Boojum Tree Inspiration

Credits: Boojum Tree, iris creative photography (3), Events by SHow Stoppers, Dessy, Boojum Tree, :http://www.formal-invitations.com/theme-orange-invitations.html, Agnez Lopez

Harvest Color

Happy Thanksgiving! Swanky Chicks is so thankful for our followers and clients, you make it all worth it. We hope everyone has an amazing thanksgiving and that you are blessed with an abundance of things to be thankful for today.
One last thanksgiving post this time highlighting the wonderful use of harvest color from Country Living. This table is so gorgeous I want to recreate it in my own home.

"Jewel tones and saturated color heighten the appearance of the Thanksgiving table and celebrate the season's bright foliage against the late-autumn sky. To get the look here, take advantage of the enhanced color attributes of inexpensive faux foliage and rich textile remnants. Present the faux berries and leaves (combined with real leaves, if you like) in a free-form display of pitchers and teapots, sugar bowls and goblets. The burnished finish of the collection will unify the look of the table, and the display lets you enjoy objects you love but don't always have the opportunity to use. Soften the effect with simple white candles; just be sure to set their flames well clear of the berries and leaves." Stop by Country Living for more details. Don't forget on Friday we will be sharing our own Thanksgiving decor.

DIY Moss Letters

We have another fab project for you this week. I have been drooling over events that incoporate gorgeous giant monograms. Well we found a beautiful DIY version that you can create for your next event! Have fun with it choose different sizes and fonts, and get ready to get crafty! Head on over to Ruffled for a daily dose of design and some wonderful DIY projects! We can't say enough great things about this blog and thier wonderful sense of style!

Supplies

1 – 15 X 84″ piece of floral foam (bought at Micheal’s)
3 – packages of preserved moss (bought at Jo’Ann’s)
1 – serrated kitchen knife
pins
hot glue gun
printed out letters


1. Print out your letters on large pieces of paper. You can really do any font that is pretty easy to trace. I liked verdana because it was basic enough but had nice curves. You can do just about any size and lower-case or upper-case. Whatever you want!

2. Pin the letters to your floral foam. Leave edges around your paper letters to trim later.

3. Using straight cuts up and down, cut the foam in the shape of the letters.

4. Open the moss which comes in sheets. Start laying and gluing it around the flatter parts of the letters first (like the tail of the “B”) Save the curves for the end. You can trim the pieces smaller and glue them for the curved portions. If the seams are showing, you can clean them up with smaller loose pieces of the moss. Trim off the excess.

5 Ta-da! You have your moss letters! Hang them with your favorite ribbon like I did.

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Oak Leaf Ornaments for Thanksgiving

Happy Tuesday, two more days until Thanksgiving and another great project to dress up your home. This one comes from Better Homes and Gardens. Make a bunch of these simple fall ornaments and hang from string across the mantle or dangle from the dining room light fixture.

Fallen Leaves Ornament
Decorate your home with simple ornaments made from fallen leaves. Cover a clear glass ball with fresh or silk leaves using a decoupage medium, then add sparkle with small beads.

What You Need:
Glass ball ornament
Artificial fall-color oak leaves
Scissors
Thick white crafts glue; glue brush
Clear mini glass marbles
Decoupage medium: Liquid Beadz
1/4-inch-wide ocher satin ribbon


How to Make It:
Remove the metal cap and hanger from the glass ornament and temporarily set them aside.
Brush glue onto the underside of an artificial oak leaf and wrap the leaf, glue side down, around the ball. Cup the newly attached leaf in your hand for a minute as the glue begins to set. Repeat the process with another leaf, overlapping portions while allowing the clear glass to remain visible. If necessary, apply more glue under the leaf tips so they lay flat against the glass; let dry overnight.
Pour about two tablespoons of clear glass mini marbles into the ornament. Replace the cap and hanger on the top of the ball.
Brush a coat of decoupage medium over the oak leaves; let dry. Embellish the leaves with decorative accents of Liquid Beadz, concentrating on the edges of the leaves, especially around the base of the hanger; let dry.

Thread an ocher ribbon through the hanger, and tie the ends together in a knot.

