Pepper Design Blog

TomKat’s {Fairy Garden} 3rd Birthday Party for Kate

I’ve been meaning to give a whole hearted shout-out to Kim over at TomKat Studios and her beautiful Fairy Garden birthday party forever… and just in case you need a recap of the amazing details, here are some of my favorite photos.

I love the bright pops of pink, yellow, orange and purple – and the handmade tutus and wings are my favorite. How stunning is this dessert table and each of the beautiful labels created by Kim?

For the sources for each of these treats/designs, and more wonderful pictures, check out TomKat’s post here.

Beautiful Inspiration… and Styling Tips from the Pros

When it comes to beautiful presentation few do it better than the bona fide Stylists, so I thought it might be fun to take a quick look at one of my favorites for a few ideas and inspirations for a future party. Lo Bjurulf is a prop and food stylist for Agent Bauer:

An earthy garden party complete with veggie centerpieces, beautiful blue glass bottle displays and enough casual draping and carefully placed silverware to create a realistic and stunning table. This would be so fun this summer and easy to pull together for an impromptu gathering – everything on the table could probably be found in your kitchen right now, from simple plates and glasses to veggies from the fridge!

This next one is one of my favorites – I think of it as a Moroccan Barnyard Dinner Party!

The images are whimsical and imaginative but offer great inspiration for thinking out of the box. What I love about the storyboard is how it highlights the understated importance of staging a party so that it’s as eye-catching for all of your guests as you’d hoped it would be.

Staging basics offer a few rules we often forget, like:
*decorating at all eye-levels (bright pillows on the floor, a show stopping centerpiece mid-height and a beautiful chandelier just above the head – or how about those billowy curtains in the backdrop?)
*choosing the proper setting (no need to find a barn…)
*incorporating colors that work well together (be it complimentary or contrasting)
*and don’t forget the finite details that makes everything come together (such as the flower blossoms scattered like confetti in the image below or the softly stacked afghans that leave guests appreciative of a considerate hostess on a chilly night – I actually attended a party where they were readily available and I couldn’t wait to start my own collection for guests).

So beautiful! I’m so inspired by these images and the creative possibilities…

Lemon Yellow Celebration Inspiration

Here’s a bit of inspiration teaming with soft yellows and golden accents - reminds me a bit of lemon sherbet, actually, which is just perfect for a summer celebration.

This inspiration board lends itself to any sort of shower, birthday or even for a wedding. Or how about just a summer get-together with friends under the stars?

These miniature yellow bags would look great with a custom stamp and filled with sweet treats.

Below, vintage lace works perfectly as a table cloth, and wild flowers in a matching palette are a beautiful addition to a simple tablescape full of thrift ware finds.

I love this dessert bar with it’s colorful accents and the green grass moat around the base of the cupcakes. We did something similar for a friend using wheat grass, though you could also check out your local home improvement store for flats of grass.

A delicious bourbon spiked ginger lemonade punch and more inspiration after the jump. Read more »