These Thanksgiving tablescape ideas from Country Living are so elegant & inspiring! I love the sense of warmth conveyed in this first look, which features pretty sepia & brown tones and lots of natural textures…

The sentimental touches are wonderful too – especially the lovely photo centerpiece idea (pictured below), and the handwritten names & phrases applied to the linens, place cards, and even the wine goblets!

This next centerpiece idea could be incorporated into a variety of looks – and the style of font you choose for the words “GIVING THANKS” will really affect the finished look. You could even tailor this idea to an ultra-contemporary table by using a san-serif font, perhaps in all lowercase + a modern color palette. The same concept is applied to the coordinating napkin rings too.

Note: Buying multiple can get expensive, so look for sales and discount places where you can purchase pillar candles in bulk to help cut down on your costs!

Last but not least, a buffet of autumn-toned berries & leaves makes for a rich & colorful harvest look! (You can achieve this look with artificial berries & leaves, which are readily available at craft stores right now.)

Check out more details on these ideas and more in the Thanksgiving Table Settings gallery at countryliving.com.

Remember the gorgeous Anthropologie-inspired Owl Baby Shower that we featured last month? Well, there were tons of inquiries about how to make the adorable owl stir sticks that one of the shower hostesses – Jesi Haack from Jesi Haack Weddings – made for the party.

When I asked Jesi for the DIY info, she was kind enough to not only share the details, but she also create a fabulous how-to video to demonstrate all the steps! Click the play button below to watch:

Thanks so much to Jesi for the fabulous video & tips!

*Click here to view the video at a larger size on whowhatweddings.com.

Credits:
jesihaackweddings.com
crafthouseproductions.blogspot.com

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First things first – apologies for the missing post yesterday. I was just straight-up wiped out after the Berry Sweet Baby Shower for Judy Reyes (Scrubs) up in Santa Monica on Sunday. Everything went great though! I can’t post anything until after it comes out in Life&Style on Thursday… but I’m super excited to share pics and all the DIY details SOON!

And speaking of little ones on the way… Sonny and I also got some fun news yesterday. We found out we’re having a GIRL! (Our first… due in March!)

You might have seen the Modern Giraffe-Inspired Nursery boards that I designed for StrollerTraffic a few weeks ago. Well, I found myself revisiting those boards the minute we got home yesterday (uh-oh… let the shopping begin!). I still want to go with a modern giraffe-inspired theme, but decided to “girl it up” a little with bold splashes of orange, yellow, and bright pink & some other fun details.

Since we have a lot of moms and moms-to-be that visit HWTM, I wanted to share the info for this board with you in case anything catches your eye! (product names & links for everything are below)…

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MOD SAFARI GIRL Nursery Inspiration Board

1. Love Candy Lemon Print – by MadeByGirl

2. Ugly Dolls: Ox-Pink, Plunko, and Uppy

3. Silver Lake Bookcase – Walnut (by DwellStudio for Target)
*coordinates with #14 & 15

4. Giraffe Wall Sconce by Jonathan Adler
*JA’s Giraffe Table Lamp as been on my wish list for years, but I’ve just never been able to quite justify the $395 price tag. I’m so happy he came out with this look-alike wall sconce at $195!

5. Vinyl Wall Art – Safari (color: “Barbie Pink”)
*Note: this Etsy shop is closed right now (owner on maternity leave) but the storefront note says it will reopen sometime in November

6. Billie Crib Bedding Set – by Olli & Lime
I just love the designs by this UK-based brand! Coordinating wallpaper, receiving blankets, hooded towels, and more are available with each of their collections as well.

7. Accent Pillows: Fuschia Dots by DwellStudio, Blossom Giraffe by DwellStudio, and Milo Yellow Circle by Glenna Jean

8. Giraffe Plush Toy by violastudio

9. Clothes Tree in Orange – by P’kolino

10. Baby Bella Mobile – by Debbie

11. Gerry Giraffe and Mod Monkey Wall Graphic by ellynelly
(color: “Max”)

12. Zebra Area Rug – by West Elm
*The giraffe-print rug featured in one of the earlier boards is now out of stock, but this zebra version is a great, reasonably-priced alternative and still works with the “Safari” theme!

