Wedding Day Guest Book

For some the idea of the wedding guest book has all but disappeared.  Personally, I love them!  For my own wedding my mother carted my guest book around to my multiple wedding showers and then to the wedding itself.  It was a brilliant idea because now I have all of the well-wishes in one lovely book.  That was six (very short!) years ago and now the guest book is no longer just a book that you sign but anything the bride can think up.  As a wedding planner, I love this!  The more unique the better.  Here are a few fun and unique examples.  Leave a comment telling which you like best, I am curious because I know which is mine.

 BellaPuzzlesToo-Etsy Shop

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Top Ten Accessories

One of the questions I get frequently asked – how can I perk up a room without spending too much money?  My answer? Accessorize!  Find something you really love and see if you can work it into your room. 

Now, this doesn’t mean you should bring home that life-size taxidermy trophy of your favorite wild animal or the blinding multicolor needlepoint wall hanging that doesn’t go with anything.  You should take a snapshot of your room first with your digital camera before you head out to the stores and find that special accessory.  This will prevent any buyers’ remorse later on. 

Here’s my top 10 accessories – I picked a favorite in each category of accessories. 

1. Afghan Pillow from Wunderley - The pattern on the pillow is from an old Afghan pattern but it's been modernized with a bright pink pop of color - great for brightening up an old tired sofa or bed.

(Afghan Pillow from Wunderley)

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100 Layer Cake: Let's Go to a Speakeasy Theme Wedding

In case the thought has crossed your mind, the answer is yes. You can plan a stunning wedding in NYC while living in London. You’d need a fab planner & stylist like Jillian Event Design as your go-to-execute-the-wedding-of-my-dreams gal, along with the best talents in NYC, but it can be done.
 

While this wedding didn’t have a sit down dinner, the Getaway Car and the Rat Pack cocktails + mouth-watering raw bar is warning enough that this party was a success. It was romantic, loungey, and had just the right amount of reds and warm indoor feeling perfect to share before the recent holiday weekend. All this without mentioning the signage. Fans of calligraphy and type, this wedding is to lust over!

Ladies, don’t ever miss a sample sale. That’s how Shannon found her Alice Temperley dream dress. Could it be any more perfect for a speakeasy themed wedding?

The best looking (little) men at the wedding, hands down, their two twin boys.

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When You Want to Shop for Interior Design Online

Jay Johnson - Shopping online for furnishings and home goods? Well, good luck to you. Some people need to sit in a chair or sofa in order to experience what it would be like to use the furnishings in everyday use situations. But most people love the convenience of online shopping, and it's a great way to shop around from store to store while saving gas, driving time, parking, and in-store jostling. Do you remember when most people went into book stores to buy books? Now 60% of all books are bought on Amazon.com - and online stores are growing in popularity and sales that outrun their brick-and-mortar counterparts.

In a recent guest post I wrote for Williams-Sonoma Designer Marketplace - which, by the way, is an excellent collection of advice for anyone interested in interior design - my partner and I checked out Pottery Barn online; he selected some favorites and we applied three criteria for picking out excellence in interior design purchases in an online experience. Read the Williams-Sonoma piece here: How to Shop Online for Your Clients. (It actually applies to purchasing home goods for yourself, too.) Check out the items we loved during our online shopping spree, and click on the photos in this article to see my current favorites from the store. Happy online shopping!

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Tangerine Dreams

(Blenko glass, courtesy of The End of History)When I was little, I dreamed in tangerine – maybe the deep orange painted wall across my bed had something to do with it but now finally the world has caught up!  Pantone has declared Tangerine Tango the color for the year 2012 and not a moment too soon! Its power may just block out a little of the world’s woes.  Tangerine Tango is a deep reddish orange, full of pop and vibrancy, a little like that child in all of us. Below are a few samples of tangerine furnishings.

(Geo Bedding from Z Gallerie)

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