Anemones are such an unique, curious flower… They exude both a romantic and contemporary vibe, which enables them to work well for weddings & events designed in either – or both – of these styles.

Here’s some gorgeous, anemone-inspired eye candy for you for that features these fascinating blooms utilized in ultra-creative ways for bouquets, wedding cakes, and centerpieces…

Image 1: gorgeous Red Anemone Bouquet via the beautiful photoblog Chiaroscuro; Image 2: Modern Bouquet via Brides.com; yellow & white bouquet via the knot; Black Tie Bouquet via Martha Stewart; red and hot pink bouquet via the knot; and black & white bouquet via Brides.com.

Next up, charming anemone-inspired wedding cakes: 

Image 3: Confetti Cakes – from InStyle Weddings; black and white cake with sugar anemone flower via the knot; and contemporary cake with sugar anemones by weddingmagazine.co.uk.

Image 4: Anemone & Sweet Peas Clay Flowers from Estilo Weddings and Country Cake by April Reed Cake Design.

Image 5: And last but not least is a cool “Posh Party” centerpiece featuring anemones & table lamps, via Brides.com.

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If you’ve seen any other amazing floral designs featuring anemones, we’d love to hear about them!

Here’s a sneak peek at the inspiration board for the Swiffer SocialLuxe Lounge – a BlogHer kick-off party that I’m styling and co-hosting with these 5 wonderful ladies on July 23rd. (…which is suddenly right around the corner!)

This event is a “pampering party” but it’s also a place for socializing, checking out tech demos, taking photos, and sipping cocktails, so it was a bit of a struggle at first when trying to come up with a plan for the decor.  I definitely wanted to work the spa element in, but also have a good mix of “hip lounge” style in there as well so that the atmosphere still feels a bit glam too! So after playing around with things for a while, here’s where I ended up…

The colors are inspired by the party’s logo & invitation. Fortunately, the key colors – orange, vibrant purple, and black – work very well for both “spa” and “lounge” vibes, and they’ll be accented by punches of lime green (in honor of our title sponsor – Swiffer) and white.

Decor elements will include black linens, “zen” rocks, custom signage, “beautified” beauty tools (think blowdryers + rhinestones) and floral arrangements featuring varieties of white, orange, and purple orchids.

I’m also planning to do some floating and branch-themed accent arrangements featuring dahlias and azaleas or whatever other great color-coordinating blooms I can get my hands on from local florists when I arrive in Chicago. Ah, the joys of DIY arrangements for out of town events! (Sourcing for all flower images is at the bottom of this post.)

For the party’s signature drinks, we’ll have custom-labeled Orange & Cream and Fufu Berry Jones Soda, which can be enjoyed with or without a vodka kick, and a few other fun options like the Swiffer “Clean-tini” (a.k.a. “green apple martini”).

Custom signage & cheeky phrases will be another key element of the party. I love working a bit of Anne Taintor-style humor into parties whenever possible… so look for more of that to appear in the post-party pics! And if you have any ideas for witty phrases to feature at a party that’s specifically full of blogging women, feel free to send them my way!)

Floral Image Sources:
Image 1 (clockwise from top left): The Knot (real wedding); Brides.com – (real wedding); The Knot (real wedding); The Knot – (real wedding); The Knot (real wedding); Image 2: Brides.com – Paradise Found; The Knot (real wedding).

The first time I stumbled upon the Mints Design website, it was love at first sight! If you’re looking for floral design inspiration that’s seriously beyond the basics and elevated to what really feels like an “artistry” level – get ready!  There’s so much visual eye candy over at Mints – from their stunning events & weddings portfolio to their gorgeous retail arrangements to the Mints Blog. Swoon…

Images from just one of their portfolio events are featured here to give you an example of their style. This “Citrus Meringue Cupcakes” wedding felt especially appropriate today with summer approaching and the weather warming up outside!

Check out the Mints event gallery to view lots more gorgeous and inspiring image like this in a variety of themes and color palettes!

In my quest to come up with easy & budget-friendly Easter decorations this year, here’s another idea that fit the bill and only took a few minutes to whip together: mini pails +  window gels + flowers = super cute Easter Centerpieces!

Shopping Resources:
Mini pails: $1 bins at Target
Window gels: Target ($1.99/pack of 2 bunnies + 2 carrots)
English Daisies – Home Depot ($3.49/plant)
Gerbera Daisies – grocery store ($5/bunch)

Use your own favorite flowers or bedding plants for these arrangements – tulips or marigolds would be lovely options for Easter too. For the window gels – just shop, peel and stick…can’t get much easier than that!

Well, today is officially the first day of Spring! I thought it would be fun to celebrate the imminent arrival of warmer weather with some spring-and-summer-appropriate decorating inspiration from one of my favorite entertaining books: The Perfect Wedding Details by Maria McBride.

Regardless of whether or not you actually have a wedding to plan – wedding books are always great places to draw creative inspiration for all sorts of occasions! For example, don’t you think the birdcage garden centerpiece pictured above would be gorgeous for an Easter table or Mother’s Day brunch?!

And this adorable strawberry & wheatgrass topiary below would be lovely for a bridal shower or strawberry shortcake themed baby shower…

Cocktails are great for any time of year, of course… but there’s something about warm weather and a sunny outdoor party that really makes me want to punch up the color! The Perfect Wedding Details has some great ideas for fun garnishes too…

Want to put a unique spin on your bridal bouquet? Go green with a funky, chic arrangement of button mums & tropical leaves…

A few more of my favorite crafty ideas from this book include: fun ideas for dressing up simple glass cylinders…

…and brightly colored, duo-tone chair bows (for those of you with sewing skills and the proper amount of motiviation/patience!).

