i heart peonies

fun, vintage, blumchen

2010-03-15T09:00:00.005-05:00

Blumchen is fun to say. Try it.

Jake (aka Mr. Martha) ordered a few kraft paper eggs from this craft and decor supply shop last November. The eggs arrived in high quality with a gorgeous toile paper interior, so I spent some time on their site. I found some sweet little goodies to vintage up your wedding.

I love these little ladybugs. A little good luck for your invitations, placecards, favors and tablesettings. They also sell that gold tussie mussie (I DON'T like saying that one).

I thought these little raspberries would be sweet in a bouttoniere.

And these vintage paper florals and characters could make each of your invitations unique. I would love to recieve an invite with one of those paper wreaths on the envelope.

There is a little something for every holiday on their site, so head over there to check it out even if you are not planning a wedding.

gilt groupe + martha stewart weddings

2010-03-11T20:49:00.002-06:00

Gilt Groupe- an addictive sample sale site- has teamed up with Martha Stewart Weddings for a wedding sample extravaganza. Darcy Miller made a few picks, which gives you a sneak peek at what's in store for the sale. Gowns, bridesmaid dresses, gifts for the groom, flower girl accessories... the goods. Here is the schedule:

Friday
Bridal Jewelry, Shoes, Bags and Intimates
BluePrintCleanse
Bridal Beauty Products
Prive Salons: New York and Los Angeles
Westin Bedding
Presents for the Bride and Groom
Wedding Invitations, Stationary and Books
Angel Sanchez and Morgane Le Fay Bridal
For the Groom

Saturday:
Freshology
Flower Girls and Ring Bearers
Gilt Wedding: Tutu Couture
Bridal Party Favors

It is definitely worth signing up for Gilt Groupe, even if you only do so for this sale. I have limited myself to a few purchases for little E (I heart Blabla dolls), but it has been difficult. Their Jetsetter deals are the WORST! There are pretty little photos of gorgeous far away places in my inbox everyday... and they are on sale! Anyway, go check it out and let me know what you think.

sarah and bendrix

2010-02-22T10:22:00.003-06:00

I found these sarah and bendrix artworks in Max Wanger's home (via Design*Sponge) this morning. A little late for Valentine's Day, but I thought one of these lovelies would be a super gift. They do custom art, so perhaps in your wedding colors?

That last one is my favorite!

heart shaped pastas

2010-02-12T07:33:00.006-06:00

First came love...

Valentine's Day is extra special to me, as it was Valentine's Day weekend, 2005, that Jake and I went on our first date after 18 months of flirting. The 14th often gets left by the wayside, and happily so. Today, the 12th, is the day we actually celebrate. Five years ago today, Jake took me to Mia Francesca on the north side of Chicago for a love themed meal. I had heart shaped raviolis, a yummy glass of Cabernet and the best first date on record. My face hurt from laughing before the entrees arrived; I knew I was going to marry him before our second date. I even told my mom.

Then came marriage...

This day is a tie with the day E was born as the best day of my life.

Then came baby.

The 14th will carry extra significance this year, as our little girl will be baptized Catholic. She will be wearing a beautiful lace gown, passed down through Jake's family, and a bonnet that my Grammy gave to me before I was baptized. Eloise was Grammy's middle name and I love that she will be with us on Sunday. I am pretty jazzed to be throwing my little love a party, and on Valentine's Day no less! Love will be all around.

All photos by our favorite photog, Dean Thorsen.

from wedding table to my living room ceiling

2010-02-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

I like milk glass. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, my Grammy collected many pretty pieces. They were beautiful, sentimental and really helped set the mood at our wedding.

Flowers from Petal Play Design, photos from Thorsen Photography

The cake plates, vases and cups now decorate my home. When it came time to pick out my dining room, I decided to stick with the theme.

I purchased my chandelier from Macy's via Martha Stewart Lighting and it is no longer available :( I love, love, love the shape, the glass, and the warm glow in my dining room. Jake's mom made us new window treatments and I am getting ready to wallpaper, so more before and after photos of our home to come!

