedding traditions and food.
Simply amazing!!! Via the Style Fragments blog, I found these unbelievable laser cut stationary items by Dococards in Indonesia. It might be worth the time to check to see if the printers in your area also do laser cut work!
Quick download these beautifully designed favor boxes by Twig & Thistle for your next event! I love the yellow waves and pink flowers (very Japonesque)! I also love how the pattern surrounds the top like a lid and not all over - saving you ink and money! Perfecto!
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!
OMG! These fruity stickies are too cute! If you are having a fruit inspired party or wedding, these Japanese designed stick-its are Perfect! So charming and practical at the same time! Via Twig and Thistle.
Who doesn't love a cupcake dressed in a scalloped gown and covered in sprinkles? Carrie Middlemiss from Seattle started Bella Cupcake Couture after being laid off by Washington Mutual Bank. These fun and stylish cupcake wrappers are inspired by textile patterns and made from recycled paper and printed with soy inks! So as far as green weddings and parties go, you can have your cupcake and eat it too! For favors, you can use these wrappers with cupcake shaped bath bombs! (Instructions here). This post was inspired by The Soap Queen!
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!
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.
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!
For some elegant looking chocolate easter bunnies and eggs, check out Noka's purple ribbon set! I'd love them even more if they were organic chocolate... but isn't the packaging so lovely!
If you are looking for a chic looking theme for your party or wedding, look no further than Wedding Paper Divas. In my quest for unique but easily executable themes that can be reproduced throughout an event's design, I began thinking in circles, quite literally! Check out these lovely circle theme invitation designs over at Wedding Paper Divas and get inspired! There is also a selection of eco-friendly Signature Ecru invitations that are made with 30% Post Consumer Waste Paper!
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:
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!
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!
Thanks to the Hostess Blog, I am now inspired for the day! Check out this fantastic red, white, and butterfly wedding from PacificWeddings.com!
This weekend only they were giving away these love letter scrolls made with hand screened Indian paper at World Market! I happened to nab a pair and thought what a wonderful idea for a special Valentine's Day note or invitation! This was an in-store promo only, so they are not available online, but check out these gorgeous scroll options below at Indian Wedding Card for a very affordable and elegant wedding suite.
Saw this at Laurie Cinotto's awesome floral, craft and lifestyle blog! You can use paper punchers for lots of things! Check out my version...
Check out these gorgeous favor tins by Etsy Seller Gamiworks. Found via Kenzie Kate.
This just in! Sweeten you tooth and your wallet with these fantastic organic chocolates on sale at Viva Terra! Bento Goodie Box (this is a real Japanese Bento Box...reuse it for food, jewelry storage, or whatever!) and Organic Chocolate Bon Bons (set of 6pcs for only $5 a box!!! I'm getting these for my gal pals!)
My Global Lounge Thanksgiving Party was featured on Hostess with the Mostess, yay! Thanks Jennifer!
With its sweet autumn berries theme and custom diecut sprig, this invitation by Studio Mik Mik is simply darling and unexpected! I found this via the amazing design and craft blog Thig and Thistle.
Shop Beau-Coup and get your party favors and gifts now during their Valentine's Day sale! I love the fantastic selection of favors and customizable options available at Beau-Coup. Here are a few of my globally inspired favorites (click each image for more info):
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!
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.
I adore these kimono-inspired card collections by stationary design company Ceci New York! Via Style Me Pretty.
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!
This Chocolate Cube (warning loud techno music upon clicking) by French chocolatier Monbana, is definitely a most beautiful and interactive way to serve chocolate treats. It's ideal for entertaining because it's reusable and you could restock it whenever you need to! Did I mention that I love the packaging colors...they would go well with this party theme. Now where can I get one in the US? Via the Dieline.
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.
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.
For a wedding with a cherry blossom theme, make sure to score these lovely, practical AND affordable glass coaster sets from Bliss Weddings Market. Each favor includes a set of two heavy tempered glass coasters, complete with padded feet, a clear
box and satin bow AND a "Thank You" tag for under $2/set.
I was looking through my bookmarks and remembered Passing Notes, an intimate and innovative invitation design service by a talented and thoughtful designer named Abbie. Above is a beautiful example of her work. I love the Chinese folk design graphic, the chocolate, ivory and pink motif, the rhinestone accents, and the amazing mirror souvenir for the Save The Date!!! I mean, whoa, how stunning and memorable would it be to receive an invitation like this! See more of Abbie's work here.
