NEW Venue and my first Grand Opening as a vendor! - Bella Sera Ranch, Palestine, Texas

I was privileged to be a part of a Bella Sera Ranch's grand opening this past Friday, and it was a beautiful event :) 

The sweet owners asked me to decorate their outdoor pavilion in addition to setting up a table of my own materials to give out to guests. Nervous and excited is an understatement for how I felt leading up to this. 

Working with a tight budget and materials around my home, I put together some simple and classic decor to soften the lines of the pavilion, and a classic yet bold tablescape.




Here are some random ideas for chair decoration :)

The table centerpiece was a mix of modern, clean lines and stark contrast with a few vintage, ivory accents.

The canvas of the catchphrase 'Love is the New Black' tied this theme all together.

Front steps and posts of the pavilion. Originally the floral arrangement on the table had a twin, and they were supposed to sit on these black pillars. But instead I learned a valuable lesson about how to adapt when wind crashes in and changes your plans :P

The ivory lace runner was very pretty and once some sticky putty was found, it stayed in place fairly well ;)

Wish I had had more materials on hand like crystal pendants or hanging votive holders to break up the open space  on the sides of the pavilion, but maybe next time :) Poms would be fun also!

Strings of garden lights overlapped and crisscrossed inside would be a fun and casual evening setting... huge draping material from the roof peak would be a great dramatic way to frame the space for your vows... ok, stopping now :)

It's hard to see in the shot below but there is ivory lace over the white material coming down the pillar also.

The black satin bows were easily made with about three yards of material.

Imagine how pretty this would look at dusk with all the candles lit :)

Hope you all have an exquisite evening and weekend!!! :)

-steph

Dresses-Uncut and Extraordinary!

What you are about to see is incredible beauty, creativity, and thrift. I don't use the word 'incredible' lightly.

I could almost not believe my eyes when I happened upon the Love June shop on Etsy.

Immediately I emailed the designer to get more details. Her sweet response is below.

For now, feast your eyes on impeccable tailoring, perfect details, and flattering, timeless style :)

...there are offerings for the bride and bridal party...

Here is the additional info from the designer, Sara, about what makes these pieces extra special... :)

Our dresses are not made from preexisting garments, rather from a special "no-waste" pattern method we've been working on for several years that uses whole lengths of fabric instead of cutting patterns from the fabric and creating extra waste.
It's a little like fabric origami, only not so intense! I came up with this method (although there are several designers around the world doing similar things in slightly different ways) in college while studying apparel design and merchandising, strapped for cash, and not wanting to waste the precious material I was having to purchase for assignments. After some research, I found that many tribal cultures use the same idea so that the fabric can be used again and again for different purposes.

That's the idea in a nutshell, we do still produce a small amount of leftover material in some of our dresses, but all the scraps that are produced are saved to be used as fabric swatches for brides who request them to help aid in their decision, and as small embellishments in some of our styles. We're always looking for new ways to use the scraps we do produce, to ensure that the only garbage that comes out of our shop continues to be primarily thread scraps! 

There you have it! Big thanks to Sara, for sharing her history. Her passion for her work is so apparent and exciting :) Now soak up more of these delicious clothing concoctions in her shop, here. :)

Have an inspired, amazing day!!!

-Steph

Burgundy & Blush - Inspiration Board

There seems to be a dearth of modern burgundy inspiration in the event circuit. I will be honest, burgundy is probably my all time favorite color, but don't you think it is gorrrrrgeous alongside the soft, peachy color of blush??? 

Your thoughts are welcome :)