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The obvious is chalkboard-turned-menu. I love how this couple used an old surf board as their surface to paint. Since chalkboard paint can go on virtually any clean surface, you can make anything your chalkboard menu. You can do a traditional bistro-style chalkboard menu, or maybe hang chalkboard tiles from clothes line strung between two trees. There are a million opportunities here to be creative and the best part: it is super expensive and easy to do!

In my search for this post I came across this fun and innovative chalkboard vinyl wall decals from Spell It Out Designs on etsy.com. To say I love these vintage / Victorian-inspired chalk frames would be an understatement! Vinyl is easily removable from any surface and leaves no trace that it has been there. While it is great for using on the walls, doors, or windows of your venue you should inquire first whether your location will allow you to do it. If they do, great! You can use these again as menu cards, place card displays, wedding signs (“wedding this way!”), inscribe a quote, thank you, note. Leave it blank and allow your guests to leave you messages! The possibilities are endless. And if you can’t put it on a wall, simply build a surface to put it on.

I’m also totally loving these chalkboard plant stakes used instead as a place card. These are from Crossroads Cottage, but you can easily make them yourself with a little time and energy. They’d be perfect for a smaller wedding! I also love them used in the tablescape design, tucked into a floral arrangement. They would also look perfect tucked into your stationary hors d’oeuvre display, or if you can, on your passed hors d’oeuvre trays.

This isn’t done often enough, probably because it isn’t that simple, but I love the look of these giant chalkboard seatting arrangement displays from a fete event. The key is to have a wedding planner who not only has gorgeous handwriting, but write in a straight line!

This fun and thoughtful idea comes from a wedding featured on one of our favorite blogs, OnceWed. The bride got the idea from Wonderful Graffiti to have a word search at the reception to entertain guests. If anything, it is just pure beauty, and makes for a great photo op. I’m sure her guests had a fabulous time using it, too!

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Last but not least, why not add a chalk board (or dry erase board) to your wedding’s photo booth? You never know what message might turn up! Just be sure to have something handy to wipe all the chalk that is bound to rub off on everyone’s black clothing. This is where we tell you that the dry erase board might be a better idea!Similar Posts:

• Vendor Spotlight: Wonderful Graffiti
• Vary Your Escort Cards for Big Impact!
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I came across this DIY project on Craftershock.com and instantly fell in love. What a fabulous vintage detail to add to your outdoor summer soiree or garden party. I can see them hanging from trees or stringed lights. I love them so much I’m trying to figure out how I can incorporate them in an event of my own! The idea is to find used light bulbs that you can in turn recycle into these hanging vases.

Here is how to make them, courtesy of Craftershock.com

Step 1: Using fine-tooth metal saw, gently saw the bottom of light bulb. Pull out the filaments.

Step 2: Using a hand held drill place metal against some scrap wood and poke two holes opposite from each other.

Step 3: Lace thin wire through the holes and tie off at desired length. Fill with lovely blooms.Similar Posts:

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Elisabeth from BLUSH floral design posted a fabulous purple centerpiece on her blog and I wanted to share. I just love these carnations in varying shades of purple. Believe it or not, carnations in bulk (like these) can look so gorgeous. The key is to use a lot and make your centerpiece very full. I agree with Elisabeth, too, that with these flowers the you can use the container to dictate the style of the arrangement. You can use square chunky vases, tall cylinders, old candy jars or medicine bottles, or mint julep cups. Although, I really love the antiqued vessels she used. And the sequin balls? Gorgeous! They’ll sparkle too in candlelight and are a touch of necessary glamour.

If you’re too busy for arrangements this season, give Elisabeth a call. Blush is offering holiday inspired arrangements at a really fabulous price. Get all the details here!

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• Holiday Party Decor: Outdoor Lighting

I think variations on the usual outdoor decor is needed, so I did a bit of research to find some unique outdoor lighting ideas and a few new takes on some old ones.