Do you have plans to/did you reuse pieces from your wedding in your home?

divine twine

2010-02-10T08:00:00.001-06:00

Bakers twine has been popping up all over the place on favors, programs and invitations. Sweet twine adds a vintage twist, but is commonly only found in red. Hello, divine twine! 100% cotton and in cotton candy colors. I went on a search for bakers twine to complete our birth announcement/Christmas cards last December. Time and my nesting anxieties wouldn't allow me to buy online, but I have been thinking about this lovely twine in the meantime. I may be making a purchase for little E's first birthday party...

happy baby

2010-02-09T19:01:00.004-06:00

A late post for today. Blog writing, meet your competition:

Can't you hear her cute little noises? Sigh...

sneak peek: a pink to green wedding

2010-02-08T07:00:00.005-06:00

One of my lovely clients- Megan of the very creative Pink to Green blog- recently received a short version of her wedding video and gave me the thumbs up to share it with you! The day was shot by Hitched on Film using the Super 8 style. The weather and the sunshine were just perfect, which meant that all her thoughtful details had an extra glow. More to come on this wedding, including photos by Olivia Leigh.

short wedding dress club

2010-02-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

My sister's wedding will be a more laid back affair. In keeping with this vibe, she has been considering a shorter hemline for her wedding dress. Lucky for her, there is a whole club for short dress lovers! Anne Marie of Perfect Bound and Martha of Nibs will be sending a new short wedding dress to members every month. Judging from their beautiful sites, the dresses should be top notch! Here are the details.

i heart san francisco

2010-02-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

I just found this in my drafts from 11/07/07! Oops. A little late, but I am going to post it anyway as it features a shirt that I love and can no longer find.

After a few visits to San Francisco where we were... less than impressed, Jake and I decided to try it again. Everyone else seems to love it, so why shouldn't we?

Jake was on a "working vacation" for all but the weekend, which meant that I had a lot of time to study (read: explore the girly shops in SF without his dead weight!). Our trip started with a trip to the Google HQ. Woah... its too bad I have left the corporate world and that I have absolutely no nerd skills. I would be there in a heartbeat, scarfing down the free sushi and basking in the warm Mountain View sun. That place is unreal! After leaving Silicon Valley, we spent that night at the Renaissance Stanford Court and then had dinner at Plouf on Belden Street. Jake and I loved walking down Belden St. It reminded me of Italy, with the hostesses begging you to eat at their restaurant and all the outdoor seating.

We spent the next two days on real vacation in Sonoma. It was gorgeous! We stayed at The Lodge at Sonoma. There was a patio, a fireplace and an enormous bathroom with a tub and bath salts! It was amazing. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy spot in wine country. It is walking distance from adorable downtown Sonoma. We had some yummy turkey burgers and beers at the Cheese Factory and then walked around the historic Plaza. We learned all about the Russians and the Spanish and the rebels who kicked them out of California. We toured a few wineries before heading back to our lovely room, ordering pizza and drinking some of our prizes from the day.

Back in SF, Jake had to go to work so I set out on my own. I spent Monday wandering around looking for some of the wonderful shops that I have read about on the wedding blogs. Unfortunately, two that I was most excited about (Rose and Radish and Haute Bride) were closed on Monday.

Before I knew that it was closed. I am very excited!

D'oh! No mondays...

Fortunately, Miette was opened and I spent quite a bit of time inside. That wallpaper was gorgeous. I want to move in, and just eat their homemade carmels allll day. I felt like a weirdo taking photos inside, but here is the outside. So cute!

Jake's brother-in-law Marc was in town for a conference so we spent Monday night with him, watching the Bears defeat the Packers. Somehow, the Midwest took over the Fourth Street Bar that night. Tuesday was spent cruising around SF, shopping and being a tourist. Jake and I headed up to Berkeley that night to visit a friend and her new fiance (congrats, Katie!), pick up some favor bags from Weddingbee's Miss Gummy Bear and find a place to get Jake's hair cut. We were successful on all accounts. All in all, it was an amazing weekend. Here is our flickr photo set.

