Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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I just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and happy holiday season before I head out for a few days.
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I mentioned the "tablescape" here and thought there was no better way to wish you all the very best in each of your homes than to share a few scenes from ours this year.
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I also mentioned I went through a "lush" phase (no, not the too much wine drinking kind of "lush") this season. I typically skew more modern and Christmas is the time to bring out the peacock feathers and that color palette. Just felt like mixing it up this year and going a bit more rustic and wintery with hints of lime green. Twas a nice change of pace!

Speaking of... as the pace of the holidays leaves many of us frantic and worn out, I hope you each take time to relax and enjoy every minute of it.
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Soak it in. 2011 is on it's way. I don't know about you, but I plan on making it the best year yet!

Cheers,
Amy

Wrapper's Delight

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Need some last minute gift wrap ideas? Maybe this will help you look at old things in a new way.
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This year I decided not to go buy a million dollars worth of wrapping supplies and attempt to use only items I already had on hand. You got me, it's still paper. but at least I tried to be "green" and not go buy new things as I'm oh so tempted to do.
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Disclaimer: I did buy the little reindeer (he was so sparkly...I HAD to) and the brown kraft box, but that's it. The rest is an assortment of goodies from my huge stash of things combined together to make a festive and fun Christmas.
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With the goal of keeping it funky, I used elements such as kraft paper, paper lunch bags, burlap, decorative tape and red and lime green gift wrap torn to get that perfectly imperfect look.
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I really like how this torn paper look turned out. And those white paper flowers? Those little Martha Stewart goodies have been in my stash for two years now. That is why I love clearance finds. You never know when you might need them!
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So, go for it. Don't worry about everything being perfect. Mix it up this year! Gift wrap is a great place to experiment with the unexpected.

So, I've shared. Now then, what is your gift wrap "theme" this year?

Vintage Winter Forest Part Two

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Wanted to share some more images from the Vintage Winter Forest holiday party I recently did. You saw the dessert area here. Now for the tablesettings.

As mentioned, the scene was set with the gorgeous salad plates from Head of the Table. I can't recommend Kim's service enough for those of you lucky enough to live in St. Louis! We are so lucky to have this great resource for rental items that are beyond the average commonly found.
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I had fun making this wreath "chandelier" to hang from the center of the room. By taking a grapevine wreath and adorning it with battery operated lights, some faux garland and other holiday items, you can create a great focal piece that makes a statement and stays easy on the budget! The possibilities to personalize this are endless, too!
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One of my other favorite elements was the bar signage created by simply wrapping foamcore boards in gift wrap, cutting out letters and making them sparkle with some glue and glitter. A great way to make an impact on a blank wall when affixed with removable 3M wall mount stickers. (Ignore the upside down "B", please...act like it was intentional and funky!). This is a great trick to use that you can customize with any party by changing out the gift wrap and the wording!
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Thanks again to Kelly for the feature and for all the sweet words here and on Facebook about this party!

Happy holidays!
Amy

Vintage Winter Forest

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A huge thank you to Kelly of The Party Dress for including me in her fabulous Holiday Table Challenge. Really, if you haven't stopped by to check out all the tables popping up in this feature, you must do so! There are some gorgeous ideas out there!
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Today, I want to feature the dessert portion of a company office party that I recently did and used as my submission to the Challenge.

Welcome to my Vintage Winter Forest. (Otherwise known as "I have no idea what to call this.")
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Inspiration was found in a few places. One being some gorgeous plates from Head of the Table Rental (shown on The Party Dress and featured later this week in the tablesetting post). Another was some gorgeous graphics from Lily Bimble and Stockberry Studio. And, finally, as luck would have it, some stunning green gift wrap from Hobby Lobby.
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Mix all of those three elements with various vintage green and white containers I've collected, some simple white florals, pine cones, and the ever popular "coffee filter wreaths" and you have a look that is both simple and eclectic.
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You all probably know that my style is typically a bit more modern than this but I think I might in a bit of "more is more" phase right now. It just feel so lush and decadent. I'm often known to pile on necklaces and think that is carrying over into my dessert tables.
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I used a lot of these same elements in my own home holiday decor and might just have to peep you my mantle and holiday decor soon. You'll see what I mean. Don't believe me though. Take it from husband who kept saying, "that is SOME tablescape" every time he walked through the dining room last night. I am already sorry I taught him that word.

Thanks, again, Kelly. Can't wait to see this week's entries.

A Sweet Night Indeed!

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When sweet friend, Angela, said she wanted to host an Operation Give Thanks event, the least I could do to repay her kindness was to offer to style the event. It didn't hurt that there were delicious treats on hand either!
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This fun Operation Give Thanks event was a baking party featuring, Ann, a talented local pastry chef from Pi Pizzeria. Pi also generously donated the appetizers. There are a lot of nice people in the world!
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To match the free printable set I created, I stuck with the striped theme and went with sweet peppermint candy to match the sugar rush we were all about to be on soon!