First, I love these icicles that are hung from trees. Martha Stewart has a tutorial on how you can create these beautiful centerpieces to your yard. They seem super easy to make (especially if you enlist your fiancee / husband to do all the work) and the effect is really fabulous. Can you imagine what they would look like after a snowfall? These would work well year round too. I can see them used in a night time wedding as a variation on the ever popular chinese lanterns.

These shooting stars are super dramatic. I can see them scattered through out your backyard — it would be so unexpected! I love lights strung in layers, especially from tree to tree or object to object. It’s almost like creating a canopy of lights. Click here for a tutorial on how to make them.

I love these but they are a bit hard to make. They certainly would be fabulous for cocktail party, scattered and grouped along your sidewalk and on your front porch. They remind me of the outdoor luminaries (which we’ll talk about below), except made with snow instead of white paper bags. But they are so much fun! Martha has a tutorial on how to make these, too. You could vary the shapes depending on what type of “molds” you could find. I bet festive cake molds would work well.

Wrapping your lamp post in evergreen garland isn’t new, but adding this orb lights instead of the traditional string of lights makes this extra special. They look like little snow balls!

Consider lining your steps or walkway with cylinder vases like these, filled with something fun. Cranberries, crystals, ornaments, strands of beads, even popcorn would look gorgeous in these. I think varying pillar candle heights would also create lots of dimension.

Paper bag luminaries are so popular and for a reason — they have a big impact and they are easy to make. All you need are white paper bags, some tea lights, and a little sand which are all available en mass at your local craft store. I love these because of the festive cut outs, which can be achieved with a simple craft punch (or if you are super artistic, an x-acto knife).

I LOVE the big, vintage christmas lights. And what better way to display them then wrapped around an old bicycle. Some other ideas with a similar theme: an old vintage mail box or sleigh.

I love lights wrapped around these rustic grape vine balls. You can find them virtually anywhere and at all different price points. They would look so pretty lining your walkway, in your flower boxes, hanging from a tree, in a flower pot / urn, or grouped together in a sturdy bush.

I hope that I’ve inspired you all to rethink your outdoor holiday decor and make it part of your next holiday soiree!Similar Posts:

• Decor Idea: Hanging Light Bulb Vases
• Brown & Green Bridal Shower: The Nitty Gritty
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8 chunky square votive candle holders
$1.97 ea, Wal-Mart

5 Tall, thin vases
$1 ea, The Dollar Store

3 Tall and chunky mosaic vases
$1 ea, The Dollar Store

4 round, traditional vases (not pictured)
1 ea, The Dollar Store

4 packages (two per pack) of 7 inch & 9 inch tissue “bells” (for the kitschy factor!)
$1 ea, The Dollar Store

6 packages of tissue paper in brown, green & hot pink (8 sheets per pack)
$2.29, Wal-Mart

3 packages of stick-on crystal embellishments
$2.29 ea, Martha Stewart Crafts

3 Rolls of ribbon (thick brown, brown/white polka dot, thin green)
$2.97 ea, Wal-Mart

1 Roll of cooking twine
Free, because we don’t cook!

80 stems of fresh assorted mini gerbera daisies
$79.80 (with overnight international shipping!) farmstogo.com

Grand Total: $135 (give or take some cents)

Items used but already owned by us:
Stampin’ Up! Engagement Stamp Set with rubber stamps and ink pads
Cardstock for tags
Hole puncher
Floral wire
Wire Cutter
Circular paper cutter
Fabric glue
Tealights

Not bad, right? The key to beautiful and affordable décor is to shop around for the best bargain. I recommend looking in the stores we’ve mentioned, plus places like Home Goods, The Christmas Tree Shops, Ocean State Job Lot, Big Lots, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Target, Michaels, Joann Fabrics, and your local discount store. These are all wonderful resources and you can sometimes find the “find of a lifetime!”

