Everyday Design Inspiration


Happy Labor Day!

September 6, 2010

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.


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{Vintage Carnival} Inspiration

August 25, 2010

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.


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Summer Fruit Beverages to Keep You Coooool

August 19, 2010

From Watermelon Basil Margaritas to Bing Cherry Mohitos, Martha Stewart has whipped up a delicious list of fruit-inspired summer recipes for a party, family dinner on the patio or to pack up and take for a picnic. Here are a few of my favorites:

Clockwise above: Watermelon Blaster, Tropical Ginger Punch, Strawberry Hibiscus Tea Lemonade, Cucumber Lemonade, Mint, Cucumber & Vodka Cocktail, Strawberry Lemonade

A little inspiration to help us all beat the heat…


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Whirl It, Twirl It Custom Lampshade

August 17, 2010

This is such a clever project! Pickles made this diy lampshade for her dining room with a single bulb pendant – and it turned out great! I would love to create one of these for my office, or a series of smaller versions for an outdoor party.

Who knew that a giant balloon, wallpaper glue, yarn and vaseline could create this?

I’m back from my beautiful week in Canada and it feels like the projects are taking over… but it’s good to be home and back to work with so much to do! We break ground on the kitchen renovation soon – very excited to get moving on this one.

Diy instructions for the Whirl-It Lampshade found here.


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