08/17

feel the sand between your toes

I’m off to a beach wedding this week in California with the family. Since my mind, and suitcase, are in a beach mode, so is my post for today.

This wedding via Style My Pretty is so simple and stunning. I love all the details and the white and pale blue color palette. The bed on the beach – I want to jump in it now. The beautiful table setting, messages in a bottle and cozy pillows for seats…adorable. And, dancing under the stars in the soft sand, and kissing in a white boat in the water…so romantic.

Take note you beach brides…


{images via Style Me Pretty}

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08/16

Real Housewives of Denver Bachelorette Party

It’s time for our big bachelorette party reveal.

Jodi is obsessed with Bravo’s reality show Real Housewives…especially Real Housewives of New Jersey. So, we based our decor around real housewives, attitude, animal print, bling and jersey. It was lovingly referred to as Real Housewives of Denver.

The invite, designed by Fleur de Lis, a paperie, set the tone for a fun and fabulous Real Housewives night out for the ladies!

Jodi, our beautiful bachelorette shined all night in this BCBG sparkling dress.

The bridesmaids played their “real” housewives part too. Everyone dressed in their best animal print and bling, and posed {just like the real housewives do} for snapshots on the balcony.

Every gal needed that extra sparkle to get the party started. So, we asked each one to pick up extra bling…a ring pop!
The ‘welcome’ table greeted everyone with Real Housewives-themed vases. One vase was full of oranges to represent Real Housewives of Orange County, one vase contained peaches to represent Real Housewives of Atlanta, another vase shined with sparkly gems to represent Real Housewives of New Jersey, another vase was full of apples for Real Housewives of New York City and the final vase contained a bottle of Coors Light to represent the newest reality show of the night, Real Housewives of Denver.

A manican, weighted with a pom, and adorned with a zebra print belt, was the perfect ‘holder’ for Jodi’s hat of the evening, a cowboy hat decorated with a zebra band and a veil. Gems lined the table, and one of my favorite details on the table – photos edited with our faces. Jodi was the feature in the Rolling Stone magazine cover (formerly Jessica Simpson}, crowned housewife of the year. And, the bridesmaid faces replaced existing characters of the Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Bravo-shaped bubbles, complete with actual housewives phrases, was a festive and funny banner above the dessert table and bar. The things they say….

The lingerie hung neatly against the glass walls between two purple Poms {with a gorgeous backdrop of the Rocky Mountains}. Later in the evening, Jodi had to guess which lingerie was from who ~ if she got it right, the gift giver had to drink, if she guessed wrong, she had to drink. Fun game and sassy lingerie to enjoy for her honeymoon.

stay tuned for more fabulous details you MUST see in part 2…

{images via Tutto Bella}

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08/15

back to school

I remember the rush of trying to read my summer reading list in one week {before the first day of school}, the anxiety of seeing my crush on the first day, the stress of picking out the perfect outfit, posing for my mom’s annual first day of school photo shoot in the front yard and the sadness that endless summer days were over.

I am still so thankful my school days are over. I still have nightmares I can’t find my locker or I show up naked to school!

But, maybe had I been invited {or hosted} a Back to School party, I would’ve been more excited to go back to school. I want to throw one just for the heck of it these ideas are so cute!

Amy Atlas, School Days
Who knew school supplies could look so delicious? Only Amy Atlas.



Back to School Party, Bird’s Party

Read more about the details such as the milk bottles, apple cake pops, party favor lunch boxes, black-board backdrop and edible school supplies here.


{images via Amy Atlas and Bird’s Party}

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08/05

lookin’ forward to the hangover

This week, the ladies are preparing outfits, decor ideas and cocktails for my Bachelorette party while the boys are preparing their livers for Drew’s Bachelor party in Vegas.

I can only imagine how crazy it’s going to get in Vegas… You would think that the fact that my dad is going might make me feel better… but at my brother-in-law’s Bachelor party, my dad “put the boys to bed” as he puts it. While the 25-year-olds were asleep, my dad was still in party mode and drinking at 7am, and proceeded to work out at 8am. I think it’s safe to say that they’re going to have one hell of a time!