Shopping for discounted flowers can also be really difficult. To be sure that you order the correct amount of flowers, do a trial run of your centerpiece beforehand. It’s always good to have some extra blooms on hand, as the shipping process tends to eliminate a few beauties from the bunch. Also, if you are ordering the flowers yourself, make sure they are delivered no more than two days before your event (unless otherwise specified by the floral company). You want to make sure that the flowers you’ve chosen are at the peak of their blooming cycle and are as fresh as can be (no one likes half-dead flowers!) If your floral budget is limited you can do what we did – tie the blooms together to mimic a bouquet. I think it’s just as elegant as a lush and full arrangement.

Tomorrow I’ll provide you with some tutorials on how to take all the ingredients we’ve purchased and turn them into our décor!
Similar Posts:

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All the tables were adorned with a variety of chunky vases filled with white and yellow Gerbera Daisies that we hand wrapped in twine to give an elegant bouquet effect.

The yard was adorned with tissue paper “pom-poms” (or tissue flowers, if you prefer) that we hand made. They were all jeweled with small crystals for an added bit of bling, which ended up looking like dew on the petals! All the vessels were wrapped in ribbon in brown, brown & white polka dot, and green. We also made the brides monogram and incorperated it into the tablescapes with some twine and ribbon. I especially love the “mr. & mrs.” we created out of card stock and stamps from Stampin’ Up!Similar Posts:

• Brown & Green Bridal Shower: The Nitty Gritty
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As an event and wedding planner, you often have the opportunity to “test drive” a lot of products that vendor’s market to brides. We enjoy this process and find it helpful when recommending quality products and vendors to our brides. One company, Wonderful Graffiti, recently sent us sample swatches of their product and we instantly fell in love! What is Graffiti? From the experts themselves. . .

Wonderful Graffiti is very thin pieces of matte vinyl that look “printed” when applied to most smooth surfaces. Your entire wedding Graffiti design arrives on one sheet of transfer paper. Just tape the transfer paper into place, burnish it down and peel it away. Only the individual letters and graphic elements remain. Wonderful Graffiti removes quickly, and won’t harm underlying surfaces.

The possibilities for using Wonderful Graffiti are endless, truly. Since it is nontoxic, easily removable, and doesn’t leave a residue, you can use it anywhere. On the doors of the church, your dance floor, reception walls, or even your “get-away” car.

Personally, I love the element of using typeface and words as a design element in your wedding. With the right font, monogram, poem, and design, you can add a unique piece of art which will act as a focal point to your wedding! Its totally original and something you can customize to suit your style, personality, and individual love story.

Browse their website to view real weddings that used their product. They have hundreds of examples, prefabricated items, and the ability to customize your wedding graffiti into your personal monogram, favorite verse or poem. Wonderful Graffiti can also be used to decorate your home, office, or add an additional element of decor to the next event you throw (we especially liked the Americana themed graffiti in light of Independence Day!).Similar Posts:

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A way to add some dimension and texture to your escort card table is to vary the coloring and design on your escort cards. Play off your color theme by choosing three different colored card stock or ink color and pick the colors at random for each place card. Unless you are going for a monochromatic look, this variation really adds a lot of color and style without being expensive! It’s a simple idea that you can really run with. If you’re using ribbon or embellishments on your place cards, vary the color, texture, and pattern on those. Some of my favorite examples are below, courtesy of TheKnot and the image to the left is from Martha Stewart Weddings.

Similar Posts:

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I first fell in love with this milk bottle carafe that looks so beautiful with a single flower, a bouquet, or just filled with your mornings orange juice. I love the shape of it and the thickness of the glass. It is a unique piece that I can’t wait to use!

Of similar ilk is this vintage water bottle that also looks wonderful with just a single bloom. My mom use to have these types of vintage pieces that she would occasionally pick up at tag sales or estate sales. She especially loves medicine bottles.

My most favorite item is their alphabet gift tags. I’ve emailed them about personalizing the order to just include a set amount of one letter. I doubt it is possible unless they are vintage inspired pieces, but if they can offer that option, these would be wonderful as favor tags and in other elements of a weddings design. And because they are black and white they can appeal to a variety of different decor palettes. Either way, I’m ordering myself a set. For $8.oo, how can you go wrong?

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