Sorry for doubting you San Francisco. Jake and I are back on your team, for now.

indie wed: fine & raw, tipsy cake & glazed chicago donuts

2010-02-03T05:00:00.003-06:00

There were lots of yummy treats at Indie Wed! I am not exagerating when I say that our visit to the Fine & Raw booth was life changing. Fine & Raw makes candy bars from pure, raw chocolate. We could not get over the creamy texture, created without cream. It was dark, rich, so decadent and healthy. This stuff will blow your mind.

A fudgy close-up:

Pretty wrapping for Valentine's Day.

I first tried Tipsy Cake at the Renegade Holiday Fair (awesome event, btw) and was happy to taste their yummy red velvet again. They also brought a few gorgeous cakes. My mom, sister and I oooh'd over the faux bois design on the yellow cake. Unfortunately, lack of sleep the night before (yay, babies!) meant that I wasn't on my game and forgot my camera. Thanks, Charlene, for this pretty picture.

Image borrowed from SweetChic Events

Finally, the donuts. Glazed Chicago Donuts are custom made for your event using organic ingredients. We sampled the chinese 5 spice and chocolate and something yummy glazed with lemon that looked like this:

I'm thinking showers, late night snacks and post wedding brunches. A little cup of hot chocolate and a pretty donut at a winter wedding sounds just perfect.

indie wed: nelle & layer cake shop

2010-02-02T08:00:00.005-06:00

Layer Cake Shop was the first booth that welcomed you to Indie Wed. The Shop is a baking supply company, although they don't make your typical white cupcake liners. I grabbed these for Eloise's baptism.

They also make a large selection of flavoring oils in cute little bottles. My mom- a cupcake aficionado- picked up champagne and lemon. She had a hard time choosing!

We also went nuts over Nelle Handbags, although the table was so swarmed we could hardly get our hands on the goods! They use gorgeous fabrics and vintage designs to create handbags, hairpieces and other accessories. You can chose from a wide selection of colors to match your event. The Tuxedo Clutch first caught our eyes.

I am a sucker for a floral hairpiece. Oooh, and Nilla wafers!

Don't those images make you want to touch the fabric? So, so lovely and definitely something that would be both wedding and "I feel like looking pretty today" appropriate.

offensive + delightful cards

2010-02-02T05:00:00.001-06:00

Tina of With This Ring, I Thee Obsess sent me a very sweet, not at all cutesie baby card by Offensive + Delightful.

Everyone I know is either pregnant or recently post-natal. I need a steady supply of baby cards. I had a fun time digging around on the O+D site. In addition to a few irreverent baby cards, there are some lovely and silly valentines. I consider this to be a family friendly blog, preventing me from posting some of my favorites, but please venture over to their site and enjoy.

indie wed: small object & audey

2010-02-01T05:00:00.004-06:00

Indie Wed was wonderful! Everyone in the group found something to love. Eloise mostly loved Toast and Jam. My sister left with lots of great ideas- mission accomplished!

My favorite vendor was Small Object, with sweet little wooden cake toppers. I just loved their handpainted faces.

Tina did a nice job of summing up Sarah Neuburger's talent on her blog. I will instead discuss another favorite from yesterday- Audey!

Jess Audey is a Chicago designer, specializing in custom dresses in fun and whimsical fabrics. My mom and I particularly loved the flare in the pleat of this skirt.

Indie Wed included a fashion show. Several of Audey's models showed off a brightly colored petticoat under a full skirt.
Here is the designer herself, showing off one of her designs.

More Indie Wed favorites to come!

Indie Wed Today!