Family Nostalgia - Thanksgiving Inspiration

This gorgeous table is from Country Living. Before your Thanksgiving dinner collect old family photos, print them in black and white or sepia tone, and mount them to cardstock. Place them throughout your table and you will have a great way to decorate and share family memories. Your family is sure to tell stories all evening long that the photographs remind them of. This idea incorporates a bit of family nostalgia into your table setting full of style.

For place cards, use a pin to attach a weathered looking paper with everyones names handwritten. You want to achieve an aged look that compliments the colors of the  golden pear and photographs.

"This time of year, the table serves as both a place to gather and a symbol of gratitude. Here, four ways to personalize yours. "Come to the table." At Thanksgiving, more than at any other day or event, these are words that convey such warmth and anticipation. A year has passed since this holiday was last celebrated, and now, the table set with a feast that befits the harvest, the time has come to gather once again. This year, prepare a memorable table using everyday materials and your favorite things. "

The rich golden tones are perfect harvest colors. Try incorporating some fallen oak leaves, wheat, and branches. The muted tones and natural feel will work great with this look.

Tree of Thanks - Thanksgiving Centerpiece

In honor of Thanksgiving this week we will be bringing you a new Thanksgiving project everyday! We hope to inspire you and help you create a wonderful Thanksgiving table to share with your friends and family. Take elements from your favorite posts and incorporate them with what you already own to create a truly original tablescape. We would love to see what you come up with so don't forget to snap a few pictures to share. On Friday we will be doing a McLinky so that everyone can share thier beautiful creations!

Today's project, Tree of Thanks from Better Homes and Gardens. I love this one it truly embraces the reason for the holiday.

Turn a potted tree branch into a sharing tree. Ask family and friends to write messages of thanks to hang on the tree. Chickpeas (attached to the branches with glue) masquerade as berries, while paint and glitter add a festive touch.

What You Need:
Tree branch
Handheld hedge clippers
Butter tub
Cement
Water
Disposable container
Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
Chickpeas or dried beans
Spray primer
Orange spray paint
Clear spray sealer
Orange glitter
Scissors
Decorative container
Decorative rocks and silk leaves
Papers in green and gold
Paper trimmer
Glue
Marking pen

Shower curtain clips

How to Make It:
Trim a dry dead branch to the desired size and shape using hedge clippers. If needed, combine several small branches.
Choose a container, such as a butter tub, that can be hidden in a decorative container and filled with cement.
Following the instructions on the cement package, mix cement in a separate disposable container. Pour the cement into the butter tub.
Insert the branch base into the center of the cement-filled tub. Tap the sides of the tub until the branch sits firmly in cement. Allow cement to dry.
Use a hot-glue gun to adhere chickpeas or dried beans randomly to the branch, using as many as desired. In an outdoor area, spray the branch with primer. Spread extra chickpeas on newspaper and spray them with primer. Let the primer dry.
Spray-paint the branch and chickpeas with orange; let dry.
Spray one section at a time with clear sealer. Quickly sprinkle orange glitter onto wet sealer; let dry. Repeat this process until entire branch and chickpeas are glittered. Place the weighted tree into decorative container. Place decorative rocks around the branch base until the cement is covered. Sprinkle extra chickpeas onto the rocks.
Trim silk leaves from stems. Coil the wired ends and hang on the tree.
Trim 2-inch squares of green paper and 13D4-inch squares of gold paper. Center and glue the gold paper onto the green paper. Ask family members to use a marking pen to write meaningful messages on the squares. Use shower curtain clips to hang the messages from the branches.
Leave extra colored squares around the tree base for guests to add more messages to the tree.

Twilight Wedding Inspiration

Twilight has turned me into a vampire loving, squealing teenaged girl! Yes I admit it. I pre order my tickets two weeks ago and cannot wait for the end of the day to head over to the theater. I would have gone last night but I had to be mature and realize that I had early morning meetings today.
I must tell you I was not always this obsessed. I had never heard of the books when the first movie came out and only went to see it on a whim one bored friday night after seeing a movie trailer on TV. I had no idea how passionate and incredible the books were until months after that when at the urging of a friend of mine my mom picked up Twilight and New Moon for me as a christmas gift. Even after that it took me weeks to read Twilight. And then something pulled me in part way through the book when I really started to read it, and stopped thinking about the movie. I was totally hooked and I couldn't stop reading. I read the next three books in a matter of days each, I couldn't get enough. I still have skeptical friends who refuse to get caught up in all of the teen drama. If you give it a chance Bella and Edward's love story will change your view on this series and turn you into an instant Twihard! LOL Cheesy I know. I came across a great inspiration board today in celebration of all things Twilight on this the release date for New Moon. I am thoroughly impressed and while there are alot of posts and speculation about the twilight wedding, I love this post from Green Wedding Shoes. Bravo to you!