13. ABC Jelly Beans Print – MadeByGirl
(customized with child’s name in Yellow)

14-15. Silver Lake Collection White/Walnut Crib and White/Walnut Changing Table – by DwellStudio for Target
(Matching 4-Drawer Dresser and Night Stand also available)
*As much as I love all the ultra-contemporary nursery furniture out there, pretty much everything I looked at was WAY out of our price range :0 $1000+ for a crib? Umm… not happening. Thank goodness DwellStudio has some cool, affordable designs available at Target. There seems to be mixed reviews on certain pieces (as always), but I have a friend that purchased this particular collection and loves it…

16. Elephant Play Furniture – by Bobles {$95 at ModernMini}
I’ve adored this item for years now… so excited to finally have an excuse to make it my own! It would also make for a fabulous “party centerpiece that doubles as a gift” for a modern baby shower.

17. Glider & Ottoman Combo in Espresso – by Shermag

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Here’s a little sneak peek at some of the new HWTM Thanksgiving Themes that we shot on Monday…

Full details & lots of pics will be included with each new theme. I’m hoping to have all of them uploaded to the Party Themes section by the end of next week!

If you’re on the lookout for new Thanksgiving ideas, hope you’ll find something that inspires you here!

P.S. Can you believe it’s this time of year already?!

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And now for Part 2 of the gorgeous Anthropologie Owl Baby Shower! (See Part 1, posted earlier today, for more background on this shower & the creative women involved.)

Pictured here are some images of the fabulously creative party decor, which included a cool, vintage-style name banner and picture garland, as well as one of my personal favorite details of this shower – the adorable, handmade owl fans! So cute…

Some detail shots of the name banner and picture garland…

The stylish, eclectic arrangement on this hand-crafted desk looks like stomething straight out of an Anthropologie catalog shoot…

The desk included: a block-letter “L” sign, wooden owl figurines, old-fashioned hard-cover books, a customized photo guest book, knitted baby booties, flowers in vintage vases, and a copy of the handmade baby shower invitation.

Here’s a close-up of the invites, which were both handmade and hand-delivered, and included special details like custom fabrics and twine:

And a couple more decor shots… I couldn’t resist throwing in a full-length view of the cool chair & bottle shot again – LOVE it!

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Photo Credit: Gabriel Ryan

P.S. Thanks again to Leila for sending over all the images!

Blown. Away. Yep… that pretty much sums up how I felt after receiving images of this gorgeous “Anthropologie Owl Baby Shower“. Wow!

From frozen lemonade served in mason jars to owl-shaped paper hand fans to stunning floral arrangements displayed in pretty bottles and vintage vases, this party is overflowing with charm and thoughtful, creative details…

The baby shower was held in honor of Carlie from Gabriel Ryan, and it probably won’t surprise you to learn that there were some very talented people involved in putting it together… including Carlie herself, Jesi from Jesi Haack Weddings, Carissa of JL Designs, and Melody of Sweet and Saucy Shop (wait ’til you see the gorgeous dessert buffet, below!).

There are so many inspiring ideas and beautiful photos (courtesy of Gabriel Ryan) to share that I decided to break this post up into 2 parts.

Here in Part 1, you’ll find lovely images of the flowers, decor, jewelry favors, and dessert buffet… starting with this incredible shot of the table centerpiece that I honestly want to blow-up poster size and put on my wall!

The colorful, translucent vases look so pretty all grouped together like this, and primarily all-white blooms add a soft, delicate vibe without competing with the colors in the vases. Yellow pom pom flowers add and a nice pop of color in just a few key places!

More pretty vases & vintage-inspired decor:

How great is the chair shot, above?! Also pictured above & below, jewelry from Thalken by Hana Lash.

And now, the lovely dessert buffet by Sweet and Saucy…

The presentation & set up of this buffet looks as delicious as the treats! Tissue and paper pom garlands make for such a pretty backdrop…

Treats included: mini candy bar cupcakes, red velvet and carrot cake flavored cake pops, mini fruit “pizzas”, iced sugar cookies decorated with super-cute purple and yellow owl motifs.

YUM! Stay tuned for part 2 – coming later today!

