Pepper Design Blog

Happy Labor Day!

Hope you’re having a restful and relaxing Labor Day! Here’s to a full Monday of catching up on the to-do list, BBQing in the sand somewhere or just sleeping in a bit later than usual…

*An inspiring vintage-accented Labor Day party can be found here
*Dig in to this delicious BBQ menu here
*Spoil everyone with one of these red, white & blue desserts
*Or serve up a cool summer drink from this yummy list

Sweets Indeed created this American-themed party complete with paper pinwheels and a very mouth watering dessert table. Check out more great photos over at Celebrations At Home.

{Vintage Carnival} Inspiration

Designed to offer a vintage spin on a carnival-themed celebration {bright colors, pinwheels, paper rosettes, ribbons…} this party is full of inspiring ideas. The very first thing that caught my eye was the bright pastel colors that adorn everything from the handmade ribbon table runners to the swinging two-sided paper rosettes.

Chris over at Celebrations At Home featured this beautiful Style Me Pretty photoshoot a while back and I loved every detail.

The dessert table is beautiful, and simple treats such as popcorn cones, store bought cookies (just add the custom icing) and covered apples make a delicious spread.

Personalized carnival invites pull the theme together, as do the white ceramic animals and the vintage decor that’s casually mixed in.

The above easy ribbon runner and set of handmade rosettes tops the list for favorite details. I created a similar backdrop and table decor out of paper pinwheels/rosettes for this vintage nesting shower and loved the result – they’re very easy to whip up and always look great!

Shoot designed by Moira Events with photography by Tangerine Tree Photography.

Soft Pastels: the Life of the Party

A bit of August party inspiration coming your way… pinks, corals & oranges make the perfect backdrop for a shower or tea party and I LOVE love the upside down poms (turned flowers) hanging over the top of this table. How creative! Can you imagine sitting beneath with the flower blooms swinging gently above?

Oh sweet summer nights.

Bouganvilla, sweet peas, garden roses and boxes of ripe peaches make the perfect centerpiece. Handmade soap {scented similarly?} wrapped in scrapbooking paper works well for a great favor. I love the simple menus and the floral napkins (so easy to diy) – pictured very top.

And here’s another option with plenty of peonies in birch vases – how delicious does that grapefruit mimosa look? Details such as the drink tags help to personalize a bigger party.

Hope you have a few reasons to throw some fun summer celebrations before fall finds us! Images from A Diary of Lovely.

Rooms Inspired by the Month of July

Pulling together my favorite inspirational images for the month is one of my favorite posts… and July was so fun to concentrate on. (More Rooms Inspired by the Month over here).

What comes to mind this time of the year is one of my husband and my’s favorite things to do, which is sail the sea. We have a 25′ MacGregor – aptly named ‘Madness’ – that Kevin bought pre-marriage. He’s put plenty of love into the boat and takes her out at every opportunity!

Nautical themes are calming and serene – and the marine blues, navys and whites work beautifully with pops of red (which reminds me of another great July holiday…). So without further ado, here’s a little July inspiration…

Crisp white is refreshing and wonderful!

I love the look of cottage decor, natural elements (like jute rugs and woven baskets) as well as stripes, gingham and seagrass.

This next room is my favorite – I love the map decor on the walls, the storage baskets, and the striped duvet and pillows. What a great boys room!

I got a bit carried away with nautical inspiration… so there are many more great photos after the jump. Read more »