{Real Wedding} Black, White & Pink Chic

I found this adorable Pink, Black & White wedding on Brides.com.

With a striking color palette and DIY decor, this party is chic and affordable!

I love the overall black and white palette that gets accentuated with striking scripts,

stripes, and beautiful floral arrangements in shades of pink. I especially love the added

detail of having the head table and black chiavari chairs at a bistro table height, while the

rest of the guest tables are a standard height, giving the room additional dimension and flair.

Gorgeous arrangements of roses, carnations, hydrangeas, and peonies replaced petite

fours on a tiered dessert stand, creating their own sweet scene.

Using waterproof, non-toxic markers, the word "love", iconic hearts and the couple's monogram were inscribed on silver bowls, porcelain plates and glass jars. Any non-porous surface will do; the decoration washes off easily.

The newleyweds kept a "high profile" with a silhouette portrait they had custom designed. They had their baker add the silhouette onto fondant-covered mini cakes, and used the same sweet image on the front of their program. Have an artist (check out cutarts.com and partypop.com to find a professional) create a likeness of you to incorporate into your details!

Finally, dotted and striped ribbons were used to wrap the party favors and loop over centerpieces, tying together the overall color scheme.

original source via Hostess with the Mostess

Make Your Own S'mores Bar w/ FREE DIY Printables!

I found this incredibly mouthwatering "make your own s'mores bar" on

The Birthday Girl's blog, and ever since then, truth be told, I can't stop thinking about the idea of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup snuggled up to the marshmallow inside the graham sandwich.

For this presentation, Michelle from So Wonderful, So Marvelous, used a variety of spices, including nutmeg & sea salt, assorted grahams, assorted chocolates including an amazing hazelnut bar, toppings like toasted coconut, and fruits.

Be sure to stop by So Wonderful, So Marvelous for a downloadable s'mores recipe menu ~ suitable for framing, and ingredient signs to customize to your own s'mores bar!

I love how easy it is and it can be prepped ahead of time. We are definitely going to be trying out some of these s'mores variations in the next few weeks while we're enjoying some summer outdoor time together!

Free DIY Printable Favor Bags For Your Wedding

This adorable project for DIY gift bags was designed by Kathleen at Twig & Thistle,

exclusively for Style Me Pretty readers, and I qualify as an avid reader!

You can see all of Twig & Thisle's favor goodies on her Etsy shop, as well as some

pretty great ideas on the blog.

Materials:

Ink jet color printer

5 x 7 white paper bags

treats

Instructions:

1. Download the Bag Graphic and type in names and wedding date in spaces provided. Follow the directions in the PDF for printing with an ink jet printer. If you don't have an ink jet or if your printer doesn't allow you to print odd formats, you can print directly onto sticker paper (found at office supply stores) and post apply to the bag.

2. Help maintain freshness and keep sweets from leaving oil stains on the paper bag by lining with a glassine envelope.

3. Add a little more detail to the bags and scallop the top with a pair of pinking shears or rotary cutter.

4. Fill bag with treats and serve!

White paper bags can be found HERE and glassine bags can be found HERE

Vintage Gold & Green Tablescape

Kristy Rice, the artist behind Momental Designs created this vintage inspired tablescape based on her hand painted stationery designed just for this shoot. She also handmade the beautiful paper flower cake topper, and the vintage charm doesn't end there. The eclectic mix of vintage vases in amber and white combined with gold place settings under vintage black china are all visually tied together with a paper table runner that Kristy also painted. She tops off the cake table decor with stacked vintage cake plates! Beautiful!

Images and post adapted from The Ruffled Blog

DIY Project ~ Recycled Cake/Cupcake Stands

I just love this idea I found on Design Sponge for recycling an eclectic mix of old vases and

cake plates to combine something new ~ a one of a kind cake plate or cupcake stand!

The bases can be made out of anything from milk glass bottles, to brass candlesticks,

to whatever treasure you have around the house or happen to find during a thrift

store shopping spree.

As with the bases, the cake plates themselves can be found at thrift stores, garage sales and probably around Grandma's house if she is willing to part with them.

What's fun about this idea is you are creating something unique. Your stands, whether they are used to serve cake and cupcakes for a birthday party; or pastries, muffins and quiche for a special brunch, you are sure to have the most thoughtful and unique food presentation for your celebration. You can use bases of varying heights as well as textures to create an even more eclectic and vintage feel. And the best part is they can be used over and over again!

What you'll need:

*old plates (any size)

*old candlesticks or vases (look for anything that is wider at the bottom, with a sturdy base and a flat top)

*epoxy (from a hardware store)

*masking tape

*popsicle sticks or q-tip without the fluffy end (something to apply the epoxy with)

*paper plate or scrap cardboard (something to mix the epoxy on that you can throw out)

*rags and cleaning solution

Directions:

1. pick out which pieces you want to put together and test it out. They should be able to balance on each other without the glue. If not, you may want to rethink your choices...is your plate too uneven or does your base have a flat enough top?

2. clean all plates and vases/candlesticks thoroughly. Dry completely.

3. measure the back of the plate and mark a dot in the center with a pen or marker.

4. squeeze out a little epoxy and follow its directions for use. After it's mixed, apply it to the top of the candlestick/vase and gently place your base upside down on the plate, using your dot as a guide to help you center it.

5. let it sit for a few minutes, then gently press down on it to hold it in place and get rid of any excess epoxy with a q-tip. Apply tape on four sides to anchor it while it dries.

