Valentines Day Crafting Party

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For lent this year I have decided to give up "not blogging" which means you will be seeing lots more of me (I am really hoping someone cheered after reading that). Anyways, I wanted to share some pictures from a Valentines Crafting Party I had at my apartment this past weekend for a very special little eight year old.  Just because you are throwing a party for two and/or your guest list includes no one over the age of ten doesn't mean you can't include lots of festive details. 

I picked up these adorable petit fours at Sweet Celebrations.  The gold plated silverware was picked up from a vintage store in Knoxville.  For the centerpieces I picked up roses from the local grocery store, trimmed the leaves and stems, and cut them so they would gather right at the opening of the containers.  For the vases I used a cocktail shaker (with the top removed), a rocks glass, and a Marc Blackwell glass (similar here).  I arranged them on a vintage mirrored tray I found on Ebay.  

We had such a great time making valentines & decorating sugar cookies.  To make valentines I just picked up several packs of blank cards and envelopes- some kraft paper, some red, and some white.  I bought ribbon, pre-glittered stickers (saves so much time and makes less of a mess), some fun paint, and calligraphy markers. To write on the sugar cookies I made a piping bag out of a zip-lock baggie.  You simply scrape the frosting into the bag with a spatula, push it all towards one corner, and snip a tiny bit off the end. 

 I can't wait to throw a bigger (and possibly more adult friendly) party next year. My wish for all of you is that your Valentine's day is full of love!  XOXO!

-a.e.h.

Shop my favorite v-day finds here:

DIY Bridal Shower

I threw a bridal shower for my Best Friend, Whitney, this past weekend.  I couldn't wait to share some of the pictures with you.  Whitney is very laid back, natural, and has a great sense of style (she is a personal shopper for JCrew).  I really wanted to incorporate all of those things into the shower to make it more personalized.  I hope you enjoy this peek at all of the details!



I love to cook, but I hate to bake so I always order my cakes when I am doing events.  I ordered a 10 inch cake and an 8 inch cake with buttercream icing and no trim. Since they usually charge more for tiered cakes it is an easy money saver to order two smaller cakes and assemble yourself. To decorate the cake I bought several small containers of succulents. I cleaned them in the sink by pulling them out of their containers and snipping the stem down to a quarter of an inch- just enough to be able to stick into the cake.  I gave them a good soap and water bath and then positioned them all of the cake. If you cut the stem too short, simply stick a toothpick down the center of the remaining stem and then position onto the cake. 



I wanted Whitney to be able to take something home from the shower that was really special so I had everyone write her advice, funny memories, and words of encouragement.  I cut out the banner from a roll of kraft paper and then used acrylic paint for the lettering.  I attached it to a cork board that I made earlier this year. 

I always use The Happy Envelope for my invitations.  They are wonderful! 
If you are a bride-to-be, contact them!

We made terrariums out of apothecary jars and mixed them with terracotta plants full of rosemary and lavender and tea cups filled with succulents. 

To make the custom champagne labels I soaked the bottles in warm, soapy water for 1 hour.  I used a scouring pad to scrape the part of the label that wouldn't peel off.  I cut out rectangles out of kraft paper and used acrylic paint to make the design. I used a spray adhesive to attach the label to the bottle.

Shop the brides look here: Dress, necklace

-a.e.h.