odom wedding v1.0

A couple of weekends ago, I was given the opportunity to coordinate a wedding for a friend's special day. The theme was rustic-chic, and the venue was absolutely gorgeous. In Powder Springs, Georgia, the couple said their vows at The Phillips Farm under a giant oak tree and a setting sun. Amberly had all the decorations, table settings, food, and entertainment planned out. My job was to help make what she dreamed of become a reality on her precious day. With help from family and friends, we turned a barn into a dance floor, created an outdoor dining space, and left some room for a couple of "sweet" tables. Here's the set up for the rehearsal dinner. Wedding day pictures are coming soon!

The sophisticated ring bearer brought a fun energy to the ceremony! Congratulations Amberly and Landon!

have a berry good day

Looking for an a'door'nment that feels more festive for Fall? I have recently made a couple of these berry cute wreaths for a friend by substituting the green "new growth" buds with crimson berries! (Her husband is a Bama boy, so I'm sure he doesn't mind the color... considering I almost used orange berries!) This wreath will be able to easily transition from fall to the Christmas season. I love the idea of seasonal/holiday/MY BIRTHDAY wreaths. What a great way to welcome guests and pep up your home's facade! Stay tuned for more wreath experiments.

newlywed wreath

Need a creative idea for a wedding or wedding shower present? Over the registries? Skeptical of online shopping? ..I came up with a simple, personalized gift that any newlywed couple surely would love. I am dubbing it the "newlywed wreath" because of the colors: white- associated with brides and a clean start, tan- to accent, and green- symbolizing new growth in a new life together. Any color palette can be substituted for creating a seasonal wreath. 

Materials needed

grapevine wreath

artificial flowers or decorative elements

wooden initial

felt

(extra: add ribbon to hang)

I arranged the flowers and rolled strips of felt and hot-glued them to the wreath in tiny areas. I painted the wooden initial to match the white felt and hot-glued it also. I had seen the rolled felt strip idea on Pinterest, but I made my own design especially for the newlywed couple, Amy and Mitch. It was a simple project that will bring some character to their new door!


*New song added to the "listen here" widget: Save the Last Dance for Me by Michael Bublé. Reminds me of The Wedding Date with Debra Messing. LOVE it. What's your favorite wedding movie, bloggers?

pink elephants

... hello? ... blog readers? ... are you still there? I know, I know, it's been a while. I'm sorry.. I've been distracted! But I'm BACK with a great post about the first baby shower I've ever helped to throw.. [and for a pretty special friend!] My soul sista, Amy, is preggo with her first baby - Piper Lynn - and we couldn't be more excited! Amy lives in Oklahoma and only had four days to visit home, so we had one big shower shindig! Between five hostesses, we were planning for around 50 people.. and that is exactly what we had. I was in charge of invitations, decor, and cookies. We themed the shower around pink baby elephants with a couple of giraffes thrown in there. I didn't want the shower to scream baby, but I wanted it to be sweet, charming, and classy. Through the colors of white, green, tan, and different shades of pink, I think it achieved just that. 

Project list:

postcard invitations

painted paper mache animals

painted picture frames with letters spelling PIPER

elephant shaped cookies with pink icing 

animal cracker in clear cylinders

floral arrangements

burlap table runner

mother-to-be pin

Everything turned out beautifully, even though the pressure to decorate and set up was intense [45 minutes- eek!]. The other hostesses brought delicious brunch foods such as mini muffins, fruit tarts, pigs in a blanket, and the best donut holes I have ever devoured. I will not tell you how many of those I had. I brought various sized vases and had arranged the flowers the night before.. the wee hours before! All of the decoration went well with the exposed interior brick and white shutters as a backdrop. I was very happy about the room where we had the shower. It came together, and Amy had a great time with family and friends.. so that's what mattered most. I can't wait to meet little Pippy!

my first estate sale

An all time fave- Soulshine by The Allman Brothers


Our adventure began this morning with a trip to "the neighborhood" in Newnan to look through antiques, trinkets, old furniture, and other junk at my first estate sale excursion! Mom [the veteran] and I [the newby] entered into an older brick house that smelled of moth balls and old. It wasn't pleasant, but we scanned the house for any potential deals or objects we just had to have. Mom was disappointed about the lack of old tools while I found a charming ceramic elephant and an old chair. The elephant is one of those old objects that can become contemporary in the right setting. It has a signature and an old piece of paper with "Delphi, Greece" written on its underside. We assumed that it had been a souvenir from the couple's travels. I've always had a slight fascination with elephants. I won a Jack Hanna drawing contest when I was little by submitting a drawing of elephants. I was pretty proud of that. The next item up for bid was an old chair with the most heinous cushions I have ever encountered. The wood frame, however, was in strong shape and just needs some TLC. I can see it with a new coat of paint + high gloss finish and new, less stinky, more beautiful cushions! It sits slightly back in the perfect comfy, cozy lounge position. I'm excited about this DIY project. Stay tuned for the results!

I have a feeling I'll want to go to another estate sale soon... And I'll probably need to have my own show.. something like "American Pickers" meets "Devine Design."