DIY Weddings and other parties....where do I begin?

Wedding in the Woods

Many of us like to do things ourselves, plan our own events and carry out our designs without the use of a planner or organizer. If you want to join the Do it Yourselfers, you CAN do it! You just need the steps along the way. 

It's easy enough for me to say you need to start at the beginning. But where does the beginning start? 

Be sure to lay the foundation of your event. I give instructions on how to do this in a previous post: Event Planning: Laying the Foundation. The first 5 questions to answer are: 

• What is the purpose of the event?
• What do I want the tone or mood of the event to be?
• What is important to me?
• What do I want for my guests?
• How do I want to participate in the event? 

Really think about these questions and determine your ultimate answer. Is your purpose to be married or is it to impress family and friends? Be honest with yourself. If you really want to impress others you need to know that is your ultimate goal. (There is no right or wrong answer, it's your party and what you want is up to you.)

I give plenty of instruction regarding each question in the previous post so be sure to read it if you are struggling with any of the answers.

The next step is to create a vision for your party. Keeping your foundation answers in mind, determine options that can meet the goals you have set. For example, let's say I responded to the 5 foundation questions in the following manner:  

Beach Wedding

• What is the purpose of the event? To marry my fiance.
• What do I want the tone or mood of the event to be? Fun, with a focus on family, and a touch of elegance.
• What is important to me? That our family and friends help us celebrate our love in a beautiful and fun outdoor setting. At the end of the day, that we are married.
• What do I want for my guests? Most will be from out of town. I want them to be comfortable, have plenty to eat and drink, enjoy their surroundings, dance, laugh, and love with us, without them having to spend a lot.
• How do I want to participate in the event? I want to fully participate and not have to worry about anything that day.

Do you know exactly what kind of wedding you want? If you don't, now is the time to really think about you and your fiance' and determine what works for you. 

So keeping these answers in mind, my vision could be: 
To get married in an outdoor setting that is easy to get to, has the amenities I need, and is beautiful. I will need someone to coordinate the day, know the vendors, and who will understand exactly what I want. We will have between 75 and 100 guests, who will need reasonable accommodations, transportation, and the ability to get around in unfamiliar territory. We will have plenty of food, drink (alcoholic and non), and will make a long weekend of the event. 

Garden Wedding

Using this method, can you see how your plan is developing? Your venue will be outdoors, easy to get to, and provide part of your decor. Your dress can be long or short but not too formal. You will need a coordinator that you know and who knows you for the day of and probably a few days before so they can get to know the vendors. You need to find a place for many out of town guests to stay, and determine how you can have a long weekend wedding. 

Your plan and vision for your big day is coming together! Next we will talk about budget and "dream" items (things you may splurge on). 

Comment below if this is helping you to plan your big day! I am happy to answer questions as well. 

Happy Planning! 
Laureen 

DIY Wedding in Bloom

This past weekend I had the honor of creating the flower arrangements at my niece's wedding. I had such a good time. The wedding was held in the mountains of Boulder Creek, CA amongst the redwood trees. It was one of the most gorgeous venues I have ever seen. 

The only issue was the the weather decided to hit record highs-- approximately 104 F. So keeping the flowers fresh through the wedding was very important. 

In this post I will show you samples of the flowers. In a future post, I will talk about how I choose flowers, put them together, and make sure they last.

Raw materials.

This is how the flowers come from the flower mart. Bunches tied together with rubber bands, twist ties, string, and wrapped in plastic or newspaper. 

A must during the heat is to have 5-gallon buckets with a little water in the bottom to keep the flowers from dying before you even get them home.

Bridesmaid's bouquet

Boutonniere

Used at the end of the benches and around the reception

The bride requested more rustic bouquets so this is what I designed for the bridesmaids. They were hand tied and kept in about an inch of water when the wedding party wasn't carrying them. We also used them on the head table as decorations so they were in water the entire reception.


The groom is from New Zealand so I did my best to find a fern that represented the one on the flag. I added a pod and the pink fern to match the bridesmaids' bouquets. 

The groom's boutonniere should include a flower from the bride's bouquet. 





These little puff arrangements were used at the end of the benches during the ceremony, and then were brought to the cocktail and reception area to add a bit to a corner of a table and on shelves and guest gift tables.

The centerpieces were round, rustic arrangements on antique brass candlesticks. They also included small woodland animals that matched the brass candlesticks, candles, and two satellite vases with individual flowers in them. A burlap runner and fresh white tablecloth finished the look.

There are some tips I see in the videos from the florists that, quite frankly, don't work for me. I will give you alternate ways of putting flowers together so it is easier for someone who doesn't do this every day. 



Let me know your thoughts on the designs in the comments below. And if you have questions about anything I did, please ask!

DIY Wedding or Event

Last month was really busy for me in a fun way. I helped to plan a princess tea party for my 4 year old great niece, attended the wedding of another niece, and threw a bridal shower for another niece. Did I mention I have a large family?

I'm the one with the pony tails in front

I am the youngest of 8 children. Most of my siblings have families of their own so I also have many nieces and nephews. 

Some of them are grown and now have families of their own. They provide me with a never-ending source of joy and fun.