Drew recalls one of his friends saying, “I just booked my plane ticket to Vegas. Now let’s make The Hangover look like a Disney movie.”

{sigh} … ohh great.

And so, it is only fitting that I share these party photos from Hostess for the Mostess, inspired from The Hangover. Absolutely hilarious and perfect for a Vegas-themed party.

Necessities from the groom for the trip:

Under Armor duffle bags from Drew

Royal Flush from Fleur de Lis {a necessity for the hotel bathroom for all the guys!}


Oh My Goodness! Down & Dirty Hand Sanitizer from Fleur de Lis {need I say why?}

Chaser {the over-the-counter hangover found at local drugstores}

Hasta la vista, boys! Enjoy Vegas!

As for my Bachelorette party tomorrow night, I will give you a clue: inspiration from a popular TV show, animal print & bling!

{Pictures to be posted soon!}

{images via Tutto Bella, Hostess with the Mostess & Chaser}

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08/04

beaver creek i do’s

Sorry we’re one day late on this Wedding Wednesday post, but after you see this serious wedding eye-candy, you will forgive us.

I was lucky enough to work this gorgeous wedding with my boss ~ the Meg Stepanek of Gemini Event Planning.

Julie and Steven, the beautiful, young couple met at the Ritz Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, he proposed at the Ritz Carlton, Bachelor Gulch and they were married at {you guessed it}…the Ritz Carlton, Bachelor Gulch.

From Julie {the bride}…We wanted our wedding day to be intimate, elegant and in line with the beautiful Bachelor Gulch environment that we had as our backdrop.  I really wanted the wedding to feel sophisticated, but also romantic. It was very important to me that the beautiful colors of the area during the summer (the lush green trees, the bright, playful wildflowers, etc.) all had a role during the wedding day. 

I also wanted the guests to feel like they were celebrating with our families – who had also developed a close relationship with each other in these same mountains. Steven and I met each other in Colorado {both our families have homes in the area}, and we developed a shared love for the area and the Ritz throughout the years.  It is our second home, which made it very special for us to get to become engaged and married in this place that feels so comfortable to both of us!

The bride was truly a sight to see with her Reem Acra gown and Giuseppe Zanotti shoes.

Julie and Steven’s wedding day was a beautiful, blue-sky summer day. The two were overjoyed to see one another for the first time on the skiers bridge at the Ritz before they said I do in front of 200 family and friends.

The white tent set-up for the ceremony at the base of the Bachelor Gulch mountain was absolutely breathtaking. Guests savored every moment under the draped tent as Julie walked down the long, carpeted aisle, escorted by her mom and dad to meet her groom under the hand-made huppah.

Guests sipped on “pear”-fect martini’s during cocktail hour on the Ritz patio.

A transformed ballroom awaited guests inside the Ritz and It’s gonna be a good night, by the Black Eyed Peas, set the tone for the fun celebration as the bride and groom were announced as husband and wife. 

Crystals hung from the chandeliers for that perfect sparkle, the tall and short arrangements of hydrangeas, roses, calla lilies, larkspur, orchids, fern shoots, tea roses and hanging amaranthus in a palette of eggplant, purple, champagne and chartreuse were absolutely gorgeous, the candlelight was so romantic and the band – WOW. I became a groupie of the phenomenal L.A.based band, L.A. All Stars, in just one night. 🙂

And, the party didn’t end there – the couple hosted an after party in another transformed ballroom that resembled a chic, trendy night club. Guests sipped on cocktails, danced and conversed with Julie and Steven in comfortable lounge areas and enjoyed “late night” snacks.

Fabulous Vendors
Photographer: Liz Banfield
Florist: Rose Petals
Decor: Pink Monkey Solutions
Band: L.A. All Stars
Planner: Meg Stepanek, Gemini Event Planning

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