When Tara from StrollerTraffic asked me to create a style board and design tips for a new nursery trend she was researching, it sounded like a fun project, but I got even more excited when I found out what this new trend actually was… because it just so happened to be my favorite {wild animal} already – the giraffe!

Since there’s so much cute stuff out there, I had a hard time making decisions (nothing new!) – so I ended up with 2 boards instead of 1.  You’ll find all of the nursery design tips + product links for Board A (pictured above) – over on StrollerTraffic.com, and Board B with product links/info is pictured below.

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Product Links for Giraffe-Inspired Nursery – Board B

• Egg Crib Bedding Collection by Olli & Lime (Swoon!!!)

• Egg Wall Art by Olli & Lime
(mocked up in a yellow frame for this inspiration board)

• Personalized Giraffe Print

• Safari Block Vinyl Decal – Elephant/Giraffe/Rhino

• Jonathan Adler Giraffe Sconce

• Clothes Tree (in Natural)

• Giraffe Coin Bank

• Gio Aqua Boudoir Pillow by DwellStudio

• Giraffe Pillow by DwellStudio

• Squares Wall Mobile

• Gerry Giraffe and Mary Monkey Wall Graphic

• Tiddliwinks Musical Mobile – Giraffe

• Giraffe Area Rug

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Thanks again to Tara for giving me an excuse to work on this project! Next project to add to the agenda now… a giraffe-inspired baby shower! =)

If you’re hosting a Pink Party in October (or any time of year), chances are good that you’ll be serving up some pink drinks, so here are a few ideas for adding an extra splash of your signature color to the outside of your drink!

Adorning stemware & glasses with fun details like ribbon & rhinestones only takes a few extra minutes, but it really elevates signature drinks to the next level and adds such a fun element to the party.

The DIY Details:

• Decorate cocktail glasses with festive embellishments like pink marabou boa, pink ribbon, and sparkly, hot pink pipe cleaners. Collins glasses also look great with a band of fabric ribbon around the base and a pretty pink straw.

• Adhesive-backed craft rhinestones are great for adding a small dose of sparkle, or you can also use a more intricate rhinestone motif to make the guest of honor’s glass extra-special!

Ready-made stickers like the flower rhinestone pictured here are available at most craft and scrapbooking stores, and they have a clear backing that enables you to peel-and-stick them in one easy motion.

• Pink chipboard letters are another quick & easy way to dress up stemware, and they come with the added bonus of doubling as a drink marker so that guests can keep track of their glass. Use a small jump ring or piece of wire to attach the letter to the stem. These letters look extra-fun when paired with pink marabou boa!

Stay tuned for Pink Your Drink Part 2… what to put INSIDE the glass!

There were 2 main types of centerpieces at last month’s French Circus Baby Shower – “feather trees” and an “eclectic groupings”, and today I’m going to cover the DIY details for the feather trees. These are actually one of my favorite types of centerpieces to make – and they’re surprisingly quick & easy! I used a smaller version of these at the Hip Hostess New York event last year, but since this party was outdoors in a bigger space, we opted for a larger feather plumes & taller vases this time so that they’d still make a strong visual impact within the setting.

In the centerpieces pictured here, we used 19-23″ ostrich plumes and 28″ eiffel tower vases, then embellished the centerpieces with ribbon and cool acrylic strands pulled from a “Hoops Beaded Curtain“, which was also used to decorate the cabana area. (only $19.99 per curtain – and one goes a long way!)

To help combat the surprisingly strong wind factor in the backyard setting, we used “earthquake gum” to secure each feather tree to a decorative “base” made from an acrylic silver charger plate with translucent aqua vase gems hot-glued all the way around the edge. The vase gems matched the party’s color palette and added a substantial amount of weight to the plate.

Here are all the DIY details for the feather trees:

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You’ll Need:
19″-23″ Ostrich Plumes (approx 20 – 25 per tree *see note)
Straight Stem Bouquet Holder
Eiffel Tower Vase – (24″ or 28″ height)
glue dots, earthquake gum, or similar other type of adhesive

Optional Embellishments:
Ribbon
Hoops Beaded Curtain (or similar)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Insert the feather quills into the foam bouquet holder to create a “palm tree like” look, starting at the bottom of the holder and working your way up to the top.  (You may need to trim some of the quills if they seem to be a little long and start to run into each other when inserted.) The best thing about this centerpiece is that it’s so easy to adjust. If it looks too full/empty in one particular area, just keep moving things around until you’re happy with the look. When you’re done, give the holder a little shake to make sure all of the feathers are secure and to help fluff them up.

