The Sweetest Occasion

DIY Vintage Hollywood Oscars Party

cyd — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:47:13 +0000

I am popping in quickly this morning to share some photos from last night’s Oscars party, as promised last week. I will, however, be taking a short break from blogging this week, at least for a few days. Something happened over the weekend that has completely rocked me to my core, made me think long and hard about the things in life that matter most and how important it is to tell everyone you know that you love them, that you appreciate them and that they mean to world to you. And, if I’m honest, I just don’t feel like pretending everything is ok right now, because it’s not, so I’m not going to…I’m going to take some time, regroup and hopefully come back in a few days feeling a bit more upbeat. But, before I run off on you, here are some photos from last night’s Oscar festivities with my lovely friend Carolynn from Two Brunettes.

I’ll share more details from the party when I’m back, but in the meantime visit Two Brunettes for more of the goods. And make sure to hug the ones you love today and let them know you care. You never know when it might be your last chance to tell someone how very much they mean to you.

{Photos by Carolynn Giordano for Two Brunettes and The Sweetest Occasion.}

Friday Link Love

cyd — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:00:02 +0000

Ohh Friday! How I love Fridays. I always look forward to the fun and adventure of a weekend with no obligations. Although, it has to be noted that I have plenty of obligations this weekend. Packing, moving and painting, just to name a few. With that said, my heartfelt thank you for all of your warm messages and comments this week about our new home – we are so excited to be homeowners and I look forward to sharing bits of our renovation process along the way so stay tuned. We have a long road ahead, but we’re feeling energized and can’t wait to start making our house a home.

Awesome DIY shipping tag save the dates.

Cute packaging for neighborly gifts.

This lady inspires me.

Yet another reason why I’m a devoted Craigslist furniture stalker.

Unique vellum wedding ideas that knock my socks off.

The immeasurably talented Chelsea Fuss strikes again.

{Photo collage by Elena via Concrete & Honey.}

Sweetest Real Weddings

cyd — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:00:10 +0000

My picks for this week’s featured real weddings span the globe. From Florence (my favorite city on earth!) to Costa Rica to Louisiana to Australia, I love the unique details and abundance of love these weddings all share. If you’re on the hunt for inspiration today, these weddings are a good place to start.

{Elena +Gregory – Photo by Leigh Miller via Snippet & Ink.}

{Gabrielle + Bertrand – Photos by Wildberry Design and Studio via Ruffled.}

{Ross + Rachel – Photos by Kelly Moore via Southern Weddings.}

{Costa Rica Wedding – Comfort Studio via Style Me Pretty.}

Edit and Post

cyd — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:27:33 +0000

In recent weeks I’ve received a sizable handful of emails from readers and new bloggers looking for great resources for start-up blogging tips. As it turns out, today is your lucky day! My dear friend Ami Price of Elizabeth Anne Designs fame has just launched Edit and Post, an incredible blogging and small business resource blog that will cover everything from small business basics to all of the information you need to know to get your new blog up and running or to make your existing blog even better. I can tell you first hand that Ami knows her stuff – comparing notes and talking business and management is one of our favorite past times. (Yes, this is the kind of sick thing that happens when two MBAs end up in a room together, it’s true.) She is smart, savvy and an absolute wealth of knowledge and information. Edit and Post will be an incomparable resource for those of you looking to branch out into blogging or to develop a blog for your existing small business to help you establish and promote your brand. Pop over, check it out and make sure to read up on What Figure Skating Teaches Us About Business, because you know a blog is going to be good when there are glittery costumes involved.

Also, just a reminder that you can check out the Events + Promotions page at any time for all the cool happenings in the blog world and beyond. Of particular note this week – don’t miss out on the Urban Wed event being hosted by my girl Vané of Brooklyn Bride. Urban Wed will be the bridal show to end all bridal shows featuring a collection of incredibly talented, modern, stylish wedding vendors. Also, if you haven’t heard about Wish Upon a Wedding, a heartfelt organization dedicated to giving couples facing terminal illness the chance to get married despite the odds, make sure to check it out and get involved!

B*Spoke Guest Post

cyd — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:00:50 +0000

When Bethany from b*spoke, of DIY Valentine’s Day treat bags and fall flavors party fame, asked me to guest post on b*spoke I was more than happy to oblige! I’m over at b*spoke today with a DIY how-to for the paper and ric rac bunting I made for my husband’s surprise 30th birthday party in December. Be sure to pop over and check it out!