I enjoy entertaining and am always game to try the latest Pinterest craft so I get to participate in many of the family gatherings.

In prepping for the parties I tried new crafts to see what I could actually do. Many things on Pinterest look great but you need an art degree to make them come out looking like the pictures. I am not an artist so I should be a pretty good barometer of how difficult a craft is. If you want proof of this phenomena you can laugh along with the folks at Pinterest Fail.

I made my first Pom to test out the process. You know, those tissue paper balls that are in vogue right now. It was very easy and came out looking great, even though I found I didn't own a pair of scissors sharp enough to cut through 8 folded sheets of tissue paper. I rate Pom making "easy."

Let me know if you want tips and I would be happy to put together a video of things you must do to make them come out looking like the pictures. 

I ended up doing the whole shower myself and it turned out better than I could have hoped. In coming posts I'll tell you how I planned the events and made a DIY plan. Let me know if you are planning your own wedding and if you are stuck on something. I can help! You CAN make gorgeous parties on a budget.

Have faith in yourself and leave plenty of time to plan. You can have the wedding or event of your dreams. Let me help!


Laureen 

Can I Do It Myself? YES! --Pinterest style party planning

One of my nieces is getting married at the end of June. I can't wait. I was also lucky enough to be able to host her bridal shower.

The party turned out great, as you can see from the picture on the left. And I did it all myself, for a really great price. 

My niece's wedding will be held in a woodsy location outside of San Francisco. It's a camp with cabins and a gorgeous area for weddings. She likes shabby chic, and wants an elegant but simple wedding, with the focus on family togetherness rather than over the top extravagance. 

But that doesn't mean it can't be Pinterest perfect. Over the next few weeks I will take you through how I did all of this for just a few hundred dollars. Nothing was rented. I purchased most of the items and used a few things that I had. And, most importantly, I was able to enjoy the party. I didn't kill myself to put this on. 

It took quite a bit of planning and work ahead of the day so that it would be what I wanted and what I pictured. To complicate matters the party was held at my Mom's house because my home is being remodeled. All party supplies needed to be moved to my Mom's house. We used glassware, ceramic plates, and metal flatware. No paper or plastic was used.

Guests were greeted with a baby's breath wreath hanging from the entry gate. It was so easy to make with a wet floral foam base. I simply tied a ribbon around it. Baby's breath lasts for a really long time so this piece can be made even a week ahead. 

One note, once you soak the floral foam base it gets really heavy. We were originally going to hang this on the front door. The door has such a tight seal that there isn't a way to use an over the door hanger. I didn't want to put nails in the door and the 3M temporary hooks would not have been able to hold it. The ribbon worked well to tie it to the rod iron gate. 

A friend of mine, Lucy Kelleher, is a Close to My Heart distributor so had her make some really cute banners (you can find her here). 

I was going to put tulle on the front gate and have one of the banners there, but ran out of time (this was not a must have...I will talk about how to plan so you can eliminate things in a time crunch in a future post). I ended up using the banner on a gate to keep people from heading straight to the backyard. 

I tied the banner to the gate using inexpensive satin ribbon in a tan color. It matched the burlap that was used on the tables. It was also on sale because it was an odd brown color. But it worked perfectly for the party. 

Another banner was hung on the front door. The banners reflected the colors of the party and set the theme for what was to come. 

Inside there is a small table in the foyer and I put a framed picture of the couple on it with a bouquet of flowers next to it. 

There was also a table provided for guests to put presents and purses and that had a large floral arrangement on it. 

We also provided alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. These were divided onto a bar table and a drink station table. 

I had created a drink named after the bride and one named after the groom using their favorite alcohols but forgot all drink makings at home. My husband made a last minute dash and picked up some sparkling wine and no one was the wiser. 

For an earlier party I had used the metal rectangle trays for flowers. I was able to use them for ice here. The bottles fit perfectly in them and stayed cold.



For non-alcoholic drinks we used a water dispenser to which we added sliced cucumber and lemons. Pink lemonade was served in the bottles and kept on ice in a second tray. 

The buffet and drink station tables had white tablecloths with burlap overlays. The bar featured a white tablecloth with a lace overlay that was the same color as the burlap. 

The party was at 1:30 PM so we offered heavy appetizers and dessert.  

I used a combination of homemade items with some appetizers from Trader Joes. I had planned to make everything from scratch but came down with a cold 2 days before the party and ran out of energy. 


I was still able to make the buffet tasty, healthy and inviting.
  
The appetizer list included:

• Spanakopita
• BLT Bites
• Cheese platter with nuts and dried fruit
• Crudite' in glass
• Apples and strawberries with caramel apple dip
• Puff pastry with goat cheese and caramelized onion

I always set a buffet so the plates are at the beginning and the flatware and napkins are at the end. This saves the guests from having to juggle their plate and utensils while trying to server themselves. 

Be sure to include serving utensils with each dish. I purchased sets of tongs for each item and had the tongs on a small plate in front of each dish. I had seen this done in hotels and liked the efficiency and the look of it. 

I used the cakes and some floral arrangements to decorate the buffet. I also purchased the "antique" luggage as buffet props. 