6. let it dry overnight.

Note: while these are studier than you would expect, they are not dishwasher safe; therefore hand washing is recommended.

Tutorial, post and photos adapted from Design Sponge

{Real Party} Vibrant Orange & Pink Baby shower

I just love the vibrant colors and DIY elements for this baby shower that

photographer Wendy Updegraff threw in her sister's honor.

Personalized Blend and FREE Printable Coffee Label

Spice up a gift of coffee by creating a distinctive flavor. Mix one or two teaspoons of cinnamon or nutmeg into a pound of freshly ground coffee beans; or scrape the seeds from four vanilla beans with a pairing knife, and add them to a pound of coffee.

For the best flavor, use a medium~bodied coffee, such as one from Kenya or Columbia. Scoop into a coffee bag with a coated lining, available at kitchen~supply stores. Finish with a ribbon and a decorative sticker.

Post and photo adapted from Martha Stewart.

Click HERE to download your free coffee sticker template from Martha.

DIY Download: Paper Bag Favor Labels

These super easy and super affordable favor tags were a great find on Flights of Fancy!

Click HERE to begin your free download ~ step by step instructions are below.

Step 1: You’ll need your tools. Shown in image 1 above: (A) Brown paper lunch bags – available at most grocery stores for under $5.00 for a package of 100. (B) Ruler (C.) x-acto knife – a must-have for any crafter! (D.) a bone folder – another must-have (E.) Double-sided tape or (F.) Duck Easy-Stick® Double Stick Adhesive (I personally prefer the Easy-Stick over regular two-sided tape because it’s really fast and easy to use).

Step 2: Print our free template on your color printer (download link below).

Step 3: Use the bone folder and ruler to score along the dotted “fold” line on the template.

Step 4: Trim out the labels using your ruler and x-acto knife. Be sure to use a cutting mat – it cushions the x-acto blade and saves your surfaces from nicks and scratches. Fold the label along the score mark you created with the bone folder. Pre-folding the label makes it much easier to apply later.

Step 5: Using the bone folder and ruler, score the paper bag for easy folding. We made the score 1.5 inches from the top of our bag.

Step 6: Fold the paper bag at the score mark then fold a second time. Run the bone folder along the edges to make a nice, crisp fold. Pre-folding the bags will make it much easier to have a uniform look when all the favors are displayed…it will also make assembly easier and faster.

Step 7: Fill the bags with your goodies then fold the tops down. (note: If filling with cookies or any other edible favor, be sure to put them in a box or glassine bag first so you won’t get grease spots on your paper bags). Using the Easy-Stick, apply adhesive the the back of the label. Add label to bag – the long side of the label should be on the same side as the bag’s fold. The short side of the label wraps around to the back of the bag.

Step 8: Display and enjoy!

DIY Flower & Teacup Centerpieces

I love these DIY flower and teacup centerpieces, and the beautifully styled shoot

found on The Wedding Chicks. The photography is by Andrea Dozier and you can see the entire shoot and more of Andrea's talented work on Andrea Dozier's blog.

This would be a beautiful concept for a birthday party, baby shower or spring luncheon!

As always, please see the entire post on The Wedding Chicks for a credit list and links to all the talented vendors who participated in this shoot.

Alice in Wonderland Photo Shoot + FREE DIY Printables!

I love Alice in Wonderland and anything with that theme! It may be because

I have watched the Disney movie so many times this summer with my daughter; and I'm thinking she is going to be Alice in Wonderland for Halloween; and we love having tea

parties. But whatever the reason, I seem to keep stumbling upon these adorable Alice

in Wonderland themed photo shoots and parties.

This darling shoot was submitted by Julie Gallagher and Alex Royston from In Good Company was featured on Amy Atlas' blog and is full of creative ideas!

In Good Company was even kind enough to share the entire party in Free DIY printable

pdf format! Thank you!

Head over to Amy Atlas' blog to begin your FREE download HERE!

As always, please see the original post on Amy Atlas' blog to see all the talented vendors who participated in this event!

A French Inspired Bridal Shower

This styled shoot found on Style Me Pretty is simple breathtaking. Not only is the

design, decor and photography out of this world, but I just love the creative theme that

is woven throughout this party. For a total girly-girl, like me, I think I might just be in

love with this whole concept!

It's a French flair and intended to showcase a classical nod to a modern bridal shower. The bride to be has made lifelong friends during childhood, so she decided to host a small party celebrating their friendship and and upcoming wedding. The shower was intended to spoil her friends, so after they signed the guest book, they were invited to adorn themselves with jewelry and hairpieces at an Adorn Yourself station, complete with feathers, jewels, and all things sparkly. The girls then dined on decadent sweets, complete with chocolate chip ice cream, tarts, and macaroons, amongst many other sugary sweets.

The bride to be then invited her friends to feast on cake and pink champagne as they

toast life, love and laughter.

And just before opening gifts, they were invited to the Mixology station, where the girls mixed their own perfume as keepsakes. The ladies then ventured into the garden for gift opening and festivities to celebrate the upcoming marriage.

Amazing. Brilliant. Speechless. Just wow.

Photography and post adapted from Style Me Pretty.

Photography by Jasmine Star.

Event Design and Planning by In the Now Weddings & Events

For a complete list of all the fabulous vendors who styled the shoot and contributed their talent, as well as all the photos, please see the entire post on Style Me Pretty's blog.