Sunday, July 31, 2011

{weekly recap}


{+}
Hi friends! Ahh it's been too long.  It's so weird to be away from P&P.  Portugal is amazing and I'm having a great time sleeping in, hitting local farmers markets and sitting in outdoor cafes and people watch.
What have I missed this week? I want to hear all about it.
Miss you guys! xo
in case you missed any of this week's guest bloggers...
{Monday} Coral crush from {lanalou style}
{Tuesday} Mini envelopes favors from {anastasia marie}
{Wednesday} Yellow party palette from {the sweetest occasion}
{Thursday} Steal worthy bouquets from {glamour & grace}
{Friday}  Pretty summer signature drinks from {dandelion & grey}


Friday, July 29, 2011

{guest post} pretty summer signature drinks from dandelion & grey

With Summer in full swing, my thoughts immediately go to sweet backyard weddings, festive barbecues and lazy days. For Summer brides looking to provide a fun & tasty drink for their guests to enjoy, I've included recipes to 3 of my absolute favorites! 
{ Style your cocktail with }
Sip & Repeat....Cheers!

photo credits:
Grapefruit Cocktail: Once Wed
Drink Menu: Jose Villa
Drinks in Mason Jars with Grey Striped Straws: Sarah Yates Photography
Bride with Citrus Colored Bouquet: Jose Villa via The Blue House
The Bee's Knees Cocktail: Style Me Pretty
Cherry Blossom Garnished Cocktail: Pinterest 
Window Pane Menu: Martha Stewart Weddings
Pitcher & Ladle: Anna Williams
Picnic Table: Kate MacPhearson Via Once Wed

Thursday, July 28, 2011

{guest post} steal worthy bouquets from glamour & grace

Hello wonderful Postcards & Pretties readers! This is Megan from Glamour and Grace and I am honored to guest post while Chris is away! Today I thought I'd share a fabulous Steal Worthy Idea! Fruit is a really great option when wanting to save on florals. I love seeing bright green apples, chic citrus, and rich pomegranates used in wedding decor. It adds such a fun and playful element. When I saw these bouquets, I was blown away! Blackberries used as flowers! It is so completely elegant and unexpected. I love all of the tones, from soft green and pink to a deep purple. Plus, they would be a great little snack during all of the pictures! Totally a steal worthy idea!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

{guest post} yellow party palette from the sweetest occasion

Hi everyone! I am so excited to be stopping by while Chris is on vacation. Today I'm sharing a pretty, summer-inspired color palette showcasing Chris's favorite color - yellow! Yellow is seriously such an awesome color. It's joyful and really super versatile - it can be preppy, incredibly sophisticated or really modern depending on how you play it up. Here I paired it with the softest whisper of sky blue and pretty neutrals for a look that is fresh, summery and timeless.




Tuesday, July 26, 2011

{guest post} mini envelope favors from anastasia marie



Hello there! It's Anastasia {Stacey} from Anastasia Marie. I am really happy to be guest blogging here on one of my favorite blogs ever. There's incredible fun to be had here.

Today we're going to be making some sweet wedding favors. You can place these little ones on your guests' place settings, line them up on a separate table, or even pin them up on a line. It's all about how creative you want to get. 
I designed a printable template for you all to make things super easy. This template was made to hold seeds as the gift, but you can customize it even more by just trimming the bottom portion of the base card that speaks of the seeds, and insert whatever you'd like into the mini envelope. No one will ever know...

And honestly, it doesn't even have to be a wedding related favor. These little favors can work for other parties as well, from anniversaries to baby showers.


MATERIALS: 
paper for printables
double sided patterned paper
 scissors
ruler
scoring tool
craft glue
permanent double-sided tape
seeds
 1/4" satin ribbon
STEP ONE: Let's get started!
Download, print, and cut these cute base cards for the favors {the files have crop marks for easy trimming and should come out to be 3.25x4" in size}. Choose from six different colors: blue, orange, purple, gray, dusty pink, or green. You can download the base card template here.
STEP TWO: Choose your paper.
Select pretty patterned paper in the same color category as your chosen base card. Try to choose one that is double sided, so when the little envelope opens, the inner flap is cute as well. I chose to work with the dusty pink card.

STEP THREE: Create your envelope.
Cut out 3x5" rectangles from your chosen pretty paper. Score lines 1/4" in along both long sides of the rectangle, and then across the 2" mark and 4" mark. You should have a 1" flap up on top. Cut out your envelope flap in any shape that you'd like and cut down along the scored lines {along the long sides} until you reach the 2" scored line. 

Fold along your scored lines. You should be left with a bottom base with two flaps, a face and a seal flap.