2010-01-29T17:29:00.005-06:00

My mom, newly engaged sister, 6 week old baby and I are all headed to the Indie Wed event in Chicago today. I am pretty jazzed about it as 1) I haven't been able to go to a wedding event in months, and I (not so) secretly love them, 2) it is at the relatively new Ravenswood Event Center, which I have been wanting to visit and 3) we are going to lunch at my favorite place beforehand. Favorite place= Chicago Bagel Authority, a deli in Lincoln Park and a lovely reminder of my college years. I have Groupons!

I am also pretty excited about the vendor list. Some of my favorites are on there, including Toast & Jam (DJ's), Tipsy Cake and Audey (dresses). And hello, Glazed Chicago Donuts! I should probably bring my toothbrush with me...

From what I can tell, tickets are still available at the door. If you can't make it, I promise to report back on what I find!

tweet tweet!

2010-01-29T05:00:00.000-06:00

After much delay, I gave in and started a Twitter account last fall. Jake was an "early adopter" and kept talking it up. I was convinced that I didn't need another distraction. Apparently, I was wrong. I just love that I can get a little more out of some of my favorite writers and it helps me keep up with my internet friends. How else could I find out that almost every bee who got married around the same time as me was also knocked up?

Anyway, follow me! I will follow you back :)

Someone is squatting on twitter.com/iheartpeonies and it makes me sad.

news, news, news...

2010-01-28T11:52:00.008-06:00

Hello internets! A belated Happy 2010!

So much happened in 2009. I wrote a bit about moving into our new home. Shortly after we moved in, something so life changing happened that I fell off the face of the blogosphere. Jake and I got pregnant- EEEE! The combination of horrendous morning sickness, working crazy hours and still trying to finish our home led to me neglecting my beloved blog.

The biggest thing to happen in 2009 was our little Eloise, who arrived on December 18th. Isn't she lovely?

She was born quickly (read: shot out like a high speed train) and in perfect health. We could not feel more fortunate. Our top notch wedding photographer, Dean Thorsen, decided to create a family and kids business and he was kind enough to come photograph Eloise at 8 hours old. Here she is with her mommy and daddy. More photos here.

I also decided to throw in a little extra stress by starting my own business. You might have noticed a change if you visited the homepage for i heart peonies. The site is still in its infancy as we are working on adding photos and playing with design, but it was so exciting to get it up and working. Thanks to my loving husband, father of my child, for building it! After years of planning non-profit events, designing flower arrangements and drowning in all things wedding, I made the plunge and became a wedding coordinator.

Through word of mouth, I found my first clients shortly after announcing my decision. Lucky for me, they have all been lovely, innovative and happy to let me run with it. I love, love, love my job. LOVE. I have taken some time off to take care of the new addition to our family, but things are starting to gear up for 2010! More on that, later.

The last big piece of news is that my little sister got engaged at the end of the year. She and her fiance had been dating since they were juniors in high school. Even though they are youngins, the most common reaction to their engagement was "Finally!" She had been playing it coy, probably out of fear that I would inundate her with wedding craziness, but she is now knee-deep in great ideas. It sounds like their wedding might be a little country, a little rock n roll, with lots of vintage details. Their engagement enabled me to brave my Google reader. It had been bursting with gorgeous wedding ideas for months and I had only checked my favorites, but now I am discovering lots and lots of great new writers and new ideas!

I am hoping to write while E naps going forward. Here's to lots of naps and lots of posts in 2010!

speedier thank you notes?

2009-10-08T09:56:00.004-05:00

I love a handwritten note, and I enjoy writing them. I think a poorly written thank you is better than a typed one. I still thought FontCapture was kind of a neat idea- particularly for brides. You fill out a template, scan it in and you can create your own font. A little thank you note at the back of your programs, or your signature on the menu, would be more personal than a swirly font. It could work for holiday cards or valentines.

Our scanner is being crabby, so I can't test it out, but here is a sample from the site:

At the very least, it would be fun to make your own font. Would you consider using this for thank you notes?

broke-ass bride's wedding in a week!