When it was time for dessert, we removed all the savory plates and brought out the desserts. The dessert buffet included:

• Tiered cake
• Lemon Bundt cake with Blueberry Compote
• Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits
• Homemade
  Heart Butter Mints

I made the flower arrangements on old brass candlesticks and used single flowers in short glass vases.

In future posts we will review how I planned the event, organized the various areas, created the menu, purchased the serving pieces and determined what parts of the plan were must haves vs. the nice to haves. Creating a plan like this makes it easy to keep you sane as the event approaches and allows you to participate in the event as your own guest. 


If there is an area you would like me to cover first, let me know in the comments. I will write up that part of the plan first. 

Do you like the look of this event? What is your favorite part? 

You can host a Pinterest-looking party yourself on a small budget. Let me show you how. 

Enjoy!
Laureen 

Teacher Appreciation - Something new

As the school year winds down, many want to show some appreciation for their children's teachers. I see flowers, plants, nick-knacks, that are nice but what about giving a teacher something that can continue to give to them? 

Teachers don't get the salary we would all like them to, and there is much in the news about what is being done to our food supply. Why not give your teacher an aromatic herb pot or container vegetable plant? Make sure the plants are organic or from heirloom seeds and you have given a gift that will continue to give. 

It will save the teacher money on groceries and show how much you really appreciate all the teacher has done for your children. 

Does your teacher often get colds or flues? You can specialize the herbs and make your own pot for much less than $20. Here s a picture of a beautiful herb pot that I found at Home Depot. 

Or give aromatic herbs that will add a nice scent to their home and provide flavor to their meals.

You can also give a tomato plant in a pot, pepper plant, or grow onions and garlic in pots. If you are ambitious you can give tomato, jalapeno, and onion plants so they can make their own salsa.

Give your teacher something that is not only beautiful, but can provide some of the fresh vegetables they can eat during their summer vacation. 

Remember to provide some instructions for how to care for the plant. You can find information on the internet if the plant you buy doesn't come with them. 

With just a bit of imagination you can give meaningful gifts to show your appreciation without spending too much. And while you are at it, pick up one for yourself! 


Happy gardening. 
Laureen

Just threw a DIY party.... details coming soon!

I did all of this myself. Okay, I ordered the cakes. But you CAN do a party yourself and make it wonderful. All it takes is design and organization.

I will tell you how as soon as I get all my party pictures and information organized.

My Kingdom for a healthy sweet

I apologize for the formatting. I am havin issues with pictures. I will redo as soon as technology likes me again.

I crave sweets. I love them and grew up eating cakes, candies, and chocolates. Loved them. Still do. YUMMMM.

My definition was very narrow: if a dessert included fruit or nuts it was not dessert. Fruit was healthy; desserts are not supposed to be healthy. What were they thinking? It was a parent's way of trying to sneak something I didn't like into my mouth. I was having none of it.

Raw cookie dough -- not the same as raw cookies 

These days though, I feel icky when I eat a lot of sugar. My body now craves protein. I can no longer exist on Sees chocolates through the Easter season. And I need to lose a few pounds (okay, more than a "few"). So what is a sweet-loving woman to do? 

I have found a saving grace. My goal in life is to eat yummy foods but make them healthy. Really healthy. If my sweets are healthy I can eat as many as I like, right? My search began in earnest. I used organic ingredients; replace "unhealthy" flours with more healthy ones. But I still knew I could eat only a little.

Then I stumbled on raw foods. They are made of things that, frankly, I would not have even tried eating as a kid: nuts and dates. However I was willing to try now because all the recipe reviews had people saying they tasted like cookie dough. 

Being a HUGE fan of dough over the baked product, I knew I had to give them a try. 

I made up my own recipe based on the many that you can find on the web. I played with the ingredients until I came up with one that works well and really does taste just like chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal in the dough. 

If you have ever tried that recipe that was sent all over email as the "Mrs. Fields True Cookie Recipe" that had all that oatmeal in it, then you know what I am talking about. 

Laureen's Raw Cookies

Ingredients

1/3 cup raw cashews 
1/3 cup raw walnuts 
1/3 cup raw oat flakes (or steel cut oats for a crunchier cookie) 
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 
1/8 tsp sea salt 
2-3 Medjool dates, quartered and pitted
2-3 T RAu drink (or water if RAu is not available in your area)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 
3 tbsp raw cacao 
Instructions

1. In a food processor, process the cashews, walnuts, oats, cinnamon and salt just until the oil starts to come out of the nuts. It will be grainy.
2. Add the dates, RAu or water, and vanilla. Process to combine.
3. Taste the "dough." If it is not sweet enough for you add another date.
4. Next, add the raw cocoa and pulse just to combine. Taste again. My raw cocoa is very bitter and sometimes I need to add another date.
5. Roll the cookie dough into balls about 1 tbsp each and place them in a tightly covered container. You can freeze them to make them more firm but they do not need to be refrigerated.

I bring them on trips and they last for 4 or 5 days without refrigeration. I'm not sure how much longer they would last because I eat them all within that amount of time. :) 

I like being able to eat something that cures my cravings yet is still healthy.