brass ornament d.i.y.
Hi everyone! Happy to be back to share a quick and super easy project I did over the weekend. This project came to me in a flash when I saw some brass ornaments that I loved, but at $20+ per ornament the real things weren’t happening, so I created these ornaments as an alternative.
I found the plastic figurines and spray paint at Michael’s. The figurines range from $2 to $6. The gold spray paint is made by Design Master, and although $7-$8 a can for for spray paint seemed steep initially, it was absolutely worth it. I love the color gold it produces.
What you’ll need:
*plastic animals (I used this brand) that you can find at most craft stores
*screw eyes (I used these)
*primer (like kilz)
*gold spray paint (I used this brand — color 231 Gold Medal– found at Michael’s)
*electric drill and drill bit (I used a spade drill bit to start the hole because I had one on hand from carving pumpkins!)
To make the ornaments…
1. Drill hole for screw eye, then screw the screw eye into figurine.
2. Prime figurine with kilz. I tried the project first without priming, and found that the spray paint adheres much, much better with primer.
3. When primer coat is dry, spray with gold paint. Thread with ribbon, and you’re done!
These little animals will be decorating our tree this year, but they would also be so pretty tied on packages, as gifts or as wedding favors for a winter wedding. They’re so easy and lots of fun to make! Happy holidays!
colorful christmas
Loving this colorful Christmas table, with bold floral patterns and hints of bright neon, photographed by Sharyn Cairns and styled by Glen Proebstel for Inside Out Magazine.
a holiday soiree
{photography by katie stoops; flowers by janie medley; styling by merriment events; calligraphy by pretty pen jen; croquembouche by sweetest thing bakery}
holiday wedding inspiration
Holiday weddings are near & dear to me…my husband and I were married on December 30th! I love this grouping of images. They’re right for the holidays, and take advantage of holiday greens, but don’t scream Christmas.
{1 – blackberry farm via apartment therapy; 2- martha stewart; 3 -; 4 – alison events; 5 – jamie grenough photography & atelier joya design & flowers via style me pretty}
christmas at colin cowie’s
Janie and I hopped on a plane last week headed to New York to spend the evening with the B List at a party hosted by Colin Cowie. It was so much fun to see Colin in his element. He made a comment at one point during the evening that he can see an entire room at once, no matter where he’s standing: it’s true. There are no lulls in conversation or dry glasses in his presence. He’s an attentive and gracious host.
If you haven’t already checked out Colin’s website or signed up for his newsletter, you must. I love this video, in particular, housed on his site from the TODAY show where Colin discusses key tips to creating holiday parties:
*It’s about no fuss, being resourceful and spending time on presentation
*Focus on creating interesting pairings and stations devoted to the match, such as a south of the border station with tequila cocktails and southwestern appetizers
*Put a card in front of each dish so guests know what they’re eating and drinking
*Go vertical rather than horizontal with decor, as it can take up quite a bit of space
*And, not included in that clip, but passed along at the party: invite colorful guests. The more interesting your guests, the more interesting the party.
Colin talked a great deal about the industry, blogging and what is in store for his company, including the expected launch of a new app. Meanwhile, cocktail architect,Yusef Austin, engineered two signature cocktails, while we listened to music styled by Donna D’Cruz. White Mischief was clearly the darling of the night. A recipe is below.
pictured left to right: Jackie Weppner of Merci New York, Janie Medley of The Bride’s Café, Vané Broussard of Brooklyn Bride, me, Colin Cowie, Christy Weber of Junebug Weddings, Ami Price of Elizabeth Anne Designs, Anne Chertoff of From “I Will” to “I Do”, Mixologist Yusef Austin and Amy Atlas of Amy Atlas Events
recipes for a happy marriage #12
This is the simplest recipe, given to me by my grandmother. I make it every holiday for parties & gifts, and, I swear to you, people go crazy over it. It’s addictive.
Dreaming of a white Christmas…
{packages wrapped by Grey Likes via; attik72 decals via Design*Sponge; pattern paper stocking via Country Living; last two images – White Christmas via Country Living all collected at Pinterest}
holiday cards from Rifle Paper Co.
How adorable are these custom illustrated holiday cards from Rifle Paper Co.? A few years ago, a client of ours handwrote her save the dates on pretty stationery, and I just loved the way they turned out. If you’re engaged over the holidays, wouldn’t these be a sweet way to announce your news?
linda & harriett for paperless post
Have you seen the new Linda & Harriett designs at Paperless Post? I’m so happy to see L&H doing projects like this, to see their designs at West Elm, and I’m always looking forward to new monthly projects, but part of me can’t help dreaming about the return of custom stationery…maybe one day : ) In the meantime, the designs at Paperless Post take e-vites to an entirely new level.