I'm on the coffee filter wreath bandwagon right now and used one as the base of the candy cane centerpiece. Here is a great tutorial on how to make your own. I used scissors to cut and round off the edges of red cocktail napkins to make the red bottom layer.
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Favors were aprons with a space for everyone to write down what they were thankful for on a special iron-on I created.
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Chef Ann teaching part of the group how to make a Chocolate Macadamia Nut Tart. One word: YUM!


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Took the liberty for a little play on words with Pi Pizzeria and added some Operation Shower logos as well to the basic set I created. Those giant ginger cookies you see there...also yum. I may have gained about twelve pounds that night.
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Favor boxes for take home goodies were much needed so we didn't sit there and eat the rest during clean up. Not that I would ever do that......

Many more pictures can be found here in the Facebook album of this really fun event to benefit Operation Give Thanks.

Have any holiday baking to do with friends? Hosting a cookie swap party? This was such a fun event that Angela put together and she raised $900 that night! What a treat to hang out with your friends and have fun for a good cause. I highly recommend it as an option to throw your very own fundraising party. Every little bit helps.

As the to go boxes say, "Thank you for being so sweet." We couldn't do this without people like Angela and all those others hosting parties to benefit Operation Shower!

Happy holidays...more fun coming soon.

Cheers,
Amy

Red White & Coo Snaps and Claps

There are so many professional photos to show you from this incredible Operation Shower event but I thought I'd take baby steps (no pun intended) and spoon feed (okay, maybe that was intentional) them to you.

I have to borrow some from the post I did on our blog and thank some of our amazing sponsors and donors while I'm at it!

All photos in this post (other than the bookshelf of treat bags and red wagon full of candy) were shot and generously donated by the talented, Velia, of Velia Roldan Photography.

Baked goods for the sweets table were donated by Cinotti's Bakery. They.Were.Delicious.

Printed items such as sweets labels and shower in a box labels were designed by me, Amy of Operation Shower and Stem Parties, and generously printed by Print Today in St. Louis. Thank you, Huck and team!

The "Oprah" moment when 36 PGA TOUR volunteers walked in with a car seat for each mom was incredible and made possible by Kmart. Not only did Kmart donate the car seats but also donated almost all of the items for our moms! We can't thank you enough!

Those "blue boxes"...Tiffany & Co donated gorgeous crystal serving pieces. What a special treat!

Whole Foods went above and beyond in donating food for the event, gorgeous floral centerpieces for the food table as well as gift cards attached to a long stemmed rose for each mom. We love Whole Foods!

Thank you once again to our incredible invitation sponsor, TinyPrints, for our continued relationship. We treasure you!

We are so excited to have a new connection with Build A Bear. We love this fellow hometown St. Louis group and look forward to many more smiles to come with the donation of darling teddy bears.

Happy Moms? You bet! Thank you Peace Love Mom for always being such a great supporter of Operation Shower and donating your adorable tshirts. A picture IS worth a thousand words and so is a Happy Mom tshirt!

More photos and thank yous to come. I still have so many to go through. Maybe you can use some ideas for the 4th of July at this rate. : )

Cheers,

Amy

Red, White and Coo Recap Number 1 (of many to come)

Still trying to get caught here after an amazing weekend and baby shower with Operation Shower!



In the meantime (I kinda want to wait for the professional pictures...sorry!) take a second and read this wonderful article by Travis Hill. It sums it up so well! Get the Kleenex!

It's NOT Goodbye....

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This weekend we had a few people over for a going away dinner for two dear friends and their husbands (who are also dear). Since Katie and I have had more than one girl's night involving mexican food and margaritas, it was only fitting to host a fiesta de bye bye.

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Mexican crepe paper flowers in bold colors were the decor of the day. I mixed it in with black and white to match the adorable placemats from Michaels that served as the inspiration for the fiesta.

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The table was kept relatively simple as space was needed to serve the food familia-style! Just a couple of cylinder vases with colored-water and floating candles and a "floral" centerpiece made with crepe paper flowers attached to one of these wire stem and leaf decor items I picked up a couple of years ago at World Market. Definitely one of those "now what can I do with this" moments!

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Hello, chandelier. You just got pimped Fiesta style.

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I hadn't pulled out the paper lanterns in awhile, so I decorated the window above the bar with coordinating lanterns. Hard to see here, but Michael's $1 section has these adorable felt floral keychains that I attached to the bottom of every other one.

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Fun French Bull ring pattern napkins in a plastic container from The Container Store were placed on the bar with the appetizers and drinks. Need an instant decor addition? Type up a menu and frame it. This one was placed atop an extra placemat cut to size and adorned with a theme of the night sticker: "It's not goodbye. It's Hasta Luego."

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The dessert was so simple but a hit because of the presentation. White small plates dishes from World Market were used with crystal dessert dishes to hold vanilla bean ice cream with a cinnamon crisp, warm caramel sauce and homemade sauteed cinnamon apples. How easy is that dessert? Further proof...presentation is everything!

