First Dinner Party

This isn't a typical post for me! Usually I only post events that I have planned or coordinated, but last night David and I hosted our first little dinner party since we've been in Rochester. It was so much fun I decided to show a few of the details.

There are some great running trails behind our house with the most amazing wild flowers. I thought that this would be the perfect excuse to pick some! I'm not sure if you are actually allowed to pick these flowers, so I think my punishment was itching the whole way home!



I just love all the vibrant colors, but I was a little bummed that the started to get droopy so quickly. But, what can you do? They served the purpose for the evening though, and it sure was fun picking them!

I wish I had a pic of the app I made because that did turn out perfectly. It was brie inside an amazingly, golden-brown puff pastry with jalapeno jelly on top! So easy and one of my favs. It was also fun to surprise one of our guests with his favorite beer...


And it brought back some great Kansas City memories while serving it (it's brewed in KC)!

Now David was in charge of the main course, his famous burgers, so I do have to give him credit for those!

Finally, I have to show off the apple pie I made! It's the Pioneer Women's Scrumptious Apple Pie, and you can find the recipe here. This is probably a better fall or winter-ish pie, but dessert is dessert so I figured I couldn't go wrong! To save myself time I didn't make the crust, but if you're looking for a good crust recipe her's is amazing.


We had a great time, and I have to say the couple that came over had the most adorable little girls. If I had pics of them, they'd be up here as favorites too!

A Little "Flair"

I apologize that it's been awhile since my last post. My husband and I were wrapped up in a big move...to Minnesota.

But I'd like to share a long-standing wedding inspiration and a little bit more about me. Something I have always LOVED are peacock feathers (much to my mother-in-laws disliking)! Don't you feel like you should enjoy a nice bold glass of red wine while looking at these fine feathers?!


To me these gorgeous feathers scream elegant, regal, bold and of course are stunning just like the bride should be! I also believe they can symbolize a Godly marriage, in which they are grand, glorious, exalted and majestic.

So, if you're looking for a bold or vintage inspiration, consider the peacock feather.

Below are a few items I found on Etsy.com that are making me re-plan my wedding as I type.




Including a real peacock feather with your save the date is an interesting and lively way to set the tone for your guests.


A hair piece for your bridesmaids is the perfect balance between staying simple and sweet yourself but infusing this sassy theme.



Less dramatic and informal invitation.


Well I'm definitely going to need one of these stampers!


And this creme colored, bleached peacock feather is a great way of playing with the vision, but toning it down a notch. I also love that this designer has added the texture of recycled paper.


China from Unique Tabletop Rentals (Style Me Pretty).



Beautiful, simple cake from Flora's Divine Cakes.


Bouquet by Craig Sole Design (Style Me Pretty).

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A few fast facts on the peacock:

• The male is actually called a peacock, and the female is technically called a peahen but can be still be called a "peacock" or "female peacock."
• The peacock is the national bird of India...jealous!
• The tail feathers are called a "train"...ironic?
• And the males flair their feathers to get the females attention. Worked for me!
  

Schloegel/Dunn Wedding

For never coordinating a winter wedding before, this was a great wedding to begin with. I think the saying is, "go big or go home," right? I loved every minute of coordinating this wedding. There was even a surprise performance at midnight, so when I say every minute I mean every minute!

Ali and I had a few unique things in common from the beginning. We both played soccer at TCU, and from our initial meeting I could tell we were going to have a ball together. No pun intended!

Ali described her vision as classy and fun with an emphasis on the dance floor. However, that vision was really brought to life by Maple Fields Florist. Her primary color was gold (with a touch of green), and it made for a perfectly elegant winter wedding.

(All photos were taken by Walt Whitaker.)




Bridesmaid dresses were designed and created by Candida Allison.



It snowed the day before the wedding, creating a picture perfect background for the bride and groom!



Ali and Tim were married at St. Peter's Parish, and I had the privilege of setting votives in each cove and on each ledge outside the church. It provided a wonderful first impression for not only the ceremony, but for the reception as well.



