Feature Flower: Peony

This is a small corner of bliss in my kitchen amidst a lot of chaos. We just returned from vacation after leaving with boxes all over the house waiting to be unpacked. I was so thrilled to come home and find that my peonies were still blooming (although just past their peak). So I brought some of the stragglers inside.

They're such a great flower! Easy to grow, loads of varieties, and greenery that lasts all summer. You can use just one for a bridesmaid bouquet or a few full ones and you have a magnificent but oh-so-simple bridal bouquet or throw them in a vase and no need to fuss with arranging them.

Book Favors

We went down to Portland, OR this past weekend to attend my cousin's wedding. The favors were so fun I had to share them! At the centerpiece of each table they had a stack of books for the guests to pick from and these neat book plates (see pic above) to stick in the front of them! (This also tied into their invitations which were hand typed on library cards.)

Inspiration Board: Red and White

Here's the current inspiration board for my sister's wedding. She wants to do completely red and white. Lots of things are still up in the air - but it's a start!

Wedding Planning

With my sister getting married in just over two months we all have been extra busy making calls, creating lists, shooting emails, and sketching out time lines!  It's all starting to come together.  We've got the dress, the building, and the pastor so even if nothing else came together we could still have a wedding! My mother and sister are hard at work on the guest list so that all the invitations can go out and then there will be a little breathing time.
Yesterday my sister-in-law and I packed up the kids and scoped out the site for the reception  (Sunnyside Park)- which we loved.  (And I managed to get us pulled over for talking on my cell phone in the state of WA!) We are now working on ideas for her outdoor tea-themed reception (although being the end of August it will be ICED tea!) and playing around with lilies as her theme flower.  I'll keep you posted!

Isn't she pretty?

My sister, Kajsa, needed some headshots for an upcoming piano performance so while she was here visiting we quickly took these informal ones. We have a Nikon D40x and I had it on the P setting (I don't really know anything about what the P even means)- just playing around trying to get some good shots and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out!

Engagement Party

 

My sister got engaged over the weekend so my mother threw a surprise party for them. My sister-in-law, Naphtali, and I did the food and decor!  He proposed with roses on a park bench so we went crazy with the rose petals and red theme.  And since her fiance is Irish - we made these cupcakes and added the engagement rings (available at Michaels 12 for $1.99 or even less if you use coupons!)

 

Naphtali tied the ribbon around the cupcakes - hard to do!

 

 

Banners add so much without adding a lot of cost!  Sorry the picture is a little fuzzy - it was hard to get a clear shot of the big sign!