Today I'm indulging my obsession with Anthropologie and all of their unique doodads, bon bons, and trinkets. I love how the store always embraces a sweet cross between vintage, rustic, and kitschy, and each year they bring even more cheer to the holidays with their Christmas and holiday decor. A lot of these lovelies could be used as part of your dinner party tablescape, details in your wedding, or just to set out in your home to look at. So grab a cup of your favorite warm beverage and let's look:
I love love love textures and differing patterns. While not a new idea for warming your candle holders up with a sweater, these patterns add a Christmasy, wintery feel to everything. For fall and winter weddings especially, I love to pick out two differing fabrics to put in the decor- velvet and lace, for example, to add a layering effect to the whole design. 
Loving the different patterns of the candlestick holders at Anthropologie. Loving color too:
I think this deep, romantic purple would be a lovely color scheme for a winter wedding. Maybe paired with a swanky green for a modern Christmas:
Finally, we can't forget the favors. I'm always for pretty packaging, and I love how these are left more in their natural state. These would be so pretty stacked and tied just like this at a place setting:
Happy planning, and here's to a happy holiday season!
Christmas Anthropologie Style
3 Key Questions To Ask At The Ceremony Site
Whatever type of ceremony you're planning- a church, tented, hotel, backyard, or park- there are some important questions you'll always want to ask prior to putting your deposit down. Some issues may turn out to be big enough that you decide to hold the ceremony somewhere else, while others may just require a tweek in your plans. Here are a few questions that should always be asked:
1. Photography And Videography Rules
Regulations about photography and video are most likely to occur in a church setting, but it never hurts to ask at any site. Many formal churches will pose requirements, such as the photographer staying in a certain area or restricting flash during the ceremony. These are huge issues that both you and your photographer/videographer need to know about. It will determine the placement and style of your photos, so it should be the first question you ask.
2. Decorating Rules
Many venues will have rules about tacking items to the walls, candles (open flames, enclosed flames only, no live flames at all), and especially fresh petals. In venues with carpet, they may ask that you use only silk petals to prevent staining. You'll also want to ask about clean up- sometimes venues will allow real petals, just as long as you clean every single petal up at the end.
3. Fees
Obviously a very important question, but in addition to the site rental fee, make sure you ask about any other fees associated. For instance, a church may have an organ you can have played for the ceremony music, but there may be an additional fee if you choose to use the organist. Other common fees may be security & cleaning deposits, donations, rehearsal fees, etc.
It's never possible to ask too many questions- even if you think some of them are obvious. It's better to find out in the beginning than 3 weeks or even closer to your wedding, which will be too late to change anything!
What are some of the oddest fees you've encountered so far?
DIY Letterpress(?)
If you've ever wondered why a letterpress invitation costs so much more than other varieties, you're not alone. A letterpress stationer would be able to tell you everything that goes along with the process- the time one design will take, the expense of the printing plates and other materials associated with it to start. But how about being able to make letterpress wedding invitations in your own home?
The new QuickKutz Letterpress Machine is currently featured on Paper Source- this little gem allows you to whip up sweet cards and crafts, all with that letterpress quality, in an instant (well, close enough). There have been varying opinions on the idea- enthusiastic cheers from the crafty divas out there, and not so enthused claims from true letterpress artists. We'll leave the verdict up to you- what do you think? Great idea or does it stop short of the real thing? Either way it does open the door to all sorts of crafty whimsy and elegance, with invitations, cards, and tags made by you. If you've got the time, $150.00 (not too bad, actually), and a crafty bone in you, it may just be worth it!
~ Happy Planning!
Photo Sources:
1-3 Paper Source
4 Via the Elizabeth Ann Designs Blog
Romantic Vintage Prints {For Your Fancy}
I love not-so-ordinary art. In fact, it's become my personal mission to begin including more of the unexpected in my decor at home.
These lovelies, however, would grace the presence of any occasion or space: create a small wall gallery in your home, an uplifting romantic corner in your office, or include a few of these in your wedding decor and listen as the oohs and awws coo.