"Ok fellow Twilight fans, today is the day - New Moon is out! Anyone planning to see it this weekend? I'm hoping to catch it on Sunday. I know the Twilight wedding isn't until book 3 book 4 - Breaking Dawn, but I thought it would be fun to do a post on some wedding inspiration from the movie. Who doesn't love a good love story! I think that is what attracts a lot of us to the Twilight stories - ok, ok, maybe Rob Pattison has something to do with us loving the movies also :) I've been in Twilight mood the past few weeks - along with a lot of us! - and I've been thinking there are some great ideas you can bring into your wedding - or I hope we will see in Bella and Edward's wedding...


The location of Forks, Washington would make for some amazing pre-wedding photos." Visit Green Wedding Shoes for all the details.

 

Cotton Candy Martini Recipe

Happy Friday Swanky Chicks! Fridays just beg for you to relax and if you like partake in a little happy hour. We found a great little drink recipe perfect for entertaining compliments of Happy Hour Moms. Stop on by thier site for more great tips and ideas. Enjoy!

"Tis the season for holiday parties, great family get-togethers and work events. If you want to be the hostess with the mostess at your next soiree try a fun and festive new cocktail recipe. At HHM we like to promote moms to take a “happy hour” each day to unwind. Although we love more productive tasks, no one said a cocktail couldn’t be enjoyed from time to time. With a few easy ingredients you will wow your guests with a Cotton candy Martini."

Step 1
Start by dipping the rim of your glass in grenadine, or drizzling it over the rim. It’s ok if some gets inside the glass – it adds flavor!

Step 2
Spread the sugar out on a plate and place the glass, rim down, into it. Rotate so that the sugar sticks evenly along the rim.

Step 3
Put the glass aside until the end.

Step 4
Fill your cocktail shaker with ice and pour in your two ounces of raspberry vodka and one ounce of Chambord. Add a splash of grenadine for color.

Step 5
After shaking, add a splash of champagne to your mix.

Step 6
Strain the drink into your glass, careful to avoid the sugared rim.



Step 7

Enjoy wisely!

Thank You Card Etiquette

This Swanky Chick often spends time reading wedding blogs and forums and today I came across a major thank you card no no. I admit I often hear social faux pass, and some have become common place but this one is a biggie. Imagine your have spent the time to choose a thoughtful gift for a shower. You arrive gift in hand and the hostess gives you a blank envelope and asks you to address it to yourself! This ladies and gents is a big mistake and some your guests will consider it down right rude. People have gone out of their way to spend time and money on you, while it sounds like a great way to save some time please don't do it! Take a few minutes to write out and address each card, your guests will appreciate it. In response we have compilied a list of some Thank You Card do's and dont's.

Do send out thank you notes as soon as possible.
Do include a refrence to the gift recieved and how you will use it or how much you enjoyed it.
Do make it personal, it will be appreciated more

Don't hand out thank you notes as guests leave. It will come off as insincere, clearly the note was written before you even opened the gift.

Don't ask guests to address their own thank you note.

Do use return address labels! You can save yourself time this way

Remember someone spent time choosing just the right gift for you, show your appreciation it goes a long way!

Check out Swanky Chicks selection of Personalized Thank You Cards and Address Labels.

DIY Wednesday- Envelope Liners

Swanky Chicks adores beautifully lined envelopes, and I have to admit I had never thought of actually making them myself! Wedding Bee hosted this great tutorial on DIY Envelope Liners. Envelope liners add an unexpected little surprise to your invites and are another way to bring in more of your theme. So go ahead make some for your self. Wether it is for wedding invitations, baby shower invites, or just a little note to say hello, this is a great little project.

You will need:
Cardstock – to make the liner template
Liner paper
Pencil
Scissors
Ruler or Straight Edge
Envelope
Bone folder
Roll-on Adhesive
 

1. Make an envelope liner template for your envelope size.
They sell templates for the standard envelope sizes as well, but ever resourceful, I made mine from a piece of scrap cardstock (actually, it was the cover from a sample proposal of one of the venues we visited – sorry, Tribeca Rooftop!). It takes a bit of measurement and trial and error to get the template the right size, but once you do, it’s smooth sailing! It should look like a “house” shape.

