Photo Friday: Let Me Call You Sweetheart

Here are some photos from our very sweet Victorian-themed Valentine's Day party.  Lots of tulle, pink, and cherubs.  And of course cupcakes - chocolate cupcakes with cherry jam frosting.  Yum.  If you've seen photos from my other parties here on this blog, you may have noticed that I repurpose a lot of my decorations for different occasions.  I do enjoy adding props and pieces to my collection, and try to find as many creative ways as I can to make good use out of them.  The cherub is actually a Christmas ornament, but I think it fits in perfectly here.  The birdcage, which I bought at AC Moore, was used at last year's indoor garden party and again at our vintage seaside birthday party.  This time I cut out butterflies that I had printed onto cardstock, folded them gently in the middle, and attached with a bit of double sided tape (a little tedious, but worth it, I think).  I just picked up the little cupcake stand at Joann Fabrics, so keep an eye out - you might see it turn up again soon!

Vintage Seaside Party

For anyone who’s lived in Atlantic City, the Miss America pageant by the sea is a tradition that is close to their hearts.  This September we celebrated two occasions – the homecoming of the Miss America contest to Atlantic City, and our always pageant-ready grandmother's 84th birthday.

In honor of Miss America returning to the Jersey shore, we threw her a party fit for a beauty queen and reminiscent of all things vintage Atlantic City: old-school bathing suits, lifeguard rings, salt water taffy, and seashells, along with a seaside feast of lobsters followed by make-your-own ice cream sundaes.  We had a good laugh playing our version of the “Question and Answer” portion of the contest - and no, we did not make our grandmother model in a swimsuit competition ;) 

                                                                                                                                 

Here are some DIY ideas from our vintage seaside party:

On the playlist
1.  In the Good Old Summertime
2.  By the Beautiful Sea
3.  On the Boardwalk (in Atlantic City)
4.  a mix of jazz and ragtime, including "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin, "Alexander's Ragtime Band" by Ella Fitzgerald, and "Jubilee Stomp" by Duke Ellington 

Decorations
1.  For the place settings, we collected clam shells on the beach, then painted wooden craft balls in white with dabs of silver for "pearls". 
2.  I wanted to incorporate a bit of a nautical theme using red, navy, and aqua blue. The striped napkins and straws I found at Target fit in perfectly. 
3.  An authentic-looking DIY lifeguard ring really set the scene (instructions here from the Clever Nest blog).  Mine didn't look so great in the back, but it was propped up against the wall anyway :)
4.  The "Atlantic City" sign was made from Circus font and tacked to the wall with removable poster tape. 
5.  I found photos of vintage bathing beauties, made them into postcards in Publisher, and printed onto plain cardstock.  Each guest wrote their birthday wishes on the postcards - a really fun memory!

Till next time!
xoxo

Treasury Time: Vintage Peacock Wedding

 Pretty peacock colors are bold, bright and regal. If you're considering this popular wedding theme but don't want it to end up looking too over the top, include an eclectic mix of handmade and vintage items in shades of turquoise and teal, tempered with antiqued metallics. Instead of adding too much color to the bouquets and centerpieces, choose flowers such as hydrangea, ranunculus, peonies (or even carnations) in simple white. Use the feathers themselves sparingly, as accents. Included in my finds here are hand-cut place cards, vintage style table numbers in teal, and delicate cupcake toppers that look like real peacock feathers.

 

Brass flowers and fresh... mignonnehandma... $110.00	Turquoise Gold Four Lea... petitor $33.00	Antique Journal Upcycle... Spellbinderie $49.99	Hooray Party Pennant Fl... SoInviting $30.00
Vintage 1950's Wedd... VintageScraps $16.00	Party Totem - Balloon T... TheFlairExchan... $27.00	FEATHER place card - HA... liradesigne $2.00	Vintage Brass Peacock C... ClothandPatina $26.00
Vintage Silverplate Pit... SummerHolidayV... $58.00	Peacock and bunting sma... Ninainvorm $18.00	Lo lo lo lo LOLA Loll... TheGroovyBaker $10.00	Blue and Gold Peacock P... PaperJayneDebb... $12.95
48 Edible Peacock Feath... TastyPrints $40.00	3 yards of vintage silk... TextileArtLace $12.00	Felt garland bunting ba... HeartyGift $26.00	FAELYNN -- Peacock Feat... KirahleyKreati... $46.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Treasury Time: A Book-Themed Wedding

 

 You swoon over Shakespeare, he prefers Hemingway...a book-themed wedding is such a wonderful idea for a couple who are literary types. I love the color scheme of antique black and white (like a well-worn book), with playful additions of blush and pink.  It's such a great way to mix up classic with modern, with place cards in hand-written calligraphy, butterflies settled on vintage typewriters, and paper heart garlands.  Stacks of books and pink roses would be just right for the centerpieces, with the names of your favorite titles or authors used in place of table numbers. 

 

I made some really great finds here, some of my favorites being the hand painted white twig pencils to give as favors (tie on tags with different book quotes), and a guest book with library cards from the Binding Bee - each guest signs their own card, then tucks in back into the little envelopes in the book.  It's happily ever after with this love story! 

 

Vintage 50s Couture Moc... twinheartsvint... $198.00	Steampunk Vintage Tab C... velvetmechanis... $19.00	Personalized Ribbon 10 ... TheLonelyHeart $25.25	she daydreams in pink (... SusannahTucker $30.00
Antique Stack of Books ... bindingbee $24.00	white twig pencils - ha... inkkit $13.00	black friday etsy cyber... letterhappy $3.00	key boutonniere, unique... whichgoose $18.00
Natural Linen Ring Pill... Gardenmis $45.00	Antique Black Beaver To... NevermoreAntiq... $800.00	Sugar Bride and Groom W... andiespecialty... $39.00	string of hearts paper ... dragonflies $10.00
Slow and Deep and Golde... yvetteinufio $15.00	Literary Themed Wedding... bindingbee $160.00	Sale- Cottage Chic- Whi... amomentintyme $30.00	WEDDING PLACECARD CALLI... LetterBeOnEtsy $1.00

Literary Wedding (and photo) by Athena
 

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