Decorating with Umbrellas!!

Yes you read right! Today's post is on decorating with umbrellas! So while doing my normal Internet browsing I came across this lovely site, Bella Umbrella! And OMG talk about in love! Who knew umbrellas could be so purty!! But don't get too excited...these babies are gonna cost ya! They run as high as $200 for one umbrella!! They do rent them though and that cost is as low as $10 to $20 each so that's not too bad at all.  I'm not quite ready to drop that much on an umbrella! lol  But they are truly unique and can really add a nice touch to a wedding photo shoot or event!   I especially love the ruffled and pagoda styles! Check out some of the pictures I got from their website!

These are the Pagoda style!  The first one is one of my favs since I love pink!  And go figure... this was actually the style and color that was used in the movie, Sex and the City 2!



And here are some of the ruffled and bridal styles:




Now check out how people have used them  for photoshoots or decor!








LOVE IT! LOVE IT!!

Floral Class Project #3

Yesterday I had the best time at my floral class! This was my favorite project yet!  Im so sad I only have 2 more classes! But I'll be signing back up for Advanced in the fall! :)

We did an Asymmetrical Design which basically means flowers in the design are ill-proportioned.  Roses, carnations, daisies,  pom poms, snapdragons, sticks and leaves were used for this arrangement.
Check out how it all comes together:





Isn't she lovely! :)

Cute for a Baby Shower: Napkin Dresses!

While browsing the Internet I came across a tutorial for the cutest little napkin dresses on howdoesshe.com! They are soo simple to make and totally cute for a girl baby shower! I went and bought some napkins just to try it out! I ended up getting 9X9 napkins from Party City but I think its better to do it with the bigger and thicker napkins.  You just may have to cut them a down a little.

Since my napkins were really too small, I had to open them up and then start the steps so it made them a bit wider than what they did in the tutorial I saw.  Check out how I made these:


First thing you need is napkins, scissors, little bows, and maybe a little glue.
Napkins: Party City
Little Bows: Michael's


Next, open up your napkin. (Remember these instructions are for the smaller napkins...the larger napkins, you dont have to open...you can just start folding)


Then fold both sides in.

Should look like this now:


Now fold it over once more:


Make triangle cuts in the sides and the top as shown here:


Unfold and glue bow to center! And wallah...all done! :) How easy was that!?

Sneak Peak: Summer - Limited Edition Nneka Saran Bags

As most of you know, I took a break from bags last year while planning my wedding. Now Im just getting back into things but Im a little late with a spring/summer line so I've decided to do a small limited edition collection with a few styles. I'll keep ya posted on when they are available for sale. Here is a sneak peak of some of the fabrics I'm loving and will use in the limited edition line for this summer.

I LOVE bold and bright colors esp in the summer but they can be worn year round! :) Its always amazing to see how creations come together...stay tuned to see how I turn this fabric into a few lovely clutch bags! :)

Damask Weddings!

I love damask! I loved it so much I used the theme in my wedding! Damask has become super popular with brides these days so Im featuring all things damask in this post! There are so many ways to incorporate damask in your wedding or event. And the great thing about it is that you can use pretty much any color as an accent and it will look great! I've seen every color from pink to red to yellow to purple to turquoise used as an accent and they all look great! Enjoy and get inspired!!

Damask origami favor boxes! Love these!! They run about $1.15 per box


Damask Vellum Shades...these run about $0.60 or so each and they sit right over a regular wine glass with a tea light candle in it.


Damask compacts...too cute! They run about $1.66 each

You can find the items above here

Damask mint tins


Damask table linens found at www.onenightrentals.com ($15 each to rent)


Damask Toilet tissue!! Talk about details! Imagine how awesome it would be for your guests to see damask toilet tissue in the restroom! $8.99 a roll

www.blissweddingsmarket.com

I found these plates at Marshalls for $3.99 & $2.99.


Damask square candle...$6.99 at Hobby Lobby


Here are some damask cakes I found online:

Decorating with Candles

Candles are a very popular item used to decorate weddings and receptions. Outside of the fact that they are beautiful especially during an evening wedding, candles can be a less expensive way to get that wow factor versus going with some of the pricier floral centerpieces.

One of my all time favorite places to get event decor from is Jamali Gardens in NY! They literally have anything you can think of that you would need to decorate a venue! It's not a super big store but what can you expect in the city? But they have everything! I found out about it while I was planning my own wedding and purchased a few things like vases, pillar and floating candles, and ribbon. But let me tell you...if my budget was bigger, I would have bought half the store! LOL

They are reasonably priced for alot of things but you wouldnt believe how much certain things that you see used in wedding reception decor costs!!!

Pillar candles like these below are often used for weddings. I love pillar candles grouped together.. I think they are very dramatic!

They run between $3.50 to $10.99 each at Jamali Gardens depending on the size you are looking for.

Check out these beautiful pillar holders! Just imagine how pretty they would look grouped together on a table!

They costs $14 & $18

These crystal bead candle holders below costs $68 & $90 !! Very pretty but pricey if you need alot of them! And guess what? They are out of stock so someone is buying them!


These 12 inch votive holders are a steal at only $5 a pop! And used in the right way, they could really add a nice touch to your event decor! It would really be great if they had them in different heights!


Floating candles are often used as well and they are a great alternative to the more expensive pillar candles. These come in different sizes and can range from $1 or less to about $2 depending on where you go. Below are 3inch candles. They cost $1.75.


Check out how candles were used at these wedding receptions I found online and get inspired!





Remember, before you start planning your candle set up, make sure you check with your venue. Alot of places..hotels especially... won't let you have open candles burning without some kind of dome or without them being in a vase of some sort.

Wedding Pics with Parasols

I Do Originals is a company that makes aisle runners, table runners, monograms and a few other items widely used for weddings! They really do a great job! One thing I've noticed that has increased in popularity is couples using personalized parasols for some of their photos! I think they are too cute! For example, a couple may get one that says 'Thank You' and then use that picture as their thank you card! They run from $40 to $50 or so. Unfortunately, right now their shop is closed due to the owner being on maternity leave. But if its something you are interested in, I'm sure you can find similar products on other websites. Check out some of the pics I got from their website!

Cute Baby Shower!

Check out this cute lil baby shower I found over at hostessblog.com!








And check these out. This baby shower had a cupcake theme!

As the favor, they gave out jars of cake mix to make cupcakes and attached the recipe to jar! Too cute!