Category Archives: Inspiration Folder

Inspiration: Large Candy Decorations

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I mentioned in my first post about the Large Candy decorations that was inspired by decorations I saw outside my local Pike Nursery last year.  It took me forever but I finally found those photos….see aren’t these huge candies fun?

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You can  see that they used large white saucers to make 24 inch pieces of candy to decorate the front of their store…who says businesses can’t be creative & crafty!  I’ll have the second large candy post up later tonight or first thing tomorrow and photos of how we used some of them.

How has a local businesses decorations inspired your own holiday creativity?

Inspiration – French Wire for Fall

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I keep drifting to fun pieces of “french wire” this fall.  I think they would be wonderful for a fall wedding or your Thanksgiving spread.  I also think they are timeless pieces you could use for years to come.

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(source clockwise from top left:  Wire Sculpture Frames from Anthrpologie, Wire Pedestal from Crate & Barrel, French Wire Place card holders from Pottery Barn, Wire Tray from Crate & Barrel, French Wire 3-Tier Stand from Pottery Barn, French Wire Pillar Holders also from Pottery Barn, and French Wire Basket with Handle from Pierre Deux)

Why do I love french wire so?  First up, I posted about these Wire Sculpture Frame from Anthropologie weeks ago and I’ll admit that I’m debating ordering a few for our guest room.  Then I ran across this wire pedestal and tray from Crate & Barrel.  It will hold a 12 inch cake with style, and for $18.95 it’s a deal as far as pedestal’s go.  I could see it with a vintage lace doily on the pedestal with cupcakes stacked on top (or a yummy carrot cake).  And wouldn’t the tray be fun for holding cookies or other baked goodness?  It’s also only $18.95.  Then there are thesese place card holders from Pottery Barn.  They would not only make nice place card holders, but I could also see them holding table numbers, menus, food labels, and even photos on my mantle!  Then a simple search for French Wire on the Pottery Barn site yielded more goodness in the 3-Tier Stand, Pillar Holders, several baskets and even a French Wire Chandelier. And you can’t beat Pierre Deux for French Wire Baskets. 

What’s new out there right now that just screams fall decorating and parties to you?

Decor Inspiration – Office "to-do"

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I’ve been looking for something that involves cork boards to use in office for ages.  I wanted a way to post pieces of ongoing projects in an organized, yet attrative fashion (important since I sometimes hold customer meetings in my office as well).  I had decided on two large cork boards that I would make out of two large frames, with the corkboards covered in fabric…but that still didn’t solve the part about how to break down the different projects.

Then yesterday the Pottery Barn Kids catalog arrived.  I always think it’s funny that we get both these and the Babies version when we are so, so far away from even thinking about the little creatures…but sometimes I glance through them for birthday present ideas for my little cousins.  And there it was…I think I might have to change it up just a bit since I don’t want days of the week…but now I think I have an idea up my sleeve!  Now to find two large frames similar to these from Ballard Designs on the cheap!

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(Source: Ballard Designs)

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(Source: Pottery Barn Kids)

Wedding Inspiration – Wire Frames / Table Numbers

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When we were planning our wedding I had this dream of shabby looking wire photo frames to hold our table numbers.  Something that looked like they had been created by hand years ago….with little scrolls of wire to hold the photos (or table numbers).  Alas….I never found them and went with a different approach (which I promise to blog about soon).  This morning while waiting in the doctor’s office for an annual checkup I was flipping through some catalogs we’d received in the past few days, and THERE THEY WERE!

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(source: Anthrpologie)

I bring to you the Wire Sculpture Frame.  They come in two sizes and retail for $12 and $16 each respectively.  The small size would have been perfect although at $12 each it would have cost $120 for our 10 tables.  I think I could have found a use for them afterwards to at least justify them for the “signage”.  Just print out your signs/table numbers in a cute font (like Monterey or CAC Pinafore…both free) and place in these frames.  It would be an easy Semi-DIY project and so cute for a vintage-type affair.   Please, please, please….someone use this and send me photos to drool over! Thanks! 🙂

Decor Inspiration – Reduce – Reuse?

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Has anyone else seen the new Pottery Barn catalog for Fall 2009?  I’m loving all the vintage looking inspiration (even through it doesn’t fit the “look” of our house).  Something that really caught my eye was this recycled wine bottle light fixture.  It reminds me of the cute wine bottle vases and candle holders some of those crafty ‘bees whipped up.  Wouldn’t this but fun hanging at a vineyard wedding?  or on my back deck…ok it’s a bit pricey so maybe not but it’s seriously fun.

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(Photo Source) 

 

 

Inspiration Folder – Save the Dates

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When we started thinking about Save the Dates (STD’s) we weren’t really sure we needed them.  After all our venue was an hour from our house…so really wasn’t the invite and wedsite enough?  However it was also cross country for some of our guests and even across “the pond” from other, that meant that our guests might need more time to plan to join us than we had originally thought.  So what’s a girl to do in that situation…google “DIY save the dates” of course.

We realized that we both gravitated to vintage looking postcards that would give the date and our wedding website.  That decided the next catch was where to find them.  The first place I turned was my crafty friend etsy!

I really liked this one…but I agree it’s not quite “vintage”

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I also liked this one….again not exactly vintage looking

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And there was this one…not a postcard at all….but we loved the simple style.  Do you notice we are drifting from our original idea.

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Then we saw these thank you cards courtesy of Martha…they were really, really close.

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Then all of a sudden….there they were.  B & I were on the same wavelength, this was it.  Even the date on the photo was our wedding date…it was meant to be.  The birds sang and all the world was happy.

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….until I read the pricing/timelines.  They weren’t out of the budget but by the time we decided we liked them it was already a week past the date they “should” have gone into the mail.  The future-hubby wondered why I didn’t just do them myself since that’s what we had originally talked about.  I knew there was no way I could recreate these beauties, so I decided to cut my losses and just attempt something with the vintage look of the text on the back of the card.

That would be simple right?