This inspiration board is simply dripping in sunshine & sweetness…and it just so happens it’s the perfect jumping-off point for a summertime backyard bash! Pop on over to see this fantasy turned into a real-life fête in the latest edition of my coco+kelley guest blogger series. Hope you enjoy all the steal-worthy party ideas…honey-spiked cocktails, anyone?

*images via {row one} honey bee favors & beehive cake, martha stewart weddings; fromage blanc & honeycomb, sunday suppers {row 2} custard, cannelle et vanille; flowers, style me pretty; menu card & lanterns, style me pretty {row 3} croquembouche,style me pretty; sauternes & honey bee cookies, martha stewart weddings {row 4} purses, martha stewart weddings; bridal bouquet & petit fours, style me pretty.

Over the weekend, we had the privilege of trekking to Santa Monica to celebrate my big brother’s nuptials in total California style. Since my brother & his new wifey are uber-creative, they took charge of the picturesque Malibu canyon ceremony & super fun art studio reception. Which left the rehearsal dinner as fair game for my mom & I to fully indulge our party planning cravings! Since the happy couple was taking off for an Italian honeymoon, we decided to go with a rustic, Tuscan-inspired family dinner. The bride’s backyard served as an intimate setting with twinkling lights strung amongst the trees & Frank Sinatra serenading the guests.

Tables were draped in yellow linens & topped with earthy burlap runners. Terra cotta pots filled with fresh herbs intermingled with massive sunflowers; baskets overflowing with breads to dip in saucers of seasoned olive oil were the only other decoration needed. A simple tag made of butcher paper, tied with twine, & adorned with a rosemary sprig was a fragrant way to identify each guest’s place. It was a night of homemade pasta, loads of laughter & prosecco toasts to wish the couple a lifetime of love!

For a client’s recent Mexican-themed bash, we wanted the flowers to appear as fun, colorful, & unpretentious as the rest of the decor. No fussy arrangements for this party, please! I created a festive look using empty food cans from a Mexican grocery store that I filled with simple hand-tied bouquets of colorful blooms. Totally eco-friendly, & it all came together nicely, didn’t it? Glad you like it, because I’m sharing the simple step-by-step process here…

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Floral shears: rose stems are strong, so those shears need to be sharp!
• Kitchen twine: since the cans aren’t transparent, you can use as much twine as you need to tie up the bouquets & stabilize them.
• Colorful flowers of your choice: I used roses, tulips, ranunculus, & sunflowers.
• Food cans- I filled the empty cans with warm soapy water, and let them sit for a few hours to rid them of any odors. You want the fragrance of roses wafting through the party, not that of pinto beans & jalapenos!

1. First, clean all the stems. I used to not be very thorough with this step, but trust me: it makes all the difference in the final product! None of the flowers that I used have particularly attractive foliage, so I stripped them of all leaves so all that was visible in each bouquet was brilliant, ruffly petals. This step is much easier if done while standing over a big trash can to catch all the leaves!
2. To create a hand-tied bouquet: Hold a couple flowers with one hand, and start adding the other flowers in a spiral fashion, holding the bouquet tightly in the middle. Keep turning the bouquet as you add the flowers in areas that seem sparse, until you have a gorgeously full arrangement.
3. Tie the stems tightly with the twine, and then clip them straight across at the desired height. I’ve found that most people are afraid to trim the stems as high as they need to, but go for it! The bouquet should be short enough to allow the base of the blooms to just touch the top of the can.

Tuck each bouquet into a can of a contrasting color, and voila! Unique & inexpensive party arrangements that make you smile just to look at them, and set the perfect tone for a fun summer gathering.

There’s a fine art to creating a children’s birthday party that is creative & stylish, yet still age-appropriate and centered on the kids. I think this princess-inspired dessert buffet designed by Amy Atlas for Brooke Shield’s daughter Grier struck the perfect balance. A sprinkling of wands & tiaras and a sparkly pink, rose and gold color palette gave the entire setup a magical air. Beautifully coordinated cookies, cupcakes & candies satisfied sweet tooths & made each little guest feel like a princess.