2. Decorate the vase with ribbon (optional).  Wrapping ribbon in a diagonal direction from the bottom to the top of the vase gives it a fun “candy stripe” look that’s perfect for circus themes (or holiday!).

3. Insert the stem of the bouquet holder into the Eiffel Tower Vase so that the feathers sit on top to form the “tree”. Use glue dots, earthquake gum, or another gummy adhesive to help secure the bouquet holder to the vase. This is especially important on this size of a centerpiece, because the top can get pretty heavy due to the large size of the feathers.  If your party is outside, I definitely recommend using a strong adhesive to help combat any wind that might pick up!

4. Embellishments (optional): Pull a piece of the Hoops Beaded Curtain or a similar decorative element to hang from the feathers. The Hoops strands are so light , they can easily hang from one of the individual feathers, so we were able to hang them a few inches away from the vase so that they were more visible. (If you’re using a heavier element like a crystal ornament, you may need to hang it directly from the top edge of the vase.)

*Note: It’s MUCH more cost effective to purchase the large ostrich plumes by the pound. You’ll get approx 110 pieces for $190, which is enough feather for 5 centerpieces, as opposed to paying $80-$94 for 20-25 individual feathers for just one centerpiece. These centerpieces aren’t exactly inexpensive, but when you compare them to the cost of a traditional flower arrangement or large-scale event or wedding centerpiece, they still come in well under the standard price, especially when done in bulk! PLUS, you can re-use the feathers over & over… or lend to friends, etc. =)

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Some of the feather trees at the party were grouped with additional decor – such as small framed signs & the candlestick arrangement pictured above.  (The white candleholder is from Z Gallerie, and it’s topped with a funky melamine zebra salad plate from Social Couture and a fish-shaped Mini GurglePot from Delight.com.)

DIY details on centerpiece #2 coming soon!

“Treat Cones” are such a fun way to display candy & other goodies at a party. They’re easy to make and can be tailored to pretty much any party theme or color palette, so the sky’s the limit on the style!

The cones pictured here are from a French Circus-themed baby shower that I styled last month. We used zebra-striped wrapping paper, Crunch ‘n Munch (yum!), bright yellow Banana Heads Candy, and 6.75″ black and white shallow vases for these particular displays, but you can apply the same basic concept to any theme you like…

Here are the DIY details:

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You’ll Need:
gift wrap or other decorative paper
lollipop sticks
craft styrofoam sheets – approx 1″ thick
shallow tray or vase/container
candy/treats for the cones
candy/treats to cover the styrofoam
tape, glue stick & scissors

DIRECTIONS:

For the Paper Cones:
1. Download or create a template for the cones. (You can download the one we used here. It makes 5″ cones.)
2. Trace the cone template onto the paper, then trim out. Repeat as many times as you need.
3. Roll the trimmed paper into a cone shape, making sure there’s enough of a hole left in the bottom of the cone for the lollipop stick. Secure the cone shape with a piece of tape on the inside, and use the glue stick to make the outer edge lie flat.

For the Party Display:
1. Cut a piece of the styrofoam sheet to fit securely within your tray or vase/container.
2. Place the styrofoam in the container, then insert the lollipop sticks into the foam, leaving a few inches in between the sticks to make room for the cones. (You can insert the sticks in neat rows or in a random configuration – whichever you prefer!)
3. Pour candy or popcorn on top of the styrofoam until it is completely covered.
4. Fill each paper cone with candy, popcorn, or another treat, then slide them onto the lollipop sticks.

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Here’s a peek at our treat cones “in action” at the French Circus baby shower. They sat at different levels on the “dress” of the Dessert “Table Lady” that caterer The Party Goddess dreamed up!

P.S. Stay tuned this week & next for lots more DIY details from this French Circus party!