2. Trace the template onto the back side of the paper you wish to use for your liner.
After buying and returning various packages of patterned paper, I found this super cute blue and green pattern that perfectly complemented the blue cardstock of our save-the-dates. And it was on sale – double score! One word of advice - make sure the liner paper isn’t too thick! The blue and green paper was okay, but any thicker and it would have been too bulky.

3. Carefully cut the traced shape out. I used scissors, but a paper cutter might have been easier.

4. Pre-fold the liner. Slip the liner (pattern side up) into the envelope. Putting one hand on the outside of the envelope, and using a bone folder on the inside of the envelope, fold both the liner and the envelope flap down, to set the liner fold.

5. Fold the liner flap down and apply adhesive I applied roll-on adhesive (made by Scotch, I believe), on the two edges (the “roof” of the house).

6. Press the envelope flap onto the liner flap. Voila! Lined envelopes!

Now you just have to repeat for each envelope you need to line. In my case, it was 50 envelopes. I found it easier to trace the pattern onto the liner paper 50x, cut out 50 liners, etc. – in other words, do each step 50 times then move onto the next step.
I told you that DVD would come in handy.

Have you lined your own envelopes before? How did it go? Any tips? Leave a comment!

Zebra Party!

We are in love! With Design Dazzle and the gorgeous Zebra Party post today! The featured mom Nancy created this stunning party herself. She is one Swanky Mom! Check out the Design Dazzle post for all the details. Here is a little taste of this gorgeous DIY creation.

Letterpress Giveaway! from DIY Bride

Hope on over the the DIY Bride and enter to win a fab at home letterpress machine. The prize is valued at $150!! I am just drooling over all the projects I could do with this beauty. And remember if you are not a DIY Diva head over to Swanky Chicks and we help turn you into a Swanky Hostess!

Double Duty Favors

Eeeek!!!! I Love the Style Me Pretty blog and follow it constantly, I am always finding myself getting distracted browsing the gorgeous weddings featured. Today is no different and I am inspired to share it with all of my Swanky Chicks! Head on over the Style Me Pretty for all of the details. My fav from the wedding are these beautiful favors that do double duty as escort cards!

Gorgeous Bridals!

Phoenix area brides there is a new photographer on the block and she has some serious talent! Britany from Brockman Photo shared a few gorgeous bridal portraits from her more recent weddings, and we are in love. Britany captures an etheral quality about these brides through her photography. Her skilled use of lighting has produced some truly swoon worthy portraits. Not only are this women beautiful, but Britany has used her talent to capture a depth of emotion that is evident in the photos. You can truly see the love and happiness on each of thier faces. That is a mark of true talent, to be able to capture the emotion. Believe me we have seen hundreds of bridals and Brockman Photo is among the leading Phoenix Wedding Photographers.

Brittany's passion for photography developed in the early days of her 14 year career as a professional model. During that time, she learned about photography, angles, & lighting. Now retired from modeling, she has taken a place behind the camera. Ladies if you are Phoenix Bride check out Brockman Photo!

DIY Wednesday- Thanksgiving

Hi I almost forgot it was DIY Wednesday! Well thanks to Chris over at Celebrations at Home problem solved! "Paper and Cake is generously offering us a FREE Thanksgiving printable collection! Make your tabletop special with steps as easy as click, print, & cut." Thanks again Chris and Paper and Cake this is the perfect DIY Wednesday for the Swanky Chicks and just in time for the holidays.
Wow what a freebie it is, the downloadable file includes menus, place cards, invitations, wine glass tags, napkin rings, vase/candle wraps, recipe cards, food labels and so much more. You must stop by and thank Chris for this awesome lead and give Paper and Cake some love for creating this gorgeous suite for FREE!

Holiday Photo Cards are Here!!!

Our 2009 Holiday Photo Cards are now available and they are gorgeous. Fast too, all the cards will ship with in three days of final proof approval! We have teamed up again this year with Take Note! Designs to offer you a modern take on the traditional holiday greeting card. We are excited about the line, and feel it is a good reflection of traditional and fashion forward color palettes, as well as calm and restful, with a mix of traditional, vintage, fun to beautiful.