The details, my favorite part!



These days brides are getting very crafty with their "guest books." Instead of signing a traditional book that will never be opened again, brides are thinking of things that have a more personal touch and that they can truly enjoy. Things that can be used everyday as decor in their homes. A common idea is a coffee table book, either based on their wedding theme, wedding colors, places the bride and groom have traveled together or maybe where they will be traveling on their honeymoon. Ali chose these wine bottles! Very fun. As they sip a glass of wine together, Ali and Tim can remember the sweet moments or laugh at the crazy dancing! They used the Michael Beers Band, and they were phenomenal!


The cake, desserts and impeccable customer service were all provided by Indian Hills Country Club. This staff truly amazed me! I have never been so confident with a team I was working with.


I do love the popcorn! Some of you may remember the popcorn buffet I did in September. I'm excited to say that I take away more than just a few sweets from each wedding. I really do learn something new from each bride and each wedding and it inspires me for the next. The popcorn was displayed differently for this wedding, and it was a great idea to pre-bag the popcorn. It was easier for the guests and me. I was less noticeable, as restocking the popcorn was much faster and I wasn't cleaning the table nearly as often.

Ali also added some fun detail with the "pop in to see us" stickers on each bag. It was a very cute way to give each guest their new address!


As I mentioned earlier, here is the midnight performance. Ali surprised Tim with a two man Irish band to lead them out of the reception and into their limo. It was a perfect touch, and I do have to say I enjoyed the coordination. Throw in a last minute surprise and I'll raise my hand any time!

Ali and Tim, thank you so much for allowing me to enjoy your wedding day with you. I loved being your wedding coordinator and getting to know your families so well. You have such a fun crowd. Many blessings!

Eddie Ross Workshop

In the words of Eddie Ross, "This is fun! There's no sweating in etching."

In his latest Kansas City workshop today, Eddie guided us in etching our monograms in modern, glass hurricanes. This workshop was hosted by Creative Candles, which you have to check out for the perfect candle for any style, in any color!

Here's a quick run down of exactly what we did today:

Supplies + Armour Etch.

Jaithan pre-printed the monogram we gave him prior to the event. To get started we placed the printed initials under the transparent con-tact paper, so we could begin tracing with a Sharpie.

Before.

And after!

Once we traced our monogram, we were ready to place it on the hurricane. This became our stencil for the rest of the project.

When placing the con-tact paper on the hurricane, Eddie suggested working from the center out. He noticed that I had just a few air bubbles by my initials, and instead of forcing the paper down and creating a crease, he used an x-acto knife to poke a few tiny holes. He was then was able to easily smooth the paper without any problems!

Next, it was time to cut out the area we wanted to etch. We used an x-acto knife and simply traced on the inside of the black lines of the Sharpie. Once each area had been cut, we peeled off the paper. It was important to make sure that all the cuts of the x-acto knife were connected.


All cut out! We gently cleaned the peeled area with Windex to make sure there wasn't any left over adhesive from the con-tact paper.

Then it was time to etch! And I quickly learned that that doesn't involve scraping anything with a knife! Actually it's much easier, and can be better described as dab & goop, dab & goop!

With a paintbrush, we put a generous amount Armour Etch on each cut out. Again, Eddie had a great tip. He suggested dabbing the area instead of using a painting motion. Dabbing will ensure that the goo doesn't get under the con-tact paper and etch an unwanted area!

We kept the Armour Etch on for about 10 minutes and then washed it off. Under hot water, we used a sponge to gently rub away the excess goo. And then we got to peel away the rest of the paper.

Ta-da!!!

I am so pleased with mine, and I can't wait to put it to great use. The best thing about learning this technique is that it can be used for so many different things! It can be used for vases for a wedding, on a set of glasses for a gift or to make a fun design on a mirror!

Eddie also showed us how easy you can change the look and style of your hurricane by using a different plate or candle color. He found most of these great plates at a flea market.