Via the inspiring Algabar Tea & Lifestyle boutique in LA, I happily discovered Jade Chocolates, an Asian inspired gourmet chocolate collection with a wonderful story. Mindy Fong, the owner and self taught chocolatier started her business as a result of insatiable chocolate cravings during pregnancy and her inspirational entrepreneur grandfather. I love the packaging and unique chocolate designs, like the mango orchid bouquet and chocolate fan! Beautiful ideas for Asian inspired wedding and party favors!
Oooh, I'm sooo in love with these sneak peak images from Jules Bianchi for a new book called, The Art of the Gift by Soolip's Wanda Wen. These are just my style!!! The book is not out yet, but I will keep you posted!
For your next party invitation, try using Wordle to create graphic imagery using your own words or word clouds from your favorite blog! Above is the Wordle I created by punching in my blog address...it's fun! Via the event design blog Mix Mingle Glow.
Pure awesomeness! Check out these Finger Food plates by Fred & Friends! Via the fantastic Totally Tabletops. So fun!
Do you like chocolate? I do! Do you like modern fonts and graphics? I do too! Then head over to Wonderful Graffiti and say "I Do" to your own Chocolate wedding suite...you will find invitations, party favors, signage and vinyl graphics all customized with your initials! I love the dance floor and window graphics.
Coming in October, Girligami is a fashionably hip book on stylish origami by Cindy Ng, the creator of Origami Bijoux jewelry. Also check out Cindy's origami blog, my new favorite daily read!
Carlene, the fabulous designer and bridal blogger behind You Love Me and Its Heavenly has created an utterly incredible wedding aesthetic through her newly published wedding website and cuter than heck Save the Date downloadable Birdie! It's so cute I wish I were on her invitation list! You go Carlene! (magaling! wink, wink!!!)
Featured Event Theme: Coral Fixation via ThirteenMinutes Magazine
This post is inspired by an amazing fashion spread I saw in ThirteenMinutes, an avant garde Asian American magazine. I just love this sleek and modern take on the traditional "Seaside" theme. Coral is fascinating with it's varying textures and dynamic forms. Hair styling by Philippe Paschkes, photography by Richard Warren, and makeup by Viktorija Bowers. Seashell takeout favor idea by Pink Pearls, rare black coral ring by Art Deco Rings, modern seashore tablescape by Rebecca Thuss, and coral sea shell arrangement by Zofia Design.
I'm really diggin' these modern Asian inspired Baby Announcements from Fine Stationary! When baby gets bigger, I would highly recommend getting a custom silhouette/cameo print. Click here to see what I mean. So cute and modern!
I was at World Market yesterday and picked up these AWESOME water bottles by Canadian company 1 Litre. With a built in cup and modern carafe style, I immediately thought these would make the most incredible and functional beverage offerings for a gift basket, guest room, bridal suite or VIP section. The design is streamline and you can also custom imprint your logo or name. Learn more about this innovative product here or purchase online here. (Of course, as always, be mindful and remember to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle)
Featured Event Designer: Lyndsey Hamilton Events - New York
Bride and Bloom magazine is like my wedding bible. I love this magazine above all others because it's modern, stylish, well edited, and has a lifestyle approach to event & floral design. It's like Elle Decor UK but for weddings...well sort of. It has a very accessible vibe and it's not over the top glossy like many bridal magazines. You even get cute bookmarks and collectible flower reference cards with each issue.
In the Summer 2008 issue, the featured coordinator was Lyndsey Hamilton of Lyndsey Hamilton Events. She was asked to design an ethnic-infused wedding. She chose "Havana Chic" as her inspiration and created a very modern take on this theme. I have always loved artwork from cigar labels and boxes and find this spread to be very refreshing!
Kelly Hoppen: Kelly Hoppen Style: The Golden Rules of Design
Kelly Hoppen: East Meets West: Global Design for Contemporary Interiors
Colin Cowie: Colin Cowie Wedding Chic: 1,001 Ideas for Every Moment of Your Celebration
Cindy Ng: Girligami: A Fresh, Fun, Fashionable Spin on Origami
Robyn Griggs Lawrence: The Wabi-Sabi House: The Japanese Art of Imperfect Beauty
Thich Nhat Hanh: Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Maureen Whitehouse: Soul-Full Eating: A (Delicious!) Path to Higher Consciousness
David Kundtz: Quiet Mind: One-Minute Retreats from a Busy World
Michelle Cornell: Ikebana: Japanese Flower Arranging for Today's Interior
Sakul Intakul: Tropical Colors: Art of Living With Tropical Flowers
