I love having a job where I get to design party invitations and matching accoutrement.
Today I'm sharing a few photos of the design work I did for this amazing Pirate Party thrown by two very talented Event Planners - Jennifer Currier & Karen Snyder of La Soiree Chic! (http://www.lasoireechic.blogspot.com/)
I illustrated a traditional pirate skull and crossbones - but added a feminine touch by changing the eye patch to a heart and swapping out the customary pirate color red for a bright pink.
Party decor using the food and water bottle labels I designed.
Can you believe this amazing tablescape Karen & Jennifer designed?!! I love how the colors explode off the page. I designed the Banner above the table to compliment the original invite - but switched out the background color to a bright sunny yellow.
Last but not least are the favor bags with tags that read "Argghhh Pirate Booty!"
I was lucky enough to meet my soul mate, best friend and husband 21 years ago this month!
However I would have to wait another 18 years before I met my junk mate.
What’s a junk mate you might ask? Well here are a few important characteristics:
A junk mate is a friend who happens by a killer estate sale and calls to tell you about it - so you don’t miss out!
A junk mate will be at the thrift store, see something she knows you couldn’t live without and text you a photo to see if she should purchase it for you.
A junk mate will convince you to spring for that item you are wavering on – knowing you’ll kick yourself later if you left the store without it.
And a junk mate will tell you not to buy that second hand skirt because you already have a dozen that look just like it.
I met Corinne almost 3 years ago. Every Wednesday after my babysitter arrived, I would hightail it over to Village Thrift for a few hours of kid free shopping and relaxation. I’m not sure when I noticed her first - but after a few months of my Wednesday ritual – I realized there was this hip chick ALWAYS shopping at the same day/time I was. I didn’t approach her for several months because I couldn’t figure out how to break the ice. Finally after almost a year I decided I was being a ninny and my trepidation was ridiculous – we obviously had a thrift store obsession in common if nothing else. So one Wednesday morning I idled up to her cart and blurted out the best junk mate pick-up line I could think of – “Hey that’s an awesome thing you found. What a score!”
Turns out Corinne & I had a few more things in common besides our favorite hobby. My oldest son and her daughter are only 6 months apart (and get along fabulously). We both love to decorate and re-decorate our houses (her house is insanely amazing). And we both like to wear black, which would really come in handy if I was a size 6.
So today I am going to share a few photos of her house. She has an amazing ability for display and presentation, mixing both modern and vintage. It’s hard to describe her unique style, but if I had to pick a moniker it would be Eclectic Wonderland. I also greatly admire that she isn’t afraid to incorporate her daughter’s toys and artwork seamlessly into the décor. See for yourself.
I love parents who aren't afraid to let their kids and house get messy in the happy pursuit of creativity. Corinne generously frames and displays her daughter's art.
Both the living room (above) and dining room (below) harmoniously marry vintage and modern.
Corinne was lucky enough to be able to commission Art & Ghosts (http://artandghosts.typepad.com/) to create one of a kind art pieces using photos of her daughter.
I love the vintage tanker desk sprayed a cool metal pink! But I love even more the photo booth strips placed under the glass as a fun reminder of times past.
These two photos are of her daughter's room. It has this enchanting woodland, fairytale feel with a pinch of kitsch throw in for good measure.
Last but not least a few photos that demonstrate Corinne's super power - displaying objects in a wonderful and eye-catching way.
My husband and I have a special little hobby we've been indulging ourselves in for over a decade now -Medieval Camping. Yes we know the stigma attached - but really and truly it's fun, creative and relaxing! We've spent quite a few years now creating the perfect romantic, bohemian ambiance for our tent. In order to accomplish this we've re-purposed quite a few thrift/retail store finds to "reenact" the renaissance period to the best of our ability.
But before we go any further - check out the video below for a real feel of what
Period Camping is all about.
Here are some of the thrift/retail store items we've enlisted to help create our bohemian environment.
Throw rugs
Sheets used as tent decor
Old steamer trucks for storage & seating
Pier One / World Market wooden bowls
Lots & lots of yarn tassels (link to tutorial below)
Vintage wood folding chairs
Sari fabric - curtains and tent decor
Metal & Glass Chandelier - Ikea
Sheepskin - for bedding (keeps us warm!)
Small Vintage Turkish Rugs made into large throw pillow covers
Tons of lanterns
And now for the photos!
My husband made our bed! It folds down totally flat for storage. Hanging above the bed along the left tent wall is this amazing Ralph Lauren sheet that I found at the thrift store. The large throw pillow at the head of the bed was an old Turkish rug that a backing was added to - so we could slip a pillow in it.
The rug on the floor belonged to Mike's great grandmother. It is one of the most beautiful turn of the century rugs I have ever seen - but alas too threadbare to use in our house anymore. However we still get to enjoy it's beauty every time we camp.
Here's a broader view of our tent. We have old steamer and handmade wooden trunks doing double duty as seating and storage. I found vintage wood folding chairs with leather seats at the thrift store that are perfect at our "feasting" table. And don't forget the 50+ multicolored yarn tassels that I made to embellish our tent canopy. (link to tutorial below)
Our tent illuminated at night! I can't tell you how enchanting it feels when the dark descends upon us and candles & lanterns light up the entire campground.
These are tents of friends that we camp with. The yurt on the right was handmade by my friend Pixie and the tent on the far left was also handmade by our friends Nick & Robin.
Last but not least - my boys love it when we go camping!
If you ever have a chance to visit or camp at a SCA War event - don't hesitate. While it may not be your cup of tea to regularly participate in - it's still a unique event to observe and experience!
Here's a great link to a tutorial for tassels. I just replaced the embroidery floss with yarn.
I love a good thrift store! And there's a few that I haunt on Thursday mornings while my boys are in school. This week I've been trying to find storage solutions for my bathroom counter. I wanted to find something for my toothbrushes, hair accessories and various toiletries. Check out below and see what items I scored and then "revamped" to fit my needs.
I already had the shabby looking soap holder - but was excited to find this matching gold ceramic swan! It had the perfect patina with bits of pink and green paint showing through (matching the colors of my art deco bathroom). The swan was originally used as a planter with fake flowers, but I took out the green floral foam and gave it a good scrub. It fit my face lotions and toners exactly. I also found the vintage Avon pink powder puff. Exactly what I needed for a pop of color. The little clothespin doll my son Quinn gave me for Christmas last year. He personally picked it out at his school's Christmas fair.
Now to solve the storage problem of my toothbrushes and hair accessories! There was this little piece of sparkly something shoved behind a bunch of ceramic cups. I made a grab for it and was thrilled when I found it was a 1950s lipstick holder! We have four people in our family and the toothbrushes fit snugly into this beautiful piece covered in jewels and rhinestones.
Last but not least I found this very colorful tin that was large enough to store my hair accessories.