Thanks Eddie and Jaithan! Can't wait to learn more from you guys!!!

Etch Away with Eddie Ross

As some of you may remember, I attended a great Eddie Ross workshop in early December last year. Creative Candles hosted the event in their factory, and we learned how to make simple holiday arrangements. I loved every minute of it and have been dying for Eddie to make it back to Kansas City!

Well I'm excited to say...he's on his way with hurricanes and more stylish ideas! I can't wait! He's partnering with Creative Candles for another fun workshop and cocktail party. But, this time we'll be etching hurricanes with our monograms for a look that's personal and chic. And, can I just say with spring inching around the corner I'm ready for some new, fresh decor and creativity?!

So to Eddie and spring, hurry up and get here!



If you're interested and would like to join us, here are the details:

Saturday, March 20
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Creative Candles
3218 Roanoke Road
Kansas City, MO 64111

To RSVP, contact Pam at pam@creativecandles.com or call 816.474.9711.

Cocktails + Ice Cream, Yes Please!

A definite fav find!!!

Signature drinks have become a pretty popular reception-accessory! They are a great way to add color-infused detail in a way that many guests will notice and appreciate, if you get my gist! Martha Stewart even had wedding-themed signature drinks at her 15th Anniversary: Party on the Plaza. So with that, you know you can take these stand-out drinks to the bank!!!


But to elevate this trend, what about cocktail flavored ice cream?! I think this could be a really fun alternative to a signature drink. This is a great twist on a trendy wedding element, plus it can be unique and sophisticated or fun and flirty - fitting many wedding themes and visions!

The San Jose, CA based business, Silver Moon, produced one of "the outstanding products" out of thousands shown at the Winter 2009 Fancy Food Show. From Mojito Ice to Praline Irish Creme, I'm pretty sure you can't go wrong! Silver Moon says they've taken two after dinner favorites, ice cream and liqueur, and combined them into something truly sensational.




So, treat your taste-buds and impress your guests!

A Little Country, A Little Chic

Barn weddings were definitely a fall trend last year, and I had been dying to plan a barn wedding for quite awhile! As you can imagine, I was ecstatic after learning that Stacey was planning to have just that!

Stacey is the catering manager at great local restaurant, Room 39. So, simply, she knows the ins and outs of the business; therefore, she knew exactly what she wanted...and exactly what she wanted in me as her day-of coordinator! Our personalities clicked right off the bat!

Stacey envisioned a chic barn wedding that was not only welcoming and warm, but also classic. By the details in this wedding, you'll be able to tell it was all of the above. Although my sole purpose was to coordinate the day of the wedding, I was able to help with a few of these details as well as the layout of the barn. This, in fact, was one of my favorite aspects of this wedding. I greatly enjoyed walking into the empty space and picturing the focal points, guests and decor. The barn consisted of one main room with a loft and a connected side barn. After walking the space, we were able to determine the best flow and layout for the evening.

Stacey and Andy were married at Pilgrim Chapel in Kansas City. I hope you enjoy this country chic wedding!


Barn at Alexander Majors Historic House and Museum.



Now for the details! Mason jars, mason jars, mason jars!




With a painted, rustic piece of wood, the guests were offered original popcorn, hot apple cider and beer in mason jars! The painted signs were displayed throughout the inside of the barn too!

Now for a few inside photos!

We hung a large cluster of lanterns from wall to wall over the dance floor in the main barn, and the attached side barn housed the bride's and groom's cakes, a perfectly framed bar, authentic wagons and three gorgeous chandeliers!



All the delicious food was catered by Room 39. And even burlap was draped from the ceiling!


The cakes were created by Natasha Goellner.



A little bit of Stacey!

Her hair piece was handcrafted by Janay A. and the bouquets were provided by Ornamental Petal.





Stacey and Andy, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your special day. Your wedding was completely unique, fit your style and catered to your guests. I was challenged as your coordinator and truly appreciate that. I was thrilled to work with you both! Many blessings!