STEP FOUR:  Assemble your envelope.
Use a little glue on the outer side of your base flaps, folding them in to seal your envelope together. You should be left with a mini envelope with its seal flap open.
STEP FIVE: Attach the two.
Use permanent double-stick tape on the backside of your mini envelope to attach it to the base card.
STEP SIX: Insert the gift.
In you go little seeds! Dab a little glue on the seal flap and seal the envelope so the seeds won't escape.
STEP SEVEN: Tie a bow.
Take a piece of 1/4" satin ribbon in a coordinating color and tie a bow around the base card and envelope. Feel free to tie whatever bow you'd like and place it anywhere you'd like around the envelope.
And you're FINISHED! 



Monday, July 25, 2011

{guest post} coral crush from lanalou style

Hi there, this is Lana from lanalou style and I'm so happy to be guest posting here today while Chris takes a well deserved break! It was fun to pretend I was a wedding planner for a day and see where my fancy took me. Varying shades of coral, tangerine and pink caught my eye which look beautiful against mint green, dove grey and of course white. I love the idea of using a few soft hues together and then adding just one bolder colour for more of a punch. Can someone please invite me to a wedding inspired by these colours sometime soon?! I hope you enjoy...
Image credits: from Left to right: 1) BHLDN, 2) Think Runway, 3 & 4) Style Me Pretty, 5) Style Me Pretty, 7) Jose Villa, 8) Jose Villa
Image Credits: 1) Style Me Pretty, 2) Jose Villa, 3) Jose Villa

Friday, July 22, 2011

{#163} lace + heritage

{destination} Portugal
{colors} blue, clay, white lace 
{description} Who knew creating a destination board about a country I know so well would be so hard? I've been working on this board for over a year now and I think I'm finally happy with it {hey! I'm a bit of a perfectionist}. It has everything I love about my little country except the food which I think needs a post on it's own.  The first thing you see when you're about to land are the clay roof tiles, so you know they needed to be a part of this wedding board.  I also love the idea of old rustic farm tables lined with beautiful and intricate lace or renda where family & friends can gather.  The blue and white china is inspired by the traditional tiles or azulejos seen throughout and no Portuguese table is complete without some wine or vinho
{photos} cobblestone street {browns photography} blue dresses {martha stewart weddings} terra cotta pipes {luna photo} boutonnieres {small stump} bouquet {martha stewart weddings} blue & white plate wall paper {decor8} lace runner/blue & white place setting {souder photography} cork escort card holders {hello tenfold} lantern centerpieces {jose villa}

Thursday, July 21, 2011

até breve

Well, I'm off for a much needed vacation. I'm a bit stressed because I haven't finished packing and my bag already exceeds the weight limit. Ah! What am I going to do? Can I survive with three pairs of shoes? Doubt it!   I'm heading to the motherland for a few weeks but have no fear because I rounded up some ah-mazing friends to keep you company while I'm away.  The guest posts will begin on Monday and I'm certain you're going to love them as much as I do.  I'll try my best to keep you updated and I'll drop by to say Olá.  Don't have too much fun without me.  Até breve {see you soon}.

xoxo
Chris

{real wedding} melissa + scott's local southern wedding

There is something so charming with southern wedding. I was smitten from the moment I saw Melissa + Scott's wedding.  Here's what couple had to say about their wedding...We love local. We love food. We love each other.