Coulson Macleod creates these high quality art forms on canvas, then frames them for a one of a kind display.
Aren't they beautiful? What other unique treasures have you found?
Sawtooth Winery Food And Wine Pairing Event
If you're a foodie or a wine-o like me (or aspiring to become one), you'll not want to miss out on Sawtooth Winery's open house event on Nov. 27th & 28th. Guided winery tours (great chance for you brides to see the winery first hand), and fabulous food by fabulous local chefs, including:
Kanak Attack Catering
Bistro 29
Zee's Catering
Tower of Chocolate
With the entry fee being only $10 you can't afford not to attend. This is also a great way to begin planning your wedding menu. Hope to see you there!
Sweet Fall Recipe Fit For A Throwdown
I love cooking, and I've taken to addictively obsessively watching Food Network shows. What can I say, I get great tips and my hubby thinks I'm all the better cook for it. One of the shows we've recently really started watching is Throwdown with Bobby Flay. One of this week's episodes included some pie-making, including good 'ole pumpkin pie. Being a lover of all-things-fall, this got me thinking about doing a search for stellar fall recipes via Mr. Flay himself. The following cupcake recipe I found literally had me at hello. As in, hello, gingerbread with mango and buttercream? Yum.
Gingerbread Cupcakes With Caramelized Mango Buttercream
For the ginger syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
For the cupcakes:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons black strap molasses
3/4 cup water
For the caramelized mango buttercream:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups (1 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
1 to 2 tablespoons honey
3 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup candied ginger, finely diced
Directions (for the ginger syrup):
Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan and cook until the sugar has melted and the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and infuse for 30 minutes. Remove ginger just before using.
Directions ( for the cupcakes) :
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12-muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners and spray the inside of each liner and the top of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves into a medium bowl.
Whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and molasses in a large bowl until blended. Add some of the water to batter then some of the dry ingredients to the batter. Continue alternating with the water and flour until everything is added and smooth.
Fill each paper liner with 1/3 cup of the batter, about 1/4-inch below the top of the liner.
Place into preheated oven and bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted into the center come out clean, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the tops liberally with some of the ginger syrup.
Allow cupcakes to cool prior to frosting.
For the caramelized mango buttercream:
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in large saute pan over high heat. Add the honey and the mangoes and cook until caramelized and soft. Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Pass mixture through a medium mesh strainer into a bowl.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a wire whip attachment, beat the egg yolks at medium-high speed until creamy and pale yellow, about 5 minutes.
In a nonstick saucepan, combine the sugar and corn syrup. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a full rolling boil without stirring and cook until it reaches soft-ball stage (238 to 242 degrees F) on a candy thermometer. Immediately pour the mixture into a buttered measuring cup to halt the cooking.
Add a small amount of the syrup to the beaten egg yolks, turn on the mixer to high speed, and beat for about 5 seconds. Continue stopping the mixer, adding syrup, and beating in the same manner until all of the syrup is incorporated and the mixture is cooled completely.
Add the butter, 1 piece at a time, and beat until incorporated before adding the next piece. When all of the butter has been blended in, add the vanilla and slowly add the mango puree. Continue beating until combined.
Frost each gingerbread cupcake with the caramelized mango buttercream and sprinkle with the candied ginger.
{photo}
Thursday Afternoon Musings
A random Thursday.... random thoughts!
* I feel bad for Thanksgiving. We can't even throw a pebble over Halloween before the Christmas items hit the shops (even though I looooooove Christmas. Time and place, people!).
* Have you discovered Marcy Blum's wedding blog? A gorgeous cross between an evil cackle and a darling bride. Lovely!
* While I love my company's name, Soiree (means party, naturally), it's somewhat annoying that few understand me when I'm on the phone. Try saying "This is Brandi with Soiree" fast. For some reason the words "with" and "Soiree" can't be said without developing a lisp. So now I say "from Soiree", as if Soiree is a country. Oh well.