Here are a few of this years favorites.

What are you waiting for hurry on over the Swanky Chicks and get your today!

For every holiday card order Take Note! Cards gives 25% of sales to breast cancer research, all holiday, all sales, just all of our way of spreading holiday cheer to those who need it most!

When should I send out Save the Dates and Invitations?

If you're having a local wedding on a nonholiday weekend, it is not necessary to send out save-the-date cards. Instead, just send the invitations out about six weeks before your wedding date. For a wedding taking place on a long weekend—which is often centered around a holiday—save-the-date cards are a great idea because people tend to make special plans early for these weekends. If you are having alot of out of town guests it is also a good idea to send out save the dates so they may begin making travel plans. Drop save-the-dates in the mail about five months before your big day. Save-the-dates have become more popular with todays brides.
Invitations for a long-weekend or holiday wedding should be mailed out a little bit earlier, as well. (Aim for about two months in advance.) If you're planning a destination wedding, your save-the-date mailing should go out about 9-12 months prior to the wedding. This gives guests plenty of time to make travel arrangements and to plan to take extra time off from work if they want to stretch your wedding into a vacation of their own. The actual invitations for your far-away fling should be sent 2 ½-3 months prior to saying "I do."
You can find beautiful modern wedding invitation designs at Swanky Chicks! We also work one on one with our brides to create custom couture wedding invitations.

source: Brides.com

Cake Inspirations

We have a set of yummy inspirations for all of our brides to be today. Our delicious eye candy comes to us from Shannon of Creative Cakes in San Antonio TX. Shannon has graciously shared some of her favorite wedding cakes. Even if you are not planning your nuptials these beautiful cakes are great inspiration for any upcoming event.

The black and white color pallet is super modern and the floral pattern is reminiscent of traditional fabrics.

The asain flair to these beautiful blossoms are a slight departure from your usual floral cake.

Gorgeous Black and White hand drawn damask gets a pop of color from hot pink bands.

This exquisite chocolate creation reminds me of a beautiful Vera Bradley pattern handbag.

A taste of the far east infused on a simple white cake in beautiful burgundy.

Bridal showers, birthdays, cocktail parties, these patterns and color combinations are so chic! With cakes starting at just $2.50 a slice our Texas readers can actually afford one of these beautiful deserts. Shannon

at Creative Cakes can be reached at 210-380-9880.

Show Us Your Life- Thanksgiving

Hi! I am so sorry for the lack of posts in the last week. We took a long weekend last week and then of course I came down with a cold! I am back in the saddle now so here come the posts. It's Show Us Your Life Friday again over at Kelly's Korner. This week everyone is sharing their Thanksgiving recipes and traditions. Last year I baked this delicious apple pie recipe from Paula Deen and got soooo many compliments. We do a pot luck with tons of in laws, out laws, and extended family :) So I was very pleased with myself that this little recipe impressed so many. It is amazingly simple for apple pie (I think I used the roll out dough rather than making my own) and so delicious.

Paula Deen Crunch Top Apple Pie

Dough and Filling:
Paula’s Perfect Pie Crust, recipe follows
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of salt
3 1/2 cups peeled, chopped cooking apples
1 16-ounce jar applesauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, chopped into small pieces

Crunch Topping:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
Dash of salt
1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature



Paula’s Perfect Pie Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold
12 tablespoons butter, (1 1/2 sticks) cold and cubed
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Line a 9-inch pie pan with half of dough. Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the apples, applesauce, and lemon juice. Spoon the apple mixture into pie pan and dot with butter. Cut remaining crust into strips; arrange in a lattice design over top of pie.

For crunch topping:

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Using a fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over top of crust. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for about 45 minutes, or until crust and topping are golden brown.

Paula’s Perfect Pie Crust:

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. Add the shortening and break it up with your hands as you start to coat it all up with the flour. Add the cold butter cubes and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter. Work it quickly, so the butter doesn’t get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like very coarse cornmeal. Add the ice water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball. When it comes together stop working it otherwise the dough will get over-worked and tough. Divide the dough in half and flatten it slightly to form a disk shape. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. On a floured surface roll each disk out into a 10 to 11-inch circle to make a 9-inch pie.

Yield: 2 (9-inch) pie crusts
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2007
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes