Pop open a bottle of bubbly lovelies, because it’s soiree time! Styling is one of the integral components in creating a successful event and event decor isn’t just about flowers, it’s about creating an atmosphere! (But don’t be fooled… it’s true that nothing says decadent party quite like loads of gorgeous florals) Here are few perfect examples that prove that a scrumptious pop of color, hints of a time gone by and pretty paper accents are sometimes all you need…

When it comes to the perfect event or an inspired living space nothing brings a look together more seamlessly then color. Muted or bright, dark or light, the repetition of color creates a rhythm between spaces and vignettes!

Color changes everything! Enhance the mood of a room or soiree instantly with a quick swap of color. Inject warmth with reds, oranges and yellows. Cool it down with blues and greens.

Tight groupings! Tell a visual story with cozy combinations. Combine shapes, themes and sizes in similar or contrasting  hues for added interest. A neutral palette  like white, brown, gray and cream create a mood of stability and practicality. These colors are often used as a complimenting anchor for  brighter and bolder colors. The key to combining colors successfully is to balance the color throughout. A little goes a long way and an accent color can create a mood without having to overstate it.

Color inspires, energizes, soothes, and enlivens. The use of color impacts our energy level, our temperament and can even affect our appetite. So, before you paint every room in your home your favorite color, identify the mood you would like each room to have. Think about the feeling you are hoping to convey and choose colors that elicit those specific moods accordingly!

Images via Google images

Every delicious detail of this vintage owl themed baby shower is absolute perfection! From the cool vintage pieces and eclectic mix of party decor to the beautifully styled food and paper details, the result was a sweet & feminine celebration, adorned with some truly adorable little owls of course!

Images via HWTM blog

Tools and Materials:
20-pound recycled paper (20 sheets)
Blender
Silpat
Cookie sheet
Sponge
Rolling pin
Paper Peonies template
Acrylic paint (magenta and green)
Paintbrush
Acrylic varnish
Pearlizing medium
Plastic bag
Thin paper
Scissors
Glue gun
Cable wire
Floral tape

Paper Peonies How-To:
1. Rip 20 sheets of 20-pound recycled paper into strips.

2. Boil ripped paper in 5 quarts water; let cool.

3. In a blender, pulse to reduce to a paper pulp.

4. Place 3 cups pulp onto Silpat-lined cookie sheet; spread out.

5. Use sponge to soak up excess water. Let dry for a couple of hours.

6. Flatten with rolling pin. Let dry for one day.

7. Download and print template.

8. Cut 50 petals for each peony: 10 small, 20 medium, and 20 large.

9. Make mixture of 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon magenta acrylic paint, 1/3 cup acrylic varnish, and 1 teaspoon pearlizing medium.

10. Dip petals into paint mixture. Dry overnight on cookie sheets lined with a plastic bag.

11. Curl and wrinkle petal edges.

12. Make a pistil by cutting a 3/4-inch-by-8 1/2-inch strip of thin paper. Fold lengthwise. On the fold, make 1/4 inch cuts, approximately every 1/4 inch. Roll to resemble a paper decoration for a “lamb chop” end. Secure with glue gun.

13. Make a 1/2-inch diameter wad of pulp with a point (shaped like an acorn); let dry.

14. Take dried wad and glue (using glue gun) to uncut end of “lamb chop,” pointy side down. Flare ends.

15. Assemble a flower. Using a glue gun, glue five small petals overlapping, surrounding the wad. Glue another layer of small petals. Repeat process for medium, then large petals, working in layers, until you have a full peony.

16. For stems, use the glue gun to glue the end of a length of thick electric cable wire to the base of the flower and wrap, then wrap in floral tape. Paint stems green with acrylic paint.

I am the right brain.
I am creativity, a free spirit. I am passion.
Yearning . Sensuality. I am the sound of the roaring laughter .
I am taste. The feeling of sand beneath bare feet.
I am movement. Vivid colors,
I am the urge to paint on an empty canvas,
I am boundless imagination. Art. Poetry. I sense. I feel.
I am everything I wanted to be.

Forget recycling, try upcycling! Give old items a new lease on life with a spark of inspiration and a little elbow grease… The rules for decor are being replaced by a more personal and practical approach as we take decorating into own hands. Literally.

You don’t need to have a ton of time or money to spend decorating your nest. It’s all about the unexpected, mixing fine antiques with your collection of Barbie dolls; leaving temporary party decorations up for years because they just somehow seem right; wedging antique columns into a suburban house, or planting grass in your shower.  Allow your home to be a true sanctuary where you allow yourself to dream.

Just because an item started it’s life as one thing doesn’t mean it can’t be reinvented, re-purposed, or re-styled. It’s so very important to be surrounded by objects dear to your heart;  whether you like bold colors or muted ones; modernism or traditional spaces; your abode is the perfect opportunity to take old , recycled, or unwanted pieces and make them your own!

 
Images via Google images

There is a natural and inherent beauty in the food we love and eat. And sometimes, in the midst of “watching what we eat,” we forget about the sustaining, pure and wonderful powers of food. The way a fresh peach feels in your hands or the sound of eggs cracking on the edge of a bowl.

We forget about food’s simple beauty, and about how food and its preparation connects us with loved ones, our heritage, different cultures, new friends and happy occasions. Family dinners at the end of a long day, the cake we are served on our birthday; food nourishes our bodies and our souls. Every beloved recipe is a gathering of interesting materials, a mixed medium art piece of sorts, that ends in a meal instead of a canvas.

It is no coincidence that our most cherished memories and precious traditions are deeply rooted around our most basic of  instincts, feeding ourselves and the ones we love.

Images via Dietlind Wolf

What defines vintage home decor is the intensity and depth the vintage pieces add to a room. Beloved pieces will make any room more appealing and interesting to the eye.  History and character is what your looking for; they do not necessarily have to “collectables” to be a great vintage find. Experiment with decor, there is always a true sense of appreciation for the old when you incorporate them with the new.

Bright idea! Personalize a rug with your own design, or a pretty stencil, using acrylic paint

Images via Country Living

Cheers to resolutions we can actually keep!

Getting organized sounds simple but can be pretty overwhelming, especially for moms. There are a million reasons we avoid getting organized, but by far the biggest hurdle is the perception that “I don’t have enough time.” Our imaginations have a wonderful way of making problems — especially organization-related ones –much bigger than they actually are. It’s amazing what you can tackle in small windows of time by just taking baby steps,  and by allowing for a little imperfection. Set an egg timer for 10-20 minutes and just go to town on what you can!

Especially after the holidays, it seems like we can never escape the toys. Here are our top three tips to help prevent a complete toy takeover of your house:

1. Install a few hooks. The workhorses of the organizational world, hooks are inexpensive and make costume cleanup a cinch. Install a row of 3-5  at kid-height, in your playroom for your princesses and pirates. If you’ve got more costumes than those 5 hooks can hold, it’s time to donate a few. 

2. Set up a “toss” box and make time to fill it. Grab a cardboard box and put it in the middle of the kitchen table one night this week. Set an egg timer for 15 minutes and then have a “race” to see who can find, and put in the box, the most broken, unusable toys. The winner gets to stay up later than usual on Friday night and you get to dump the waste without guilt that night.

3. Make a “too little for me” bin. A lot of parents make the mistake of trying to cull their children’s toys without soliciting any input, because they fear their children won’t be able to part with their toys. But there’s one Jedi-mind-trick that really works. Put a cardboard box in your main playroom and title it: too little for me. Then go through toys with your children while they are playing and have them put “babyish” toys in that bin for you to give away, take to a consignment shop, or save if you’ve got another little one on the way.

Organization tips via Alicia Rockmore and Sarah Welch and Coolmompicks.com

Images via homedit.com

Every country seems to have a different way of celebrating Christmas. Each one has special traditional Christmas food, special Christmas traditions and customs and different ways of giving gifts. Much of what we today consider holiday perennials have been around for nearly two centuries. The Christmas tree — the king of all traditions — is the most obvious, the centerpiece of many a home; and the tradition we love the most.

Legend says the original Saint Nicholas, who traveled around bringing gifts and cheer to those in need, came upon a small village one year and heard of a family in need. An impoverished widower, devastated by the passing of his wife, could not afford to provide a dowry for his three daughters. St. Nick knew the man was too prideful to accept money, so he simply dropped some gold coins down the chimney, which landed in the girl’s stockings, hung by the fireplace to dry. (Or so the tale goes.) Thus the modern tradition was born, though present-day stockings are commonly stuffed with tiny gifts and candy, not gold.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Stephanie’s Little Luxuries! may your holidays be merry and bright!

Images via Google images