* After a meeting with a few industry gals in Boise, we've all determined Mona Vie may be taking over the world.
Happy Thursday!
Real Party: Happy Birthday, Baby!
This past weekend was my little bug's first birthday. The party turned out to be one of my favorite projects to date- I pretty much went crazy with making the decorations and turning my baby's world into a retro-baby-blue-and-red themed bash. I love using textures and mix and matching patterns, especially for babies! I really wanted my little man to love what he saw, and with a few babies attending the party, I wanted them to be able to touch and feel to their little hearts' content. Enter: yarn, felt, soft squishy balls, and a giant red balloon!
A giant hat calls for a giant smash-cake, naturally:
And the lil man in all his glory:
Looks like we succeeded in making for a happy boy....
Or maybe it was just the sugar high?
Happy Planning!
PS- stay tuned for a brand spankin new How-To series on wedding crafts, diy lovelies, and parties like these!
Style Quiz: Ethan Allen Pegs Your Style
When designing a wedding, I often turn to interior decorating magazines, my Benjamin Moore fandeck, and other blogs. So when I ran across this fun Ethan Allen style quiz via the Young House Love blog (need to add them to the blogroll, seriously!), I took it immediately. My results? Actually quite spot on!
Like John over at Young House Love, I too received my style determination as "The Loft". My close second was the Glamour Style. I'm pretty much impressed with the site.
Why post this on a wedding blog? Because not only are the graphics and pictures of the style rooms gorgeous, they can really help you hone in on your personal style, which will lead to a more complete style vision for your wedding.
Happy Planning!
{ Photo }
5 Wedding Party Myths
Your wedding attendants should be people that you ideally plan to have in your life forever; the best wedding parties are those comprised of close friendships, a long history, and lots of love. But what to do if your groom wants more attendants than you do? Here are 5 common myths about choosing and arranging your bridal party that you can finally put to rest:
* You Must Have Even Numbers On Both Sides:
Did you know the origin of the "Bridesmaid" was actually to help ward off evil spirits and other dangers from the bride? What started out as a means of protection has turned into a photo opportunity- more and more brides insisting on an even number of attendants for the pictures. Fortunately, this trend is finally going to the wayside (and hopefully quietly excusing itself for good). It is perfectly fine to have an uneven number- say 4 and 6- your guests won't notice or care and you'll be standing with only the people you truly want with you.
* Your Best Friend Is Actually A Male (Or Female):
Perfect! More and more brides and grooms alike are standing next to their best friends- whether they are the opposite sex or not. Choosing a "Best Woman" or "Man (or Dude) of Honor" is completely acceptable and becoming more and more commonplace. It's also just fine to have your Dude of Honor wear a suit or tux and stand with the gals, just as is having your Woman of Honor wear a nice black dress and stand with the guys.
* We Have To Have Attendants
There is no rule at all that says in order to be married, you must include attendants. Some couples find it's too hard to choose, and others prefer to be in the moment completely with each other. If you still wish to include your closer friends in the ceremony in some way, assign duties such as reading a speech, singing a song, or helping to escort guests to their seats. As always, just remember to honor anyone having any part in the ceremony with a flower.
* Our Attendants Have To Be Friends
More and more, fathers, mothers, children, and even grandparents are stepping up to be a part of the wedding party. If your best friend is your 2nd cousin, once removed, by all means please include them in your party.
* Children Must Be Either A Flower Girl Or Ring Bearer
Oftentimes kids in weddings are a little too old to be either a flower girl or ring bearer, so allowing them to either be a groomsman or a Junior Bridesmaid is a better option. Not only does it make them feel better, it will look better than a 10 or 12 year old dropping petals down the aisle. Brides can also consider having their children escort them down the aisle, rather than the tradition of having a father or other father figure fill in for the job.
Keeping your ceremony personalized and all about you and your groom is key, and the decisions you make should be all about that. It's okay to include some traditions into your day, but at the end of the day make sure you're not putting more into what "should" be, than what could be.
~Happy planning!
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