Holiday Party Tips

20 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Events & Parties

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bouquets, centerpieces, christmas, Country Living, decor, decorating, favors, flowers, fun, garland, holiday, Holiday Party Tips, interior, nature, ornaments, party, thanksgiving

The holidays are here! With Thanksgiving in a few days and Christmas & New Years right around the corner, it’s time to start planning those holiday parties. There are so many fun things you can do to dress up your home and make it festive. Here are a few tips I scored from Country Living that should totally inspire the designer in all of you.

Using ornaments in different ways is always fun. You don’t have to just hang them from the tree. Gather some in a bowl or vase, hang from doorways and moldings or create garland out of them. Try to stick with a theme or color and go with it.

Let nature be your guide and feature lots of green. From small centerpieces to holly type garland, there are lots of ways to use flowers and plants. You can even create small bouquets for people to bring home as favors.

Create some laughs by dressing up photographs of family and friends with funny faces and holiday cheer. Just use a dry erase marker and you should be good to go.

Instead of adding lots of decorations, dress up your table with pretty bowls and plates. Whether they shine, shimmer or bring pops of color to the space, festive they will be.

Thanksgiving Decor Ideas

12 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art & Design, Everyday Design, The Home

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autumn, centerpieces, Country Living, decor, design, flowers, fruits, harvest, holiday, nature, thanksgiving, thanksgiving decor

I love Thanksgiving. The harvest theme, autumn weather, all the yummy food, how can you not love this holiday? My husband and I have started our own tradition 3 years ago and are excited to have our first Thanksgiving in our new home this year. Our vegetarian feast will include lots of veggies like roasted asparagus & carrots, corn and mashed potatoes. The main course, orzo and spinach stuffed peppers. I can’t wait!

Besides cooking, I love to decorate the table and allow the space to feel festive and fun. I always think its best to keep it simple, natural and whimsy since this holiday is all about the Earth. Here are some ideas I found on Country Living that are all beautiful and easy to do. I wish you all a happy holiday this year!

Use different items to hold flowers and centerpiece items. Get creative and have fun.

I have always loved the idea of using fruit and vegetables as centerpieces. They look and smell lovely and will surely add to the harvest theme.

Bringing in various branches from outside allow texture to and color to shine in your home. Whenever you look to nature for ideas, it never lets you down.

{For more ideas visit Country Living, Thanksgiving Decorations}

Fall Into Autumn Weddings

07 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Wedding Decor Ideas, Weddings

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autumn, bouquets, bride, centerpieces, events, fall, flowers, groom, harvest, leaves, orchard, seasons, table settings, trees, weddings

Fall is right around the corner and although I chose to have a spring wedding, autumn is my favorite season of them all. I love the cool weather and how the colors change. The sky is a different blue and I find that beautiful as well. Everything is a little bit darker and richer which is nice after the hot summer.

I have only been to one fall wedding in the past and they definitely celebrated the season through the decor. The one thing I would watch out for is to go overboard. A harvest theme can get a little crazy and seem like Thanksgiving and a darker theme can look like Halloween. In most cases, these won’t end up successful, unless you want to celebrate the holidays.

I think its most important to really use the fall colors wisely and try not to use one too much, like having a whole event of orange. Don’t get stuck in traditional ideas and think you should only use brown, orange and red. You can bring in other colors as well. Just blend them with a unique style.

Here are some great examples I came across of fall themed weddings. I say, celebrate nature and its beautiful changes and let the Earth give you all the inspiration you need.

A Few Favorites

03 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Wedding Decor Ideas, Weddings

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antique, bouquets, bride, cake, celebration, centerpieces, decor, events, flowers, groom, mag rouge, spring, table settings, vintage, weddings, woodland

I just checked out the August edition of Mag Rouge and wanted to share a few of my favorite images that are truly inspiring. This was a great one folks. You should definitely take a look at it. These girls do such an amazing job pulling everything together. The design is always stunning and the content is truly beautiful and interesting. Thanks Mag Rouge!