{Photo by Cyd Converse for The Sweetest Occasion.}

A Bumble Bee Birthday Party

cyd — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:00:19 +0000

I’m excited to have another cute birthday party to share with you today – this one is a yellow bumble bee themed first birthday party and all the little details are just so cute! I love the caramel corn cones made from honeycomb patterned paper and the assortment of pretty yellow treats served from honey jars. This look is so perfect for spring and would be especially cute for a baby shower or even a sweet Mother’s Day brunch with your mom. Serve her lemonade from a big jar, greet her with a big bundle of yellow flowers and serve brunch at a table draped in yellow gingham fabric. A tiny yellow cake is the perfect sweet finish for a Mother’s Day celebration she’d never forget.

{Photos from Imprintables.}

Pink Yellow and Orange Wedding Details

cyd — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:00:24 +0000

Ok, friends, it’s confession time. I’m a little tired this week. By a little, I mean a lot. As I mentioned on Monday, we closed on our new house this week and since then life has been a haze of ripping out old carpet, painting, pulling up tack strips and getting far less sleep than usual. We’re moving on Saturday so we’re trying to make a lot of progress between now and then, but in the meantime I’m definitely feeling a bit worn out. With that said, these delightfully bright and cheery wedding details gave me a nice little boost this morning so I thought I’d spread the cheer onto you. The huge cluster of pretty paper pinwheels is just incredible, don’t you think?

{Photos by Rebekah Westover Photography via You Are My Fave.}

DIY Paper Garland from Project Wedding

cyd — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:46:02 +0000

It’s clear to most by now that my love for paper decorations knows no bounds. This incredible DIY printed paper garland project on Project Wedding is clearly no exception to this infatuation. I love the mix of old book pages, pattern, color and shape used in these playful vintage-inspired garlands. While perfect for a wedding, they’d be equally as charming for a birthday party or baby shower or for next year’s holiday decor around your house. Visit Project Wedding for complete DIY instructions.

{Photos from Project Wedding.}

Floral Design 101

cyd — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:00:44 +0000

For our wedding last July, my mother, best friend, sister and I tackled all of the bouquets and centerpieces on our own. It saved a tremendous amount of money (a couple thousand dollars actually) and it was pretty simple to do. Since then I’ve really been longing to take a floral design class or workshop so I could learn a bit about actually designing pretty centerpieces and arrangements. I love the idea of being able to craft pretty flowers for parties and just to add a bit of color to our house this summer. With that said, when I saw this floral class on the Chelle Paperie blog, held at The Flower Studio in Baltimore, I got really inspired all over again. (And a bit jealous. I admit it.) Look at how gorgeous the finished centerpiece is! (Oh how I love pretty pastel roses paired with hydrangeas.)

Does anyone know of a fabulous floral class or workshop in the Syracuse (or even Rochester) area? I’ll pay you in unending gratitude if you can point me in the right direction. So far my search has turned up empty-handed, but I am determined to get my hands dirty and learn more about floral design. Bonus: If I can find a class, I’ll share some tips here once I’ve gotten the hang of things.

Has anyone else taken a floral class? Did you love it? Go ahead. Make me jealous. I want to hear all about it. (I really really do!)

{Photos from Chelle Paperie.}

Peaches and Cream Birthday Party

cyd — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:58:18 +0000

The peaches and cream themed birthday party that Jessica planned for her daughter Aurora’s fifth birthday is so pretty and refreshing I am now beyond excited for spring and all that comes with it. (Soon! I hope.) Jessica designed the invitations and signage for the party, held at Alstede Farms in Chester, NJ, herself and collected a bunch of peach-hued printed fabrics to sew bunting, napkins, table runners and fabric liners for cute farm baskets. The little guests were treated to all sorts of peach treats, ice cream and peach-picking after which they were all able to take home their own little basket of peaches.

Jessica designed and crafted all of the decor herself, including peach paper lanterns (complete with felt leaves to look like real peaches) strung from the tent, and painted wooden boxes for centerpieces that were filled with wheat grass and colorful DIY raffia flowers.

Stop by Juicy Bits for all of the details about the party including a complete run down of party games and activities.

{Photos by Christianne Ebel from Juicy Bits.}