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Chairs got the mexican flower treatment to give them new life. I printed little cards for the napkins and slipped some ribbon through them and embellished with floral stickers from Michaels. The font is Vila Morena and is free from dafont.com by the way. Love it!

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Corona box as welcome decor by front door? Check!

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Party favors for the girls were initial journals (again...Michael's) and little treat bags of cookies for the boys (not shown..oopsy). I also framed a photo collage of the pictures of the four of us girls at the party from over the years and gave those to my two friends who are moving in the yellow and green gift bags.

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A few more pictures can be seen on our Facebook page. Don't forget to become a fan. A Facebook fan only giveaway is coming soon!
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The biggest party success? I managed to not cry. Those that know me know this is amazing. I make no promises when I go see Katie Saturday for the last time for awhile.

Ahoy There, Cutie

Sweet, lovely, Kim over at Head Of The Table just hosted a phenomenal Nautical theme co-ed baby shower. I about fell overboard when I saw that diaper cake.



I'd post all the glorious pictures here but want you to go to Kim's site to SEA for yourself! Fabulous work, as always, Kim!

Here's What's Hoppining

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One good thing about Easter being this weekend? Me almost being out of Easter puns.

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In the meantime, maybe you'll find another good thing or two from my super quick and easy table ideas that I put together last night for you. All you need is a few inexpensive items and you are set.

Peep this.

Placemat: Two coordinating pieces of scrapbook paper cut and taped together for contrast. Make two slits for silverware, circle punch the words "Happy Easter" printed from your computer and double stick that on with a taped cotton ball on top. Voila.

Napkin Ring: One of your scrapbook papers cut into a strip and double stick taped with another circle punch and a Peep taped on top. (Peeps stick on better with foam mounting squares)

Centerpiece: Fill a cylinder vase full of plastic eggs to match your papers. Next, use double stick tape around the upper rim of the vase and affix a ring of cottonballs all around the top. The rest is simply cotton balls piled on top and formed into a dome shape with another of your circles and Peep on top. Does it get easier? I think not.

This orange treat bag and decorative polka dot tape are from Michael's, but you can recreate the look with small gift bags and ribbon. Fill the eggs with candy, insert with grass, tie with matching ribbon, add another circle (so many uses!) and a foam initial and you have a treat bag. Ta da.

Once we get past the fact that my name is crooked (it was late), we can chat about the how-to on this placecard holder.

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Ready? Cut out a piece of cardstock, wrap with coordinating scrapbook paper and add foam letters or make a label if you prefer. Take the plastic egg apart and hot glue one half to the back and one half to the front to make your "stand." Embellish the egg with another smaller circle or leave plain. Cute either way!

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I told you this was quick and easy! You still have plenty of time to throw this together for your Easter table (great for kid's table) and with all the great scrapbook papers out there the color combinations are endless.

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Thanks for hopping by!

Sneak Peek: Last Minute Easter Table Ideas

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Just mocked up some quick Easter ideas for you lovelies. Now I'm just waiting for better light tomorrow to take some pictures for you!


Don't worry about needing more time to prepare your Easter table though. These ideas only take a few very inexpensive items (some you probably have on hand already!) and a few minutes each. Anybunny can do these in plenty time for Easter!

Hop on by tomorrow night for all the details.

Therapy

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After back to back to back to back to (you get the idea) crazy weeks, this past weekend's trip to see the family and friends was just what the doctor ordered.

Food, drinks and "shopping"...the perfect prescription.

That AND arm in arm whoopie pie eating by your charming cohostesses. (P.S. I think it looks like a random floating cocktail-ringed zombie hand is shoving food at me instead of that being my hand. That makes me giggle, so I share with you fine people for the laughs.)

Scenes from the doctor's office aka ladies night clothing swap party.

SHOP letters were covered in pages from old calendars I picked up at Michael's ages ago. They had been waiting their turn to be used for something. The "art" was so easy for such a big impact. Patterned packing tape from Michael's was placed on foamcore in various patterns and used around the space. Do this. Trust me.

Fun patterned papers were hung from ribbon in the windows for the sweets table backdrop and used to add color to the tabletops.

A girl needs her jewels, right? These fit perfectly on the edge of the wine glasses and did double duty as wine charms. At least until you forget which color you are because you're so giddy from free clothes.




More of the packing tape was used to hang calendar pages off of the swap tables. Mixed in were removable wall decals from The Dollar Tree.

Favors were cute, graphic reusable shopping bags from Forever 21 that I hung from removable 3M wall mounting hooks. Favor as decor...love.



This piece worked perfectly as the shoes and accessories table. Child lock on drawers not for sale. My friend and cohostess, Shan has triplets. Girlfriends needs lots of locks.

A few more close ups of the bags and papers because they are things you need to get!

Hoping to get more scenes from other swapper's cameras of a few things I missed. In the meantime, hope you enjoy what is here. Such a fun party to do with friends. I highly recommend it! (If your friends have cute clothes, of course.)

If you missed the post on all the yummy food...check, check it out.