Valentines Day

Valentines Day is one of my absolute favorite holidays. To be honest not because of the romantic aspect (although that is nice) but because of the "girlieness"of the holiday. Pink and red, hearts, chocolates.... who can ask for anything more. If your thinking of throwing a Valentine's Day party here are some ideas you may be interested in.

Invitation Ideas

Address with vintage love stamps

Make your own envelope liners using glitter card stock or heavy wrapping paper

Tablescape

Flower arrangements 

Beautiful pink and red flowers in a gold vase. You can make the gold vases for very inexpensive if you dont feel like spending a lot. Take cheap glass vases (found in thrift stores or craft stores and use a metalic gold spray paint.

Gold Chargers at each persons place setting. Found very similar ones for $1at the .99c store. Cant beat that!

Gold rimmed glassware

Place settings 

You can spray paint any metal or tin mailbox the color of your choice (I would do pink) and use it as place setting. Inlcude a special message for your guests as well as blank Valentines for people to write messages and place in other guests' mailboxes.

$13.75 for 6 from Hanson Ellis

Favors

Pink Pastry boxes filled with homemade sugar cookies

These are extremely easy to make. You can buy the pink boxes on etsy and the doily and gingham ribbon at any craft store.  

Sugar cookies

I have been making these since I was 16 years old. They are always a hit and are absolutely beautiful. They do take lots of practice and can be time consuming. Definitely worth every minute! My favorite shape is the heart and this is the most easily found cookie cutter.Can be bought online here cookie cutters or at most houseware stores.

Recipe for the sugar cookie that I use is from Martha Stewart but any cut out sugar cookie with royal icing is fine.

Steps for cookies:

Photo prop 

Kissing booth

Valentines Drinks - Pink and beautiful

Pink Lemonade Martini Recipe

2 oz Absolute Citron

2 oz lemonade

splash chambord liqueur

splash cranberry juice

French Martini (my personal favorite)

1 1/2 oz flavored chombard vodka

1/2 oz chombard liqueur

2 oz pinapple juice

Back to School Party

Hello blogger friends! Its been quite a long time since I last posted on my blog and I have so much to share with you. Its been an unbelievably busy summer filled with weddings, showers and engagements. The most recent party I did was a "back to school" theme for a newly hired Kindergarten teacher. It was an adult party with a school/child like feel. You can use these ideas for kids or adults. Check it out!



Yummy red velvet cake. Everything was edible!



Milk and Cookie Bar

Mini milk jugs with red and white paper straws

Cake pops, cookie bar, personalized penicls and candy bars

Back to school themed cupcake toppers

Personalized candy bar wrappers and pencils



 I cut out 2" strip pieces of kraft paper and stamped an apple on it. Use double sided
 tape to secure the label.



Party favors were an assortment of candies. I stamped a small red apple on a tag and tied it with a red bow.



I tucked the menu into vintage library cards. I stamped "menu" on the front of the card.





{Dinner Table} Stacked books covered in kraft paper tied with red and white twine. Big bowls of apples lined the table. Personalized banner hangs from the head chair.
For the cutlery I wrapped a setting in a page from a vintage Beatrix Potter book. I then tied it with hemp twine of course!


Enjoy and be inspired! 



Out of Town Wedding Gift Bags

For so many brides the last thing they sometimes think of are providing their out of town guests with a welcome bag. I always recommend having the welcome bag waiting for your guests upon check in. Like many, the typical and most common style most brides end up doing is buying a paper gift bag and filling it with snacks and a wedding itinerary. I am hoping you will find inspiration and be a little more creative when creating your out of town wedding gift bags.

Gift Box



Line the inner box with the wrapping paper pattern of your choice

 

Don't forget to include a map of the area, wedding weekend itinerary and list of restaurants/things to do

My new obsession- Velvet ribbon {especially in pink!!}

Materials/Supplies

1. Box {Michaels Crafts}
2. Gift Wrap, pattern of your choice
3. Ribbon {I love the pink velvet ribbon I recently found at Michaels}
4. Glassine bags {Paper Mart}
5. Labels {You can create yourself or get them custom made My Own Labels}
6. French Macarons or homemade cookies {My favorite recipe here}
7. M&M's {mymms}
8. Map of the area
9. Wedding weekend itinerary with directions

Canvas Bag with your map

One of my favorite wedding bags for out of towners and your bridal party. These are designed by one of my favorite calligraphers Laura Hooper. If you are interested in more vendors that do custom wedding maps please contact me justine@prettydomestic.com.

Ideas for Gift Bags

1. Thank You card
2. Custom Water bottles
3. Snacks
4. Flip Flops {shower shoes for hotel bathroom, I NEVER leave home without them}
5. List of restaurants and Things To Do in the area
6. Wedding Weekend Itinerary
7. Mini Emergency Kit.  {Advil, Band-Aids, Pepto, Emergen-C}
8. Tissue Pack
9. Kids activities {crayons, coloring book}

Please contact me justine@prettydomestic.com for more ideas and vendor resources.

Its a Boy!

I love throwing baby showers and am always honored to be asked to coordinate or contribute an inspiration board. I would like to share with you one of my favorite "boy themed" baby showers. My gals over at On to Baby posted this on their blog. This technically can be used for a girl or a boy but I personally like this for a little boy :)

"Camping Theme Shower"
              

Acorn garland

Everything here can be found at your local sports and craft stores!

 How cute are the "sleeping bag" tortilla wraps and the "smores" cupcakes!!

Look at the gorgeous detail of the wood tree trunk inspired cakes. Stunning job by Sweet and Saucy

"Make your own Onesie"

 My friends over at Posh Paperie created all of the paper goods for the party.

      Photos by Gabriel Ryan

"Make your own Onesie" Shopping List

1. Plain white Onesies

2. Iron

3. Iron on transfers {animal shapes, ties, bowties, first letter of babies names etc..."

4. Buttons, bows, fabrics. Be creative!

Please contact me for event coordinating services. If you don't live in California and would like me help with your next party I offer "virtual party planning."

Red and "Kraft Paper" Brown Dinner Party

I recently hosted a dinner party at my house for 30 guests. The color palette was red and "Kraft Paper" brown. I was inspired from my own post back in March titled Planning the Perfect Dinner Party. I wanted to incorporate burlap table runners, candles, and red roses.

These were my Inspiration Pictures from Planning the Perfect Dinner Party.

My Party pics

For each persons place setting I first used a Kraft Paper envelope. Then I printed out each persons name on a self adhesive red round label. After the label was printed I used a vintage inspired cutlery stamp to finish it off. The silverware was tucked inside the envelope which was then wrapped in a red and white patterned napkin {tied with a bow of course}. The menu was placed behind the envelope and held together with a red and white twine bow.

I also used a vintage inspired "Bon Appetit" stamp for my menus. Again, never missing an opportunity for a bow :)

Party favors were homemade chocolate chip cookies. Cookies were placed in Brown Kraft paper boxes, wrapped with a red and white twine bow and a tag to tie everything together.

"Home Baked Love" tag to give people a hint as to whats inside.



Menu

Soup and Salad

Matzah Ball Soup Recipe Here

Strawberry and Spinach Summer Salad Recipe Here

Main

Cut up Herb Roasted Chicken Recipe Here

Brisket Recipe Here

Roasted vegetables Recipe Here

Tzimmes Recipe Here

Dessert

Fresh fruit Platter

French Pastries {Bakery bought}

Tea and Coffee

{Eric Shemtov Photography}