Check out The Perfect Wedding Details for a step-by-step breakdown of all of these ideas and many, many more!  Author Maria McBride also penned another one of my favorite “crafy entertaining” books called Party Ideas for New Nesters. Click here for more details on this fabulous read!

When you think of a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, I’m guessing the word “chic” isn’t the first adjective that comes to mind, but these smart & stylish ideas from ’round the web prove there’s another side to St. Patty’s Day festivities that’s sans the all-you-can-drink green beer and rowdy pub crowds!

1. Chic St. Patty’s Day DECOR:
BHG.com’s Irish-Inspired St. Patrick’s Day Decor gallery is loaded with lovely green ideas. A few favorites pictured above:
• Irish Napkin Decor – simple & rustic… with a shamrock embellishment!
• Green Glass Vases - dressed up with copper wire & white flowers
• Bells of Ireland – modern & chic when displayed in a simple white vase
•Green Floral Bouquet – a fabulous mix of chartreuse flowers, Bells of Ireland, mums, hydrangea, and hypericum.

(Also check out the Bells of Ireland Topiary tutorial.)

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2. Chic St. Patty’s Day COCKTAILS:

Raise a glass with one of these tasty, Irish-themed cocktails:

• Dublin Dream (Irish cream, vodka, Chambord, & more)
• Irish Snakebite (Irish stout, hard cider, & blackcurrant syrup)
• Everybody’s Irish {Irish whisky, green crème de menthe, & Green Chartreuse}
• White Knight (Irish cream, Irish Whisky, coconut rum, half & half

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3. Chic St. Patty’s Day RECIPES:

Courtesy of Epicurious.com...{clockwise from top left} Beef and Guinness Pie, Bittersweet Irish Chocolate Whiskey Cake, Irish Soda Bread (several recipes available), and Champ (mashed potatoes).

Carnations seem to get a bit of a bad rap when it comes to the floral “status quo” – but the truth is that there are plenty of beautiful – and even cool – looks you can achieve with this budget-friendly flower.

Because of the price point and shape of carnations, they allow you to create soft, lush, and substantial floral arrangements – and just like anything else, it’s all about playing up their strengths and “packaging” them the right way. Here are a few great examples from floral designers who did just that….

Pictured at top – pretty carnation design ideas from InstyleWeddings.com.

Pictured above, clockwise from top left: Mini carnation bouquets from Brides.com; Todd Oldham™ Triple Scoop bouquet from FTD; a budget-friendly idea from Martha Stewart with a contemporary, yet feminine flair; and Todd Oldham™ Sweet Scoops Sundae bouquet from FTD.

Pictured below: This gorgeous “dome” design featuring all-white carnations & crystal strands is the epitomy of glam, but a similar arrangement works just as well at a casual beach wedding when paired with a simple, chic cake stand and “best wishes” notes from guests.

Pictured below… going beyond the centerpiece: This California bride had her bridesmaids carry pomanders of red carnations (which also hung from chairs lining the aisle) instead of the usual bouquets.

Last but not least… how cool is this(!): floating styrofoam balls covered with red, fuchsia and yellow carnations made a colorful splash in the pool at this St. Helena, CA reception.

If you’ve got a wedding to plan, a big party coming up, or just love looking at gorgeous design, the artfool events website is full of amazing inspiration! Click here to check out their online portfolio…this should keep you busy for a while!

Professional event design portfolios are always a great place to gather ideas for color palettes & floral design. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here goes with the proof:

I’m loving the artistic, contemporary vibe and fiery orange accents in the book launch party design pictured above… and the whimsical, fairytale-like table centerpiece pictured below:

Sky blue, lime green, & white create a lovely, easy-breezy atmosphere for the Benefit Party pictured below… (I’m thinking this look would also be perfect for a spring/summer wedding, bridal shower or Mother’s Day brunch.)

Feeling inspired yet? Wait… there’s more!

Pictured below: a lovely floral centerpiece design that puts a fresh twist on traditional white…

… and I think the theme of this next event – the “Fabulous Females’ Party” – should inspire us all to throw something similar – don’t you? And if you’re hosting the party you can hand-pick the “fabulous” guest list yourself!

Check out additional images of all of these events and more at artfool.com.

Today over at Simply Stated: Celebrations – check out some fabulous manzanita centerpiece ideas!

P.S. I went to a “Wedding Lunch” at an event planning conference in San Diego yesterday and will have tons more centerpiece inspiration for you soon! There were so many amazing designs to see, and I should be getting a disc tomorrow with some professional shots of them… can’t wait to share the pics with you next week!

I’m loving these non-traditional – and super chic – red, white, & green floral arrangements for an elegant holiday party. The white stones and monochromatic blooms create such a serene, modern minimalist vibe…

The top and lower left images are from Pottery Barn and originally intended to showcase these platinum vases (which do happen to be on sale!), but you could also achieve the look of these vases – “economy style” with standard glass cylinder vases and some metallic gift wrap.

The right side of the image above shows a cluster of ruby breadseed poppies displayed in a pewter vase…casual elegance! {via brides.com}