a few of our favorite things

Our list of favorite things grows daily, but today here’s a few things we think are just great…

I-Pad Cover
BookBook for I-Pad by TwelveSouth
{I gave this to my mother-in-law and she loves it}

Rosebud Salve {a lip gloss/chapstick}, sold at Fleur de Lis, a paperie, $7

Decorative Plaques, Ben’s Garden, sold at Fleur de Lis, a paperie, $50-$100

I’m buying this one for my fabulous girlfriends…and of course for my daughter’s room…e-mail Jenna at paperie@fleurdelisdtc.com to buy one, or just stop in.

Ring Bear Bowl, Paloma’s Nest
{These ring bear bowls are the perfect shower gift or wedding gift…such a unique alternative to a ring bear pillow. I’ve also customized a tiny text bowl with: with this ring and the couple’s wedding date and name. Be sure to check out their other creative gift ideas…also available on etsy.}

Do you have a favorite thing{s} you would like to share? Please leave a comment or send us an e-mail at trejsorelle@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you and who knows – it just may be a future feature on our blog.

{images by TwelveSouth, Tutto Bella and Paloma’s Nest}

totally totes

If you have guests traveling to your wedding, it’s a nice gesture to surprise them with a “welcome bag” upon arrival to their hotel. You can get creative with these and make them unique to you and your fiance, the city where you live or the place your going to say “I do.”

We have some fabulous ideas below with adorable totes {that would work for any city you’re getting married in} that I want to buy for myself!

If you’re from NYC, treat your guests to a copy of The New York times, along with black and white cookies from the Black and White Cookie Company and don’t forget a sugary snack from Dylan’s Candy Bar. This To Have and To Hold Tote, from Melangerie Inc. is the perfect bag to hold your items.

If you have roots in Chicago, fill this Custom Map Tote from Map Tote with samples of the famous Garrett’s Popcorn, travel-size Frango mints and a match box from your favorite Chicago-area restaurant.

P.S. All of us Colorado folk have to wait for our state to be represented…until then, this west coast tote will do just fine.  

And, if you’re from the Rocky Mountains {or getting married in the mountains}, pack your welcome bag with goodies like Mountain Man’s Purple Mountain Majesty nut and fruit mix, bags of Boulder Chips, Coors or Fat Tire beer, Vail Mountain Coffee and Tea and all the essentials needed for the “morning after” a big party {and the high altitude} – a custom-made water bottle filled with Advil and Emergen-C.  

The PERFECT bag for all these local favorites…a tote from The Wedding Chicks with the phrase Love…at a Mile High. My BFF Shannon and her hubby Bryan came up with this idea for their guests attending their Denver wedding…and I love it. Here’s Shannon sporting the tote on her honeymoon. Looks good on you girl!

Another cute idea for a Rocky Mountain wedding is to fill straw cowboy hats with custom gifts. Guests at Katie and Chips wedding, in Beaver Creek, Colorado, enjoyed “ear snacks,” which were the couple’s favorite songs saved to a USB drive, water and snacks, along with a welcome letter and activity guide. Guests wore their hats for the rehearsal – so cute!

{images via Melangerie Inc., Map Tote, The Wedding Chicks and Liz Banfield}

mason love

Drink from it. Paint it. Store personal items in it. Decorate with it. Hang it. With the it being a mason jar, the uses are endless.

The simple, antique and easy-on-the-credit-card mason jar can inspire in the home or at an event. I just can’t get enough of it

 
{home images…bathroom storage: Liz Marie Blog, chalkboard labels: etsy, hydrangea display: Ali Harper on etsy, numbered mason jars: Pottery Barn,  chandelier: Weekend Charm, soap dispenser: Country Living, kitchen storage, Country Living, antique light: Napa Style, hanging candles: Elizabeth Anne Designs}


{decor images…chandelier: Style Me Pretty, DIY monogram, Southern Weddings, wheat centerpiece: Elizabeth Anne Designs, candles: Luxe Couture Interiors, cowgirl cookies: Bakerella, bow-tie with a straw: Hostess with the Mostess, blue and white striped straws: Lotus Blossom Photography, white-painted centerpiece: Green Wedding Shoes, floral centerpieces: Ruffled}

vintage glamour. part 2

Jenna and William’s wedding continued…

chandelier, vintage wedding

entry chandeliers

ostrich feather centerpieces

Nearly 180 guests dined and danced in a ballroom transformed into a black and white wedding extravaganza. A three-piece jazz band serenaded guests during cocktail hour upstairs, looking down upon the decorated venue. Old black and white Audrey Hepburn movies such as Roman Holiday and Love in the Afternoon played silently in the background on the televisions throughout the venue all evening. Two crystal chandeliers greeted guests in the entrance, a gorgeous, 8 foot tall chandelier lit the center of the dance floor and black drapery gracefully adorned the walls. Adding to the vintage ‘look’ was the large feathers and orchids that were beautifully placed in vintage candelabras on the guests’ tables and hundreds of lit candles in mercury glass containers flickered throughout the evening.