I wish I could say that I had some grand vision for my wedding and that I nourished every detail for the event from the ground up. That would be a lie.  I had just begun my first year of teaching, so busy was an understatement. The summer before I began teaching, Scott proposed to me at St. George Island during a joined family vacation. We had been together for 6 years at that time and we had talked openly about getting married, but had never actually gotten our act together. We had already designed our rings with BLUE, so it was really only a surprise for everybody else! When we came back in from our walk and announced our engagement, everybody thought we were joking and ignored us. “No, really!” I said holding up my left hand…then the celebrating began.
Not too long after, we started looking at venues and tossing around ideas. We wanted to be able to share our love for local, seasonal food and for the outdoors with our friends and family. We also wanted a comfortable setting that would not put us into great debt. We discussed everything from the hike-Inn at Amicacola Falls to a more sophisticated Asheville affair to the Altanta Botanical Gardens, but nothing seemed to fit both our sense of self and our budget. Scott had taken over the search once the school year started, and he expanded our search to other areas where we had gone hiking. He found Sweet Home Plantation on an internet search based around the Pine Mountain area. We had hiked the area on multiple occasions and took a short trip down in the Fall to see the place. We fell in LOVE!! The grounds are tranquil and picturesque without being too manicured, plus Bobbie gave us the freedom to create the event we wanted for a set price that would not go up if we needed an extra table or wine glass (did I mention we are a bit thrifty and were appalled at the costliness of the average wedding).
The location of Sweet Home is very rural, so I asked if there were any local farmers or vegetable stands I could visit. I am part of a CSA at home, so it is not like the fridge was bare, but I am a sucker for buying things from the people who grew them. It turns out that our Sweet Home contact was a frequent visitor to the Jack and Jenny Sun Farms, which was just down the road. We paid the farm a visit, bought some garlic and sweet potatoes, and arranged with Jenny and Chris to supply the produce and some of the flowers for the wedding. They gave us Shannon Klein’s number who had done some dinners at the farm with her company Food Blossoms Catering. We were on our way back to Atlanta with our wedding pretty much planned!
It just took a couple of more phone calls to Shannon’s friend Kelly Geer to get the details of what we really wanted worked out and set into action. Kelly and Shannon had worked together previously planning farm suppers at with Jenny and Chris. Kelly is amazing! She listened and got to know us and what we wanted for the event. She was able to bring to life ideas that were limited to a few words I had strung together. Somehow I managed to surround myself with people who could take the phrase “simple summer outdoor wedding” and flesh it out into the beautiful event that we all got to enjoy.
The only hitch was the weather (no, it didn’t rain!), but because spring had sprung so early and suddenly this year, some of the arrangements I had made for the local flowers were not able to accommodate my order. I took a drive with Rebecca Traylor a couple of days before the event to Athens to pick up the flowers. I loved taking a tour of the farm, picking out the buckets I wanted, and then loading and seat-belting them into the car for the frostily air-conditioned ride to Pine Mountain. That is the thing about going local. Sometimes doing things the right way means being flexible. Getting dirty with my nails done…now that is more like it!
Scott and I really ENJOYED our wedding. So many people don’t even get to eat at their wedding. Scott and I are not micromanagers; so many aspects of the wedding were so much better because we did not put any constraints on the people there to run the event...there were so many pleasant surprises for us the whole night from Gary’s song choices to the Special “firefly” decoration Rebecca made for our table. The story of our wedding is really about getting wonderful, talented people together and allowing them to be themselves so that we could do the same. There was NO stress that day…I mean it! We enjoyed everything from the photos, to saying Scott’s carefully arranged vows, to walking into the beautifully laid out reception area, to cutting the pies, to saying good-night. We did things our way and tapped into a wonderful community of like-minded people. What a joyous day it was!
{Photography} Moss & Issac
{Event Designer} Kelly Geer
{Make Up/Hair} Laurin Trudeau  
{Cake (pie) and Caterer}Shannon Klein
{DJ/Music} Gary Brown
{Dress & shoe designer} Joli Bridal and Gianni Bini
{Groom Attire} Men’s Warehouse Wilke-Rodriguez Vested Suit
{Bridal Party Attire} Belsoie
{Jewelry} Blue Goldsmith
{Lighting} Rebecca Traylor
{Officiant} Charlotte Brachiers
{Stationery} Minted

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

{#162} rosy radishes

{colors} radish, brown, ecru
{description} I was first inspired to create this board a few months, I've tweaked and played with it for a while hoping to find the perfect images. I love the idea of using unexpected elements in weddings and today's lucky feature are radishes. They are the perfect shade of reddish/pink that can be seen on the centerpieces and linens. Consider using cute illustration of this root vegetable for the stationery, while adding real radishes to the bridal bouquet is an unique touch that certainly won't go unnoticed.  
{photos} bride {jose villa} soil mates book {andrea dozier photography} bow tie, table setting {tec petaja} centerpiece {aaron delesie photography} hanging table number {brides} radish bouquet {trent bailey photography} daybed {leo patrone photography} radish stationery {angie wilson photography}

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

{#57} tuesday shoesday

Love the exaggerated ribbon bow on these heels. {rsvp} 

also, check out these blogs for more tuesday picks:

follow postcards and pretties on twitter {here} &  #tuesdayshoesday

{real wedding} stephanie + joey

How’s everyone Tuesday going so far? Today I’m sharing with you a wedding sent to me by Mae of {Bryan and Mae}.  Here’s what she had to say about Stephanie + Joey’s wedding… "The couple got married in a church in the woods and had their reception at the Holland Area Arts Council, a rad art museum downtown. I especially loved the bride's vintage-meets-modern style with her cathedral veil and full skirt. She had all of her bridesmaids wear a gray dress of their choosing, allowing their personalities to play into the day. At the reception, Steph and Joey had a gorgeous dessert table featuring photographs of them, their parents and grandparents, creating a sweet family-focused vibe to their day. The desserts were all made by friends and family."
{Photography} Bryan and Mae 
{Ceremony} Ventura Baptist Church 
{Reception} Holland Area Arts Council
{Caterer} Adeline Leigh catering
{Desserts} Bride's family & friends
{Flowers} The bride
{Dress} David's Bridal
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