2009-10-02T14:10:00.005-05:00

If you haven't been over to the Broke-Ass Bride yet, I definitely recommend that you go! She is doing a full week of fabulous giveaways. DIY facials, favors, aisle runners- everything you could need and all yours for the taking! Her blog isn't so hard to read either. She is one funny lady!

I particularly love the wedding map giveaway courtesy of Pantomime Papers.

Colorful and fun, these maps are guaranteed to knock your guests socks off. Good luck!

erica barraca photography

2009-10-01T10:06:00.004-05:00

My friend and former coworker Erica had a hobby of taking beautiful photographs of friends and family. Everyone has been begging her to make a real business of her immense talent, and she has finally done it! Here is her lovely website with some examples of her work. Congrats, Erica!

everything but the dress launch party

2009-07-20T08:46:00.005-05:00

The Left Bank Jewelry in Lincoln Park is starting a blog and hosting a little blog launch party on Wednesday night. This is such a sweet shop, I definitely recommend visiting, even if not for the party. Lots of fun and affordable jewels, custom veils and a variety of other wedding paraphernalia. If you know whats good for you, you will also coordinate your visit with a trip to Sweet Mandy B's across the street. Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting... droool...

Flower image from Arne G

a dress for my mother, part 1

2009-05-07T09:00:00.005-05:00

My mom and I share clothes. Well, if we are being honest, I steal her clothes. We have very similar taste and gravitate toward the same stores and styles. She is a few inches shorter than me, leaving most pants off limits, but tops and dresses are fair game. I was one of the lucky girls who actually liked the clothes that my mother bought me for my birthday. I never imagined that shopping for her "mother of the bride" dress would be such a challenge.

What is with all the jackets? For a fancy event, Mom might grab a cardigan or wrap to keep herself warm at night. The matching jacket is kind of a conservative move. It definitely works for some women and it sometimes adds a little style to the ensemble. I get this look- although maybe not in that color!

From Marisa Baratelli

My mom, however, is not a dress and jacket kind of lady. We wanted something flattering and fun. Something cocktail length, nothing strapless, nothing too short or low cut and no black (mom's decision). She also didn't want to spend more than a few hundred dollars. This is what we found.

Nordstrom

Saks

All are lovely, but none were suited to my mom. A little too country club, not enough 50's dance hall. We did most of our research online and bought a few/returned a few. Next time, I can show you the dress and her runner-up.

mother of the wedding fashion show

2009-05-06T09:26:00.003-05:00

For the Chicago readers-

CS Brides and A'Lamour are offering a fashion show for the mommas! My mom and I had such a hard time trying to find her dress and I know others are in the same boat. I thought this might help- or at very least provide a list of new sources. There might even be a few dresses that don't come with a matching jacket!

A L'Amour & CS Brides present the Mothers of the Wedding Fashion Show

Sunday, May 17th

Fashion Show at A L'Amour

236 West Northwest Highway | Barrington

Featuring selections from Alyce, Cameron Blake, Daymor, Damianou, Jade, Jade Couture, Jovani, Modern Trousseau, Montage, Rina di Montella and introducing a new resource, Marisa Baratelli.

Please call for time and additional information. Limited Seating and Reservations Required

1.847.381.5858

pretty hairpieces

2009-05-05T18:47:00.006-05:00

Anthropologie has a few bridal worthy and cost-effective hairpieces on their site. I love how frilly and feminine they are- although the Lilac Breeze Barrette does come in black and a lovely shade of yellow.
I saw the Duchess Headband while out shopping on Monday. The metallic thread and glass beading give it a little more sparkle than it might appear in the photo.
I love the vintage looking lace on the Honeysuckle Headband. The glass buttons also glam it up a bit.

fire lilly truffle cones

2009-04-24T07:01:00.005-05:00

For the ice cream loving couple... I thought these FireLilly Gourmet Truffle Cones would be a pretty adorable favor or addition to the out-of-towner bag or candy bar.

They come in six flavors, including my personal favorite, peanut butter. They are individually wrapped and come in a convenient Costco-worthy container.