*Credits: Amy Atlas

Most of you know by now that I have a major obsession with gorgeous paper products…there’s nothing I love more than discovering the most perfect letterpressed notecards to jot words of love and gratitude to family, friends, & clients. Only problem is, my growing stationery collection doesn’t come cheap, and it’s so refreshing to discover a designer who turns out stunning paper products and offers budget-sensitive solutions. I’m in love with each & every item in Ellie Snow’s stationery line Hello Tenfold, and am especially infatuated with her genius DIY wedding program option. Clients choose up to four patterns (aren’t they to-die-for?), and programs are printed & shipped without assembly or ribbons to help stay within budget.

Check out the Hello Tenfold shop for many more inspiring designs, from menus to out-of-town welcome packages. Each are whimsical, modern & sure to add a personal touch to a wedding or party.

Although I’ve thrown my fair share of parties, from birthdays to bachelorettes, I must confess that I’m a baby shower virgin. Now I suddenly find myself with no less than three close friends with babies on the way, and I’m dying with excitement to host celebrations for their new bundles of joy! Which is why I felt like I’d struck gold when I stumbled upon this beyond-lovely shower featured on Hostess with the Mostess. The hostesses creatively themed the fete around pinwheels & tissue paper pom poms, all in a gender-neutral color palette of green, blue, & yellow.

Aren’t these 3-dimensional invitations to-die-for? Since the party was small, the hostesses were able to do something super special to announce the theme for the entire party. Darling homemade jars of sugar scrub awaited guests as favors with a clever tag that read, “From our shower to yours!”

Striped straws & tiny pinwheels on cupcakes added whimsy to the brunch buffet. Tissue paper pom poms from pomlove floated overhead.

Since the baby’s gender was a mystery, it was dubbed “little peanut,” and this tagline adorned the invites and festive banner hung over the entryway. What a creative party, and lucky for us the hostesses have shared a simple DIY pinwheel tutorial over at Style Me Pretty. Click here for the download!

So excited for the wedding reception of one of my fave clients tomorrow. We’ve been planning & designing for months, and I’ve no doubt it will all come together as chic & fun as we’ve imagined! The inspiration board was a work in progress as we continued to refine our vision, and we settled upon these vibrant images in shades of sunshine to guide the overall decor scheme. Hope to share some great shots from the event next week!

I’m helping my mom plan the rehearsal dinner for my brother’s upcoming nuptials in June, and we’ve decided on a vintage Italian theme to commemorate their Tuscan honeymoon. Think terra cotta pots with fresh herbs, loaves of rustic breads with olive oil & a vintage postcard invitation. While scouring my favorite blogs for ideas, I stumbled upon this fresh, creative, travel-themed dinner. Aren’t the vintage maps & globes an adorable & innovative way to tie it all together?

*Images: Project Wedding

Today’s inspiration board is a juicy pop of color to kick off the new year. Every winter when grocery stores stock boxes overflowing with candy-sweet clementines, I start eating my weight in citrus fruit. It’s so refreshing on a chilly winter day, and equally delightful when used as a coordinating motif for a January party. Hang tissue paper blossoms above the table for a whimsical dinner party, fill glass vases with an abundance of tulips the color of tangerines, & stuff favor boxes with candied citrus slices. Guests won’t be able to resist a self-serve bar of fizzy fruity libations; string Mexican paper flags overhead for extra whimsy. Go ahead & break out of the winter doldrums…Orange you glad it’s 2010?!

Images: {Row 1} Fizzy Bar, Martha Stewart; Tulips, Camille Styles Events; Desserts, Amy Atlas {Row 2} Favors, Shana Faust; Citrus, Cannelle et Vanille; Coat Check, Style Me Pretty {Row 3} Orange cups, Amy Atlas; Compass Invite & Tissue Flowers, Martha Stewart.

I love the look of orange parrot tulips grouped in tight bunches down the center of the table, & kept low enough to allow my guests can see each other!  The zinnias and berries on the right are an unexpected combination, and lend a wonderfully old-fashioned charm to the table when arranged in a simple pitcher.

This petite arrangement of poppies, tulips, & ranunculus is dramatic and elegant, and I love the idea of using a jewel-toned wine glass as the vase.  I definitely want to scatter tons of gilded votives at the base of the flowers to cast a warm allover glow.

Just looking at ranunculus makes me happy, and this ombrè arrangement fades from light to dark, creating a wonderful sense of movement.  The weathered urn reminds me a bit of an overflowing cornucopia… the perfect touch to an abundant Thanksgiving feast!

Images: Top photo: Sunday Suppers; all others from Brides.