vintage-chandelier-black-and-white-wedding

feather centerpieces

black and white movie

fleur de lis flutes

j&w first dance

The details of the wedding were flawless. Vintage skeleton keys, bought from Etsy seller, Ashbury Lane, served as the escort card for each guest. Our mom, the mother-of-the-bride, covered a large cork board with a black velour fabric. Our aunt Sue stitched Jenna and William’s monogram in the center of the board, and hooks held each vintage key. Guests signed their name and a note to the bride and groom on paper in the bride’s grandparent’s vintage typewriter. Each female guest received a black and white damask print Envirosax bag, and each male guest received a custom hand-rolled cigar made by Clay Carlton, Palma Cigars, both of which both served as a place card and gift. And, the kids enjoyed their black and white colored Sixlets candies in custom round containers with Jenna and William’s monogram.

j&w place settings

vintage keys-wedding-placecards

sixlet place cards

vintage centerpieces

Custom letterpress menus, which you can find at Fleur de Lis, were set at each place setting. Mercury glass containers spaced along the bar held custom printed match boxes, and custom napkins with the couple’s monogram were neatly placed at each bar.

j&w matches

j&w wedding napkins

j&w wedding menu

Jenna and William wanted the guests to feel like they were really a part the wedding, so they asked guests to wear black and white attire. Jenna and William took a trip to New Orleans shortly before their engagement, and really wanted to incorporate a New Orleans flair to their wedding day, and food seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so. Epicurean Catering hosted delicious jambalaya and beignets for guests to enjoy.

jenna place setting

chocolate shooters

More important than anything that day was the love that radiated from William and Jenna’s faces. They were both so happy. From the small details to the ‘wow’ factors, and everything in between, they made their wedding day their own…and it was magical.

wedding toast

bouquet toss

just married

{images via professional photographer Betsey Holley Photography}

Other fantastic vendors to note.
Make-up: Aldo Celeste, Flirt Salon
Hair: Bobbie Mitchell, Sola Salon Cherry Creek North
Lighting and Decor: Rodd Metcalf, LMD Productions
Linens: Linda Bluhm, Linens Unlimited
Transportation: Ambassador’s Rolls Royce
Jewelry: Madeline O’Connell, Gracious Lupita and Black Poodle

Cookie Monster Party

My kids 3rd and 1st birthdays are quickly approaching, so my mind is churning with ideas for themes, colors, etc. Since I was on the subject of toddler birthdays, I thought I would share my son’s last birthday party.

I was inspired to do a milk and cookies party for my son’s 2nd birthday party after coming across a blog posting by Anne from A. Party Style. My son, Jameson, LOVES cookies; after all, cookie was one of his first words. So, there seemed nothing more appropriate than throwing a cookies and milk party. I liked the brown and white color scheme, but wanted a touch of blue. My son also loves Cookie Monster from the kid-loved Sesame Street, so it seemed perfect…a cookies and milk party with special appearances from Cookie Monster! Once I had the theme, I hit the ground…and Michael’s…running! 

Many of the details are DIY, which I love.

I made the invitations (yes, I cut the cookies and added each chocolate chip with a sharpie in-hand, and the milk bottle). I printed the invites on my computer at home. You can find the paper to do this yourself at Fleur de Lis.

c is for cookie invitation

inside c is for cookie invitation

After “Jameson’s Art to Eating a Cookie” photo session, I had an idea to use an antique window pane I had in the garage for a photo display. I made a frame for all cookie photos using construction paper and double-sided tape.

antique window pane photo display

I couldn’t resist creating a balloon wreath after seeing this birthday wreath at HowDoesShe? It was simple to make and turned out adorable!

diy balloon wreath 

The DIY custom water labels posted on etsy.com from RyCreationShop were just too cute to pass up.  

cookie monster custom water labels

Due to the weather, I had to create a fun game for the toddlers to play inside – what better than a cookie decorating party at a cookie party? I made sugar cookies, and bought icing, a variety of sprinkles, food color pens, etc. The kids had a blast…and had faces covered with chocolate and sprinkles to prove it.

I hung balloons from the arch in the middle of the room, which was a cost-effective way to add color to the party.

balloons

I placed a Pottery Barn lantern with photos of Jameson in the middle of the table. Stay tuned for a DIY tutorial blog post on how to make these lanterns yourself. They are cute, and also serve as a warm ambiance with the candles glowing throughout the evening.  

lantern centerpiece

The party wouldn’t be complete without the birthday boy wearing a cookie monster t-shirt from the ShockNRoll Etsy Shop.

cookie monster shirt

I’m obsessed with striped straws.  The kids loved drinking their milk from them too.

striped straws and shortbread on a stick

The menu of cookie options included homemade chocolate chip cookies, homemade oatmeal cookies, homemade shortbread cookies, oreo cookies, and ingredients to make s’mores by the fire-pit outside.

cookie bar

The kids’ goody bags, with a custom name tag made from cupcake toppers from RyCreationShop, and a custom label printed at home on my computer, contained chalk, bubbles, shortbread cookies and milk with a custom label, “Jameson’s sweet 2% milk.”  

goody bags

shortbread for goody bags

chalk for goody bags

The party was a success, and my little cookie monster loved it!

{images via tutto bella}